Marching Forth!

" O God, You are my God;  e arly will I seek You;  m y soul thirsts for You;  m y flesh longs for You  i n a dry and thirsty land  w here there is no water.  2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, t o see Your power and Your glory ." Psalm 63:1-2 Growing up in the church, the sanctuary was the place in the building where there were chairs, pews and a pulpit.  It was the place where the church body gathered together to sing worship songs, hear sermons and pray.  The sanctuary was a place consecrated similarly to the tabernacle a temple, a place where God dwelt.  The ironic thing is in my youth I was not aiming to look for God's power and glory.  The sanctuary was viewed as God's house, a place where we showed respect for God by refraining from running, shouting and removed our hats.  David's longing and desire to seek the presence of God early is refreshing in comparison to the legalism of consecrated spaces. From my own exp...

A lot of driving accidents occur due to overcorrection.  When driving is monotonous and fatigue sets in, as a driver drifts off to sleep their car can also begin to drift from their lane.  Waking with a start, the driver impulsively jerks the wheel to swerve back into the lane or slams the brakes.  This rapid movement to avoid the danger of the ditch creates a new one when control is lost of the car which can fishtail, spin, hit other cars, or plunge into the ditch the driver attempted to avoid.  Gentle directional correction while controlling speed helps a driver stay safely in their own lane and reach the intended destination. The danger of overcorrection can be seen beyond our roadways.  There are many people who make negative judgments about groups of people because of a bad experience they had.  In Christians circles this tendency is seen in legalism as fresh zeal for God lends itself to condemnation of others who have different convictions and beliefs...

" Give us help from trouble, f or the help of man is useless.  12  Through God we will do valiantly, f or it is He who shall tread down our enemies ." Psalm 60:11-12 David knew from experience the help of man is vain, and it is not comparable to the help given by God who makes His people valiant.  These verses demonstrate how the help of God is different than help from people.  When my dad asked for my help to hold a light, retrieve a tool or lift an object, it was assistance he was looking for.  He already knew what needed to be done and possessed the materials and tools to perform the work.  Having help would make doing the job more convenient and less time consuming.  If he had a third hand, likely my assistance would have been unnecessary. It is vital we understand God's "help" is not like a kid holding a torch so we can see the nut to turn on the engine with a spanner or lifting the other side of a table.  God did not assist David by augme...

" Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  11  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord . " Luke 2:10-11 It must have been quite a shock for the shepherds keeping their flocks by night to be accosted by angelic messengers heralding the Messiah's arrival.  Imagine how you would feel to hear " There is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour ."  It would be easy to accept a baby had been born to Joseph and Mary but much more difficult to take personal responsibility for a baby that was not yours. Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Because the Child Jesus was born to them, they were responsible to feed, clothe, wash and raise Him.  Parents are called to nourish, train, discipline and provide for the needs of the children God has provided by His grace.  Children are ...

Unless God revealed Himself to mankind, we would never find Him.  It would be more impossible for a man to know the almighty God who dwells in unapproachable glory than for a cat to learn calculus or a dog to understand and explain Kepler's laws of planetary motion.  God is so great and beyond our comprehension it requires the gracious intervention of our Maker to open eyes of faith to see Him at work in everything.  God has promised those who seek Him will find Him, and blessed are those who believe His word and receive Jesus whom the Father has sent. During my nightly reading I was captivated by what happened after the people of Judah united to serve only the LORD with an oath in  2 Chronicles 15:15 :  " And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around ."  It was not out of the goodness of the hearts of the people, being fed ...

" As for me, I will call upon God, a nd the LORD shall save me.  17  Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud,  a nd He shall hear my voice.  18  He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, f or there were many against me ." Psalm 55:16-18 David was anointed king over Israel and the Spirit of God rested upon him, yet life was not easy.  He faced many troubles, struggles and many enemies--even in his own household.  All along David had great confidence in God's ability to hear, answer his prayers and save him.  When the men of Israel cowered in fear at the threats of Goliath, David alone was courageous to meet him in battle because he was sure God would deliver him into his hand.  There were many who gathered against David, but there were also many with him. I am reminded of the time when Elisha was holed up in Dothan and the Syrians came and surrounded the city.   2 Kings 6:15-17 reads...

Because we live within the confines of time marked by years, months and days that repeat, it is common for people to mark particularly meaningful days like birthdays, wedding anniversaries and holidays.  There are also days that "live in infamy" when people and nations have suffered great tragedies that will be soberly remembered for generations to come.  We look forward to days we celebrate, and Christmas is a day rapidly approaching many gladly anticipate.  Everyone has different holiday traditions and why a day is more meaningful or worthy of celebration, and for me Christmas is a reminder of something I can rejoice in every day:  that God sent Jesus Christ our Saviour to give us eternal life by faith in Him. The giving and receiving of gifts on Christmas is a longstanding tradition among many people and cultures.  I find it interesting the different ways people discuss Christmas, like we are going to "have Christmas" at someone's home--meaning there will be ...

God's grace and love is foreign to this world and we can struggle at times to receive it.  We naturally love based on who a person is in relation to us, if our experiences with someone have been favourable or out of appreciation for admirable qualities we find in others.  This offer or withdrawal of love based upon performance can filter into our relationship with God, imagining He only loves us because of Jesus.  Jesus loves us, this we know because the Bible tells us so.  Did you realise God the Father loves us too? A friend told me of a recent conversation he had when he extended an invitation to church.  "Oh I couldn't go to church," he was told.  "I'd be burned up for sure."  This perspective was not one of confidence in the love of God that seeks to forgive and restore lost sinners to fellowship with Himself.  Some see God as a vengeful, angry judge who is ready to smite sinners in anger when suddenly meek and mild Jesus steps in and the Fat...

I have heard it said, "Beggars can't be choosers" but I assure you they can .  I have met some selective and demanding beggars over the years.  I have met many people who would regularly come into the church I attended in San Diego to receive food kept for that purpose.  They preferred to pick and choose what they wanted rather than receive what they were given.  So what we did is have bags prepared beforehand ready to give to those who requested food.  Sometimes we would find some of the food thrown on the ground or deposited in the rubbish bin outside.  Most of the time these people who were not actually hungry at the time, but they were doing their rounds like people go to the shops to buy groceries. I remember one time I was enjoying some carne asada burritos in Point Loma with friends and we struck up a conversation with a homeless man.  He said he was hungry and we offered to buy him a burrito.  He assured us one burrito alone would not sati...

I read an article that detailed a recent 60% increase of theft on construction sites as reported by  A Current Affair.  Jessica Nagel wrote, " Supply shortages and price hikes combined with items sitting on site for longer periods of time has created the perfect storm for an increase in theft ."  Whilst this on the surface may seem true, this statement is akin to shaming victims of sexual assault for their choice of clothing. I happen to live in a suburb that has many incomplete new home builds all around.  As I take early morning walks I see building materials piled high on job sites awaiting the break of day:  bricks, sand, steel, timber, tiles and windows are staged behind locked fences with the oversight of security cameras.  And guess what?  People walk by the stuff day after day of " supply shortages and price hikes " and there it sits secure until it is installed or a greedy, selfish thief steals it. God commanded people in His law, " Thou shal...

At times I admit I am baffled by the idealistic ways people describe themselves or others.  I read an article recently where an aspiring model was called "independent and strong," and have seen t-shirts emblazoned boasting "Girl Power" and car decals that espouse the "power" of a race or ethnicity.  Apparently some find inspiration in terms like "Mommy Warrior" and from a biblical worldview these titles and aspirations are puzzling, for what is the power of a man or fierceness of a woman compared to God? It seems to me the aspirations of the world is to be and do what only God can, and this at the core is a satanic notion:  " I will be like the Most High ." ( Isaiah 14:14 )  People may raise their children to be fiercely independent, but the scripture puts forth a completely different view of what is good and right.  God's will is we would be increasingly dependent on Him by faith.  Strength is not achieved by standing up for one...

One interaction in the Bible I love is what Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth who had just proposed marriage to Boaz.  Ruth 3:17-18 reads, " Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day ."  Ruth was the antithesis of a sedentary person, one who would work all day in the field to gather food her mother-in-law and herself.  She was industrious and had an impressive work ethic.  Sitting still required her to stop pacing, exerting nervous energy or bustling around the house.  There was no need for her to prepare to leave because the matter had not been settled yet, nor would her toil advance her desire to be married.  In that moment she was wise to heed the words of Naomi, having committed the matter and her future into the hands of the LORD and her future husband. Naomi knew the quality of character possessed by Boaz and she knew he would not for...

" Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, a nd how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand ?" Job 26:14 Job spoke to his friends of the awesome power and might of God, how He sees all things, hangs the earth on nothing, binds water in clouds, conceals His throne, makes heaven tremble and smites the proud.  The things Job could see as God's handiwork he referred to as the "mere edges" of his ways.  The word in Hebrew translated "parts" in the KJV is connected to fringes, scrapings, off-cuts and outskirts.  When we see the power and wisdom of God at work in nature, we are seeing a very small part of what He can do. There is a lot I find amazing about the world God has made, like the fact the earth hangs from the north on nothing.  Everything I hang must have something to hang on or it will fall to the ground.  I have hung many pictures on walls, and even a wall alone is insufficient in itself for me to han...

" Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus ." Philippians 4:6-7 Prayer is an action believers in God are held responsible by Him to practice ourselves.  While painting today I started thinking about the exhortation I have heard at the end of sermons, to find fellow believer and "get prayer."  The more I thought on this phrase, the less I was comfortable with it.  Prayer is not about receiving, nor should we look to others to pray for us:  we are called in everything by prayer and supplication (with thanksgiving!) to let our requests be known to God.  Corporate prayer is a wonderful blessing, to be led by the Holy Spirit in our praying together in unity. It is a strange thing how a personal spiritual discipline that is to be embraced continually could be re...

After Jesus miraculously healed a sick man who was unable to walk for 38 years due to an infirmity on the Sabbath, He was a man marked by the Jewish authorities.   John 5:16-18 reads, " For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  17  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  18  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God ."  The Jews persecuted and sought to kill Jesus because He broke the Sabbath, for keeping the traditions of their fathers was the good work they aimed to do.  Jesus claimed equality with the God the Father because the works they did were the same:  miraculous, supernatural and for the good of others in love.  The people in Nazareth saw Jesus as the son of Joseph the carpenter, bu...

" He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him ." 1 John 2:10 Anyone who stands upright and walks has the potential to stumble.  We have all stumbled at times for various reasons and exhibited degrees of athleticism as we struggled to keep our feet.  Some of us have had the unpleasant experience of catching a wall or piece of furniture with a toe or have been intentionally tripped by someone else.  Those guilty of dragging their feet or not paying attention to where they were walking because they were fixated on their phones have stumbled and fallen. When we speak of physically stumbling nearly every time there is an external contributing factor, like a slippery surface, a raised kerb or uneven ground.  It is possible for people to be "stumbled" mentally because of something we have heard or seen that trips us up, like a pastor who was inebriated with alcohol or discovering a person we respect has been secretly living a ...

After King David brought the ark of God into Jerusalem and placed it in the tabernacle prepared for it,  1 Chronicles 16:4-6 says:  " And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD , to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel:  5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals;  6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God ."  David appointed Levites to commemorate (bring to remembrance), thank and praise the LORD together with stringed instruments, harps, cymbals and trumpets. The picture of the Levites, sanctified and dedicated to remembering, thanking and praising God is fitting in light of His awesome majesty and holiness.  It makes me examine my priorities afresh when it comes to having paid st...

It is good to realise when God provides encouragement for you, it can also be for others.  By God's grace we can be His messengers to encourage, exhort and edify others by freely sharing what God has shown us.  When a person is excited about a good book, quality service or an amazing experience, their enthusiasm draws our interest.  This is also true as the LORD speaks to us through the Bible in our time of need, and we ought to be most excited and blessed to hear from God. After being greeted with troubling news, I was delighted to open God's word and find refreshing water for my needy soul.  As the words cascaded upon my parched mind, the scripture brought unexpected joy and rest.  While God's word is true and timeless, it can also be most timely.  My eyes fell on  Psalm 37:1-8 and my heart drank it in:  " Do not fret because of evildoers,  n or be envious of the workers of iniquity.  2  For they shall soon be cut down like the...

I grew up playing baseball.  I enjoyed the game and all success I experienced was because I had great coaches--which included my dad.  For those who aren't familiar with baseball, even the fundamentals of the sport are quite complex and take years of practice to master.  One of the things I was taught from an early age after hitting the ball or stealing a base was to not waste time craning my neck to see what the fielder or catcher was doing.  I never had blazing speed and the action of turning to look towards home could have led to me being thrown out at second base.  Once committed to advance bases, the next base (while heeding the directives of the base coach!) was the priority. With all that is going on in our lives and the world it is easy to lose focus on Jesus.  In light of the historical suffering of God's faithful people and persecuted believers  Hebrews 12:1-2 states, " Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witne...

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3 that to everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven and even said in verse 8 " ...a time of war, and a time of peace ."  God's word is infinitely more than poetry but a revelation of God's everlasting truth.  In all seasons we are assured of rest in the God who fiercely protects His people from harm, even as He did for the Hebrews who faced the blockade of the Red Sea.   Exodus 14:13-14 reads, " And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD , which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.  14  The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace ." During the conquest of Canaan and on other occasions the Bible reveals there were times God's people were directed to do more than walk around Jericho, set an ambush around Ai, to wield a sling and stone or wait...