Marching Forth!

Psalm 77  portrays a troubled man during a sleepless night.  Penned by Asaph, this song is relatable to those who feel overwhelmed, filled with complaints, and without comfort.  After examining his heart the author mused in  Psalm 77:7-10 :  " Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more?  8 Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore?  9  Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah  10  And I said, "This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High ."  In thinking things over Asaph realised God was not the problem or the cause of his anguish.  His troubled feelings and sleeplessness moved him to seek God and remember the great things God had done. What a wise principle this teaches us:  considering the goodness and faithfulness of God in the past strengthens our faith in Him today for the future....

It's amazing how different God makes people in appearance, personality, and preferences.  He has given us all a unique perspective on how we see the world and aspects of life which are important to us.  God has given my wife and I two sons who are quite different from one another yet not as different as Esau and Jacob were.  They were twins but as far from identical as could be:  one was born covered in red hair and the other was smooth skinned.  Esau enjoyed hunting and the great outdoors while Jacob preferred cooking stew and staying home. When God heard the prayer of Isaac He caused Rebekah to conceive.  Undoubtedly she had expectations of what a "normal" pregnancy would be like, having spoken with many mothers with experience, yet these romantic notions were dashed with pain and discomfort.  Genesis 25:22-23 gives us insight into what was happening out of sight before sonograms:  " But the children struggled together within her; and she sa...

I remember working as a contractor at San Diego State University and seeing radiation symbols on random buildings.  I discovered these office buildings doubled as bomb shelters underground and were stocked with old barrels of supplies should the need arise.  It looked like many of those green military stores had been sitting in dust for decades.  The subterranean bunkers I walked through were dimly lit and cold, but they would be a welcome refuge in a nuclear disaster.  The problem with bomb shelters is making sure you are in them before the bombs start dropping, or otherwise all the careful preparation was in vain. Blessed is the one who makes God His refuge and finds certain shelter in all seasons.   Psalm 91:1-3 reads, " He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2  I will say of the LORD , "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust." 3 Surely He shall deliver you from...

Animal sacrifice to deities is a foreign practice and concept to many in the west and the world.  My observation of the purpose behind sacrifice outside Judaism is one of appeasement, to ensure rains will come, the sun would rise, fertility, or for good fortune.  Sacrifices were made to obtain something desirable and beneficial like a man offering a bribe to a corrupt official for favours.  While no one can know for certain the motivations of the hearts of men, it is likely among the Jewish nation this was true to a degree:  sacrifices were at times offered to receive atonement from God and prevent falling out of God's favour. There are many times recorded in the Bible sacrifice followed deliverance and victory as a show of acknowledgement of God's help with thanksgiving and gratitude.  An example of this is after God delivered Noah, his family, and many animals from the great flood and he offered a sacrifice.  Another time was after Joshua and the chil...

A child born into royalty could take much for granted.  This child would not know hunger or cold like the starving daughter of a farmer whose parents cannot afford wood to heat their dwelling.  It must be a severe famine indeed to impact the palace kitchen of the king and queen.  The prince or princess would never know the feeling of a parent imprisoned or the need to help raise little brothers or sisters with servants at the ready.  The fact their father is the king would influence their perspective and attitude.  It would take losing everything to begin to realise how much of their lives was foreign to the rest of the subjects of the realm. After coming to Jesus Christ as poor beggars, our heavenly Father has adopted us as His own children by faith in our Saviour and LORD.  Our humble background as street urchins creates a very different problem to the one raised in the luxury royalty affords:  we do not realise what is ours as children of God....

" The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, b ut he who heeds counsel is wise ." Proverbs 12:15 The definition of a fool in the Proverbs is a person whose words and actions deny the existence of God.  Instead of looking to God for the right way he follows the impulses of his own heart.  The eyes of a fool are blind to the wisdom of God found in His word and sees no need for a so called "god" in his life.  The fool is unwittingly in a harrowing predicament and what is worse is he cannot see the danger of going his own way which leads to ruin.  When a boxer sees the glove coming he steels himself to absorb the shot, yet the fool does not notice the telegraphed punch his own folly brings like a hammer upon him. There is a folly found in youth, a self-confident assumption of knowing all the important facts.  There is a folly found in older people too, a cynical attitude built on distrust and shattered expectations.  They risked following the counse...

" In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. 27  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death ." Proverbs 14:26-27 Self-confidence is often viewed as beneficial but the Bible teaches preoccupation with self is a snare.  To put confidence in self is to put confidence in man, and  Psalm 118:8 says plainly " It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man ."  Better than self-consciousness is for God's people to be cognisant of God's presence and promises. Many of the things which provide self-confidence for people are transient and dare I say--vain.  I grew up watching sport with ads on television aimed at balding men and how re-growing your own hair bolstered confidence in the workplace or with women.  Other ads targeted men who still had hair and in the space of time it takes to shower an ageing fellow could be "back in the ...