Thankful for the Word of God

#281 Colossians Chapter 3 – In my quest to memorize the whole book of Colossians this year I am currently reciting over and over and over again the third chapter. In this chapter there are instructions for practical order in the church: for Christlike relationships among the bretheran and within the home. I like this because this is an intimate look at the day-to-day expected behavior of those of us in the body of Christ. It does not tell unbelievers how to act. It has everything to do with believers and our relationships with one another and how we should conduct ourselves with one another. I like that there are boundaries and who is doing what. I work in a chaotic environment with no leadership and it is extremely stressful. My home and my church are my sanctuaries because both are built on a sure foundation, Jesus the Christ.

#282 Proverbs Chapter 9 My husband (who is also my pastor) preached on this portion of Scripture yesterday. It is about wisdom and foolishness and the difference between the two. I was amazed that both wisdom and foolishness present themselves the same way: they both call out “from the highest point of the city,  ‘Let all who are simple come in here!'” After the initial contact, however, the ways of the wise and the simple depart. The wise receive instruction and become wiser. The foolish spurn any instruction and, if corrected, turn around and insult and abuse their instructor. The moral of the story was this: Do not cast your pearls (wisdom) before swine (the foolish). You only have so much time, spend it on the wise!

#283 I Samuel Chapters 4 – 6 In my morning devotions I was swept along with the Ark of the Covenant and its travels with the Israelites and its capture by the Philistines. It served as a solemn reminder to me that the presence of God is an awesome, fearsome atmosphere. His presence makes His people stand in awe and makes the enemies of His people flee in terror. Fear has two meanings: reverence and terror. I was reminded to not be flip with the glory, not be trite with His majesty, not try to make God in my image.

#284 Job 5 We suffered a terrible flood this past week that took many people’s homes and businesses in the valley where I live. Many were asking, “Why me? If there is a God, why this?” If there is one thing of which I am certain, it is that life is not fair! It rains on the just and the unjust the same. The difference is that the believer has Christ to walk through the storm with him. A flood really makes you face the hard questions and asks if you still love God even if He allows Satan to strike everything you have. When it happened to Job and he was counseled to curse God and die, Job replied, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Job had questions, but He never lost hope. His hope was in the Lord.

#285 John 20:24-29 A final lesson from the Scriptures this week came from the gospel of John. I studied Thomas and his struggle with doubt. Thomas made the bold statement that he would not believe till he saw the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and put his finger in those marks and his hand in the wound in Jesus’ side. I discovered that once Thomas saw the Lord, he no longer had to verify that it was He.  He knew whom He had believed and recognized Him instantly.

This has been an intense week and there is another one just beginning. Tomorrow I work my two days off in the flood relief center helping people get what they need to get back on their feet and get their lives back to normal. Hopefully, normal will look much better for many. Getting rid of  “stuff” can clear a path for much bigger things! I pray that for my neighbors.

With the multitudes this Monday,

Dawn