When the Righteous are Afflicted

February 20, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Psalm 34:19, David, prayer, praiseLife is not easy.  Actually, let me rephrase that.  Striving to live a Godly life is not easy.  Trying to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the perfect Son of God, is very difficult indeed.

Sometimes it feels like the whole world is coming against us.  As if every obstacle that could possibly appear has launched a coordinated attack on us, all at once.  I can assure you, this is not by accident.  We have an enemy that is in opposition to God and all that is good.

And when we visibly declare our allegiance to Jesus Christ and try to stand up for good then we have drawn a line in the sand and planted a flag of battle that the enemy can’t help but see.  As we strive for good the enemy will come against us and will seek any and every way to afflict us, discourage us and try to get us to leave the fight.  (As an aside, I think it’s important to note that evil has no real power over the redeemed child of God.  God holds the lives and souls of the redeemed in His hands and nothing can ever pluck them out or change their ultimate destiny.  God is always sovereign no matter what it might feel like at the time!)

King David, one of my favorite Biblical heroes, knew affliction firsthand.  He had enemies that wanted to kill him from both outside his country and inside his own family.  He struggled with doing the right thing and with his own faith even while trying to lead a country and be true to God and what he knew was right.

In Psalm 34, David speaks about affliction but he also talks about the victory that we have in God alone.  When you have a few minutes you should read the whole chapter.  It isn’t very long but I promise you that it can change your outlook for the better if you read it and let it really soak in to your heart.

Here’s the verse that is the key idea for today:

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.  Psalm 34:19 (NKJV)

What a statement!  What a promise!  If can’t help but get a little bit ecstatic when I read it.  Yes, David says, we will be afflicted.  And not just a little bit.  Our afflictions and our trials will be many.  There will be a multitude of things that come against us and no it won’t be easy to be in the midst of the turbulence.  But!  But!  The Lord delivers the righteous out of ALL of his afflictions!  Not just some.  Not just one every now and then.  Every single time we encounter trouble we are promised victory and the power to overcome simply because the Lord has declared it to be so.

You might have many troubles.  And some days it might feel like there is no end in sight and no victory could possibly come from what you are facing.  But take heart, Child of God.  You are not forgotten and God is not a liar.  He has declared that He will deliver you out of that trial and that someday, perhaps soon, your current affliction will be no more.

And when that day arrives you will know that God has delivered you and you can voice your praises to Him and tell others how God won the victory in your life.  This is what happens when the redeemed gather together and tell their stories of redemption!

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together. (Psalm 34:1-3) NKJV

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My Favorite Hymns

August 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

hymnsI’ve mentioned before that I love music.  It’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and I credit my parents for helping to encourage my musical interest.

I can remember singing in my children’s Sunday School class as a child and by grade school I was taking piano lessons where I learned to read music and to really appreciate the musical process.

In my Christian walk, some of the most meaningful and inspirational music that I have come across are the myriad church hymns that have so long made up a part of our worship process.  I often find myself quietly singing or reflecting on a line or verse from a hymn and I know that God’s truth is proclaimed through these songs.  Today’s post is about a few of my favorite hymns and what they mean to me.

“It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing;
That’s how it is with God’s Love,
Once you’ve experienced it,
Your spread the love to everyone
You want to pass it on.”

The first stanza to “Pass it On” is one of my favorites.  It’s the first hymn that I can remember singing as a child in either Sunday School or Children’s Church.  My class sang it every week and its simple message about God’s love is one that has stuck with me and encouraged me even as an adult.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

The chorus from “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus” contains a message that I come back to again and again.  When we focus our attention completely on the Savior there is nothing in this world that has the power to overcome God’s glory and grace.  Often when I feel overwhelmed or anxious about something I hear these words in my mind and I am comforted by this truth.

“Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise”

“Come Thou Fount” is just an excellent song to sing and especially in 4 part harmony.  I can remember singing this with my wife and a former choir director and his wife as part of a church special one evening and in the process of learning the song I really got to know the words and tune well.  It is a song of praise to God who loves us and helps us whenever we call upon Him.  Interestingly, the lyric “Here I raise mine Ebenezer” from the second verse refers to events in 1 Samuel where the Israelites finally defeated the Philistines and regained the Arc of the Covenant.  An Ebenezer is identified as a “Stone of Help” and was used to commemorate the site as a reminder of God’s real, Holy presence and divine aid.  I hope I can raise my Ebenezer every single day!

