Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP ). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?Archive for October 2006
where do you live?
I was listening to Joyce Meyer Friday afternoon, and she mentioned Psalm 91 several times in teaching about victory over the enemy. When I read this psalm, it seemed like a natural follow-up to Friday morning’s post on prayer and hurry. It begins
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow […]
prayer, the antidote to hurry
Americans are characterized by hurry, and I’m no exception. The Spirit has been bringing this to my attention off and on for years, with mixed results. My friend Marcus says that hurry is of the devil, and I believe he’s right. He will not tell his five children to hurry, though he may tell them […]
the good news in North Korea
North Korea’s nuclear test this weekend brought the spiritual needs of its people into sharper relief. Sunday morning I read the October issue of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter, which focused on North Korean Christians risking all to return to their country to share the gospel. According to Crossing Borders, North Korean dictator Kim […]
entering the presence of God
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:3–5)
Psalm 24 was part of […]
mighty to save
Since last Thursday, I’ve been trying to write about Isaiah 63:1, where God declares Himself “mighty to save.” My goal is to blog before 6 a.m. each day, mostly because I have no interruptions that early in morning. I occasionally manage to blog later in the day, but not often. And so it has been for the last several days.
I was up and ready to write, but about 5:15, Zack came in panicked about a project he had due that day. So Thursday was gone, and Friday morning too, as I helped him proofread an assignment (we’re working on procrastination!). Friday night Zack had two friends over to celebrate his fourteenth birthday (I think they went to sleep about 3 a.m.), and Saturday morning Isaac played soccer at 8. Yesterday, we had a mother-daughter tea party in honor of Anna’s sixth birthday (tea parties are harder to pull off than you might think). And these are just the big things that happened! I’ve been running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off for the last several days.
Throughout all this frenetic activity, I’ve been hanging on to “mighty to save.” Last Thursday, I read Charles Spurgeon’s devotional on this verse. Spurgeon’s vivid language brings out the richness of these three words mighty to save:
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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