Verse of the Day 3/11

Through the Bible - Deuteronomy 17-19, Mark 14:32-52

 

Good morning,

Pastor Bob finished his message Sunday by referring to the Jews crossing the Jordan.  The priests carrying the ark stepped out into the river at flood stage.  It took great faith to go on.  But an  encouragement to take from the event was that at the moment they were stepping out, God was working "upstream" to hold back the waters that they might cross.  As they stepped, the waters receded.

 

It was Saturday when I heard this message, four years to the day from when I wrote the following "Verse of the Day"

 

 

3/07/05

Many of you may have already heard that my son Jason has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.  We were on our way home from Florida from treatments for Jeff when we received a called while he was having some sort of seizure.  From the MRI and CAT scan, it appears that the tumor is blocking the ventricles causing a build up of fluid on the brain.

I will probably be heading down to Texas to bring him back home and to take him to Duke University Hospital here in North Carolina.  The first course of action would probably be to put "shunts" in to open up the ventricles and allow the fluid to drain as it should.  A further course of action will then be decided upon.

In all of this our family covets your prayers at this time.  Please pray for Jason especially as it is very hard to be going through this so far away from home.

Jason's college friends and church family there in Texas have already been very helpful and supportive of him.

Today's verse is a break from the book of John where we've been for several days. 

Each day I read 1 Psalm along with other Bible readings and devotionals.  Today's Psalm was 118 and today's verse comes from that passage.

Ps 118:5-6

5 I called on the LORD in distress;
The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
NKJV

I picture standing in a "broad" place as standing where you have a great view of what lies behind and what lies ahead, standing in awe of His creation, His power, His majesty displayed as far as you can see.  As believers, we are His children, with the view from the palms of His hands.
Prayerfully read the rest of the Psalm today.  The passage tells of His mercy, loving-kindness, and that the Lord is my strength, and my salvation.  All of these endure forever.

 

Today, Jason is anxiously waiting to hear if he has been accepted into a doctorate program in theology from several schools.  Having seen how God was working "upstream" then gives me confidence that He is doing so now, for Jason, for me and for you.  May He set you "in a broad place", giving you a clear vantage point to see what He is doing upstream in your life.  Perhaps you can stand there now and look back from somewhere downstream to see where He's been working.

 

Having gone through Jeff's accident and seeing what God had done through that tragedy gave me, gave our family more confidence that He was working in this situation.  My heart was still at the point of breaking for Jason at the time.  He would later look back on it and tell me, "if this hadn't happened I wouldn't have come to Elon for those months and wouldn't have met Kristen (his wife)."

I'll end with today's verse from a little further along in Psalm 118:

 

Ps 118:14 The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.    NKJV

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Ps 118:1-15

 

118 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel now say,"His mercy endures forever." 3 Let the house of Aaron now say,"His mercy endures forever." 4 Let those who fear the Lord now say,"His mercy endures forever."
5 I called on the Lord in distress;The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The Lord is on my side;I will not fear.What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is for me among those who help me;Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the LordThan to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LordThan to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me,But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 11 They surrounded me,Yes, they surrounded me;But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 12 They surrounded me like bees;They were quenched like a fire of thorns;For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall,But the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and song,And He has become my salvation.

NKJV