Grains of Sand

Pixabay A pilgrim's journey through an increasingly hostile world is not easy. All the encouragement and instruction given by Peter to the believers scattered throughout Asia and Palestine was valuable. But without a doubt there were moments of fear and worry that would have plagued the followers of Jesus even though they had their eyes fixed on home, on the incorruptible treasure waiting for them. The determination to stand for their faith would meet opposition again and again. It might result in more loss than that which they had already suffered. Concern would turn to worry, and worry turn to fear. So Peter writes these words in 1 Peter 5:7,  "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  Anxiety is an overwhelming consumer of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual resources. I would like to say that it is like a vacuum cleaner sucking up everything around it, except that my vacuum cleaners are not nearly as efficient as all that! But you ge...

Pixabay As is always true, there so many diamonds to dig out of every passage of Scripture. A lifetime is not enough to find them all and expose every one of their glorious facets. We look briefly at a couple from 1 Peter 1:17-19 as we consider our pilgrimage or journey through this death valley of life and we look toward home.  Earlier this morning I was reading through the book of Amos. It's a book of judgment sprinkled with a little hope. But two words stuck out: justice and righteousness. The absence, or perversion, of these two in the lives of God's people, Israel, brought judgment down on their heads. God's judgment fell equally both on the enemies of His people as well as on His people. He will not be mocked by either. Peter alludes to that as he writes: " Since you call on a Father who judges each other's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or...

Pixabay There are lots of things I don't know. Included among those is the hour of my passing into eternity. I was reminded of that this morning when an SUV making a left hand turn while I was in the crosswalk came to a screeching halt just inches from me. That wasn't my place, or time, to go. The driver didn't see me—but God had! That's a pretty major "I don't know." But there are lots of other things—major and minor—that I don't know—but God does! My verse for today reminded me that " No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. " (1 Corinthians 2:9) If the "worst" had happened this morning, it would actually turn out to be the best—I'd be face-to-face with the Lord and that's a very good thing. The semi-worst would be broken bones and ruptured stuff! And many would wonder why God would allow such a thing. It's the famous "Why me?" or ...

Pixabay “ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid .” (John 14:27) What kind of peace does the world give? Temporary. Treaties are made. Treaties are broken. Ceasefires cease sooner or later. Someone looks and lusts; conflict breaks out in the push and pull of political intrigue. Relationships sail along comfortably until the next storm. That’s not God’s peace. That’s not what Jesus promised as He approaches the epicentre of conflict—His world’s  need to be rid of Him. The political and religious leaders clamour for His death. He knows this. He knows what is coming—the maelstrom in the making. And He speaks of peace that nothing can disturb and tells His disciples not to be troubled and not to be afraid. It is not a peace conjured up by force of character. Jesus says He is leaving HIS peace with them—the inheritance of those filled with His Spirit. It’s permanent. It’s living, b...

Pixabay Pharaoh and his army are in hot pursuit of the children of Israel. Despite all the suffering caused by the plagues that God had to send on Egypt to persuade the King of Egypt that it was in his best interests to let Israel go, he’s had a change of heart—or head. Who is going to build all his monuments to himself if his slave labour is allowed to escape? The children of Israel have been led to a spot on the map which seems illogical for a people looking for the best way, and the fastest, to “get out of Dodge.” They are now surrounded, facing the sea, and about to be closed in by Pharaoh’s army. God had informed Moses that He had a plan to use the situation to bring glory to Himself (Exodus 14:4). However, the thunder of the horses’ hooves, the rumble of chariot wheels, and the sight of a vast parade of armed and angry soldiers, drove any reasonable thought out of the heads and hearts of Israel. “ They were terrified ” (14:10). Sounds right. Reasonable thought says that the G...

Pixabay I've lost count of how many times I have told this story—most recently last week at a Seniors' Residence! But here goes once again. Years ago, as Director of Christian Education, in the days when that role for me involved kids, we did a lot of Christmas programs. On this particular Christmas the play was called Three Wise Men and A Baby . In one scene the shepherds (three boys from the Junior Department of the Sunday School) were to be sitting around their fire just minding their own business and talking their long, boring evening away as they watched their sheep. The angel who was to appear to them, was a tall, skinny Jamaican kid. You can imagine what he looked like in his white robes and gold tinsel halo. He was to enter from the choir loft door, above the platform where the shepherds were seated. When the angel appeared he was to introduce himself with the words, " Fear not! " and the shepherds were then to scream in fright! That was exactly what h...

