Grains of Sand

Pixabay This morning I took meat out of the freezer for this evening’s supper. I made soup and dessert. I filled the bird feeder. I don’t usually overthink these tasks. But I did this morning. I had read Exodus 16 earlier in the day. That story finds the Hebrews  out in the Desert of Sin. Apparently they had run out of food and begun to complain to Moses and Aaron. “ If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!” they muttered, but loudly, “There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death ” (16:3). Really? You sat around all day stuffing yourselves with prime rib? What happened to being slaves under vindictive taskmasters? What happened to making bricks without even the raw materials to work with? But let’s move past the “spin” being put on what had been a bad situation now conveniently forgotten. For the next forty years, while one generation gave way to another, God would p...

Pixabay How many altars have I built in my life? An altar is a place of worship, of commitment, of sacrifice. Noah built an altar when, at last, he and the riders of the great ark were on dry land once again. It is recorded that Abraham built altars at significant points in his spiritual journey. In Genesis 26 Isaac builds an altar as well. This event was spurred by an encounter with God during which the Lord said: “ I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham” (26:24). It is said that Isaac built the altar “…and called on the name of the Lord ” (26:25). An altar is a place of communion, a place of encounter with God. We used to have “altar calls” away back when. Those were moments at the end of a service when the pastor invited anyone who wanted to accept Christ, or make some other significant spiritual decision, to come forward. I responded to one of ...

Providence, Rhode Island, (Photo: Pixabay) Canadian Thanksgiving has past, but even on this side of the border we Canadians are well aware that our cousins to the south will soon be celebrating their Thanksgiving. Today, though thankfulness is not always the emphasis during these particular celebrations, the original date marked a time to remember the providence of God, particularly among those looking for freedom to practice their beliefs without persecution. Providence. I like that word. Of all things, the City of Providence, Rhode Island, came to my mind. Wikipedia says this about that city: "The area which is now Providence was first settled in June 1636 by prominent Baptist Roger Williams and other religious exiles. It was one of the original Thirteen Colonies of the United States. Williams had been exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his outspoken beliefs concerning distinction of state government and religion. Williams secured a title from the Narraganse...

There were several things that stood out as I read Psalm 50 this morning. But three verses in particular reminded me of a weakness in my life that needs constant nourishing. “ Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me ” (50:14, 15). “ The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God! ” (50:23). We naturally focus on the promises. Deliverance in the midst of trouble and salvation are good things which we can anticipate receiving from God. His deliverance of us brings Him glory. How He provides for us is a jumping-off point in our witness to others. When people hear from us what God has done in our lives He is glorified. But there are two other items mentioned that glorify God: 1. lives that are lived to honour Him and, 2. thankful hearts. The first is covered by the phrases “ perfor...

Google Images Whining was one of Israel’s biggest faults. It didn’t matter what God did for them, they always seemed to find an excuse to complain. As Moses goes over the instructions to the people on the eve of their entrance into Canaan he emphasizes the importance to remember all that the Lord has done (Deuteronomy 11:2-7) along with the importance of passing this information on to their children who had not experienced all these miracles as their parents had (11:18-21). They needed to remember and be grateful. Nobody azppreciates whiners—not even God. They are like mosquitoes buzzing in our ears and needing to be slapped—something God often did to His people. Moses's instruction to remember all that God had done was a call to the discipline of counting their blessings and thereby putting a halt to the annoying sound of constant complaining. In Deuteronomy 11 Moses focuses on the land that the Hebrews are about to take possession of. He says, in verse 12: “ It is a land the ...

Google Images It was, by any standards, an enormously generous expression of gratitude. Just before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany to visit his friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. His last visit had been marked by a funeral and a celebration of resurrection life. The Lord has brought Lazarus back from the death and all three were grateful. We don’t know how Lazarus expressed his personal gratitude to the Lord and we have only a glimpse of how Martha did it. But Mary, well, Mary found a special way to say thank you for her brother’s life. John 12:2 tells us that a special dinner was held in Jesus’ honour when he arrived in Bethany. That was Martha’s expression for thankfulness. Serving was her forte and this time, I suspect, she did it with a spring in her step and joy in her heart. But Mary, who had been commended for sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to what He had to say, what was she to do to say thank you? It was customary to make guests comfortable. Since people rec...

