Every now and then, I am reminded of my adulthood by the things I say:
- “You betcha.”
- “I remember when gas was $1.00 a gallon.”
- “If I only had his/her energy.”
- “If I sit down, I might not be able to get up again.”
- “I’m going to take a nap.”
- “Time sure flies, doesn’t it?!”
When I was young, I simply thought the above statements would never come out of my mouth – especially that last one. “Time flies.” I don’t know that there is a kid on earth who believes this to be true. I certainly didn’t. Christmas morning seemed like ages away every year, even if I was sitting on the church pew on Christmas Eve. The countdown to my birthday each year was agonizing – I believed that March 30th simply had to be the most elusive day on the entire calendar – it just had to be! But then as quickly as it would come, it would go. Every March 31st, I would find myself in the midst of wrapping paper and disappointment. My birthday had come and gone, and now I had to wait another 364 days for it to happen again. Sigh.
On the other end of childhood, I am realizing that there are not enough hours in the day. Rather than eluding me, important dates on the calendar seem to enter my life more quickly than I can enter them on my calendar. I will often repeat the Nationwide slogan under my breath when I realize how busy things are getting: “Life comes at you fast.” My friend Beth and I were talking about this the other day and she said “when you were a kid, you waited and waited and waited for something and it just never seemed to get here quick enough. Now, I can hardly remember what happened last month because I have so many other things going on. It’s like time just moves quicker when you’re grown up.” I had to agree with her.
Perhaps, though, time moves at light year speed because we are not eager enough. Children are often impatient because they cannot see anything besides that one thing on their mind. If little Jonathan wants a cookie, he will ask you for a cookie a thousand and five times in twelve minutes. Children persist. They persist and they hope for those things they know are coming . . . even if that thing is eleven months away.
The apostle Paul reminds us that we, too, long for that which is yet to come:
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. -Romans 8:22-25
Thinking about these verses the other day, I was struck by the fact that excitement and joy should be a non-negotiable characteristic of those found in Christ. While the Lord certainly blesses us in this life and provides us with 
mercies unending and thousands of reasons to rejoice, it is simply a taste of what’s to come. If life is difficult, we do not despair, because of the hope we have. If life is “easy,” we do not become boastful, because of our recognition of God’s grace to us. All the while, we hope. We hope in Christ for what He has promised, and what He has promised is beyond the best that we could possibly come up with.
Paul’s words in Romans remind us of the longing that we are to have and the immense redemption that awaits us. We are to be an eager people, excited about what we know is coming. But just like every kid on earth, we have to wait for it . . . and we will discover that what’s to come is going to be better than a thousand birthdays.
Yes – I just used the term “diggin’.” Anyhow, here are a few things that I love at the moment:
- Pandora Radio: I somehow just discovered Pandora – where have I been!?!
My new ESV Study Bible- Fresh Blueberries
- Daylight at 6:00 a.m.
- The sound of crickets and frogs when the sun goes down
Sometimes it is the seemingly insignificant things that remind me of how blessed I am.
I recently read in World Magazine of the imprisonment of Shi Weihan:
SENTENCED: A Chinese court found house church leader and Christian bookstore owner Shi Weihan, 38, guilty June 10 of “illegal business operation,” sentencing him to three years in prison and fining him nearly $22,000. According to Compass Direct News, although Shi had printed Bibles and other Christian materials without government approval, he operated his business legally by only selling items for which he had permission to sell. — The Editors
Growing up in the American Christian church, I often heard stories about the persecuted, and was even encouraged to pray often for those suffering for the sake of Christ. As an adult, I now realize on a much more realistic level what some are giving up for the sake of the Gospel. Reading this brief snippet about Shi Weihan draws my heart to praise God for his desire to see the Good News spread. His example also serves as a timely reminder that true freedom is only found in submission to Christ. Although this sounds bizarre in the midst of a culture full of individual rights and independence, those in Christ will only be as free as their submission to Christ is deep. I do not mean to treat persecution as a light matter, or to assume that obedience in these situations is easy. However, for those in Christ, bondage comes in the form of independence from Christ’s commands. This is why God has graciously left us the Holy Spirit to guide us in truth and convict us of our sin.
