Friday, June 5, 2009

Weeping at Dunkin Donuts

No, I wasn't weeping for Dunkin Donuts . . .

This morning found me in the center of PA at the home of Pastor Jeff and Jenn Howell. I'm helping their daughter, Heidi, shoot her first wedding this evening. Poor girl is SO nervous.

A few minutes after 6 I slipped out of the house to have devotions at the local Dunkin Donuts (I may have also wanted to view ESPN.com's highlights of last nights Pens win over the Red Wings).
I've slowly been working through the book Acts of the Apostles (one commentator thinks it should be called Acts of the Holy Spirit). Today I read through Acts 9 where God, in one moment of revelation, forever changes Saul. I read about poor Annanias who must visit the most vehement threat to Christianity and tell him more of Christ. I read how Barnabas stakes his reputation on the conversion of Paul and leads him into the Jerusalem fold.

Finally, I read how God brought peace to the church of Jerusalem, Galilee, and Samaria. What's the big deal about that you ask? Well, at the beginning of the chapter the church had nothing near peace. Saul ravaged their homes! He dragged out men and women, throwing them in jail, and perhaps condemning them to death. Imagine what those new believers were thinking. At any moment their front doors could be kicked in. They might be dragged away. What would happen to them? Stoning? Crucifixion? What might happen to their children? Yet in only a manner of days the worst threat to Christianity becomes the greatest missionary in Christianity.

Isn't that just like God?

Here we sit fearing the worst, while God, ruling from his throne in heaven, prepares to turn our worst for his best.

What made me weep?

I turned to Psalms where I love to invest my summer months. Look at Psalm 2.

2:1 Why do the nations rage [1]
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”

God is threatened by no one. He fears not Saul, not Stalin, not anyone! HE REIGNS!
We have only to love his precious Son, Jesus.

Verse 12, Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

I love it! We have nothing to fear but God himself. We are blessed. Blessed! Blessed when we find our refuge, hope, and strength and him.

How great is our God!?!

2 comments:

ruth said...

Amen! Amen.

Unknown said...

Thanks for this reminder! Your words are always encouraging.