Grains of Sand

Pixabay There are so many questions that need to be answered. Well, perhaps “need” is not the right word. I “want” to know, but whether or not I ever find the answers to my questions will not change the course of history one iota. For example, as I arrive at Genesis 43 and 44, I have to hook on to something that happened in Genesis 42—something I wish I knew more about. The “boys,” Israel’s sons, return to Canaan after their first foray into Egypt to buy food. The Pharaoh’s right-hand man, Joseph (unrecognized by his brothers) has insisted that when they next return they are to bring their younger brother back with them. He has taken Simeon as hostage against their return. When Israel is told about the deal he is adamant that Benjamin will not go to Egypt with his brothers. Reuben, the oldest, steps in to guarantee that he will bring back the boy (42:37). He says that Israel may kill his two sons if he doesn’t do as he has promised. Nice! He doesn’t offer his own life but those of ...

Pixabay I’ve often said that my style of decorating is “early garage sale”—not old enough for antique, but usually second-hand. On my library shelves, there are some old books, now disintegrating into dust, one commentary on the Life of Christ more than two hundred years old. Among my prizes are an early edition of In His Steps , What Would Jesus Do (1897) by Charles Sheldon, a very old volume of the  collected works of John Bunyan, (the date of publishing long since gone as are the book’s covers) and an English version of the Polyglot Bible, signed by its steward in 1886. Some old things are valued. But frankly, sometimes they are not. There were times in Abraham’s life when he seemed to believe that life was passing him by—he was too old! Specifically too old to have a child—to produce something of value to the next generation and the generations after that one. Genesis 17 describes Abraham’s conversation with God on the subject of being old. “ When Abram was ninety-nine yea...

Nic Taylor — Google Images The detailed description of how the Tabernacle was to be built continues in Exodus 27. It isn’t until the end of the chapter that a light goes on, literally. The last two verses of the chapter describe the lighting for this meeting place with the Lord. “ Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This is to be lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come ” (Exodus 27:20, 21). Olive oil is good stuff. But you have to be careful when using it because it catches fire at a lower temperature than other oils—this I know because I had a small kitchen fire of my own when I wasn’t paying attention to what was happening in the frying pan! In this account, we see that the oil was to be uncontaminated—cle...

Google Images The sixth letter that John wrote down was addressed to the church in Philadelphia. The sense of the message, preserved for us in Revelation 3:7-13, is somewhat different from the other messages that God delivered to His servant. The church in Philadelphia didn’t seem to have any problems that needed warning about. Rather, God wanted to encourage them to move forward with Him. “ These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name ” (3:7, 8). Here is a church that has persevered and continued to be faithful. They have used all their energies in God’s service. Yet now, God calls them to push forward because He has provided for them an opportunity for ministry that no one can deny them. This opportunity seems t...

Google Image In my Bible Romans 12:9-21 is titled: Love in Action . But one particular verse stuck out this morning among the many characteristics given that describe a believer “in love with Jesus.” Romans 12:12 says: “ Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer .” While all the other characteristics seem to have a here-and-now sense to them, these three also have a what-happens-tomorrow feeling. We hope something will be true, but we aren’t sure. Perhaps the present circumstances make things feel like our hope might be in vain. We get gloomy and depressed as hope fades. Paul tells us to turn our gloom into glory and our depression into dancing and be joyful as we hope for the Lord’s grace in whatever is yet to be. Affliction can be a present circumstance, but it can also be something to which we see no end. Because we understand that in this world we will have tribulation (John 16:33)—that’s a promise—we are to endure it with patience. There are lessons to be le...

For the past 6 years, a German shepherd called Capitán has slept next to the grave of his owner every night at 6pm. His owner, Miguel Guzmán died in 2006. Capitán, the dog, disappeared while the family attended the funeral services. A week later relatives of Guzmán were visiting the cemetery when they were astounded to find the dog next to the owner's grave.The cemetery director says that the dog comes around each night at 6pm, and has done so for the past 6 years! A little departure from the normal blog today. Several years ago I wrote the following story for the Faithwriters' Challenge. Today, a friend posted this picture with the caption. I decided to repost my Faithwriters story as a tribute to faithfulness. May humans be as faithful to their Lord as this dog is to his master. CONSTANCE MONROE SILVERLAKE Some call it instinct. Then there are others who name it ignorance. Dumb dog doesn’t know any better, they’d say. Those are probably the cat lovers. You know...

