“I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8, ESV) I think most of us would quickly agree that God has a plan for each of our lives. We are born with a purpose. In Jeremiah 1:5, the Lord told the prophet, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (ESV). What an awesome thought that God loves us so much He creates a plan for our lives even before our conception. While we…
“And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2, ESV) Wilderness. The very word sounds dreary and difficult. It even begins with “wild,” letting us know it is an untamed place, a hard place. Dictionary.com defines it as “a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland.” The wilderness seems an uninviting place. Although most of us would prefer being just about anywhere except in such harsh surroundings, we sometimes go through what we refer to as “a wilderness experience” in our walk with the Lord. Someone once stated that mountaintop experiences and spiritual breakthroughs are often followed by time in the wilderness. Have you been there? Several notable Bible events took place in the wilderness. Joseph’s brothers dropped him in a pit in the wilderness and planned to kill him. Moses met God at the burning bush in the wilderness. Hagar encountered “the God who sees me” while fleeing in the wilderness.…
“Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.” 2 Kings 23:25 Josiah was eight years old when he became king and reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. One day, he sends his court secretary on an errand, and his life gets radically flipped upside down. What should have been a simple task on an ordinary day, quickly ended in despair for Josiah. The high priest discovers the Book of Law in the Lord’s temple. When Josiah hears what is in the book, he tears his clothes in despair. Rather than remaining in a state of upheaval, he instead set to work to correct all the wrongs that had been done. 2 Kings 22:19 reads “You were sorry and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.” There is a prayer and a cry that will always…
“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11, ESV) Joses, whom his fellow believers called Barnabas, was an encourager. That’s how he obtained his nickname. Barnabas means “son of encouragement.” He was the kind of person we would all appreciate having as a friend. Despite his miraculous conversion, not everyone readily accepted Saul (later Paul), who had severely persecuted the early church. Barnabas, however, spoke in his defense to the disciples and persuaded them to accept this new convert as a fellow brother in the Lord (Acts 9:26-27). How encouraging it must…
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 Tonight, we say goodbye to 2023 and begin another year. As we look back over the last twelve months, we have a choice. We can remember all the terrible things that were in the news – the wars, mass killings, natural disasters and other trials. OR we can think of all the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us and be thankful. I am thankful for the health and strength that the Lord has given me. Many in my age group are suffering from serious illnesses, others have departed from this life. God has been good to me. I am thankful for the way the Lord has been blessing in our church over the past year, for new families that have made it their church home, for young people and children who are giving their lives to the Lord and finding their place in His service. I am thankful for the way the Lord provides my every need. As prices have risen sharply this past year, I still am able to buy the food and supplies that I need. I…
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8 “Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2023 is authentic—the term for something we are thinking about, writing about, aspiring to, and judging more than ever. Authentic has a number of meanings including “not false or imitation,” a synonym of real and actual; and also “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” Although clearly a desirable quality, authentic is hard to define and subject to debate—two reasons it sends many people to the dictionary. And with the rise of artificial intelligence—and its impact on deepfake videos, actors’ contracts, academic honesty, and a vast number of other topics—the line between “real” and “fake” has become increasingly blurred.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/word-of-the-year#: I do not know about you, but artificial intelligence scares me. When we make a phone call to a company or organization now, we do not know whether we are talking to an actual person or not. How much can we trust the information we are receiving? The…