In the meantime

The Psalms continue to produce timeless encouragement.  Over and over, they remind the reader to lift up his eyes to the Savior, back to the One who made us and loves us, and Whose everlasting character is the very reason we cry out to Him. Reading Psalm 25 this morning was a good reminder of this.  This particular Psalm is pretty easily broken down into " God, this is Who You are.  Because of Your character, hear this pitiful cry of mine.  It is about You, not me."   Verse 2-3 -- Let me not be put to shame...                     ...because I trust in You and wait for You. Verse 5 -- Lead me in Your truth...                 Teach me...                     ...because You are the God of my salvation. Verse 6 --    ... Remember Your mercy                    ...

The chronological through-the-Bible reading scheduling I’m going through has me in the Major and Minor Prophet books right now.  I just finished up  Ezekiel and Joel, and am in the middle of the book of Daniel.  Throughout Ezekiel and Joel, one particular theme kept jumping out at me: over and over again, God declares that “ you will know that I am the LORD .”  In its most basic form, this statement reminds us that, whatever He does, God is going to act in such a way that all who see it—whether the children of Israel, the pagan nations around them, or even those of us who now hold the book in our hands and read about it—will know who the Lord is!  Now that I’m in the book of Daniel, the theme seems to continue.  The book of Daniel is filled with stories that were some of my favorites in Sunday school: the golden image and Daniel’s three friends thrown into the smokin’ hot furnace, Daniel interpreting the king’s dreams about the t...

I recently started a book by missionary John Paton called Thirty Years Among South Seas Cannibals.   I am only a few chapters into it, but already, its story is captivating, while at the same time, an example to learn from. Paton describes a particular event during his growing-up years in which there was practically no food in the house.  His mother’s actions in response to  God’s direct provision left a lasting impression on John's young mind, as well as his spiritual life.  He says: “My mother, seeing our surprise at such an answer to her prayers, took us around her knees, thanked God for His goodness, and said to us: ‘O my children, love your Heavenly Father, tell Him in faith and prayer all your needs, and He will supply your wants so far as it shall be for your good and His glory.”  (pg. 50-51) And it really is true.  Praying with those two things in mind—that God will answer according to what is best for us and that He will do it according to His glor...