beauty of Psalm 139

One of my favorite chapters of the Bible since the mid 1980’s has been Psalm 139. That is for several reasons. Most of it for the last two verses. But there is so much good in that I want to point out a few parts that ought to remind us of the goodness of God.

God knows. He knows us. And He is awesome. The first six verses say this in beautiful ways. He is the one who blesses.

Psalm 139:6 NLT

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

The Psalm goes on to remind us that God is everywhere and even makes the dark times and places light. We can trust that God is with us.

Psalm 139:12 NLT

but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

The next part makes me shout a bit. He knew me before I was even born. He created me and you. I love the verses that say He formed us as we were created. We are reminded that even the unborn are precious to Him.

Psalm 139:16 NLT

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

And on the the next we are reminded that God’s thoughts are toward us and for us. God even deals with our enemies.

Psalm 139:17 NLT

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!

And then you make your way to the last two verses of the chapter. A friend marked these verses in my Bible at a pivotal time in my teen years. I had questions and emotions were all over the place. These verses made me stop, seek God and allow Him to work even more.

Psalm 139:23-24 NLT

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Let God do the leading and the searching and even the calming of your life. His guidance changes everything.

Take some time to read through Psalm 139, and let God work in your life today!

In a little over a week I will be on the next mission trip to Cuba. Bob Texidor and I will be in Cuba serving the sports ministry team around Havana. Please pray for the trip and ministry in Cuba. Pray for the needs and freedom of the people of Cuba. If you would like to help, please reach out to me at pastormh@gmail.com

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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