Five Years


Psalm 119:1-8
1Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
2Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,
3who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!
4You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently.
5Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
6Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.
8I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me!

Today marks the fifth anniversary of this devotional exercise that is this blog. It seems important to recognize these kinds of milestones. The Old Testament believers marked spiritual milestones on a regular basis and it seems like a good practice because it is a reminder of what God will do in us if given the chance.

As many of my readers know, this blog began as a challenge from a dear friend who noticed that I claimed to love writing but he saw no evidence of that. He was correct in his assessment so the next day, this blog began. I had long tried to be a consistent and devoted journal keeper. There’s something about putting words on paper that makes them more; more real, more important, more impacting. And of course, augmenting one’s devotional life is always a positive thing to do. This blog accomplishes both of those goals for me. The challenge also included changing my life by one degree; just one small change that would draw me closer to God. Never have I embarked on something that had such a long-term and dramatic effect on my faith, my understanding, and my love for God. If you know me personally, you also know that sticking with something for more than 10 minutes is a struggle. I’m always distracted by the next new thing. This time that hasn’t happened and I am forever grateful and forever changed by the power of God’s Word.

If you’ve been reading this blog consistently, you too should be experiencing the benefits of daily time with God’s Word. By no means do I intend for my journal comments to be important in your life. But – and this huge; if you’ve read this blog with any consistency you’ve read through at least 17 books of the Bible and hopefully allowed time in your day for mediation upon that Word. That’s huge!!!

Together, we say to the Lord, I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules.

Comments

  1. Greg ArnettJuly 12, 2016 at 7:44 AM

    Woohoo! Five years...and counting. Keep up the good work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJuly 12, 2016 at 9:35 AM

    Looking forward to many more years reading your blog! Your insight and wisdom is invaluable!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv
Read more

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl
Read more