shortsighted

Sunday, June 12, 2011 (7:35 a.m.)

Most Loving Lord,

It’s a brand new day, with brand new possibilities. Let us use them well Blessed Lord.

You have provided us so much. As I was just adding the words ‘this past week’, I realized how shortsighted that was. “You have provided us so much” – P-E-R-I-O-D! Not only this past week, or year, or lifetime. You have provided us so much.

Lord God, how I thank You. Praise You. Worship and adore You. And yes Lord, I fully esteem and revere You! If there are things I am going to fear, let them be You and only You.

This morning I am reminded and again encouraged by a verse I read just yesterday. Proverbs 10:25, “Disaster strikes like a cyclone and the wicked are whirled away. But the good man has a strong anchor.” Thank You Lord that You truly ARE our Anchor! You are to Whom we are able to run and to hide when needs be. You steady us. Turn us. Right us. Change us. Thank You Lord.

I’ve prayed to You continuously this past week. Not in print this time, but in the secret recesses of my heart. I’ve asked You for strength and courage and time and forgiveness. You answered with beauty and gentle joy and endless opportunities. My shortsightedness prevents me from running on ahead waving to others Your banner of faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). But in staying put, I grow stronger, more deeply rooted, ready to battle evil with Your Word.

You are good Lord. I’ve said it again and again this past week. You are our strength and our firm foundation. In You alone can we trust. Sure, we can be lulled into a sense of security. But Your Word reminds us to ever stay alert. Thank You Lord.

Thank You for again sending me to Peter’s second letter to believers everywhere. He wanted them [and us J] to watch out for false teachings AND to be faithful to You. A key verse here (2 Peter 1:3) spells this out for us, “For as you know Him better, He will give you, through His great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: He even shares His glory and His own goodness with us!” Thank You Lord. Thank You!

Just yesterday Lord, on that 10 hour and 5 minute car ride home, I heard myself say out loud the words of my heart. “While I want us to ‘be alert’ and ‘aware’, I DON’T want to be ‘afraid’!” Lord. That was You! You at work. In and through me. Thank You Lord.

There are potential dangers surrounding us. Evil that could take us all down in a moment. Again I am turning to You.

Following the Greetings from Peter (2 Peter 1:1) in The Life Recovery Bible are two more encouraging titles: Steps toward Spiritual Growth (vs. 1-11) and Paying Attention to Scripture (12-21). Off to the side is a devotional aptly titled “Self-control”.

All of this treasure I have found here this morning because of verse nine. Leading up to it are the step by step by-products of living and growing in a life of faith. A comment at the bottom of the page reads thus, “The past is part of who we are, the future is securely in God’s hands, and today is filled with opportunity to grow in our understanding of love, forgiveness, truth and grace! As a parent ought to provide for a child, so God supplies all that we need, including the ability to rise above our circumstances and temptations.”

This is truly You at Your best Dearest Lord. At a time that we haven’t need You more, You supply our every need!

As I end our time right here together, preparing to go and worship You in public, I heartedly ask You Lord to encourage, empower and enable us in living Your Word. Let the truth of verse nine lead me this day. “But anyone who fails to go after these additions to faith (listed in verses 5-8) is blind indeed, or at least very shortsighted and has forgotten that God delivered him from the old life of sin so that now he can live a strong, good life for the Lord.”

How I thank You Lord. I praise You. And I ask in the words You gave to Moses for Aaron’s blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) that You would bless and protect us, that Your face would radiate with joy because of us, that You would be gracious to us, show us Your favor, and give us peace. It is in Your most precious name I pray. Amen.

(518 words ~ 9:12 a.m.)