January 18, 2009 • 9:15 am
At times I’m finding it difficult to “just read” through the Bible. (Don’t be dismayed I’m ahead of schedule none-the-less with my reading plan). On Friday, I read 4 verses in Chapter 5 of Romans and BAM… I just have to stop and reflect on what is being said.
God has such a wonderful way of loving us. He created us with love in mind. That was His plan during the days of creation. He had you and me on his mind. I can’t comprehend that… but it’s the truth.
God has put on display Himself and His love toward us through creation as seen in the sun shining upon the water. He shows us His majesty as we gaze upon the Great Rocky Mountains. The expanse of His grace is revealed in the great open plains. Stop whatever you are doing and take in all His grace has to offer. Praise Him at the top of your lungs… go out somewhere this weekend all alone and proclaim OUT LOUD to God your love for him.
“By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.” (Romans 5:1-4, The Message).
Filed under: Bible Reading, Creation, Faith, Grace, Love, Romans, The Bible, The Message
January 15, 2009 • 9:09 pm
I received this photo in an email today. It was taken by Jessica Stephenson and entitled, “Sunlight Dancing on Water.” As I have looked at this photo I’ve thought about how the rays of the sun and the water move in unison together… as if dancing together.
God desires to move with each of us in perfect unity just as the rays of the sun move on the face of the water. God reveals Himself in countless ways through His creation. The next time you are at the lake, hiking in the mountains, riding through the countryside in your car, or just spending time with your children – take the time to notice all that He has created and know that He shows us Himself through what He has created.
But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. (Romans 1:19-20, The Message).
Filed under: Creation, Holy Spirit, Worship
What a challenging week this past week has been. That which I face has not been solved. I have no idea where the solution is going to come from. I know God has a solution and that is what is mind blowing. I’m just one person on this planet. Think about it for a second… you are just one person… a tiny speck in the face of humanity. Yet God cares deeply for each one of us. This is all so hard to comprehend.
What’s even more difficult to grasp is He is constantly calling us to Himself. I was at my daughter’s ballet performance last night. What an incredible display of the arts to proclaim God’s love, grace, mercy, creation, and sovereignty. God’s creation in the heavens even declares His love.
David writes in Psalm 19:1-4:
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (NIV).
I like how The Message reads in Psalms19:3-4, “Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded, But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.”
It’s hard sometimes to keep our focus in times of trouble. Our natural tendency is to try and fix things on our own without going to the Problem Solver. The problem is we often fight in the natural when God requires things to be fought in the supernatural.
I know I’m learning a lot these days. I know God is helping me get things in order for a reason. I believe He is preparing me for a specific work and He knows I need to have things in order for that very purpose. Again I quote Chambers,
If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you . . . may have an abundance . . .” ( 2 Corinthians 9:8 )— then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time.
While I was in college, we closed out each chapel service quoting Psalm 19:14. This is my prayer as I walk through this moment in time.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Filed under: Bible Study, Creation, Family, Focus, Oswald Chambers
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