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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Day 172: Enough!

Today's Reading: Proverbs 130-131

"There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, 'Enough!':

the grave, the barren womb,
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'"
Proverbs 130:15-16

One of the most important books I have ever read was Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend. The book teaches us to establish limits to abusive and manipulative relationships. It teaches kind and meek Christians to say, "Enough!"

Despite Agur's humility in saying he is not wise at all, I think his sayings carry some merit. He points to four situations which feel like black holes; four realities which never are satisfied.

Starting at the last of the four and moving to the first, I have noticed fire is fairly consuming. I have friends who fight fires for a living and have learned that if you do not aggressively deal with fire, it truly will destroy everything in its path. This is true of physical fire and the fire of revenge. Praise be to God who gives water and oxygen robbing chemicals to the physical fires; and grace and forgiveness to vengeful resentment.

My friends are in Niger this week trying to bless a cursed land. Drought has made the land very gluttonous for water. Even in flooded plains, the land seems to gulp and gulp until all the water is consumed and then asks for more.

I can not imagine the pain of the barren woman. I don't care how "liberated" a woman is, there is something about having a life in your body that is not your own, feeling it grow, experiencing that first secret movement, knowing it is a part of you. To be barren must be horrible.

And death...all one has to do is open the newspaper daily to see the ones swallowed up by our common enemy, Death. Death will find us all one day and wreak its havoc.

All I can say is, that though these four gluttonous entities can not seem to discipline their appetites, I serve one who not only curbs the appetites but does say, "Enough!"

Our God is the best boundary keeper around.

God has limited destruction, drought, barrenness and death.

And one day, we shall see all the hungers of this world satisfied.

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