Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Perfect

November 16, 2024 by Mike

Until a couple days ago, I have never found adequate words to describe the relationship I have found with God. In 20 years of journaling, where I express my every thought to God; EVERY TIME, I feel He is right there with me. I have never, even once, felt as if I was wasting His time, or that He was uninterested in what I had to say.

C. S.Lewis nailed it. “God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. You are as much alone with him as if you were the only being he ever created.”

Wow!

In this relationship, where He lets me go on and on, occasionaly He speaks to. Five years ago, I had finished a book that I could hardly put down. The author told of all the interviews and research it took to be able to write it. My first thought was, I don’t have the time to research something that thoroughly to then be able to write about it. And, no sooner had I thought that, this thought came to mind. You have read your Bible for 50 years. There’s your research.

And so, for the past four and a half years, that is how I have spent a big part of my mornings. Crawling through the Bible, telling the stories as I have seen them. What a journey it has been. I do believe there is nothing God desires more than to walk with us in this life. I see this in these stories. I see some who got it right and some who didn’t. There are lessons to learn from both.

I finished the first book over two years ago and just finished the second. The first one has finally been submitted for publishing. To Walk with God. This one covers the stories from Genesis to Judges. The second one has the same title. The subtitles will be diferentiating part of each book. The second one covers the stories of Ruth, the kings, Isaiah, and Jeremiah.

It is an odd thing to work that long and hard on a project, when you are a level one talent that no one has ever heard of, realizing the likelihood that no one will ever read it. It’s purifying though. There is no motive of appealing to any one reader, group, or audience. Straight from the heart. I think mine and God’s. I’ve had to read the first book a couple of times for editing; there are still parts that choke me up.

The thought that God could possibly use it to help someone find that relationship with Him, has been the only motivation. Out of my walk with Him, out of His attention to my every thought, came this idea. It is perfectly suited to me and He knew it. He has been with me in it.

Posted in Walking with God | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Goodman by David Leonard

October 21, 2024 by Mike

What a song . . . nough said.

Posted in Music | Tagged | 1 Comment »

Creation

October 19, 2024 by Mike

The Bible says, “For his pleasure” he created. With that in mind, it is not hard for me to imagine the pleasure he got out of watching us, with our makeup, go against this tree stump with its makeup. The tree is probably as old as I am; but . . . it was in the way. Almost feel like we need to hold a ceremony for it. It has survived so many storms of life, and was still not ready to lay down and give up. It fought to the very end.

My mom is that way. She is well into her 80’s, and is still fighting life. That is how he made us. To make our surroundings better. Whether it is removing a tree stump that is in the way of house we are going to build for our family, or chasing down some charges that were not supposed to be. And imagine the challenge of going from an Android to an I Phone – for someone in the 80’s. She’s doing it.

Some would look at this piece of land and say, “I can’t.” At a different type of phone and say, “I can’t.” But that is not how he made us.

Posted in Devotional | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

Eye On the Ball

April 21, 2024 by Mike

It took a thousand years from Abraham to this two-week celebration of finally having a temple. What Solomon had accomplished; people came from all over the known world to see it. Things had never been any better for the Israelites than they were here. “They ate, they drank, they were happy.”

We too can have a similar long dry spell in life before finally reaching a really good place. If we’re not careful, it can distract us. God was ok with them building the temple, but he kept his eye on the ball. “As for this temple, if you obey, it will go well.”

Fine to have the temple. Enjoy the good, but keep my ways. Solomon took a few too many wives and refused to budge. He paid a price—though not immediately.

We are never too big to be taken down.

Posted in Devotional | Tagged , , | 2 Comments »

How Far

March 29, 2024 by Mike

Legions watched as their leader walked
through the garden late that night.
They saw the guards, the kiss of death
and Peter’s futile fight.

Just how far would their leader go
before he said, “Enough”?
Would they ever hear the sum’ning call?
Would it get to be too much?

The crown of thorns might be enough 
for where our sin begins;
but his mind is set to pay the price
to cover where it ends. 

Once for all he bore our sins –
the white ones and the black. 
Sin itself was on the line; 
with each stripe he bought us back.