In our day-to-day American lives, we are not faced with the same situations of some brothers and sisters around the world. The battle for obedience is ever-present, though, and we are called to fully submit to the Lord’s instructives, persecuted or not. An unrepentant spirit or insubordinate will to the God’s directives makes us miserable. The conviction of the Spirit is no light thing . . . and I thank God for that. I need conviction more than I know, and often pray that I will have the same distaste for sin that God does.
I cannot imagine that sitting in prison is a joy. In fact, I am sure it is terrible on many levels. Only in the Lord’s economy, though, could a prison cell provide a freedom like no other. Shi Weihan is suffering for distributing the Word of God. The apostle Paul knew this same suffering and was quick to remind us that our lives are a vapor and our earthly struggles are incomparable to the joy we will experience in the life to come.
In light of the death of Michael Jackson yesterday, someone told me that he was her idol, and so she refused to believe the news of his death. Huh. I took a minute to think through my personal list of heroes, and why I would name them so. On that list are mainly those who have gone before me in the faith and continue to teach me from their example. Individuals like Jim Elliott, Corrie Ten Boom and Marie Durant. While these names will be left off of most lists as significant individuals in world history, they are some of the most faithful in God’s economy. Today, the name Shi Weihan is added to my list of heroes, as I am encouraged by his faith and challenged by His desire to spread the Word of God.
May we be obedient to pray for our brothers and sisters around the globe and strive to find the sweet freedom that comes only through submission.
I’m headed out of town for the next several days, but want to quickly direct your attention to the Father’s Day Special that Desiring God Ministries is currently offering. It’s quite the bargain, and would be $40 well spent on your dad.
“You came all the way to Wal-Mart for ONE APPLE!?!”
That was the less-than-friendly greeting I received while waiting to checkout last weekend. Although I was in the “20 items or less” line, I nervously felt as if I needed to give an excuse for braving Wal-Mart traffic on a Saturday for one Granny Smith apple. “Well” I began to ramble, “I had to return a couple movies to the Redbox, and I wanted an apple, so I figured while I was here . . .” The young girl at the register looked at me like I was crazy – going all the way to Wal-Mart to purchase something that would cost less than a dollar. People don’t do that, I guess. After all, Wal-Mart is for big shopping trips – not for just eggs and milk and such.
Spurgeon has rightly said that “true prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length.” I have found this to be true – although the lesson took a while to get through my thick head. Growing up in the church (as a pastor’s kid, nonetheless) brought with it an attitude of pride in my prayer life for such a long time. I always felt like I had to say the right words, use the correct terms or pray for just the right length of time, because – well, that’s what people expected from Liz Lockwood. Add to that four and a half years of seminary and I have at times been crippled by my need to sound as spiritual as I possibly could. I recall so often when I would be asked to pray because “well, you go to seminary . . . so you should pray.” No pressure, right?! Taking requests before the Lord would regularly become an exercise in oration more than it would a means of supplication.
Over the past few years, I have grown to love and appreciate the book of Psalms in a way like never before. The combination of David’s honest supplication before the Lord and clear dependence upon Him has served as a how-to guide in my own prayer life. The biggest lesson I have learned from the Psalms? It is alright to be honest with God. Now, I realize that might sound like something you were taught in a second grade class at Vacation Bible School. I am sure I was even told this in the second grade. Nonetheless, this truth didn’t really take deep root in my heart until my late twenties. It wasn’t until I was brought to points of desperation in my own life that I recognized the need for honesty before the Lord. For many years, I believed that I needed to approach the Lord with neatly-packaged prayers that sounded really good (after all, God knows that I went seminary, too). All the while, I was really avoiding the true issues in my heart that needed to be vulnerably taken to the Lord.
