A Sheep Saunters Through 2 Peter 3:10-13

August 21, 2026 / taethne / Leave a comment

A Thief In The Night

Hello my dear friends,

Grab a cup of coffee and settle in with me for a few minutes. I want to sit with you in a passage that has both unsettled and steadied me more times than I can count—and this time I want us to listen a little more carefully to what Peter is actually saying.

Here’s the text:

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
(2 Peter 3:10-13, NIV)

Peter has just been dealing with scoffers who shrug and say, “Nothing ever changes. Where is this ‘coming’ Jesus promised?” (vv. 3-4). His first answer is God’s patient delay—He is not slow but merciful, giving time for repentance (vv. 8-9). Then, in these verses, he turns from the delay to the certainty and the character of that coming Day.

“The day of the Lord will come like a thief.”

Peter is echoing Jesus’ own words and Paul’s. The image stresses unexpectedness. No one gets to schedule it or brace for it on their own terms.What follows is a vivid picture of cosmic unmaking: the heavens disappear with a sudden roaring rush (rhoizēdon—like the whistle of a collapsing structure or a roaring fire), the basic elements of the universe (stoicheia) are dissolved by fire, and the earth with everything done in it is “laid bare.” Some manuscripts say “burned up,” but the stronger reading is that everything is exposed, brought into the open for divine scrutiny. Peter is using the rich Old Testament language of the Day of the Lord to tell us the present order of things is temporary scaffolding, not permanent furniture.

Then comes the question that lands like a gentle hand on the shoulder:

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?”

It’s not a guilt trip. It’s an invitation. The Greek is emphatic—potapous, “what sort of quality of people.” The answer is concrete: live holy and godly lives—a whole pattern of conduct and devotion. And we do this while “looking forward to” the day of God and “speeding” or “hastening” its coming. That second verb doesn’t mean we can force God’s hand. In the thought-world Peter shared, the repentance and righteous living of God’s people were seen as somehow participating in the purposes for which God delays—the gathering of the repentant. Our holiness leans into the very future God has promised.

And then—oh, the mercy of that little word “but.”

“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

The fire is not the end of the story. It is the purifying of the story. Peter reaches back to Isaiah’s great promise (65:17; 66:22) of a creation made new in quality (kainos), not merely new in time. And the defining feature of that renewed world? Righteousness will no longer be a visitor or a struggle—it will make its permanent home there. Everything will finally fit the way it was always meant to.This is not escapism. It’s the deepest form of hope. Because we know the ending is good, we can live with courage and tenderness right in the middle of the story.

Personal Reflection Questions

When you honestly look at your daily priorities, habits, and anxieties, which ones treat the present world as if it will last forever? Which ones already lean toward the new creation?
Peter links the coming exposure of “everything done” in the earth directly to the call for holy living. How does that future openness affect the way you evaluate hidden motives, private habits, or public ambitions right now?
What might it look like, in concrete terms, for you to “hasten” the day of God through holy and godly living? Where do you sense the Spirit inviting a specific change that aligns your life more closely with the righteousness that will one day dwell fully?
The new heaven and new earth are described as a place “where righteousness dwells.” Sit with that image for a moment. What particular form of brokenness or injustice in your own life or in the world around you makes you long most deeply for that day?

Take your time with these. There’s no rush. The same God who will one day unmake and remake the cosmos is already at work, by His Spirit, reshaping us into people who fit the world that is coming. And His promise is still good. He will bring His people to Himself, and we will experience His deep love forever.

Let these words encourage you not to fear the future

Your fellow sheep

A Sheep Saunters Into 2 Peter 3:8-9

August 20, 2026 / taethne / Leave a comment

Promises, Promises

Hey friend,

Come on in—grab that mug of coffee or tea, (or both, I won’t judge), and settle into your favorite chair across. The morning light is soft, the house is quiet, and I’ve been thinking about a passage that feels like it was written for the exact kind of waiting season so many of us find ourselves in. Let’s open 2 Peter 3:8-9 together and just talk it through, the way friends do when there’s no rush and nowhere else we need to be.

