CRUMBLING EMPIRES
Standing in the marketplace of ancient Megiddo in Israel, I closed my eyes and imagined the swirl of activity occurring on this spot three-thousand-years earlier. Once considered the jewel of northern Israel, the location hosted Solomon’s stables and Ahab’s winter palace. Merchants would have been hawking their wares, politicians debating hot topics, children playing among the booths. I opened my eyes to scan the ruins of what had been a great cultural center. As I surveyed the crumbling pillars, piles of rock, and weeds growing between cracks of marble, I was awestruck by the contrast of then and now.
The reality hit me like a crashing pillar. The greatest treasures earth offers will someday crumble, including any “empires” I attempt to build. Jeremiah 17:5-6 warns, “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.”
Anybody want to sign up for that? But verses seven and eight are like a breath of fresh air. “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.” (NLT)
When times are tough, we all put our confidence in something. But only God offers permanent stability. Nothing, absolutely nothing, this world offers endures. Seeking security in anything temporal results in disaster—whether wealth, career, or intelligence. However, trusting in God promises an enriching life of blessing, delivering us from misguided dependence on current culture — things like power, prosperity, or popularity. Everything, everyone, is destined to wither and fade.
The “crumbling empires” around us continually seduce us, pulling us like a powerful magnet. It’s a battle we wage daily. When we look to created things for fulfillment, we live with uncertainty; but relying on God provides a foundation which will never fail us. Let’s take our eyes off the temporal, and place them on the eternal. Only then can we experience an abundant life which will never crumble.
This is a revision of an article I wrote for The Upper Room, published on July 10, 2021.
Principle: The greatest treasures this world offers will one day crumble.
Promise: Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made Him their hope and confidence.
Ponder:
What “crumbling empires” do I pursue in an attempt to find security?
What experiences have led me to realize the truth that nothing this world offers provides lasting security?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Matthew 6:19-24.
Prayer: “Lord my attention is so easily pulled away to focus on the things of this world. Please remind me daily that only you offer lasting security and fulfillment.”
For other articles, please check out my website, BarneyCargile.com
NOTE: A portion of last week’s article was adapted from The Shout of the Bridegroom by Glenn Greenwood.