Impeccable Timing

"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son,"

Galatians 4:4

God's timing is impeccable. He sent His Son to earth at the absolute right moment in history. Josh McDowell has listed over 300 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled with precision by Jesus Christ (Josh McDowell, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict,” Vol. 1, pp. 144, 167). In his book called, “Science Speaks,” Dr. Peter Stoner, professor emeritus of science at Westmont College, calculated the probability of one man fulfilling just the major prophecies. He surmised that the odds of one person accidentally fulfilling 8 of these detailed prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That amount of silver dollars would cover the state of Texas to a depth of two feet. Now, imagine you took one of those silver dollars, marked it with a red dot and dropped it from an airplane. Then thoroughly stirred up the entire mass. You then find a friend, blindfold him and tell him he can go anywhere in Texas and reach down and try to pull out the coin with the red dot on it. According to Dr. Stoner, those are the same odds of 8 of these prophecies being fulfilled in precise detail by Jesus. What an amazing God!

Stay Close

"Teach me Your way, O LORD, 

And lead me in a level path 

Because of my foes."

Psalm 27:11

A few days ago I snapped this photo of a mother elk and her baby. They had just passed a barking dog.  Although a fence separated the canine from the elk, the mother hurried to safer ground with the baby following close behind. When she stopped, her little one stopped. When she turned to the right, he did the same. The little elk knew the safest place to be was right beside mama. She would lead him away from harm. She would teach him how to avoid dangerous situations. This reminds me to stay close to the Lord and pay attention to His teaching. His words of wisdom keep me out of trouble.  They lead me to a safe haven. 

True Beauty

"Praise the LORD! 

For it is good to sing praises to our God; 

For it is pleasant and praise is becoming." 

Psalm 147:1

It is a privilege to praise God. That Deity would condescend to us and share Himself with us, is reason enough to praise Him. To know that we can have an intimate relationship with the Creator should move us to exalt Him. It is good to sing praises to our God because He is worthy of that honor. And in turn we are honored through the praise we offer to Him. He is pleased with our praise, and we are pleased to give it. Praise lifts our hearts and satisfies our souls. When we are in an attitude of praise, we are radiant. Look at a Christian who is praising God and you will see true beauty.

Joy Comes in the Morning

"Weeping may last for the night, 

But a shout of joy comes in the morning."

Psalm 30:5

When we are grieving a loss, the nights seem endless. Lying in our bed in the dark, it's hard to imagine that we will ever smile again. That's how it was for me when my husband Jim died suddenly of a massive heart attack four years ago. Honestly, there were many times that first year of widowhood when I asked God to take me home, too. I've never felt so sad. If it weren't for the Lord's love and faithfulness through the night, I never could have made it to the morning. God does bring joy with the light of day. Sometimes we have to determine to see it, but it is there. It's there when we yield to Him and say, as Job said, "Even if He slays me, I will trust Him." And as we continue to trust God with our grief and with our healing, something wonderful happens. One day we wake up with a "shout of joy".  It is then that we understand the psalmist's words as we never could before. God may allow sorrow into our lives for a time, but He will restore our joy. 

Rivers of Living Water

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water."

John 7:38

When we come to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. This could not happen had Jesus not first given His life on the cross. "Many feel that salvation would be more of a reality if Jesus were here in person. Even His Disciples felt this way before His death. However, Jesus told them that if He didn't go away, the Spirit could not come into the world, John 16:7. The best thing that could have happened did. Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead and ascended back into Heaven. Then, He sent His Spirit into the world to function as Living Water to all who come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.The water of the Holy Spirit not only goes in, it also comes out. Not only does the believer receive blessing, but he becomes a blessing to others." -- Alan Carr

Blessings Abound

"They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; 

You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy."

Psalm 65:8

Last night several deer grazed in the meadow next to our home. I watched them from our bedroom window and wondered about one in particular -- a doe -- who seemed to be more alert to sounds than the others. It made me wonder if she had babies near by. Suddenly, I saw twin fawns walking out of the tall grass toward her. I grabbed my camera, quietly stepped outside and followed the fawns with my lens. What a joy it was for me to watch them frolic, as I snapped photo after photo. When the deer family finally left our area, I returned to the house and downloaded my photos. This one tugged at my heart. The carefree spirit of these fawns reminds me that I need to be more open to the joy God wants to bring me every day. His blessings abound, if I will only take the time to stop and notice them. Thank you, Lord, for bringing the fawns my way and causing my eyes to look up.

Proclaim the Name of the Lord!

"For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness to our God!"

Deuteronomy 32:3

The older I get, the more love I feel for the Lord. I look at the majestic mountains that surround me and my heart wells up with praise for the strength He possesses. Summer storms with their lightning and thunder announce His mighty power. The delicate wildflowers in bloom -- all different in shape and color -- remind me that my Heavenly Father likes to give me flowers "just because". The tiny fawn I see next to its mother tells me that my Shepherd is tender and merciful, and that He gently cares for the young. All of creation ascribes greatness to my God and I will proclaim His name!