Kindness

Why is it that when election times come around, people put their manners on a shelf and walk away? Just recently, I felt compelled to post the following because of some of the meanness and trash talk that was being spewed.


A Kind Disclaimer: As election chatter heats up, I want to make a few comments - 1) I do not agree with nor support every statement that comes through my feed. 2) I find some of the comments and language highly offensive, and I wish everyone would be kinder in their fervor. 3) I have many friends, whom I love, and we care about each other enough to "agree to disagree". 4) As always, I encourage everyone to vote because we are privileged to have this freedom and should not take it for granted. 5) If anyone has any specific questions about my views, you may private message me (and I may or may not reply). Love to all!

The word "kindness" or the phrase "discuss without malice" has been forgotten. When debates over candidates and issues become so heated that we begin attacking other human beings, I say, "Enough!"

"Kindness" appears 65 times in 57 verses in the NIV1. In the King James Bible, the word is translated "lovingkindness". Kindness literally includes a "good sense or zeal towards and among mankind"; its components are mercy, goodness, a mutual benevolence and benefits, and favor.

Attacking another human because of differing opinions, political views, or even religious ideals is not helpful to anyone. Beating someone down verbally is certainly not an effective means of swaying them to another position. In fact, I have found the opposite to be true. Communication stops entirely, and not only is there no shared meaning, but an aggressive permanent hostility is born...and it lasts.

In 2 Samuel 9:3, King David is specifically looking for any kin of Saul's to whom he may "act kindly towards him like unto God." Perhaps, we should be looking for those to whom we may act kindly.

Over and over again, God has shown His grace, favor, and mercy to mankind.2 He has cleared our paths of enemies and made our journeys straight. He has preserved man and beast, when both have deserved harsh punishment or worse. God sacrificed His beloved and only Son, so that we might have eternal life. He has extended mercies and blessings on multiple generations.3 God established His faithfulness to us from heaven itself, yet we are not extending similar mercies to our fellow human beings here on this earth. Again, I say, "Enough!"

In Exodus 34, the God of the Universe described Himself to Moses as, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

As we consider candidates and we passionately debate issues, let us do so compassionately and graciously. We, who claim the Lord as our Father, have a responsibility to emulate the love of Jesus. He showed love and mercy to the good, the bad, and the ugly. Only He knows to which category each of us belongs. May we proceed kindly, making our own political choices based upon our consciences and the Lord's leading. May we weigh and discuss issues thoughtfully, gently, and respectfully with the brains and hearts God bestowed upon each of us. May we walk away from malicious attacks and actions. We serve a Sovereign and living Lord, and His will, in His time, will be done.

"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling." Exodus 15:13


1. Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for '"kindness"' in the NIV". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 9 Jan 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=kindness&t=NIV >


2. NIV Psalm 5:8; 36:6; 48:10; John 3:16


3. NIV Isaiah 55:3

Disposable

Have you noticed just how disposable our current world has become? How many items in our society have been purposefully manufactured to be thrown away after only a few uses, or have been designed to become obsolete in a fraction of their previous shelf lives? The phrase "planned obsolescence" didn't even exist until the mid 1960's.


The rotary telephone in our garage is 50 years old, and it works better than our new cell phones. Our cell phones barely made it home before they were obsolete.

Corporations still use commercial wallpaper, which easily lasts 20 years. However, home interiors have painted walls that stay fresh and nice looking for only 2 to 3 years.

Television sets were passed from one generation until the next. They were huge, elaborate pieces of furniture, and they had to be run over by a tank before they would break. Now few television warranties are beyond 2 years.

Our original Westinghouse washing machine lasted 20 years before it began to show any wear or tear. Our talented repair man replaced two or three belts at year 20, and it lasted 5 more years before we had to buy a new one. Most now are only expected to last 5 years.

Our world is full of items that are designed to become obsolete in extremely short periods of time. When we make these expensive purchases, we do so without expectations that they will last.

