My Faith View from Here - Daily readings and thoughts

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 17:17-18:46, Proverbs 25:11-28, Ezekiel 38, 2 Corinthians 6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2017%3A17-18%3A46%2C%20Proverbs%2025%3A11-28%2C%20Ezekiel%2038%2C%202%20Corinthians%206&version=NASB1995 How Big is God Sylvia and I returned from our camping trip today.  It was a crazy day.  We left the campground at 9:30 AM, got back to our local town, Annapolis Royal, by 11 AM, stopped at the local garage to pick up our car that was in for regular service and a repair, and drove home.  We parked the trailer, unloaded it (about an hour), picked up the dog from boarding in Middleton, and discovered he was stinky, so we went straight to Digby to give him a bath.  Then we came home, fed the dog, fed us humans, took the dog for a walk back into town and finally came home. That’s when I sat down to write my blog.  As I did the reading, I sensed from our reading in 1 Kings how big our God is.  We hear ...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 16:6-17:16, Proverbs 25:1-10, Ezekiel 37:15-28, 2 Corinthians 5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2016%3A6-17%3A16%2C%20Proverbs%2025%3A1-10%2C%20Ezekiel%2037%3A15-28%2C%202%20Corinthians%205&version=NASB1995 This Love Changes Everything As a young person and into the early time as an adult, I would often sit at the kitchen table when my family was doing devotions and hear my father say that it is better to be with the Lord, than to be here on this earth.  From my perspective, he was depressed and he likely was.  He went to the doctor one day because he had lost his appetite.  When he came into the house after seeing the doctor, he stated, “He says it’s just nerves.”  I suspect the doctor was really referring to what we call depression today.   Today we are reading 2 Corinthians 5, and all of these memories came flooding back. Paul was saying something very similar to what my father used to ...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 15:1-16:5, Proverbs 24:23-34, Ezekiel 36:22-37:14, 2 Corinthians 4 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2015%3A1-16%3A5%2C%20Proverbs%2024%3A23-34%2C%20Ezekiel%2036%3A22-37%3A14%2C%202%20Corinthians%204&version=NASB1995 Dry Bones Live ““I will put my spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land.  Then you will know that I, the LORD have spoken and done it,” declares the LORD”” Ezekiel is brought out by the spirit to a valley full of dry bones.  He is instructed to prophesy over the bones.  As he prophesies, Sinews appear back on them, flesh grows back, and skin covers them.  God then tells Ezekiel to prophesy, “Thus says the LORD GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”” He prophesies as he is instructed and they come to life and stand on their feet. When the vision is explained, Ezekiel is told by God, “Behold, I...

  Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 14, Proverbs 24:13-22, Ezekiel 36:1-21, 2 Corinthians 3 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2014%2C%20Proverbs%2024%3A13-22%2C%20Ezekiel%2036%3A1-21%2C%202%20Corinthians%203&version=NIV What is it? I write my blog 3 days ahead in case for some reason I’m unable to write for a couple of days.  I am writing this post on August 25th, Sylvia’s and my anniversary.  This blog post is being posted on August 28, which will be my son’s wedding day, one year from today.  We are camping at Kejimikujik, a Parks Canada park, an hour drive from our home.  We really enjoy it here and today’s weather is beautiful.  We try to be somewhere special every year on our anniversary. The view from our campsite Our marriage, like all marriages, has ups and downs.  Sylvia often reminds me that we don’t have a lot in common.  The things we do have in common we try to spend a lot of time on.  One of thos...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 13, Proverbs 24:1-12, Ezekiel 35, 2 Corinthians 2 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2013%2C%20Proverbs%2024%3A1-12%2C%20Ezekiel%2035%2C%202%20Corinthians%202&version=NIV There’s Something Here “Because you have disobeyed the command of the LORD, and have not observed the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water”; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.”” The prophet who lied to the man God had given specific directions to, then prophesied this to him as he was eating a meal.  The man finished his meal and headed off towards home, only to be attacked and killed by a lion. This is a strange story. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a gangster movie in the making.  A good cop, after doing what the chief told him to do, stops to get a bite to eat with another se...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 12, Proverbs 23:25-35, Ezekiel 34, 2 Corinthians 1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2012%2C%20Proverbs%2023%3A25-35%2C%20Ezekiel%2034%2C%202%20Corinthians%201&version=NIV The Best Advice “The young men who grew up with him spoke to him…” (1 Kings 12:10). King Rehoboam was the son of the wisest king.  Unfortunately, he did not learn from his fathers wise teaching and chose to listen to his friends rather than the wisdom of the elders.  As a result, he lost a large portion of his kingdom. I heard a story the other day that I’m sure was fictional. A husband and wife were discussing whether to have another child.  The woman wanted another child and the man did not.  The man went to a minister for advice.  The minister's advice to the man was, “Now may be the time for a discussion of spiritual headship in the home.”  Now if you are a husband reading this, you are probably cringing at this moment...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 11, Proverbs 223:13-24, Ezekiel 33:21-33, 1 Corinthians 16 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2011%2C%20Proverbs%20223%3A13-24%2C%20Ezekiel%2033%3A21-33%2C%201%20Corinthians%2016&version=NIV I am back After reading such good things about Solomon, it’s sad to see the heading in my Bible that says “Solomon turns from God.”  Solomon had heard directly from God twice yet walked away from Him and served other gods and idols that were worshipped by his many wives. I could point my finger at Solomon and point out his poor decisions but just as the saying goes, when you point a finger at someone, you are pointing 3 back at yourself, I would have to point out my poor decisions.  You see, I had a real encounter with God, when I was eleven that I remember clearly to this day.  I’ve mentioned this before but to refresh our memories, I had been given a free week at camp.   It was a camp called The Peoples Ranch and...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 10, Proverbs 23:1-12, Ezekiel 33:1-20, 1 Corinthians 15:20-49 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2010%2C%20Proverbs%2023%3A1-12%2C%20Ezekiel%2033%3A1-20%2C%201%20Corinthians%2015%3A20-49&version=NIV The Watchman The watchman in biblical times would stand on city walls or towers to look into the distance and warn the community of approaching danger or enemy attacks.  My assumption is that if the watchman would warn of incoming danger and the people ignored the warning, the consequences would be the responsibility of the people.  If danger arrived and the watchman did not warn the people, the watchman would shoulder the responsibility for failing to notify the people. I heard a story from a few months ago in our local town.  This may be a true story or it may not.  I tend to hear stories at the hardware store, some are true, but I suspect this one is just a story.  It goes like this.  In the mi...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) 1 Kings 8:54-9:28, Proverbs 22:17-29, Ezekiel 32:9-32, 1 Corinthians 15:1-19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%208%3A54-9%3A28%2C%20Proverbs%2022%3A17-29%2C%20Ezekiel%2032%3A9-32%2C%201%20Corinthians%2015%3A1-19&version=NIV Enough But Not Too Much We’ve been blessed with a lot, but not too much.  We own a home on 8 acres on the Bay of Fundy. We receive a pension from the Canadian government and we receive pension money from investments we have been blessed with.  Each month though, we watch our spending and some months we spend more than our income and some months we spend less.  As the years pass, we normally see our spending more or less matching what we receive.   Solomon was a king who had great wisdom and God also gifted him with great wealth.  I read a bit ahead because I saw a heading called wealth, splendour and wisdom.  Solomon received 666 talents of gold annually.  That’s estima...