Aug 31, 2010

Guidance

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Wow, what a morning! Did any of you bother to look up when you walked outside this morning?

Well being out in Stafford, God blesses us with some pretty beautiful skylines at times, and this morning was no different. I carried the trash to the curb and began to stand in awe of what I saw. Standing there gawking at the spectacular light display got me thinking about how very little we look up anymore. In the past, farmers used stars to gauge the seasons, sailors to plot their courses, and astronomers to truly understand our universe. Now with the age of Technology the skyline has been washed out; either we dont bother looking up anymore or the city lights just dont allow it. The funny thing is that even when the Sun is up, the stars are still there.

So then I thought how much this parallels our nations view of God. In the beginning, our forefathers came here seeking God without persecution. They diligently sought His guidance in all that they did. One example can be found in the paintings of the First Continental Congress. In these paintings, depicted in the Time life series on Ben Franklin, members of Congress are all seen praying for guidance before the opening session. Likewise, former Presidents and other founding fathers have been quoted citing scripture and referencing God and His significance in their lives and the life of our nation. But then somewhere along the way, with all the new technology God, like the stars, got washed out. As if our rising freedom, like the Sun coming up, washed out the night sky.

Aug 30, 2010

The Tree

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Our pastor shared an interesting story the other day that opened my eyes to seeing the big picture. In his story he spoke of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-10). This story talks about how diligent the collector was to see Christ among the crowd, so much so that he climbed up into a tree in order to catch a glimpse. What was interesting about my pastors story was the character I had never seen before..the tree.

He went on to question us asking,If the tree hadnt been there then how would Zac have seen Christ? The tree is the one that provided the foundation, the rooted structure, the footholds if you will, that allowed Zac to overcome the world (the crowd) and see the Lord for the first time. Needless to say I was convicted deeply that day to be the tree. Whether a lone maple in the middle of a abandoned lot or an oak among a great forest, I believe we are called to be the tree. We must be rooted in his word, bearing fruit, and be strong enough to support the weight of others. All of these can be attained in Him, but we must first be willing to be the tree.