Sunday’s Blessing – 09/28/2025 – David, King of Israel

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/28/2025 – David, King of Israel

The Bible study group I meet with has just started going through a book on the life of David. It’s one of my favorite people in the Old Testament. There are so many things which makes the life of David such an interesting study. The state of Israel was in flux, being led by judges. The majority of Israel demanded a king. Instead of waiting on the timing of the Lord, they elected Saul as king. He didn’t even want to be king, “the lot” fell on him.

In like fashion, David didn’t want to be king. When Samuel went to Jesse’s house to anoint one of his sons to replace Saul as king, David wasn’t even invited to the party. After being anointed by the prophet, David returned to the field to watch after the sheep.

Saul was full of pride. David was full of love for his Lord. God Himself said of David, “He is a man after My own heart.”

I’m looking forward to the retelling of the story of David; how he served Saul, fought Goliath, how he ruled a united Israel, returned the ark to Jerusalem, built a new tabernacle for worshiping the Lord, and introduced music as a primary tool for exalting God among the people.

The best news we learn from David is that you do not have to be perfect to have a desire for the heart of God. You do not have to be flawless to be used in representing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. You do not have to be sinless to be a vessel God can use. You only have to be willing to say “Yes” when God calls.

Now for today’s blessing:

When God comes to you with His anointing, receive it

So you can have what you need for the journey into your purpose

So you can live aware of where your strength comes from

In order to manifest the glory of God wherever you are

When opportunities arise for you to represent God, do it

So you can bring peace to troubled hearts, like David did for Saul

So you can defeat enemies (like Goliath) which rise up against your purpose

Which allow you to simply “be to the praise of His Glory” (Ephesians 1)

When your heart leads you down unknown paths, go for it

So you can introduce new things to those in your sphere of influence

So you can fulfill your purpose as only you can

To bring honor to the Most High God in your lifetime

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/21/2025 – Fellowship

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/21/2025 – Fellowship

I have two opportunities for fellowship with family and friends the next few days. On Saturday, I’m attending a shower for my grand-nephew, Bryant Harris and his fiancé, Kaiana, who will be married in November. In addition to the shower, my siblings and some of our children will gather for a meal. I’m glad we still get together.

Then, on Monday night, I’m hosting a gathering for the members of a music group I was part of for several years from 1978 – 1982 (approximately). Those years were some of the best of my life. I greatly enjoyed making music with them, and building relationships that have lasted a lifetime.

One of the primary directives we have from the New Testament is for fellowship. The reason is simple. We need each other. Without someone in your life who can speak the truth to you – regardless – you are at risk of getting off course. In order to be that transparent requires trust in the other person; trust to see things clearly and willing to not speak of them with anyone else. That, in my experience, has been very hard to find.

I’m getting back to a place where I have some men with whom I can share from my heart without risk of being the topic of conversation with others. It is so liberating and essential to my wellbeing.

If you do not have such people in your life, look harder. Pray harder. Without them you are living your life at risk of being shipwrecked

This week’s blessing:

Discover the level of accountability that God expects from everyone

So you can live without walls and without dread of being exposed

So you can also be a sounding board and source of help to others

So each of you can grow in maturity as you follow after the Lord

Become a trustworthy friend and God will lead you to others

So you can grow through giving

And in return, receive more than you could ever give away

Bringing joy to both as you learn the Christian life

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/14/2025 – Surprised by Death

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/14/2025 – Surprised by Death

Many deaths are expected. People get sick, their condition deteriorates, and they die. Others are just old. One night they simply go to sleep and don’t wake up. These are not easier, but at least you have time to process what is happening and hopefully come to terms with the upcoming change in your life.

Other deaths are sudden; a car accident, workplace mishap, accidental poisoning, etc. When these things occur to the young, it is a double slam. Not only are they taken away from you with no warning, there is also the loss of future years you would have had together.

This week I was unexpectedly triggered by the senseless death of Charlie Kirk. I did not know him other than through reels on social media. He seemed to be in the prime of his life when someone decided they would take his life to make theirs seem more complete. He left behind a wife and two small children.

The thing that triggered in me was the reminder of how my father was taken from me. He was only a few years older than Charlie, but Dad left behind a wife and five children. At nine years old, I was the youngest. My father was also taken down by a bullet. Unlike Charlie, who was totally surprised by his assailant, my father was in pursuit of thieves who had stolen some property off a loading dock in North Birmingham. My dad was a police officer.

Several years ago, I went through a counselling session which helped me work through my father’s death and the tsunami it left behind in our family. The waters subsided, but the destruction was evident everywhere you looked. With the help of some great people, I found comfort and hope in my relationship with God, and His Son and my Savior, Jesus. I am grateful for that night of ministry.

