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Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. Psalms 19:2
I love the mountains. A few years ago we took a trip from our midwest, relatively flat area to the mountains. Driving through one pass in particular, the mountains on either side of us nearly blocked the sky. They were huge.
One of the things I thought of as I gazed at these immense rocks is how they had withstood the passage of time, endured the changing elements and had been unaffected by disease, political change, or any other environmental issue.
They were the same in hot weather and cold, dry weather or wet, in the brightness of the day and the darkness of night.
The Psalmist writes of the stability and order of God’s creation. Here, in verse two he writes of creation enduring through time. Like the mountains I looked on with awe, God stands tall.
Night after night, season after season, He stands immovable and impenetrable regardless of what is going on around Him.
It’s so hard, in our frail humanity to fathom how God stands unaffected by anything going on around us. We are affected physically, emotionally and spiritually by weather, illness, social and political climate, relational differences and much more.
Yet our God isn’t moved. Mountains don’t speak words, but they speak lessons. They speak reminders of God’s immensity. They speak reminders of God’s resilience. They speak reminders that whatever is bothering you today; whatever fear you are dealing with; whatever worry is attacking you,
God stands strong. When we live in the power and shelter of his spirit, we can stand strong too.
In your mind, right now, picture the grandeur of the mountains and remember, your God stands strong through whatever you are going through.
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
We are at war!
This war isn’t going to destroy any buildings. This war won’t see the killing of innocent women and children. This war isn’t over borders and boundaries. This war is far more destructive, yet not really seen by anyone, although everyone may see the results.
This war is in the heart and mind of every person on earth. It’s the battle between faith and fear. It’s the battle between believing and doubting. It’s the battle between positivity and negativity. It’s the battle between love and hate. It’s the battle between fidelity and infidelity. It’s the battle between integrity and dishonesty.
This war is fought and won in the mind and its result depends on who you listen to. The voice that seems to be loudest is the voice of pride and the weapons used are our own strength, our own feelings, our own emotions.
The quieter voice is the voice of God calling us to Himself. God doesn’t just call those who have faith, in fact, He’s more likely to call those to Himself that have no faith.
People aren’t won to God through fancy programs or amazing orators. They are simply tools used by God to bring us into relationship with him.
Only through Holy Spirit do we have the power to overcome. We do this by aligning our thoughts with God’s truth and focusing on His promises. When we do this we can defeat the enemy’s lies and find true freedom.
When we surrender our minds to Christ daily, allowing His Word to renew our thinking and guide our actions, we will not only experience the peace and victory that comes from trusting in Him, others will be drawn to the same peace we have.
Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 1 Corinthians 15:8
We can’t be sure, but it’s very likely that the man we know as the Apostle Paul at least knew ABOUT Jesus while he ministered on earth.
Saul, as he was known before his conversion, was a high ranking Pharisee and would have heard about this ‘teacher from Galilee. He would have heard about the miracles. He could have heard about His teachings. He may have even been involved in planning his death!
One might ask, how could someone see so many good things and still reject Jesus? How could one see the miracles and still not believe? How could one see the life changes and still doubt?
Yet, that was Saul’s story until that fateful day on a road to Damascus. Saul was enjoying the prestige and power he had over these ‘followers of the way’ these believers in Jesus. He spewed hate, anger and judgment. He basked in the glory of his violence.
Then he saw Jesus in a new way and everything changed. There are still many who know ABOUT Jesus. They’ve heard the stories. They’ve seen the life change. Yet they have yet to ‘see’ Jesus.
There are even those of us who have walked with Jesus for years that have a tendency to grow so content with Him that we fail to live in the power of His Spirit living within us.
May we each see Jesus for who He is in all His power and majesty. May we never grow apathetic in our worship of Him. May we live in such a way that others see Jesus because of how we interact with them.
The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. Luke 15:16
When you are at your lowest, even the most repulsive things look good. A Jewish boy would never think of being in the presence of a pig. They were repulsive in the Jewish religion and one would be defiled being in the presence of one.
Jesus tells the story of a good Jewish family. The dad had worked hard to build a good lifestyle for his family.
We aren’t told about the spiritual upbringing of the family, but it’s safe to assume that like any Jewish boys, his two sons went to synagogue school every week and learned the importance of following the law.
But families back then, like some families now, weren’t always as squeaky clean as we’d like to think they are. What we see on the outside isn’t necessarily what is going on behind closed doors, or in the hearts of those within the household.
The older son was hardworking, responsible and outwardly loyal to his dad. The younger son had an edge to him no doubt. He may have been a bit rebellious and fed up with the rules and regulations of home life. Why else would he decide to pack his bags, take his inheritance and head off to a life of fun?
The younger son learned the hard way that some friendships last as long as the money holds out. His money was spent. His pseudo friends were gone. But his pride was still intact.
So in an effort to get back on his feet he looked for a job. There was no way, that he would return home and admit he was wrong.
The only job available was at a hog farm where he learned how to feed and care for pigs. I wonder how long it took him to reach bottom? Hog farmers will tell you that hog manure is perhaps the worst smelling manure of all the farm animals and the younger son was living in it!
One day, he was so hungry the hog feed started to look pretty good to him. Did he take just a little taste to solve his curiosity or was the mere thought of it coupled with the stench of his job and the memories of mom’s home cooking what brought him to the end?
When we reach the bottom even though most repulsive things seem good.
You know the rest of the story. The forming and practicing of the speech. The walking home rehearsing it in his mind. Each step closer to home one of excitement and fear (will he take me back?)
He never had a chance to finish his speech. His dad cut him off. There was a celebration to plan, a feast to prepare, guests to invite.
Some think it was the hog food that pushed the boy home, I think it was the prayers of a loving father that pulled the boy home.
Wherever you are, whatever struggles you are enduring, whatever failures you are working through, your father is praying for you to come home.
When we are at our lowest, He is at His strongest to woo us back home into His arms.
The son thought it was hunger that drew his thoughts towards home but I’m guessing it was the moving of God as a result of the prayers of his father.
The same is true for you, you know. Whatever struggle you may be working through is the result of someone who is praying for you and the desire of your father for you to come home.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 