I am considering using the wordpress.com blog site(http://ronboersema.wordpress.com/) and I am deciding which one I would prefer using.
Any input?
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Verse of the day December 16
I am not sure what kind of day you might be having today, but I hope this simple truth from Scripture will help keep things in right perspective.
Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Psalm 68:19
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Verse of the day December 15
Psalm 62:11-12
Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.
And here is Scriptures answer to the question in the comment
Psalm 73:1-28 <(click to read)
Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.
And here is Scriptures answer to the question in the comment
Psalm 73:1-28 <(click to read)
Monday, December 14, 2009
Verses to meditate on
From Psalm 59:16-17
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Just for fun
For best results click on the 4 arrows to make it full screen and crank up the volume!
Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.
Friday, December 11, 2009
A lesson from the Psalms
Listen to the podcast or read it below.
Where is God in the midst of my trouble? Doesn't God see my pain? Does he care? If you have never asked yourself those questions before, you probably know someone who has. They are real questions that people ask and have been asking for thousands of years. And asking those questions is not wrong. I often am amazed at the candid nature of the Psalm writers when they ask questions of God. Look at a few examples. Psalm 10:1 Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 13:1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? And one that Jesus himself quoted from Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
Those verses and ones like them have been asked of God by many people in varying circumstances. They are often asked because it seems as if God is far away. That very sentiment is captured in Psalm 22:2. O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Did you notice that the verses that I quoted from were the first things said to God? And I have never seen God rebuke his children for asking honest, heart-felt questions. And that gives me great comfort. It is good to know that no matter what I am feeling, I can go to God with my pain and questions and he will listen.
But there is something that I want to say that may be a little risky. And by saying that, I don't mean to imply that I am not sure if it is true or not. What I mean is, there is another Scriptural truth at work in all of those passages and others like them that we need to be reminded of. So here it is. It seems as if we miss the rest of what is said in those passages and only focus on our own question, situation or pain.
Like the Psalm writers, we are crying out to God in prayer to be heard. God knows exactly what his children are going through when they cry out to him. He, better than anyone else knows your pain. He does hear. He Does care. And he is the very same God as he as always been.
So I believe what we need to do when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances is to continue to follow the example of people like David. Look at what follows in each of the passages already mentioned.
From Psalm 10, "Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?... The Lord is King forever and ever...O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear..."
And from Psalm 13, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?... But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me."
And Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?... Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame."
So when we find ourselves in difficult times, we have the freedom to be honest with our feelings with God. But I believe it is right and healthy to acknowledge the goodness of our God and we will gain a correct perspective on life.
And remember the lesson from Psalm 22:3; when God seems far away from you, continue to praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise.
Where is God in the midst of my trouble? Doesn't God see my pain? Does he care? If you have never asked yourself those questions before, you probably know someone who has. They are real questions that people ask and have been asking for thousands of years. And asking those questions is not wrong. I often am amazed at the candid nature of the Psalm writers when they ask questions of God. Look at a few examples. Psalm 10:1 Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 13:1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? And one that Jesus himself quoted from Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
Those verses and ones like them have been asked of God by many people in varying circumstances. They are often asked because it seems as if God is far away. That very sentiment is captured in Psalm 22:2. O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Did you notice that the verses that I quoted from were the first things said to God? And I have never seen God rebuke his children for asking honest, heart-felt questions. And that gives me great comfort. It is good to know that no matter what I am feeling, I can go to God with my pain and questions and he will listen.
But there is something that I want to say that may be a little risky. And by saying that, I don't mean to imply that I am not sure if it is true or not. What I mean is, there is another Scriptural truth at work in all of those passages and others like them that we need to be reminded of. So here it is. It seems as if we miss the rest of what is said in those passages and only focus on our own question, situation or pain.
Like the Psalm writers, we are crying out to God in prayer to be heard. God knows exactly what his children are going through when they cry out to him. He, better than anyone else knows your pain. He does hear. He Does care. And he is the very same God as he as always been.
So I believe what we need to do when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances is to continue to follow the example of people like David. Look at what follows in each of the passages already mentioned.
From Psalm 10, "Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?... The Lord is King forever and ever...O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear..."
And from Psalm 13, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?... But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me."
And Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?... Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame."
So when we find ourselves in difficult times, we have the freedom to be honest with our feelings with God. But I believe it is right and healthy to acknowledge the goodness of our God and we will gain a correct perspective on life.
And remember the lesson from Psalm 22:3; when God seems far away from you, continue to praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Verse of the day December 8
Jesus said “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," (Matthew 5 43-44). Was that a new command, a new idea that people hadn't heard before? I thought it was. But my verses today show us that the practice of that had been happening long before by David. Meditate today on the words from Psalm 35:11-14.
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.
13 But I, when they were sick—
I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
I bowed down in mourning.
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.
13 But I, when they were sick—
I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
I bowed down in mourning.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Verse of the day December 7
Listen to the podcast or read it below.
