The globe is pretty (I think). The world is ugly.
The earth is beautiful. The world, beneath its mask, is hideous…
And growing worse. At least it seems so to me…
And “the world is too much with us” — with us who ought to be without it, within.
It weighed heavy on me last evening. I read too much news, heard too much nasty, learned about too much tragedy of depravity, and it was all a fearsome thing too close to home. Almost overwhelming.
But then, I’d also neglected my prayer times, my morning psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, my own immersion in God’s good Word.
So I played catch-up by night. And grace got me back on track—then, and also this morning. In the songs, and in the psalms, and in the Light that shows me light I found myself back again on the sweet ascending path, path of purity and peace, path of freedom from the world it helps us navigate around, amid its poison, without getting interlaced with it.
We can’t pretend it isn’t there, the world and its growing ugliness. We must not! But we can rise above it, when we walk in Him.
Thanks be to God, in Whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found. Thanks to the Prince of Peace, in Whom is peace the world can’t even clue in on. Thanks be to Him, the Fount of every blessing.
Thank You, Lord, Immanuel, God with us. Even in this world…
All my springs are in Thee.
*****
Without our Father this world has no hope. With Him all things are possible and He will deliver us and the ones He’s chosen for us to share His truth with unto Him. It is our confidence.
Amen, Floyd. Thanks be to God!
Sylvie, this is a beautiful, uplifting post and such an important reminder of how to “stay on track.” I realize how easily I get sidetracked by rehearsing the horrors of the world and becoming so fearful. You have quoted Wordsworth, and I love going deeper into that poem: “The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”
The exclamation is his, but I echo it. How often do I lay waste my powers, not so much, for me, with getting and spending, but in squandering my powers, by watching too much TV news, giving my heart away by frittering it, excelling in trivial pursuits! How much better would I do emotionally by investing my time as you did, by investing my heart in the Lord, by basking longer in the Light, in His Word (I read it daily, but am I basking?), praying in my journal, singing the sweet hymns and spiritual psalms of the faith–in other words, entering the sanctuary (Ps. 73), not to escape the world, but to fortify myself in it. Thank you for a beautiful, strengthening, courage-building post. I needed it!
Lynn
Wow, Lynn. I’m sure your comment did me as much good as my post did you! Thank you! For the Wordsworth poem, and everything else you said. I was actually right where you were: frittering too much time on bad News and trivia, “laying waste my powers.” My time in the Word was almost desperate catch-up, motivated by an acute sense of need, by a drought of the heart which I created myself by looking too long in the wrong direction. Blessings to you!
Yes! My friend and I were talking just last night about how much is wrong in our world – but we can have hope! He is greater than all the evil around us! Thank you for this beautiful reminder, friend!
Really needed this today. Not so much the “world’ but just life sometimes getting me down. You are so right about getting alone with him. Thanks for the blessing!
Oh Sylvie, and your post “back at me” makes me wonder if God is nudging me just to stop watching all news for a time. I thought……well, let me get through the election. I need to stay informed. But the thing is, so much of it is repetitive, and so much is negative (and likely inaccurate or at least aggrandized). And the thing is: It will always be there. There will always be “one more thing.” So maybe I just need to put it away. Ah…..but am I brave enough?!
Mary, that is what we need to see (that He is greater), and we won’t see it if we don’t look in the right direction. There IS so much wrong in the world that it can thoroughly distract us, if we let it. So glad He got me back on track, looking again in the right direction!
Yes, Pam, I think I could say that it was “life” (in this world) and its possible effects on people I love that was getting me down the most. Thanks for commenting, and God bless.
Hi again, Lynn. Hah! Do you know what Husband and I did last evening, not long after our “conversation” here? Watched two things on our video screen: 1) a thing about how forensic science has helped in catching perpetrators of *horrendous crimes*, and 2) part of a long series about *Hitler’s* rise and how Germany became a *Nazi nightmare*!
When he said that’s what he wanted to do after dinner, at first I considered bowing out. But, you know, I had spent some good time in “the things of God,” and I felt fortified enough not to be brought low by it. And, as it turned out, I was!
That’s the point, I guess: continually getting refortified to face the sordid realities of our present ugly world, and thus being made more able to deal with them. (Hope I don’t eat those words tomorrow night!)