Fortunately, God does not have a short expiration date, nor will He ever become obsolete. He has been in existence since eternity past; He is living and active in our present day, and He will be forever more!

Our earthly lives today last an average of 70+ years, but even Old Testament folks, who lived hundreds of years, were still just a blink on God's time line.

We are disposable on this earth, but according to God's Word, we will be living eternally - in heaven or in hell. Is not Christmas 2011 a perfect time to consider the free gift that our merciful LORD has bought for us?

Perseverance

Since 1996, I have had painful chronic health issues, so you would think I would know all about endurance and stamina. However, during the last several months as I have anxiously and hopefully awaited the sale of our family home of 30 plus years, I discovered that I know very little about perseverance.


Collins English Dictionary defines perseverance as "steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement."1 The process includes a doggedness and steadfastness, in spite of discouragement. It includes a tenacity and endurance until the end.

Perseverance is not just plodding forward; it is plodding forward even when (perhaps especially when) we are disappointed or discouraged. When life gets murky and mucky, I must purposefully toil and trudge through the mire.

In my mind, I think I have been throwing adult temper tantrums. My checklist of what should be happening and when it should be happening has not come to fruition, and I have not been tenacious in keeping focused on that which is most important.

1 Timothy 4:16 tells us:

"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Hebrews 10:36 says:

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."

Strong's Lexicon reminded me that perseverance includes abiding still, continuing, or remaining in the "blessing for which one keeps himself fit".2 Continuing on a daily basis in the love and grace God has gifted me, rather than existing in a state of disappointment is really the key.

Strong's emphasizes in the Hebrews verse - "in the NT (New Testament) the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings."3

Recently, through the Holy Spirit, I have come face-to-face with the fact that I have swerved from my true purpose of loyal faith and piety, and I have allowed this trial of an unsold house to hinder my journey. I have briefly taken my eyes off heaven, the ultimate prize, and in that process I momentarily lost my daily joy.

John Gill explains that I am to take heed unto thyself - I am to take heed that my life is exemplary - and that means that my mental life should be steadfast, so my special gifts from God are not neglected. He encouraged me (and us) to feed our lives with God's knowledge and understanding, according to the doctrine of Christ and His godliness.4  By taking heed, we can save ourselves from the polluted thoughts of this world, which definitely include a propensity for giving up or giving in to discouragement.

God is a glorious God of grace and mercy. Even though I have no idea why our sale has not happened in my earthly timetable, God wants me to suffer through this trial in joyful perseverance, keeping my eyes on Jesus. I needed this lesson in continuance and endurance, regardless of my deferred prayers. I needed to learn to bear up under the temptation to throw mental temper tantrums.

Dear most gracious heavenly Father,
I know that my prayers are heard. Even when they are not answered as I would like or expect, I know that You have what is best for me in mind. I ask that you continually teach me how to persevere. I ask that you will enable me to endure without discouragement because I cannot do this on my own. May you envelope me and fill me daily with your joy. May you help me keep my eyes focused on my Savior and Sustainer, Jesus Christ. May you teach me to heed unto myself, so I may live an exemplary life, pleasing to you. Amen.


1. perseverance. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perseverance (accessed: August 06, 2011).
2. Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for epimenō (Strong's 1961)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 6 Aug 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1961&t=NIV >
3. Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for hypomonē (Strong's 5281)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2011. 6 Aug 2011. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm? >Strongs=G5281&t=NIV
4. John Gill's Exposition. http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/1-timothy-4-16.html

Plumb Line

If you have ever hung wallpaper or have watched a professional hang it, you probably know what a plumb line is.


Collins English Dictionary defines a plumb line as "a string with a metal weight at one end that, when suspended, points directly towards the earth's centre of gravity and so is used to determine verticality, the depth of water, etc."1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plumb lines have been used since ancient times. This tool merely consists of a line with an attached weight. Originally a stone was used, but later the weight was made of lead. The weight came to be called a plummet, from the Latin word for lead - plumbum.2


In wallpapering and other construction applications, a plumb line ensures a true vertical alignment, and it is used as a reference. This tool confirms that hung pieces of wallpaper remain true; that is, they do not veer from the straight line, all the way down the wall, and all the way around your room.

