Grains of Sand

Pixabay It's been busy. Jesus is in high demand—both by His friends and by His enemies. The disciples have just returned from an extensive missions trip and have reported all that took place while they were on the road. " The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest' " (Mark 6:30, 31). We all know how that worked out! Even though they found themselves a lonely spot, the crowds pursued Jesus and the lonely place wasn't lonely anymore. But Jesus, being Who He was, didn't feel resentment or dismay or indulge in a pity party. Mark says, "... he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things " (vs. 34). The day passed. The disciples came to Jesus to point out where...

Google images “ How long, O Lord? ” Does that sound familiar? Circumstances and people immediately come to most of our minds as we wonder: How long will this … last? For David, the question was not only how long he would have to be bothered by his enemies, but also how long before he felt again the presence of the Lord in the circumstances he was facing. So often our troubles are equated with a feeling that God has abandoned us. David faced this same gnawing doubt in Psalm 13. How long, how long, how long…? He was feeling pretty low. He describes himself as wrestling with his thoughts and having sorrow in his heart, and feeling like he may as well be dead (vs 2, 3). That may be startling news considering who we are talking about. But David was not ashamed to admit that he was overwhelmed. We can relate. How often have we wrestled with fear, anxiety, and doubt? How many “sad” days have become a part of our reality? How many of us have wished for death as an escape from the pain of l...

Google Images Judah has fallen—several times! In a succession of invasions, the Babylonians, as instruments of God’s judgment, have taken the royal city. They have removed most of the inhabitants and taken them into captivity. Only the poorest are left behind (2 Kings 25:12). But what is worse is the total destruction and dismantling of the city and the temple as described in 2 Kings 24 and 25. Solomon’s glorious expression of worship is reduced to a pile of pebbles and its riches are either destroyed or carried away. In passages like Psalm 137 we discover the depth of the despair all this caused in the Hebrews. The were devastated. But to add insult to injury the captives were commanded by their captors to sing songs! How could they be expected to sing under these circumstances? “ By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing ...

" Your LOVE, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your FAITHFULNESS to the skies. Your RIGHTEOUSNESS is like the highest mountains, Your JUSTICE like the great deep. " —Psalm 36:6 This psalm begins with a terse statement about the wicked and then, unexpectedly, comes this marvelous declaration on the character of God. Whatever the wicked are, however deluded, however devious and destructive, God is greater. The psalmist continues the declaration of his faith in the One in whom he can find refuge (vs. 7), the One who provides in abundance (vs. 8, 9), and the One who vanquishes any evildoer who plots against those who belong to God. The pairing of these four characteristics intrigues me. True love must be faithful. True righteousness demands that justice be served. The love of God, as profound as it is, will never let us down. God cannot, and will not, prove faithless. God is righteous, perfect and holy. That righteousness cannot turn a blind eye to sin, but must demand an accountin...

The synopsis of the life of Hezekiah, king of Judah, given to us in 2 Chronicles 29-32, contains a beautiful progression. Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he came to the throne. The first order of business was to restore the temple and its worship. The priests and Levites had to be consecrated, purified, so that they could serve. All that was evil needed to be removed from the sanctuary (29:1-6) because: " Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord's dwelling place and turned their backs on him, They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel " (29:6, 7, NIV). The house of God and the worship of God had been neglected and abandoned. In 2 Chronicles 30, after the priests, Levities, and temple were restored, Hezekiah called the people to come to Jerusalem. This wa...