kingdom travelin'

This text is from the final paragraph of 2 Peter. That last paragraph is incredibly important today as it warns against the misuse of Scripture. Teacher and preacher, use not Scripture to make your point, but take your point from what the Bible says.

When we’re tired already and having difficulty looking ahead until the afternoon, let alone tomorrow, THAT is the time to decide to take the path of running to God.

A childlike faith is one that chooses the path toward our loving Heavenly Father. He waits for us. A childlike faith is one that trusts in God…

Suffering and pain are commonplace. We often feel out of control as if we are standing in a strong surf, trying to remain balanced in the undertow.

In The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis tells us that God uses pain to shape us. Writing to Christians, probably, from Rome during persecution that was common following Nero blaming Christians for the burning of Rome, Peter taught that our safest course is to trust God.

For you and me, pain and suffering are every day occurrences.

God knows all, he is not surprised.

God is sovereign, all powerful, and He uses pain and suffering to mold and change us. Lewis says that suffering and pain teaches us how to pity, to care for others who struggle.

In the Scripture quoted above, Peter tells us to “entrust” our souls to a “faithful Creator.”

This is a helpful descriptive name.

Our Father is faithful. He is a rock. He is always there for us (even though for His own good reason – and ours – He May seem silent).

He is Creator. As the maker of all there is, He is greater than all.

Thus, He will allow no more upon us than we can handle. This is a hard saying for some, but my experience is that He shows me in suffering that I can handle more, in Him, than I thought. This is because He is continually working on me.

This is why we should “entrust” ourselves to He who gave us life, and sustains us day by day, our “faithful Creator.”

Thanks be to God for His sovereign care.

May He use us in our suffering to give Him glory and help others and “do good.”

Jesus trusted his Father, shouldn’t we?

I stood in the surf, beholding the waves as they rose up and crashed onto the beach (almost knocking me over) and thanking God for His steadfastness and faithfulness.

I listened the roar of the sea, remembering the that He alone quiets the roaring of these waves, God is god of physics and meteorology and He, alone, is good.

I looked and saw the vastness of the ocean, and remembered that my hope in Him can be that immense.

I gave glory to God.

To my right I noticed a lump emerging from the receding water. The next wave covering and pushed it up the beach (we were almost at high tide and the beach was almost covered). I waded over to see and was greatly rewarded by God. I received this amazing gift…

This will become a reminder of those moments of contemplation of the greatness of God and remind me to give God glory!

Stop, friend, and as did the psalmist, to give God glory!

“Not to us oh Lord, not to us, but unto your name alone be all the glory! (Ps. 115:1)