As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! (Psalm 119:7 NLT) You have probably heard that the true learning comes when you actually apply what has been taught to you. There is much truth in this, as most of what we 'learn' doesn't even get used in our everyday lives. It is merely facts placed somewhere in our memory, but not really 'of use'. Sure, we may need it somewhere down the line, but we might never even use that tidbit of 'hidden away' fact. All that we glean from God's Word may not apply today, but we can be assured that when we need it the most, we will have it at our disposal to help us right where and when it is needed. When I went through nursing school, I learned a lot about the human body, but did I put it to use right away? It wasn't until I went into my clinical setting at the hospital that I began to see how each 'fact' carefully studied and memorized actually helped me understand what was...
We look at life from the back side of the tapestry. And most of the time, what we see is loose threads, tangled knots and the like. But occasionally, God's light shines through the tapestry, and we get a glimpse of the larger design with God weaving together the darks and lights of existence. (John Piper) You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalm 139:13-16 NLT) Too often we complain about what God must be doing in our lives, doubting good will ever come from whatever it is we are facing. That 'glimpse' at what the finished work will look like is priceless, isn't it? W...