Will peace come in our time? No. Will we enjoy the right to practice our faith freely? No. Will those who profess Christ follow Him faithfully? No. Someone told us that the world was getting to be a better place. After all, we have better technology, better education, better social awareness and social consciousness. Odd how that makes no difference, easily proven by the headlines in our newspapers and the breaking news on our television screens, computers and tablets. Jesus told us this was going to happen. " You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains " (Matthew 24:6-8). We insist that we should have the same freedom to speak openly about Christ as others have to speak openly about what they believe. After all, we are gua...

Sometimes the squeaky wheel does get the grease! The focus in the book of 2 Chronicles is the story of God's dealings with Judah, the southern kingdom. But in 2 Chronicles 28 there is an interesting encounter between God's prophet Oded, and the King of Israel. Judah's king, Ahaz, was not one of that kingdom's bright stars of righteousness. Judah had many good kings, men who followed the Lord, but Ahaz wasn't one of them. So God punished Ahaz and put him, and Judah, under the iron hands of Judah's enemies, including her northern sister, Israel. But the soldiers of Israel overstepped their bounds and went beyond the mandate that God had given them by merciless slaughter and by taking two hundred thousand captives (28:9, 10). The Lord was not pleased. The prophet's instruction was: " Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken prisoner, for the Lord's fierce anger rests on you " (28:11, NIV). Now Pekah, king of Israel, wa...

Another one of those things I never noticed before— " The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground " (1 Samuel 3:19, NIV). It's a little awkward grammatically but the following two verses clear up which "he" is who! " And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. And Samuel's word came to all Israel " (3:20-4:1a, NIV). I love that phrase, " …he let none of his words fall to the ground. " This boy to whom God spoke, this youth, this man, heard the voice of God, he listened (once he got over that initial confusion of who was speaking to him) and he didn't forget or neglect one single word of what God told him. What a beautiful example of what our attitude should be to the Word of God. We sometimes pick and choose from among the things we hear f...

Deuteronomy 8 in my Bible has been titled: "Do Not Forget the Lord." Moses is continuing his more or less final instructions to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land that God had promised to their forefather, Abraham. First of all they were to remember the lessons of the past (8:1-5). God had disciplined them, humbled them, tested their faithfulness and provided for them. " Know then in your heart " writes Moses, " that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you " (8:5, NIV). Secondly they were to obey the instructions that the Lord had given them. They were to follow the Lord and revere Him. He was giving them everything they could possibly desire: " a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing… " (8:9, NIV). Thirdly, they were to be continually thankful to God for His blessings. The very human tendency to forget where all those blessings come from and to rely on one's one strengt...

“ Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them ” —Hosea 14:9, NIV. According to the introduction to the Book of Hosea that I have in my Bible Hosea has been referred to as “the prophet with the broken heart.” He ministered in the Northern Kingdom of Israel just before it was taken into captivity by Assyria. The land was materially prosperous but spiritually bankrupt. Hosea is most famous for his very visual and personal illustration of God’s message. At the Lord’s command he married Gomer, a prostitute. She was faithless and couldn’t resist returning to her former life. But Hosea, instead of repudiating or divorcing her, went after his wayward wife and brought her back. Israel was guilty of abandoning her God and prostituting herself with the gods of the neighbouring nations. She threw God’s love for her back in His face. Though He had to punish...

He only appears once on the pages of biblical history. Whatever happened to Matthias? Jesus had returned to heaven after his resurrection. His followers were shut up in an upstairs room praying, and waiting for. . . well, they weren't entirely sure what it was they were waiting for. All they knew was that their Messiah had promised to send his Spirit to empower them for ministry. While they waited and prayed, Peter addressed the group, quoting what is now known as Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8. Based on the prophecy, the apostle suggested that it was time to choose a replacement for Judas. He said: " Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection " –Acts1:21, 22, NIV. Two men met the criteria: Barsabbas and Matthias. After they prayed, they drew ...

If there was ever an epitaph to envy it would be this one: " He was great in the sight of the Lord ." When the birth of John, who would be called "The Baptist," was born, the angel who delivered the announcement to his father, Zecariah, was told: " …he will be great in the sight of the Lord " —Luke 1:15, NIV. John's birth, and the circumstances leading up to it, were miracles. Humanly speaking, he should not have been, but as the angel said to his cousin, Mary, " …nothing is impossible with God " —Luke 1:37, NIV. We know nothing about John's childhood except the terse words of Luke 1:80 that say: " And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly in Israel ." John was a bizarre figure in Israel. His form of dress would have definitely put him on anyone's worst dressed list. His eating habits, while healthy, would not have made him anyone's popular dinner guest....