Such attention to detail is particularly important in old houses or buildings because usually they are not square. Getting that first strip of wall paper affixed to the wall properly, (perfectly vertical), is critical to the success of the entire project.

The plumb line is hung from the ceiling, and a pencil is used to mark a vertical line on the wall. The line can also be chalked and then snapped against the wall, leaving a faint chalk line as a guide. Whichever method is used, a perfect vertical results, against which the first length of paper is hung, and the process is repeated for each subsequent strip of paper. If the first piece is not absolutely straight, then hanging the rest becomes increasingly difficult, and project chaos follows.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In Isaiah 28:16-17, God tells us how plumb lines apply to our spiritual lives:

"So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
 See, I lay a stone in Zion,
 a tested stone,
 a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
 the one who trusts will never be dismayed.
 I will make justice the measuring line
 and righteousness the plumb line;
 hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
 and water will overflow your hiding place."

Our spiritual vertical line is God's righteousness. Our uprightness, integrity, and honesty are all measured against His flawlessness.

"He will judge the world in righteousness;
 He will govern the peoples with justice."
 Psalm 9:8

In Biblical times, plumb lines were known to many people, including Jesus, who as a carpenter, would have owned one. The Lord uses His Word to illuminate just how vertically straight or upright we should be. Unfortunately, human beings cannot attain His perfection.  In no way can we attain His righteousness on our own.

The Lord's righteousness clearly gives us proof-positive that we are "off-the-mark".  We are evil in comparison to His perfect plumb line. We are corrupt, wicked, crooked...out of plumb...when we are compared to or measured against a perfect, holy, and righteous God.

Amos 7:7-9 tells us, "This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD asked me, 'What do you see, Amos?'


'A plumb line,' I replied.


Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.'


'The high places of Isaac will be destroyed
 and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; 
 with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.'"

The Lord's condemnation back in Amos' time was not just applicable to that time because the Lord is unchanging and timeless, and the concept still applies today.

God's Word and Jesus' model show us how our thoughts, words, and actions are not in agreement with our perfect, holy, and righteous God. On our own, we could never stand upright before our holy God.  We would each be found wanting.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23

Because of God's perfection, purity, and holiness, He cannot just nod away our wickedness, and this wickedness would doom us to an eternity in hell, without a solution.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

God loves us so much He provided the perfect and the only solution to reconcile us to Himself.

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

He literally gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish in hell for all eternity, but instead we might have eternal life in heaven with Him (John 3:16; John 10:10).

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 tells us, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep."

God provided the perfect and only solution for our chaotic, off-the-mark position. His precious, beloved, and flawless Son, Jesus Christ, came to die on the cross in our place to completely and perfectly pay the penalty for our wickedness. Christ's crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension brought us to the plumb line. Our individual acceptance or receiving of Jesus as personal Savior and Lord ensures that we remain on the vertical! We receive Christ by faith, as an act of our will, and this appointment is individual and personal - just like the hanging of one piece of wallpaper on the vertical.

"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

Dear Righteous Lord,
Thank you for illuminating my wickedness with your perfect plumb line, your righteousness. Thank you for drawing me to yourself, and clearly showing me my need for a personal Savior. Thank you most of all for providing the ONLY solution for my sinful position - your precious Son, Jesus Christ. Your love for me is overwhelming. Thank you for my brothers and sisters in Christ! We love you because you first loved us. To you goes all of the praise and glory forever and ever! Amen.

1. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged, 10th Edition 2009 ©, William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009


2. http://www.keyway.ca/htm2005/20050118.htm, The Lord's Plumb Line, Wayne Blank

Principles

I love facilitating ladies' Bible studies, and I especially enjoy multigenerational groups. The wisdom and encouragement that flow freely in a multigenerational group from late teens through seventy year olds are almost too precious to describe. I always come home much more blessed than any of my attendees could ever feel.


