Grains of Sand

stock-xchng photo I quit a lot—in my mind. I beg God to give me the opportunity to quit for real. I feel my limitations, my weaknesses, and the burden of responsibility that seems too heavy to bear. Certain things trigger the meltdowns, but niggling in the back of my mind lies the urge to run, an urge just waiting for the gun to sound to give me permission to go. Then God steps in. He always does. He uses many avenues to get His message across to me. This week He has blessed with many words of encouragement. Mind you, I struggle to believe them at the best of times, and certainly during the meltdowns. It always easier to believe the negative and to think that the positive is just a mistake. Then this morning, God sent me a message from His Word. He often speaks that way and it's one message that I can't write off as a mistake. I entered the territory of Deuteronomy this morning in my devotions. Moses is giving instructions, recounting the journey Israel has taken. He i...

Who’s to know what I do behind closed doors? One of the advantages of being single and living alone is the privilege of total anonymity when I am at home—if you don’t count my two cats. If I watch something on television that might not be entirely appropriate, if I read something that might have been better left unread, or check out a website that is more black than grey, who’s to know? As a believer I know theoretically that God is always present, that he observes my every action. Proverbs 15:3 (NIV) reminds us: “ The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good .” It’s odd that my practical reality denies that truth so stubbornly. David has this conundrum between what I believe in public and how I live in private covered in this verse from Psalm 101: “ I will walk in my house with blameless heart ” (v. 2b NIV). And with a flash of prophetic insight, he includes the information highway in the next verse: “ I will set before my eyes no vile thing ” (v. 3 NI...