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Castaway

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments 
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. Hebrews 10:35 KJV

The film, Castaway, starring Tom Hanks, tells the story of a pilot who after crash-landing his airplane in the ocean, ends up on a desert island. As the slow plot line dragged on, I found my mind wandering and wishing that something dramatic would happen. Just about anything would do! But the reality was that until help came, there was nothing for this guy to do but talk to a soccer ball he named, Mr. Wilson. In today’s verse God urges us not to do this with our faith. Don’t give up! Don’t lose hope! Don’t become a castaway talking to a soccer ball! Yet when we face what appear to be never-ending challenges to our faith, we are tempted to do just that. But the confidence we have in God is a hope that doesn’t just sit around wishing for rescue; it is spiritual reality with a great reward! “That sounds great,” I can imagine you saying, “But where do I begin?” I suggest we start by another kind of casting.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7 KJV

If we were thrown overboard in a storm, I am pretty sure that none of us would unsnap our life preserver and cast it away. Yet when we face hardships and the very real problems of life, we are sometimes tempted to think that letting go of our faith and trust in God will bring us some relief. The Apostle Peter urges us to do just the opposite. Instead of casting away hope, He tells us to cast away our cares. In the middle of trials, we need to remind ourselves that God still cares for us. His mercies never fail and are new every morning: even mornings that dawn in emergencies rooms or on battle fronts.

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 KJV

In the middle of the pressures of life we can have confidence because God cares for us and He carries us, and just as He did for the multitude on a hillside one day, He gives us multiplied bread to provide for our need. Now He is waiting to see what we will do with the bread of His compassion and mercy. Will we just gobble it all own for ourselves, or will we do just a little more casting?

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Ecclesiastes 11:1 KJV
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Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

And I said, ‘what shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ Acts 22:10 ESV

In the 1960’s, one of my favorite songs was the Simon and Garfunkel tune, “Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Their song eerily reminds me of when in 1983 a one-hundred-foot section of a highway bridge over the Mianus River in Connecticut, collapsed at midnight. The first car that come upon it was able to stop in time and the driver jumped out and frantically tried to wave down the other vehicles. Tragically in the dark and confusion of the moment 2 cars and 2 trucks ignored the driver’s warnings and tumbled off into the river. An interstate highway is a road on which we normally feel sure that all is safe, but that night it was deadly.

In all of our lives there are times when we take some roads that we think are right, but in reality, we are driving off a spiritual bridge in the night. Just like Paul we think we know what to do but are radically missing what God has planned for us. Thankfully there are times when God’s grace comes and knocks us to the ground, but we need to pay attention. He has put that roadblock across our path because He sees ahead that the road we are on leads to destruction. God stops us in our tracks, because we have been speeding down life’s highway in the wrong direction. We must remind ourselves that God can never teach us anything, as long as we are sure that we already know all the answers. But when we cry out in astonishment with Paul, “What shall I do?” God is delighted to come and show us what He has had in mind and through Jesus Christ He really does become our “Bridge Over Troubled Water”!

For the younger folks among my readers who have no idea of who Simon and Garfunkel were, I have posted a link to their song.

Photo by David Peinado on Pexels.com

Songs in the Night

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night. Job 35:10

When we are in a battle with the enemy like Job was, usually we have no idea what is going on. The invisible forces of the air, like a relentless defensive line in football are always looking to tackle us for a loss. But, when we can’t think straight and sleep is difficult, my dad used to advise me, “Don’t just lie there Pete! Get up and change the channel!” Just as Job did, we need to discover that the worship of Heaven is not limited to the four walls of the church, and we don’t have to hold on for dear life till next week’s service. We can get up in the middle of the darkest night and tune in to the Jesus Channel. Like the verse in Zephaniah tells us:

The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 

God never leaves us alone. He is not only the God who sees us, but also the God who will sing with us on the darkest of nights. I hope you will enjoy our song session from Life Care Center of one of my favorite hymns - God Leads His Dear Children Along-

Some through the waters, and some through the flood
Some through the fire, but all through the blood
Some through great sorrows, but God gives a song
In the night season
And all the day long!

God Leads His Dear Children Along by George Young 1903