As a facilitator, leader, or teacher, I have discovered I am exceptionally critical of Bible study authors, speakers, and teachers. Even if I respect and enjoy a particular author or speaker, I find myself analyzing every word, every phrase, and every concept that is spoken or written. Because of that tendency, in recent years, I have noticed a dangerous trend.

I have observed Christian speakers and authors using the word "principle" as "an accepted or professed rule of action or conduct." Actually these "principles" are accepted or professed rules of action or conduct that they have discerned from Scripture." Unfortunately, presenters and writers frequently take this one step further, and present these personal observations or extrapolations as truths for all to follow and apply.

While the concepts may be valid personal deductions for the speakers and authors, and recovery program standards might be helpful and solid, I am cautioning us to always compare these "principles" directly to God's word to ferret out the specific Bible verses that state God's truth. We need to search, explore, and examine the Scriptures for God's precepts, statutes, and commands to individually ensure that what is being taught (even by godly humans) is exactly what God says. These principles or applied rules for conduct must be tested and proved against God's holy, infallible, inerrant, and living word, before we, as hearers, or readers, or followers of Christ take them to be 100% true and applicable to our own lives. Otherwise, are they not legalisms?

Romans 3:3-4 says, "What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak
  and prevail when you judge.”

Gill's Expository notes remind us "God is true, faithful to his word, constant in his promises, and will always fulfill his purposes; though every man is a liar, vain, fallacious, and inconstant." Romans 3:4 is "a proof that God is true, and stands to his word, though men are fallacious, inconstant, and wicked."

The Bible clearly cautions us about misuse and abuse of His word:

"And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." Revelation 22:19

I pity the person who ever detracts from the purity of God's word!

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:12-17

"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:2-4

Diving into the Bible individually and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us how to apply God's truths to our everyday lives is an imperative. That is the beauty and majesty of being indwelled by the Holy Spirit. God has equipped us not only by placing His living word at our fingertips, but by giving us the perfect teacher and counselor. Both are enormous gifts we must not take for granted. Instead, we must continually assess if we are staying true to the Scriptures.

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26

As facilitators, leaders, and teachers, we must realize it is not always safe or wise to latch on to "principles" because by definition, they come from men (or women), not directly from God. We must be overly critical of materials we use, watching for subtle, noticeable differences or inconsistencies. While Christian authors, speakers, and celebrities may give us fun tools to spark conversations or trigger our thought processes, if they are not backing up what they say with chapter and verse from God's word, they are not good enough for teaching situations. All our teaching aides must be teeming with Bible verse upon Bible verse upon Bible verse to ensure we are on point. In this, we must not waiver.

The danger of accepting "principles" as equal to God's precepts without testing and proving them is that when false teachers abound, we will be prone (if not eager) to "turn our ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." That just cannot be our position.

In the midst of my recent focus on this word "principle", I must say I have been especially blessed and thankful for my own local community. I am thankful for a pastor who preaches directly out of God's word, teaching us verse by verse, what God has to say about unpopular subjects. Our pastor does not add nor does he detract from God's precepts. He teaches us to love one another, but not at the expense of watering down God's instructions. We know God's plumb line, and he urges and encourages and teaches us to follow it!

I am blessed by elders who are committed to encouraging and challenging our congregation to know God's word, to grow more in our personal relationships with the Lord, and to apply His truths (not man's or woman's) to our lives.

I am appreciative of our deacons, who joyfully and consistently provide our local body with service and ministering, just as God calls them to do.

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10

I am appreciative our local body is offering a recovery program that couples its author's principles to God's precepts (point by point), and gives God all of the glory and honor for healing.

