Sunday, December 16, 2012

My God is Awesome!

Music. Music inspires. Music can uplift. Music renews the soul. Music can strengthen and encourage. Music can bring peace and tranquility. Music can make tears of joy flow. Music.

I enjoy listening to music. I enjoy listening to music that comes from God with a message that speaks to me when I need it most. I enjoy listening to music that brings tears to my eyes and I cannot help but respond with gratitude in my heart for all that He has done for me.

I have a song I want to share with you. This song is called Awesome. It speaks of a God who is awesome. A God who can move mountains. A God who can keep you in the valley. A God who can protect you from the rain. A God who brings healing to the broken, and strength to those weakened. If you are weary from the burdens of life and are having a hard time pressing on, this song is for you. If you need healing for your broken heart, this song is for you. If it feels like you are going through the valley of the shadow of death, this song is for you. If you are on the mountain top and just want to give God a shout of praise for all that He has done for you, this song is for you.

Bellow is a video of Pastor Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago performing the song Awesome. I hope and pray that this song will touch your heart and life like it has touched mine. That it will help strengthen and encourage you as you walk this road of life. That it will cause you to think about the goodness of God and all that He has done for you to the point that your soul cries out, hallelujah! Thank you Jesus! Glory to God! Hallelujah!



Sunday, September 30, 2012

Change of seasons

Fall. A beautiful time of the year where the leaves change colors and paint the landscape with vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges. As I was driving down a hilly, narrow, country road on my way to Church yesterday morning, I thanked and praised God for this beauty that surrounded me. Truly God is an amazing architect. The beauty of His creation is just astounding. He is so worthy of praise and glory for the works His hands have wrought.  Thank you God for the beauty and wonder of your creation!

Fall. A busy time of the year as students head back to school, crops are harvested, and yard work needs to be done. But in the midst of all the busyness I would encourage you to take time out of your busy schedule and just enjoy the beauty of God's creation. Give Him the praise and thanks as you witness the transformation taking place around you. The change of seasons. What an amazing God we serve! All praise and thanks belong to and is due unto His name! 

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Not Alone

When it rains it pours. It seems that whenever times are hard, things just start pilling up. If it's not one thing, it's another. Everything seems to come all at once. It seems that the cares and stresses of life start pilling up, becoming larger and larger; a boat anchor tied to the ankle, dragging down down down into to the depths.  All the worries and past failures, cares and stresses, all the things that need to get done... seems there is not enough time to do it all. Is there anyone out there? Anyone at all? Anyone who knows? Anyone who cares? Anyone who will listen? Listen to the cries of an aching heart? Listen and not judge?

To all those who feel this way. To all those who ask these questions. To all those who are struggling. To all those who feel as though they are caught in the storms of life, like a boat tossed about by the waves, wet and cold and trying to hold on. You are not alone. You are not alone in your struggles. You are not alone in the storm. There is someone who knows how you feel. There is someone who has been through what you have been through. There is someone who cares very much about you. Someone who knows sorrow and is familiar with suffering. Someone who can sympathize with every weakness. Someone who has experienced rejection, pain, loneliness, hurt to such an extent that is far beyond any human comprehension or understanding. That someone was beaten, flogged, and had his flesh ripped off to the point where his form was no longer recognizable. That someone had his hands and feet nailed   to the cruelest torture device known to man - the cross - where he bore the weight of the sins of the world on his shoulders - my sins and your sins. That someone was even forsaken by his own father; such a separation no human mind can fathom. That someone is Jesus Christ. And the most amazing part of it all? Jesus went through all of that because he so dearly loves you. Jesus went through all of that because he wants to have a relationship with you. Jesus went through all of that because he wants to enter your heart and soul, rearrange your life, renew your mind, and give you life more abundantly. I cannot even begin to describe how crazy, unfathomable, and amazing his love is for you. He is always there for you. Never will he leave you nor will he ever forsake you. Just call on the name of Jesus! Take him at his word! You are not alone.

Below are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, Not Alone by Red. Whenever I feel alone or overwhelmed by everything going on in life,  these words come to mind. As you read these lyrics, picture Jesus standing before you, saying those very words to you.


"Not Alone"

Slowly fading away
You're lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold
Looking for a distant light
Someone who could save a life
You're living in fear that no one will hear your cries
Can you save me now

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause your not, your not alone

Your heart is full of broken dreams
Just a fading memory
And everything's gone but the pain carries on
Lost in the rain again
When will it ever end
The arms of relief seem so out of reach
But I, I am here

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause your not, your not alone

And I'll be your hope when you feel like its over
And I will pick you up when your whole world shatters
And when you're finally in my arms
Look up and see love has a face

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause you're not, you're not alone

And I will be your hope
And I will pick you up
And I will be your hope
And I will be your hope

Slow fading away
Your lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold

Thursday, May 17, 2012

A little piece of heaven

Heaven. What comes to mind when you think about heaven? No more sorrow or pain? Streets paved with gold? Being dressed in a white robe, having wings and a little gold halo above your head, and singing in an angelic choir for all eternity? There is more to heaven then this. We will be in the presence of God. Let me say that again. We will be in the presence of God. Think about it. We will experience the fullness of all that is God for all eternity. The bible says that God is spirit, light, and love. We will experience the fullness of His spirit. The fullness of His light. The fullness of His love. We will be so filled with the Lord and His spirit, light, and love that we won't be able to help but clap our hands and shout hallelujah at the top of our lungs! We won't be able to help but worship and serve the Lord with the fullness of our being for all eternity! We won't be able to help but give praise to God! There won't be a single moment in heaven that we won't be filled with complete love, complete joy, and complete peace. All praise and glory be to God!

There will be no more sickness. No more illness. No more cancer. No more blindness. No more pain. For we will all have perfect bodies free from the sin and corruption of this present age. There will be no one in need in heaven. No more homeless people. No more struggling to make ends meet. No more living in projects. No more wondering where the next meal will come from.  For we will all be of one heart and mind, sharing everything and claiming nothing for our own. There will be no more sin. No more hate. No more lies. No more steeling. No more murder. No more pride. No more greed. No more lust. No more idolatry. For Satan will be conquered once and for all and all the wicked of this present age shale perish with him in the lake of fire for all eternity. God will be victorious! And all those who valiantly conquered and ran this race of life with perseverance keeping their eyes fixed on Christ who is seated at the right hand of the throne of God will receive a crown of life. Surely better is one day in the courts of God then a thousand else where. Surely one day spent in the courts of God in the life to come will make a thousand days of trials, sufferings, and persecutions in this life so worth it. All praise and glory be to God!

Here are the videos to a couple of songs that come to mind when I think about heaven. I hope you enjoy!

MercyMe: I can only imagine



Jeremy Camp: There will be a day



Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The vastness of God

What comes to mind when you think about God? His love? His mercy? His forgiveness? Or maybe His wrath? His justice? His power? When I asked myself that question, the first thing that came to my mind was His vastness. How big He is. Just how vast is God? How big is He?

To get a bit of an idea of how big God really is, let us consider the stars. The nearest star to planet earth, other than the Sun, is Proxima Centauri. This star is roughly 4.3 light-years away from the Sun. That may sound a bit confusing. A light-year is not a measure of time, but rather a measure of distance. A light-year is essentially the distance that light can travel in a year. Light travels at roughly 186,000 miles per second. At this speed, light can travel around the world seven times in one second, and it can travel over 5.87 x 10^12 (that's 587 with 10 zeros behind it) miles in one year. That's really fast! But even at that speed, it still takes light over four years to reach Proxima Centauri from the Sun. But that's just the distance to the nearest star.

The milky way galaxy is estimated to contain nearly 400 billion stars. The milky way galaxy itself is an estimated 100,000 light-years in diameter and 1000 light-years in depth. So that's incredibly large! It is hard to comprehend something that is that big in size. But that's just our galaxy.

The nearest galaxy to ours, Andromeda, is approximately 2 million light years or 1.17 x 10^19 miles (that's 117 with 17 zeros behind it) away. That distance in and of itself is staggering. But that's only one galaxy. There are an estimated hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe presently and as technology continues to improve, even more will become visible. In 2004, the Hubble space telescope took an image of galaxies that are 13 billion light years away. Mind blown yet? Mine sure is.

But you want to know what is even more amazing? God created it all. Not only did He create it all; He spoke it all into being. Not only did He speak it all in to being; He determined how many stars there would be. Not only did he determine how many stars there would be; He calls them all by name. Let me say that again. He knows the name of every star in the entire universe. How can such a God be comprehended? How can anyone dare to gasp at the depth of His knowledge? How can anyone fathom the breadth of His power? God is vast. Everything about Him is vast.

As you look at the stars tonight, know that the same God who created the universe created you. Know that the same God who counts the stars in the sky has counted the very hairs on your head. Know that the same God who knows all of the stars in the universe by name knows your name. Know that you serve a vast and limitless God.


References:
Atkinson, N. (August 3, 2009). How many galaxies have we discovered? Retrieved from, http://www.universetoday.com/36610/how-many-galaxies-have-we-discovered/

Christian, E., Safi-Harb, S. (March 17, 1998). Size of the Milky Way. Retrieved from, http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980317b.html

Li, S. (1999). Distance to the nearest galaxy. Retrieved from http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/SaraLi.shtml.

Tam, K. (1996). Distance to the nearest star. Retrieved from, http://hypertextbook.com/facts/KathrynTam.shtml

Wethingtion, N. (December 16, 2008). How many stars are in the milky way? Retrieved from, http://www.universetoday.com/22380/how-many-stars-are-in-the-milky-way/





Saturday, April 14, 2012

Business

My oh my, it has been a long time since I have last blogged. It's incredible how busy life can be; how quickly our schedules can fill up with things. It is hard to balance everything that needs to be done. It just seems that there is not enough time in the day to do all that needs to be done. That gets me thinking. What am I doing with the time that I am given? Am I just being a busy body that isn't really doing anything of significance or importance? Just going through the motions of life? Same stuff, just a different day? Is this what life is supposed to look like? Or is there something more?

Our lives are a precious gift. Every moment, every breath is a gift from the Father. The mere fact that we are able to get up in the morning, in our right minds, and do what we need to do should be more than enough of a reason to give God the praise and the glory He is due. Have our lives become so busy that we can't even pause for a second to give God some praise? I must confess, I am guilty of this. It is easy to get wrapped up in myself and all the things I need to do that I simply do not give thanks to God. How sad is that? My very next moment could be my very last! Every day, every hour, every minute, even every second is a precious gift. Time is not wasted when it is spent giving praise to God. Oh Lord, teach us to count the days! Teach us to make the days count. Lead us in better ways, for some how these souls have forgotten that life means so much.

Let us take some time today and every day to give God the praise He is due! Take some time out of your busy schedule to watch the video below and mediate on the words. Let us make the most of the time every minute we are living.

~~~Life means so much~~~
By Chris Rice


   

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Lord is the stronghold of my life

Fear. Being afraid. Sometimes I am afraid. Afraid that I won't get everything done that needs to be done. Afraid of letting someone down. Afraid of not having the right words to say. Afraid of the words I do say coming out wrong. Afraid of the future. Afraid of how things might turn out. Afraid of what might be and what might not be. Sometimes I am afraid.

Fear. Being afraid. It's overwhelming. Everything seems to be coming at me all at once. It's like an army putting a castle under siege. The enemy surrounds the castle, starving its inhabitants. Those within the castle begin to fear. They begin to fear, and the fear turns to dread. The dread turns into despair, and the despair, hopelessness. It's like a ship being tossed about in the waves during a fearsome tempest. The rain pores down; cold wind saps the crew's strength. It's like falling down a never ending pit within nothing to stop the fall. Tumbling, falling. Down. Down. Down...

Fear. Being afraid. But what is there to fear? Of what is there to be afraid of? A voice calls out amidst the darkness. Amidst the sound of the approaching army. Amidst the sound of the crashing waves: "Be not afraid, for I am with you," Says the Lord. "Nothing shale snatch you from my hand." The inhabitants of the castle look up, and see a legion of flaming chariots surrounding them, driving away the enemy. The storm breaks and the waves calm; sunlight breaks through the night. A hand reaches out and catches the one falling.

Fear. I shale not be afraid. For the Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Though I am besieged by an army, and my enemies surround me, my heart shale not fear. My heart shale not fear, and I stand in confidence. I stand in confidence on the Rock. The Rock, my stronghold, my deliverance.

Fear. I shale not be afraid. For my Lord is with me. Never will He leave me, nor will He forsake me. He is always near.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation—
   whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
   of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me
   to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
   they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
   my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
   even then will I be confident."

Psalms 27:1-3

Thursday, February 9, 2012

People pleasing

Ever feel like the decisions you make are a lose-lose situation? That if you spend time doing something, then you are passing up the opportunity to be doing something better? For example, if you are doing your homework, then you are passing up the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with your friends. But if you are hanging out with your friends, then you are passing up the opportunity to get caught up on homework to maintain that 4.0 GPA. But if you do ether of those things, then you are passing up the opportunity to clean your room to make it spic-and-span for your parents. Or you are passing up the opportunity to read that really exciting book. Or you are passing up the opportunity to exercise and keep a healthy figure. Or, or, or... the list could go on and on and on. To cap it all off, all those things seem like they are taking away your opportunity to build a closer relationship with God. All these things pulling and tugging on you for your attention. Meanwhile you are struggling to try and figure out if you are making the right choices. Ever feel that way? Well, that's how I'm feeling right now. All these things I could be doing. Makes me almost feel guilty no matter what I do because I will always be letting someone down. If I'm doing homework to get a good grade and please my professor and classmates, then I'm not doing my bible study lessons to please my youth pastor. And if I am blogging (like I am doing right now), then I am not doing ether of things and am letting both my pastor and my teacher and my classmates down. With all these thoughts bouncing around in my head, I am left feeling like a failure. A failure who isn't doing anything right.

But what is wrong with this picture? Is this the way it should be? No! Then what is wrong? The problem is just that, I'm trying to please people rather than pleasing God. Let me repeat that. I'm trying to please people, rather than pleasing God. Now that's messed up. The truth is, no matter how hard I may try, I will never please everyone. It's impossible. For if I am pleasing one person, then I loose the opportunity to please someone else. Again, because I am blogging, I'm not spending time with friends; I'm not spending time doing homework; and I am not spending time doing my bible study lesson. So by blogging, I have lost the opportunity to please several people. You see, in order to please people, we have to be doing something. People pleasing requires action. But what about God? What does it take to please God? Do I have to do something to please God? Can I only please God by doing religious things like reading my bible, praying, and going to Church? What does the bible say?

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6.

So in order to please God we must have faith. What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 answers that question for us:

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

So even though we cannot see God, we must believe (hold a statement as true) that God exists. So is that it? If we just believe that God exists we have pleased Him? Not quite. James 2:19 states this:

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."


Even demons believe in God. But do they please Him? No. So what pleases God? James 2:14-18 has this to say:

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."

So real faith will produce action. So what is it God wants us to do? Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 22:37-40:

"Jesus replied: '"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'” 


So we are called to love God above all else, then love our neighbor as ourselves. This love for God will compel us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus says this in John 14:15:


"If you love me, you will obey what I command."

What is Jesus' command? John 15:12:

"My Command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."


So if we love God, we will obey his command. Notice Jesus does not say, "If you obey my command, then you will love me". But rather, "If you love me, [then] you will obey my command". Meaning, we can be doing the right things, but that doesn't mean we love God. For example, lets say a teen's parent asked them to clean their room. If the teen cleans their room, does that mean that they love their parents? Could there not be alternative motives for the teen cleaning their room? It could be out of fear of punishment, hope for a reward, or simply because they do what they are told. But if the teen loved their parents, would they not clean their room willingly and joyfully, and strive to clean well? Would they not, perhaps, even need to be told to clean their room? The same goes with God. If we love Him, truly love Him, then we will obey His commands. If you truly loved God, would you want to slander His name? Would you want to worship another god? Would you want to steel from another person? Would you want to look upon another with lust in your heart? Surely not! If you truly loved the Lord, you would not want to do anything that would jeopardize your relationship with Him. But rather, you would want to draw near to Him. You would want to love Him more. You would want to give your life in service to Him. You would want to do all things for His glory and not your own. You would want to please God before all others. The truth is, when you love the Lord, you will do those things. You will bring glory and honor to Him in all things. When you love the Lord, you will honor Him when doing your homework. When you love the Lord, you will honor Him when spending time in fellowship with your friends. When you love the Lord, you will honor Him when blogging. When you love the Lord, you will honor Him while at work. You will honor Him while exercising. You will honor Him will reading that good book. You will honor Him in all of your activities. You see, when you love the Lord, obeying His commands is not restricting, but freeing! No longer are you bound to the lose-lose situation of people pleasing. But rather in all things you do, you will honor God when you love Him. So it's not all about trying to make all the right choices. But rather, simply seeking to love God more and more and watching as He transforms you into His likeness, becoming more and more like Christ. 

This goes for everyone, including me. I know it won't be easy, but in the end, it will all be worth it. Just remember that when Christ comes back, and we are judged according to what we have done, it will not be our instructor on the throne criticizing us for not doing well enough in school. It will not be our friends criticizing us for not spending enough time with them. It won't even be our pastor criticizing us for not spending enough time doing our bible study. But Jesus will be on the throne asking us how we lived our lives here on earth, and who we lived those days for. No more people pleasing. Instead, I want to live my life loving and pleasing my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.  


"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  
I Corinthians 10:31

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Colossians  3:23-24

Monday, February 6, 2012

Behind the scenes

Behind the scenes. Behind every musical. Behind every motion picture. Behind every novel. Behind every audio clip. Behind every enterprise. Behind every university. Behind every government. Behind every mission field. Behind every Church. Behind every item stocked at the local super market. Behind every garbage free park. Behind every crime scene investigation. Behind the scenes. There are people. People working. We may never meet them. We may never see them. But they are there. They are working. Behind the scenes.

The wind. We cannot see it. We cannot grasp it. But we feel it. We experience its effects. We know not from where it comes or where it goes. But it is there.

Sound. We cannot see it. We cannot touch it. But we hear it. We experience its effects. The vibrations in the wind.

God. We cannot see him. We cannot touch him. At least not in this life time. But he is there. He is always there. And he is working. Always working. We experience his work every day. Often without knowing. He is behind every blessing. He is behind every breath. He is behind every dollar earned. He is behind every gentile breeze. He is behind every violent storm. He is behind every sun rise. He is behind every sun set. He is behind every constellation in the starry sky. He is behind every smile given. He is behind every tear cried.  He is behind every miracle unexplainable to man. He is behind every change of heart. He is behind every inch of creation. He is always there. Always working. Working all things to the good. To the good of those who love him. To the good of those called according to his purpose. To his will. To his way. He is working. He is reigning. We may not see him. We may not touch him. But we experience him. We experience his work. For he is there. Always there. Always working. Behind the scenes.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

A pattern to the chaos

Chaotic. Random. Sporadic. Constantly shifting and changing. That's how the events of life seem. Random. Without reason. It all seems like a jumbled mess. Like a pile of puzzle pieces yet to be put in place. Like random lines drawn on a canvas. None of it makes any sense. What's the purpose and point to it all? Where is the rhyme and reason to it? Is there a method to the madness? Or is it just madness and chaos?

That's kind of how I feel about life right now. All these seemingly random events occurring, and nothing really lining up. It's a jumbled mess. I see all the puzzle pieces and I know they fit together some how. Some are already in place. But what about the rest of the pieces? Where do they fit?

I wonder if this is how Ester felt. She, who was just a lowly Jewish orphan, through a seemingly random set of events, somehow finds herself the queen of the entire Persian empire. An empire that extended from India all the way to Egypt. How could this be? What purpose did this serve? What was God hoping to accomplish in all of this?

As the story unfolds, Mordecai, Ester's cousin who had adopted her after her parents had died, uncovers and foils a plot to assassinate the king of Persia. He, however, receives no recognition for his actions, though this event is recorded in the king's chronicles. Another seemingly random event. How does this tie into the story?

Then, things take a turn for the worse. Haman, an arrogant, high ranking noble official, hashes a plot to exterminate all the Jews after Mordecai refuses to pay him honor. Not satisfied with simply killing Mordecai, Haman spins a lie to king regarding the Jews in an effort to pass a decree that would effectively wipe the Jews from the face of the earth. The decree is made, and sent out to all the provinces, causing great distress amongst the Jews. Mordecai urges queen Ester to beg and plead with the king for mercy. This is no easy task, for if anyone was to approach the king without being summoned was to be put to death, unless the king should extend his gold scepter, sparing the person's life. But at the end of verse 14 in chapter four Mordecai says this to Ester, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

Ah, so now we begin to see some purpose to these events. Now the puzzle pieces seem to fall into place. God, in His sovereignty, foreknew of Haman's evil plan and orchestrated events so that a Jew could be in a position of power for such a time as that. After three days of fasting and praying, Ester disobeys the law and approaches the king who, by the grace of God, extends his golden scepter, sparing her life. When the king asks her what she wants, she requests that the king and Haman attend a banquet she prepared. She then invites the king and Haman to come back again the next day for another banquet where she would give the king a straight answer as to her request and petition, for the king had asked her once again what she wanted. Afterwords, as Haman is on his way home, he becomes enraged when he passes by Mordecai, who still refuses to pay him honor. After consulting with his wife and friends, he has a 75 foot gallows built upon which he plans to hang Mordecai the next morning. That same night, the king could not sleep. So he has the chronicles regarding his reign read to him, and low and behold the record of Mordecai's actions regarding the attempted assassination of the king is read. When the king learns that nothing had been done to honor Mordecai because of this, he asks who is present in the court. Uncoincidentally, Haman had just arrived on the scene on his mission to dispose of Mordecai. Haman is called into see the king where he is asked by the king, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?"

In his arrogance, Haman gives an elaborate response of how he would wish to be honored, thinking that the king is referring to him. But to Haman's great astonishment, the king orders him to do the very things he wants to have done to himself, to Mordecai instead. What an amazing turn of events! Haman, who was once greatly honored, is now greatly humbled by exalting Mordecai, a man of humility. To make matters worse, at home, Haman's wife and friends give him an ominous warning that he was soon to come to ruin. No sooner had these words begun to sink in when Haman is taken away to the banquet that Ester had prepared. At the banquet the king asks Ester for a third time what she wants. She replies by asking for her life and the lives of her people to be spared from the genocide that was to take place. When the king asks who would dare do such a thing, she points a finger of accusation at Haman, the other guest at the banquet. Enraged, the king storms out of the room and goes to the palace gardens. Haman, who is utterly terrified, stays behind to beg for his life; a foolish mistake as only the king could be left alone with a woman of royalty. As he falls upon the couch were Ester is laying, the king returns. Haman's face is immediately covered, and at the kings command, Haman is sent to be hanged on the very gallows that were erected for Mordecai's execution. The king then decrees a new edict on behalf of the Jews, allowing them vengeance upon those who wished to harm them on the predetermined date Haman had set for their extermination, and raises Mordecai to second in command over all his kingdom. And there was much rejoicing.

Now I'm sure you are wondering how the story of Ester relates to our crazy, random, chaotic, ever changing lives. Simply put, the randomness of our lives may not be as random as we think. Given enough time, the puzzle pieces start to come together to form a beautiful picture. Given enough time, the random lines on the canvas become a wonderful masterpiece. Given enough time, the seemingly disjointed events in our lives start to make sense and are given meaning and purpose. There is a rhyme and reason to it all. A pattern to the chaos. For it is God who is at work behind the scenes in our lives, directing and orchestrating events according to his perfect will and plan. A wonderful plan to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). To those who love Him and are called according to His purposes, all things are worked for the good (Romans 8:28). Good not as we see it, but as God sees it. In this, I take comfort. In this, I find hope. I may not know where God is leading me, or what my future holds. I may not know why events happen as they do, or if I will ever discover their true purpose. But I know that God is in control. That He is at work behind it all. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I Know Who Holds Tomorrow ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Ira Stanphill


I don't know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to grey.

I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

Every step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb;
Every burden's getting lighter,
Every cloud is silver-lined.

There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eye;
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky.

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

I don't know about tomorrow;
It may bring me poverty.
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.

And the path that is my portion
May be through the flame or flood;
But His presence goes before me
And I'm covered with His blood.

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.