Be Still...and Know

Friday, September 29, 2023

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.  So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.  Let the oceans roar and foam.  Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!  

….“Be still, and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.                          I will be honored throughout the world.”  Psalm 46:1-3, 10

When the storms of life head your way, it becomes an absolute necessity to know and trust the strength of the position you occupy.  It won’t do to start fixing the roof when the raindrops begin.  This is why Scripture constantly tells us, shows us, and reminds us to meditate on God, to study His Word, and trust His strength, rather than our own.  He is our roof, walls, and foundation; He wants us to survive the storms.  So…this morning, let’s meditate on God in the stillness:

Be Still and See His Creation

The Psalmist tells us God created all that we can see, as well as that which we still haven’t discovered.  Take a deep breath and contemplate how God has put you together, intricate, beautiful, capable of great kindness and compassion, having free will to serve goodness or evil; you are fearfully and wonderfully-made.

Be Still and See His Gentleness

With all His power to create the universe, God made sure we would have the tenderness to be gentle with that which is vulnerable.  What trust our God has in us to ennoble us with such gifts that display His image in us.  We are blessed with a family resemblance.

Be Still and See His Kindness  

God did not have to create us, or be gentle with His creation, but rather chose to do so because of His nature to be kind.  Even the covenant word used for God’s promises to all who look to him as Father…the word is lovingkindness.  That is the stuff of His creation and promises.

Be Still and See His Majesty

Mountains, plains, seas, sky, and all that is in them, declare the handiwork of God.  And with all of that to display his glory, God also has not chosen to live in a house made with bricks, mortar, wood, or stone; God lives within the crown of His creation…humankind.  He decorates his abode with love, compassion, and eternal life.

Be Still and See His Mercy

In the storms of our lives, God is there; He cares what we’re going through, and what we’ve learned, how much we’ve suffered, or laughed.  He knows us so fully…every molecule of our body, every thought of our being, every tear we’ve ever shed is collected in His bottle, and He knows every pure or vile thing we’ve thought or done.  And in His mercy, we are loved.

For You Today 

What could we possibly add to Creator, Gentle, Kind, Majestic, and Merciful? 

Tons more…we have just barely touched the slightest glimmer of the grandeur of God’s glory.  And the greater news is, for those who love Him and call Him Father, we will have an eternity to explore all He is, and the greatest measure of His love, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Title Image(s) courtesy of The Chosen via Wikimedia                      

Images without citation are in public domain.  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©   

Holy or Hellish?

Friday, July 14, 2023

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  Psalm 139:14

Whatever you can name in the universe, sky-scrapers, objects, organizations, or the basic building blocks of substance, all are neither good, nor bad.  Ethically, they are neutral – that is, until they’re taken in hand and used for good or evil.  Money, for instance, is simply coin, or paper, or the trust we place in an exchange of goods or services.  In the hands of a benefactor money can feed a million starving children.  It can also be used to place weapons in the hands of those who might kill children – holy or hellish.  The dilemma is never the agent used, but the one who holds the agent; is it for a holy purpose, or hellish purpose?

The Psalmist (King David) considered his composite nature (body, soul, spirit), and shouted to the heavens how intricately marvellous were the workings of God’s making.  It is true; the human body is an incredible engineering glory.  We are made for an interesting eternity of possibilities, and yet so simple as to be able to smile at an infant’s gaze, or laugh because we get the joke (even if it was lame).

Humankind have always tinkered with God’s creation.  As far back as Adam and Eve, we were told to “subdue” the creation and all it holds – to tend the garden.  With that assigned heavenly task, we have seen strong heavenly handling, and destructive hellishness. 

Once again, it’s never the substance of creation, but rather the employment of it which defines heaven and hell’s intent.  We all bear the DNA of Adam (which produced both Mother Teresa AND Adolph Hitler).  

