FROM PASTOR MIKE’S DESK:
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Well, deer season is officially over! While I didn’t have the greatest year in terms of how many deer I tagged and put in the freezer, I still thoroughly enjoyed my time out in the woods, out within God’s great creation. I just love being out there and watching the animals doing their thing, listening to the birds singing their songs, and watching the sun rise and set. In addition to that, I had a new hunting partner as Heath spent a lot of time with me out in the woods. He was even there when we tagged and brought home our only deer.
Being out in creation, I have always had this sense of smallness. Sitting up in a tree looking at the stars before the sun comes up, I just admire the grandness of God. It blows me away thinking about how big creation is and how small I am. And yet God was willing to send Jesus for little ole me. God cares enough to send His only Son, to suffer and die and rise again for me. It’s mind blowing when you really stop and think about it.
Right after Christmas, I had another one of these moments of sensing how small I am in comparison to other things of the world. Jessica and I decided to take the kids on a little mini vacation. We kicked off our fun old fashion family Christmas vacation by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh. We drove to Kentucky to explore the Ark Encounters. I knew the Ark was big from talking to others, I remember reading about it in Scripture, but to see it live and in person was absolutely breath taking. Going inside of it … even more mind blowing!!!!
To be inside and realize that only eight people lived in there and took care of all those different animals; to realize how advanced things had to be in order to feed, water, and clean up after the animals; walking around looking at the different exhibits just reinforced the grandness of God. If you ever have a chance to go to the Ark, I would highly recommend it.
About a week after coming back from the Ark, in my daily devotions I had a passage from Isaiah 40 come up. When I read it, I couldn’t help but think of my time visiting the Ark and kind of feeling like Job at the end of his book. It was just another reminder of how small I truly am in the grand scheme of things. Here is what Isaiah says:
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? 14 Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? (Isaiah 40:12-14 – ESV)
Feel small?
Maybe feel somewhat insignificant? Yeah, I did too.
But then I got to the end of this chapter. At the end of the chapter, Isaiah relays to us how it is that even though we are small compared to God, even though we are weak, even though there is nothing we can do to alter what God has planned … He, God does and will forever care about us, about His creation. Notice in these final verses who is doing everything.
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 – ESV, emphasis added)
Even though we may not always feel it, our Lord is not only the Creator of all things, but He is the Sustainer of all things. He is the One who gives us power, He is the One who increases our strength. The Lord is the One who goes with us and helps us through the different trials and struggles of life. All we are to do is to wait or have hope in the Lord, in His Son, our Savoir, Jesus Christ.
As we move towards the season of Lent and look at God’s mercy, may we remember and give thanks to God for the mercy He has on us and how He is the One who gives us forgiveness, hope, and salvation through what Jesus did through His perfect life, suffering and death, and by His resurrection from the dead. As we journey through this life, may we keep our eyes fixed on our Savior, who humbled himself to be small, who seemed insignificant to some, but who is the only Savior and Redeemer of us all.
God’s blessings to you all!
Pastor Mike
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