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Morning Devotional...


Psalm 3:3.  "But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One Who lifts up my head."

David was always in one kind of trouble or another.  And it's a good thing he was!  If it weren't for his troubles, many, many of the psalms would never have been written - and we wouldn't have nearly so good a formula for our own deliverance from trouble as we have.

In this particular instance, it's as though David were running through a wilderness and there were many, many of his enemies flying over his head and shooting at him.  arrows were splitting on the rocks all around him.  But all the while He also had a truly wonderful shield over his head, and, amazingly, the arrows were just bouncing off of it!  And not only that, but he himself wasn't the one holding the shield!  It was the covenant God of Israel Who Who was securely holding it over his head!

David's point in telling us this was that he was thoroughly convinced that, since God had chosen him, he could NOT be finally harmed.  He was absolutely safe!  Verse 3 makes it even clearer: "I lay down and slept; I awoke for the Lord sustained me.  I will not be afraid of ten thousand of people who have set themselves against me all around!"  As the old hymn says, "Nothing moves and nothing harms us while we trust in Him!"  David knew he couldn't be ultimately harmed until he had fulfilled God's purpose for him - to be king of His people and to be the progenitor of our Savior.  He might be sick, he might be injured, persecuted, frustrated often - but God's intention was the one sure thing.

The same is true for us.  The apostle says, "Being confident of this very thing, that He Who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."  He intends that His work shall succeed - in you.  He is your shield for His own glory.
Al Moak




Here's a hymn that deserves repetition.

Made me think of a verse I came across in a recent overview of Revelation
Rev 3:10 (NASB) 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that {hour} which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Good afternoon.

Thanks for the good word, Al.

Janet, thanks for the encouragement to get me to contribute to the discussion.  Okay, but I think it was pretty much said in one way or another already by others.

I don't think that God sends us sickness.  Scripture doesn't seem to bare that out, in my opinion.  And neither do I believe that everything that we consider to be bad, comes from Satan.  Like the $1,000 rock I got in my windshield about an hour ago.  Satan didn't do that.  A truck tire is to blame for picking up that rock and slinging it into my windshield.  I am certainly glad God and my windSHIELD were there or I'd have a nice hole in my chest.

This is not heaven, folks.  Our world is broken, and troubles come our way.  Praise God for His Shield and for making me shine EVEN in the middle of my trials, and yes, sometimes because of my trials.  Paul wrote letters to churches from prison.  And as Al mentioned, David wrote many of the Psalms in the middle of terrible suffering, emotional and otherwise.

And our King Jesus suffered, too.  We don't have a record of any illness he suffered, but he suffered like we will never know.  Yet, when we become heirs with Jesus, suffering is inevitable.  A verse from Paul's letter to the Romans (8:17) one that we probably know well, comfirms that  we share in His glory and in His sufferings. :)  ???

Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

So I really don't like laying the blame on the devil for every bit of discomfort that comes along.  Nor do I blame it on one's lack of faith, either.  As mentioned by others here, sometimes it is simply the world we live in, sometimes it comes from bad choices.

However trials come my way, His grace is sufficient!  And when I've come through that trial, He will hopefully have been glorified, and my spiritual muscles will have grown a bit...just in time to get me ready for the next, uhh, "adventure".  ;)

It's my day off, so my thoughts aren't as organized as I'd like, but hopefully you get the gist of my thoughts on this.

In His Grip,
Kevin

Kevin ~ I love your 'gist'.  Gods doesn't 'send' and Satan isn't to be blamed all the time.  Sometimes we, ourselves, are to blame and other times we are just in the wrong place at the right time.  When we suffer, we are suffering with Jesus.  And when we die, we, who follow Jesus' way, will someday be in the right place for eternity.

Pat ~ Happy for your new computer.  Do you mean that your monitor was that bad and the new one super good?  Does that mean your photos will be 3D instead of 2D?

Short night.  I read until I finished a book.  Shut off the light at 1am.  Then Inky woke me this morning, letting me know that it is time for me to be up.  Today is trash day and what a pleasant morning.  A little nippy but it is suppose to warm to the 80's this afternoon.  Bright and sunny here in central Indiana.

Just a quick hello Gotta run now.

It's our NIta's birthday??  Well, then....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR NITA,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!

Thanks, Kevin for your input.  I agree with you 100%!  :)  Now, someone else needs to post a question to be discussed, right?

Etta Sue, our weather is lovely here, as well, but they predict a record high today and tomorrow.

