As I look out my office window, it appears that the afternoon rain is giving way to clear skies and sunshine once again. This pattern that seems unusual now, reminds me of summer afternoons when I was child here in Colorado. It certainly helps the grass grow and stay green.

Before the rain set in I was able to get to the pool for a short work out. That was refreshing after this morning out in the yard. Ted Grizzel came by and helped with trimming bushes and the grass. I tried to help where I could but my attempt at running the grass trimmer made a small contribution to the overall effort.

I took my final dose of anti-biotic this afternoon. This is a powder mixed in water and taken every three days. An unusual anti-biotic but better than and IV. I am feeling good, so looks like we were able to catch this infection in the early stages. Tomorrow I have my therapy session and should be able to have a good workout.

I mentioned the visit from my friends Rick and Linda Enstrom this past Saturday. After seeing a picture of the fish they caught, I should have had Rick filet the final catch of fish they had on ice at my house. (Above Ken with Rick and Linda)

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long, And in Your righteousness they are exalted. Psalm 89:14-16 (NKV)

It is almost difficult to comment on these verses. They stand alone in their exaltation of our great God. This Psalm opens with the familiar refrain, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” (Psa. 89:1)

Four outstanding virtues are found in reference to our great God. “Righteousness” “Justice” “Mercy” and “Truth.” God alone is righteous, He is pure in all his character. That is why the Psalmist says that God’s blessed people are exalted in His righteousness. Not their rightousness, His righteousness. Not even their righteousness by faith and obedience to the Lord.

The picture of God’s throne is one of His power and His position as judge of all the earth. No wonder that “justice” along with righteousness form the foundation of His throne. His the One who does all things right. Yet we see that “mercy” and “truth” go before Him. David declared, “you delight in truth in the inward being…” (Psalm 51:6) If we are not condemned it is not because we have averted the truth, it is that in spite of the truth of our guilt we are shown mercy.

And that results in a joyful response to the freedom that we have before the throne of God. When you know the reality of being freely accepted in God’s presence, that “makes your day.” You should rejoice before him all day long.

After a busy weekend, I am pleased that I have been feeling good today. The rain and cooler afternoons have made the grass grow quickly. So I found myself out mowing the grass once again today. I did get some rose bushes trimmed while I was at it as well.

As I was getting ready to head to the pool the thunder was already beginning, so it changed the timing of my plans. So I headed to my office to take care of some work and to work on my blog. Now the sun is out and I still think I have time to get to the pool before my men’s meeting at church tonight.

Above is a picture of my with Lonnie, Susan and Chris Losh. Once again it was a pleasant surprise to see them in Loveland yesterday and spend time getting caught up to date. They visited me in the hospital just about a year ago soon after my admission on July 22nd.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… If you turn at my reproof,behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you….Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.  Proverbs 1:23, 29-31

I recall many years ago in the YMCA locker room. I could hear a father with his young son some distance away. In their conversation the dad said, “son many people are smart, but that doesn’t mean they are wise, wisdom is not just knowing what to do, it is doing it….” What was of interest the little boy seemed only five maybe six if that. Already this dad was instilling sound Biblical concepts in his son.

I  reflected back on the first chapter of Proverbs as Solomon intends to provide instructions for his son as to the value of wisdom and a commitment to God’s ways. I have also been reading through Exodus. After chapter 20 and Ten Commandments the ensuing laws that God gives to Moses can seem rather tedious with no application to our lives today.

But as I made my way through Exodus 21,22,23,24 it was becoming clear that regardless of the type of instruction, God was communicating His concern for character, personal responsibility and accountability. The penalty for restitution of a wrong was always far greater than the value of the offense. People needed to feel the “consequences for their actions.”

If God’s people were to be wise in their dealings with each other and their relationship with God they would follow the pattern that the Lord had established. And walking in this “wisdom” and yielding to God’s reproof when it came would show they were wise and God’s promise was to “pour out His Spirit on them.” That would result in greater wisdom and blessing and prosperity in the land.

However, we see that God’s people did not follow God’s instructions. As a result, they forfeited the blessings and the wisdom and the provisions that could have been theirs. When you live God’s way  you receive God’s blessings. When you life your own way, you receive only what your own devices yield in  your life.

As New Testament followers of Christ, the “law of God is to be written on our hearts.” That means out of relationship and love for Christ we are to follow His ways and to give heed when we don’t and His reproof comes into our lives. This shows that we are “walking in wisdom” and brings God’s presence and provision to work in our lives. When we resist it shuts us off from the source of wisdom and we reap the fruit of going our own way.

