tested by extremes

We have had exceptionally cold weather this week...down nearly to single digit temperatures. We discovered water in our basement and determined that a condensate line that leads water from our furnace had a kink and froze, causing a back-up into the basement. Fortunately there was no damage. These extreme temperatures have tested systems that have worked fine in past winters. Extreme cold tests our bodies, our cars, our homes. We are tested by extremes. I have been reading the story of David in 1 Samuel. He had been anointed as the next king of Israel, but the first king was still in place. Saul knows that he is going to be removed from the throne and that David will replace him, but rather than yield to this he is chasing David relentlessly. David is tested by this extreme attempt on his life. As a result his dependence on God becomes absolute and he finds that God is able to protect him, just as God was able to deliver Goliath in their epic confrontation. As a church the Williamsburg Community Chapel has been tested by extremes, as well, over the past year. Our senior pastor of over 20 years resigned and many have had questions. People don't often ask to be placed at the extremes. But when extremes come into our experience they may help us turn to the only One who is greater. The positive result can become the discovery that when we reach our limits, we have only begun to touch His outstretched arm.

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Psalm 18:⁴ The ropes of death entangled me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
⁵ The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.
⁶ But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry to him reached his ears.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

simple expression

As I jog through crisp morning air and feel the contrast of brilliant sun and azure sky with frigid temperatures, thoughts turn to You. I love you, Jesus! Thank you for loving me! Help me to remember to tell you, at least daily, that I love you. You gave me life...all of life. You made me...you planned this life of mine...you knew I would need your help to find You and you sent the help I needed. You found me when I was searching and wondering and wandering. Thank you for showing me that it really is all about you, and knowing you, and walking with you. Nothing added and nothing diminished, but you and you alone, with Father and Spirit. Now I know that oneness with you is what you have had in mind from the beginning.

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I love you, Jesus!

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Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ² And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

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hope you have also found His love!

Rob Smith

knowing and knowing about

I've been reading the book of 1 Samuel. So far I have read the story of Samuel and most of the account of Saul, who was the first king over Israel. Saul is a fascinating character because he seems to be a "part way" believer. We're told that God gave him a new heart and made him a new man as he started his reign. But he seems to flounder in carrying things out. He has a sense of the importance of obeying God and he seems to know about important functions like prayer and sacrifice....but he often doesn't get it right when it comes to true obedience and he becomes impatient when battles are about to start and God's representatives haven't shown up. It's not that he is in total rebellion...it's more like some part of his relationship with the Lord hasn't matured. Somehow, God hasn't become so real to Saul on a personal level that he has learned to absolutely trust...absolutely depend...absolutely wait on Him.

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1 Samuel 13:

¹⁰ Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, ¹¹ but Samuel said, "What is this you have done?"

Saul replied, "I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. ¹² So I said, 'The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven't even asked for the Lord's help!' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came."

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I think the personal challenge is to make sure that we have established a close and personal walk with the Lord. Until we hear from Him, ourselves, and have truly learned to depend upon Him we haven't solidified our dependence and we may try to make things happen on our own. Ultimately it must become "all or nothing" in our walk with the Lord.

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blessings,

Rob Smith

defining the problem

It occurs that many people may be ignoring God because they think He is irrelevant.

To them, God doesn't seem to play a role in their daily life. The routine of their lives may seem to be all about relationships and interactions with other people, with themselves, and with various media. When they consider how their lives are going...it may seem that they are doing just fine. The yardstick to measure their life quality may be how it compares with others they relate to, whether people they know directly or people they hear about. On this relative basis they seem to be doing just as well, or better, than others. But when the reality of God is considered and we begin to compare ourselves and our experiences with His ideal and with His design we find that we aren't doing nearly so well. We need to "define the problem" of life in a different way.

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The uplook may help us with the inlook and lead to a healthier outlook.

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Isaiah 40:²⁶

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.

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Much joy as this New Year unfolds!

Rob Smith