"But that day belongs to the Lord"

In Jerimiah 46, Egypt is told to go ahead and prepare for battle and in verse 9 it says "Charge...Drive furiously...March on...". What a call to action! It's fierce, it's almost inspiring, and I can sort of hear a modern day coach yelling at his players to finish the game giving 110%. But, verse 10 brings us back to reality. You see, the day (THAT day) was set by God to be the fall of Egypt. Too often we go through life wondering what wrong and why things aren't going our way. The answer is this: if your goals and plans do not match God's then there will be problems. As I read this it wasn't that I was filled with fear but verse 9 just stuck in my head about the importance of making sure that my plans and behavior are in line with God's. Really I see it as an encouragement to start each day reminding myself to remember "But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty".

"Let us" choose

A quick search on BibleGateway.com of all the NIV verses that contain these two simple words, revealed 143 results! Wow, that's a lot of verses. I did this because a co-worker was sharing with the youth about today being a day that God created and "let us" rejoice. He went on to talk about it being a choice. So I thought I would explore the "choices" that are identified by these words throughout scripture. I found it very interesting that the first one listed is Genesis 1:26, "Let us make man in our image..." How cool is that?! God chose to create us and not only that but he chose to create us with his likeness! Then, throughout scripture He asks us to follow Him by making one choice at a time. "Let us"... What choices are you making today? What is He asking you to choose today? "Let us"... follow Him.

The Flashlight

My family loves to go camping. We play games, go hiking, go to bed at dark and sleep in. It's wonderful. The only down side is packing and making sure we don't forget anything - especially a flashlight! I've noticed that I don't like it when I can't see where I'm going. I have also noticed that I'm not always satisfied with the amount of visibility I get out of a flashlight. I guess I have been spoiled by modern amenities, such as instant lighting in my home. I can't imagine what it must have been like in ancient days. Can you imagine getting around using laterns? As I ponder that thought, I wonder if those ancient ways are a more accurate picture of what was meant by God being a light unto my path. I think it may be that God wants to show me the next step or two rather than the next mile. Maybe I should get used to living by flashlight?

Grief

I write this post with caution during a time of year when many people are reminded of lost loved ones. As I think about this issue I realize that many people are remembering loved ones and their role in the family, especially as family traditions are relived. My family and my wife's family have always had strong traditions during Thanksgiving and Christmas. My wife and I have blended and expanded these traditions to include unique experiences for our kids. As we remember lost loved ones during this time, I am reminded that we grieve the loss of the relationship of not only those who have passed but also of those relationships that are severed for other reasons (conflict, distance, etc.). This grief is due to more than just the fact that the person is no longer present. It's about the relationship! We grieve because we are relational and therefore, miss the relationship that was developed or developing. God created us to be relational because He is relational. Now, I want to transition from our grief to God's. The Bible tells us to not "grieve the Holy Spirit" (Eph 4:30). You see, when we sin, we break the relationship with God and He grieves. I know how much it hurts when I grieve the loss of someone I love and, therefore, I can imagine only a portion ('cause my love is not as deep as God's) of the grief I cause Him when I seperate from Him. Thankfully, God offers perfect forgiveness to restore the relationship. As you remember lost loved ones and/or broken relationships, take a moment to reflect on your relationship with your Creator and ask Jesus to bring you to restoration through His perfect forgiveness.