Today’s Scripture Reading (March 9,
2013): Psalm 86
I watched “Hart’s
War” a little while back. The movie is set in World War II and stars Bruce
Willis (I admit that I love to watch his movies) and Colin Farrell. But I also
have to admit that I cannot watch the movie without thinking about Jonathan
Brandis – whose name appears in the credits, but whose scenes were cut from the
movie. Jonathan Brandis was another actor that I liked to watch do anything.
Brandis committed suicide on November 11, 2003 (he was officially declared dead
the next day.) Jonathan’s friends have said that he was depressed over the way
that his career was progressing, and having his scenes removed from “Hart’s War,”
a movie that he had hoped would be a comeback opportunity for him, was the last
straw. Brandis seemed to believe that his life was without purpose, and so he
hung himself. He was twenty-seven years old.
David asks God
to guard his life because he was faithful. The word that is translated “faithful”
is “chaciyd.”
Some versions have translated this word as “godly,” but the King James Version
uses the word “holy.” And if we can separate the religiosity away from this
very religious word, I think I prefer the use of “holy” in this passage. Godly
and faithful both have an element of something that I have done in them, but I
can never be holy unless God does something in my life. And all that holy
really means is that God has made me different and set me aside for a purpose.
I may not always understand my purpose, but I am confident that it is there.
To live this
life we need purpose. In fact, we cannot survive without it. It is the thing
that keeps getting us out of bed in the morning. It is the sense that there is
still something that I have to do – a task that I still need to complete. And
it is something that I believe very strongly. If you are breathing as you read
this, God has a purpose for you – a reason for you to be here. And he is the
one that is making you holy – setting you aside for that purpose. It is
something that we all need an understanding of.
Jonathan
Brandis is missed by his friends, family, and fans. But the saddest part is
that somehow he lost sight of the incredible purpose that his life held. It is
a cautionary tale that we all need to take heed of – we need to recognize our own
personal purpose and the purposes of those who live out their lives close to
us. We need to continually remind each other that god has made us holy; that we
have all been set aside for a very special purpose.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm
101
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