Dear Children and Grandchildren,

I have enjoyed the Word of God more than I ever have since I am no longer preaching 3 or 4 times a week and am not pressed for time. Some times I find things I'd like to share with all of you, or some of you individually. With your mother's encouragement I'd like to start a "Bible Blog" and share some of my thoughts with you. Last night I told Joanna that I opened a can of "Pork and Beans" for supper, (your mother is in Arizona helping Becky while Adam recuperates from a serious operation) but I found no pork so I renamed it "Beans and Beans". With a hearty laugh she wondered if I had "looked under every bean?' I trust what I send you will have some "pork" but if you find it to be only "beans" just push the delete button.

Ps.119:168 "I have kept Thy precepts and Thy testimonies: for all my ways are before Thee," As you were growing up one of the things I was careful to emphasize in our daily devotions was that the time would come when you would no longer be under the eye of Mom and Dad but you would never be out of sight of God's eye. What an encouragement we find here to keep God's Word. "all my ways are before Thee,"

"Experience makes many a paradox plain, and this is one. Before God we may be clear of open fault and yet at the same time mourn over a thousand heart-wanderings which need his restoring hand."--C.H. Spurgeon

"I may hide Thee from my eye, but not myself from Thine eye."--Wm. Gurnall

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Ps. 121:1, 2 – Help from above

Dear Family,

I'm back in business with a new Mac. My-6-year-old Mac went out on me the day before I left for Tucson. As soon as I got here, Mom and I went to the Mac store and purchased a new one. We are hooked into the TV cable network which is very fast. The new computer along with rapid returns make it a pleasure to be on line. I am helping Adam with the preaching while he heals and gets his strength back. Mom is caring for, and teaching the kids as Becky is very busy taking care of Adam and running her book business. We are house sitting in a large beautiful home. A wealthy Christian lady who is a friend of Adam and Becky said we can stay here while we help them, or until it sells as it is on the market. We were able to purchase a 2000 Cadillac at a good price from an elderly couple who have taken extremely good care of it. It is the nicest car I've ever driven. When we are able to finish responsibilities here we hope to take a trip back east and visit family and relatives. Cheyne has been going all out on the house he is building. He was to finish the roof today. He has to get the windows and doors etc. in yet. Then the electricity and plumbing before Dec. 6, when the heating system is scheduled to be put in. Daulton (13) has been a great help! Cheyne and Ronda will spend the winter working on the inside. It is about 6,000 sq. feet! Three floors I overlooking the harbor and boats. The view of the ocean and mountains is spectacular!

From my message last week on Ps. 121:1,2 "Help comes to saints only from above, they look elsewhere in vain: let us lift up our eyes with hope, expectancy, desire, and confidence. Satan will endeavour to keep our eyes upon our sorrows that we may be disquieted and discouraged; be it ours firmly to resolve that we will look out and look up, for there is good cheer for the eyes , and they that lift up their eyes to the eternal hills shall soon have their hearts lifted up also. The purposes of God; the divine attributes; the immutable promises; the covenant, ordered in all things and sure; the providence, predestination, and proved faithfulness of the Lord--these are the hills to which we must lift up our eyes, for from these our help must come. It is our resolve that we will not be bandaged and blindfolded, but will lift up our eyes." C.H. Spurgeon

"In the agony of a troubled conscience always look upwards unto a gracious God to keep thy soul steady, for.looking downward on thyself thou shalt find nothing but what will increase thy fear, infinite sins, good deeds few, and imperfect: it is not thy faith, but God's faithfulness thou must rely upon; casting thine eyes downwards on thyself...is enough to make thee giddy, stagger, and reel in despair. Ever therefore lift up thine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh thy help, never viewing the deep dale of thy own unworthiness, but to abate thy pride when tempted to presumption."--Thomas Fuller (1608-1661) in "The Cause and Cure of a Wounded Conscience"

Sorry this is so long but it was such a blessing to me in my devotions that I shared it with your mother and she urged me to preach on this text on Sunday morning. I have been looking back and down too much, finding little help there. I'm determined to look up to the place "whence cometh my help." I trust this will encourage you to do the same.

Grace Be With Each of You Dad
Posted by at 9:32 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)