Thought for August 25

 History:

  • 325: First Council of Nicaea
  • 1814: British destroy Library of Congress
  • 1875: Matthew Webb makes 1st observed, unassisted swim across the English Channel
  • 1910: Yellow Cab founded
  • 1916: National Park Service formed
  • 1958: First pre-cooked instant noodles sold [Ramen]
  • 1986: Paul Simon's "Graceland" album released
  • 2017: Hurricane Harvey hits Texas
  • Born: Ivan the Terrible, Allan Pinkerton [detective], Michael Rennie, Van Johnson, Mel Ferrer, Leonard Bernstein, George Wallace, Monty Hall, Althea Gibson, Sean Connery, Tom Skerritt, Gene Simmons [KISS],  Elvis Costello, Tim Burton, Billy Ray Cyrus, Marvin Harrison, 
  • Died: Henry Morgan [pirate], David Hume [Philosopher], James Watt [steam engine], Michael Faraday [1st electric motor], Friedrich Nietzsche [philosopher], Henri Becquerel [discovered radioactivity], Alfred Kinsey [Kinsey Report], Truman Capote, Art Rooney [Steelers], Ted Kennedy, Neil Armstrong, John McCain, 
Thought:
Continuing with my reading of the story of Abram and Sarai this morning. In Genesis 15, Abram believed God when God told him his descendants would be like the stars in the heavens. Certainly seeing the pictures from the James Webb telescope brings new meaning to God's promise for we see billions of stars arrayed in beauty across the universe. And as we wrote yesterday, Abram believed in God and that faith/trust was reckoned as righteousness. Well, Abram must be kin to Larry because just 17 verses later we read, "And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai" when she told him to take Hagar and have a son through her. This really speaks to me today. 

I read God's promises. I study the life of Jesus. I memorize scripture. I know that I am to believe God, trust God, rely on God and His Word. But then I listen to someone else. God has always told me the Truth. He is always seeking my good. He loves me more than anyone or anything. He has all wisdom and all power. He is incapable of lying--there is no shadow of changing with Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. And His word never fails, never returns void, never leads me astray. And yet, I look around. see the circumstances, assess the situation in my humanness, and listen to other voices. 

Nothing has changed since Genesis 3. God spoke directly to Adam and Eve. He gave them a simple truth--eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and die. Yet, they listened to the voice of Satan--no, you will not surely die. And nothing has changed since Genesis 16. Today, God tells us to listen to Him alone, trust Him alone, worship Him alone; then I decide to listen to another voice. In the New Testament, Jesus says that the sheep know the Masters voice. If I know Jesus as Savior and Lord, I know His voice. Lord, help me listen only to You and obey You with complete trust. 

The question today and every day is, who will I listen to and trust. I am reminded of that great art work "His Masters Voice" used to advertise Victrola's. The dog sitting beside the phonograph horn. Lord, today help me hear clearly my Master's voice--drown out all other voices. 

Blessings
Larry

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