God's Providence

Matt. 10:30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

I have been listening to some sermons and reading some commentaries and was struck by the fact that God's providence is in big things and little things.

I think of big things as Creation, planets moving, hydrological cycles, jet streams and those types of things. Often I don't think too much about God's providence in the little things though. Creation is big, but what about every single little bug? Planets moving, but what about tiny little rock off of each planet that stays with it? The seas are big, but what about every rain drop, and fog, that makes up the whole of the cycle? Jet streams are huge, but what about every little twist and turn they make to carry tiny particles of dust from one side of the earth to the other?

Think about Jonah. Jonah decided he was going to do exactly the opposite thing that God told him to do. Why did he get on that particular boat? Why did the others decide to cast lots? Why did it fall on Jonah? Why did they decide to throw him over board and why right at that time? Why was there a great fish under the boat at the exact time, big enough to swallow him, but not chew him up? How did he survive in the belly of the fish for 3 days? How did the fish know to go to Nineveh? Why would a fish travel hundreds of miles and then throw himself onto the beach to off load Jonah? Too many coincidences for sure.

God is not just sovereign over big things, He even knows the number of hairs on our heads, which really doesn't matter even to us. If He knows and cares enough to keep track of those kinds of details; if He has perfect timing; then shouldn't we just trust Him in every circumstance of our lives and know that He will work it for our good and His purposes?

So when you have a flat tire, know that God has you right there, dressed as you are, rain or shine, early or late to your next appointment; He has control over that and everything else. I hope I didn't just cause myself, or you, to have a flat tire, but if it comes, God has a reason for it.

It's hard to imagine a God who can control all those details, for all these people and for every animal and plant as well, but He is big. OUR GOD IS BIG! Do you believe it?

Heavenly Minded

Last night in One28 one of the senior guys had the opportunity to speak to the group again. This is a great privilege and I hope that it will go a long way to their spiritual maturity in the future. He spoke on Heaven.

I believe there are many people who think they are going to Heaven that certainly are not. They live lives unto themselves, but think they are good, in and of themselves, and that God allows "good people" into Heaven. In the last day they will be sorely disappointed and eternally damned for not following Christ.

I want to address the other side; those who will be in Heaven. I think so often we are settling for lesser joys here on earth that we don't think about how amazing Heaven will be. Think about how good your day would be today if you personally had no sin to deal with, no curse on your work or your child birth, no others around you with sin, and your day was consumed with praising God perfectly. How much better does that look than what your day is going to look like today?

I must confess that I think more about the "to die is gain" part than the "to live is Christ" and I think Christ calls us to be balanced. But I also think that there are many who don't think about how great it is going to be in Heaven and they are just stuck here on earth thinking about how amazing life on earth is. There is nothing here that will come close to what Heaven will be like, except when we are reconciled sinners, confessing and repenting of our sins and in communication with the Savior. That freedom and joy is unlike anything else here on earth and just a taste of glory divine.

Pray that God would give you a taste for Heaven. May we live in light of eternity today, sharing the good news of what joys will be missed for eternity if we only live for today. Hell is real, but so is Heaven. Hell is to be feared, but Heaven is to be treasured. How will the hear without a preacher? You very well may be the only preacher they hear.

Today, and only Today's trouble.

Matt. 6: 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I have been doing a personal study on the Sermon on the Mount and have been reading through a few commentaries to get different perspectives on it. I started with the Beatitudes, but have jumped ahead to the "Do not Worry" section, which I will probably have to read through more than any other section. I know it's cheating to jump ahead, but I think I need to hammering.

An interesting point that one of the guys made was concerning this last section. He stated that it, obviously, does no good to worry in the first place, and it is a sin, but he added that God gives us grace for the trials of today and only for today. We should not dwell on, or worry about, yesterday's "mistakes", as we can't change them, but we should also not be worrying about what mistakes we will make tomorrow or what trials might face us tomorrow, as we only "have 12 hours in today" and then today will be over. Focus on the decisions you need to make today with the grace and wisdom God has provided for today and then put your head on the pillow and sleep. God's grace and mercies will be new and sufficient tomorrow for whatever He decides to bring tomorrow.

