Musings From A Rolling Eyed Turtle

I’m not sure about the context of the verse but it sure seems to represent one of humanity’s deepest cries of despair since mankind first walked the earth. “I hoped for good but evil came…” “I hoped for light but darkness came…” Those words are from the book of Job, chapter 30 and verse 26.  While these words were written several thousand years ago, they seem timely for us today as it appears now, more than ever, that evil is permeating our world and darkness is enveloping it. Is there hope?  Can good hold back the onslaught of evil?  Can light dispel the darkness? The short answer is that God knows. The long answer is that only God knows. While we don’t know what God knows, we do know the following about us as individuals: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”  (I Peter 5:10) “And I am sure of this, that he ...

In my last post, I wrote about the importance of looking for those who fear God as we consider who should be in positions of leadership and influence. However, it doesn’t just stop with them; it also applies to me and to you!  God looks for those who fear Him and there are benefits and blessings when we fear God.  And we all greatly benefit when people in positions of leadership and influence fear God. But what does it mean to fear God? It means having a deep respect and awe for God’s power and authority.  It is to give him complete reverence and to honor him as the God of great glory, majesty, purity and power.  Yet it could probably be argued that fearing God is a lost art.   The common meaning of that phrase “a lost art” is “ something that people do that has been forgotten or is not done very often anymore.”  Yep, that probably applies to fearing God! Also, when I think of the word fear, the word that goes with it in my mind is trembling...

It used to be that a “God fearing man or woman” was respected in our nation.  In addition, a God fearing individual was often seen as being needed in a position of leadership or influence.  Not only does that seem to be out of vogue these days, but it seems now there’s a preference for people who hate God and everything about Him. Is fearing God just some old quaint tradition?  Was it handed down to us by that Judeo-Christian heritage that now seems to be so despised and is being discarded?  Has fearing God become not only unneeded but also undesirable?  The short answer to those questions is that what we once looked for is something that God has always looked for and continues to look for: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” (Deut 10:12) “Then those who feared the Lord talked with each ...

I wouldn’t use the word “stability” to describe the days we are in.  And I certainly wouldn’t use it to describe how I’ve been feeling for most of 2020.  But, I would say that I’ve wished for it, hoped for it and prayed for it. For the record, stability is defined as a firmness in position or a continuance without change.  I find that I often look for stability in routines or schedules or the familiar.  Such can help at times but the events and circumstances we are going through these days have shredded my human efforts to find and maintain stability. But in spite of the instability of our circumstances, there is a stability that we can enter into.  It’s a stability that comes from God: “My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability .”  (Ps 73:26) “ He is your constant source of stability ; he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom;  he gives all this to those who fear him.” (Isa 33:6) The o...

I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to make my troubles seem worse than they really are.  I don’t actually make them worse, but as I think about them, they seem to grow and grow and almost become larger than life. Perhaps that is what the Psalmist was describing when he wrote:  “ The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.”  (Ps 25:17) Yep, that’s me!  I do that!  I enlarge my troubles.  Mole hills become mountains.  Slight hurts become mortal wounds.  Slight generic symptoms become dreaded diseases. But look how the Psalmist bookended his troubles with truth.  Before verse 17, he wrote: “My eyes are ever toward the Lord , for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” (Ps 25:15-16) And after verse 17, he wrote: “Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.” (Ps 25:18) In the midst of feeling his troubles were enla...