2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV) “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Have you ever sat with a promise that feels like it’s taking forever? Maybe you’ve prayed the same prayer for years, watched the calendar turn, and wondered quietly, “God… are You even listening?” Peter’s readers were feeling something very similar. Scoffers were mocking them: “Where is this ‘coming’ He promised? Everything’s just going on as it always has.” The delay was starting to look like forgetfulness—or worse, failure.

Into that ache Peter leans in with the gentlest, firmest word: “Dear friends… do not forget this one thing.” He reminds them (and us) that the God we wait for does not experience time the way we do. A thousand years can feel like a single day to Him, and a single day can hold the weight of a millennium. This isn’t poetic exaggeration; it’s a loving correction of our limited perspective. We measure God’s faithfulness by the ticking of our clocks. He measures it by the unfolding of His heart.

Then comes the heart of the passage—the reason for the “delay.”

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you…”

That little phrase “with you” is so personal. The patience of God is not an abstract attribute floating somewhere in the heavens. It is directed toward you. Toward the person reading these words right now. Toward the one still wrestling, still wandering, still not quite ready.

Why this long patience? Because God is not willing that any should perish. His heart burns with a holy longing that everyone—every single person—would turn and find life. The delay is not indifference. It is mercy with the door still open.

Isn’t that staggering? The same God who spoke galaxies into existence slows His own schedule so that one more heart might soften, one more life might turn, one more prodigal might come home. The “slowness” we sometimes resent is actually the kindness of a Father who refuses to close the door while there is still time for repentance.

So the next time the waiting feels heavy, remember: you are not being overlooked. You are being given room. The God who holds eternity is using time itself as an invitation—an invitation still extended to you, and through you, to others. His patience is not weakness.
It is love that refuses to give up.

Personal Reflection Questions

Where in your life right now does God’s timing feel “slow”? How might viewing that delay as personal patience change the way you wait?
Peter says the Lord is patient “with you.” What does it mean for you, specifically, that God’s patience has your name on it?
Is there someone in your life for whom you’ve almost given up praying? How does this passage invite you to keep the door of hope open a little longer?
In what quiet way might God be inviting you toward deeper repentance or fuller trust in this season of waiting?

Take a few unhurried moments with these questions. Let the patience of God settle over you like a warm blanket. He is not late. He is lovingly on time—for you.

A Short Prayer

Father, thank You that Your timing is never late and never cold. Thank You for the patient love that still holds the door open for me and for the people I care about. Help me trust Your heart when the waiting feels long. Soften any place in me that needs to turn toward You again, and keep me gentle and hopeful while we wait together. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Sheep Saunters Into 2 Peter 3:1-7

August 19, 2026 / taethne / Leave a comment

When Scoffers Laugh

Beloved friends,

Pull up a chair. Grab your coffee or tea and settle in with me for a few minutes. I love these quiet moments when we can open the Word together and just talk it through, like old friends around the table.

Let’s walk slowly through these verses together, the way we do when the path feels a little uncertain and the voices around us grow loud. Peter writes:

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
(2 Peter 3:1-7, NIV)

Peter begins with tenderness: “friends.” He is not scolding; he is stirring. He wants us to remember two solid things: the words the holy prophets spoke long ago, and the command that came through the apostles from our Lord and Savior. When the world feels shaky, we go back to what has already been spoken. He wants to wake up pure minds—sincere, unmixed hearts that still want to think clearly about Jesus. Both of his letters have the same gentle purpose: to remind us of what the holy prophets spoke long ago and what the apostles of our Lord and Savior commanded. Our foundation is not new ideas or fresh revelations; it is the old, steady Word.

Then Peter gets practical. Above everything else, we need to understand this: scoffers are coming. Not might come—will come. In the last days they will walk after their own desires and mock the promise of Christ’s return. Their question drips with sarcasm: “Where is the promise of His coming? Everything has stayed the same since the fathers died. Creation just keeps rolling on.” It sounds familiar, doesn’t it? The idea that nothing ever really changes, so maybe the promise isn’t real after all.

Notice Peter’s diagnosis. These scoffers are not merely confused; they are “willingly…ignorant.” They deliberately overlook the very history that God has already written in water and word. By the word of God the heavens and the earth were formed, the earth standing out of the water and in the water. That same word once brought a flood that swept the old world away. The scoffers pretend the universe is a closed system of unbroken uniformity, but Scripture records a catastrophic interruption. Judgment has already happened. Therefore, the same powerful word that once flooded the world now holds the present heavens and earth in store, reserved for fire—kept until the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly.

Dear friends, this is not fearmongering. It is family talk. Peter is saying, “Remember what God has already done so you will not be shaken by what the mockers claim He will never do.” The delay is not denial. The apparent sameness of the days is not proof that the promise has failed. The same voice that spoke creation into being and once judged the world by water will one day purify it by fire. Jesus isn’t late. He’s patient. And His word is completely reliable.

So what does this mean for us on an ordinary afternoon?

When the news cycle, the dinner-table conversations, or the quiet doubts in our own hearts start whispering, “Nothing ever really changes…maybe He’s not coming,” we gently stir our pure minds again. We remember the prophets. We remember the apostles. We remember the flood. And we rest in the certainty that the same word that holds the stars in place is holding this present age until the appointed day.Jesus is not late. He is patient. And His promise still stands.

Personal reflection questions to sit with a while:

Where have you recently heard (or felt in your own heart) that scoffing question: “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?”
Is there any part of God’s past faithfulness—creation, the flood, the cross—that you’ve been tempted to deliberately forget or downplay lately?
What is one simple way you can stimulate wholesome thinking this week? (Maybe reading a prophet’s promise out loud, journaling a short prayer, or just pausing to thank the Lord for the word that still holds everything together.)
How does knowing that the same powerful word reserves the present world for its appointed day change the way you want to live today?

Your fellow sheep, still sauntering toward the Day, still grateful for the coffee (or tea) and the steady Word

Resting in the Word that never fails.

A Sheep Saunters Into 2 Peter 1:3-4

August 4, 2026 / taethne

His Divine Power

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
—2 Peter 1:3–4 (ESV)

Dear friend in Christ,

Join with me today as we contemplate God’s Word while sipping a soothing Ginger Honey Herbal tea or your favorite beverage. Let His Word soothe your soul as we look at the wonderful plan our Awesome Savior has for us.

There are days when the Christian life feels like trying to climb a steep mountain with empty hands. We want to live godly lives, yet we sense our own poverty of strength, wisdom, and desire. Into that exact place the apostle Peter speaks these astonishing words. He does not begin with a list of duties. He begins with a gift.

Peter tells us that God’s own divine power has already granted us everything we need for life and godliness. The verb is perfect tense—something completed in the past with ongoing results. The moment we came to know Jesus Christ, heaven’s storehouse was opened. Nothing essential is missing. The power that raised Jesus from the dead, the power that spoke galaxies into existence, is the same power that now supplies every spiritual need of the believer.

How does this power reach us? Not through mystical experiences or heroic self-effort, but “through the knowledge of him who called us.” The word Peter uses is epignōsis—a deep, personal, relational knowledge. It is the knowledge that grows as we walk with the One who first called us “by his own glory and excellence.” God did not call us because we were impressive. He called us by the sheer beauty of His own character. His glory and moral excellence are both the reason He reached for us and the means by which He keeps reaching us.

Through that same glory and excellence, Peter continues, God has given us “precious and very great promises.” These are not vague wishes; they are the concrete assurances of Scripture—promises of forgiveness, presence, strength, future glory, and final transformation. And the purpose of those promises is breathtaking: “so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.”

Partakers of the divine nature. Not that we become little gods, but that we are drawn into the very life of God Himself—sharing His holiness, His love, His steadfastness, His joy. The early church fathers called this theosis: being remade in the likeness of the One we behold. And notice the accompanying truth: we partake of that divine nature only after (and because) we have “escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” The gospel does not leave us half-rescued. It delivers us from the rotting influence of a world bent by lust, and then ushers us into participation in God’s own pure life.

This is the warm heart of the passage. You are not asked to manufacture godliness out of your own thin resources. You are invited to receive what has already been granted, to know the One who called you, to cling to His promises, and to discover that in Christ you are being made a sharer in the very life of God.