The basic concepts are still the same for our life today. How many times I have observed we would be better off in our country if the ideals of character, personal responsibility and accountability for actions were more the norm. Remember God’s ways are still the wise way to live…

“…the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”  Proverbs 1:32

Today after our attending or morning church service at Timberline Church, I headed over to Loveland to catch the final day of the State USSSA tournament my cousin was playing in. They won a game earlier in the morning the mid-day game they won 1-0 in an overtime inning. Then they played the same team they had just beat in the championship game and won 7-2! That made them State Champs in the 18 year old “B Division.” It was great to be there, especially with the exciting outcome. My cousin Kayla was recognized by the coach for her critical role as catcher and was awarded the team trophy as her own. This was a great honor and I am pleased that I was there for all the excitement and celebration.

I also ran into my friends Lonnie and Susan Losh from Strasburg. Their granddaughter (son Chris’s daughter) was playing in the “A Division” State Championship game. Strasburg pulled out the win to be State Champs in their division. It was good to see my friends from Strasburg even if Lonnie did have to remind me of my “some times over the top” competitive spirit from my younger days. Both of these teams will compete in national tournaments this next week. Strasburg heads to San Diego and my cousin, Kayla’s Colorado Springs Thunder team heads to Florida. Congratulations to both teams.

Bible Verse for Today… For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold  from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!              Psalm 84:11,12

Psalm 84 is another classic and favorite of mine. It begins with the words, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” (Psalm 84:1,2) At the end of the Psalm we read, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10)

The temple of God is viewed as the dwelling place of God. That was David’s intent to build as house for the Lord. Solomon finished the Temple and in his prayer recognized that God could not dwell in the temple because it could not contain Him. It was viewed as a “resting place for His feet.” The idea communicates the value of God’s presence.

The New Testament refers to the believer as the “temple of God.” It is to be the place where God’s presence is known and honored. Psalm 84:11,12 communicate to us the “why”; the reason that God’s presence should make us desire to be a mere doorman than to enjoy an exalted position in the tents of the wicked.

The Lord protects and bestows. The reference to “sun” and “shield” remind me of the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by the day that lead the Children of Israel through the wilderness. The Lord knows what we need and how to fill that need. He gives us favor and honor even though we don’t deserve the recognition. My cousin, Michelle (Kayla’s mom) made sure that I received a team championship key chain just like the team members received during today’s award ceremony. To me that felt like favor and honor. I did nothing to earn it, but was recognized by her and shown kindness.

The Lord is generous. “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” God desires our love to be demonstrated in our obedience to Him. That doesn’t mean perfection, but it does mean following after Him and seeking His presence as a vital part of our life. He approaches us with an open hand, not a closed fist.

Trust and blessing go hand in hand.  Obedience requires trust. Trust results in blessings. As we receive blessings from the Lord it encourages our love for Him. Our love for Him is reflected in our obedience to Him. Our obedience requires trust….

And that is how we stay connected to God’s place of life and blessing. There is no better place to be. Jump on board even if you have to be a “doorkeeper” or better yet “door opener” for others to enter in.

Today ended up being a better day than yesterday. However, my day started with several phone calls to weekend pharmacists and doctors. The issue was that the instructions that came with the oral antibiotic that I was prescribed had three warnings that said, “Do not take if you have had a history of Myasthenia Gravis.” I finally received a prescription for a new antibiotic but we had to make a trip to the Kaiser facility in Westminster to pick it up. However, that provided us the opportunity to connect with Christian and Riley and pick up some things I had left in Lakewood.

However, that made us a little getting back to Loveland for my cousin Kayla (Summers) Boyd’s softball game. She plays catcher for the Colorado Springs Thunder. This weekend is the State Tournament for their division. An hour lightning/rain delay provided ample opportunity to visit with family and get some pictures. Kayla’s team is cruising through the winners bracket at this point and I believe I will be able to watch them in the championship game tomorrow.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.… “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?  Exodus 15:1-3, 11

The Children of Israel pass through the Red Sea and the armies of Pharaoh follow only to drown as the waters return to their normal state. As the Children of Israel witness this miracle of deliverance by the power of God they rejoice in song. They sing “The Song of Moses.” Just a short time before they had been responding in fear, whining and pouting about their situation. Now praise to the Lord God, the all-sufficient, the “I-will-supply-all-your-needs” God permeates from the lips with rejoicing.

The above verses are some of the more familiar of this longer song of praise and rejoicing. I notice the following in these verses:

1 – Praising God for who He is and what He does is the natural response of our lives.

“I will sing…I will praise…I will exalt..” Verse 11 is a beautiful expression of praise that would be good to rehearse and remind yourself of and use in your time of worship of the Lord. There is no one like Him. He is majestic, awesome and glorious in all that He does as He works wonders for His people. His people today. Remember, He is the “I am” God, not the “I was” God.

2 – The Lord delights in bringing victories to His people

God’s desire is for us to trust Him and to yield to His work in our lives. As we do, He delights in bringing victories over our enemies. He triumphs gloriously, provides us with the strength the we need and becomes “our salvation.” The Children of Israel knew God as the visitor of plagues upon Egypt. They knew Him as the one who brought them out of Egypt into the wilderness with the wealth of Egypt upon their children and themselves. Now they see God as the God of salvation over the enemies who would destroy them.

