Renew My Strength
I’ll be honest, I didn’t sleep the greatest last night. I think I had too many thoughts racing around in my head. Whatever the case may be I’m feeling a bit tired this morning. I was reminded of a passage that we read together as a family last night from Isaiah 40. Today, I’m waiting on the Lord, the everlasting God, for renewal of my strength. (A cup of coffee will probably help also.)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Give Thanks In All Circumstances
So as an addendum to my previous post, we spent the afternoon cleaning up the basement – throwing away carpet, using the shop-vac to soak up the water, drying out some things, and throwing some things away. Tonight, I had to laugh when Isaac prayed at dinner time, “…dear God, thank you that we got to clean the basement….” My kids loved it that we got to clean the basement. Isaac reminded me of a a few verses in I Thessalonians 5.
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Learning to be joyful always and to give thanks in all circumstances isn’t always easy. I feel like my kids have been great examples for me. Their faith is amazing. Their ability to be thankful for things that drive me crazy is incredible. My kids remind me over and over to make lemonade out of the lemons of life. I am blessed beyond words.
His Strength is Perfect
This morning, I turned to 2 Samuel 22. I share King David’s thoughts as I praise God this morning for strength.
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me.
4 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.
5 “The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
17 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
29 You are my lamp, O LORD;
the LORD turns my darkness into light.
31 “As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?
33 It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.
37 You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.
47 “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!
Remember, Redeem, Restore
This morning, I turned to this passage from Psalm 25. It offers a prayer of hope to be remembered by God, redeemed by Him, and restored. This is my prayer this morning.
1To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2 in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.
4 Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13 He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!
Relying on The Rock
Prudential Insurance uses the Rock of Gibraltar as an icon to describe how they are like a rock that their customers can rely on when trouble strikes. Reading Psalm 18 this evening, I’m reminded that God alone is the rock whom I can rely on.
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
God With Us
My dad pointed this passage out to me yesterday. It reminds me of a song I used to sing either from Grove City College days or Grace Community Church days. It’s also a great reminder that God is with us on the mountain peak experiences of life and in the dark valleys of life.
Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 33:18-22
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.
Celebrating the Everyday Stuff
I took the day off from work today to spend some time with my family. My parents are visiting from Dallas, TX, and my kids were off from school today. This morning, I took a walk with my wife before cooking up a batch of pancakes (made with our “farm” fresh eggs). I “dragged” my dad along on some errands to pick up some groceries and stuff for the chickens. After lunch, we fed the fish (I mean went fishing) in the neighbors’ pond. And now my parents are taking our son to his weekly piano lesson.
Besides the fact that I’m not at work on a Thursday, it’s been a pretty usual, uneventful day. But I love it!
Having parents here is a blessing, and we don’t get to see them very often thanks to the miles between here and Dallas. But I don’t think they mind just going with the flow of what normally happens around here. I’m so thankful for the everyday stuff. And I’m thankful to share that with my folks.
Back to work tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to a fun weekend with my family.
“This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!”
In Your Face – Date Night!
It’s amazing how our kids can be so helpful in keeping us on track with things that are important. Last night, my son reminded my wife and I that Monday night is date night.
Leanne and I have tried hard to leave Monday night open to go out on a date. Last week, we went to the Philadelphia Premium Outlets to window shop and enjoy a hot beverage at Starbucks (which is another story). Other Monday night dates from the past have included things like: playing tennis, going for a walk or bike ride, eating ice cream out, and catching a movie.
Somehow on the heals of a great but busy weekend and a crazy Monday, we forgot this week. As dinner was wrapping up, we were talking about attending to some home projects following dinner clean-up. This is when Isaac chimed in, “Isn’t Monday night your date night?” Out of the mouth of our 10-year-old came a timely reminder of the importance of keeping our weekly commitment. So we adjusted our plans and took a walk down to the local ice cream place for a tasty treat and some great conversation.
How do your kids help you stay on track?
What do you do to stay connected with your spouse?
What are some of your date ideas?
In Your Face – Don’t Give Up Meeting Together
A few weeks ago, I found myself in quite a tough spot. Many things around me seemed to be collapsing in on me, and I felt all alone. This seems kind of strange for a guy who has tooted the “GroupLife horn” for so long, but it’s true. At a time when I needed a shoulder to lean on the most, I was generally isolated from the kind of relationships which would know that life was crazy for me at that moment, which would care enough to ask me how I was really doing, which would carry me through when I just couldn’t muster the energy to continue.
That’s when a friend of mine, Adam, jumped across the “ocean” to join me on my island. Through our conversation, he could tell I was hurting. He simply asked, “Are you in a group right now? Do you have someone to lean on? Who’s got your back?”
Right in my face! Here I was the guy who was supposed to ask people this question. After all, I know how important it is to be in some type of small group. I had been leading groups and leading in group ministry for years. But…with no great excuse…when Adam asked me these questions, all I could say is, “No. I’m not in a group right now. I feel alone. And I’m not sure if anyone has my back right now.”
Thankfully, Adam didn’t leave it at that. He invited me to join him with a group of guys that meets every week. He said I’d be more than welcome to check it out and join them. So…I did! That’s right. A few Wednesday nights ago, I drove over to a local diner and met with a crazy group of guys, who made me laugh, who listened to me, who made me think. These guys obviously don’t have it all together, but they’re trying to do their best to live life in a way that honors God. And they realize the importance of meeting together.
That night, Adam shared a passage from Hebrews 10 about the importance of meeting together. I’m not sure if that was meant just for me or if it was for the whole group, but it was just what I needed. I’ll be checking out this group again, and I’m looking forward to being in community again. Community that will spur me on. Community that will lift me up. And community that will take me off of my island.