Dear and Precious Heavenly Father,


You are holy and perfect, and out of your grace, mercy, and kindness, you have given us your infallible, inerrant, living word. Not only does it reveal your character, your promises, your discipline, and your greatest gift, your Son Jesus Christ, but it shows us your will for our lives and your truths! Thank you for that immovable plumb line. Thank you for cleansing us completely through Jesus' sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension. Thank you for enabling us to live changed lives by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for pastors, elders, deacons, authors, and speakers who always put you and your word first! May all that we do and say give glory to you, and may we be ever serious about staying true to only you - the One and Only True Source! You are God Alone! May you always be the only One to whom we go for final truth, empowerment, healing, salvation, sanctification, and glorification. Amen.

Stay tuned for my next blog on plumb lines.

Set Apart by God and for God

In Romans 1 we learn that Paul was sought out by Christ to be His apostle. Paul did not seek or take on this position of his own accord, but he was summoned by God. Paul, formerly known as Saul, was an unlikely and surprising choice - not only had he been a persecutor of the church, but we even find him keeping the clothes of those who stoned Stephen to death (Acts 7:54-60). That act indicated he was a consenting participant in Stephen's death.


Yet God chose to set apart Paul for preaching the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles. This young, well-educated, intelligent, tent-making rebel was literally marked, appointed, or separated from others to be devoted to God's purpose of sharing the treasure of Jesus Christ. Paul was to preach and defend the gospel, and after his life-changing, dazzling light appointment with God on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-19), he did so with faithfulness and integrity.

In Romans 1:9 Paul tells us that he serves God with his whole heart in preaching the gospel of His Son. He is not assuming this role half-heartedly or with his eyes on worldly aspirations, but Paul is committing the entirety of his being to this incomparable task. He has been entrusted with the mission of proclaiming Jesus to the Gentiles, and to the astonishment of his listeners in Damascus, he proclaimed Jesus vigorously, declaring Him to be the Son of God!

The all important subject of this gospel message is Jesus. Not only has He accomplished God's work on the cross, but every aspect of who He is - that is the essence of Paul's teaching and preaching.

Jesus, in the midst of this world's disgusting and rampant sin, walked in absolute and perfect holiness. Ponder that again - Jesus was 100% holy and 100% perfect. He conquered sin once and for all through His hideous crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension, and He delivered us from sin's penalty of death and hell.

Paul was especially honored and set apart to bear these glad tidings of God, and he spread the news of God's grace over and over and over again. Even though he was beaten and imprisoned, he did not sway from his duty.

According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, Paul's life ended thusly:

During Nero's time, " A fierce persecution now broke out against the Christians. Paul was seized, and once more conveyed to Rome a prisoner. During this imprisonment he probably wrote the Second Epistle to Timothy, the last he ever wrote. 'There can be little doubt that he appeared again at Nero's bar [court], and this time the charge did not break down. In all history there is not a more startling illustration of the irony of human life than this scene of Paul at the bar of Nero. On the judgment-seat, clad in the imperial purple, sat a man who, in a bad world, had attained the eminence of being the very worst and meanest being in it, a man stained with every crime, a man whose whole being was so steeped in every nameable and unnameable vice, that body and soul of him were, as someone said at the time, nothing but a compound of mud and blood; and in the prisoner's dock stood the best man the world possessed, his hair whitened with labours for the good of men and the glory of God. The trial ended: Paul was condemned, and delivered over to the executioner. He was led out of the city, with a crowd of the lowest rabble at his heels. The fatal spot was reached; he knelt beside the block; the headsman's axe gleamed in the sun and fell; and the head of the apostle of the world rolled down in the dust' (probably A.D. 66), four years before the fall of Jerusalem."1

When I was a child, decoder rings and spy toys were extremely popular.  My friends and I used to sneak about the house with our periscope tubes spying on the goings on about the house. We were intrigued by perceived secrets.  How blessed are we that our heavenly Father did not keep the finished work of Christ a secret!  Our precious LORD proclaimed the mystery loudly to Paul, to the apostles, and to each of us, and we must take our commission to spread this great news seriously. We must be the "Pauls of our times"!