But when I heard the news on September 10, so many of those same feelings came blowing back through my mind. I could see that grieving widow with those two little ones. I imagined all the brokenness they were experiencing at the loss of a husband and father. I remembered the confusion I had as a nine-year-old trying to process what had just occurred without really understanding the magnitude of the impact it would have on my life.

For my dad, he probably never had another thought after he heard the gunshot which took his life. For Charlie, even though death came quickly, he probably had a few minutes to consider what was happening. I’m sure that was something unimaginable.

Between the two, sudden death or expected, I think sudden would be preferred by the one dying, but not the ones left behind. We don’t have a choice about it. But still, it is something to consider. The bottom line is to live ready. Be ready if you are the one who dies, so you will experience the eternal life beyond the one on earth. But also, be ready if you are the one left behind. Don’t have regrets. Don’t have unresolved conflict with others. Develop a relationship with the One who can keep you from being shipwrecked in life after losing someone dear.

Now for today’s blessing:

May the Lord keep you in perfect peace, because your mind is steadfast and trusting in Him

So that if trouble comes you will already be familiar with the posture of submission

So you will not be destroyed by shaken foundations

And you may keep your joy and peace when all else seems lost

May the Spirit of wisdom guide you daily so when unrest comes you can keep hope alive

So you will not dread the night, knowing joy comes in the morning

So you can keep expecting good which God has promised

And you will still be able to pursue your purpose all your days

May you embrace each day as an opportunity to know more of God

So you will be strong and do exploits

And spend your life on purpose

With an expected end of life eternal

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/07/2025 – Seasons

Sunday’s Blessing – 09/07/2025 – Seasons

Fall is already in the air, even though it is still officially two weeks away. Changes come before the day we mark the event, which is very much like life. The major events we remember usually are preceded by changes which indicate a new season is near.

There are obvious ones, like a pregnancy, which for nine months, the mother knows something is coming, while the rest of the world really doesn’t notice for a few months. Even after the outward signs can be seen, like a growing belly, it still is not officially here until the birth.

What changes are you seeing in your life? Do you pay attention to your surroundings? The people in your life? The Spirit of God who abides within you? Usually, things change slowly like the seasons. Sometimes, things change rapidly, but those you have to take as they come. But the gradual changes which we experience can be accommodated or changed if we are aware they are coming. Pay attention. Take action. Prepare if unavoidable. Work on changes if preventable. Don’t wake up in thirty years and realized you missed it.

Today’s blessing:

May you live with the awareness of God’s presence in your life

So you will not be caught off-guard by events in your life

So when change arrives you can following the leading of the Spirit

And protect your heart from hurt and keep joy in your spirit

May you bury the treasure of God’s word in your heart

So when needed it will spring up as a well of Living Water

To keep you nourished through the season you are in

And bring you out on the other side full of life

Sunday’s Blessing – 08/31/2025 – Anticipation

Sunday’s Blessing – 08/31/2025 – Anticipation

I heard the results of a study done on nursing home patients to determine why some seem to maintain a positive attitude and others seem to spiral into depression. Their findings were surprising. Comparing two residents who both had regular visits from friends or relatives, the one who seemed to exhibit a better mindset had one difference in their experience, which was also verified by others in the study.

The one who was prone toward feelings of depression had visitors, but they were not consistent or would just show up unannounced. Even though the visits were appreciated, they didn’t seem to have any lasting effect on the patient.

The patient with the more upbeat disposition had about the same number of visits. But one major difference was found. Even though the visits were not consistent, they were always “scheduled”. The patient was told in advance when they were coming, and in like fashion, the patient would speak often of their arrival. “My son is coming this Thursday,” they beamed with pride. It gave them something to look forward to. This gave them reason to get up in the morning and gave them motivation to navigate the day, because “Thursday” was only two days away.

What are you anticipating? Even though the things you are seeking don’t have an appointment, like “Thursday,” you can still place your hope that change is coming, or the desire will be met. For the Christian, being able to place your trust in God can keep us clear of the doldrums, allowing us to continue our journey, even when there is no wind in our sail. Don’t lose hope because “Thursday” is coming!

Today’s blessing:

May the God of peace give you comfort in the waiting

So you may still experience joy, even in the midst of sorrow

So you may have relief, even when there is pain

And may you have rest, even in the turmoil

May your expectations always find roots in the Promise of the Father

Because He is ever faithful, never disappointing

He is able, regardless of the size of the mountain

And will never abandon you in the valley

Sunday’s Blessing – 08/24/2025 – Perspective

Sunday’s Blessing – 08/24/2025 – Perspective

I was sitting in an airport during a layover as I travelled home from a business trip. It would be a few hours before my flight, so I found a comfortable place to sit while eating dinner in front of a window that overlooked the tarmac. All the busyness below helped distract my thoughts while I waited. I became focused on something I was doing, reading or writing, and did not realize the sun had set. To my amazement, when I looked up the next time all I could see was myself and the room behind me in the reflection of the glass.

Even though the hustle and bustle below were still in full stride, because the light inside was brighter than the light outside, it caused a mirror-like effect on the glass. I had never moved, yet my perspective had totally changed. I had gone from Somewhere to Nowhere without even moving! Everything I could see was different than it had been just moments before.

I’m sure you have had similar experiences where the environment you were in changed without notice. It may be rather quickly, like the one above, or may take much longer, years even, like in a workplace, church, or home. You begin a new job with zeal of making a difference in your world, only to find after many years that your zeal is gone and you dread waking up in the morning to make the commute to a place full of people you really don’t like to do mundane tasks for owners or bosses who do not appreciate your talents.

You may start attending a new church because of the life-giving ministry it offers, fully expecting to experience personal and corporate spiritual growth, only to find later that much of it was just hype to keep you coming back each week so you could fill a seat and the offering plate.

God made you for more. Be like the Bereans who searched the scriptures themselves to see if what they were hearing from teachers and preachers was actually a true interpretation of what God had said. Or like the prophet with Elisha (2 Kings 6) who was chopping down a tree for a building to house the work of God. The axe head came off the handle and landed in water. Without the cutting edge of the axe head any effort would be futile until it was recovered.

Never let your effectiveness suffer due to monotony or influence of others. Stay true to what you believe and the purpose for which you were created. Regardless of the environment, be aware of change around you so you can maintain a proper perspective, never allowing what is outside of you to corrupt what is on the inside. You house a valuable treasure – your soul – which should never be allowed to go to waste through meaningless existence.

Today’s blessing:

May the lyrics of this prayer become your own as you pursue the Lord

So you may experience the eternal life of God today

So you may not waste years on the hamster cage, going nowhere

So you may live fulfilled, cherishing every day as the gift from God

A Prayer by St. Fracis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. 

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Sunday’s Blessing – 08/17/2025 – The Speed of Life

Sunday’s Blessing – 08/17/2025 – The Speed of Life

One of the curious things I remember from my time as a music major at Samford University was the meaning of Latin words used by composers to indicate the tempo of songs they wrote. Adagio is approximated as the BPM of the human heart. While the speed varies slightly from person to person, and even varies by circumstances, today it is generally thought to be around 72 BPM. However, music historians believe it was much slower several centuries ago; as low as 60 BPM. This means the performance of older works are played much faster than they were originally intended.

In like fashion, it is believed that relative pitch has also changed over time. Symphonic musicians tune to an A played by the first-chair violinist. Legend has it that in an attempt to keep a sharp, crisp tone, the actual tuning of A has increased. The first-chair violinist would push the tuning slightly sharp to improve the sound. Even in the past few decades, A has gone from a frequency of 440 Hz to 442 Hz in some cases. 

Classical composers played around with various tunings. A=415 Hz, a semitone lower than modern pitch, was common for French Baroque music. Other tunings ranged from around A=392 Hz (particularly in France) to A=422 Hz (a "classical pitch" used by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven). Some organs even reached A=480 Hz. Those same compositions, especially for voice, are now performed at a higher pitch than originally composed; possibly a minor third higher.

The point of all this is the speed of life has increased. One of my favorite lines from Stephen Wright is, “I once put instant coffee in a microwave and almost travelled in time.” We are constantly looking for an edge to get more for less; primarily getting more accomplished in less time.

While productivity may have improved, it has taken its toll on the human body. Heart rates are up, blood pressure is up, stress and strain on muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves are up, creating bodies which are struggling to keep up. At some point, the body will eventually break.

This is why it is vital to find a place of rest. A few months ago I did a series of posts on Sabbath Rest. Go back and read some of them. We must find a way to slow the pace of life so we can breathe, relax, and actually enjoy living. What’s the point of increased productivity if we are broken or dead? There’s a reason we need to stop and smell the roses. This quote is often attributed to golfer Walter Hagen, who said, "Don't hurry, don't worry, and be sure to smell the flowers along the way." Regardless of the origin, the message is still true. Take note of the things around you so you can appreciate where you are, where you have been, and look forward to where you are going.

Now for today’s blessing:

May the Lord give you grace to slow down

So you can “be still and know that He is God”

So you will know you are not alone in the race you are trying to run

And come to understand there really is not a race at all

May you accept the mercies extended each day from the Lord

So you can receive forgiveness from the past

So you can have contentment in the present

And hope for the future

May you give yourself room to change, to slow down

So you can live the life God intends you to have

So you can fulfill the purpose God has placed in your heart

And find rest in being the child of the King