A Growing Season

Posted on by pastorevanaolcom

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After a really nice week of sunshine and warm temperatures, we are back to rain showers and cooler weather. The clematis is blooming at the back porch and the peony bushes on the south side of the house are heavy with blooms. Olin’s corn is up – along with a few weeds! Spring has sprung (even if it doesn’t feel like it).

My morning devotional reminded me that my decision to follow Christ is not a “one and done” but it is a journey, an adventure, that continues everyday – even when I don’t “feel” it. The reading from Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, tells me that I cannot do what God does and God will not do what I can. God offers salvation but I must make the decision to accept His gift. I must make the choice. My faith journey is a journey of choices. I can go my own way or I can follow where the Holy Spirit leads me. I must study His Word to know how to live out my faith. The scripture passage I read this morning from II Peter 1:3-11 gives such instructions.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

            For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

            Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

Goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love. God will not endow me with these qualities but when I choose them God works through me. Each time I choose to obey, that action of obedience draws me closer.

Lord, thank You for the reminder that I have the responsibility to work out my own salvation. Obedience to Your leading in all things is a habit that I am yet cultivating. I don’t want to be a lazy Christian. Keep prodding me­ – poking me – making me uncomfortable. I trust that You will never give up on me for I have Your promise. You are patient but steadfast. You will not allow me to give anything but my best.

           I am willing to be made willing.

Prayers For Our Political Process

Posted on by pastorevanaolcom

 

My devotional readings this morning really spoke to me in a special way. The pages in my prayer journal are filled with prayers for our political process. In the early days of the political primary process I was impressed with Dr. Ben Carson. I had met him at a conference at Johns Hopkins years ago and noted his calm and caring manner. When he entered the political scene I began praying for him. I believe he was acting on what God was asking him to do and I knew that he would need to keep his focus on God to be able to complete his task. Some would say that he failed but I don’t see it that way. What if God wanted to shine His light on our political system? I maintain that Dr. Carson brought that light. He was given an audience to share his faith and God was glorified.

But now we are approaching the end of the primary voting and Donald Trump has emerged as our presumptive nominee. My prayers for our nation have intensified. We are in a battle. Our nation has strayed from our foundations. Are we going return to a land of opportunity where everyone has the chance to be anything they want to be if they are willing to sacrifice, to work hard, to make difficult choices, to follow their dream. Or, do we want a country that determines for us what we are able to do? I am not discouraged for I believe that God has a plan for our nation and I am willing to trust in His plan. This morning’s reading reminds me to respond to what God is doing with praise and thanksgiving.

The reading was from a little book called Streams In The Desert, compiled by Mrs. Chas. E. Cowman and copyrighted in 1925.

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“He spake a parable unto them . . . that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” (Luke 18:1)

Oh, that we could reason less about our troubles, and sing and praise more! There are thousands of things that we wear as shackles which we might use as instruments with music in them, if we only knew how.

Those men that ponder, and meditate, and weigh the affairs of life, and study the mysterious developments of God’s providence, and wonder why they should be burdened and thwarted and hampered – how different and how much more joyful would be their lives, if, instead of forever indulging in self-revolving and inward thinking, they would take their experiences, day by day, and lift them up, and praise God for them.

We can sing our cares away easier than we can reason them away. Sing in the morning. The birds are the earliest to sing, and birds are more without care than anything else that I know of.

Sing at evening. Singing is the last thing that robins do. When they have done their daily work; when they have flown their last flight, and picked up their last morsel of food, then on a topmost twig, they sing one song of praise.

Oh, that we might sing morning and evening, and let song touch song all the way through. – Selected.

 

 

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In the midst of the loud clamor on the television screen I will not be drawn into the arguments. I will be drawn to my knees. I will turn to the Lord. I will trust that He is working out His plan. I think of the words to one of my favorite hymns:

                    This is my Father’s world,

                                O let me ne’er forget

                      That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

                                    God is the ruler yet.

 

Lord, I thank You that I live in a nation that gives me the freedom to choose, to vote for the leader I want. I thank You for the opportunity to debate. Give me the wisdom to make the best choice.