Choosing God – Part 2

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Hebrews 11:25-26 KJV

Because of Moses’ faith, he chose to leave Egypt, trusting that the rewards of God were of greater value than the pleasures of Egypt. How could anyone have known that after Moses left Egypt it would be forty years before God met him at the burning bush? Yes God did choose Moses but Moses also left behind his friends, family, and all that was familiar as a choice by faith in a God he had never seen. There in the land of Midian, he married, worked as a shepherd and grew older. But in that lonely place where he may have even begun to forget his calling God never forgot. Decades passed until finally at just the right time in His calendar, God called him to return to Egypt and lead His people out of slavery and towards the land of promise!

mountain

Promises of God

 By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust    2 Peter 1:4

When we were first married I remember on our kitchen table we had a promise holder shaped like a loaf of bread. In it were many promises yet we rarely actually pulled one out and read it. Now, imagine that you were invited to stay at a friend’s house. He gives you a room that has a dresser drawer filled with one hundred dollar bills. Imagine further that your friend tells you that he has specifically put that money there for you to use any time you want. Wow! I think you would want to stay at that friend’s house as often as you could! That is exactly what God has chosen to do for us. He has sent us an invitation, but not just to visit. God has invited us to become members of His family. As family members we have access at any time to all the resources of His family. Whatever we need is in that dresser drawer of promises which Peter calls exceedingly great and precious.

1552598685234_16906084-1552528083013.jpg

Every day on the streets of San Francisco; one of the wealthiest cities in the U.S. are people begging for money. No matter their motives, by their very act of begging they are confessing that they have less than they need. Their life is dependent on the generosity of strangers. But our God is no stranger. We do not have to beg for His spare change. God has loved us, chosen us, brought us to His home and adopted us as children. There in the top dresser drawer in our room He has placed exceedingly great and precious promises. They will always be available to us any time we gratefully put them to use in our life!

Retirement in 3 Chapters

Just 6 months ago my wife and I decided to finally make the decision to retire and move to Florida. She had finished her chemotherapy and was recovering her strength. The sale of our business was finalized and the transition completed. Even our kids and grandkids were urging us to make the plunge. Everything seemed so right and we moved ahead with as much enthusiasm as we could towards a new and uncertain future. For the benefit of anyone in our position or who are thinking about retirement here are three chapters we have passed through. Some days have been great and some have been stressed and even traumatic.

Chapter One… Wahoo we’re in Florida! No more ice..no more snow…no more 4-5 long colorless months of barren cold landscapes!!

Chapter Two…oh noooo we’re in Florida! It’s 1200 miles to the nearest friend or family. Everybody seems to be trying to sell us something and the water tastes like someone washed their gym socks in it!

Chapter Three… Oh I see -God has been in Florida long before we came. He knows all the answers and has called this new place our home!