“Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I come.”
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Robert Robinson, 1758
God stepped in and won the battle.
1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)
Samuel took a stone and set it up . . . He named it Ebenezer,[saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
Worried about the future? Look back. Count your blessings. Raise your Ebenezer.
It’s easier to vote if you can read–read the names on the ballot, read the directions for voting, read the candidates’ take on important issues.
This opinion piece from The Hill is three years old. Good education, they point out, is more than the percentage of high school students graduating.
“The consequences of this tragedy — thousands of students graduating each year without even basic education attainment — reveal a crime of almost epic proportions.”
I fear the pandemic has made things worse, not better.
Simple reading and math skills matter. It’s time for change.
1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)
Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
Look to God–for guidance, for answers, for strength.
Lord, grant me the wisdom to chose the right words when I speak. Grant me the strength to hold my tongue when I shouldn’t. Teach me to care less about what others think of me and care more about what You think of me. 
Psalm 33:13-15 (NIV)
From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
Don’t worry. God’s keeping an eye on the upcoming election. And on me.
And on you. Nothing will surprise Him.
Here in the US, the presidential election is top news.
God knows. Now and always.
Does the name Burkina Faso mean anything to you? It’s a small West African country, formerly called Upper Volta. Burkina means “upright” in one of the languages spoken there. Faso means “father’s house” in a different language. Basically, its name means “land of honest men.”
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reports:
“In recent years, Burkina Faso has found itself at the
epicenter of several interrelated and rapidly evolving
crises that are engulfing much of West Africa. These
compounded security and humanitarian crises are
testing the limits of Burkinabe religious tolerance and
intercultural harmony as conflicts over land, jobs, and
scarce resources have begun to erode social cohesion.”
The Land of Honest Men needs our prayers.
Lord, bless the Burkinabe people. Protect them, provide the food and shelter they desperately need. Frustrate any jihadist or militia groups’ plans to disrupt worship and discourage the leaders. Change the hearts of those who plot violent attacks. Restore harmony, in Jesus’ name.
Psalm 57:7 (EXB)
My heart is steady [steadfast; ready], God;
my heart is steady [steadfast; ready].
I will sing and praise [play a psalm for] you.
It’s simple (but not easy): Steady faith, ready to obey.
“God loves a broken heart,
not a divided heart.”
Thomas Watson (1620-1686)
Does your heart hurt for the right reasons?
Thomas Watson, a Puritan pastor in Great Britain, fell in and out of favor with those in power and was imprisoned for a time. He preached when he had the chance. He prepared a place for public worship after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Folks say, “Follow your heart.”
Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
Take care whose heart you follow.
Lord God, I want to follow Your good heart. I don’t trust my own.
These words from an ancient prophet
speak to us here and now.
Jeremiah 16:12 (NASB)
You are each one walking according
to the stubbornness of his own evil heart,
without listening to Me.
I see lots of folks (including the one in the mirror) walking according to their stubborn hearts.
