Thanking our Sovereign God!

As I drove into the parking lot of the office this morning I just had to pause and thank God for a place to come and work. There are so many who are unemployed and we can easily take for granted the blessings that God provides to us. Part of what we are learning in our study of Genesis has been the Sovereignty of God and how we should be aware of our moment by moment dependence upon Him. John Piper, a respected Bible preacher, did a series where he was exploring why God does what He does in the way that He does them. His conclusion is that God does so in order to magnify His sovereign grace and to keep us in our humble place. He goes on to say that if we really are tuned in, we are not only humbled by God and how He provides but we are also happy or content. So many today feel as if God constrains their individuality or their ability to do their own thing. That's kind of funny when you think about that passage from Romans Chapter 9 where the Apostle Paul gives an example of that sentiment and he says this: "Shall the thing created demand an answer from the Creator as to why he was made the way that he was made." He continues by saying: "Who are you to question God?" (My paraphrase.) That's some tough verses for a Tuesday morning, September 8, 2009 but for those willing to embrace the God of the Bible, there is faith, confidence, and consolation as they live out the life He has given.

Last Friday I really went off about the recommended teaching activities that were sent out by the White House to accompany President Obama's speech being made today to school children of all ages. Many folks were alarmed by the wording of this material in politicizing our children. Guess what? Those materials have been replaced and the most offensive paragraphs have been deleted and replaced with something different. As for the speech, I read through it yesterday, and I don't know if it has been changed or not but it is now limited to encouraging children to do their very best and to take responsibility for their learning. I know the school district here in our area decided that parents could opt their children out during the speech for an alternative learning activity. They also decided not to do any of the pre-speech or post-speech activities as recommended by the government. Good for them! And, good for everyone who spoke up and spoke out on these matters that concerned them. It did make a difference! My guess is that we not only saw the changes in the accompanying lesson materials, but I would also guess we ended up with a changed speech as well.

This week is an important week for our country. The health care debate will be front and center as the congress returns from summer vacation. The anniversary of September 11 will remind us once again about the danger that surrounds us each day and how religions based on hate can destroy innocent lives. It will also be a very significant week for us personally as we will be observing the first anniversary of our experience with Hurricane Ike. That's why I wanted to start out the week with a reminder to us all that God is Sovereign and we are privileged to be His very own children because He chose to send His one and only Son to die on The Cross for you and for me. As my baby sister observed from the Gaither song, while battling leukemia, "Because He lives I can face tomorrow." But she said to her she would rather sing it: "Because He lives I can face today!" Amen. One day at a time and we live knowing that all of our days are a gift from Him and my how we should be using them to live in a way that pleases our God and serves Him and others! Amen. .....More later.