"Turn my eyes away from
worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." (Ps 119:37 NIV)
Fort William Henry. It looked so strong, so
unbreakable, so meant to protect the Permaquid region and survive for eternity.
But then that's also what they thought when they built
the former fort, Fort Charles, and it had been destroyed by a joint coalition
between the French and the Indians, just a few years earlier …
But this new fort was different. It had taken two
thirds of the budget of the colony of Massachusetts to build. It would most
certainly last!
However when attacked four years later by the same
culprits, it was discovered that this seemingly strong fort had an Achilles'
heel. The mortar used to build the strong stone walls was of poor quality (Even
in those days they took shortcuts!) And it could not withstand the bomb attacks.
It also didn't help that the garrisons' water supply lay outside the fort. A
mere oversight, perhaps, but between the two, it cost them their fort. Once
again the English had to abandon Permaquid.
One thing about the British, they don't get
discouraged easily! In 1729 they built yet another fort to protect the Permaquid
area. They called it Fort Frederick, and this one lasted until 1769, when the
fort was deemed useless, due to the construction of Fort Pownall further east of
Permaquid, and to the fall of Quebec. Abandoned, Fort Frederick fell into
disarray, and was eventually torn down in 1775 by the local inhabitants. Their
reason? Being on the eve of the commencement of the Revolutionary War in the
United States, they wanted to discourage the British from ever occupying it
again!
We would never have discovered these ruins if we
hadn't taken a little detour. It was mentioned nowhere in the tourist guides or
on the Internet. What seemed so important to the past wasn't deemed really
worthwhile after all!
As I was pondering this, I had to ask myself: How much
time do we waste on "worthless" pursuits? Should our to-do lists really be our
priority in life? Do we even remember what we accomplished two days ago? We rush
back and forth at dizzying speeds, but what do we have left to commemorate it
all when the rush is over and we try to survive our retirement years on meager
provisions?
And what about our worship? Is it exempt from
worthless priorities?
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does
not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is
worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from
being polluted by the world." (James 1:26-27 NIV)
Just attending church won't cut it. Just giving our
tithes and offerings won't get us to the mark. Self-centered religion is
worthless when the needs of God's children are being ignored. How many of the
things we hold so dearly are not everlasting! "Woe to you, teachers of the law
and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and
cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice,
mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting
the former." (Matt 23:23 NIV)
Is our service at work worthwhile to others? If we are
just working for the money, it won't be: "Whatever you do, work at it with all
your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…"( Col 3:23 NIV)
What about love? Do we love our spouses the way Jesus
tells us to? Do we put his or her needs first? And what about our kids? Do we
even try to understand them?
It all comes down to this: "And whatever you do,
whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God the Father through him." (Col 3:17 NIV)
The same is true with our worship towards God. If it
is self-seeking, it's worthless. If it is a means to reach heaven, we've missed
the mark.
So many of the things we do, think or admire are truly
worthless! So many of these things won't make it to eternity! What are we truly
holding on to? Is there anything in the bunch that is worthy of eternity? Which
will be lasting? Which will evaporate to nothingness?
One thing is certain, love is the foundation to
eternity. This one is truly worthy of our full attention! "A new command I give
you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By
this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
(John 13:34-35 NIV)
Even the beautiful sand castles I used to build with
my children have disappeared into nothingness, but the time spent with my kids
while engaged in this activity will linger in my memories forever!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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