Good Morning Folks! Well… it’s no surprise that our Lord has blessed us with another
beautiful day! Did you look outside to see what the Lord our God has brought this day?
As I’m writing this, it’s hard to escape the beautiful start to the morning here in Las
Cruces. The sun is beginning to rise over the Organ Mountains — clear skies abound —
Springtime is on its way! The Moon is shown waning, which will make way for some
dark, starry-nights in the week ahead – a chance for all of us to look up at the night sky
and behold the “Glory of our Lord”. Isn’t it great to wake and give thanks to the Lord
with our “first thoughts”.
I think we could all admit however, that sometimes we wake up finding ourselves
burdened by our thoughts, thinking, “Yeah… another day… another day to face what the
world is throwing my way. If only I can only get through another day. Does anybody
really care what I’m going through?”
The answer of course, is that God indeed cares. In fact, He cares about everything in our
lives. When you think about it, it’s amazing that He has created all that we see, even that
which is unseen – He even created us! All that, and He still has time for you and me. In
this regard, it’s important to re-reflect on the fact that we were created in God’s image.
Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created
him; male and female he created them.”
Why then, if God created us in His image? — that sometimes, it is so hard to get through
this life? Why can’t things be easier if God cares so much about us and what we are
doing? When we talk to God, does He truly listen?
There are lots of answers to these questions, but in order to understand them, we must
first humble ourselves and embrace one simple fact — “God is God, and we are not!”
(Purpose Driven Life). This sounds pretty basic, but unless we come to grips with this
fundamental understanding, we will not be able to get beyond our worldly existence.
Even when we do acknowledge this, we sometimes find ourselves “feeling” distant from
God – at times, even disobedient to God (our sinful nature at work).
The simple truth is that God never gives up on us, He does care, and He does listen — to
all of us! Let us search our hearts on this matter, and consider a just a bit of “what we
know” from what is written in the Bible.
We know that we can make our request of God.
Psalm 54:2, “Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.”
We know that God encourages us to bring forth our requests.
Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will
be opened to you.
We know that God has our best interest in mind.
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for
welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
We know that God looks after us, and that He has a plan for our lives.
1 Corinthians 2: 9-10, “However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no
mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” — but God has
revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of
God.”
We know that God, in protecting us, understands our limitations.
1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you
are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
We know that God gives us rest and hope – He is our safe harbor.
Psalm 62:5-8, “ Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone
is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and
my honor depend on God; he is my might rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O
people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
We know that someday, God will make all things known to us.
1 John 3:2-3, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet
been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”
We know that God constantly encourages us.
I Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that you labor in
the Lord is not in vain.”
Best of all – we know the God is with us always.
Matthew 28:20, “ Jesus said, ‘Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
This is but a brief look at the many good Truths we know about God as written in the
Bible. In God’s Word, we can find the comfort and peace that we need to get through
each and every day — He make all things possible – even in our most difficult and trying
circumstances.
So… let us take to heart in the Truth found in Philippianss 4:13, “I can do everything
through him who gives me strength.” It is reassuring that God has blessed us with so
much. Even in our most challenging times and worldly difficulty, the Lord our God is
with us – He is faithful — so too, we need to be faithful and obedient to Him – the One
who makes all things possible.
I like what is says in Matthew, 6:28-30, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or
reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor
or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow
is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
As Springtime approaches, I’m reminded of a beautiful flower that is found growing wild
in the fields in some areas. It is called the “Sunflower” — and it grows even in the
harshest conditions. It’s clear that God sees to it that this beautiful flower survives,
displaying its full beauty throughout the day.
There is another kind of Sunflower that God takes care of. It is a distant galaxy named
M63, commonly called “The Sunflower Galaxy”. Above is an image of this beautiful
spiral galaxy that I took recently from our remote observatory near Mayhill, NM. This
object lies in a group of galaxies and is about 37 million light years distant from Earth.
Notice the wonderful structure in this rich, densely formed galaxy. Also notice the
massive “linear jets”. You might say that this beautiful object is part of “God’s Heavenly
Garden” – God’s Glory on full display in the universe — for all to see!
Let this day, in all its splendor, be a blessing to all of us. Let us never cease to look to
God in all that we do — giving Him thanks and in humble recognition for what He has
done in our lives. Let us never forget the blessed hope that we have in Jesus.
John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told
you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”
I wonder what our first thoughts will be when we wake up tomorrow?
Have a great day!
Your Brother in Christ,
Mike Sherick
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