God used this real-life portrayal to illustrate the wasted loveliness and design of His covenant people. He created them to show His renown and praise and honor by their beauty and purpose, to be bound to Him in a covenant relationship. Instead, they refused to listen to His words, and in their own stubbornness, they served and worshipped other gods. I can hear God's heartbreak as He says "But they have not listened"(Jeremiah 13:11).
Zacchaeus seemed to have the good life. He had a good job, plenty of wealth and being a chief tax collector he had authority and yet he was not satisfied. His curiosity was building as he heard stories of Jesus and the miracles He had performed.
We will undoubtedly go through cold, winter seasons in life. Loneliness, scarcity, and grief may threaten to overcome us. We are promised that everything lasts for a season. And seasons change. The winter won't last indefinitely. Although it may seem elusive at the moment, spring will come again.
The Israelites were exiled in Babylon. God knew they needed encouragement, so He wrote them a letter through the prophet Jeremiah. The letter written to the Israelites is timeless. All people from all generations can learn from God's words and gain encouragement.
I’ve leaned into Psalm 62 for weeks now, especially the introductory phrase, I am at rest in God alone. My salvation comes from Him. Footnotes in my study Bible reveal a deeper meaning of “rest.” The Hebrew word, “dumiyah” expresses the idea of silence and rest in the sense of waiting on Yahweh and feeling secure that He will answer prayer and provide protection. Perhaps that’s the calmness I sometimes see in senior adults who have walked many years with the Lord.
God, how can it be that six tons of blubber gracefully leap out of the water, in concert? How can a family "sing" to each other?Surely they are in praise of Your greatness. I am absolutely amazed with You.
And what's the matter with that? God created them to relax and enjoy the hot sun. Just maybe that loud bark was their way of praising Him for a good job done. Besides, adjacent to their sunning rock lies Cobble Beach, composed of round black basalt rock. As the waves roll onto the beach, one can hear an applause-like sound. Hmmm-is the water, are the rocks, also praising God?
Ladies, as the eagle soars to the heights, the goats in Glacier National Park climbed way beyond my expectation. In fact, you'd have to be an eagle to get up close and personal. God certainly designed the goat for the high mountains.
True to human nature, seeing God everywhere takes expectation, and practice. Fortunately, creation can hit you squarely between the eyes with the greatness of God. As the miles ticked by, all 7493 of them, God did not disappoint us. Wonder upon wonder unfolded as rocky precipice gave way to clear blue lake to colossal sand dunes to forests' canopy. S-o-o-o awesome!
Man measures time in years or ages or eras. But not God, He has always existed and always will. He existed for Adam and Eve, for Paul, for my grandmother, and He exists for me.
This past winter, I enjoyed watching the Olympics. Each Olympian had one
aspiration—to be the best athlete in his or her field. They trained, practiced, and cared
for their bodies to attain the gold medal.
How would you answer the question, “What is your key aspiration?”
Spiritually speaking, the match has been struck. God’s Light has come! Isaiah
prophesied that a great Light was coming into the world. More than 700 years later,
Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
For over ten years, I have been telling my grandchildren bedtime stories. The stories
revolve around an adventurous boy who enters a world of magic, dragons, and
dinosaurs. Each night, one grandchild suggests the basic plot, while the others
contribute character names or special details. My job is to turn their ideas into an
exciting story. Creating these stories together has become a treasured family tradition
and one of my greatest joys.
The past eight months have been difficult as we walked through my daughter’s stage
three cancer diagnosis. This month she was declared cancer-free! During this journey,
certain truths about God have been reinforced in my heart and mind. Certain aspects of His character have become more deeply embedded in my beliefs.
God’s Word encourages “older” women to mentor younger women. (Titus 2:3-4) We are to teach and train them, sharing the wisdom God has given us. We don’t have to be Bible scholars. We’ve experienced much of what the younger ones are experiencing now. God has taught us through His Word; He has taught us through His work. He has even taught us through our failures. We have lessons and knowledge that the younger women need to hear.
Let’s face it friends. God has many children and He loves each and every one of them. He does not play favorites. He does not get swayed by socio-economics, race, political affiliation, hobbies, talents, etc. God made us all and loves us all. We are all the “that-s”. Not one of us replaces the other.
I have to say all baptism experiences are unique and glorious, but I came away with such a renewed sense of inspiration and rejoicing that morning. I wanted the joy of my salvation to shine through me just as it had done through these children.
Has anyone ever confided in you about something challenging going on in their life? Do
you sit and listen carefully, praying as they tell their story or are you on the edge of your
seat waiting to give them all of your insight about it? Maybe you have gone through the
same thing and feel like you have just the answer they need. I have to admit I have
done just that.
Spiritual preparedness never goes to waste. That brings me back to my first lesson.
God graciously gave us the Bible, his very own Word, to help us on our journey of life.
His wisdom, commands, and words of compassion prove the best ammunition against
our enemy, Satan. An open Bible, when used, is powerful. David experienced victory
over his giant and we can over ours too.
Our Father in Heaven also enjoys it when we imitate him. As believers, we, his children,
feel his presence. He encourages us to mimic him. Through his Spirit, he motivates us
to obey and follow him. We enjoy his encouragement.