My dear ones, let these truths settle over you like morning light. The same divine power that created the universe is at work in you today. The same Jesus who called you still holds out His precious promises. And the destination is not merely survival or moral improvement—it is intimate participation in the life of God Himself.

Personal Reflection Questions

Where in my life right now do I feel most keenly the lack of strength or desire for godliness? How does Peter’s declaration that “His divine power has granted to us all things” speak to that specific place?
What does “the knowledge of him who called us” look like in my daily rhythms? Am I cultivating a deeper personal acquaintance with Jesus, or am I mostly relying on second-hand information about Him?
Which of God’s “precious and very great promises” do I most need to hold tightly today? Can I name one promise from Scripture and deliberately lean my weight upon it this week?
In what concrete ways am I still tasting the “corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire”? What would it look like to walk more fully in the escape Christ has already provided?
If it is true that God intends me to become a partaker of His divine nature, how does that change the way I view my struggles, my relationships, and my future?

May the God of all grace, who has already given you everything you need in Christ, draw you deeper into the knowledge of Himself this day. Amen.

Remember that you are deeply and dearly loved by Our Wonderful Savior

A Sheep’s Journey Through Psalms -119

May 11, 2026May 11, 2026 / taethne

A Heart Set on God’s Word

Good morning, dear friend!

Let’s open our hearts together to the riches of Psalm 119. This is the longest chapter in the Bible—an acrostic masterpiece where each of its 22 sections begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Through every stanza, the psalmist pours out his love for God’s Word using a beautiful variety of terms: law, statutes, precepts, commands, decrees, promises, and testimonies. Far from seeing these as heavy rules, he views them as a priceless treasure and the source of true life.

One of the most striking declarations comes in verse 97:

“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.”

The Hebrew word for “love” here carries the idea of deep affection and delight. The psalmist isn’t speaking of reluctant obedience; his soul is captivated. He doesn’t merely study God’s law occasionally—he meditates on it continually, letting it fill his thoughts and shape his decisions. In the verses surrounding this declaration, he shows the fruit of that love: God’s commandments make him wiser than his enemies, give him more insight than his teachers, and help him understand more than the aged (vv. 98-100). God’s Word is not restrictive; it is liberating and illuminating.

Another beloved verse that beautifully captures the psalm’s message is verse 105:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

In the ancient world, travelers often carried small oil lamps that cast only a few feet of light ahead. That’s the picture here. God’s Word doesn’t usually reveal the entire future at once. Instead, it gives us enough light for the next obedient step. This verse sits in a stanza that also pleads, “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me” (v. 133). The psalmist understood that walking in Scripture’s light both protects us and keeps us aligned with God’s will.

From a Christian perspective, Psalm 119 shines even brighter. The same God who inspired these words is the God who later sent His Son, the Living Word. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17). In Him, the commands of God are no longer written only on stone or parchment, but by the Holy Spirit on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3). When we open our Bibles today, the Holy Spirit who authored Psalm 119 now lives within us to help us understand, love, and obey it.

So here is my encouragement for you today: Make God’s Word the daily delight of your heart. Choose a few verses from Psalm 119 (or anywhere in Scripture), read them slowly, and ask the Lord to open your eyes to behold wonderful things in His law (v. 18). Hide them in your heart so you might not sin against Him (v. 11). Walk in the light they provide, one step at a time.

A Prayer for Us
Lord, thank You for the gift of Your perfect Word. Ignite in us the same passionate love the psalmist had. Teach us to meditate on it day and night, to trust it fully, and to walk obediently in its light. Draw us closer to Jesus, our Living Word, and conform us more into His image. In His name we pray, Amen.

My friend, you are never alone on this journey. The God who gave us Psalm 119 walks with you and speaks to you through every page. Hold His lamp high today—He will faithfully light your path. Which section or verse from Psalm 119 is touching your heart right now? I’d love to hear.