I'm feeling SOOO GOOOD today!!!  Feels good to feel good!  Actually, I nearly always feel good, but today I feel even 'gooder!"  ;)

I need to frame a print for Mark, clean at least one cabinet out in my studio, and do some other chores, then get to Hugoton by around two..........so I'd best get with it!

When you speak of God being in control, one must define what is meant by control.  Is it control as in power, as flipping a switch on the wall controls the lights?  Or is "control" something else?

At one end of the extreme way of thinking of power, we have those that believe that nothing happens that is not caused, directed, or permitted by God.  God's power is expressed and experienced as control of everything.  In full expression of this thought, there is ultimately no free will and everything is predestined by God.  This, of course, is fairly extreme, however, there are those that do subscribe to this thought.  They, of course, must answer the ultimate question of WHY does God cause such pain.

In another scenario, there is self restrained expression of control as loving freedom of God's creation.  God is radically free, whose power has no limitations.  In creating humankind in God's own image.  He bestowed free will as part of His image.  God honors and permits the human exercise of freedom, seeking to guide through the Bible, the church, and the activity of the Holy Spirit.  God is omnipotent in loving and complete control, but has freely limited the exercise of power-as-control to allow the exercise of free will.

But, what if we define control not power as we humans tend to think, but we define God's control as love.  This thinking subscribes that God has no control in a human and worldy understanding of power.  The omnipotence of God is the cross of Jesus Christ, so powerful that all sin was forgiven and all sinners freed to live in a right relationship with God.  Power is love.  God's power as love is ever present and ever active in every person and event.  So God's power over a situation where a 12 year old girl hides in the closet because of her abusive father can be viewed thusly:  God doesn't stop the abusive father (although He no doubt could should He so choose).  Instead, He is in the closet with the girl.

I believe that we shouldn't put God into a box defined by human thoughts.  When we try to humanize God, we fail to recognize the immensity of God.  My own feelings are that things happen in this world due to the natural flow of events, not by the direct hand of God nor by Satan lashing out.  Rather, God has an ultimate larger plan that is unfolding as we speak.  Scripture reveals that plan and Jesus was an integral part of that plan.  He has already won.  He won on the Cross when he defeated Sin forever.  The Blood of the Lamb has cleansed you and me and everyone willing to accept God's gift--the ultimate exercise of control.   In that sense, his control is felt, but it isn't something that directly affects the step by step process of Johnny and Mary, nor of a nation, nor of the effects of natural events in nature.  Rather, our love for God controls us and, through that love, we are with God in times of prosperity and in times of turmoil.  He is there with me when I am doing well and He is there with me when my loved ones die.

Good Morning  :coffee:

I just read through NEM and also read from Psalm 18.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

In His Grip,
Kevin

When it comes to thinking and reasoning about God, my preference is Scripture.  Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ put it all very, very succinctly when he said, "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him Who works all things according to the counsel of His will,"
Simply put, He's either GOD or He isn't.  If He is GOD, it just means that all things work together to bring about His purposes.  Otherwise the end is in doubt.  But with God, the end is never in doubt - He works all things to make sure it happens just as He planned.  Oh give Him glory as GOD!
If we hold Him in reverence like that, we'll end up rejoicing in Him.

Great meat to chew on in here today.

I'm on my new computer.  Still some tweaking to do but I can't get over the lovely colour.  It's so bright.  I was missing so much with my old monitor.

Pat,

Glad to hear about the new machine!  I was hoping for one, but the cash is going to a new windshield this week.

Oh, well.

Gripped,
Kevin

Not much new here it is 53 ° and the TV weatherman said we are supposed to have some light rain 1/4 inch tomorrow and the next day. Just called Al and he isn't home, I went over for a visit yesterday and Marbeth was gone doing the laundry. After I got home today I walked the dogs then did my kitchen floor, and went next door o pick some lettuce for a salad.

I called my niece in Colorado but they aren't home either, I wanted to see how my BIL is doing, The niece takes care of him.

Pat what brand computer did you get?

TTYL

Marilyn, I got a Dell.  My friend helped me buy it--all the various things.. He said, "Yes you need that" or "No, don't bother with that" and then I paid the bill!

Now he's stripping my old computer and I'll have it here as a back up.

Just testing:

Can you let me know if you can see a Posting area in the Shoutbox or has it disappeared?

I'm stopping by to invite you all for fresh coffee, tea, croissants and cinnamon rolls  HERE.  (http://www.christianphotographers.com/community/index.php?topic=5697.0)