Psalm 67-69 When we are sloughing through the mud and mire of difficult circumstances, when we feel as though the troubles of life are about to pull us under and drown us in despair and depression, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Aside from calling for help from God, which should be our first step, what follows? David's words in Psalm 69 intrigued me this morning. The sweet singer of Israel is up to his eyeballs in difficulties. It doesn't appear that his troubles are the result of his sin though he is quick to acknowledge that even in the best of circumstances, he's not perfect (vs. 5). What is obvious is that David is being badly treated for all the right reasons. He is hated because he is doing what he knows the Lord wants of him. He's called for relief, but God is holding off sending the cavalry for the moment. What caught my attention the most in this psalm was David's concern for those other God-followers who might be watching his stru...

A friend lent me D.A. Carson's tribute to his father, Tom, who was one of the unsung heroes of the evangelical movement in the Province of Quebec. Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor was a worthwhile read. Don Carson is the only famous name I can "drop" into conversation. He and I were in many of the same classes in seminary back in the 60s and 70s. That he was brilliant then should be no surprise to anyone. I didn't know him well—he was somewhat removed from my circle of friends. Don's tribute to his father was moving and revealing. It told me a lot about Don's family, particularly his father. But the book also told me a lot about Don—or at least explained Don a little better. When Don was at seminary he was a cut above all the rest of us. As I said, he was brilliant while the rest of us, for the most part, were average. But one of the things that became clear to me while we were at school together was just how insecure Don was. Perhaps it was the poverty from whi...

Numbers 4-6 “ And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords ” —Numbers 3:36, 17 ESV. One of the questions people ask as they try to read through the Old Testament is why God wanted all these “boring” details recorded. Seemingly endless lists of who fathered whom, what colour the pomegranate on the bottom of the priest’s garment was, and who looked after the tent pegs, seems like too much information. Personally I like the tent pegs. As I read through these chapters I always get a chuckle out of the picture. If Joe Merari neglected a tent peg when he was cleaning up in preparation for a move, the next time Israel put up the Tabernacle after one of their hikes, they would be in big trouble. One missing tent peg could spell disaster. Even the so-called little duties had a huge ...

Today is Word-Filled Wednesday once more, hosted by Christy at Critty Joy so stop by and check things out. There are reasons why I'm thinking today about those many people who have heard the Gospel over the years that our team has been here in Caracas, Venezuela. There have been more than a few times when the work has been discouraging. But as I remember, I thank God for those who came to faith and who are walking confidently with the Lord. " I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth " 3 John 4.

I'm not sure why I have always had a fascination for books about war—fiction and non-fiction. Could it be that my latent aggression needs some way to express itself? I'd like to think it is more due to some uncanny ability born in me that recognizes that life is a battle. I'd like to think that, honest, though the first statement might be truer. When I read this morning's verses I was reminded again that the believer's war is not with sticks or stones, rifles, tanks, submarines, or fighter jets. The believer's war is an internal spiritual battle with physical expressions. Paul writes: " For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ " —2 Corinthians 10...

Well, this is the first time I've posted this close to the end of one day and the beginning of another. But I simply couldn't pass up today's verse. Actually there are four of them assigned for today, but I'm going to focus on the last one. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:58: " Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. " I remember the summer I spent working in my home church. I'd just completed my first year of seminary. The pastor must have felt more confidence in me than I felt in myself. He took off for the south to complete a degree he was working on and basically left me "in charge." It seems to me the deacons took flight that summer too. In any case, there were plenty of moments when I wanted to throw in the towel and quit. I got as far as writing the letter of resignation (and a steamy one it was, as I re...

" 'If you can?' said Jesus. ''Everything is possible for him who believes' " —Mark 9:23. What a difference an " im " makes. The writer to the Hebrews said: " …without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him " (Hebrews 11:6) With absolute certainty, pleasing God won't happen without faith. So, if " impossible " is the absolute certainty of something, then it is logical to assume that " possible " should be the absolute certainly of something as well, right? Nope. A terrified, worried, father comes to the Lord with his demon-possessed son. Could this teacher and healer help him? He's not sure and will settle for anything at all. And at the point of the father's doubt, Jesus challenges the man. At first glance we might think that Jesus is saying that more faith and less doubt will guarantee the absolute...