We are not supposed to be honest with God in order to inform Him of what’s going on in our lives – He ordains what goes on in our lives. It is not news to Him. Rather, we are to be honest with Him about our fears, struggles, failures and joys because that is a means of our dependence upon Him. When I humbly take my requests to the Lord, it is a recognition of my trust in His providence rather than my own plans. There are certainly times when it is more difficult to pray and harder to trust in God’s plan. However, I have found that those seasons of difficulty bring me to a sweet place of honesty before Him in a way that “easy” seasons do not. Are you finding yourself scared or worried or anxious or alone? God already knows all these things, and I believe He wants us to know the sweet freedom that comes in being vulnerable with Him.
I believe Isaiah 30:18 to be one of the most affirming verses in all of Scripture when it comes to the issue of prayer:
Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
Re-read that verse . . . “the Lord waits to be gracious to you.” When you put prayer into its proper perspective as a means of fellowship with the Lord, this passage provides us with a beautiful picture of our Cr
eator God desiring to hear us – desiring to listen to our requests poured out before Him. The requests we bring to Him today are needs He knew we would have from before the world was made. With that in mind, let us realize that He has had a solution to our current requests from before the beginning of time as well. Why pray, then? Because in so doing, we affirm our trust in Him and His purposes – even if that differs from our current desires.
Contrary to my experience at Wal-Mart, our gracious Father is never going to look at me in frustration if I bring just one thing to Him. He will not grow weary of listening if I bring a thousand things before Him, and He will not cast me off if I admit my doubts and fears. So, let’s be honest . . . because God already knows if we’re not.
If you have read more than a few posts on this blog, you are not surprised by my love for Charles Haddon Spurgeon. His short devotional readings in Morning and Evening have contributed, over the years, to much growth in my spiritual life. Spurgeon has a clear and relentless method of bringing his reader to recognition of both the enormity of sin and the greatness of God. And that – in my opinion – is the mark of a good writer.
Just the other day, I was having a discussion with a friend about the need we have (as women) to discipline our tongues and emotions. It is far too easy to be bound up by fear and resentment. In ju
st a matter of weeks after being hurt by someone’s words or actions against us, we can easily find ourselves absolutely crippled by the emotional burden we choose to carry. One of my personal goals for growing older is that I refuse to become a captor of my emotions and live in bitterness. Let’s face it – no one likes to be around a bitter woman. It just isn’t fun. We all know one (and probably avoid her).
Now, lest we be too quick to think that “I don’t fall into the bitterness category,” let’s remember that bitterness can take many forms. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an outward display of anger or emotion. In fact, I would argue that more often than not it is an inward boil that dehydrates us slowly.
- You run into that person who has offended you. Rather than confront the issue as you should (Matthew 18) you turn the other way and choose to think horrible things about her.
- You ignore a repeated call from a friend because she disappointed you.
- You expose a secret in order to gain a position of power over another.
- You speak sarcastically in effort to avoid real issues.
- You belittle the husband or clothes or car or home of another in order to cover up your own insecurities.
This list could go on and on and on. Suffice it to say that the potential for bitterness to take root in our own hearts is endless. Bitterness is like ivy that will attatch itself to the walls we choose to build within – and it will not come off unless it is ripped away from the surface to which it clings.
“So . . . what does all this have to do with Spurgeon?” Glad you asked. This morning’s reading is from Psalm 126:3: “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” What an incredibly sweet truth. Indeed, the Lord has done great things for us. And what does the Psalmist say our rightful response is to be? “We are glad.” I think this gladness must often be a conscious choice on our part. We must discipline ourselves to reflect upon what the Lord has done for us so that we are not completely distracted by the pain surrounding our lives.
Are we going to deal with difficult things and difficult people? Yes – of course we will. However, our response to those situations says a lot about not only who we are, but also about the God we serve. The woman who puts her trust in the Lord will not be embittered. In fact, as Spurgeon reminded us this morning, “the deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God [should be].” Amen, Spurgeon. Amen.
