August 2024 - Page 2 of 3 - Creation Beckons

The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength

Nehemiah 8:10 The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

“Nehemiah said, ‘Go enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’” (NIV)

The Israelites had been held captive in Babylon, and now many had returned to Israel, but the walls of Jerusalem were in a shambles. They provided no protection for the inhabitants. The King of Persia sent Nehemiah back to Jerusalem to become the governor and to rebuild the walls. There was much opposition in the area around Jerusalem to the rebuilding of the walls, but the people of Israel persevered, and the walls and gates were finally rebuilt.

The people, all the people of Jerusalem, gathered and asked the priest, Ezra, to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses and read it to them. When He opened the book, all the people stood up. Ezra read aloud from daybreak until noon while they stood. When Ezra was finished, others took over and instructed the people. The people were weeping as the Word of the Lord was being read, so hungry were they for God’s Word.

The governor, Nehemiah, and Ezra told the people not to weep, for it was a holy day to the Lord. Instead of weeping they told them to enjoy themselves, and they also told them to make sure that everyone had food and sweet drink to enjoy. They had an enormous “block party” because they had heard the Word of God read to them. They rejoiced greatly. I doubt that there are many churches who would stand and listen to someone reading from the Bible from daybreak to noon. What respect they had for the Word of God. We could learn from them.

They were told that “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” I’ve always thought that there were two ways to understand that Scripture. First, I believe that the meaning is that we get strength from having the joy of the Lord. But second, I also believe that it could be understood to mean that we get joy from having the strength of the Lord. I don’t believe it makes much difference which way we read it. The important thing is that we have both joy and strength from our God through the reading of His Word. Lord, help me to realize the joy and strength I get from the reading of your Word.

Don’t Run Ahead of God

2 John 1:9 Don’t Run Ahead of God

“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the father and the Son” (NIV).

This golfer must have been really in a hurry. He got to the course before the sun did, and this is not the first hole. I hope he had good eyesight because you don’t have to hit the ball too far or too far off-line to lose it in the fog.

This impatient golfer made me think of the times that I have gotten ahead of God. He gave me an assignment, and I grabbed it and ran. Unfortunately, I was like the golfer above, except that I got out before the Son. Guess which one had more problems. Right, I am the one who got so excited that I made big plans before I was ready for the small steps. There was some success, but it was limited, not nearly what God wanted. I didn’t heed the verse above or the advice given by Back to the Bible devotional of 1/20/2019, “As you seek God’s will for your life, seek His timetable as well. Don’t let your impatience carry you ahead of God. To do the right thing at the wrong time makes the right thing the wrong thing.” We need to keep in step with God’s time as well as His will. When we do get ahead of God, we have no good sight on the goal so we may well spend a lot of time wandering around, and may actually do something wrong. Just ask Abraham and Sarah.

God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, but it was taking a long time, so they took the matter in their own hands in order to hurry up the time schedule. They decided to have a son by Sarah’s hand maiden. Wrong! The result was Ishmael, and he was not the one promised. Once the promised one, Isaac, was born, the troubles multiplied as the two of them had claims on Abraham that are not resolved yet today.

Jentezen Franklin says in his 9/24/2021 Daily Devotion entitled, Don’t get ahead of God, “When God gives you a promise or a vision for your life, it’s like a seed. It needs time to take root before it can bear fruit. It’s like the birth of a baby. First the seed, then the pregnancy, then the development within the womb, and finally the day of delivery. And what do the parents do during this time? Prepare!” Good advice. God knows that His plans for us take time to grow inside our hearts and minds before they can grow in the world.

The Two Greatest Symphonies

Psalm 19:1-6 The Two Greatest Symphonies

“The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun. It rises like a bridegroom and gets ready like a hero eager to run a race. It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides from its heat” (CEV).

You don’t believe that there is a God? Just go outside and look up. The sun speaks of His glory during the day, and the stars and moon shout it out at night, and in between, God has provided two special times, sunrise and sunset, the changeover from the glory of the sun to the glory of the stars. How many times have you seen a magnificent sunrise promising a beautiful day, and how many times have you seen a golden sunset leading to a peaceful night? God created the sun, the moon and the stars, and He caused the views during the morning, day, evening, and night to frequently differ so that His creation holds our interest as it speaks of His glory. Remember, He created all of this for us to give us daily enjoyment and daily proof of His love and care.

We can’t hear the stars or the sun or the moon, yet they sing to us without words, just like a symphony orchestra explodes with musical beauty without the need of words. Listen to Bach and Beethoven speak to your heart without words. The sun, moon, and stars speak volumes about our creator not only without words, but also without sound. Sometimes a symphony can be seen, particularly those written by our God. With today’s technology, visual works have been composed and performed with light, it’s colors, and movement. They, too, can touch the heart.

Listen to the birds, look at the sky, taste good food, smell a rose, and touch the smooth skin of a baby. You’ve just experienced almost the greatest symphony ever written, and the composer—God. He has entitled it “Creation.” It’s beauty is exceeded only by the other symphony God wrote. He called this one “Salvation—I Love You.” Be sure you experience both of these symphonies composed especially for us.