Google Images Yesterday I needed to go to the bank. I got there before the doors opened and while I waited I read the fine print on the bill I was about to pay. Among the tidbits of information was one that informed me that if I were to pay only the minimum amount required each month it would take me six years (including interest, of course) to cancel the debt. Good grief! This morning I read about an incident that took place just before Jesus began that final journey to the cross. He was visiting the house of Mary and Martha and enjoying a meal with His friends. “ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfum e” (John 12:3), When I lived in Venezuela I used to buy the flowers from which nard perfume is made. The smell was so powerful and so beautiful that it filled the house just as is described for us here. Jesus had spoken about His death. Di...

Google Images Seasonal consumers of religion. At the risk of sounding harsh, a lot of those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus who are exactly that—seasonal consumers of religion. We come and go when it's convenient and when something piques our interest in the program of the church. We turn up when we can't find anything better to do. We blame the pace of the rest of our lives on our lack of attention to what needs to be THE priority of life. We are religious but we are not very spiritual. We treat Grace cheaply.* It's a good thing God doesn't operate that way. I was struck this morning by David's response to God as we see it in 1 Chronicles 21. He did a "no-no" (21:6, 7) and God gave him a choice of punishments—that in itself is significant and shows us the high regard God had for David in spite of his sin. David chose to submit to God's hand as the instrument of punishment (21:13) rather than subject himself to the punishment men would ...

Classic ingratitude. The king of Israel is being stalked by his enemy, the king of Aram. Elisha, who seems to be gifted with the ability to hear through walls at long distances, continually warns him of the ambushes and attacks being planned so that he can avoid getting killed (2 Kings 6:8-12). "Royally" annoyed, the king of Aram plots to kill Elisha, but that too is foiled in that famous episode in Dothan. Elisha's servant discovers what the prophet knew all along: " Those who are with us are more than those who are with them " (6:16, NIV). The angelic hosts surround God's servants. But then things change. Aram attacks Israel and besieges the city of Samaria. Things are very grim—no exaggeration considering it appears that people resorted to cannibalism during the siege (6:26-29). The king of Israel is angry at Elisha and now wants to kill him (6:31). The end of the story sees God doing a miracle to save the city. We wonder why He waited so long and can onl...

Reading: Luke 17, 18 “ So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’ ” –Luke 17:10, NIV. A number of years ago this verse came up in a Bible study I was doing with a group of ladies. I got a surprising reaction from one of them. She took serious exception to the word “unworthy,” declaring that all that she was doing “for the Lord” made her very worthy–in God’s sight and in the sight of everyone who should be admiring her dedication. Not too much farther over in Luke Jesus tells the story of the Pharisee and the publican who came to pray in the temple. The Pharisee was full of himself, and went away without God’s forgiveness. The publican recognized his unworthiness and went away rejoicing and at peace with God. Jesus said: “ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted ” (Luke 18:14, NIV). Unhappily, the gal in my Bible study never did learn that ...

Exodus 38-40 “ The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them ” —Exodus 39:42, 43. I’m glad those last four words were included in the sacred record. Acknowledging a job well done is like putting icing on a cake. The cake is great without the icing, but oh the joy that a finishing touch of sweetness brings. The labourers had done an incredible job of the construction and furnishing of the Tabernacle, of the preparation of the priestly garments—just read for yourself the extensive description that covers a large part of the book of Exodus. Everything was done “ just as the Lord commanded… ,” a phrase repeated an amazing number of times throughout the book. Can you imagine the workers holding their corporate breath as their leader inspected the finished product? Would he find some fault, some flaw, some tiny detail that didn’t quite measure up? Would th...

Over the last several years, shortages have become routine for us here in Venezuela. Flour, sugar, milk, grains, coffee, rice, chicken, and lately, margarine, are among the items that disappear out of the stores for long periods of time. They tell me car parts are scarce too, but since I don't drive, they are not high on my priority list. So when I read this morning's verse, I had to laugh. It couldn't be more appropriate to our reality—materially, and oftentimes at the level of ministry as well. " Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior " —Habakkuk 3:17, 18. No matter what else might be scarce in our lives, the Lord is always generous with His presence, His mercy, His love, and His forgiveness. And that deserves joy, praise, and continual thank...