SOME Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy state will come forward joyously, and say, “I will speak, not about myself, but to the honor of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings: and He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad.” Such an abstract of experience as this is the very best that any child of God can present. It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of them. It is true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this, but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion. In looking back, it would be wrong to deny that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and have crept along the Valley of Humiliation; but it would be equally wicked to forget that we have been through them safely and profitably; we have not remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader, who has brought us “out into a wealthy place.” The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise; we reckon them to be the bass part of our life’s song, “He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”
You may have noticed when reading or watching C.S. Lewis’ work The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, that he refers to men as “sons of Adam” and women as “daughters of Eve.” While Lewis did not originate these terms (see Genesis), I think his reference to men and women in this way is both a wise use of composition and theology.
There is a publication here in the lowcountry called Skirt!. From their website: “Skirt! is all about women…their work, play, families, creativity, style, health and wealth, bodies and souls. Skirt! is an attitude…spirited, independent, outspoken, serious, playful and irreverent, sometimes controversial and always passionate.” I am not a regular reader of Skirt!, however, the June 2009 issue caught my attention with its emphasis on our original mother, Eve. From the front page:
Interview with Eve:
Adam never had much luck with women. Don’t get me started on those fig leaves . . . guess who got stuck with the laundry from Day One? While Adam snored, the snake and I stayed up to schmooze. And believe me, he knew all the dirt in the Garden. That apple? Adam never let me live it down. No matter what went wrong, he was like, “If you hadn’t eaten that apple blah blah blah . . .” Let me set the record straight . . . Adam and I have the same number of ribs. All I can say about Cain is that one day I was in Paradise and the next I was raising a rotten apple. Am I bitter? How would you like to go down in history as “the devil’s getaway?”. . . Do I regret the apple? No, but your first one is always the most delicious!
On page 17 you will find the introduction to June’s issue, which states:
Read all about it!
Woman bites Apple!
Adam blames Eve!
Eve blames Snake!
Snake: No comment!
Charged with original sin!
Eve Turns Heads in fig leaf!
Deported from Paradise!
Snake leaves court on belly!
Couple sentenced to hard labor!
Eve Rocks World!
The excer
pts above give you a pretty clear glimpse of the issue . . . articles about women achieving all kinds of freedom in their day-in and day-out lives: an issue by women and for women. Of everything that I read in this issue of Skirt!, the final line of that last statement is what struck me: “Eve Rocks World!” Undoubtedly, the writer is precisely correct on that point.
Eve did indeed make a choice that forever changed the world. Further, the line from the cover referring to Adam’s passivity in the Garden is right on target. While the June issue of Skirt! is not (at all) intended to be a theological treatise on original sin, I think it nonetheless provides an interesting perspective on a “modern” woman’s view of that critical moment in the Garden (a perspective much different from my own).
Pondering the lives of Adam and Eve left me meditating on that instant in the Garden so long ago:
- That moment when Eve believed she knew better than her Maker
- That moment when the importance of submission and headship is clearly seen
- That moment when a serpent unveils himself as the father of lies
- That moment when eyes are indeed opened, and sin enters an undefiled world
- That moment when nakedness is understood
- That moment . . . that one, single moment that would forever change the undefiled cosmos
I am a daughter of Eve. Left to my own desires and fleshly passions, I too, am prone to think I know better than my Maker. I can desire to lead when I should follow and I am easily prone to believe the lies of the enemy . . . just like Eve did. But for the grace of God – while sin and death and perversion and corruption may have entered the world in that one single moment, we cannot escape the Garden without looking forward to the cross:
- That moment when the wisdom of God was displayed (I Cor. 1:18-31)
- That moment when headship and submission is most clearly seen (Ephesians 5)
- That moment when the serpent’s head is crushed (Genesis 3; John 19:30)
- That moment when sin is defeated (John 19:30)
- That moment when nakedness is covered with the righteous robes of Christ (Rev. 7:14)
- That moment . . . that one, single moment that would forever change the completely defiled cosmos.
Eve’s decision is not insignificant – she did change the world. However, lest we give ourselves (as daughters of Eve) too much credit, it must be remembered that the fruit was not as much about Eve as it was about Christ. Did Eve disobey when she ate the fruit? Yes. Did her decision have consequences? Certainly. Was this Garden scene but a moment in God’s ultimate drama of redemption? Absolutely. Eve made her own choice, but that choice did not leave God scrambling. From eternity past, God planned to redeem a people for His own glory. His plan of redemption is evident even in the act of sending Adam and Eve out of the Garden, as God displayed both His absolute hatred for sin and wisdom in judging evil.
