Author: Scott Heitshusen (Page 24 of 96)

The scale of creation is truly beyond understanding. It boggles the mind. From the smallest to largest and everything in between. From the intricacies of our being to the faculties of understanding. It is astounding and surpasses all understanding.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.

Psalm 147:5

The One who breathes out stars and knits life together in the smallest detail. Who sets the heavens in motion and lays out the seasons in their time. Who creates cells more complicated than rockets and lays out galaxies in their beauty.

This is the God we serve! Beyond astronomical!

And yet the most amazing things we consider is not that He determines and names the stars, but that He gathers outcasts, heals the brokenhearted, and bind up our wounds. It is not in the incomprehension of His power, but in that of His pleasure in those who love and fear Him! It is that the same God who created and sustains everything sent His Son, incarnate, to save us so that we could dwell with Him forever!

Amazing! Utterly and unfathomably amazing!

Scriptures

• Psalm 147:1-11

“The land of the free and the home of the brave!”

What a great way to describe our great nation! We value the great freedoms our Constitution provides, which have been protected and secured by the blood and sacrifice of the brave men and women who have and continue to serve!

Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

1 Corinthians 8:9

What a blessing God has given us in this great country!

Of course, our country isn’t perfect. We have more laws on the books that restrict freedom than most countries. We have more people incarcerated than most countries. To say we have some serious issues is an understatement.

For American Christians, we have a peculiar shortcoming: we value the freedoms in our country and the ultimate freedoms we have in Jesus, but we are not very conscientious about how we use them. That is to say, we love exercising our freedoms without much concern for how they may negatively affect others.

That may be acceptable secularly, but it is altogether wrong and inappropriate as Christians!

We are called to make sure that in the exercising of our freedoms in Jesus, we are not a stumbling block to others and their faith!

That means always putting the needs others before our own desires. It means being no obstacle to others seeing and following Jesus. We want to be the reason people see Jesus clearly. We want to be a help to those who may be struggling in their faith, not the reason they question it more.

And if that means we don’t get to exercise all our freedoms all the time as we want, so be it!

It’s not about us. It’s about Jesus.

Let’s keep that in mind – always!

Scriptures

• 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

I’ve heard many people say, “patience is a virtue, and I don’t have it!”

I certainly felt that way sometimes as well.

But the truth is we all have patience we just don’t like to use it or exercise it very much. Patience is a part of the fruit of the Spirit, which we all have.

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Psalm 62:7

The questions is, what are we patient for? Why are we patient? Maybe it’s something that we’ve wanted for a long time; maybe prepared or saved up for.

But what about being patient for the Lord? For His Plan? For His timing? Are we patient, waiting on Him?

I would venture to say we are not altogether good for that, either. We are an immediate, impatient people. We want what we want when we want.

But our timing is not God’s timing. Our ways are not His ways. Our plan is not His Plan.

And we are called to wait on Him.

Wherever He takes us. Whenever He deigns. However He wants.

That means knowing that His way, His Plan, and His time will always be the best for us. Trusting in Him regardless of what is happening in our lives. Relying on Him through everything. Knowing that His love, His mercy, His forgiveness, His salvation is sufficient for all our needs for all time.

“We wait on You, Lord, and out hope is always and every in You alone!”

Scriptures

• Jonah 3:1-5, 10
• Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8