OLD PICTURES

 

Saturday, June 6, 2026

 

OLD PICTURES

 

Isa 63:9

9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

 

          I’ve been going through old photographs and albums. I feel a bit like George Bailey who, though very troubled, discovered that his was A Wonderful Life! The pictures are frozen moments of time. Old cars, old friends, and old places are made new and fresh again by these slices of life.

 

          Not all of life is blessed! Some pictures remind me of painful and distressing times. Not all people are sweet, and some are just plain mean but Isaiah reminds us that “in all our affliction He is afflicted.”

 

          We don’t walk alone! The “angel of his presence” saves us! The word “save” here is yasha’ and means “to cause (the way) to be made wide; to be made safe; to set free.” Along the way Satan had set many snares, but the angel of His presence delivered me from them all.

 

          We may not see or sense God’s hand in our present circumstances but if we take a snapshot, and keep it in an old box, one day we can look back and clearly see the hand of God. We will remember that He carried us all the days of old.

 

Thank you, Lord, for your abiding presence throughout all the days of old. Thank you for your presence today. AMEN

 

NOT THE WAY BUT THE END!

 

Friday, June 5, 2026

 

NOT THE WAY BUT THE END!

 

Matt 7:13-14

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

          Charles Spurgeon quotes the ancient Chrysostom who says, “the way is good if it is the way to a feast, even though it goes through a dark and miry lane. If it goes to an execution, it is not good, even though it goes through the fairest street of the city.” Non qua sed quo. Not the way but the end is to be mainly considered.

 

          When God created man, He gave him a wonderful and horrible gift. It is the gift of choice. It is wonderful because of the limitless opportunities, and it is horrible for the same reason. We choose not so much because the way is well paved or well lit. We choose because of the destination. Our choices reveal our nature.

 

Our destiny is not determined for us, but it is determined by us. Man's free will is part of God's sovereign will. We have freedom to take which course we choose, but not freedom to determine the end of that choice. God makes clear what he desires, we must choose, and the result of the choice is not the inevitableness of law, but the inevitableness of God. -- Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

 

          Jesus said the gate was strait. The word does not mean that there are no twists or turns but that the entrance is small and exclusive. If Jesus is the “way” then all other ways lead to a different destination. The way that leads to destruction is wide; not exclusive at all. The most damning concept ever proposed is that all roads lead to the same place. This is clearly not true. Choose your gate and your way wisely.

 

Dear Lord, let me not choose my way blindly. Take me by my hand and whisper in my ear “this is the way, walk ye in it.” AMEN

 

SHOULD!

 

Thursday, June 4, 2026

 

SHOULD!

 

1 Peter 2:9

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

 

          Yesterday we explained that “peculiar” doesn’t mean weird but actually means “purchased.” It has to do with acquisition and saving; to buy and to keep.

 

          Being bought and adopted by Father God through the sacrifice of His son, we are now a royal priesthood. Once we were unholy but now, we are made holy both by cleansing and by relationship. But it’s not only about us. As priests, we have been given responsibilities.

 

          We SHOULD show forth His praises to others. One Greek word actually translates a whole phrase. “ye should shew” is the Greek exaggello (ex-ang-el'-lo) and it means “to publish; to celebrate; to buy up and to rescue from loss. The word angel or messenger is hidden in that strange word.

 

          We haven’t been rescued only to enjoy but to engage! We SHOULD engage those who now are as we once were.

 

Dear Lord, let me pause a moment in my praise to share what I SHOULD. Amen