Like the Rockies

“The fear of the Lord”

Here are five words that carry such meaning, such depth, and are so key to our acquisition of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Been studying through the book of Proverbs during my time with the Lord after language school and was really struck by how significant and essential this is. To truly have “fear of the Lord”. What does it mean to have “fear of the Lord”? What does that look like practically walked out on a day-to-day basis? This is something that I must devote time, meditation, and prayer to as I seek to understand this key to unlocking the depth of the book of Proverbs. This is where it all starts.

It is interesting how many times a person can read something and fail to see great depth and weight in the words. How many times have I read the Bible and failed to be struck with its great richness and glory? How many times have I missed key phrases or thoughts in understanding a passage? With this Book we indeed should take the greatest care in reading it, for it holds the Words of Life. What other cause do we need for careful examination of the Word?

Indeed the Lord is showing me that the Word is alive…living and active, sharp and discerning. The freshness we can find in a portion of Scripture that has been read many times, maybe even memorized, is truly an amazing thing. It is like looking at a picture of a wild view of mountain range in the Rockies…The picture never changes, it is the same every time we look at it. But yet each time we gaze at it we are struck with the great beauty it displays and the glory it portrays. Maybe we see something that we never saw before, like another snow-capped ridge, a magnificent bird in the sky, or the glow of flowers in the valley. Same picture, yet possesses great beauty and depth that is never exhausted.

So is the Word of God. Unchanging, Unfailing, and always the same wonderful Truth…yet each time we come to them we can see new things the Lord has to teach us, new lessons to be learned, new glories about our Lord, and fresh encouragement to help us through the day. What a gift the Lord has given us in His written Word! May we be faithful to partake in it.

Till He comes,

Garrett

Survive or Thrive?

As the days go by my mind get more and more filled with many new things. The time in study of language has been a new challenge for me. After six hours or Spanish study my brain is about toast...I feel like shutting down. Learning the nuances of the culture has been interesting too...I found out that no one ever takes homemade breakfast to go...or wears pajama pants outside. Part of me feels beat down, just struggling to survive and make it through the net day...but then I think of what the Lord did when He was faced with a hard task in Luke 9...

⁵¹When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ⁵²And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. ⁵³But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.

What was waiting for Him in Jerusalem? Betrayal, treason, beatings, mockings, false accusation, and the most terrible death in history. He had his chance to take another road, to avoid what He knew was coming, to get out of it...but no. He went forth with a resolute will and a focused goal. He thrived where the Father had sent Him and did with all He had that for which He was sent.

I've been encouraged by the example of Jesus...he didn't just come and "survive" and "make it through" what He was sent for...He lived to the fullest and fulfilled the will of the Father in all He did.

May I be like Him...as I face the challenges here may I not simply survive, but thrive where the Father has sent me.

May all of you also live in the example of Christ. Thriving where the Father has placed you and living to the fullest! Make the most of your life. Make it count for the Kingdom.

Till He comes,

Garrett

Culture culture...

Had an interesting experience today...had a guy named Wiliams over for lunch after church...he is a 20 year old guy from Liberia who is here in Argentina playing professional soccer. He came to the church today so I invited him over. It's so weird, I was thinking about how I am going to share the gospel with him and talk to him about the Lord as we were walking to my house...but things in the field are so different than things in the States. I learned very quickly that I am going to have to spend a little time getting to know this guy, the way he ticks, and his culture before I can even begin to share the Gospel in a way that makes sense. It was weird how unobservant he was...so laid back without a care in the world, and how the slightest joke would make him laugh so hard. He said he likes to be free and liberated, and that most of his friends don't understand him. Lord willing I will be able to make an impact on his life. May I know Christ above all else. May I seek Him all the days of my life.

(The picture is of Wiliams...he was on the phone with a buddy and I cooked him hamburgers, and built this card house right in front of him and he didn't even notice...weird to me. Anyone in the U.S.would have noticed)

Pray that the Lord will use our time together for His glory!


Till He comes.

Lessons on hunger

A man had two fighting dogs...a black dog, and a brown dog. People would come for miles to watch the dog fights and bet on who would win...and the owner always knew which dog would win. sometimes the brown, sometimes the black. There was nothing on the outside that indicated one was better than the other...and they each could beat the other...so the people asked him:

"How do you always know which dog will win?

This story has been told many times over the years in churches and bible studies. The man replied "whichever dog I feed..I know he will win"

How often in our lives do we lack to feed the spiritual man. How often do we neglect to come to the fount of living water and drink deep from it's refreshing sustenance? Here we have given to us, the revelation of God...His message to mankind...His rich and living Word...

Yet it sits on the desk and we fail to open it and feed on it's richness.

May we be as David was...so hungry for the Word of God. So desirous of it's sustaining power.

"I will meditate on Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways"
"I will delight myself in Thy statues: I will not forget Thy Word"
"My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto Thy judgements at all times"
"Thy testimonies also are my delight"
"Behold, I have longed after Thy precepts"
"I will delight myself in Thy commandments, which I have loved"
(Psalm 119)

As the new year continues to pick up speed and pass us by, may we feed on the richness of His Word. May we be a people of the Book. Reading, delighting, longing and loving His Word.

Till He comes.