It’s almost the end of July, but I feel like the summer just started! I remember feeling like this every summer as a kid; I so looked forward to having no school work and to playing till the sun set late in the evenings. Summertime has always been one of my favorite times of year. Some of the best memories are made in the summertime … And some of the sweetest sounds are heard …
“I am the clay and He is the Potter” … While in high school, I took local college courses; I was mostly focused on completing the fundamental first year academics before transferring to a small Christian liberal arts college, but I took a couple art classes, because I have always loved art and my brain spins creativity constantly. For some strange reason that I don’t remember, I hesitated to sign up for a sculpture class, but my designer/builder brother practically begged me to take the class, knowing that it would broaden my horizons and teach me skills that I didn’t have; I finally agreed within a couple weeks of the fall semester – a decision which merited me a huge brother hug, some of my most treasured “in-my-head” creative moments, and many life-lessons about the world and myself …
“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.” -Tozer
So we’ve been having….. Another rough weekend…. or week….. or let’s just say, month. But, despite the unkempt abode and the unkempt hair and the unkempt dogs and the unkempt laundry, the Lord is good to us. I have been sick as a dog off and on for the past few weeks, unfortunately, despite all my best sicky-remedies; Ian has been exhausted as a dog for the past month due to 15 hr work days. Come the weekend, we crash in bed – swearing we’ll not get up till somebody forces us to either keep our jobs or lose ’em – and look around the house at the mopless dirtiest floors and those shedding giddy labradors…. and say to each other, “He will uphold us with His righteous right hand. He is always faithful, and we are so grateful for Christ’s love.” Sometimes I get a wave of inspiration to be creative again, and then I try to some avail only to crash and burn in the end. Yesterday I was in bed until 5pm …
While studying the history of humanity – their cultures, social formations, philosophies and their artistic endeavors – in a secular academic environment and Christian liberal arts college, I observed that women are both corrupted and glorified through cultural expressions. Interestingly enough, when sin insidiously spread through the good earth and warped it’s perfectly effervescent qualities, woman became cursed with this stark reality, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” This commentary by theologian John MacArthur explains that to mean, “Sin has turned the harmonious system of God-ordained roles into distasteful struggles of self-will. Lifelong companions, husbands and wives, will need God’s help in getting along as a result. The woman’s desire will be to lord it over her husband, but the husband will rule by divine design.” In other words – what we see every day in this 21st century society – is the demoralization of the human soul, the fragile woman. Her natural beauty …
the purpose of man is to know God and enjoy him forever. how can we know him? how can we enjoy him unless we know his character? by reading what he wrote about himself through those divinely chosen and inspired to share about their relationship, experiences with him… this is what david shared about his relationship with God: “the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom i take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. i call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and i am saved from my enemies.” – Psalm 18:2-3 on this dreary february fourth, this devotional reading explains the second verse of the psalm in more poignant detail: “ROCK – a picture of stability and security; FORTRESS – a place of refuge to run for defense and protection; DELIVERER – one who is mighty and powerful enough to rescue you from everything; GOD – everything i will ever need, my all in all; STRENGTH – a …
“For I know that my Redeemer lives… And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.” -Book of Job 19:25-27 May the compass of our hearts be pointing due north – as in Job’s heart, as in the magi’s hearts – so as to have true Hope that though this life is mortal, we are immortal through the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior; He has made a way for us and we can trust in His righteousness, His complete authenticity. We will be with Him forever in paradise. Thank you, God, for this eternal gift through your Son Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, proclaimed with joy of her miraculous pregnancy: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior… And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation… He has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy” -Book of …
