Religion vs. Faith

Beyond the Present Time
Resurrection Hope
A Living Hope

Psalm 31:9-18

The Message

^6-13 I hate all this silly religion,
    but you, God, I trust.
I’m leaping and singing in the circle of your love;
    you saw my pain,
    you disarmed my tormentors,
You didn’t leave me in their clutches
    but gave me room to breathe.
Be kind to me, God—
    I’m in deep, deep trouble again.
I’ve cried my eyes out;
    I feel hollow inside.
My life leaks away, groan by groan;
    my years fade out in sighs.
My troubles have worn me out,
    turned my bones to powder.
To my enemies I’m a monster;
    I’m ridiculed by the neighbors.
My friends are horrified;
    they cross the street to avoid me.
They want to blot me from memory,
    forget me like a corpse in a grave,
    discard me like a broken dish in the trash.
The street-talk gossip has me
    “criminally insane”!
Behind locked doors they plot
    how to ruin me for good.

 

Reflection I place my trust in God.  I am sure of His grace and compassion.  That is my faith.  God is not organized religion.  Unlike God, Christian religion has changed over time.  Although it contains universal core elements, Christianity does not seem to be an unchanging static system.  I suppose religion is, as we are, poor impressions of Godly practice.

Many observe that the apparent loss of spiritualism in our modern cultures is in reality the morphing of one form of worship and practice into another.  Perhaps so, but when again in trouble I will turn to God.  The message of forgiveness, compassion, and justice will still be at the core of the worship of God and the practice of His way.

Pray

I place my trust in God.  I am sure of his grace and compassion.  That is my faith.  God is not our organized religion.  Unlike God, our religions have changed over time.  Although it contains all of the core elements, Christianity does not seem to be an unchangeable static system.  I suppose religion is, as we are, poor impressions of God.

Many observe that the apparent loss of spiritualism is in reality the morphing of one form of worship and practice into another.  Perhaps so, but the message of forgiveness, compassion, and justice will still be at the core of the worship of God and the practice of His way.

that though all of life's troubles, you will remain steadfast in your confidence and hope in God's promise.  Pray that you will, in lament, turn to God , not to blame but, rather, to be encouraged, fortified, and liberated