These pictures from NASA (and video compliments of Chris Abbas) show the majesty of our Creator…
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display His craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make Him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)
This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.
Stay Away From Controversies
That is the danger of putting theology first; it leads a man to tell a lie in order to be consistent with his point of view. …In a theological dispute the theologian is apt to put his point of view in the place of God. … Only one man in a thousand can maintain his spiritual life and controvert; he may increase his intellectual vim, but he does not increase his spiritual grasp of things. Dr. Alexander Whyte put this better than any other when he said:
“…Eschew controversy, my brethren, as you would eschew the entrance to hell itself. Let them have it their way; let them talk; let them write; let them correct you; let them traduce you; let them judge and condemn you; let them slay you. Rather let the truth of God suffer itself, than that love suffer. You do not have enough of the divine nature in you to be a controversialist.”
From Baffled To Fight Better
Augustine prayed: “Heal me of this lust of mine of always vindicating myself.”
When David was attacked he prayed: “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me” (Psalm 57:2).
Who cares what others say? Who cares if you “lose” the argument? What does God say? Let Him—and Him alone—vindicate you.
I remember once going to play golf with two other friends. When we got to the course, the starter added another guy—someone we didn’t know—to our group to round-out our foursome. We began to “play” our round of golf (I use the term play loosely), and joke, and laugh, and enjoy ourselves.
About 4 or 5 holes into our round, our new friend asked what we all did. I responded, “He’s a pastor, I’m a pastor, and that guy over there is a missionary.”
Our new friend looked shocked. “You mean you’re all Christians?!”
“Yes, we are,” I said. “Does that surprise you?”
“Yes,” he replied, and then quickly added, “But I’ve never had so much fun playing golf before!”
It’s funny, and yet sad. Why would Christians be thought of as boring? dull? killjoys? Shouldn’t we be the most happy and joy-filled of all?
Here’s what Charles Spurgeon said—
We ought to be glad and rejoice forever in that which God creates. Ours is a heritage of joy and peace. My dear brothers and sisters, if anybody in the world ought to be happy, we are the people.
How large our obligations! How boundless our privileges! How brilliant our hopes!
What should make us miserable? Sin? That is forgiven. Affliction? That is working our good. Inward corruptions? They are doomed to die. satanic temptations? We wear an armor which they cannot penetrate. We have every reason for delight, and we have moreover this command for it: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). May God bring us into that blessed condition and keep us there!
God intends not only that we should have joy but also that we should spread it among others. He intends that wherever we go we should be light bearers and set other lamps shining.
Can people tell you have the joy of the Lord? Are you bringing light and laughter to dark and somber places? If you are filled up with God, how happy you should be!
There is no safer place to be than in the arms of your Heavenly Father.
I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. (Isaiah 46:3-4)
So we can pray with confidence as the psalmist did:
Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings. (Psalm 17:8)
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple or Spotify.
Astronomers admit that they cannot observe the entire universe, because it’s simply too vast for any equipment that has been made. In the Milky Way galaxy alone there are something like 10 trillion stars.
But that’s just one galaxy.
Astronomers used to estimate that there are another 10 trillion galaxies, but they have recently admitted that there are likely three times more stars than they originally thought. Which makes the total number in the observable universe 300 sextillion stars.
But here’s what is more amazing: God knows each of those stars by name!
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26)
As awesome as the stars are, here’s what God thinks about you…
When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers—the moon and the stars You set in place—what are mere mortals that You should think about them, human beings that You should care for them? Yet You made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:3-5)
And most amazingly of all, God not only knows the 300 sextillion stars by name, but He knows you by name too (Exodus 33:17)!
Friend, in God’s eyes you shine brighter than a star! He knows you by name. If not one star is missing from His view, how much more does He see you!
If you’re feeling discouraged or alone or forgotten, step outside tonight and look up at the stars. God knows them all by name, but He knows you too—and He thinks the world of you!
You are not alone—God sees you and He loves you!
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Sometimes the shortest distance between two people is a simple smile.
I love a scene in The Bourne Identity where Jason and Marie are hatching this highly-detailed plan to get an invoice from a hotel. Marie walks into the hotel lobby to execute their well-designed scheme, and before spy/assassin Jason Bourne has time to walk her through it, Marie is back outside. “What happened? What went wrong?” Jason asks. Marie simply replies, “The man at the desk was smiling at me, so I thought I would simply ask him for the invoice.”
When I was a kid we used to sing a little ditty in Sunday School that went like this —
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it,
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.
Here’s what the Bible says about smiling faces:
Smiling faces make you happy. (Proverbs 15:30)
What a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! (Genesis 33:10)
When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it; their faces lit up, their troubles took wing! (Job 29:24)
Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face. (Ephesians 6:6)
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God—soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God. (Psalm 42:5)
George Eliot said, “Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles.”
So if people feel miles away from you, perhaps they’re just a SMILE AWAY.
Try it. Smile! You’ll feel better and others will feel better about you too.
My prayer based on Psalm 91—
Almighty God, I resolve to live in Your shelter because it’s the only place I will find rest.
I declare this about You, Lord: You alone are my refuge, my place of safety; my surest trust.
You will rescue me from every trap and protect me from every disease.
You will cover me and shelter me with Your wings.
Your faithful promises are my armor and protection.
I will not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.
I will not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though everyone else may give in and give up, I will cling to You for complete victory.
I have chosen to make the Lord my refuge, my shelter, my victory, my total protection.
You have ordered Your angels to protect me wherever I go.
They will hold me up with their hands so I won’t stumble.
In Your power I will defeat every foe that comes against me.
You, O Lord, have said, “I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My name.
When they call on Me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life and give them My salvation.”
I take You at Your word, my God. Deliver me!
I love turning God’s Word into prayers! Check out this post where I elaborate on this idea.
This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.
Stronger
If we believe in a state of mind He produces in us, we will be disappointed, because circumstances will come in our lives when these works of Jesus Christ are shadowed over; but if we believe in Him, no matter how dark the passage is we shall be carried right through, and when the crisis is passed our souls will have been built into a stronger attitude towards Him.
From Facing Reality
Job certainly went through a “dark passage”! Yet in the midst of it he said, “But principled people hold tight, keep a firm grip on life, sure that their clean, pure hands will get stronger and stronger” (Job 17:9).
And as David passed through his “dark passage” he confidently stated—
I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
He saved me from all my troubles.
For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
He surrounds and defends all who fear Him….The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. (Psalm 34:4-7, 19)
My friend, hold on to Jesus. Hold on! He will carry you through, and you will build a stronger faith.
This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.
Yielded
There is a distinct period in our experience when we cease to say—“Lord, show me Thy will,” and the realization begins to dawn that we are God’s will, and He can do with us what He likes. We wake up to the knowledge that we have the privilege of giving ourselves over to God’s will. It is a question of being yielded to God.
From Facing Reality
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:14)
God has a plan for my life. He prepared me in advance to fulfill His will and plan for me. Will I yield to Him? Or will I continue to try to find my own way?
What a supreme privilege it is to yield to His will for my life!
Yesterday God closed a pretty significant door in my life. It will mean some short-term changes, but I am confident that it also means some great long-term rewards! I’m not worried; just prayerful for the next steps I need to take.
Here’s where I base my confidence:
This didn’t take God by surprise: All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.
In fact, God was the One who closed this door: A man’s steps are directed by the Lord.
And now I’m just waiting: Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Or as Corrie ten Boom so beautifully said it:
Craig T. Owens 