God Created and God Cares

Psalm 104:18 God Created and God Cares

“The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax” (NIV).

I don’t know what a hyrax is, but I imagine it may be similar to this ground squirrel. This particular ground squirrel lives on Mount Lemmon just outside Tucson, Arizona. We got to watch him for much of an afternoon. It was obvious that he was at home in this forested area. He knew where to find food, and he knew how to look out for danger. He used his tail to maintain balance, and he used his tiny claws to climb straight up and straight down the tree. He tolerated us as long as we stayed at a distance. As we approached, he moved away, but he didn’t run off and hide. It seemed as though he was familiar with people and had no immediate fear of them. It was quite enjoyable to observe this beautiful creation of God and to recognize the ways in which he was created for this environment.

Sometimes I wonder how closely God watches me. I know that He created me and gave me all that I need to thrive in my environment. He has done all of that for all that he created from the ground squirrel to the human being. I love watching the animals of His creation and seeing how they live and interact with their physical environment. They seem to enjoy life and live it to the full. Jesus tells us in John 10:10b, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (NKJV). All of God’s creation has been created that each living thing may have an abundant life, but Jesus came to point us to a more abundant life, something no other living thing has been provided. We are special to Him. After he created mankind, He had finished with His creation, for He had then created the entire reason for creation—to provide someone to fellowship with Him. Then He gave our spirits eternal life, and to make sure that we could fellowship with Him for eternity, He sent His Son, Jesus, to atone for our sins so that we can come directly into His presence.

That seems like a lot to get from just watching a small animal scamper around living his live on Mount Lemmon. But that’s one of the reasons that I love to get out in nature. It brings me closer to Him as I see and absorb the grandeur of His creativity and love.

God Never Takes a Nap

Psalm 121:3,4 God Never Takes a Nap

“God won’t let your foot slip. Your protector won’t fall asleep on the job. Israel’s protector never sleeps or rests” (CEB).

I did some lawn work this morning, and as it got hotter, I realized that it was time to quit. I cooled off, took a shower, put on clean clothes, and promptly fell asleep in front of my computer. When I woke up, I went to bed and had a nap—I needed it.

As the verses above states, “protector won’t fall asleep on the job.” We knew that as children when we prayed, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.” The trust and faith of a child is amazing and much to be desired when we “grow up.” When I stop to realize that God really is always “on the job,” I can relax and live my life in His presence every day. He is always aware of me and what I am doing—even when I would rather that He weren’t looking. In those moments of my “not so good” moments, I need to remember that He is not only aware of me, but He still loves me and is actively working to resolve the difficulties that I cause. The sun may set in the evening, but God’s love never wains.

He is with me during those times of triumph, times that I have followed His leading and have succeeded in some particular task that He assigned me. He is with me and is rejoicing with me for two reasons: 1) That the task has been successfully completed, and 2) That I have stayed in His will. Both are good reasons for both of us to rejoice. It does my heart good to know that my God actually rejoices over me. Someone said, “If God had a refrigerator, my picture would be on it.”

Thank you, Lord, for being the God who watches over me 24/7, during my bad times and during my good times. Of all things in life for which I can be certain, the most dependable one is the attention, love, and care of my God. Thank you, Lord, for being you.

I love you, Jesus. I love you, Father God. I love you, Holy Spirit.

Remembering Pam

Psalm 133:1 Remembering Pam

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (NKJV).

I was informed this morning that a friend had passed from this life into the next a few days ago. She was a good friend, but I can’t say that she was a close friend. I don’t even know her last name, I’ve known her less than a year, and she never spoke a word to me. I met her when our church began providing a Sunday church service at her assisted living home. I was going around talking to people, and when I got to Pam, I said hello, and she didn’t say anything back to me, but she reached in her purse and pulled out a slip of paper that said, “Lou Gehrig disease.” She couldn’t speak, but she did have an expressive face, and the favorite way we communicated was with a thumbs up sign. That was the beginning of a friendship that lasted until just recently. Part of my enjoyment of the services we had at her assisted living home was getting to greet her and spend a few minutes conversing with her. I hadn’t noticed her at the church services the past two times, and I asked about her today. I was told that she had a bad fall, and that her body was too weak to recover. I don’t even know what all we talked about, but between my talking, her facial expressions, and the mutual thumbs up signals, we had some good conversations. I’m glad to say that I will get to meet her someday on Heaven’s streets, and I will get to hear her voice for the first time. I am looking forward to that.

So why do I take this long to tell you about Pam? She was a good friend, and an important friend. Not all friendships that God gives us are long with lengthy conversations. Some are evidenced by the touching of the two spirits with the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus.

I miss you, Pam.

Refreshing Water in the Dry Lands

Isaiah 43:19-21 Refreshing Water in the Dry Lands

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (NIV).

The water in the picture is not a stream, nor a river. It is a lake formed behind a dam in northern Arizona. It certainly looks like a wasteland, and the water of the lake is definitely refreshing. Wild animals drink from it, cities receive both water and hydroelectric power from it, and many boating enthusiasts enjoy the joy of riding on its waters. It is a great refreshment for the area.

