Timely Musings 7/25/07

It struck me this morning, suddenly, that the difference between my daily walk this year and last is perspiration. Last year I perspired freely and always ended up with a shirt soaked with perspiration. This year I have never had that at all, so on the whole it is a very peasant summer, and we are way past the middle of July already. I thank God for this, belatedly, as usual, but fervently.

There are many people who will try to explain this. I simply accept it as something God sends us and it becomes part of what the Psalmist means when he says, “This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it”. In short, take it as God’s gift for today.

So many things we do, and our age sees so many new things, improvements, techniques and twists to things to make them better, easier, or more beneficial. And life is easier for us, that is true.

BUT - Think of this statement by Burton Hillis, columnist, “I’m not convinced that the world is in any worse shape than it ever was. It’s just that in this age of almost instantaneous communication, we bear the weight of problems our forefathers only read about after they were solved.”

That seems such a “right on the money truth”, that we simply taken for granted. We know what is going on in the world, and it scares us, because we see no solution.
But when we read history we see that is has ever been so, and why? Because there is sin. Satan is alive and active in this world. This we know, and are armed by our gracious heavenly God who has “written our names on the palms of his hands”.

And more still, He promises to hear our cries. Psalm 17, 6, for instance, says, “I call on you, O God, for you sill answer me; give ear to me, and hear my prayer”.

And maybe that is why he can do this with such confidence, “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice, and be glad in it” because all is right when God hears and sees our needs each day. So I take my morning walk, and am grateful that the Lord has sent me another delightful time to do it.

GPD 7/25/07