Thought for April 25, 2024

  •  1507: Martin Waldseemuller is first to use "America" on his map
  • 1684: Patent granted for the thimble
  • 1719: Daniel DeFoe publishes "Robinson Crusoe"
  • 1792: "La Marseillaise" composed--later French national anthem
  • 1886: Freud opens his first neurological practice in Vienna
  • 1926: Puccini's "Turandot" premiers in Milan
  • 1953: Crick and Watson publish discovery of double helix
  • 1959: Saint Lawrence Seaway opens
  • 1971: 200,000 anti-Vietnam war marchers protest in Washington
  • 2011: 300 killed in tornado outbreak in the South
  • Born: Oliver Cromwell, Guglielmo Marconi, Ella Fitzgerald, Al Pacino, Adam Silver, 
  • Died: Anders Celsius, Ginger Rogers, Harry Belafonte
Thought:
Reading in Micah 7 today. Take a look with me at 7:7-8 and 18-20. The first 6 verses of chapter 7 talk about a terrible time--no grapes to pick, no figs to eat, no godly person. Both hands are set to evil. All the people are at best a briar or a thorn. There is no one to trust and your own household rises up against you. WOW! what a terrible time. Then verse 7--despite all this, I watch patiently for the coming of the Lord. Despite my circumstances, I keep my eyes fixed on Jesus; I know He is coming; I wait patiently, but expectantly. 

Now notice--my enemies may seem to have a victory [7:7]; they may be celebrating my demise. Sounds like those who crucified Jesus. They thought they knew how to get rid of Him--they mocked and made fun of Him. They saw Him die. Here Micah says, though I fall, I will rise. You may think you are sending me into the darkness of death, but because of Jesus, I am walking into the kingdom of light. [7:8] Why do I get to go from darkness to light? Take a look at 7:18-20.

Who is a God that pardons iniquity? Who is a God that doesn't stay angry forever? Who is a God that has compassion on sinners? Our God! Notice that twice in these verses Micah speaks of God's unchanging love. As the great old hymn [well 40 years old] says, "He loved me ere I knew Him." I guess I could stop right here and simply praise the God that forgives, redeems, and transfers me from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. But the Spirit has me stop and really think about the love of God. I am told to love God and love my neighbor. What does that mean? It surely doesn't mean I don't have to say I'm sorry. But what does it mean? Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for a friend. Does loving mean laying down my life for the benefit of their life. Disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, to increase their faith, to show them how to do miracles. Maybe what I should be asking is Lord, teach me how to love. Seems like if I could just do that through the power of Jesus, everything else would be fine. 

So Lord, come and teach me how to love just like you do.

Blessings
Larry

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