King Over All

During a recent long trip and several hours of driving, Mister Bill was surprised to see a message appear above the speedometer that read, "Need a break?" We laughed about it but, in truth, it's our nature to want to do our own thinking and to be in control. On a Roman hill to the men of Athens, Paul spoke: "The God Who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by by human hands, as though He needed anything, because it is He Who gives to all [people] life and breath and all things. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories. This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our beings], as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.'" (Acts 17:24-28 AMP). Man can deny and oppose the Sovereign King as revealed in Scripture but all denials and oppositions do not change anything: He is God and we are not! To embrace The King of all with humility - trusting in His perfect character of love and grace and mercy and faithfulness - we are assured of the greatest freedom and peace available. Thankfully, the car didn't on-its-own take the next exit; it is wise and fitting, however, as God's children we humbly relinquish control to The King Who has given His all and allow Him to be in our lives ... King over all.

Soul-Satisfaction

A deadline or an end-date is bout all I need to get me going, moving ... in-gear! 'Tis the season - you football fans - to anticipate the upcoming game: calendar cleared, flags a'flyin, tailgating time set, game menu planned. What do we do, however, toward soul-satisfaction? The psalmist gives us how we are to press-on toward genuine satisfaction: "The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek The LORD will praise Him. May your hearts live forever!" (Psalm 22:26). Key move of those who want true satisfaction is to "seek The LORD." Now, before you say, "Oh, I do that," consider the condition of those who seek Him: humility. It's the humble - the one who recognizes he is incapable of truly satisfying his desires, his longings. Proverbs 22:4 says "The reward for humility and fear of The Lord is riches and honor and life." There is indeed honor and riches for the humble, and among countless other things is ... heart-satisfaction! Yay, of course, for momentary things that satisfy; let us not be deceived, however, temporary pleasures are just that - temporary. Only The Father gives ... heart-satisfaction.

Never

Have you ever considered how loosely we use certain words? For example, "I will never ..." I suggest none of us - by the way, that means nobody - can comprehend the full scope of "never." Noah Webster (1828) defines "never" as "not ever, not at any time, at no time in the past or the future." Yes, never is actually incomprehensible! God Almighty, however, is perfectly qualified to use and sustain "never." He says, "I will never break my covenant with you" (Judges 2:1) ... "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) ... "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." (John 10:28) ... "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). When God says "never," He says what He means and means what he says. As intentional and well-meaning as we may be, we mortal-people are feeble and fallible - God nor His Word are not! God reassures us in Matthew 24:25 that "heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." That's an assurance and a comfort found nowhere else. Trust in and rest in The One Who rightly and perfectly uses the word ... never.

Find Rest

The word rest just sounds marvelous, don't you agree? Whether it's a week-away from the routine or finally sitting down at the end of a long productive day - yes, rest is welcomed! God's people needed a respite from the crossing of the Red Sea and the bitter waters of Marah and God provided a place of refreshing rest at a place called Elim. "Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters." (Exodus 15:27 NASB). An oasis in the harsh wilderness! Elim is a beautiful picture of tangible rest but we now have a spiritual rest beyond what is tangible. Jesus said, "Come to Me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 ESV). God fully knows our needs and has fully provided in The Person of His Son, Jesus. He is the The One to Whom we hold fast - The One and Only in Whom complete and perfect rest is found. So how are you resting - in Jesus, or are you weary in striving to find true rest for your soul? The answer is simple - come to Jesus and in Him ... find rest.

Praise the Lord!

Something we'll all agree on is ... breathing is important. I can't comprehend it but Stéphane Mifsud held his breath for a record of 11 minutes and 35 seconds! Genesis 2:7 tells us, "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." From dust - chemical elements of the ground - God formed a man then into his nostrils He breathed and man began to live. Job said, "the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life" (Job 33:4 ESV). It's really an extraordinary thought that each breath we take - every inhale and every exhale - belongs to The Creator ... we really have no claim to breath. It's tragic, however, how we misuse our breath - we whine and complain, speak destructively and discouragingly, etc. Let me suggest since every breath is a gift from God we [rather] be good stewards of them. The psalmist give us instruction: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" (Psalm 150:6 ESV). Stéphane Mifsud may be known for holding his breath but let God's children be known for making every breath honor The Creator. Just ... praise the Lord!

A Refreshing Life

Traveling through the mountains recently, Mister Bill and I observed the beauty of a gentle flowing mountain stream - oh, how I wanted to stop and put my feet in that cool mountain water! Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38 NASB). I'm sure we all can think of those whose spirit is better described as stagnant water. In his 1828 American Dictionary, Noah Webster writes of "the gloomy slumber of the stagnant soul" - gloomy indeed is the soul which has no flow, is motionless ... stagnant. This does not describe those who belong to Christ, those who experience the refreshing Living Water of life! It's all about the source of the water, and the source of that "living water" is Jesus Himself! Like Jesus said, the water He gives becomes a spring of water "welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14). It is what attracts us to Jesus then draws others to Jesus in us! As we receive life and are refreshed by The Living Water, so will we be that which refreshes others ... "whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered" (Proverbs 11:25 ESV). As I write, I'm remembering that strong, steady flow of the mountain stream and, yes, I can imagine how lovely it would feel running over my feet and through my toes. That's exactly how I want my life to be unto The Lord as He uses me to refresh others. Lord, may it be so ... a refreshing life.

Good Conversation

Don't you just love a good conversation! Mister Bill says the ease and speed that us-girls move from topic to topic is really tough on the guys! The author of Psalm 107 writes about God's redemptive power in delivering His people from various life circumstances. Repeatedly troubles come, the people cry out to God, He hears and delivers. Sounds like a familiar life-cycle to me! The final verse of this psalm is good counsel: "Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD." (Psalm 107:43). For those who know and love the Lord, there's always a topic of which we should want to speak: "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good and His love endures forever." (V.1). Why do we find it so easy to talk about the weather, politics, family, etc. but skirt the delights of God's unfailing love and goodness! There is nothing sweeter than speaking of Godly things to others! Let's be encouraged to practice a new type of conversation, making it a habit to speak freely and frequently of God's love and kindness. Honestly, it's just ... good conversation!