Legions watched as their leader walked
to a place up on a hill;
they saw the cross, they saw the nails
and the guards intent to kill.

They laid him out and placed the nails,
‘Surely he will call’.
Yet not a word from their leader came,
he had yet to give his all.

All our sin was on that cross;
his message . . . “I forgive”.
But more than that, he paid the price;
he died that we might live.

He bought for all a freedom from
the grip of sins’ dead sway.
To any who will come to him,
he shows a better way.

That’s how far their leader went;
and what it did for us.
He gave his all that we might live
before he said, “Enough”.

Posted in Devotional, Easter, Good Friday | Tagged | 1 Comment »

The Path to Greatness

March 24, 2024 by Mike

At least one takeaway from the story of David, is how ordinary he and his men were before becoming great men. David was a shepherd. But he looked to God, trusted God, accredited God for everything in his life. He acknowledges, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He stooped down to make me great.”

Whether it is David, from a shepherd to the greatest king Israel ever knew, or his rag tag band of men that became heroes, or the common – warts and all – disciples Jesus chose to help change the world . . . for our own benefit, we have to see that God is not waiting on us to become great before he will accept us; he is waiting on us to accept him in order that he might make us great.

Posted in Devotional | 4 Comments »

Our Soul

February 18, 2024 by Mike

Before Adam ‘messed up’ he met with God regularly “in the cool of the day.” That meeting time was a time for Adam to maintain his connection to God and the purpose for which God had laid out for him, which was to name all the animals.

When Jesus said to his disciples, “What good would it be for a man if he gained the whole world yet forfeited his soul,” I think he is referring to this same connection. Not that it will cost us eternal life with God in heaven, but that it will cost us eternal life with God in the here and now.

And his point? Compared to our connection with God, nothing else that we could set our sights on could be considered a gain. Other pursuits have their place, but none sweeter, none of greater value, than our connection with God.

Posted in Devotional | 2 Comments »

But What If You Did

November 19, 2023 by Mike

Hearing a word that’s ringing clear

from the heart of our God who wants us near.

“Seek me and live, but instead you hid.”

It begs the question . . . but what if you did?

–

What if you looked to Him every day

eager to hear what He had to say?

Troubled in spirit? Peace He can give.

Still you don’t; but what if you did?

–

What do you face? No way you can see.

Nudges He sends; “Will you seek me?”

“I know the way and I want you to live.”

Still you don’t, but what if you did?

–

How different a story might it have been

had you looked to Him first, again and again?

It might sound too hard or too late for you;

and maybe you won’t . . . but what if you do?

–

“Thy word is a light unto my path.”

Posted in Devotional | Tagged | 2 Comments »

‘To Love Somebody’

November 3, 2023 by Mike

Sometime in the night my brother sent me a link to Kieth Urban singing, ‘To Love Somebody’. I decided to give it a listen. Wow! Halfway through it, my thoughts turned to God. It was as if he was the one saying, “You don’t know what it’s like to love somebody the way I love you.”

So, with that thought fresh on my mind, I go to my desk, open my Bible to where I left off – Hosea 11 – and I see these highlighted words: “When Israel was a child, I loved him. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms but they did not realize it. I bent down to feed them. But the more I called, the further they went from me.”

“You really don’t know what it’s like to love somebody the way I love you.”

Posted in Devotional | Tagged | 1 Comment »

An Unbreakable Bond

November 2, 2023 by Mike

So, think of a kid – 6ish. Now of a parent – good parent, not so good parent. No matter the kid; no matter the parent; there is no one the kid is closer to, comfortable with, relies on more than the parent. And, in spite of millions of sets, no two are alike.

It is so because of the time spent. Somehow God has wired us that way. We don’t search for the perfect parent. We don’t search for the perfect kid. We ‘love the one we’re with.’

Now, as there are millions of sets and all are different, so God is somehow able to be parent to millions, and . . . every relationship different. Come to him daily with whatever is on your mind. It will make his day – and, over time, yours.

In his own words he invites us, “Come, let us reason together.”

Posted in Devotional | Tagged | 1 Comment »

Older Posts »

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started