God provided water in the wilderness for His people, and the animals rejoiced because they also received benefit from God’s provision. We often don’t take notice of the tangential effects of God’s blessings upon His people. When God blesses His church by growing His love in them, the entire community is blessed. I don’t know if that could be called tangential blessing, but when the church grows in God’s love and shares that with the community, the entire community is blessed. That’s how churches grow, and that’s how God’s kingdom is intended to grow. We are the “streams in the wasteland.” You may well be the only stream of God’s love in your workplace, your local community, or even your family, and as such, you could be the bright spot in the day for many people. You may be providing the “tangential effect” of God’s love. That’s what God trains us to be and do. It may be uncomfortable. It may even be dangerous, but rewards are waiting in heaven for those who are faithful to the calling God has given each of us. Let’s be the “streams in the wasteland.”

God Is Without Comparison

Psalm 115:3 God Is Without Comparison

“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” (NIV).

Of course He does what He pleases. God is omnipotent. God is omniscient. God is omnipresent. Anyone who has those characteristics certainly can do whatever he pleases. Who is going to stop Him? That is an interesting question, and there is an answer. The one who can stop Him is Himself, but He has done nothing that would need to be stopped. There are those who fear God—fear that He will destroy us or destroy the world. He certainly has the ability to destroy us and the earth. After all, He created it—it is His. The one thing that keeps God from destroying us is another of His characteristics. There is one other “God is” that gives us peace and joy, one that shows His primary characteristic, one that is even more notable than the others. GOD IS LOVE! That trumps all the other “God is” characteristics. When that characteristic is combined with one not yet mentioned, “God is truth” we see that He will do and has done what is most beneficial to all of mankind. We can trust Him to act in our best interest. We are His creation. Why would he create us just to harm us or kill us? His words are creative, so He cannot lie. Whenever He speaks something, it happens, so it is impossible for Him to lie. One Scripture shows how much God loves us and how far He went to bless us, to bring us to His side for eternity. Most of us know those words of God, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV).

We are all familiar with sin. We instinctively know when we have done something wrong—that’s sin. We all sin frequently. One other characteristic of God is that Father God cannot stand sin. In fact, He does not allow sin in His presence. Because of this characteristic we are all in great danger. Every man and every woman who has ever been born, has sinned, and continues to sin. God created us so that our spirit lives forever. With that in mind, we realize that there must be a place for those who sin to spend eternity, and if it can’t be with God, it must be someplace else. That place is called Hell, and it was provided as a place for satan and his demons who have rebelled against God to live for eternity. You don’t have to be a strong Christian to know that hell is a place of torment.

Okay, we’ve all sinned. God can’t stand sin. He will not allow it in His presence. Does that mean that we will all, sinners that we are, have to spend eternity in Hell? No, it doesn’t, and we read the reason above in John 3:16. In God’s love He sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ who never sinned to receive all the punishment for all of us so we don’t have to go to hell. Wait, that’s not quite right. Anyone who wants to can go to hell. Going to hell is a decision. Anyone who decides to not believe in Jesus, God’s only Son, has made the decision to go to Hell. Don’t do that. Allow the love of God, His greatest characteristic, to be the cornerstone of your life. Receive Jesus and fulfill God’s greatest desire—to spend eternity with you.

Being Tender

Colossians 3:12,13 Being Tender

“Since you have been chosen by God who has given you this new kind of life, and because of his great love and concern for you, you should practice tender-hearted mercy and kindness to others. Don’t worry about making a good impression on them, but be ready to suffer quietly and patiently. Be gentle and ready to forgive, never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (TLB).

I was attracted to the tender light green ends of the branches above. They are the most tender, and because they are at the very end of the branches, they are also the most vulnerable. In the Scripture above we are told that we are to “practice tender-hearted mercy and kindness to others.” God has the right to ask that of us because of the great love and patience He has shown us. But if I do that, I will be vulnerable and easily hurt. That’s right, but the Scripture also tells us to “suffer quietly and patiently.” That seems like a lot to ask of us, but then, that’s a lot of love He has shown us. Just ask Jesus about suffering quietly and patiently. He did all of that, and He did it for me and for you. He did it so that we could enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven. When I think about Jesus’ suffering, I find it harder to complain about the hurts that I might receive by showing a tender heart to those who need understanding or mercy. And when I am hurt by others. I am to “be gentle and ready to forgive, never holding grudges.” I must forgive because I have been forgiven.

There are many people in this world who are in great need of a tenderhearted listener, one who will show kindness and mercy, and it is our joy to provide that. That may be the strongest sermon we can ever preach. A “thank you” received from someone who has been raised from despair through our actions is a fantastic reward. In the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:40, “The king will answer them, ‘I tell you this: ‘You did all these things to help other people. They were not important people, but they were my friends. When you helped them, then you helped me’” (EASY).

A Wise Man Prays

James 5:16 A Wise Man Prays

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (KJV).

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”

April 30, 1863

President Abraham Lincoln

Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer