We’ve examined several reasons for studying Scripture. By far, the most significant reasons is what we learn about God from His word.

In Psalm 36, verses 5-6 outline a few of God’s attributes.

• Mercy vast as the heavens
• Faithfulness beyond the clouds
• Righteousness like mountains
• Justice deep as the sea

All of these are poetic images used to convey the idea that God is limitless. He is infinite. That’s one of the simplest ways to distinguish God from the rest of us. I am constantly aware of my limitations. I get tired, irritated. I fail in my dealings with others, withholding mercy at times, crossing a line from justice to vindictiveness on other occasions. I know my righteousness doesn’t measure up to a dirt clod, much less a mountain.

Thankfully, the psalm goes one more step and includes God’s precious unfailing love, and as an outworking of that He offers shelter and provides for us, satisfying the deep longings of our souls.

Sometimes, in my quest for intimacy with God, I lose sight of His uniqueness, His God-ness, of everything that makes Him God alone. It’s good to be reminded regularly, because it is in recognizing that separate-ness of God that I begin to grasp how wondrous, how beyond description, His desire for a relationship with me truly is.

[This is an updated repost. And I'm a day late besides. I sent a query to a publisher and he asked to see the full manuscript, so I've been preparing it. Thanks for understanding!]

Related posts:

1. God-ness
2. Foul, Festering Foolishness
3. Study Tip: Make It Personal

Last night, our pastor preached from Matthew 14, where Jesus walks on the water out to the boat full of disciples in the middle of a storm. It’s one of my favorite stories. Four of those twelve guys were fishermen and had no doubt seen their share of storms on the Sea of Galilee. The other eight, however, were complete landlubbers and probably didn’t even know how to swim. Now imagine being terrified, seasick, cold and wet. It’s somewhere between three and six o’clock in the morning, you see a … man (?) Jesus (?) walking (?) out to you. Then he says something completely crazy. “Be of good cheer! I AM; do not be afraid.” Yeah right. Be of good cheer? If the disciples weren’t so miserable they would’ve caught what Jesus said to them – I AM. In English, it gets translated,”It is I”, but in the original, Jesus says the same words God said to Moses. This was HUGE. I AM [JEHOVAH].

Then Peter does the unthinkable. “Lord, if that’s really You, call me out there on the water with You.” And Jesus did. Then Peter did. Imagine sitting in that boat, listening to this exchange. Peter wants to go OUT of the boat. We’re about to drown IN the boat. Why would he want OUT?

Because Peter got it. There’s a storm. It’s beyond what I can handle. My own ideas of what’s safe and secure (the boat)are failing me. I want to be where Jesus is. It’s calm where Jesus is. That’s where peace and safety is. I’m not gonna wait for Him to come to my boat. I’m going to Him.

And Peter walked on water. Sure, he sank after a little bit, and Jesus had to grab him, but what about the nameless guys in the boat? What about the “they”, and “them” who sat and watched it all? They all worshipped Jesus when He got in the boat, but Peter worshipped Him before that. Jesus didn’t have to calm the storm before Peter knew Jesus was God.

So many times, I’m a “they” hiding out in the back of the boat, trying to handle things the best way I know how, never admitting that my boat is taking on water. Jesus has already said, “I’m here.” How much longer am I gonna stay cold and wet, tired and scared, before I realize I need to be where Jesus is? How long before I get out of the boat?

Related posts:

1. Storm Takeaways
2. Stormy Weather

Writing this week: I made all the adjustments and corrections to Contingency and just completed what I hope I the last read-through. Proofreading. I hate it. Probably because I’m not very good at it. Part of the problem is I know what it’s supposed to say, so that’s how my brain reads it- with a built-in auto-correct. I don’t catch my mistakes.

The reader doesn’t have that advantage of reading my mind. (Except Amanda- She’s worked with me on this for so long, she reads what I ‘meant’ not what I typed.) To all of you who have read for me in these early stages, I can’t thank you enough for helping me out. You assured me that the ideas were coming across, that the emotions were being touched and connections were being made.

My plan is to submit it all on Monday. (The 8th. It’s a good day- divisible by 4. Yeah- it’s my biggest superstition. Born on 8-24, married on 4-4… The manuscript is 428 pages… Monk has 10. I have 4.)

Reading: Finished Doubting by Alister McGrath. Quick easy read, but some profound statements and observations. I need to go back through it and soak it in a little more. I also read Jacob Have I Loved for school.

No nerd stuff this week. Jon has a plan to scan ALL (yes, ALL) his mother’s family photos so we’ll have a digital record of everything. He got a kickin’ hi-res scanner to do the job. I’ll let you know how that progresses.

Other lessons: God IS there. He DOES listen. I knew that anyway, but I LOVE it when He shows Himself.

The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

PS: My mother got home from the hospital yesterday evening. Amazing.

Related posts:

1. Writing Update: Closer
2. Writing Update
3. Friday Update: Reading and Writing

If you had been with us Friday evening, standing in this spot, you would have been looking at the back end of our car after it slid off the road. The car came to rest at a 60 degree angle with all five of us (and the dog) in it. God worked a series of miracles for us that evening, not because we are extra special, but because He has a purpose in them. When Jesus performed miracles in the Gospels, it was always to underscore His deity and power over the natural world.

God showed His power over physics Friday night in several ways. Our car should have flipped on over. (Jon even felt the driver’s side wheels leave the ground.) It didn’t. We had cell phone service- four bars! Jon’s brother, Steve, came to help rescue us. The big diesel truck that stopped to check on us quit sliding before it bumped into our precariously perched vehicle. (We didn’t stop sliding. He did. Hmmm.) The car didn’t flip over when the tow truck pulled it out. There was not a scratch on it. We even had the extra money to pay the tow truck driver.

So what was the purpose in all that? Hard to say at this point. However, my kids all understand that it means something to ask God for protection when we travel. It’s not just a silly routine to pray before we leave our driveway. It reminded me that God is there, in every situation. What could have been a devastating wreck was only mildly annoying. Even my little laptop was safe. (I had just finished the latest round of edits on Contingency. I’m almost ready to submit it. And the computer was on the downhill side. If the car had flipped, all the luggage would have landed on it.)

All safe. All sound. God is good.

In last Friday’s post, I mentioned that it had begun ‘raining’ as my mom was rushed to the ER. She’s out of ICU now, but each test result gives us additional issue to deal with- pulmonary edema, bilateral pneumonia, congestive heart failure, gastritis, colitis and on and on. A heart cath yesterday revealed two additional blockages. (She had triple bypass surgery a year ago.) Yesterday afternoon, they found an abdominal aoritic aneurysm.

I still trust God’s goodness. Especially when it rains.

Related posts:

1. God’s Hideout
2. Study Tip: Use a Dictionary
3. Sanctified Dishes

The last two weeks, we’ve considered reasons WHY studying Scripture is important -

Jesus explained that God’s storehouse of wisdom covered the range of human experiences.

Intimate familiarity with God’s truth will enable us to quickly identify any lies.

Knowledge of Scripture helps us when we face doubt. Doubt is different than unbelief. Unbelief is a conscious, mental decision not to accept. Doubt is more of an emotional reaction, tempered by our presuppositions and past experience. Unbelief says “I won’t believe that.” Doubt says, “I can’t believe that because…”

Doubt surfaces when our faith depends more on what we “feel” than what we “know” is TRUE. Internalizing God’s word, His promises, His demonstrations of faithfulness, inoculates us against doubt. Our feelings change. God doesn’t. Going back to His truth also subtly switches our focus from ourselves back to God.

When doubts creep in, and they will, take that as an invitation to spend some time reviewing God’s promises. The Psalms are a great place to turn. Psalm 18 & Psalm 37 are two of my favorites.

What Scriptures do you turn to when doubts enter your mind?

Related posts:

1. Study Tip: Repeat, Repeat
2. Study tip: Seek God
3. Study Tip: Like what?

Sure enough- My mom is in the hospital with what may be another heart attack. The doctors are still evaluating what type pf damage was done and how much. We were supposed to head out to visit today, but Jon was up sick all night. He thinks he can still make the 8 hour trip. We’ll see.

No matter what happens in life, it comes along because God has determined He can use that situation for my good and His glory. He’s never surprised and He’s beside me, not waiting on the other side.

Hebrews is my favorite book in the Bible. I’ll close out this quick post with some verses from chapter 13. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

He himself said… I will NEVER leave you… Never…

Have a great weekend- I’ll be back Tuesday.

Related posts:

1. Friday Update- Getting Unstuck
2. Friday Update: A Week of Fiction
3. Friday Update: Remembering