Strength for the Weary
A day of outdoor labor, Father, between my routes and everything else! It was good for the heart and soul.
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In the little bit of time I had between everything else today, I worked on my sermon and other parts of our service for this coming Sunday. The passage of Scripture on which it is based is from Isaiah 40:26-31 (<<click on the link) and just reading through it brought two songs to mind (surprise!). [If you’d like to hear the sermon, FINDING NEW STRENGTH, click on this link to Beulah’s Facebook page for our online service which begins at 9:00 AM Sunday morning (05/23/21). It will also be stored for future reference in its Facebook video library.]
The first is an older song written by a gentleman by the name of Stuart Hamblen. From what I can gather, he released it as a single in 1953 under the title Teach Me Lord to Wait.
Here is a video played by someone who so reminders me of my sweet, beautiful Aunt Sandra – a gifted musician in her own right. The lyrics of the song are on the screen as you listen.
The other song was made popular by contemporary Christian musician and worship pastor, Lincoln Brewster. It is entitled Everlasting God and was on an album he released in 2006.
The reason this song came to mind while reading the passage from Isaiah 40 is that I remember a small child reading a portion of it at the end of Brewster’s recording. I always found it impacting! Levi Brewster, Lincoln’s oldest son, was 5 at the time of the recording.
At the bottom of the post are another two video links to listen to. The first is a recording of Everlasting God. Levi’s recitation is at the very end. (If you’d like to jump ahead to it, it’s at marker 3:50.) The other video is one of Brewster sharing how the song came about. (Again, if you want to hear just the portion where he talks about Levi’s contribution, you can skip to marker 1:22.)
Hamblen’s song is taken from the King James Version, whereas Brewster’s version is from the New Living Translation. Here is the latter for reference.
Look up into the heavens.
…..Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
…..calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
…..not a single one is missing.
O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
…..O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
Have you never heard?
…..Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
…..the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
…..No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
…..and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
…..and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
…..They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
…..They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:26-31 NLT
May 20th, 2021, Thurs, 6:49 pm
Beulah Land
I am not entirely up to snuff tonight, Father, but I trust that You will enable me to focus on the message You have for me and to faithfully communicate it. Amen.
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In looking back through the last almost 6 years of blog posts, even though I thought surely I had done so, I have never written about one of my family’s favorite songs. Now mind you, it’s a song which has been sung at several family funerals, though it wasn’t written for that purpose. My cousins sang it at each of my grandparent’s funerals, as well as, a sister of theirs.
When I searched to see if I had shared this personal story about the song before, a post from way back in 2017 came up. (I searched for the word “Beulah” and it popped up because it is also the name of one of the churches I serve.) As I read through it, I felt I needed to share at least a portion of it again.
At the time, I had lost one faithful lady of Beulah and another faithful gentleman from my other congregation, Liberty Chapel, was close to his homecoming as well. If that wasn’t enough, a cousin of mine was near death and in the ICU. She hung on for a few more months but the Lord saw fit to soon call her home.
This is the excerpt from that post on February 17, 2017.
(Lord) I believe You spoke to my heart to share with my cousin’s son. I can’t even begin to imagine what he is dealing with. His mother is fighting for her life and I don’t think she’s even 50 yet and he is just barely in his 30’s. But this is what you led me to share with him last night. I stated that we were praying for him and his family and this is what I typed,
“Your mom weathered so many storms throughout her life and always found her strength in the Lord. This may be her last storm but she has remained faithful (the testimony of her life proclaims that!) and the Lord has been faithful, as well. Cling to the One she found strength in, He will not let you down!”
There is no way that we can see what tomorrow holds – we can’t even see around the corner! All we can do is cling to You. You are steadfast. I choose to trust in You – no one or no thing is more trustworthy than You.
Here’s a beautiful rendition by The Petersens of Branson, Missouri.
Sweet Beulah Land was written and composed by Squire Parsons in 1973. Beulah Land is a reference to Heaven.
I’m kind of homesick for a country
To which I’ve never been before
No sad goodbyes will there be spoken
For time won’t matter anymore
Beulah Land, I’m longing for you
And some day on thee I’ll stand
And there my home shall be eternal
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
I’m looking now across that river
To where my faith is gonna end in sight
A few more days I’ll wait in labor
And then I’ll take my heavenly flight
Beulah Land, I’m longing for you
And some day on thee I’ll stand
And there my home shall be eternal
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land
May 19th, 2021, Wed, 7:42 pm
Like Father, Like Son
God has ascended with a mighty shout.
….The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
….sing praises to our King, sing praises! Psalm 47:5-6 NLT
John 5:18-23 (<<click here to read the passage)
Modern-day may be a bit different but for generations, it was not unusual for offspring to take on the occupations of their parents. Educators, law enforcement, medical professionals, you name it, there are many examples of carrying on the family tradition. I’m a third-generation pastor. I know of chiropractors whose fathers were chiropractors, nurses whose mothers were nurses, educators whose parents were educators. Those who worked in trades often had the same outcome.
