Month: August 2023

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God Preserves Us

A mastodon skeleton at Mastodon State Historic Site in Missouri
Psalm 121:7 (KJV)—The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

On an adventure to the Mastodon State Historic Site in Missouri, I had the privilege to behold a mastodon skeleton that offered evidence of humans and American mastodons coexisting in eastern North America.

I look at the picture now and think of preservation. The archaeologists must have worked with great care in uncovering the bones. Then the bones had to be transported without damage. The process probably ended with the reconstruction of the skeleton.

Each and every step required care, the same care our Father dotes upon us.

When we feel as if our bones are being buried in the earth, God acts with the care of an archaeologist, preserving us. He cares for us, allowing us to cast our anxieties upon him (1 Peter 5:7). He guides us with his Word (Psalm 119:105). He does not forsake us (Psalm 37:28), and he restores us (Psalm 23:3).

With these promises, we can cry out, as Jeremiah did, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise” (Jeremiah 17:14, ESV).

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Sunset Promise: Light in the Darkness

Genesis 1:5 (ESV)—And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
A sunset over the ocean, with palm trees in the foreground, on the island of Maui

I am a sunset person. The sun rises far to early for me to jump out of my comfy bed while I’m on vacation—or at home, for that matter. I love the colors streaking across the sky, the rays peeking out from behind clouds, the awe of the moment as people gather to watch the spectacle of the sun sinking below the horizon.

The sunset promises light in the darkness. The darkness reveals more of God’s magnificent creation. The moon smiles down at us. The stars wink from their stage in the sky. Planets glow. All these are reminders of God’s power and the light he shines on us, even in our darkest hour.

A sunset over the ocean in Kihei, on the island of Maui
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Traveling With a Joyful Heart

Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)—A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

When it comes to vacations, I am a planner. I schedule events on a calendar for each day of my travels. But at times I misjudge the distance from one place to the next, or I don’t plan enough time for an event, and suddenly my elaborate schedule crumbles. I internally berate myself for messing up the situation, arms crossed and shoulders slumped.

In a matter of moments, my joyful heart sinks into a pit of mire. The activity I once looked forward to threatens to derail my vacation. The mud in the pit slowly sucks away my ideal plans.

The easy answer is to wallow in the mud—and sometimes I do, as my story reveals. The better answer, though not always the easiest, is battling the mud and pulling myself back to joy. And such a battle requires the right tools, beginning with the Bible’s guidance.

A few of my go-to verses that remind me to seek joy come from Philippians 4:

Verse 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Verse 6: ” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Verse 8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

These verses remind me to focus on the positive. They lift my spirit and allow me to finish my vacation with a spirit of joy.

I encourage you to highlight in your Bible and memorize a few verses that provide you the medicine of joy. Practice making these your go-to thoughts in your travels and in your everyday life.

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A Different Perspective of the Sea

Jeremiah 5:22 (ESV)—Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

Last week I sat on the beach with my family, soaking up sun rays, boogie boarding for hours, and even stand-up paddleboarding. I reclined on my beach chair. I sat with my back to the waves with my niece, nephew, and sister, laughing as we tumbled, and spitting out the occasional mouthful of salt water. I felt rested and rejuvenated.

The ocean is about more than rest and fun, though, and this verse in Jeremiah adds to my perspective. The next time I walk on the sand, searching the water for rays, the next time I swim in the ocean, catching waves on a boogie board, and the next time I simply sit in the surf, watching the waves break, I’ll remember God’s power and stand in awe of the One who set the sands into place.