Grains of Sand

Simon Dewey — Google Images One of the most amazing verses in the Bible is found in Matthew 4:1. “ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ” To fully identify with the people He had come to save, Jesus had to know, by personal experience, what it was like to be tempted. God the Father sent His Son into the wilderness and said to Satan, “Give it your best shot.” To add to the challenge for Jesus, He went forty days and forty nights alone and without food. He was physically at His weakest—the perfect moment for Satan to catch Him in some fault. That the devil even thought he had a chance to bring the Son of God down only reminds us how deluded our enemy actually is. Hebrews 4:15 tells us “ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ” God the Father knew that His Son would not fail. Jesus knew He would not fail. So why go th...

Google Images They are familiar images to anyone who has spent time studying the Scriptures. Paul reminds Timothy, his son in the faith, that there are three examples he needs to follow, that of a:     1.    soldier (2 Timothy 2:3)     2.    athlete (2 Timothy 2:5)     3.    farmer (2 Timothy 2:6) A good soldier is focused on the task, obedient to his commanding officer. The battle is not easy—or safe. An athlete obeys the rules of the competition. He can’t expect to win if he cheats and looks for an easier road to victory. A farmer is rewarded according to how hard he works. And even then the harvest is not guaranteed, as any farmer knows. All of the three examples, as diverse as they are in life, carry a common theme. They picture people who persevere in difficulty: through war, through pain, through uncertainty. In the end Paul pushes Timothy to do the same, to endure: “ Theref...

Google Images Somewhere along the way I remember hearing that if a person runs on their reserves of energy for too long, he can use them up. Those reserves are not renewable resources. Once they are gone, they are gone for good, and there is nothing extra left to call on when the need arises. As I was reading Psalm 18 this morning i remembered that tidbit of information. I don't know where I am in the scenario I just described (could be I'm simply still trying to convince an older body to maintain a younger pace!) but I was encouraged by David's thoughts. " You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall...It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights " (Psalm 18:28, 29, 32, 33, NIV). It's true. When I come to what seems to be the end, and feel as though I can't ...

One of my many blessings—the view from my balcony

Reading: 2 Corinthians 10-13 “ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness ” (2 Corinthians 11:30, NIV). You have got to be kidding? Who does THAT? Current thinking says we must build ourselves up, bolster our self-esteem, look good, be strong, promote our pluses and downplay our minuses. Paul had different ideas. Why would anyone allow himself to be so vulnerable, especially someone so much in the public eye and so eager to show how “cool” the Gospel was? After all, people jump on bandwagons that make them feel good about themselves. As Paul continues his letter he tells his readers why boasting about weakness rather than exalting strengths is the right thing to do. Paul had a problem, the nature of which we are not told, though the general thought is that it was a physical problem of some kind. He asked God to heal him and after the third time God delivered a definite “no” as the answer to the apostle’s request. “…he said to me,” writes Paul in 2 ...

“ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand ” —Isaiah 41:10, NIV. At the end of last week, a dear friend lost a much-loved brother. While her own husband struggles with serious health issues, a sister lies dying in the hospital, a brother-in-law is battling the dreaded “C,” it seems overwhelming that she should now face laying a brother to rest. How much can one person handle? Then I read Isaiah’s words and realize that my prayer for my friend has already been spoken. The words are old but their familiarity doesn’t breed contempt in God’s ears. He’s listening. He’s ready to bring fresh life to old words and meet my friend in her need. So much of life is edged with grief. The world presses in and we don’t always know how to respond. Trouble comes. If we only had to handle one trouble at a time we might be able to handle it on our own, but trouble, if it doesn’t act...