Lessons from Fishing

So I bought a fishing rod less than a week ago. Brand new, couldn't wait to use it. Spent a few hours probably tying up rigs and reading up about rods and fishing. My brothers and I decided to go fishing yesterday - well it was my idea because i wanted to try out my brand-spanking-new rod.  We put everything into the back of the van with the back seat folded up to fit everything in. And off we went. As the car accelerated after reversing from the driveway, the back seat slams back down and a huge crack made me turn around. The back seat landed right on top of my rod, snapping it like a twig. Totally devastated. Tears in my eyes. Hadn't touched the spray of salt water, never even been cast.

 

Then, later last night, I read the devotion for 22 May. 'Imagine that you have been deprived of possessions, health, and loved ones. Could you still proclaim that your hope is still in the Lord?'

 

Oh Snap! (literally in my rod's case). Well it's not exactly something that took my hope away from the Lord, but it was definitely a possession, and maybe even a 'loved one'... maybe that's stretching it, but I did like it a lot. It was minor, and can be easily replaced at Kmart for $30, but the sense of loss still felt very real. Imagine how Job felt!

The Daily Walk is not a Race

I really must say it has been a huge blessing to my own heart!  I did go through a similar programme when I came to Christ some 30 odd years ago.  It was a blessing then, and it has been this time too.  I am just thrilled to see how God uses such a mixed bag of very ordinary and very human people to accomplish His will.  It just makes me aware that as we yield to Him He can uses us in amazing ways.  I was also challengeed by the recent commentary on David that often a single sin can lead to a cascade of ever escalating sins.....so we need to be vigilant. 

 

Can I really encourage people if the are behind.......do not get so caught up with trying to catch up......that will cause you to rush through the passages just for the sake of catching up.  I believe that is dishonoring to His Word.  Just go through the day's reading and really be blessed by that.  We should not see it as a race!  We need to take time over it, read it slowly so we can meditate upon it and benefit from it......and enjoy it!   An illustration:  I often do my exercise by doing my two bridge walk (walking from Canning bridge to Mt Henry Bridge as a circuit).  sometimes I do the walk slowly and really enjoy it, take in the beauty of it.  However most times I am cranking up the pace and walk as fast as i can.....good exercise but there is no taking in of the scenery......no enjoyment of the surroundings.....just pushing through the pain.  

 

So wherever you are in the reading, just keep doing it.  After all the purpose of the plan is to encourage us to read His Word.....not a demand that we have to fulfil every part of the program!  We need to keep that in focus.   Do not be discouraged by what you have NOT read but be uplifted, challenged and blessed by what you HAVE read.

 

Let us keep walking! And let us take it slowly so we can enjoy and benefit from the journey!

God Bless, 

Mark

Onto Deuteronomy - Moses' summary of the wilderness wanderings

I've found it very interesting to read the sermons by Moses in the first 12 or so chapters of Deuteronomy. There are many things that we can learn from this sermon, especially to remind ourselves of God's presence in everything that happens to us. We should never think that we got anything by our own ability or strength and we should always walk with God through all that we do. Maybe a summary of the sermons would be "If God is not in it, don't do it".

Or as Paul put it the New Testament, "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." (Romans 11:36)

God hardened Pharaoh's heart

Quite often we take issue with this line as if to say that it was not Pharaoh's fault for going against the Israelites because it was God who hardened his heart - he was just a tool of God. When we think about it, we usually will come to conclude correctly that Pharaoh did act out of his own volition. He couldn't blame God for it.
But think about what this says about God. Even when pharaoh tries to act out of his own will - it works perfectly according to God's plan. How can a person fight against God and expect to win? God hardening Pharaoh's heart should mainly remind us that even your enemy's actions are permitted by all all knowing, ever loving, unchanging God. People's hearts may be against you but God still calls their shots. Rest in that assurance and let that peace enable you to love your enemies.