A Promise Forever

Overwhelmed by the goodness of my God today.

I have been reading a novel lately called "The Gift" by Bryan Liftin.  It's the second book in a trilogy set centuries in the future after a virus and the ensuing nuclear war decimated the human population.  New civilizations with medieval technology rise up and Christianity is basically wiped out.  The two main characters accidentally stumble on a copy of the Old Testament and this begins a physical and spiritual journey that is absolutely amazing.

But the best part of this book was the end.  Since the two main characters find the Scripture, all they want is to find the New Testament as well.  They find a copy but enemies of Christianity destroy it and for a little bit they think the rest of God's story is gone.  Then, they realize that a mentally challenged man in their company has perfect retention and literally has the entire New Testament memorized. 

Now this is a fictional example but we can see in the Scriptures themselves how God works to keep His words alive.  Reading this, I was overcome by the glorious goodness of my God.  He has promised that His words will endure forever.  No matter how much we are persecuted or how many Bibles our enemies destroy, the words will never be lost!  Those words which are life and breath to us, which offer us the only way to salvation, which teach us of our amazing, loving Creator - we will never lose them!  It is a solemn promise!

Black Bubbles

Oil: black, slippery-slidey all over me.
On my hands, dribbling down the sides of my face
It bubbles up from deep inside me
I cough and cough and cough.
I can't get it out of me

I need it.  I want it.
Smiling at the blackness running down my arms
I'm revolted at myself.
How can I crave something so deadly?

Don't I smell its rotten odor?
Can't I taste that acid warning?
It oozes inside me: the oil out there magnetizing to the oil in here.
When I'm angry, afraid, alone - it comes pumping out,
spraying everywhere.

I weep but the tears can't flow right
Blocked by the oil on my face.

I live in a world of oil-people who tell me its okay.
The blackness is good
Just go with it - you'll get used to the smell quickly.
It's so easy to just ignore how filthy I am.

I live half blinded by the oil
It covers my vision like a cancer.
I'm in desperate need of Light
but the Light will kill me.
The oil will destroy me - the Light will unmake me.

Sear it off me!  I'm scraping, scraping but it's too sticky!
Burn it away.
Never mind the stench of crisping hair and smoking flesh.

My body is rank with death.

Sometimes, the oil chokes me so I can barely breathe
My smeared hand trembles towards the sky
The blackness bubbles as I whimper: "Save me!"