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus! ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed”

My wife (who is our church pianist) tells me that she often plays this for prelude on Sunday morning and perhaps that’s why it’s on my mind today.  “Stand up, Stand up for Jesus” is a rousing song that speaks of conflict and strife, battle and courage and contains a reminder that although we fight today, tomorrow we have victory.  Let us never forget that through God’s mighty power, we win!

“Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,

Op’ning to the sun above.Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;Drive the dark of doubt away;Giver of immortal gladness,Fill us with the light of day!”

“Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” is adapted from Beethoven’s 9th symphony where it was originally titled “Hymn to Joy”.  I consider it one of the finest musical hymns in the Baptist Hymnal although that should hardly be surprising considering its excellent composer. It is both a joy to sing and a joy to meditate on the lyrics penned by Mr. Henry van Dyke who in 1907 adapted Beethoven’s tune for a church hymn.

So far I’ve listed only 5 of the wonderful church hymns that I’ve cherished and grown up with.  I may revisit this topic on another day but for today I will end by asking “What is your favorite hymn and how has it inspired you?”  Come; let us praise Him together with song!

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Who Is Invited?

May 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Psalm 98, praise, salvationOne of my favorite books in the Bible for morning devotional time is the book of Psalms.  In Psalms we find songs of praise to God, heartfelt cries for God’s mercy and presence and encouraging words about God’s character and goodness.  Although Psalms is considered one complete book, each chapter or “psalm” is more often than not self-contained and forms a complete idea and that makes it ideal for a chapter by chapter study as a daily devotional.

Here is my Psalm for this morning and how it spoke to me:

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (Psalm 98: 1-3)

Why does the psalmist say to sing a new song to the Lord?  What is this marvelous thing that he has done?  He has made his salvation and righteousness known to the nations!  And not only to Israel, his chosen people, but to all the ends of the earth, us included.

We now have the privilege of knowing what the psalmist did not, God’s salvation and righteousness were shown through Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.  Though our eyes have not seen Him yet, by faith we have believed in Him and His redeeming work on the cross.  We truly have a reason to sing to the Lord a new song of praise!

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, (Psalm 98: 4-8)

When I read verse 4 and head into verse 5 I can sense a crescendo.  The psalmist has made his case as to why we have the best reason of all to praise God and to sing to Him and now he is inviting the whole earth to join him with instruments and skilled playing and singing.  But that’s not all.  Not only is humanity invited to shout and praise and sing, all of creation has the privilege to worship together because of what God has done!  The sea and everything in it will let loose a roar, the rivers that flow to the sea will clap as with hands and the hills that first gathered the rainwater that flows to the rivers and sea will be joyful.

The picture I get here is God’s lifegiving sustenance and salvation (symbolized here as water) starting in the high places and hills (the ascension of our Lord and the commissioning of the disciples) and then flowing down in channels (rivers – the Church and those who minister) to the sea (everywhere and everyone else).  And before long, the whole earth has reason to join the largest choir that has ever been assembled in mighty praise and worship to the Father.

But as wonderful as that is, we aren’t finished yet.

For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98:9)

One day, He is coming back, both to judge the world and to receive those who are His unto eternal salvation.  Let us make sure that we are ready and that we are using our time on earth wisely.  There are many who still need to hear the good news that Jesus saves and the only way that they can join with us in total praise to God is for us to be the lights that point the way to Him.

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Overlooked Forgotten And Taken For Granted

October 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment

remember, blessings, praiseOne of the things that the Lord continues to impress upon me is just how blessed I am.  And this is not unique to me.  We are all blessed, every one of us.  Despite trials, despite trouble and despite our circumstances we remain blessed and loved by our Heavenly Father.

Most of us, the great majority I think, do not even realize how blessed we are.  We have been blessed and so over time we forget that we don’t deserve life or love or material blessings of any kind.  We have these things because God loves us and is a giver of good things, not because we are entitled to them.

Most of us expect to wake up in the morning.  Most of us expect to be able to take our next breath.  Most of us expect to have a roof over our heads, a peaceful existence, clothes in our closets and shoes on our feet.  Yet despite our expectations all of these are gifts and blessings from a loving God that we tend to take for granted.

Just the other day I had a conversation with the Lord about my physical body.  I turned 40 this year and have perhaps been a little more in-tune with my physical shape, my energy level and what effect my age is having on my everyday life.  I realized that, by and large, everything works as it should and most of the time I feel pretty good.