I have a hard time with this, not so much the yesterday issues, but tomorrow's and even today's. It seems the women have a much harder time dwelling on past mistakes and event and have a hard time letting go of them, where possibly the guys are more focused on the tomorrows.

God can change the hearts of kings and He can work in our hearts that we might trust and rest in His care for what is coming.

I like the story of John Wesley, when someone ran up to him and told him his house was burning down. He said, "It can't be". The man replied, "I just came from there and I saw it on fire". Wesley, "It can't be my house, because I don't own a house. I live in a house owned by God and if He wants to burn down His house, then that's ok with me". Good perspective.

ALL we have is on loan from Him and we are to be good stewards while He allows us to use them. Try to return them in better shape than when you receive them, but remember Who they belong to.

The LORD is on my side!

Ps 118: 5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.
6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

Just read the line "The Lord is on MY side" and ponder it. How, really, can this be true? How can the Lord of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, be on my side and be my Helper? There is nothing I have done to deserve this, yet His Word says it and it is true.

When God is on my side there is no other that bring refuge apart from Him. All other places of refuge seem like prisons when compared to Him. He is our peace, our shelter, the place we can run to in every circumstance to find comfort in trials and pain. He is it. There is none like our God.

What a promise for our weary souls. What a joy to know that He delights in His children and cares for each one. We need to remind each other of this. We must meditate on His goodness and care for us; recite His promises; tell of His greatness. He is our God.

A Fight you can't Win

Jer. 21:4 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence.

I was just reading through this passage and WOW, I never want to be in this spot. The high priest had beaten Jeremiah and put him in stocks over night, because he didn't like what Jeremiah was saying, and this was God's answer to treating one of His prophets that way.

God obviously is serious about His children and He can back up His righteous anger.

Prayer Request

Please pray, as we near the end of another month that we would have the sales we need to keep our crews busy and the banks happy. God is our Provider and He has not failed us yet, but He is the One who brings the increase and He is the One who must keep us going. I want to be content in all He has for us, yet be a good steward of those resources as well.
Generally this last week is a good week for the sales side, and we need it to be, as it has been a bit quiet this month. God knows and He is good.

Consumed with Consuming

Get in the Word and Get the Word in.

I was talking to a couple of people yesterday about their time in the Word, both are in very different situations in life; one a high school student and the other a husband & dad. Both told me that they hadn't been spending that much time in the Word.

I understand the problem of not reading; there are plenty of excuses; none valid. Unless you are an ascetic, you eat real food frequently. Most Americans eat multiple times a day, more than we need, more often than we need and when we get slightest hunger pain we say, "I'm starving". Yes, we need to eat, but we are consumed with consuming food.

But what about the part of our life that is more important than physical food? What about our appetite for the Word? We need to ask the question of themselves; "If I am not eating spiritual food, can I be spiritually alive?" Our physical bodies would not take a starvation diet for more than probably 40 days, yet there are people saying they love God and are Christians who haven't eaten for years. They have been fed a little bit here and there, coming to church every now and again and maybe listening to the Word taught, but in many churches the Word is a couple minute addition to the already short message, so how much food are they really getting? Add to that diet the fact that they are distracted or sleeping through some of the message and they are starving spiritually.

Jer. 15:16 When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart's delight,
for I bear your name,
O LORD God Almighty.

Deut. 8:2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

These 2 passages talk about what is in our heart and what we delight in. The admonition to read the Word should not feel like a stacking on of burdens, but a privilege of the believer to hear what God has to say. Notice that God humbled them first, testing the heart and then He fed them. He fed them with manna, a Heavenly food, before He fed them with the true Heavenly food.

We must eat physical food, but at least as importantly, we must feast on the riches of God's Word if we are to grow to be like Him. Oh that we might hunger and thirst for righteousness. Oh to be full vessels, overflowing with the Word, so when we speak we speak the Word that gives life and hope and peace. We must be consumed with consuming the Word.