Additional Scriptures to read and meditate upon:

Acts 9:3-19
Romans 1:1-32
1 Timothy 1:15
Romans 5:11-12
Romans 12:1-3
2 Corinthians 4:1-18
Ephesians 2:3-5
Titus 3:4-6
Hebrews 4:15-16
1 Peter 1:2-4

Dear Precious Heavenly Father,
Your plan, purpose, and calling are beyond are mental capacity, but we trust you. When and if you call us to be set apart for your commission of sharing the treasure of the great news of Jesus, may we take that task as seriously as the apostle Paul did.  Prepare us to be vigorous and steadfast, and through your strength may we persevere until the end. Amen.

1. M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.

Not Reviewed or Approved by Humans

On Thursday, December 30, 2010 at 6:55 A.M., Hoosiers in central Indiana experienced an earthquake of a magnitude of 3.8. The quake at a depth of 3 miles lasted only 5 or 6 seconds. Several people reported their houses shook, their doors rattled, some pictures fell from their walls, and they heard a sound similar to thunder.


Although the quake's epicenter was in a cornfield 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis, the U.S. Geological Survey reported it was felt by people as far away as Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Once I knew no one was injured, what interested me was this. One radio announcer printed a colorful seismic report from the government's online geological department's site indicating all of the quake's activity. He was intrigued by this information, and was eager to share it with his listeners, until he saw a disclaimer at the bottom of the report, “This report has not been reviewed or approved by a human.”

The announcer cracked up laughing on the air. The computer generated official looking report was automatically published online without ever having been seen or approved by one single person. The computer generated document had been programmed to publish without any human’s okay.

Apparently, the powers that be did not see fit to verify that the computer's calculations were accurate. When I heard this, I wondered at the wisdom, or lack of wisdom of not having such an important document reviewed, verified, and approved prior to publishing it for the public's eyes and use.

While I think such Internet publishing is irresponsible and not helpful in the realm of earthquakes, floods, tornados, or other natural occurrences, I paused for a moment and thought about the Creator of these events.

God orchestrated the creation of the world, the heavens, and mankind. He has a plan and purpose for our lives and this earth, and He did not need (or ask) in the beginning or now for any of His work to be reviewed or approved by any human.

Then why do we humans think that we are or need to be in control?  Why do we behave as though the Lord needs our “okey dokey” in our daily lives?

Earthquakes between 2.5 and 5.4 on the Richter scale are listed as moderate. About 30,000 such quakes occur yearly within that range, yet John Steinmetz of the Indiana Geological Survey said there have only been two earthquakes of equal or greater magnitude in central Indiana in the past 175 years.

Consequently, this shaking on December 30, 2010 commanded Hoosiers' attention and notice. I had to wonder if the Orchestrator of the earthquake was given any attention or notice, and I think not..


I, along with most humans, tend to forget that we are not in control. We cannot control the weather, earthquakes, the sun, the planets, or the stars. God Almighty did not seek our counsel.

Read and meditate on these verses:

Job 9:4-11:

"His wisdom is profound, His power is vast.
Who has resisted Him and come out unscathed?
He moves mountains without their knowing it
and overturns them in His anger.
He shakes the earth from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.
He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;
He seals off the light of the stars.
He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads on the waves of the sea.
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.
When He passes me, I cannot see Him;
when He goes by, I cannot perceive Him."

Job 12:13:

“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His."

Isaiah 40:12-14:

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD,
or instruct the LORD as His counselor?
Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten Him,
and who taught Him the right way?
Who was it that taught Him knowledge,
or showed Him the path of understanding?"

Isaiah 40:21-26

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than He blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
'To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of His great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

Isaiah 40:28-31

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."


Join me in remembering that our LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He never slumbers, nor does He become weary. We, whose hope is in the LORD, will be renewed and never shaken. We can turn to our Almighty God, knowing that He knows best, and that we do not. We should not feebly attempt to take control and manipulate events. We must trust that the every-day outcomes of our lives do not need to be reviewed or approved by any human.

Father,
I pray today for one thing - to trust you completely. You are worthy and able! AMEN!!