Wednesday, November 24, 2010

“It takes a lifetime to just begin to understand the truth. It’s a long journey, and one that is filled with adventure. To not go is to become mostly bored, and resigned to finding entertainment as stimulus to ease the soul ache.” — D.J. Chuang

 

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

They feared the Lord and….


I read this passage this morning and have been thinking about it all day. The one word that got the nation of Israel in trouble was the word “and.” It struck me that not much has changed in nearly 3,000 years. We still have our “and” to deal with. Here’s the verse that caught my attention and makes me think about my own life,

2 Kings 17:33They feared the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile.

The “and” always gets us in trouble, doesn’t it? Here are a few examples of how much trouble this can cause us:
-We love God AND our stuff. From experience I will tell you that God won’t allow that “and” to remain. The creator will not compete with his creation.
-We fear the Lord AND man. Fear of man will quickly take our focus off of God.
-We serve God AND money. As you know from Jesus’ words this will not work.
So I wonder. How much of my life is complicated and compromised by “and?”

What are you thankful for?

It’s Thanksgiving week and an opportunity to thank God for his care, provision and love. We have so much to thank him for…not only what he has given, but also what he has not given.
When we have so much we forget how blessed we really are. So, what are you thankful for? May I start?
I’m thankful for God’s care. We are so richly blessed! I’m thankful for a place to live, a job I love, a family that is amazing, friends that care about me and health.
There is so much more….so much we take for granted, but let me start with that short list and I will add to it as we go through the week. So, what are you thankful for?