The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all it contains, You have founded them. Psalm 89:11
I spent most of the last two days driving. It’s not something I do easily, but God was gracious in providing the needed strength and endurance. Knowing that I would be traveling and my time would be limited, I was considering what I would write about this week. As I drove, the song “I am Yours” started playing. It echoed the quote from Charles Spurgeon that I shared earlier in the week and is shown at the top of this post. The common theme was not lost on me. Given the calamity due to hurricanes, earth quakes, threats of war, prayer requests, etc., it seemed appropriate to consider the concept that we belong to God and what that means.
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Go forth today, by the help of God’s Spirit, vowing and declaring that in life – come poverty, come wealth, in death – come pain or come what may, you are and ever must be the Lord’s. For this is written on your heart, ‘We love Him because He first loved us.’
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10
We are a soccer family. My wife was a soccer manager in college; our daughters started playing in elementary school and continue to play, our younger daughter met her husband through soccer; and our grandsons have recently started playing. Christine and Corey love to play defense on the soccer field. Their motto is: “forwards win games; defensive players win championships”. The point is that the players in the background preventing the other team from scoring are as important as those scoring the goals. It takes the whole team…not just the ones in the limelight. It’s like that in the church body as well.
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Perhaps we’re meant to learn that the richest hope permits the deepest suffering, which releases the strongest power, which then produces the greatest joy.
Larry Crabb
Shattered Dreams
(Colorado Springs, Colorado: Waterbrook Press, 2001), 45
“The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
This year has been as season of challenges and unplanned events. While on vacation in July, my wife broke her ankle which led to surgery and several weeks of not bearing weight on her left leg. Needless to say, it has caused challenges of various sorts for both of us. Additionally, we’ve just returned for a trip that was to be a relaxing time at the beach. Given the recent surgery, we considered canceling; however, as the trip included our aunt and uncle, we chose to proceed as planned desiring to take advantage of every opportunity that we have to spend time with them. What was not planned was a hurricane Irma heading straight toward our chosen location.
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Let God’s promises shine on your problems.
“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” – Proverbs 19:21
A frustrated woman, that’s what I was one day not long ago as I tried diligently to wrap and fold neatly, a pack of crackers. Sounds like a simple task, right? Try it sometime, and really pay attention to what happens. I found a few interesting tidbits that day that I could relate to life.
A pack of crackers, first pulled out of the box, is a beautiful thing, especially for a mind like mine that craves order. The package is crisp and smooth. The crackers are lined up neatly in a row, no breaks or crumbs in sight. The seam opens smoothly and they are crisp in your mouth. Then comes the trouble… how to return the package to a decent-looking state without losing your mind.
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“Contentment … has an internal quietness of heart that gladly submits to God in all circumstances.”