If you stop and think about the massive complexity that is the human body and how many systems we have that are blended together and have to work in order for us to function and if you also call to mind how many folks we know that are physically struggling in some way and that have bodies that don’t work so well then it is no stretch to say that I am very blessed.

My feet can carry me where I want to go.  My legs move and my knees bend.  I can turn and stretch and bend over to pick something up off of the floor or stretch my arms over my head to grab something up high.

I can breathe.  I can taste, see, smell, hear, touch and feel.  I can eat and drink and my body can turn what I eat and drink in to fuel for living and working.

My mind is able to process information and perform rational thought.  I can learn and I can use the gifts that God has given me to write and speak His truth and to teach and encourage others.  All because God will’s it and because He has seen fit to love and provide for me.

And this is just a very small sampling of the many, many ways that God has blessed me.

What about you?  Have you taken stock of your blessings lately?  Have you thanked and praised your Father above for His provision and his awesome love?  Do you have His most precious gift of all, His Son Jesus Christ who died for you?  I hope so.

You’ve been blessed with today.  You aren’t guaranteed tomorrow but if it comes then it will be a blessing too.  What will you do with what God has blessed you with?

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God Changes Us For The Good

July 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment

thankfulness, gratitude, praiseFresh out of bed and still bleary-eyed I stumbled into the bathroom to start my morning routine.  I would need to leave for work within the hour and I did not want to be late so I was already starting my mental checklist.

I glanced out the window at the early morning light that glowed and defined the tall pines and old oaks of the forest that began at the edge of our yard.  As I did so I was struck by the need to just be still and raise my hands towards heaven.  I began to praise God for His goodness and His love and I thanked Him for His grace and mercy and for including me in His redemption plan.

All of a sudden I was filled with an overwhelming sense of love and peace and I knew that just for a moment, I had touched the heart of God and that He had touched me in return.  I began that day with a smile on my face and a song in my heart that stayed with me and colored every moment and every interaction with joy.

Practicing gratitude and looking for opportunities to be thankful can open our eyes to moments like this.  A year or two ago I am quite sure that I would have missed the Spirit’s tug on my heart so soon after tumbling out of bed.  I would have been too focused on “me” and my needs and my dull spiritual receptors would not have tuned in to the call to praise.

The great news is, things are changing.  Rather, God is changing me and I am encouraged by His work!

I’m still not perfected, this is a process and a work in progress.  I still miss Him, sometimes, when He shows up and I am distracted and the flesh in me is in control.  That makes a moment like my spontaneous praise and worship all the more precious because it shows me that God is not through with me yet.  It is proof that He is changing me from the old man that I was into the new, holy child of the King that I want to be.

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;
Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold
And a refuge in the day of my distress. (Psalm 59:16) NASB

 

 

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What is God’s Glory and Why Should We Understand it?

December 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment

glory, Jesus, praiseCan we, as human beings, ever really understand an all powerful, ever-present God?  And as part of that, can we identify and comprehend His majesty and glory?  I say that we can and by doing so we can get to know Him better.

God’s glory is spoken of often in the Bible and in many church settings.  But do we understand what that is and why it is a part of Him?  Or is it just a word we read and then pass over without a second thought?  Has “glory to God” become such a Sunday School term that we no longer consider what we are saying or who we are saying it to?

After much thought and prayer I have decided to define God’s glory as “the sum total of all that God is, all that He has done and all that He ever will do”.  To be sure, this definition is attempting to put an infinite, perfect God into terms that a finite, imperfect human can understand and is therefore not completely accurate.  But I believe it does point us in the right direction.

God is Spirit and God is perfect.  We are flesh and we are imperfect.  We literally cannot comprehend God without major outside help.  And because God’s glory surrounds Him and is part of Him it is inseparable from Him but also too vast and wonderful for us to bear.  In Exodus Moses asked God to show him His glory and this is what God said:

Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (Exodus 33:19-20)

Moses could not look on God directly but only on the afterimage of His passing.  God had to hide him in the cleft of a rock and then cover the rock with His hand in order for Moses to survive the encounter. (Read Exodus 33:21-23).  This same God who desires to make Himself known to us is also very dangerous to us because of our fallen, fleshly nature.  So in that respect God’s glory presents a big problem to us that was marvelously solved by the coming of Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh.

The writer of Hebrews had this to say:

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

Jesus is God’s glory and God’s character made flesh!  Here then is God Himself in a form that we can understand and comprehend.  Although Jesus was fully man and born of woman He was also fully God and the exact representation of the nature of God the Father.  God’s glory is shown to us by Jesus Christ and we can begin to understand all that God is and all that He has done through our relationship with Jesus.  When we say “Glory to God” what we are really saying is “Praise Jesus who I understand as God!”

