quiet time

Quiet Sunday Thoughts- Selah

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. 
Selah. Psalm 46:10-11 NKJV

“Selah…The pause is not an exclamation of dismay, but merely a rest in music. We do not suspend our song in alarm, but tune our harps again with deliberation amid the tumult of the storm.” Charles Spurgeon

For our quiet Sunday thoughts I am sharing a song by Lindsay Brackin of Sounds Like Reign. We used to sing the words of this Psalm in church but I have not heard it for many years. I pray that you may find a moment of quiet stillness and a Selah in your busy schedule today. May the words of the Lord enlighten your eyes, make you wise in His service and convert your soul to rest in Him and trust in His word forever. Selah

Draw Near — Lessons from a Lab

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

This week I have been focusing on verses about God being near to and binding up the broken hearted. In my rushing about, flinging my arms in every direction, activity centered life, that just spending honest quiet moments with God have been few and far between. How blessed I was this morning to read Beth’s post about drawing close to God, without using words. One of my go-to scriptures in times of anxiety has been Psalm 34 and it perfectly sets the table for the devotional from Beth today. I pray you will be blessed as you draw near. If you are not familiar with Beth Allison’s blog Lessons from a Lab, I would invite you to check it out for yourself. (And this song from Meredith Andrews is beautiful!

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Adi is a licker.  So, I wasn’t alarmed when I noticed her licking her front leg.  When she persisted in licking this area again the next morning, I took notice.  I examined the skin- no bumps, redness, or swelling.  I observed her gait and saw no limp.  A bit perplexed I decided I would just […]

Draw Near — Lessons from a Lab

He Gave Him No Answer

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But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed Matthew 27:14 ESV

I have a small confession to make. Some days I love to complain. I complain about the weather. I complain about my church, my kids and even my wife. Some nights as I lay my head on the pillow and replay the whiny remarks which I made I wonder how I could have been so unkind and wish I had kept my lips sealed.

Jesus on the other hand had no shortage of things to complain about. But on the worst die of his short life, Jesus encouraged a thief; made sure His mother was taken care of and forgave His enemies. How could He do that? What was His secret?

Some years ago I was bringing a truckload of branches to our local landfill. At the entrance was a one story cement block booth with an attendant who checked each vehicles weight. As I pulled up to get our weigh in slip, I saw there by the side of the operator’s window a small sign with an arrow pointed up stating, “Complaint department upstairs!”

How can we be patient like Jesus, when others mistreat or abuse us physically or verbally? The answer is in knowing where the complaint department is located. Telling our neighbors, our family or our enemies the way we feel won’t help. Our only response is to quietly trust that our cry is heard by the only one who can deliver us. Then in the same way that Jesus did we can give ourselves into the hands of the one who loved us and gave His life for ours.