Posted on November 4, 2008 at 7:41am.
“In the year that King Uzziah died…”
Those are the words that begin the six chapter of the book of Isaiah, they are words filled with change and uncertainty. Uzziah had been king for a long time some 50+ years. Now the nation was left with the uncertainty of what and who wold be next to lead. The same could be said for us as a nation. The time frame is shorter and the cause is different but change and uncertainty are two words that you hear every day. How do you deal with those realities? Where do you find a place or person to place your hope in? The answer is found in the words that come next in Isaiah 6.
”...I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted…”
God is still in control, he is still on his throne and he alone is where my hope and certainty rests. It took place thousands of years ago but it is a relevant reminder for you and me today.
Posted on November 3, 2008 at 6:34am.
Tomorrow is a very important day for all of us. It is election day and it is a reminder of a wonderful reality we enjoy as citizens of this country. We have the right to vote. I have traveled this fall in two different countries that are communist in their government, where people’s opinions and votes are never heard. I hope you will exercise the privilege you have and vote. We also have another privilege which we need to exercise - we need to pray. Regardless of how the election turns out (on all levels not just the Presidential race) we are told to pray for our leaders. This is not a right as a citizen of this country but as a citizen of God’s Kingdom. So vote and then pray for those who will be our leaders.
Posted on November 2, 2008 at 6:44am.
I wonder sometimes if we get up with this thought on our minds “It’s just another Sunday…” The truth is you could substitute Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or any day for that matter. The point is it feels like just the same old same old. The Psalmist said this in Psalm 118 - “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” That is what each day is, a gift from the Lord. The sad truth is I don’t always approach my days in that manner. I get caught up in worrying about something that may or may not happen in the future, I find myself wishing I could relive the past, or it feels like a boring routine. Any of those options can rob me of enjoying what God has given me - which is today. “Lord I want to live today with all the freshness which comes from realizing it is a gift from you.”
Posted on November 1, 2008 at 8:22am.
Jonah is a fascinating character. He fought God all his life and even when God used him in a powerful way, Jonah wasn’t pleased. The last recorded event in Jonah’s life has him telling God he has the right to be angry at God and that is anger is strong enough to end his life. Jonah was angry with God because he didn’t like the way God had worked. Sound familiar? How many times is our anger with God because we don’t like his ways or his timing? I know that I have experienced this and in the not too distant past (like yesterday). Here is where I believe Jonah was wrong and where I am wrong as well. It is when I stay in my anger. I don’t believe the emotion of anger is wrong but when I refuse to move beyond it and in doing so refuse to trust God I am in a bad place. The ways of God are often confusing but in the end I either trust him or I don’t. I guess that sounds simplistic but it really isn’t. You can only reach that point after hard and honest struggle before God. I would rather end up where Job did (trusting God) than where Jonah was - an angry man.
