Grains of Sand

Pixabay I once asked my pastor why it seemed as though my prayers hit the ceiling and bounced back at me without ever reaching heaven. He reminded me that unconfessed sin creates a barrier that needs to be removed so that communion is restored between the Creator and His creation. As I read the verse for today, I was reminded of his words. Isaiah writes: “Y our iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear .” (59:2) The expression of the prophet reminded me of a series of messages I prepared recently for a ladies’ retreat and of a revision of that series that I am going to start today. In the first session we talk about seeking first God’s “face” rather than always looking for His “hand.” In other words, desiring God Himself more than we desire His gifts. As I reviewed yesterday I was reminded that when the Scriptures speak of God’s “face” they are referring to His presence, to that intimacy of relationship that we ne...

Pixabay Complaining was one of the many negative character qualities of the children of Israel. They weren’t that long out of Egypt—accompanied by many HUGE miracles that attested to God’s provision for them—when they were grumbling about the “room service”. Several times food and water were the issues. But though God could have avoided the conflict, He didn’t, preferring to test the faith of His people and to teach them valuable lessons about that faith. He let them go hungry for a reason. In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses speaks these words to the people: “ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord ”. So important was this lesson that Jesus used the latter part of the verse in His contest with Satan in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:4) The children of Israel must have wondered about the application of the les...

Pixabay At any given time, someone needs this invitation from Scripture: “ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest ” (Matthew 11:28). It’s not that the Lord is telling us to happily assign ourselves to the “couch of potato” because what follows after this initial invitation belies that. We have to keep going. We can’t renounce the world and all the events and circumstances and people that seem so often to add brick and timber to our already heavy loads. But we need to learn not to assume responsibility for what is not ours. What do I do about this? How am I going to get that done? Where does this need to go? When can I fit this in? How will I accomplish that? What will I do if…? The burden we are asked to carry is often not the one we are presently trying to carry. He tells us “ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light ” (vss. 29, 3...

Google Images January 6th is celebrated in many parts of the world as Three Kings Day . It commemorates the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem.  While we generally include the wise men in our Christmas story, the truth is that these men (perhaps not three at all) arrived sometime after the birth of Christ and set in motion one of the most terrible events in Biblical history. But let’s back up a little. The Magi arrived in Jerusalem looking for the king foretold by the star they had been following (Matthew 2:1, 2). Of course, they thought that everyone would know what they were talking about. After all, shouldn’t the birth of a king be public knowledge? When the news came to King Herod’s ears “ ...he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him ” (2:3). It’s understandable why Herod was concerned, less so why the people of Jerusalem were bothered by a few strangers looking for a young child. In any case, Herod consulted his experts. And here’s the rub; “ When he had called together a...