Part of the story, I’m sure, is that often as the son or daughter grew up, the lifestyle and mindsets of their parents concerning their vocation were ingrained in their psyche. They already have a leg up on everyone else because they have seen it lived out every day of their lives.
Jesus learned from and took after His Father, as well. Yes, they were one in essence and nature – Jesus Himself said in John 10:30, “The Father and I are one.” NLT
But throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently pulls Himself away from the crowds and His disciples to spend quality time with His Father.
Here are just a few passages where Jesus did just that.
After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Matthew 14:23 NLT
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35 NLT
One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Luke 6:12-13 NLT
Jesus was like His Father, through and through, because He spent great amounts of time with Him. He communicated with Him about everything. He sought Him out for guidance and comfort during difficult times. The Father’s character and mindset was lived out every day in Jesus’ life.
The Jewish leaders chaffed under this aspect of who Jesus was because they just couldn’t accept it. To them it was blasphemous. It was so offensive that by this time they were trying to figure out a way to kill Him! Verse 18 lays out their frustration, “…he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.” NLT
Though they flat out rejected it, Jesus tried to explain,
“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing… In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.” v19-20a, 22-23
The Son was just like His Father. When they rejected Jesus, they blindly rejected the Father as well.
Lord Jesus, may we take to heart the truth of who You are. And in turn, may we reflect the You in our lives, too. May we get in the habit of spending some much time in communion with You that Your light shines regularly through our lives. Amen.
May 18th, 2021, Tues, 7:21 pm
Handling Contention
Not a normal day but a full one! Father may my mind and heart be open in the direction You would have it go. Amen.
John 5:16-17 (<<click here to read the passage)
I have spoken before of the division with which our world is wracked. It is a challenge to be in any gathering of people where an opinion is voiced and someone else has a differing opinion. Quite often, at least in current American society, they are not just different, but opinions fall into polar opposite mindsets. And when those kinds of mentalities clash, compromise is not even an option. Most times there is a my-way-or-the-highway point of view on both sides of the issue. Either you see things from my perspective, or we need to just part ways because you are wrong.
Another attribute of this common scenario is the fact that often these conversations in which we find ourselves, are not calm discussions. More often than not, it doesn’t take much for them to explode into fiery discussions of me against you.
What is especially disheartening, is that the church is in the thick of it! Astoundingly, on some fronts, people of the church are the instigators! They seem to be the loudest voices in the crowd! Their goal is to embellish their views with all kinds of churchy, self-righteous attire in an attempt to push their preeminence. “Your arguments don’t stand a chance against mine, because God is on my side!”
The “church” of Jesus’ day had their own mindsets on many things and the rules they applied to the Sabbath were a huge point of contention when it came to Jesus’ mindset. They were definitely a my-way-or-the-highway kind of people.
Pointedly, this is what Jesus had to say about the whole thing as is recorded in Mark 2:27,
“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. NLT
Jesus didn’t mince words with them, He just stated the way it was.
In today’s passage, Jesus had healed a man and where the Jewish leaders chose to place their emphasis (forget that the man was healed!) was that Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath – GASP! And that was one of their major taboo rules – No working on the Sabbath!!
Did Jesus rant and rave? Did He clunk their heads together? Did He immediately cast them into the fiery pit of Hell? …no. He simply replied,
“My Father is always working, and so am I.” v17
So, why is our go-to response the same as the world’s? Too often we are full of condemnation. We exude self-righteousness. And answer me this question, how many people do you know who have ever been won to the Lord using those kinds of retorts? I don’t know of any.
The writer of Proverbs hits the nail on the head.
A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath,
But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1 AMP
Interestingly enough the header over this passage in the Amplified Bible reads, “Contrast the Upright and the Wicked”. So, where do you fall?
May 17th, 2021, Mon, 6:28 pm
Random Blooming Dogwood Trees
Thank you, Father, for a full day with family. I am most assuredly blessed beyond measure!
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This time of year, something I notice along my bus route is the number of random blooming dogwood trees amongst all the normal foliage of trees along the side of the road. I was unable to get out and take a picture when I wasn’t driving my bus, but the above picture portrays the scene very well.
You’re running along a wall of lush green, and, surprise, seemingly out of nowhere a tree full of stark white blooms bursts on the scene! They are stunningly beautiful for the few days they are in full bloom! There is absolutely no way to miss them!
Our view of the world can be very similar. But at least in my mind’s eye, instead of lush green, it is a myriad of greys…and unending drudgery of dullness, at least when it comes to our spiritual perception. That is until you come across a true believer, one who has given themselves over – heart, soul, mind, and strength – to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! They are a pulsating, vibrant light brightly shining amongst the grey of spiritual pallor – eternal life amongst a background of pending death.
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He proclaimed,
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16NLT
As the dogwood proclaims the Father’s glory in its white purity against the lush greenery, so we must do likewise against the backdrop of the grey of death. We also must realize that though the dogwood may shine it cannot bring change to any of its brethren trees. But we, on the other hand, if we are true believers and followers of our Jesus, can bring change amongst our brothers and sisters by pointing them, to Him! You are the light of the world…let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father!
Can I get an amen?
May 16th, 2021, Sun, 9:06 pm