by George | Jan 20, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Get Away
“So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.”
Psalms 55:6
The postman puts the mail in the box. He sees a basketball in the yard. “I bet I could make that three point shot like I used to.” he thinks to him self.
So, he picks up the basketball and makes his best shot. Unfortunately it hits, and breaks a garage door window. The owners of the house frown at the embarrassed postal carrier.
The announcer says, “Wanna get away?”
We laugh at commercials like that, but there’s some truth in them.
Sometimes troubles in life make us want to get in an airplane or just drive somewhere. Anywhere. Just to get away…
David felt this way. He has trouble with his enemies. If that wasn’t bad enough a “friend” betrayed him.
It kind of seems weird that David, the mighty warrior who faced Goliath when he was a youth, would think of fleeing.
Dr. Ryan Cook said: “David’s heart expressed not the courage of the man who had faced down giants but the timidity of a bird.”
It’s a normal human reaction to want to split, but you don’t see David getting on the next plane to Hawaii.
David gives us a remedy.
- Prayer.
“As for me, I will call upon God, And the LORD shall save me.”
- God will hear our prayer. “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.” Psalms 55:17
- God will carry our burdens, and help us.
. “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Psalms 55:22
So, when things get tough and we “wanna get away”, but can’t, remember: “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
Psalms 46:1
by George | Jan 13, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Rest and Wait
The calendar has turned to January. A new year has begun. There is a sense of relief that the old year is gone. We have hopes and dreams for this new year.
We have a feeling of restlessness. Shouldn’t we be up and moving towards our new goals? This morning, some are already starting.
We drove by a local gym. There were many cars in the parking lot.
I wasn’t THAT ambitious this morning, but I felt like I should be doing something…
But I would suggest that we need not rush into anything.
Instead, we need a time of rest, renewal and refreshment.
Not just a physical rest, but also a Spiritual one. It’s a good time to pray, and listen for the still small voice of God. It’s a time of waiting.
Here’s some verses for your quiet time with God today. Read over them prayerfully and slowly.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Psalms 46:10
(Other translations for “Be still” are “quit striving” and “quit fighting.”)
“Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.”
Psalms 37:5
“Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.”
Proverbs 16:3
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Lastly, remember to ALWAYS put God first in your life.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33
Happy New Year and
Happy Rest in God!
by George | Jan 7, 2021 | Community News, Devotional, Newsletter
Whose Rope Are You Holding?
“But his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.”
Acts 9:25
Saul had just gotten saved. He trusted in Jesus, the one whom he used to persecute. Now, he is preaching about this same Jesus.
This didn’t set well with the religious leaders he used to hang out with.
So, according to Acts 9:23, the Jews plotted to kill him. It says they watched the gates day and night, in order to catch and kill him.
Thankfully, Saul hears about their plot.
What to do now? If he sticks around, they will most likely catch him.
That’s when Saul gets some help from some unnamed folks known only as “disciples.”
A plan was hatched to put Saul in a basket.
“Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.”
Acts 9:25
Can you imagine how hard it was physically for the disciples to do this? Saul was a full grown man. I wonder if they got rope burn on their hands as they lowered him down. This was also risky, because if they were caught, the Jews would arrest them too for being accomplices to Saul.
But the main thing is that no matter how hard this was, they held onto the ropes, until the basket was lowered to the ground.
These disciples had no idea that this man named Saul would one day be renamed Paul. He would go on to establish many churches, lead many people to Christ, and with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, write most of the new testament.
So the question is: whose rope are you holding?
Is there a young person or colleague who needs your help to move them along towards greatness? Helping them reach their potential?
Whoever it is, don’t let go of the rope!
