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, February 12, 2009

Cares of This Life

My Dear Children,

This morning I was arrested in my Bible reading by Luke 21:34. I had written to you on that verse just before Christmas, but present-day circumstances lead me to write on this again. Luke 21 centers on the Lord's return, and there is much in this chapter that pertains to us today: "Take heed that you be not deceived: for many shall come in my name saying, 'I am Christ' (vs. 8); "wars and commotions" (9); "nation shall rise against nation"(10); "great earthquakes," "famines and pestilences," "fearful sights and great signs from heaven" (11); "persecutions, being brought before kings and rulers, for my names sake" (12); "betrayed by family, relatives and friends" (16); "distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and waves roaring" (25); "men's hearts failing for fear" (27). "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

All these things ought to be a wake-up call to us, but the verse I want to emphasize here is "take heed to yourselves, lest at anytime your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and CARES OF THIS LIFE, and so that day come upon you unawares" (34). I was struck with the fact that "cares of this life" are put on the same plane as drunkenness and surfeiting (a cousin to drunkenness). It reminded me of Ephesians 5:18, "Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." With our present day economy in shreds, and many of the moral principles we espouse being trampled on by the present administration, it is easy to relegate "the cares of this life" only to that. My concern is that you be not so taken up with personal cares "so that day come upon you unawares." I don't like to name possible "cares of this life" you may have, lest some of you limit yourselves to what I list. In general they are just the cares of everyday living. "Eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" as in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:38). I know for a fact that some of you are extremely busy making a living; that some of you are in financial straits; that some of you are in stress over family relationships and problems, and you have difficulty seeing any way out. Cares that hold you in their grip may be your health or that of a loved one. For some of you, " the cares of this life" may include sin that holds you captive.

In closing this epistle, I would ask you to get alone with the Lord and let Him search your heart. Should you find that any "cares of this life" are dominating your time and concern, driving a wedge between you and your relationship with Him, ask Him to forgive you and deliver you from whatever the "cares of this life" may be.

"To God, only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen."

Dad
Posted by at 7:58 PM

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