Daughters of Eve, we have a loving Father who redeems us from our rebellion. However – it does come at the cost of our “freedom” as we submit to Him in repentance. May we humbly lay down the supposed right to independence in an effort to exemplify the submission that Christ displayed for the sake of the Gospel. Because ladies - despite what Skirt! might say, it really isn’t all about us.
When we resist authority, we become more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks and to sin, even as Eve sinned when she acted apart from the authority of her husband. On the other hand, when we willingly take our place under God-ordained authority, we are granted God’s protective covering, we release Him to work in the lives of those in authority over us, we reveal to the world the beauty of God’s created order, we proclaim His right to rule over the universe, Satan is defeated in his attempts to dethrone God, and we cooperate in establishing His kingdom. – Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Lies Women Believe (261)
This morning as I began to water the ferns on my front porch, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a bird had laid four eggs in one of them. Now, lest you be fooled into thinking that I have a green thumb, this bi-weekly watering event is the extent of my plant-nurturing abilities. In fact, I bought ferns because I was told that ferns are “very forgiving” . . . indeed, I have come to find that this is true. I am reminded to water them only when their leaves begin to wither and turn brown . . . and like clockwork, they spruce right back up again after receiving just a little refreshment . . . if only I could be that quick to forgive.
I must confess that I panicked for a minute thinking that I had tainted this bird’s nest – that I had gotten too close to the eggs and the mother would abandon them. I had a reason to fear this, which brings me to a somewhat random, but nonetheless relevant side story . . .
When I was growing up, my dad always tried to find ways to introduce the miracle of life to my brothers and I. For example, one time he woke us up in the middle of the night to watch my bunny give birth. I was mortified. My sweet dad thought it would be a tender moment in which we could all recognize how God allows life enter the world. Much to his dismay, I was petrified of what I saw, cried in sheer terror, hid behind him, and begged to go back to bed. Frankly, after that night, I wanted nothing to do with my bunny rabbit – ever again. So much for the teachable moment, huh!?
Fast forward to middle school . . . my dad always put a couple of bird houses in our front yard during the spring months so that birds could build their nests, and we could watch the process of nest-building/egg hatching/bird-feeding/babies leaving the nest. It always became really exciting when the “little birdies” opened their eyes, grew some feathers, and began to chirp loudly, because that meant it was almost time for them to leave. My dad would tell us:
“Now ya’ll watch, because that momma bird is going to teach those babies how to fly soon.”
Since we were homeschooled (yes, I was homeschooled), we had plenty of time to watch and wait. It was really fun for our family and yielded much less drama than watching my rabbit give birth.
There was one problem with the bird’s nests every spring, though – namely, my disobedience. For some reason, I was fascinated with wanting to feed the birds myself. Forget the momma bird – I wanted in on the action. I distinctly remember my dad telling us not to get more than a few feet away from the nest, because if the momma bird smelt our scent, she would abandon the babies. Regardless, I would dig up worms and feed the birds myself. A couple days would go by, and my dad would have a question from me: “Liz, did you feed the birds after I told you not to?” This was a lose-lose situation for me; my dad knew full well what I had done. Not only had I disobeyed, but I had also killed the baby birds (and thereby stripped my entire family of the joy of watching them learn to fly). I would always try to come up with some absurd excuse about how I didn’t think the babies were getting enough to eat, and how I needed to feed them. Ridiculous – my dad saw right through it.
My disobedience on this matter came to a screeching halt one day when my dad told me he wanted me to come out to the front yard with him. He took me to the bird house and asked me to look inside for a minute. There they were: four little dead birds with their beaks wide open. The image is forever etched in my memory. My dad explained that they were dead because I had disobeyed. As you can imagine, that was a pretty effective lesson, and I still fear getting closer than ten feet to any bird’s nest. I told someone earlier today that I feel this enormous weight of responsibility to all the baby birds in the world. I assure you that no one will find me digging up worms and feeding these birds on my front porch. No way. I might even start entering my home through a window just to be safe.