Abby at peace. Change. It's never easy to deal with. Whether those changes are minor or major, they bring with them certain consequences. Some of us deal with those consequences without too much trouble. Others struggle a little more. But we all struggle. When Abby and Lou Lou came to Canada from Venezuela, I was told that, once released from their carriers, they would likely find some place to hide and stay hidden for up to two weeks. When we released them, they ran to the nearest closet. That was expected. But, much to everyone's surprise, within 45 minutes they were out making themselves at home as though they had always lived in their new quarters. The change caused some stress, but not much. Jesus knew that His disciples were about to face a huge change in their lives. In fact, there would not simply be one change, but several, to be confronted. He was heading to the cross and that would be traumatic for them. After all, they had walked with Him for three years. An...

Pixabay Sometimes it is only a niggly feeling of disquiet. Sometimes it is an overwhelming sense of disaster. Most of the time it is something in between those two things. Fear stalks us every day. It's the smell of overheated wiring that might led to a fire. They say that most of the things we fear never happen. But then they sometimes DO happen. We try to be brave and "put on a happy face" but inside the niggle becomes a gnaw and the gnaw becomes a full-blown chomp. David knew the feeling. Psalm 56 describes his thoughts when the Philistines grabbed him in Gath. " ...they are always plotting to harm me. They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life " (vss. 5, 6). For most of us a physical enemy is not a factor in life. But then there are illnesses, loneliness, financial concerns, family tensions, and a host of other things that press down and the niggle begins. And if we don't catch the niggle, the gnaw is harder to deal with...

blendspace.com (Googel Images) There it was—a tiny phrase loaded with meaning. “ …though your footprints were not seen ” (Psalm 77:19) Most of us are familiar with the poem Footprints where God is described first of all as walking alongside of us on our journey through life. At that point there are two sets of footprints. Then, as life grows difficult, only one set of prints is seen and the author wonders where God was when things were going so badly. The answer comes back that those footprints were His as He carried His child through the storms of life. The poem, and the truth expressed in it, has blessed millions. Asaph didn’t see any footprints. He begins this psalm crying out for help (77:1-9). He is hurting, in distress, can’t sleep. He is troubled. He wonders if God has rejected His people, if He no longer loves them, if He is angry with them. As he struggles, He remembers all that God had done for His people in the past (77:10-15). He remembers how: “ The waters s...

Google Images It’s interesting the difference a few hours can make. When I read Deuteronomy 9 earlier in the morning yesterday, it did not make as powerful a statement to me as it did later on that afternoon. Let me set the stage. Moses is continuing his instructions to the Hebrews as they prepare to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land of Canaan. He is reviewing their history and in the first six verses he reminds them of what happened after the twelve spies had returned from their scouting expedition into Canaan some forty years earlier. Those men had come back with glowing reports of the abundance to be found but ten of them also reported that the cities were heavily fortified and the people were “giants.” They spread fear among the Hebrews, a fear that lead the Israelites to rebel against God. Their rebellion was the cause of forty years of wandering in the desert until, now, at last, they have returned to the gateway into the land that God has promised their forefather, Abr...

Google Images “ Because the Lord kept vigil ” (Exodus 12:42). Oh, I love these five words! The place is Egypt on the night of the 10th plague, on the night the Lord struck down the firstborn in every Egyptian household, on the night the Israelites were finally free to leave after more than 400 years under Pharaoh’s power. It was the night of the first “Passover.” The very name tells the story. The Israelites were instructed to pack their bags. They were give specific details as to how to prepare for their last meal in Egypt. Most important of all, they were told to brush the blood of the lamb designated for that meal on the doorposts of their homes. By this sign the angel of death would know not to touch the firstborn of that home. That child was protected by the blood of the lamb. The analogy is obvious. As that ancient household was protected by the blood, so is anyone who accepts Christ as his or her Saviour protected by the blood that He shed on the cross. The blood of Jesus Ch...

Google Images One of the things I like about the Bible, and one of the things that people criticize about it, is the honesty with which the Scriptures deal with people. I’m sure we don’t have all their “wrinkles” recorded for us, but there are enough to make us realize that even the saints weren’t always so saintly. That’s an encouragement for us because we then know the extent to which God showed them mercy and grace, and can be assured that the same will extended to us in our weakness. To those who criticize this “revelation,” I can only suppose it is because it robs them of the excuse, “Well, they were perfect and I’m not, so since my case is different I don’t have to pay attention to what the Bible teaches.” Anyway, in Genesis 20, we have an example of the unsaintly act of one of the prominent saints of the Bible. To add to the problem, Abraham is about to be caught doing the same thing that he got in trouble for doing before. It seems he had not learned the lesson. One more, f...

