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By Rick Sibert November 2008 |
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Your Amazing Wonderful Life! I would venture to say that prior to two weeks ago you had never heard of “Joe the Plumber”. Perhaps you still don’t. For those who are a little sick of the never ending political season and have tuned out, let me fill you in. Joe Wurzelbacher is a mild mannered plumber in Toledo, Ohio. Just an everyday “Joe.” Throwing the football with his young son in the front yard, he saw presidential candidate Barack Obama coming through his neighborhood. He decided to take an opportunity. “I always thought,” said ‘Joe’, “If I could get this guy in front of me, I'd really — you know ask him a hard question. Nobody asks him any tough questions. Well, I had the chance. And you know, my question really wasn't that hard.” He told the Senator from Illinois that he has a plan to buy the plumbing company he has worked for and if he did that his taxes would be raised under Obama, and in fact, Obama’s fiscal policies would make it very hard for him to actually buy the company. And here’s the catch – Obama’s response. “It’s not that I want to punish your success, but I want to….spread the wealth around.” And from that exchange Wurzelbacher’s life will never be the same. He’s been travelling the country ever since, giving “voice”, as he says, to conservative principles held by many Americans. He’s had a press conference on his front lawn, been on numerous talk shows, including Laura Ingraham’s and Sean Hannity’s. He even has a Wikipedia page! And the liberal media have had a field day. Nervous that this “guy from nowhere” could potentially wreck their coronation of Obama, they have turned this “average Joe’s” life upside down, digging up dirt, trying to destroy him. Wurzelbacher feels like he has been put in this position for a reason and he has a responsibility now to take the bull by the horns as it were. Asked by Fox’s Neil Cavuto, he’s has even stated an interest in running for office himself, so tired is he of the current contentious political climate. What did I take out of this man’s story as I sat and thought about it the other night? What immediately came to mind was that three weeks ago, “Joe the Plumber” was on his hands and knees, fixing leaks and installing drain piping, anonymous to all but those who were close family and friends. Now his whole life has changed. I’m sure he never saw it coming. What an amazing story. Do you know your life can have that turn in the road as well? I thought about how many people feel trapped in their lives. Unable to make a change. Unable to see a way out of a situation. Unable to see how their lives can be any better. Unable - because we are not omniscient - to look down the corridor of our lives and see how it will all end up. Some of you may know that President Eisenhower was a star running back in high school and at the military academy at West Point. His future seemed to be laid out for him. He figured he would honor his commitment to the Army, and then either play pro ball, or more than likely get into coaching. He had no visions of an Army career, let alone the fantastic course of events his life would take. And it all changed with a career ending knee injury his junior year. Realizing that his dreams of a career in football were over, he decided to give the Army a try. And the rest is history: the first Five Star General; Supreme Allied Commander and architect of the overthrow of the Nazis in World War II. One of the most popular Presidents in history. What a life. But a life that I’m sure he didn’t see coming as a discouraged college athlete. The Bible is full of men and women who had the course of their lives changed. We can certainly think of the apostle Paul, who was determined to wipe out the “problem” of Christianity. Blinded on the road to Damascus his life – and ours – would never be the same. Peter was living a routine life, fishing, when his brother Andrew came and said, “we have found the Messiah!” Then he spent three exhilarating years with the Lord. And then – after his Lord was crucified - another turn in the road, when I’m sure he thought it was all over. Back to fishing he went, certain that all was lost. But then the resurrected Jesus showed up and restored him! Peter the impulsive lion had become a lamb and would go on to be instrumental in the foundations of the early church. But one of my favorite people in the Bible is Joseph, beloved son of Jacob. He was born after many years of barrenness to his mother Rachel, whom Jacob loved deeply and toiled for for several years to have her hand in marriage. Cared for (and probably pampered a bit since he was so much younger than his other brothers) by a mother and father who wanted the best for him; he was suddenly ambushed by his brothers and taken to Egypt in a caravan to be a slave. While in Egypt, God’s hand of favor rested on him and he rose in power to become the second in command for the entire kingdom. While continuing to live a faithful life to his God, the Lord sent him visions of a future famine and he convinced the prime minister to store up the grains in store-houses for a future need. After many years away from his family, the famine finally hit and Jacob and his brood traveled from their home in the promised land to Egypt to escape their conditions and get some relief. Once there, through a series of divine appointments, they were eventually reunited with Joseph, their long lost brother and beloved son. It’s a tremendously real story of reconciliation and one man’s devotion to God through adversity. In the end of the story, Joseph said to his brothers, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people.” (Gen 50:20) Do you know God has wonderful plans for your life and wants to give you the desires of your heart? He can turn the bleakest of circumstances around and make it good. If you can’t see your way, if your future seems dim, turn to the One who created you and who’s every thought toward you is good. Our Father in Heaven wants you to succeed. He wants you to leave a legacy on this earth for Him. If you turn to Him today, I promise you your life will be turned upside down and you will be blown away by the future it holds! It might not be immediate, but one day you will look back and like Joseph be amazed at the wonderful life you have had the privilege to live. Editor’s Note: Eternal Perspective is a monthly feature of Calvary Chapel Columbus and the commentary of Pastor Rick Sibert, focusing on living a Godly life in the midst of an ungodly world.
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