Down to Earth

Because we're still in the moving process, we have little time to play poker right now -- much less blog about it.  But we're prepared for such things.  This online chat could have occurred in a poker room this past week, but actually happened last April:

Me: 　Happy Earth Day to you.
BigDan5B: 　earth day r u a worm
Me: 　I am a worm. I am dust.
screamin113: 　 no he is a mole
Me: 　My Bible tells me so.
Without painting too broad a brush, we think many big-time poker players have egos.  They need to be confident to keep playing successfully and winning money.  Yet God tells us we're really not as "big" as we might like to think.

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. - Psalm 22:6

Who would stoop so low as to call himself a worm?  Most Bibles show King David wrote this psalm.  Yet some of his words were restated hundreds of years later....

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthami?" - which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" - Mark 15:34

As Christ faced death at Calvary, he quoted Psalm 22.  We invite you to look over that psalm and consider how much applied to His situation.

Jesus showed remarkable humility as He was crucified -- crucified for our sins, to be more precise.  The hopeful news is that God appreciates it when we humble ourselves before Him as well.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.... from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. - Psalm 103:13-14, 17-18

The Bible offers eternal life in God's Kingdom to those who will think of themselves in a worm-like, dust-filled way:

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8

Our claim to be "a worm" and "dust" brought this response during the poker game....

BigDan5B: 　kool happy birthday

It really wasn't.  But when it comes to our lives, maybe radio host Casey Kasem had it right all along.  We should keep our feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars - or better up, Jesus the "morning star."