“ A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall ” —1 Samuel 17:4 Late yesterday afternoon I walked down to a nearby medical clinic to get a prescription renewed. Ahead of me in the line was a big man who was well over six feet tall. I remember thinking he’d make a good basketball player. The thought also passed through my mind that I wouldn’t want to have to fight him off if I happened to meet him a dark alley. He’d crush me like a grape. That experience gave me a whole lot of sympathy for the armies of Israel as they took a look at this Philistine champion. The deal was that Israel would send out its best warrior to meet Goliath and whoever was still standing at the end of the fight would determine the winner of the battle between the two nations. No one needed a crystal ball to figure out how this was going to end! The result was a standoff—no one did anything because no one in Israel was willing to get crushed like a...

“ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” —Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV. The Israelites had finally reached the Promised Land. A generation had died in the desert, their punishment for having refused to enter the land forty years earlier. Moses had come to the end of his life. He knew he would not be privileged to take this final step with the people he had led all these years. But he also knew that Israel was in good hands. Joshua was about to assume the reins that Moses was going to lay down. He’d been with the “old man” for a long time now, following him, observing his relationship with God, obeying his orders. He saw the land forty years earlier. His was one of only two voices that encouraged the people to trust God and take possession of what God had promised to give them. Now with the mantle of leadership across his shoulders, Joshua got final instructions and advice fr...

“ The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still ” —Exodus 14:14, NIV The Israelites have left Egypt. Behind them is a country devastated as a consequence of the plagues that God has sent to “encourage” Pharaoh to let his people leave in peace and to display his glory. They also leave behind mourning mothers and shocked fathers holding their firstborn in their arms. That last plague was the most terrible of all. But Pharaoh is still determined to bring back his slaves and pursues God’s people, catching them with their backs to the Red Sea and nowhere to hide. Exodus 14:14 are Moses’ words to a terrified people. They, too, have forgotten all that they saw God do on their behalf in Egypt just a short time earlier. How easy it is to forget. I promised myself that in this new year I would stop worrying about a particular “thorn in the flesh” and the first thing I did this morning was start “entertaining” that concern once again. So these words from Moses are particularly r...

Job 8-10 In his despair, Job struggles with God. He bounces back and forth, feeling that God has pronounced him guilty yet protesting his innocence. There is an edge of injustice here: Job feeling God has been unjust and is being unfair. “ Even if I were innocent, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would pronounce me guilty. Although I am blameless …He destroys both the blameless and the wicked. When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. When a land falls into the hands of the wicked, he blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it? ” —Job 9:20-24. He is afraid of God, afraid to speak. He wishes for someone to speak for him (9:33-35). Job confesses to being bitter (10:1). He feels unfairly treated. Anger and bitterness often result in our saying things that were better left unsaid. For example: “ Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked? ” (10:3). He believes...

Genesis 43-46 Such a roller-coaster of emotions and changing circumstances for the brothers who had so easily sold Joseph into slavery without a thought for their father’s feelings or for the consequences of their actions. Joseph tested his brothers. Would they save themselves rather than try to save Benjamin? Would they cause their father additional grief by abandoning another favoured child? This time, the brothers passed the test. Imagine their surprise to discover that this figure of authority who seemed to know so much about them, was really the brother they can once so callously delivered into the hands of Midianite traders. Joseph was quick to reassure them right from the beginning that their actions, evil as they had been, were divinely orchestrated. “ …do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…to preserve a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it w...

Peace is as short-lived as the next headline, as longstanding as pleasant circumstances prevail in our lives. It is as fragile as the finest crystal, and as fleeting as a wisp of smoke. In spite of our present reality Jesus says: " Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid " —John 14:27. Jesus knew that within hours the world His disciples had grown comfortable in would be shattered. Soldiers would come and rip their Rabbi from their midst. The crowds, once friendly, would turn on their Master and demand His death, They would be looked at the Lord's followers with suspicion and accusation. The disciples' hope would be beaten, ridiculed, and nailed to a cross. How could Jesus tell them not to be troubled, not to be afraid? A peace that rises above circumstances and is not diminished by events bigger than ourselves is rooted in a God who never changes when everything else...

He ran for his life. Exhausted to the point of collapse, overwhelmed by anxiety, depressed beyond hope, Elijah took off. His only desire was to die. God was waiting for him under a broom tree (1 Kings 19). No sharp rebukes for his lack of faith, no punishment for abandoning his post; God simply supplied sleep, food, and blessed silence, to his weary foot soldier. This morning's verse reminded me of Elijah's situation. Jesus said: " Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest " —Matthew 11:28. Our Lord understands our need for those times to "come apart" before we "fall apart." He waits for us wherever our "broom tree" happens to be and provides not only refreshing, but restoration. It's unfortunate that we often have to fall to such a low point in our lives before we are forced by our own weakness to call on God's strength. The good news? At that lowest point, God waits.