Thursday, December 10, 2009
Gods' Love
This morning on my way to work. I was thinking about what it means to be loved by God. Doesn't it seem to be the hardest thing to grasp? It is infinite in depth, infinite in height, infinite in length and in width. With such a great expanse of love for us, I can hardly grasp how much I am loved by the creator of the universe.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Psalm 119:121
I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors.
It was never easy giving an F to a student. In fact, if there were any way around it, Jill would have taken it. Most of the time the student was willing to do anything to avoid the bad mark. Garrett was another case. She had offered to tutor him, she had given him extra-credit work to do, and she had taken all kinds of extra time with him. Through it all he had just blown her off, ignoring her attempts to help and mocking her to his friends. He had ripped up notes she had written to his parents, and he forged his parents' signature on his report cards. Jill had contacted Garrett's parents, but they were too busy to come in. Now, however, with a F in hand, the parents were coming, and they were looking to pick a fight.
Doing what is right is not all that easy. When we dedicate ourselves to justice, we must be ready to face the wrath of all those who don't see things the same way we do. God loves justice and righteousness, and we need to remember that He is ever on the side of what is right. He will be with us when we face persecution for righteousness' sake. Rely on Him.
It was never easy giving an F to a student. In fact, if there were any way around it, Jill would have taken it. Most of the time the student was willing to do anything to avoid the bad mark. Garrett was another case. She had offered to tutor him, she had given him extra-credit work to do, and she had taken all kinds of extra time with him. Through it all he had just blown her off, ignoring her attempts to help and mocking her to his friends. He had ripped up notes she had written to his parents, and he forged his parents' signature on his report cards. Jill had contacted Garrett's parents, but they were too busy to come in. Now, however, with a F in hand, the parents were coming, and they were looking to pick a fight.
Doing what is right is not all that easy. When we dedicate ourselves to justice, we must be ready to face the wrath of all those who don't see things the same way we do. God loves justice and righteousness, and we need to remember that He is ever on the side of what is right. He will be with us when we face persecution for righteousness' sake. Rely on Him.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Amos 7:7,8
The Lord was standing by a vertical wall, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, "What do you see, Amos?"...Then the Lord said, "Behold I am about to put a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel."
"The strength of a nation," said Abraham Lincoln, "lies in the homes of its people." In other words, the state of the union is determined by the state of the marriage union-the condition of our nation's marriages, families and homes.
By what yardstick can we accurately measure how our homes are doing? The prophet Amos stood by a wall that was straight or "plumb" according to God's own measure. That is the measure we need to apply to our homes and our nation.
Yet, even as far back as 1947, historian Carle Zimmerman wrote a chilling account of the factors that he said have led to the ultimate collapse of a civilization. In those ruins he found that marriage had lost its sacredness and was frequently broken by divorce. Women lost their inclination for childbearing, and the birth rate decreased. There was public disrespect for parents, parenthood and authority in general.
He also found that there had been an increase in juvenile delinquency, promiscuity and rebellion. Even people with traditional marriages refused to accept family responsibilities. Adultery was increasingly accepted. There was an increasing desire for, and spread of, sexual perversions of all kinds, including homosexuality.
Think about Zimmerman's study as you look at the state of our country today. Half of all new marriages now end in divorce. The birth rate has declined. Juvenile delinquency, sexual perversion and promiscuity are rampant.
Why is this happening? Because the state of the union is determined by the state of the marriage union. Are we destined to follow in the footsteps of cultures that have fallen because of all this? Our only hope is to rebuild the walls of both the home and the nation according to God's plumb line.
"The strength of a nation," said Abraham Lincoln, "lies in the homes of its people." In other words, the state of the union is determined by the state of the marriage union-the condition of our nation's marriages, families and homes.
By what yardstick can we accurately measure how our homes are doing? The prophet Amos stood by a wall that was straight or "plumb" according to God's own measure. That is the measure we need to apply to our homes and our nation.
Yet, even as far back as 1947, historian Carle Zimmerman wrote a chilling account of the factors that he said have led to the ultimate collapse of a civilization. In those ruins he found that marriage had lost its sacredness and was frequently broken by divorce. Women lost their inclination for childbearing, and the birth rate decreased. There was public disrespect for parents, parenthood and authority in general.
He also found that there had been an increase in juvenile delinquency, promiscuity and rebellion. Even people with traditional marriages refused to accept family responsibilities. Adultery was increasingly accepted. There was an increasing desire for, and spread of, sexual perversions of all kinds, including homosexuality.
Think about Zimmerman's study as you look at the state of our country today. Half of all new marriages now end in divorce. The birth rate has declined. Juvenile delinquency, sexual perversion and promiscuity are rampant.
Why is this happening? Because the state of the union is determined by the state of the marriage union. Are we destined to follow in the footsteps of cultures that have fallen because of all this? Our only hope is to rebuild the walls of both the home and the nation according to God's plumb line.