Melting Heaviness

My soul melts from heaviness;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
-- Psalm 119:28

These past few months have seemed rather long due to a thing going on that I won't name this morning. Whether you are pleased or disappointed at the projected result, turn to the word of the Lord and be strengthened. Rejoice or seek relief in the word of God as you read and study. Outside my window Nature either celebrates or covers its grief in a blanket of new snow. Up in Heaven, God's throne was neither built up nor tilted down by the result of that thing I won't mention for your sake. And God's planned day for the return of His glorious Son? That day is still coming at the appointed time no matter what our feelings are this grey morning. So, to those who are happy and those who are sad:

Great is the Word of our Lord God!

Bucky

Your Own Didn't Know You

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. John 1:10-11

Tomorrow we face another presidential election. For a moment, imagine that neither of the big party candidates win and you do. While your first thoughts are still running along the lines of "Eeek! No! No!" the electoral college meets and confirms that you are indeed the president-elect of the United States. In January there is a big ceremony and, finally calmed down a bit, you take the oath of office and move into the White House. One of the first things you must do is to bring the big armored car and a few of those folks in dark suits back to your hometown for a visit.

However, things are strange at home. No one seems to care, the police leave a parking ticket on the limo, and your principal and teachers cast doubt on your claim to be president. At church, the preacher says your election never happened, and names you a fraud in the strongest terms. Finally, before you can leave town the Secret Service is forced to arrest the police chief and all the town officers when they try to arrest you for impersonating the office you know that you now hold! What sort of delusion has a hold of your hometown?

We know of course that Jesus faced a similar dilemma. The One who came to save the world couldn't get a single 'Hallelujah!' in His hometown of Nazareth. The religious authorities refused to believe His divinity all over Judea, Galilee, and other Jewish places. And, even those precious twelve followers would fail to believe until after He died, rose again, and ascended in their sight back to His Father in Heaven. Even to this day it is easier for us Gentiles to believe in Him than His own people in Israel.

Praise God that we are allowed to believe in His Son!

Bucky

You Must Seek

But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go. Deuteronomy 12:5

Seeking a place was put into the Law of Moses way back in the days when Israel had not possessed the promised land yet. A search, but why didn't the Lord just tell them where to go? You do know what happens when even a righteous authority tells us what to do, don't you? A journey of seeking though, that would give the Israelites a bit of that control the rebellious heart longs to hold. Jesus told Israel much the same thing years later when on the mount He said, "Ask, and you shall receive. Seek, and you shall find..." As born sinners we do not like to be told what to do, but we do like searching for treasure or a nice place to live. We love to seek for treasures in the Lord's word, but tell us that we must read 5 chapters per day and the mind finds all sorts of excuses to avoid a good habit.

It's like the Lord God knows us.

Bucky