Thoughts
Never Alone – Thankful for the Faithfulness of God
Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand, Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’”
Isaiah 41: 13 (NASB)“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.”
Psalm 73: 23 (NKJV)“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them…
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8: 28, 37-39 (NIV)
Thanksgiving. The annual reminder of some of our heritage, and another reminder of all we have for which to give thanks.
Family, friends, our country and community, health, pets, all those things which bring joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment to our lives.
And perhaps most of all, in the days of our journey—remembering that we have never walked alone.
I suspect, though, that at some time or another, we’ve all felt that we were alone. Facing moments, innings, or seasons where all you can see looming before you were mountains, valleys, and storms.
Times where clouds of darkness and doubt pushed aside hope, and fear began to settle in. Fear of the uncertainty of tomorrow and all that lies beyond.
We’ve all been there.
Andy Negra must have felt that way as he and his fellow soldiers descended upon the beaches at Normandy in WW II. Despite the horrific loss of life, it was the turning point in that war leading to the defeat of the evil Nazi regime.
Andy was one of the survivors, and today at age 99 still stands proudly for all veterans, and those who lost their lives there and anywhere, while they were standing in the gap for all of us.
And when the clouds of darkness try to cover his day, he remembers the faithfulness of God now leading and walking with him to make the best of every day he is given.
We can all remember moments of failure and disappointment, missteps and wrong decisions, unexpected illnesses, the loss of a loved one, despair, depression, heartache, uncertainty, and even fear about tomorrow.
Then we remembered that God showed up.
Lifting us out of the storm, moving a mountain, or leading us through the valley and back to hope and the life He created us to live.
We are all witnesses to His faithfulness and grace in our lives.
Reminding us that we are never alone. Realizing again that never once did He let go of us.
And even though the future may work out differently than we had planned, God will always work it out for our good.
So, you and I will keep pushing through with God.
Encouraged and empowered knowing that we are never alone.
God is faithful. And in our every step, God is there.
And we are thankful.
In His Name–Scott
Be encouraged and empowered by God’s faithfulness as Hope Darst shares her video and song of “Never Walk Alone.”
Recent Thoughts
A Call to Rise Again
Remembrances of that day—September 11, 2001—seem to be different, and fewer, than those which occurred in the days and early years which followed those attacks.
I wonder if complacency and apathy now rule the day. And, of course, neither of those is worthy of this great nation and the people who have gone before us.
Peace in the Storms
Perhaps you failed one too many times and don’t know the next step. Perhaps something has you in its grip and you can’t figure out how to get free. Or you’ve felt the need to work beyond normal hours—to the detriment of your family—so as to stay on track for that promotion which surely has to be yours.
You get the picture. Storms and no peace.
Joe Brown – Are We?
At the end of the service, and at the invitation of the evangelist to come down front and to change your life, the town drunk was sober enough to walk down. And so the town drunk made his way down to the front of the church and said to the preacher – “I want to change. I want to be like Joe Brown.”