RiverBoat Days Parade today.  That’ll be fun.   I put a Napoleon Dynamite picture on the back of our bus.  Kid’s will love that at least my teenage daughter does. 

I’ve been studying Proverbs lately. I was studying how we’re to seek wisdom and understanding.  I was doing OK with that until I came to Prov 2:19.  That verse said by wisdom God set the foundations of the earth and by understanding he established the heavens.  That messed me up.  Just when I thought wisdom and understanding was in a tiny way attainable I got a small glimpse of the magnitude of creation.  The same wisdom I tap into is the same wisdom God used in creation.  That explodes my entire knowledge base.  Eternity is set in the heavens and in the smallness.  Hubble telescope will never see the end of the universe.  The most powerful microscope will not see the smallest atom.  God you are so awesome and I’m glad you’re my Father God.

I was considering King David this morning.  Here was a young man that was told he was going to be King.  Did he act like a King?  No, he waited for God to install him in his office.  He had to go through many things before he could take that office.  Jesus knew he was a King even before coming to earth.  Did he act like a King?  No, he waited for his Father to install him in his office.  Are we acting like Kings right now or are we fullfilling God’s will and going through “stuff”? 

Pastor Jeff preached on the Holy Spirit today.  What stuck in my mind is the subject of fire.  God will send fire into our lives.  How will we know it?  It’s extremely uncomfortable.  At that time I have a choice.  I can try to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling by many methods.  i.e.  recreation, food, people ect.  Or I could go to the Father and hold on.  If I do the latter I must not look at myself;  I must look at Jesus.  I suspect people have left the church in the middle of fire.

I listened to the book of Ruth yesterday.  My eyes filled with tears as I saw the sacrifice Ruth made.  She left everything to follow Naomi’s God.  Because she did this Naomi was blessed in her old age. My heart began to cry out to God, “use me to bless others.”   Later that morning I encountered a Christian that I was concerned about.  We were both in tears before the conversation ended because of the presence of God.  God is incredible, for he can use me with all my shortcomings. Shortcoming like, insensitivity, ridgedness, quick to judge etc.   I will glory in my weakness because then the greatness of God comes through. 

Many times I wake up in the middle of the night and read my bible.  I then struggle with a verse the rest of the night.  Last night was no exception.  I read Proverbs 2:3 Do not let go of kindness and truth.  Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablets of your heart.  (Kindness and Truth is the personification of Jesus.)  I had an image that kept coming to me:  a bottle of black ink being dumped upon an unfinished painting.   The closer I get to Father God, the more I see the ink bottle in my hand as he tries to paint a beautiful picture.  My heart is grieved as I think of the hurt I have caused my Heavenly Father.  He allows me to take a hold of his arm and stop his work.  He could over power me but he doesn’t.  Father God help me today to embrace kindness and truth.   When I drift away from it, remind me to stay course.  Help me to become more like Jesus. 

How big is your view of God?  I was intrigued as the shuttle landed this morning.  I was more impressed by the camera that was mounted on the front window.  I felt my heart beating a little faster as I watched the landing site come in sight.  It took me back to my Navy days.  I was on leave when my ship, the USS Kitty Hawk, went to sea.  When I returned to the ship I had to fly.  The plane I took back to the ship flew over the aircraft carrier and circled back.  From high above the ship, I looked out my window and saw this tiny little ship.  My thought was this, “We’re going to land on that?”  As we made our descent the ship became larger.  I held on for dear life as the cables captured the plane as we landed.  The runway became larger for the shuttle as it made it’s successful landing.  God can look very small if we’re distant from him.  God will look very large and capable of taking care of us if we’re up close to him.   

Psalms 37 lists five steps which will help.
            Trust in the Lord  (vs. 3)
            Delight in the Lord (vs. 4)
            Commit your way to Him (vs. 5)
            Wait patiently for Him (vs. 7)
            Refrain from anger (vs. 8)
 
If you study this passage, you will see that as you trust and commit yourself to God, seeking only that your life may delight Him, and as you wait patiently for Him to direct your thoughts, He is able to give you “safe pasture,” “the desires of your heart,” “justice of your cause,” and the “inheritance” God has for you.
 
The one step listed that will keep us from allowing God to accomplish these things in our lives is if we let anger step in and interrupt what God would like to do at this time. So, my friend, if you are going through a difficult time or a time of decision, choose to please God in all you do. Then commit your decision to God and trust Him to guide you. Give Him time to lead you, and refrain from “fretting.” Then trust God to help you “get things right.”
 

By:
David Boyd
Director
National Children’s Ministries Agency/BGMC

NASA   Houston received a wonderful view this morning.  The shuttle undocked from the International Space Station.  The people at Houston Control looked into the morning sky and saw what appeared to be two small stars.  Those stars: The International Space Station and  the Shuttle – both flying 220 miles above the earth. 

The people had to know when and where to look.  It’s not too long before we may be looking into the sky and see the Lord Jesus return.  Are we looking up in anticipation for his return?  We don’t know exactly when but we do know the where. 

I was watching NASA Live http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/.  Commander Eileen Collin was asking for everyone to pray for the crew as they prepare for landing on early Monday. Eileen went on to ask God’s blessing.  I think it’s incredible to be able to watch the earth from 200 miles from the heavens while listening to the commander speak about God.   It reminds me of the thought that’s been in my mind all day.  There is only one correct path and that is toward heaven.  I must do everything possible to stay on that path.  God will help me as hide his word in my heart so I don’t sin against him.