Grains of Sand

Pixabay “ In the beginning…. ” Today marks the beginning of a new year. What expectations are there for 2018? What hopes are there for this new year as it dawns? Fresh pages…but from the same old book? Or will a new story be written? If it were not because of the word that comes after “ In the beginning… ” we might despair. We know that resolutions made on this day will likely fade into distant memories within a few short days or weeks. We know ourselves…or prefer not to delve too deeply into that muddy pool of self-knowledge in case we should find something we do not like and do not know how to deal with. But then there is that word: “ In the beginning, God…. ” Just as in that first beginning He, the Master Creator, made everything new, so can He do the same in us as 2018 dawns. With Him, nothing needs to ever be the same as it was last night, last week, last month, last summer, last year. Just a few short verses after Genesis 1:1 comes this: “ So God created man in his own image,...

Pixabay Remember...what you have received. When I was a kid and Christmas morning rolled around, there was a tradition that had to be observed. Every present that was received and opened had to be documented. What it was and who gave it was recorded. Immediately after Christmas thank you notes were written to the gift-givers and put into the mail. To neglect to acknowledge a gift was almost an unpardonable sin. The apostle John, exiled to the Isle of Patmos, received some messages from the Lord that were to be delivered to some of the churches in the region. One of those letters was to go to the church at Sardis. Of course, the principles outlined in these letters to the seven churches are also meant as messages to the church today—nothing much has changed given that human nature doesn't change no matter what century we are looking at. Sardis appeared to be a vibrant church (Revelation 3:1). God knew better. In the message, John was to write: " ...but you are dead ....

Few of us would know what it feels like to be pursued by someone intent upon wiping us off the face of the earth. David knew the feeling. Early, in the days before he became king over Israel, Saul chased him around the countryside with a vigor and determination that would have been more appropriate if applied to his dedication to the Lord. Saul came close to meeting his goal on several occasions, only to be thwarted by God. David was protected from Saul’s fierce anger. But most of us know what it means to be pursued by other enemies besides the physical ones. Sometimes those enemies even live inside us. The popular saying, “Follow your heart” is the subject of Jeremiah’s words: “ The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ” (17:9). We can’t even trust our own hearts to not lead us into trouble. Doing what “feels good” isn’t necessarily what IS good. David would write, “ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me ” (Psalm ...

Google Images We got sidetracked in our Bible study last night. It wasn’t a bad sidetrack, but it did open a wound. We are finishing off the last few weeks of a series of studies on forgiveness and one of the participants mentioned that the hardest part of forgiveness was forgiving herself. She looked back on her child-raising years and wished that she had been walking with the Lord more closely then. Perhaps it would have made a difference in the lives of her children who now have nothing to do with God. That got the group talking about their own spiritual journeys, the wasted years, and family members who are not walking with the Lord. You could feel the pain. As I was reading Matthew’s genealogy again this morning, I read this verse which brought me back to last night’s conversation. “... Ahaz was the father of Hekekiah, Hekekiah the father of Manasseh... ” (Matthew 1:9a, 10b). I went back to the synopsis of the story of these three men found in 2 Chronicles 28-33. Ahaz was ...

Busy people. The disciples had been running around the countryside teaching and healing. They were overwhelmed with responsibilities and people, and didn't even have time to eat, let alone digest their food. So when Jesus said, " Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest " (Mark 6:31) the chances are at least one of the guys had to stifle a "yippee." As it happens the devotional thought I read this morning in connection with this passage focused on the importance of taking time to rest, reflect and renew. Amen and amen. But I had to laugh. Jesus took His disciples away to a solitary place so that they could rest, reflect and renew. But people saw them, and followed them so that when they got to this solitary place, it wasn't solitary anymore. There were five thousand men there, and who knows how many women and children on top of that. What would you and I say? "Sorry, we're on vacation, on retreat, on furlough. Go home and we...

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...