40 Days of Praise — Day 7

February 27, 2024 / taethne

STANDING ON THE PROMISES by R. Kelso Carter

Standing on the promises of Christ my king; Through eternal ages let His praises ring

Glory in the highest I will shout and sing; Standing on the promises of God

Standing on the promises that cannot fail; When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail

By the living Word of God I shall prevail; Standing on the promises of God

Standing on the promises I now can see; Perfect present cleansing in the blood for me

Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free; Standing on the promises of God

Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord; Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord

Overcoming daily by the Spirit’s sword; Standing on the promises of God

Standing on the promises I cannot fall; Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call

Resting in my Savior as my all in all; Standing on the promises of God

REFRAIN

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior

Standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God

The second verse of this hymn strikes me profoundly. God’s promises cannot fail. The omnipotent, all-knowing Creator God is able to keep every promise He makes. He is trustworthy, He is true. Whenever the storms of doubt and fear howl at me, whenever I am assailed by the knowledge of my own inadequacy, I can stand on God’s promises because He never fails.

There are over 3,000 promises in the Bible. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says this about those precious promises:

“God’s divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises so that through them you may become partakers of His divine nature”

Oh, what a great passage. God gave us these promises of His so that we can partake of His divine nature. He gave them to us so we can live a godly life through our relationship with His perfect Son!

Truly, I am bound to Him eternally and can overcome each day the doubts and fears Satan throws at me by using the Spirit’s Sword, the Holy Word of God. I will resolve to know these promises and to stand on Him. Will you?

Lord, help me to study Your Word and find your promises. Help me to hide Your Word in my heart so I will live a godly life and not sin against you. Help me to stand on Your Word. Amen.

Light In The Darkness

October 23, 2017 / taethne

Light In The Darkness

Isaiah 50:10-11
10 Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

There are times in our lives when, as Christians, we are called to serve God in the midst of darkness. There are times when it is difficult to see very far ahead. Like driving on a dark highway on a moonless night in the middle of a rainstorm, our lives sometimes feel as if we are going nowhere fast and we are not sure if we will make it to our destination.

It is interesting to me that many Christians desire to be “overcomers”, but do not want much to overcome. We want to go to heaven, but we do not want to die to go there. We want our faith increased, without having to rely on anyone. We want all good times, all the time, and that is simply not how life works. Life is filled with melody and misery, high times and hard times. You may be experiencing a dark time right now, what many saints of the past termed “a dark night of the soul.” You may be at a point right now where you aren’t able to make sense of what is happening in your life. There are times, seasons in our lives, where we have studied the lessons, learned our formulas, memorized the promises of the Bible and think we have it all figured out — and suddenly we are plunged into a deep, deep darkness.

What do you do when the lights go out? When deep darkness comes into your life?
It has been said that in school one learns the lessons first and tests second. In life, we take the test first and learn the lessons second. Hopefully, today you will come to see that there are lessons to be learned when the lights go out.

Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God

In this verse, the Bible is talking about a faithful servant of God. This person loves and fears God. He or she is being obedient. This is not a backslider or someone who has wandered off from God. This is an active Christian who loves the Lord and is being obedient to God’s voice, yet they are in a dark place.

There is a distorted idea out there that once a person becomes a Christian it is all honey and no bees. Not true. It rains on both the just and the unjust. There are tens of thousands of Christians who love God and are obediently serving Him who are experiencing dark times. Over a hundred thousand are martyred across the globe annually.

Job said, “God has put darkness in my path” (Job 19:8) Habakkuk exclaimed, “How long shall I cry out and you not hear?” (Hab. 1:2) John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus from the cell in which he was imprisoned asking Him if He really was the Messiah. Each of these godly men came to a point in their life that they did not fully comprehend. They experienced a time of darkness, when they did not understand what was happening to them nor why God was allowing it.

When you are in darkness it doesn’t necessarily mean you have sinned or that you are outside of God’s will for your life. It might be that God has put you in a dark time so that His light shines brighter and you can see Him more clearly.

