Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
Today has been a rough day. My symptoms have been flaring and I have found it difficult to keep moving and be productive. Fatigue and lack of focus are making it rough to think and to write let alone maintain a healthy attitude. That’s often the case for those of us struggling with illness. Whether it’s dealing with our infirmities in general or the various symptoms that present themselves, days are regularly difficult and require much effort to endure. Many trials offer similar effects. It may be grief, caring for a dying loved one, attempting to redirect a rebellious child or any of the other life traumas that completely overwhelm us, but whatever “it” is, we are easily shut down and find it difficult to manage the affairs of the day let alone be industrious or thrive.
Continue Reading »
With what little time we have left for making life meaningful, too many of us find ourselves going through the motions and achieving very little of lasting value. We live as if we have all the time in the world, when the truth of the matter is that our time on earth is short. We truly are ‘here today, gone tomorrow,’ making every second precious.
Dr. Chris Thurman
The Lies We Believe
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999), 194
Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27
I’ve been on the road the last couple of days. While I basically know my route, I haven’t driven it enough nor have I driven the area my mother-in-law lives in often enough to navigate without a bit of effort. Heading home, I needed to take route 95 south to the toll road. The last time I left, I went north to toward the beach instead of south toward our home. This time I had a series of wrong turns that cost me some time and took me into the heart of Boston which is not a particularly easy drive. Even though I knew where to go, in the moment that I should have turned, I only saw half of the signage that reported the northern part of the route and chose not to turn as I didn’t want to repeat my last mistake. I wasn’t terribly worried as the next road would take me to route 1 south which was the reverse of how I had come on the trip north. What I didn’t know was that getting from route 1 south to 95 south was not as easy as going north. Consequently, I missed another opportunity to take the correct path. I had another chance to get back on track, but because I was totally ignorant of the path, the signage and the lane changes, I missed it as well despite using GPS. Finally, by following the instructions that GPS was providing and being able to see on the map what I was to do, I got back on track. I lost about 45 minutes in time, but I was finally where I needed to be. As I reflected on my errors, I couldn’t help but see the parallel in our spiritual lives.
Continue Reading »
“God, like a father, doesn’t just give advice. He gives himself. He becomes the husband to the grieving widow (Isaiah 54:5). He becomes the comforter to the barren woman (Isaiah 54:1). He becomes the father of the orphaned (Psalm 10:14). He becomes the bridegroom to the single person (Isaiah 62:5). He is the healer to the sick (Exodus 15:26). He is the wonderful counselor to the confused and depressed (Isaiah 9:6). This is what you do when someone you love is in anguish; you respond to the plea of their heart by giving them your heart. If”
Joni Eareckson Tada
When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty
(Zondervan, 1997)
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.
Continue Reading »
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.
Continue Reading »
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.
Continue Reading »
Let God’s promises shine on your problems.
Corrie ten Boom
Crosswalk.com