Psalm 33:4-9
I chose this passage today because it brought me back to a reflection that Karen and I had after reading Psalm 29. Both of them talk about the voice or word of God. I have been thinking about that in contrast to my own voice and the words that I speak. Here are a couple comparisons that show the difference between mine and His. My voice is just a normal voice, much like anyone else. If I want my voice to stand out I could inhale helium and make it chipmunk-like. Or I can talk through a fan and the sound waves in my voice are distorted. The same is true when I speak through a balloon.
Look at the contrast in God's voice. Psalm 29:3-8 says:
"3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;".
All of creation is affected when God speaks. I can't even get my own dog to listen to me all the time.
Today's verses bring out a different contrast that is very significant and worthy of noting. When I speak, sometimes I wish I could I could take back what I've said. Maybe what was said was unkind or hurtful. Maybe the reason I said something was out of anger, frustration, jealousy or spite. Matthew 12:37 reminds me of the seriousness of my words which are not always pleasing to God. By contrast now, look at verse 4 of Psalm 33.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
The very nature of God makes all his words right and true, whereas my human nature is corrupted by sin, therefore my words are not always true or upright. Nor do my words, in and of themselves, do much at all. This time of year I am able to make vapor when I breath and speak out in the cold winter air. It is sometimes amusing to "create" but nothing like what happens when God speaks. Look at verses 6 and 9.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
One last thought comes to mind. Maybe you have had something happen before like I have; you are arguing with someone close to you and it goes on for quite a while, an hour or more. And the reason the argument is happening is over something one of you said. Now after an hour has passed, neither of you can remember exactly what was said. I think it was said this way; they think it was said that way. And we both admit that we don't remember precisely what was said. Or ask yourself this question; what did I say 35 years ago today? No clue right? Me either. But! Somewhere around 35 years ago I heard God speak and I still remember what he said...word for word. You probably do too. Words like "I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last." And "I will never leave you or forsake you".
And why is it that His words last and mine don't? Well, listen again to the Word of God...both the written and incarnate Word:
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Luke 21:33
Psalm 33:4-9
I chose this passage today because it brought me back to a reflection that Karen and I had after reading Psalm 29. Both of them talk about the voice or word of God. I have been thinking about that in contrast to my own voice and the words that I speak. Here are a couple comparisons that show the difference between mine and His. My voice is just a normal voice, much like anyone else. If I want my voice to stand out I could inhale helium and make it chipmunk-like. Or I can talk through a fan and the sound waves in my voice are distorted. The same is true when I speak through a balloon.
Look at the contrast in God's voice. Psalm 29:3-8 says:
"3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;".
All of creation is affected when God speaks. I can't even get my own dog to listen to me all the time.
Today's verses bring out a different contrast that is very significant and worthy of noting. When I speak, sometimes I wish I could I could take back what I've said. Maybe what was said was unkind or hurtful. Maybe the reason I said something was out of anger, frustration, jealousy or spite. Matthew 12:37 reminds me of the seriousness of my words which are not always pleasing to God. By contrast now, look at verse 4 of Psalm 33.
4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
The very nature of God makes all his words right and true, whereas my human nature is corrupted by sin, therefore my words are not always true or upright. Nor do my words, in and of themselves, do much at all. This time of year I am able to make vapor when I breath and speak out in the cold winter air. It is sometimes amusing to "create" but nothing like what happens when God speaks. Look at verses 6 and 9.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
One last thought comes to mind. Maybe you have had something happen before like I have; you are arguing with someone close to you and it goes on for quite a while, an hour or more. And the reason the argument is happening is over something one of you said. Now after an hour has passed, neither of you can remember exactly what was said. I think it was said this way; they think it was said that way. And we both admit that we don't remember precisely what was said. Or ask yourself this question; what did I say 35 years ago today? No clue right? Me either. But! Somewhere around 35 years ago I heard God speak and I still remember what he said...word for word. You probably do too. Words like "I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last." And "I will never leave you or forsake you".
And why is it that His words last and mine don't? Well, listen again to the Word of God...both the written and incarnate Word:
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Luke 21:33
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Verse of the day December 6
The verse I have chosen today comes again from my morning devotions. This morning the verses are Psalm 31:23-24. When you look at the Psalms it's difficult to narrow it down to just a verse or two because of the different emotions or life circumstances that surface when reading them. So I chose these verses because I am encouraged by them and want to encourage you as well with them. If you ever want to read more from the passage quoted, just click on it and it will take you to the chapter where it is from.
May you find rest in God today.
May you find rest in God today.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
About the verse of the day
I hope to post a verse each day that comes out of my daily devotions as well as adding some comments about it. I encourage you to reflect on the verses and leave you comments as well. To read the verse just mouse over the passage and a balloon window will pop out.
Blessings, Ron
Blessings, Ron
Verse of the day December 5
Verse of the day: Psalm 27:1
Since Karen and I have been going through the Psalms, one thing I have noticed is how much great theology and doctrine is contained in them. This one is a great example.
Since Karen and I have been going through the Psalms, one thing I have noticed is how much great theology and doctrine is contained in them. This one is a great example.
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