Faith is like film. It is developed in the dark. We grow the most spiritually when we are forced to look to Jesus alone for help. You will never know how much you need Jesus until Jesus is all you have. As Christians, we are called to live by faith – not by explanations. Our verse tells us to trust or lean on the name of the Lord. Even when tough times come. If you do not have the conviction that God is good all the time then you will not stand when darkness falls. Job said – “even if He slays me I will trust in Him.” When walking in darkness we must trust, lean on, God and His promises – which never fail.

When you are in the dark you don’t need explanations. You need God. An explanation sometimes makes things worse. Sometimes God removes all the answers to give us Himself. A relationship with Him is more important than reasons. In his blindness, John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. In prison John Bunyon wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. In exile, John wrote Revelation. In the dark, God develops our faith. Never doubt in the dark what you learned in the light. The test of our character is what we do, how we react, in the dark. God is still God when the darkness comes. He is still reigning on His throne. He still works out things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Some things, some truths in life, are only learned in the dark. For example, have you ever said, “the stars are out tonight?” Did you know they are out in the daytime but you cannot see them because of the sun’s brightness? There are some treasures, some beautiful things that are only revealed in the dark.

Psalm 148:3 says the stars are there to praise the Lord. Do you have a star in your darkness with which to praise God?

Here are some treasures of the dark. In the light, we see things that are near. In the dark, we see far away – light years away into outer space. We may think our brightest thoughts in the day, but we think our deepest thoughts at night. In the light, we see more clearly. In the dark, we see further. There are some aspects of our future God reveals to us in the dark. If you are praying for God to reveal to you what is next up for your life, be prepared for dark times so that He can show you things that are far off. Just ask Daniel and John about that.

Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.

There is a danger in the dark that Scripture warns us about. One of our most dangerous temptations is that we will be tempted to light our own fire. That is the warning of verse 11. If God has placed darkness around you, then you need to wait on God to remove it. It is better to be in the dark with God than to stand alone in man-made light. Do not ever give into despair during dark times. Darkness cannot overcome light. Remember, you don’t open a door to let darkness in. You open a door to spill out light.

If light has been removed from the situations in your life, then God, in His wisdom, has allowed it so that your faith can be developed and so that He can show you a glimpse of the future. If God is the One who has placed darkness in your path than do not be so foolish as to light your own fire. A man made fire is deceptive. It is not a sure guide to follow. God says that if we light our own fire in the middle of a God ordained darkness we will suffer.

Abraham and Sarah could not wait. Abraham created his own fire with Hagar to produce Ishmael. Untold centuries of suffering have followed his decision. Has darkness come into your life? Are you waiting on God or trying to light your own fire?
Even in the darkest of nights the sun will still rise and chase it away. Eventually God’s light will shine again and the lessons you learn in the dark will last for all eternity. You will see things and know truths that you had never seen or known before. Weeping may endure for a night says Psalm 30:5, but joy will come in the morning.

Remember this, when you are walking on a sunny day, feeling the warmth of the sun’s rays, those rays are 8.3 minutes old when they reach your face. Even though you feel the sun’s warmth, you have never experienced its full intensity. The sun’s surface temperature is approximately 10,000° F. Its inner core is in excess of 27,000,000 °F. You have felt her warmth but not her intensity.

Likewise, we can feel the warmth of God’s presence but we haven’t experienced the full intensity of His glory yet. There is coming a day when we will, but now we only see a fraction of it. When the lights go out God is still there, shining. He wants to give you a star to praise Him more. Our trials become stars in order to praise the Lord. When the lights go out, develop your faith, lean on the Lord, trust in Him and you will see further than you ever have before.

Hymn Devotions Day 7 – Standing on the Promises

August 18, 2012 / taethne

DAY 7 – STANDING ON THE PROMISES

There are over 3,000 promises in the Bible. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says this about those precious promises:

Oh, what a great passage. God gave us these promises of His so that we can partake of His divine nature. He gave them to us so we can live a godly life through our relationship with His perfect Son!

Lord, help me to study Your Word and find your promises. Help me to hide Your Word in my heart so I will live a godly life and not sin against you. Help me to stand on Your Word. Amen.

STANDING ON THE PROMISES by R. Kelso Carter

Standing on the promises of Christ my king

Through eternal ages let His praises ring

Glory in the highest I will shout and sing