Tuesday, January 25, 2011 - Rumblings

     

Mt. Vesuvius looms in the background of ruins in Pompeii. 

    City planners laid out the port city of Pompeii with attention to detail. Among many other conveniences, they:

Vendors set terrains of hot soup in these built
in warmers to sell to people in the business
and judicial district of Pompeii. 

     *plotted the city in grids for maneuverability;

     *marked regions with signs and addresses etched into the buildings;

     *embedded white rocks into the stone streets as reflectors; 

     *built drainage features to redirect flood waters from the nearby Bay of Naples;  

     *designed an acoustically perfect amphitheater; 

     *lined the busiest sections of the city with fast-food restaurants for those who worked downtown;

     *encouraged and provided for the arts and athletics, making Pompeii a highly sought destination for merchants and wealthy vacationers.  

    In all their planning and building someone forgot to research volcanoes. There stood Mount Vesuvius in the background of their everyday lives, beautiful when peaceful yet constantly building pressure to blow. The residents of Pompeii didn't heed the warnings of earthquakes that had destroyed large parts of the city less than 20 years before. They chose instead, to rebuild, bigger and better.

    The obvious illustration is that people paid for ignoring such a power. Citizens of Pompeii were more concerned and prepared for floods from the sea, which happened annually, than with fire from the mountain since they had never experienced or heard of anyone else experiencing eruptions from Vesuvius. They built their lives on the premise of "If it hasn't happened before now, what's the chance it will happen during our lifetime?" They gambled and lost. 

    God rumbles warnings in His perfect timing. His Spirit hovers in us, calling us to turn toward Him with unveiled honesty to see His Power and our potential in Him. We, too, can ignore Him and continue building our lives facing the wrong direction or we can embrace Him in all His Power and Glory. Accepting Jesus as Lord means we've chosen to nestle our lives in His Shadow and we've given Him the right and Power to interrupt our regularly-scheduled lives with His stirring. Just because we haven't seen Him break into our well-planned, unimaginative devotion to Him yet, or crack open the skies with His return, doesn't mean it can't or won't happen in our lifetime.  

God of Glory, God Almighty, keep us alert to Your rumblings in our hearts. May we prepare for You to break in and cover us with Your Love, Your Power and Your Spirit. Keep us from underestimating Your Power. Please, surprise us today and embed Your promises into our minds and hearts. Transform us. Guide us with Your counsel. Help us look our weaknesses in the face and let You fill them with Your Grace and Power to do Your Will.

In the Name of Jesus Who will one day disrupt our regularly-scheduled lives to take us into glory!

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise -

the fruit of lips that confess His name." Hebrews 13:15

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, 

are being TRANSformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, 

which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 

2 Corinthians 3:18

"Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right  hand. 

You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory." 

Psalm 73:23-24

"But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace, was pleased. . . " Galatians 1:15

Inspired by My Utmost for His Highest and Jesus Calling
Top photo by Robin Noland, side photo by June Pearson, both taken in Pompeii, Italy