In an article on genetic engineering[1] Christopher McFadden lists eleven reasons why that science is so important.  Among those reasons are uses in agriculture, medicine, and environmental control.  Scientists have discovered the genetic on/off switch (CRISPR), a medical breakthrough that has implications as wide as curing cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.  That’s the plus-side of genomic research.

There is also the possibility of being able to manipulate the results of the kind of children that are born.  The genomic manipulation of human embryos is the ethical bugaboo.  I have never heard a (morally) convincing argument that overturns Scripture’s claim of God’s creation being perfect in its origin; it is his handiwork and the most magnificent gift to us.  The “problems” we attempt to overcome with manipulating that gift are of our own making. 

Scripture also has a word for that – sin.  It’s pretty much explained in the first three chapters of Genesis.

For You Today 

C.S. Lewis wrote that with each thought or action we are creating who we are, turning ourselves into a more heavenly or hellish being.  That is bad (or good) enough; manipulating an unborn child’s life is a hellish-presumtion on what God has declared holy.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  

 

Title Image:  via Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[1] McFadden, 11 Facts about Genetic Engineering and Why It's Important, Interesting Engineering, April 25, 2020

 

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

 

Friday, May 7, 2021

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.  Psalm 139: 14

Fifty years ago this morning I became a Dad.  That morning was one of those truly unforgettable experiences that changes one’s life.  Elizabeth and I wanted a family, but after a few years of that not happening, we were wondering if we’d ever be parents.  Then came Jennifer Anne…and, with the truth firmly in place, that a child changes everything, life with (eventually) three children, began a journey of finding out just how fearfully and wonderfully we are made.

Jen was full of surprises from day one.  When Elizabeth went into labor, we called Dr. Matheson for instructions (probably the 200^th time).  He said, C’mon, I’ll meet you at the hospital.  (I wondered how he could be so calm at a moment like this).  He was even more chilled-back when we got there.  They took Elizabeth into the labor room, and I was told to wait - outside.  Fifty years ago Dads were even more in the dark than these days.  After several minutes, the doc reappeared and told me to go on home and get some sleep; the baby would be hours and hours away.  So I trudged back home and, on doctor’s orders, drifted off.  Ten minutes later the phone was ringing…Congratulations, said Dr. Matheson, you’re a Dad!  I’m not certain what it was I actually said, but I remember thinking, Doc Matheson, you’re a man with a medical degree and thirty years of OB practice, and, Doc, my two-minute-old daughter played you into sending me home.  My wife’s gonna kill me for not being there…thanks a bunch!

Later, that morning of May 7, 1971, I saw that little face for the first time, and the reality that my world had changed began to take hold.  A few minutes later I beheld the face of Elizabeth, one who had done battle with labor, and who knew I had been asleep while she gave birth, and I knew that my world had really changed!

Milestones are simply markers along a journey.  Fifty years sounds like a long time; and it is, but I tend more and more to look at it as a treasure-trove of memories of the wonder-in-reverence of God’s marvelous plan and love for us. 

Jen has had a life of joys, disappointments, victories and love.  She is an artist, nutritionist, accomplished musician, master gardener, wife, mother of 3, grandmother, homemaker, and has even worn a hard hat “pulling wires” when Ken (her husband of more than 25 years) needed help on a job. 

Jen is strong, beautiful, and a bubbling presence, filled with love, compassion, and a willingness to help.  But these words are not just a resume’ – rather a commentary on what God has been able to create in a heart that has been opened to His love and gifts.   Above all the accomplishments, joys, and sorrows, stands one governing force of our first-born – her love for Christ, and Biblical wisdom gleaned from many hours of studying God’s Word, along with putting that Word into action in her daily life.  We love our Jen, and her family, along with our other children and theirs.  Family is God’s way of telling us just how important we are to Him.  And Jen, your part of that message stands strong!  Happy Birthday, sweetheart! 

For You Today

The joys of God’s family are all around you; and you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Don’t miss that about His love for you!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©