After I discovered the nest this morning, I decided to hang the fern baskets back up and simply mist them with the water hose. While I was watering, I watched this momma bird frantically fly from one tree to another all around my front yard, watching the nest everywhere she was. She was insanely protective of those eggs (and rightly so . . . maybe her relatives in Tennessee had warned her about me).
Later on in the morning, I was eating my breakfast and watching the bird settle back into the nest to protect her eggs. Incidentally, I had an Indelible Grace CD playing throughout my house. The song playing at the time was “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” and the third verse says:
Dear Name, the rock on which I build,
My shield and hiding place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!
The Lord has taught me much in the last few years about His protection over our lives. He truly is our shield (Psalm 27) and we are only truly safe when we are found in Him. Reflecting on those words and watching that mom safely cover those eggs this morning was a really sweet picture of the Lord’s protection over my life. Now, the analogy breaks down, because God will not abandon us if we are touched by an outsider (Psalm 94:14). However, He is our protector, provider and warrior. He is our loving Father who tenderly cares for our needs.
One final observation from that nest this morning is how deep down into the fern the nest was built. In fact, just by looking at the plant day after
day, I never knew the eggs were there. Nests aren’t usually built in public places where they can be disturbed. You won’t see a bird’s nest being built on top of a car, in the middle of a parking lot or over the handles of a bicycle. Birds find a small space that is hidden to build their nests and keep their eggs away from prey – and then they cover the eggs to keep them safe.
Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy. –Psalm 61:1-4
May we find comfort today in the truth that the Lord hides us deep in His sufficient, protective grasp and then upholds us with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
Who doesn’t love new things? I get excited like a little kid when something comes in the mail, or when I get to open the package of something I have ordered. Seriously – my heart races. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive . . . but just new. Something about new stuff is really fun. In fact, it is probably my love for the “new” that led me down the dark road of credit card debt several years ago – proof that there can be too much of a good thing.
Last night I had some time to just relax and reflect. I am trying to be more disciplined in the area of purposed alone time – time to reflect on things I see God doing, and praying accordingly. Laying in bed last night, I felt the weariness of my spirit. I am tired. I am thankful that the following Scripture came to mind – otherwise, I would have been prone to self-pity:
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
The Lord does not grow weary. Those are comforting words on multiple levels:
- He does not tire of hearing us pray.
- He is not sleeping when we need Him.
- He does not cease to forgive repentant hearts.
- He does not fatigue of blessing us with spiritual blessings in Christ.
- He does not cease to provide for our needs.
These are some perspective-giving truths. I was reminded of another passage this morning which states: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him’.” – Lamentations 3:22-24
If you were exhausted and spent yesterday, the Lord was your portion. Today, if you are weary, the Lord is your strength. Tomorrow, if you find yourself in the midst of a tragedy, the Lord will be your stro
nghold. Twenty years from now, if every penny that you have ever made is taken from you, the Lord will be your portion still. He does not change, and He does not cease providing for us as our loving Father.
Similar to the child tearing open gifts on Christmas morning, we awake every day to His mercies that are new. His Word is a treasury of truth, filled with all we need. So the next time you are prone to doubt His goodness or question His purpose, remember that Your cup runneth over . . . because He is the one who fills it each day. Out of His bounty, we are strengthened.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts,
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!” –Psalm 118:14-16
Amongst some of my favorite things in the world rank World Magazine and the English Standard Version of the Bible (ESV). Crossway published the ESV Study Bible last fall, and I have yet to purchase one. In addition, I have never subscribed to World magazine. Just two things I never got around to doing.
You can imagine my delight when I came across a special offer from World the other day: First-time subscribers ($49.95 annual subscription) receive a free hardcover copy of the ESV Study Bible. I didn’t waste any time to take advantage of that deal – the hardcover edition of the ESV study Bible retails at $49.99.
Just passing that along . . . in case you are interested.
