Creation Screams, “God!”

There’s nothing like springtime in North Texas. Flowers and trees come into bloom with wave after wave of color. Early on, it’s the gentle lavender of the redbud trees. Then come the pears, clouds of white blossoms against a still-barren landscape. Next are the dogwoods, more white blossoms, this time sprinkled in darkly-wooded areas as if by an artist with an airbrush. About the same time, the bluebonnets come into bloom, casting blue patches with white highlights along highways for miles and miles along the Texas landscape. The spring wildflower season finally ends with the yellow-orange glow of black-eyed susans. Read more

Living on the Edge of Eternity

I remember hearing someone tell the story about a man who calculated the number of days he had left, assuming he were to live to be eighty years old. He then put that number on his desk, and ticked off each day as a reminder of how short his time was. Read more

Darkness Helps Us See Light

For many years, painting and drawing been my way to escape the pressures of life. When I sit down at the table, pull out my watercolors and begin to work on a picture, it feels like time freezes. I can easily spend hours painting and feel like only minutes have passed. Because I paint and draw to relax, I’ve never been overly concerned about doing things the “right” way. In other words, I didn’t worry much about whether my work would pass the scrutiny of a genuine artist. That wasn’t my purpose. Read more

Praying For My Son

The news hit me like a punch in the stomach.

“Dad, I’m deploying to Iraq next month.”

From the day my son enlisted in the Army, I knew this day might come, but still I wasn’t prepared for it. Not only was Chris headed to Iraq, but he was going to be stationed in one of the few remaining “hot spots” in the country. If that weren’t enough, he was the gunner on an assault vehicle—one of the most vulnerable jobs.

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Walking Before God in the Land of the Living

By James H. Pence –

Not long ago, some dear friends of mine received news their son had died suddenly. If this wasn’t bad enough, their youngest son died in an auto accident about ten years ago. Another friend of mine learned last year that his eight-year-old daughter has an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer. Someone else I know lost his wife and two sons to murder. Nevertheless, in spite of their terrible tragedies, all of these people are praising God in the midst of their grief. More than that, they are taking that sorrow and using it to bring glory to God and influence others for him.

How is it possible to praise and worship God when you are experiencing unspeakable pain? The psalmist gives us a key when he writes, “For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 116:8-9 NIV).

Believers in Jesus Christ can worship and praise God in the midst of tragedy because He has worked a three-fold deliverance in our lives. First, He has delivered our souls from death. We know that when this brief life is over, we will enter into God’s presence and enjoy Him forever. Through His death, Jesus Christ removed death’s sting, and that has a powerful impact on our outlook.

Second, God has delivered our eyes from tears. The Bible reminds us on many occasions that God will wipe all tears from our eyes when we’re in heaven. But it also says He is our comforter now. Paul told the Corinthians that God is “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2Corinthians 1:3-4a NIV). Because God is constantly wiping the tears away from our eyes, we can press on through trial and tragedy, bringing Him glory.

Third, God has delivered our feet from stumbling. While it’s true that all believers stumble and fall at times, God always raises us up and heals us. Jude reminds us that God “is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 24 NIV). Even though our circumstances may feel unbearable, we can rest assured that our God will preserve us through them and bring us safely home.

AUTHOR QUOTE: Because of the ongoing, sustaining grace of God, His people can pass through the worst fires human experience has to offer and come out victorious.

“How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:12-13 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by James H. Pence. James is an author, speaker, singer, and gospel chalk artist, but prefers to be known as a storyteller. To learn more about James and how he draws the stories of your heart, visit his website at: www.jamespence.com.

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