The cedars of Lebanon are stately, towering, and alive. Psalm 1 speaks of a tree planted by streams of living waters. That tree represents a person about whom it can be said, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates both day and night." We can all become cedars of Lebanon.

Instrument Rating

Reminds me of those with enough hours to fly by instruments w/o the benefit of sight.

These devotions are sure challenging. I am glad for this mature view and suspect that God is calling me to adopt as my spiritual way of like. Still....I admit to enjoying a little evidance from time to time.

Giving it a try

So I have been on board for awhile about the logic of this devotion. But have never (or rarely) said "thank you" in practice as the devotion suggests. And so I tried. It was a little awkward and counter-intuitive, but I gave it a try. Think I will need to practice but I can imagine it would be liberating to both believe it and mean it. I hope the application goes well for all who participate.

Shadow and Light

Ansel Adams produced his amazing photographs of Yosemite and the Sierras in black and white. He referred to the photos as, "shadow and light."

Light isn't as bright without shadows setting it off in contrast. Moments of darkness help us to see the bright, fresh beauty of the sunshine. Shadow and light, we need both.

God Waits

I read a similar train of thought from Philip Yancey about why God "waits". It is hard to have the long view and sometimes hard for me to have an optimistic one. Lord, help me measure progress in years rather than second!

A great stage theory

You, know, these devotions are so powerful. I asked myself, what stage am I in. I don't think I am at Paul stage, but I may be past stage 1 and that is good news. Anyone else want to reveal where they are today?

Rare Scholers

Today's entry is another wonderful one. I had a teacher tell me that the thesis of the Gospel of Mark's Gospel is in the 8th chapter, when Jesus reminds the disciples that they will suffer should they follow him. When life feels unfair, it's easy, at least for me, to implicate God as having failed. Boy, do I have things backwards more times than not. Have a great day everyone.

The Silence of God

There are times when we are going through trials, and it seems like God doesn't care. We cannot hear His voice, and He doesn't seem to be acting on our behalf. Don't take silence for complacence. God sees, hears, and cares about our situation. He doesn't need to make a lot of noise to carry out His will and care for His children. His quiet hand steers the wind. His still small voice calms our hearts when we listen for it.

Rainy Day Faith

We've all had "fair-weather friends." You know the type. As long as things are going well, they are close by, but when there are trials and struggles, they are nowhere to be found.

Are we fair-weather friends to Jesus? Is our faith strong enough for a rainy day? God walks with us on good days and bad. During trials, He is right there beside us.

Don't Listen to the Liar.

We all know someone who is truth-challenged. I worked with a fellow in the steel mill who would spin a lie when there was absolutely no reason to do it. You could, as it is said, tell when he was lying. His lips were moving. It didn't take long to know that you dared not listen to anything he said.

Satan is like that. Even his name means, "The Deceiver." When a voice tries to tell you that your commitment to Christ isn't real, that your consecration to the Lord is a failure, where does that voice come from? Don't listen to the liar. God honors your commitment. Christ holds onto His own and protects His sheep. Rest beside the Shepherd's quiet waters.

Storms and Faith

There are people I think of as giants in the faith; people like Billy Graham and Mother Theresa. We might all aspire to their greatness of faith, but would we be willing to pass through the storms that they have passed through to reach their place of holy living? Storms grow strong trees.

An example of waiting

Back in AK., the streams ran almost constantly, with 100 inches of rain annually. Then, once, it didn't rain for 30 days and it was deemed a "critical" situation. I think about that. In some places around Bakersfield, it is more the norm to have dry river beds then flowing. The persistence of hardship gives us that old school toughness that knows how to stick it out over the long haul like the great prophets. Man, can she write or what?

Patience and Faith

Sometimes our walk of faith calls for patience, but that isn't a strong suit for me. I have faith that God will speak and act, but it is hard to wait for that voice or action. Elijah waited upon the Lord. That was part of his faith.

Praying with Patience

This theme has been hitting home of late. My friend Beth gave me a book for Christmas and the author, whose name I forget at the moment, dedicated a good portion to the idea that the promises of God are for those who believe. That is to say, that despite the circumstance, believers persist and keep praying even if things go from bad to worse. The circumstances simply are secondary to a conviction that God will take care of things in due time. While the concept is easy enough to grab, I admit to being one that really enjoys fast, tangible answers. So much to learn and so little time-oops, there I go again.

God standing by

The thing I have been working n of late is believing no matter what. By that I mean the whole "faith is the evidecne of things unseen" deal. I really enjoyed today's devotion. But I admit to not having the perspective when I am in the middle of trial.

The Furnace of Affliction

That God has chosen us in the midst of affliction means we are important to Him. We are His hands and feet in a broken world.

The devastation in Haiti breaks our hearts, but we are chosen by God to be a caring, healing force in the furnace of affliction.