July 2019
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“Come Unto Me….”
Home from our week of vacation, I am so grateful for seasons of rest and the rhythm of labor and rest that God designed for us in this life on planet earth. I am also aware that I sometimes mistake physical rest for the preferred state of being at rest on the inside. Ceasing my labors is not necessarily a trigger that ceases my internal unrest; as well, in the life of Christ, I can be physically exhausted and still have internal rest, peace and calm. Even so, in the moments and days when circumstances grant a lightened load of physical labor, I endeavor to focus on Him, come to…
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Awe and Wonder
I’m sitting on the balcony of our condo on Dauphin Island overlooking the Gulf beach, and I am mindful that His creation declares His glory. The existence of all this beauty speaks of His wonder and majesty as nothing else can. The symphony of crashing waves, crying seagulls, and roaring wind echoes through the universe with one magnificent theme: To God be the glory, great things He has done! He says of Himself in the epic discourse with Job, “Who shut in the sea with doors,When it burst forth and issued from the womb;When I made the clouds its garment,And thick darkness its swaddling band;When I fixed My limit for it,And set bars and…
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On Being A Witness
A witness gives testimony of what they’ve seen and heard. “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.” (Isaiah 43:10 NASB) According to this verse, we are chosen to know Him and believe Him, and our witness – having eyes on Him and ears tuned to hear Him – is of who He is and what He’s about. I used to think my testimony was of my experience and how my choices honored or dishonored the Lord. I…
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Week Nine
Well, my friends, welcome to the final post in this Bible reading series. Our Scripture journey has been through some of Paul’s letters, some of John’s gospel and letters, and we stopped for a brief look into the book of Hebrews. The way has been rich and challenging. By “rich,” I mean deeply and personally valuable, full of life-giving and life-sustaining deposits. By “challenging,” I mean provocative instruction that strengthens and motivates forward motion. For, as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (NASB)…
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Week Eight
The story is a long one. I’m talking about God’s story, into which you and I have been born at a specific and strategic time on His Kingdom calendar. Do you live with a long view? I don’t always, and for most of us the current culture trains us to live only for the moment. God’s way and His Kingdom are entirely contrary to instant self gratification and constant self preservation. His way is “other than.” It is a Kingdom of love, and as followers of Christ, we are on a long journey into love, the very fabric of God Himself, who IS love. As an avid reader, I’ve always…