DIRT!

God is not defined by words. God IS the Word itself. Infinite - without beginning or end. Gen.2:7 states, "Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the earth and blew the breath of life into his nostrils. The man became a living soul." The word used or "soul" is the word "nephesh" which can be translated a number of ways - living being, soul, etc. We are living, but a living what? This is a difficult thing for us to wrap our minds around, because we process things through words and descriptions. Yet, how do you define the undefinable? God can be seen in all things if you look hard enough for Him. On our trip this past week, we met an interesting man who was a tour guide for us, that I think gave one of the best pictures of what we are as stated in Gen.2:7. It was just Ann, myself, and him. We engaged in a lot of conversation regarding the historical Bahamas. In our conversations he drove us by some of the oldest churches there and we began talking about spiritual things. It was an enlightening discussion - I think for all of us. In the conversation we started talking about what matters, and he made a comparison that I had not heard before, yet - was so true. He told us about how as a younger man he had gone off track as most do until he came to a point where he realized things had to change. He could not continue the path that he was on and could see where the road was leading him. In his own terms he stated, “I came to realize that dis was a bad place to be. So I asked, Father God please show me de truth. So, I picked up my Bible and as I was meditatin' on de word of God, Father God show me that all dis is nothin' but dirt. Dis world, these buildings, even de money in your pocket is all dirt. We are but dirt. De drugs and stuff that people put in their bodies to try to escape from life – it just passes through the body and guess what! It become dirt! All these fancy clothes...all made from dirt and all they do is cover your nakedness. An' then...they go back to dirt. So, Father God say to me, Why you living for DIRT? Wake up your spirit man – you are better than dirt! Let me show you how to live longer than the dirt!”

Such a profound discussion and story from this man whom we had never met, yet we talked to in such spiritual intimacy. Ann and I felt blessed that God had granted us such an adventure.

What about you? Have you considered this? Everything we are in this world, everything we have, everything there is in this world – came from and will again become DIRT! Pick it up in your hand. People who have been before us, and even those who will come after us, many of them will live, breathe, eat and die for dirt. Not much of an investment is it? Eccl.3:20 states, “All life goes to the same place. All life comes from the ground, and all of it goes back to the ground.” It begs the question, what are you living for? Are you living for dirt only to become dirt? Eccl.12:7 states, “Then the dust of mortals goes back to the ground as it was before, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.” The better question is the one Mr. Anderson observed, “Wake up your spirit man – you are better than dirt! Let me show you how to live longer than the dirt!” Dirt, has a beginning and an end. Only the spirit is eternal. God created us out of the dirt of the earth, but made us to be much better! Are we letting God show us how to live better than and longer than Dirt? 

Jim