Joshua 6:6-27; Psalm 135-136; Isaiah 66; Matthew 14

Psalm 135:5  “I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.”

Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever.”

Matthew 14:26-27  “…they were terrified…but Jesus immediately said to them:  Take courage.  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”

So here, in the rural area where we live, our neighbors enjoy celebrating the 4^th of July for an extended period of time.  For the past week or so, the evenings have been punctuated by sounds of explosions both nearby and far away.  This unfamiliar sound has our two dogs stressed to the max.  Interestingly, one cowers under my desk or bed (as long as her head is hidden…she is “safe”) while the other frantically tries to round up (protect) the cats.

I find myself frustrated that neither of them trust me when I tell them that they are okay, that we are safe, that the loud noises do not mean the end of the world.

They appear foolish to me.  This is not the first time the dogs have heard thunder or fireworks.  The house has never fallen in on them before!  Don’t they know they can trust me?

Does God ever feel that way about me?  Despite the many times He has shown up in miraculous ways, I still spend more time than I should anxiously fretting about a situation.  Despite His Word repeatedly reminding me of His love and care for me…I waste time…like Shadow, sometimes I hide under the bed, and like Cody, sometimes I run around “taking care of everything” rather than trusting the One who cares for us all.

Thank you, Heavenly Father for your consistent love and provision.  Thank you for your patience, when I learn more slowly than I should.

Karen (byhisgracekml)

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Deuteronomy 10, Psalm 94, Isaiah 38, Revelation 8

In the Word I find words of…

 

awe…

 

To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14)

 

and great comfort…

 

But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.  (Psalm 94:22)

 

and joy…

 

The living, the living– they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness.

The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the LORD.  (Isa 38:19-20)

 

And I wonder why I ever let this amazing user manual, love letter, wisdom resource sit on my shelf for more than 24 hours at a time.  I am a fool for ever thinking a few extra minutes of sleep are more valuable than a few minutes spent in God’s Word!

 

Karen

Numbers 17&18, Psalm 55, Isaiah 7, James 1

“I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest – I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”  Psalm 55:6-8

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”  James 1:12

Life is hard.  The challenges ebb and flow.  How often, when difficulties abound…do I, like the Psalmist wish to “fly away and be at rest”!

Father,

Help me see the trials of life as an opportunity to turn to You for your strength and grace and to use your resources to persevere.  – Karen

Genesis 47; Luke 1:1-38; Job 13; 1 Corinthians 1

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”  1 Corinthians 1:25

I enjoy God’s “upside down” world view!   Young, petite David slaying the giant.  The stable birth of a King.  Saul (persecutor) becomes Paul (proclaimer)!

I used to like to figure things out … have a plan in place … know how “I” am going to take care of a particular situation.  Now, I love it when I am faced with a problem that I cannot figure out.  At some point in the process, I always realize God has the solution.  (I am slow like that … I often spend a lot of time thinking, rethinking and agonizing before I come to this realization!)

“Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord!”  1 Corinthians 1:31b

Father, keep me humble.  Help me to always remember, when I am strong, it is YOUR strength; when I make good decisions, it is YOUR wisdom; when I succeed, it is to YOUR credit and glory.  Thank you for showing up in a supernatural way!

byhisgracekml

Genesis 18, Matthew 17, Nehemiah 7, Acts 17

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”   Acts 17:11

Today, when I read this, truth that I have known for a long time came to me in a new way.  “Noble character” is a result of “examining the Scriptures every day”.  The Bible is a living Word. As we read and examine and study, the Holy Spirit is able to transform our thinking.  Paul was a great teacher.  Verse 2 says that in the synagogue he “reasoned with them from the Scriptures”.   We can listen to and read the writings of Biblically sound pastors and teachers.  (And I am in no way critical of this as a part of Christian growth.)  I do know and confess, for me, some days it is easier to pick up my little devotional book and simply read the snippet of Scripture and the commentary rather than open up the Bible myself.  “I don’t have time to read all four chapters” … “I am too tired, I wouldn’t be able to process it well anyway” … excuses , excuses, excuses.  We can learn a lot and be challenged in our thinking by Godly men and women as they instruct us, but we would be wise to do as the Bereans did when ”they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

Father, thank you for your Word.  Thank you for the way it provides us with fresh insight into your character each time we pick it up.  Help me to be diligent about examining the Scriptures every day.

Karen (byhisgracekml)