Daily Post #61

5-year Journal: Have you ever heard of one of these? When I completed my Ph.D., Allison bought me a very special, beautiful 5-year journal. Interestingly, I find it hard to do any other type of journaling now. You enter something every day, and each date (e.g., August 29th) has a column with five locations, one for each year. Then, as the years pass by, you can see what you did, or what you were thinking, or what you were feeling a year ago. I realize that I probably forget about 90% of life, so it has proven to be a gem. Also, it is essential to get one that you are proud to hold, you like the texture, it feels special, etc. Here are some examples on Amazon although Etsy and other places would probably be better.

Rivers of Living Water: Yesterday I read something by Oswald Chambers that really struck me. He wrote: If you keep your relationship right with Him, then regardless of your circumstances or whoever you encounter each day, He will continue to pour “rivers of living water” through you (John 7:38). And it is actually by His mercy that He does not let you know it. Once you have the right relationship with God through salvation and sanctification, remember that whatever your circumstances may be, you have been placed in them by God. And God uses the reaction of your life to your circumstances to fulfill His purpose, as long as you continue to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). The words “the reaction of your life” really speaks to me. I may scratch at the walls, complain to God, scream in my heart, voice my angry words, bloody my hands in prayer, but to no avail. Then there is Jesus: “B.J., come. Look at me. Love me. Be still, and let rivers of living water come through you to bless others.”

The Local Church: One glorious thing about the local church is that it requires a lot of humility to be a part of one. No flash. Just simple people that believe really simple things can make an eternal difference. One must go low if one desires to be a part. It is essential that we go as students, not critics. This is made so, so clear in C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters.

Bible Verse for Today: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one that takes refuge in Him” (Psalm 34:8). I read this early today. I stopped, touched the Bible, and prayed: “Lord, you have been so good to me. Thank you.” It is easy to focus on what the Lord has not done, etc. But oh, He has done so much. A thankful heart is, to some degree, impenetrable by all that would oppose the zoe life of Christ inside each believer.

Surely Not: I am so sad to read this today about Matt Chandler and the Village Church. I would have never dreamed. This breaks my heart. Almost 4,500 people attend, and he has a significant role with the Acts 29 organization. We need to pray for him and his marriage. My heart is broken for him, his wife, the church, and all of those will use this as yet another excuse to call into question the truth and goodness of Jesus Christ. In the words of the Psalmist, “Lord, help.”