Perspective

Reading this morning about faith.

How I feel like I lack it. And I do.

How sad it is to read in Matthew Ch 8 about demon possessed men that taunt Jesus... then he saves them from the demons and throws the demons into a heard of pigs! The piggies run off the hill into water and die.

The men are amazed and run to tell of their good news, and when the people find Jesus the tell him to depart!!

"And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,5 two pdemon-possessed6 men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they qcried out, “What have you to do with us, rO Son of God? Have you come here to torment us sbefore the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them,“Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the tdemon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, uthey begged him to leave their region."

What a people they were. So sad.

Lord, my heart breaks for the lack of faith and praise these people had for you. How I want to be different.
You may destroy the things in my life that I value the most or that bring me the most worldly gain... my job, my looks, my health... would I still praise you? would I still bring you glory? would you still be the Love of my life, if things changed?

Lord from your perspective those two demon possessed men where so much greater than any heard.
Although those men were nobodies to the town, just scum, how could the towns people care less about what you did for those demon possessed men? All they could focus on was what was destroyed, not what was restored.

How many times in my life are you at work, and I think that you are just destroying things? Please teach me to have the right perspective. Let me remember to focus on the things that are good and worthy of praise. Because then and only then will I be able to have a faith that praises you. Only then can I see and appreciate what you are doing in my life, and in the lives of others.