Obfuscation

Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific,
Fain would I fathom thy nature specific.
Loftily placed in the ether capacious,
Strongly resembling a gem carbonaceous.

(A.P. Gibbs uses this as an example of how unproductive it is to use big words and unnecessary phraseology in his book The Preacher and His Preaching.)

Oh, what does it mean? It's just another way of saying "Twinkle, twinkle, little star..."

Lesson on Faith and God's Provision

"...they tested the LORD, saying, 'Is the LORD among us or not?'"
Exodus 17:7

Of course the Lord was with them. They but had to remember that they use to be slaved in Egypt; that they walked through the Red Sea; that God gave them water at Marah; that He provided manna every day so they would not die.

All they had to do was remember, and they would see the Lord was with them. Instead, they lived in the present, forgetting what God did for them. They wanted their needs met NOW, but God wanted them to learn to trust Him. He had not yet put them in circumstances that He did not deliver them from. But they were too focused on themselves to remember that.

May the Lord help us also, lest we forget all that He has done. God doesn’t overlap His provision: ———
He separates them: ——— ____
In this, at the end of the first provision, He is testing us, to see if we will question Him or trust Him. If we walk in His presence, this separation of provision will keep us trusting Him, dependent on Him for our lives, glorifying Him.

Written March 5, 2005

How? By Faith

In all areas of life I find myself more frequently asking "how?" How do I set goals? How do I achieve a goal? How do I fit in time for Bible study, devotions, prayer, family, work, and e-mail and the Rebelution Forum?

I keep returning to two principles:

• "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9)
• "And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God" (Gal. 2:20)

2 Corinthians 12:9 is the principle contained in the song Grace: "Your will cannot lead me where your grace cannot keep me." No matter what the circumstances may be, God has allowed them and given His grace so that we can pass through. But such grace-filled passage is only attained when we put our faith in that promise. "Live by faith" is not an abstract concept, but utterly practical! Faith is founded on fact: "My grace is sufficient for thee."

So there is the answer to all the "how" questions I have: "How? By faith in the Son of God."

How much easier is that life entrusted to God in every daily detail!

Encouragement for Mondays

Here's a song that I find encouraging, especially on Mondays! As I look ahead to a week of work, all the things that need to be done, the difficult things to do...I find my thoughts unyielding: confusion clouds my way,...but how needful it is to acknowledge the Lord in all I do: But, then when I bow to you, the challenges you guide me through.

Spend that time with the Lord every morning! Ravi Zacharias once said, "The biggest battle you will face in life is your daily appointment with God; keep it, or every other battle will become bigger."

(Click to hear a 90 sec. sample)

Grace
by Carolyn Hamlin

Lord, as I seek your guidance for the day,
I find my thoughts unyielding: confusion clouds my way,
But, then when I bow to you, the challenges you guide me through,
Your promises are ever new: I claim them for today.

Your will cannot lead me where your grace cannot keep me.
Your hand will protect me: I rest in your care.
Your eyes will watch over me: Your love will forgive me.
And when I am faltering, I still will find you there.

Each new day’s design is guided by your hand,
And graciously revealed as I seek your Master plan.
Keep my footsteps faithful when from you I go.
Return me to the joy that your blessings can bestow.

Your will cannot lead me where your grace cannot keep me.
Your hand will protect me: I rest in your care.
Your eyes will watch over me: Your love will forgive me.
And when I am faltering, I still will find you there.

Your eyes will watch over me,
Your love will forgive me,
And when I am faltering,
Lord, I will find you there.

Facing the Giants

"We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there." But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it."

Numbers 13:32-33

Difficulties in our lives are allowed by God. What we do in response will either make us give up and turn away from Him, or draw us to Him into closer fellowship, drawing strength from Him to get through those difficulties.

On this note, I would like to recommend this movie "Facing the Giants." It is a wholly Christian-produced film with overtly Christian content. Unfortunately, it's not playing in any theaters in all of New England, but for my readers elsewhere, if you can find a theater playing this movie, by all means go see it!