This is the season of Advent when we talk about and celebrate the coming of the Christ child.  It is impossible to overstate the importance of Jesus Christ in bridging the relationship between God and man.  Jesus is God that came to meet us and the only way that we can understand the character and nature of God.  We can get to know our creator and the awesome, perfect God of the universe because of Jesus Christ.  God’s glory is revealed in Him and we must know Jesus to know God.

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Thoughts on Thankfulness

December 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

thankful, praise, blessingsThankfulness as a way of living has been my theme for some time now.  Some days I am more successful with this than others.  It’s been easier this month with the Thanksgiving season upon us but that still does not lessen my responsibility to be mindful of my blessings.  As I sat down to write this week I seemed to have a jumble of ideas all centered around thankfulness so I thought I would collect them here.

1. Being thankful is God’s will for me. (1 Thes. 5:18)

2. Thankfulness is like armor.  It protects me from bad attitudes, greed and envy.

3. Thankfulness alleviates depression.  Count your blessings!

4. Pride can destroy thankfulness (when I am proud I feel I deserve more instead of being mindful of what I already have been given)

5. My thankfulness should be expressed often, verbally and by my actions.

6. I should be especially thankful for those that God has put closest to me: my family and my church.

7. Because I am thankful I am compelled to serve the Lord out of love for Him.

8. It is still difficult to be thankful for trials and tribulation but I am starting to understand how God uses those to shape me into a usable vessel for Him.

9. Difficult people are a blessing from the Lord that I should be thankful for.

10. The gift that I am most thankful for is my salvation and the hope that the Lord has given me for eternal life.

I hope that this month has caused you to think about all of the things that you are thankful for.  I hope that you understand how important it is to be thankful at all times and in all things.  I would ask you to stop and think of all the things that God has done for you and the ways that He is working in your life and then give Him praise for it.

 

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Heavenly Hardcore Heroes – Wolves at the Gate

April 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Wolves at the Gate are an Ohio based, God-loving group of musicians that write and perform music that is “too artsy for “hardcore,” too hard-hitting for “rock,” the band members have jokingly given their music a label all its own: apple-core. – (See more at: http://www.wolvesatthegate.com)

All I know is, their music blesses me and energizes me all at the same time.  While perusing their website today I came across a video for a new song.  Not only is that song (“Dust to Dust”) excellent, the video that goes along with it is one of the most creative music videos that I have ever seen.

While watching the video there will be no question that these guys love the Lord and are playing and singing directly to Him.  Give it a view and you will see what I mean.

Too artsy for “hardcore,” too hard-hitting for “rock,” the band members have jokingly given their music a label all its own: apple-core. – See more at: 

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How My Family Personally Experienced God’s Blessing

January 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment

praise, thanks, psalms

“That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.” (Psalm 26:7)

I believe the Bible is very clear in its instructions to us to tell of the wonderful blessings that God bestows on us.  In most cases, we are not to keep the Lord’s work a secret, but we are to proclaim it and be witnesses to the world and encouragement to each other.

If you are like me, you probably find it easier to experience God’s blessing that to tell about it.  I tend to be a quiet person and can be shy about speaking up unless I am strongly prompted.  Using this blog I have been able to write about various personal subjects that would have been very difficult for me to verbalize.  I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to write and to tell about how good God has been to me and my family.

I’ve mentioned my job change several times now, about how it has disrupted my writing schedule and taken up much more of my time than I would have anticipated.  I have not been entirely fair in this and I want to correct that today.  What I have not talked about is how God has used it to bless my family financially and to restore to us what we once committed completely to Him.

It all started late last summer, in August.  I woke up one Saturday morning with one of the strongest, most clear messages from God that I had ever received.  I’ve heard of people who had experienced the Lord in a dream or received a message in a dream and this was not quite like that.  I don’t recall any images at all nor was there an audible component to it.  It was more like a mental stamp that had been placed on my brain or even a branding that left such a clear imprint that I had no doubt as to Who it had come from and what I needed to do.

The Lord was prompting me to give a special offering to our building fund at church.  And not only that, He had given me a very specific number that was to be given and this amount was very nearly all of our cash savings.  My trepidation was not in the giving, because I knew the Lord was going to take care of us.  My trepidation was in how to tell my wife who is far more of a saver than I am.

