Friday Coffee with PJ

It's Friday!!! So pour yourself a cup of java and join me for a few random thoughts which I hope will help you walk closer to Jesus! 

If you read my blog post of last Friday, you would know that last week my wife and I spent time away. Our first stop was Ocean City, Maryland. We actually enjoyed a sunny and warm afternoon sitting on the beach (temperature about 79 degrees). That was a bonus that we did not expect! After two days there, we then drove on to Williamsburg, Virginia (with a brief stop to enjoy lunch with some friends in Virginia Beach). Our four days in Williamsburg were a boatload of fun and learning (we are both history buffs). As we walked down the historic Duke of Gloucester Street, we had to pinch ourselves as this was the fourth time in the past two years we had planned a vacation to Williamsburg. Serious circumstances had arisen that kept us from traveling there the previous three times. So all in all we were very grateful God allowed us in his providence to get there and, for the vast majority of the time, enjoy sunshine and light breezes while there. 

I find much comfort in God's providence. And just what is this "providence?" The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all things (Ephesians 1:11). For example in the book of Daniel, we find an ancient king who knew something about exercising authority (his authority would have been absolute). The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, had a pride problem (Daniel 4:29-30). And so God cut him down to size by afflicting him with some sort of mental disorder (see Daniel 4:31-33). After a period of time, the king's sanity was restored and he understood a fundamental principle that we all must not only understand but also choose to live by: God is sovereign over all and "none can stay his hand." Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way this vital truth about the world we live in . . . "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand" (Proverbs 19:21). 

So when we speak of God's providence, we are simply speaking of the reality that the God who is sovereign over all has a plan and he is working that plan for our world and for each and every one of us. And as we know from Romans 8:28-29, God is working all things (the good, the bad and the ugly) together for our God to ultimately to make us more like His Son. Wow! To look like Jesus? It doesn't get any better than that! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 
pj 

Friday Coffee with PJ

It's Friday so please pour yourself a cup of coffee (or your favorite "get me started in the morning" beverage) and join me for a few random thoughts from which I hope you can glean some inspiration for your walk with God. 

First, my apologies for missing a Friday post the past two Fridays. The week of October 1st I traveled to Winona Lake, Indiana to attend the Board of Trustees meetings of Grace College and Seminary. The meetings were great and the travel uneventful (oh, except for a flat tire on my rental car). But being tied up all week meant I had no time to write a blog post. Then last week, I spent time catching up from being away AND working ahead since I will be out this upcoming week (I am writing this on Sunday October 14th) enjoying a week of vacation with my wife. I am not stating an excuse here. Just want you to know why I have been "missing in action!" 

Speaking of vacation, our plans are to leave Monday morning and travel south. First to the Maryland shore and then on to Williamsburg, VA. Included in our time away, we are planning to stop and see some friends and family who live down that way. Sharon and I are looking forward to reconnecting with these people we love (and reconnecting with each other, away from the pressures of routine life and ministry). 

As I think about our plans, I am struck with just how important life’s relationships are. Whether it is blood family or the family of God (which is also blood family – Christ’s blood that is!), relationships should be at the top of our priority list. Jesus makes it quite clear that love for others should be one of our top goals in life (he placed it right behind our love for God - see Matthew 22:36-40). The New Testament letters are full of admonitions for us to "one another one another" (Romans 12:10; Galatians 5:13; Hebrews 10:24-25). 

So given the weight placed upon relationships by God's Word, how about YOU?  Are you so caught up in the Great American “Rat Race” that you find little time to cultivate meaningful relationships in your life?  If so – it may be time for you to make some needed changes. You (and those around you) will be better for it! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj