God Loves Ordinary People!

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And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 2 Kings 4:2 ESV

Often when we face problems, we wonder if we should pray. After all, we reason, why would God be concerned with our needs, when there are other far greater needs in the world all around us? We wonder why a big God, would be concerned with our ordinary needs. But in this brief story in the book of second Kings, we meet a poor and rather unimportant widow, whose debts mattered to God. Just as her scenario though scarcely remarkable, mattered to God, so God is interested in our needs today. Though there were certainly many other needy widows at that time, and we don’t know why God didn’t send Elisha to others, what we do know is that this lady asked for help. Maybe we are too embarrassed by our problems to ask for help, but God isn’t ashamed of us or our needs. He may simply be waiting for us to ask so that we can be ready for the answer He sends.

Sometimes we don’t ask God’s help, not only because we think that our issue isn’t important enough, but also because we think we aren’t important enough. Yet, despite what the media, our neighbors or even our family think or say, the Bible tell us that we are made in God’s image. All of us in some way are a reflection of the Creator of this entire universe., Though no one else may think much of us, God thinks the world of us, and He cares so much for our needs, that He sent His only Son to die in our place. To God, there are no big and little people. no big or small needs. We all are precious to Him and the one who watches sparrows and widows, also cares about us today!

Young Washington – Film Review

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We have been blessed to have our twenty-something grandson visiting for the week and were delighted when he asked if we could go see the new film, “Young Washington.” Though we do go once or twice a year to the movies, I am still somewhat irritated by the lengthy review of scads of new films coming out that I determine immediately to never watch! However; once the feature began things got off to quite an interesting start. First off, seeing Washington as a small boy, was intriguing and his struggles dealing with the death of his father, his being thrust into an apprenticeship and unable to continue his schooling paints a portrait quite different than the one we are accustomed to. The cinematography was spectacular, without the need for special effects, and paints with accuracy both the roughness and beauty of life in colonial Virginia.

The script follows the historical events without becoming a slave to it and is by no means a documentary. Rather, the writers trace the complexities of George Washington, as he struggles with loss, rejections, and the horrors of watching a friend die in his arms in battle. I won’t give away too many details of the twists and turns of the story, but, I would suggest that this film is not for the very young. Maybe I am just a bit old-fashioned but I would suggest 15+ depending on the age and maturity of your children, because of the violence in some of the scenes. This film does live up to its title, “Young Washington, as it stops well short of those events we might ordinarily expect to be included in a movie about George Washington. The signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and his presidency will have to wait for the sequel, which is rumored to be in the works. Overall, it was an important film and well worth seeing, though I would not recommend bringing family members under 15, due to the violent shown during the scenes depicting  the French and Indian war.

Planting Seeds

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Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. Matthew 13:8 ESV

Technology has certainly changed everything about our worship services in the 21st century. While many of the changes have been great, the issues of our hearts haven’t changed since Jesus talked about farmers planting seeds, two thousand years ago. Some days we are so busy messaging our friends that the word just bounces off us just like the seed that fell on the path. Or on Sunday we go to church, sit for an hour, and then return home with no idea of what was said. Other times we think the message was great and head home planning to start praying at five a.m. but as we drive the office calls and asks if we could come in extra early on Monday and we say yes. Other times we go through the outward motions of the commitments we have made but remain in ungodly relationships and activities. We decide that it is too hard to break away from things that displease the Lord and pass up the opportunity for a closer walk with Jesus Christ. We excuse ourselves or blame our pastor. We complain that the messages were weak and that the worship team uninspiring. But if we prepare our hearts to receive His word then guard what is planted it will one day yield a harvest thirty, sixty or a hundred times greater!