The Magnificent Mind

TITLE: The Magnificent Mind
DATE: November 18, 2019

Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.

TEXT Psalm 90: 12 – 14 – ESV -  12 So teach us to number our days  that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,  that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

During the course of my life I have met some very smart fellows.
There was a confirmation student with the photographic memory;
There was a classmate who could read book which would then be stored in his memory.
There was the Lutheran Hour Speaker who recalled information on tens-of--thousands of people.,
There was a mechanic who could break down, fix, and put back together just about anything.

Although I don’t possess their gifts, I admire these folks, and so many others, who have been gifted with a phenomenal brain.

Truly there doesn’t seem to be too much our brains can’t grasp, evaluate or explore.

At least that’s the way I used to look at the brain as being ready to tackle any and all subjects.

Then, this week, I was informed differently. Researchers at Israel’s Bar Ilan University have found something the brain desperately tries to avoid. Can you guess? Maybe you might be able to figure it out.

The one thing the brain tries to avoid is its own death.

It does real good considering the death of someone else... something that happens to the other guy.. but something which won't happen to me .Oh, the researchers admit we all know, in a theoretical way that the day will come when we will breathe our last. It’s just that, down deep, we don’t want to have to consider it.

Now to figure this out the scientists did an experiment. They took a series of photos and put on some of those photos words like death and burial. Then they wired up the participants in the study and had them look at the photos. They did.

But when they came to pictures of themselves and those death words, the part of the brain which considers the future just shut down.  It looked at those words when it was on other people’s pictures. JUST NOT ON THEIRS .They didn’t want to admit their end is coming.

Well, our end is coming. When, I don’t know. I just know it’s coming.

Which is why it’s good to listen to SCRIPTURE. What does it say: “So teach us to number our days  that we may get a heart of wisdom.... that we may rejoice and be glad all our days”.

Truly, our days, all of them can be gladdened when we know we are in the hands of our loving Lord.

Jesus told  us that He had come so we might have life and have it to the full. (John 10:10) This happens when we recognize that in Jesus:

1. We have a good Shepherd Who has laid down His life.
2. We have the Way to heaven.
3. We have the One who has made it so believers in Him will never die.

In Jesus, so many of the problems of life are put to rest; in the Redeemer we are pulled out of life’s darkness and brought into the Lord’s marvelous light.

THE PRAYER: Lord even though my mind may not like it, my end is coming. May I give thanks that that day has lost its terror because of the Savior Who has conquered death. In Jesus, I give thanks. Amen.

The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/282017/youre-going-to-die-good-luck-telling-your-brain.html  and the article written by John Johnson .

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html