We are in the midst of a great battle of allegiance and devotion. In Isaiah 36 and 37 we are privy to an encounter where the king of Israel is faced with a choice to trust men or trust God. What would you choose? When face with insurmountable opposition what choice do you make? When the world around you screams in a seductively alluring whisper to submit to the ways of the nature of sin do you listen to the sirens song? Of the king of Israel is whispered, “Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you. Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us. This city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ Do not listen to Hezekiah. For thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Beware lest Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?” Isaiah 36:14-18 Continue Reading…
In the battle of allegiance what do you choose: Isaiah 36 and 37
Signpost to true satisfaction past disbelief: Numbers Summary
What is the book of Numbers all about. It starts with details on how the Israelite camp was arranged and it ends with laws about cities of refuge and inheritance. The journey which started in Exodus with the Israelites leaving captivity in Egypt and then learning to love and worship God in Leviticus heads into growing pains in Numbers. The people of Israel constantly grumbled against God even as he proves Himself faithful time and time again to them. The people consistently looked back to their old life in captivity and longed for what they saw as a better existence. I wonder if this existence was easier because in Egypt they were not constantly reminded of their dependance on God. It is always easier to complain about a problem or circumstance but once deliverance comes it can be more painful to be free than you would have ever realized. I think of drug addicts that may wish to be free from their dependancy on drugs but the road to overcome the addiction is blocked by an insurmountable wall. I think there was an insurmountable wall in the Israelites way. Continue Reading…
A donkey smarter than it’s master: Numbers 21 and 22
The more I read through Numbers I am constantly reminded that humans are obstinate and headstrong. Numbers 21 the people of Israel again are complaining to God and Moses. They don’t like the hardship and would rather be back in Egypt. God sent fiery serpents among the people and many died. Moses intercedes for the people and creates a bronze serpent that is set on a pole as commanded by God. In their disobedience the people only needed to look upon the the bronze serpent to be healed from the snake bites. Did everyone believe enough to look upon the bronze snake and be healed? I would bet that there were some people who didn’t have faith and they died. It seems very much like how people today don’t want to place their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. Why is it when something is so easy that it becomes an insurmountable barrier for some to overcome? Continue Reading…
Overcoming the insurmountable by remembering: Exodus 13 and 14
>I am currently in the midst of a battle where there sometimes seems to be no human rational for why I am going through this. I think of the people of Israel when they were caught between the sea, the mountains, and an angry army. What is the initial reaction that we display when we are faced with an insurmountable foe? The people of Israel became fearful and wondered why they were lead to this wilderness to die! They didn’t remember the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night which was with them when the difficulty came. Continue Reading…
Thoughts on God – The insurmountable truth of the Nature of God
I have been reading The Knowledge of The Holy by A.W. Tozer over the past month. I find myself obsessing over who God truly is. How can I a created being know who God is! I feel like I have never fully appreciated the depth and breadth of the knowledge void in my mind regarding the nature of God. I find my mind overloaded as I try to sort out these awesome truths of scripture. I hope to encourage everyone as I take this journey of faith. Continue Reading…
Depression induced apathy in the midst of life’s trials
Have you ever found yourself hiding in life. Many people have probably been wondering where I have been and why I have not been online much. To put is simply I have been very down and sad you may even call it depressed. I have been spending a lot of time reading and playing video games as of late to help me through this hard time. I have no desire to seek God right now. All I feel I can do is exist and that at times seems like something that is beyond my reach. Enough on the generals… You may wonder why I am so down right now, let me share with you.
I hate waiting to heal. I just HATE it! I am so sick of this I am angry with God a little I guess. Continue Reading…
Life, Pain, and Hope from a relentless restlessness
My mind is relentlessly restless tonight. I am sitting here not able to move… or not as I want to. Is there any hope for the world today? Have we as a culture become too busy to think about life, pain, and hope? I look at my digital life and find that I spend a lot of time browsing, playing, listening, and e-mailing. That is not necessarily bad, but what am I forgetting?
The bar has been set in my mind. I work and toil to reach the bar but when it seem within my grasp I trip and fall back. I measure my life from failure to failure. When did I enroll in this rat race? Is there a need to put on a good show as a christian? Is there a bar to be reached?
Christ came to the lost and found department of this world to claim as His own my lost, discarded, forgotten, and broken life. What a thought that is. Continue Reading…
Sleep is no escape from lost hope and uncertainty
I fell asleep last night after the stress of finding out my surgery failed. Sleep was a haven for me last night. As I fell deep asleep there were no fears, doubts, worries, or anguish in my mind. I was adrift in the peace of my mind… It was kind of pleasant…
Then I woke up and the peace was obliterated by the in rush of reality. I was still here with a totally messed up foot and a lot of uncertainty.
So that is the situation I find myself in today.