I should have trusted the Lord and talked to her about it that morning but I found that I couldn’t get the words out at breakfast time or during the clean up afterwards.  By then, it was time for me to get ready to go to work and I prayed that the Lord would give me courage at my next opportunity.

That evening I still was unable to talk to Vicki and I went to bed feeling a little bit apprehensive.  I knew I needed to speak and that God would work it all out.  I resolved to start Sunday morning off by being completely honest and leaving the results up to the Lord.

Vicki was up earlier than I that Sunday and when I entered the kitchen she was busy with breakfast preparations.  As we sat down to eat I told her I needed to talk to her about something and I proceeded to explain to her as best I could what I believed the Lord was asking us to do.  I purposely did not tell her the amount and concluded by asking her to pray throughout the day for a number that would give us confirmation of what the Lord wanted us to do.  She looked a little bit worried but to her credit she agreed to do it and took it on faith that God was speaking and that we should listen.

The very next morning she gave me a number that was exactly the same as the number that the Lord had revealed to me.  There was a new excitement about the way she said it and I knew that the Lord was at work and we were privileged to be involved.  We made some arrangements that week to go by the bank and make sure there would be no complications with writing a much larger check than normal and then set a date to give our offering the following Sunday.

Two weeks later, a man walked into the retail store where I was working and offered me a job.  The starting salary was 50% better than what I was currently making and there was a chance to make commission on any sales that I happened to make.  After prayer and careful consideration I accepted the job and started work on Septermber 23rd.

In discussions with the owner of the business (the same man who had offered me the job) I was told I could probably expect to increase my pay by around five dollars an hour through my commission opportunities if I worked hard.  Using that information I set goals for myself, both weekly and for one year (52 weeks) in terms of total commission.

Despite a slow start in September as I was learning the job, my end of the year total for 2013 exceeded my original 52 week goal by more than 10%.  In other words, I made more in 3 months than I had hoped to make in an entire year.  What’s more, we are now back up to the same level of cash savings that we were when we gave the offering back in August.

God is very good.  Vicki and I have no doubt that He has completely worked all of this out to His glory and to our delight and amazement.  And He continues to work and to bless.  Both of us want to continue to be available for His use and this experience has shown us that when we are obedient He can do great things.

Thank you, Lord, for being so good to us!

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Do You Recall Him and His Wonderful Work?

October 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

meditate,psalms,praiseThink back to a time of significance  in your life when you know that God was moving and you felt His hand directly.   Recall, if you can, the circumstances surrounding the situation and what God did for you.  Take a moment to remember how God blessed you and what you learned about Him as a result of His work.

11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.
18 The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.
20 You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron. (Psalm 77:11-20 NASB)

 

In Psalm 77, we see and hear David recalling mighty acts of God.  He brings them to mind and he speaks to God about what he is remembering.  And not only does he remember them, according to verse 12, he also meditates on them.  Meditation implies that David spent time developing a deeper mental and emotional connection to what God had done.  He literally imprinted them on his mind and heart so that he might better recall them in the future.

If you follow the progression of these verses we notice David saying that he is making a conscious decision to remember.  He then speaks directly to God about what he is doing and the remainder of  Psalm 77 becomes both a prayer and a litany of praise to God.  After David tells God that he is going to remember he begins to praise God for specific traits (holy, great, wonderful, strong) and then he recounts specific times of deliverance in verses 15 and 20.

Like David, we also would do well to remember.  We need to practice being still before God and meditating on all that He has done in and around us.  We should focus our mind and heart on specific works that are especially meaningful to us as well as the more general blessings of life.  What has God done for you?  Even more importantly, what has God done in you?

Every saved child of God has a special story of deliverance and redemption that is unique.  Additionally, as we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and to work in us we have the privilege of seeing His work in a more intimate and personal way.  In other words, the closer we get to our Heavenly Father the more we will recognize His handiwork and be able to praise Him for it.  Times of remembrance and meditation on His mighty acts become a way we can learn more about His character as well as receive encouragement, comfort and spiritual nourishment.

In my own life, as I continue to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness, recalling the wonderful work of my Lord is as essential as it is awe inspiring.  In the busyness of everyday life it becomes very easy for me to develop spiritual tunnel vision and only see what is right in front of me.  While it’s important to be fully engaged in my daily life I should never forget Who it is that called me out of darkness or the mountains He has moved for my sake.  I will remember, and I will praise Him for His wonderful work.

Do you remember?

 

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