August 1

Since Isaiah seems to be a hard pill for many to swallow, I decided to take a break from my commentary on it today and give you a practical lesson that we all can use. All is not lost, and we are not the first generation to deal with difficult times. Being we are part of the family of God, we have certain protections that we can count on; the primary protection, and most importantly, is our eternity. Things on this earth are not easy, but if we hold on to what we have until the end, we will be spared eternal separation from God. 

Out of four children, we have one who is connected to our hip. She feels sad when she is away from us for too long. Sometimes a phone call or FaceTime will help her get over her separation anxiety, but in most cases, she needs to see us. She has an overwhelming desire to be close; when we moved to Brandon, which was only about five miles away, she followed us there; I don’t quite understand why, we aren’t that great, but her love for us is full, and I am very thankful for that love. Imagine if we all desired to be close to Jesus in this way, so much could be accomplished on his behalf, and the world might be a better place. The lesson for today, start thinking about Jesus more, grow in love with him, make him the focus of your moments, breathe him in at every breath, and be like our sweet child, who always wants to be near. Doing this could help you get over some of the hurdles this life on earth sometimes throws at you.

"And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37