November 30
My Friends
When I was in kindergarten, I had a friend with whom I was very close. After a few years at that school my family moved and I lost track of her. In my new school I found another special friend. Eventually he moved away. When I entered high school I found many new friends. Some of us stayed close through our university years. When we graduated, we eventually drifted apart. In my adult years I have had many friends that have wandered into and out of my life.
I often wonder what happened to many of my past friends. It seems we drifted apart and never worked at staying close. I might be able to find a few of them, but most are far away physically, but still close in my mind. We did not intentionally drift apart, it just happened.
The writer of Hebrews, in 13:5 reminds of what Jesus told us. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Few of us have life long friends, but Jesus is one friend on whom we can rely. No matter our physical or spiritual circumstance, we can be assured that He will be with us. All we need do is turn and talk to Him and He will be there to comfort.
November 23
The Heavens
In Psalms 19:1 David states “The heavens declare the glory of God.” (KJV) We must remember that when he penned that statement, all he had with which to observe the heavens was the naked eye. He knew nothing of the size of the planets or that the points of light in the sky that we call stars were really suns that were millions of light years away and each one of them had a character.
If you question my opinion that they have character I urge you to go to the website ‘http://hubblesite.org/gallery/’. Take time to look at the pictures that have been taken of these stars and galaxies. They are stunningly magnificent. If David could look up into the night sky and say they declare the glory of God, what is left for us to say when we look at these pictures?
When I look at them, my mouth hangs open and I cannot help but be humbled in the presence of a God that is so magnificent as to create such wonders. Then I realize, that not only did He make the heavens and all they contain, but He also made me. Even more than that, He cares about and loves me.
November 16
Avoiding Trouble
I don’t know about the rest of you, but most of the trouble I find myself in is my own fault. If I would be more careful in my life decisions and then follow through on the things I know to be correct, I’m sure many of my trials and troubles could be avoided. What a surprise! Why is it we know the things we should do, but so often we veer from the path?
Psalms 1:1-2 gives us insight into the solution. “God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won't follow sinners or join in sneering at God. Instead, the Law of the LORD makes them happy, and they think about it day and night.” (CEV) It all hinges on knowing the laws of God, and obeying them. If we are constantly thinking about them, it only makes sense that we would eventually find it easy to walk in them.
That doesn’t mean that troubles will never come our way. It does mean that we will have the equipment needed to fend off the attacks. If we avoid the advice of those who do not follow the laws of God, then we will find it easier to avoid the pitfalls of life.
November 9
GPS
My wife and I recently drove to Indianapolis and to ensure a problem free route we employed the use of a GPS. I know it stands for ‘global positioning system’, but after our trip it seems more like ‘going past sanity’. We typed in our destination and all went well until we crossed the border, then, construction. Yes, it gave us an alternate route, through Detroit’s city centre. After passing through miles of boarded up buildings and endless traffic we did eventually emerge from the other side, but there must be an easier, faster and shorter route than the one we ended up taking.
I may not trust the GPS on my dashboard, but I do completely trust my spiritual GPS, ‘God’s perfect steering’. I know that if I need direction, all I need to do is ask of Him and a perfect route map will be given to me. I may not understand it all, some of it may seem hard to follow, but if I take time I will realize that His route is the one that will take me to my destination following His plan. Psalms 43:3 tells us “Give me your lantern and compass, give me a map, So I can find my way to the sacred mountain, to the place of your presence.” (The Message)
November 2
Pearls
The formation of pearls is really very basic. It begins when something intrudes upon the mollusk. When this intrusion becomes an irritation, the mollusk surrounds it with a secretion. This covering continues many times until a pearl is formed. Most pearls sold today are cultured. One of the reasons is that natural pearls are very rarely round. The round ones are the ones that are rarest and therefore most valuable and desired.
In Matthew 13:45-46 Jesus is telling a parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.” (NET)
When someone finds a beautiful pearl, or anything of great beauty and value, the desire is to acquire it at all cost. This may include making sacrifices of our present condition to be able to obtain that great treasure. There is nothing more beautiful and wonderful than the kingdom of heaven. That is why we should be eager to make all the necessary sacrifices to ensure that it will be ours. It should be the most desirable thing in and the goal of our life. |
Ray's Column