The Psalmist declared, The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.  May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace! Psalm 29:10,11

3 – Not just your father’s God

“…this is my God, and I will praise him…” It was not enough for the Lord to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob alone. Each of the Children of Israel and their descendents were to embrace the Lord God as their God. Still honoring Him for His work in their ancestors and recognizing God’s promise to them, but allowing God to be their God who fulfills His good word and work in them.

It is interesting the in Revelation 15 we see the “Song of Moses and the Lamb.” It is sung by those who have been victorious over the the Beast, his image and mark. In like fashion they recognize God’s strength, protection and intervention as they sing, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!   Rev. 15:3

I believe God desires to hear more praise then pouting from His people. So trust Him to be your strength and your Lord and provide glorious triumphant victories on your behalf.

I woke got up later this morning than I intended and weaker than I anticipated. Yesterday my Kaiser Primary Care Doctor called to let me know that I had another infection and that after consulting with my infectious disease doctor they felt they could treat this one with an oral anti-biotic.

After feeling good all day yesterday, today ended up being more of a lethargic day. I did attend my Rotary meeting and we had a good group. I appreciate all those who came just to see me and hear my report. Christian was helpful to share his perspective. I think I even learned some things. After the meeting I returned to Christian’s home for some rest and was able to drive to the 180 Teen Challenge building. I met two of the staff members. One helped me by driving my car and the other drove a van with some of my belongings from my TC office.

A special treat for the day, was to have Rick and Linda Enstrom stop by on their way home from a Wyoming fishing trip. They have been an encouragement and support and it was great to see them and share on more of a personal level my journey over the last year. It has been good for people to see my progress in spite of some setbacks, but certainly in light of how critical I was for many months.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses…Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. Exodus 14:10-14

It would have been nice if Moses knew how God was going to deliver the people of Israel. He could have said, “Listen everyone this is what is going to happen. We will head to the Red Sea and then I will lift my staff over the water and we will cross it on dry ground. The Egyptians will chase us but they will be drowned in the waters of sea after we safely cross.”

That would have been nice, but that is not how God operates and what faith in God in the midst of the test means. As the exodus took place from Egypt the people followed Moses and God. They did have the physical manifestation of the Lord in the cloud that guided them, yet still when they saw the armies of Pharaoh they caved into fear and retreat.

What is of interest they cried to Moses, they said, “we told you to leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians.” If this is the response of the people during the plagues that brought their freedom, it shows how focused that Moses had to be in his confidence in God and his leadership role before the people.

Successful leadership mean that not everyone is on board and not at the same time. However when their is confidence in the direction God is leading it brings confidence even when the leader doesn’t know how God will provide.

Moses told the people, “stand still and see the salvation the Lord.” God said to Moses, “get the people moving!” There was a role of faith for the people to move forward and a step of faith for Moses to raise his staff over the waters. Not everyone received the memo or news flash with the details, they just had to move. They had to follow God and God’s chosen leader.

As the people moved, God moved. God moved to part the waters, and God moved in the form of the cloud that became a pillar of fire that separated and protected God’s people from the armies of Pharaoh.

At times we need to stand firm and see God work a miracle. At other times God is waiting for us to move. To move in faith as He provides the direction and miracle that is needed. Focus and faith in God is needed to know what to do  in a given situation.

When facing challenges and obstacles don’t retreat to old patterns and life styles. Don’t do what is natural, do what is supernatural. Move forward with a focus on the cloud of God’s presence and in faith that God will direct and provide.

The highlight of today was driving myself to Lakewood for the fist time since my illness. I had an eye doctor appointment and wanted to make sure that Dr. Loomis (my eye doc the last 15 years or so) was the one doing the evaluation. From what I can tell my West Nile infection and Myasthenia Gravis had not impact my vision as much as I had thought. During my high acute-care hospital stay there was some concern about my eyes and the impact of my medical condition on my vision.

I had lunch today with the new Executive Director for Teen Challenge and my former co-worker Gina Brummett. We are believing for great things for this important ministry and will keep Cary Coffey in our prayers.

After working on my presentation for my Rotary meeting on Friday morning, I went to Christian and Bridget’s home for dinner and was able to attend Riley’s baseball game. He did well and I tried to make sure Eliana had grandpa’s attention.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.” Exodus 13:8-10

The Passover marked the final judgment on Egypt and established the “Independence Day” for the Hebrew slaves. As this final plague took place each family had to follow the instructions given by God through Moses. Since the third plague, the land of Goshen had been under Divine protection from the plagues that visited the land of Egypt. They would be protected during this final plague as well, if they followed the instructions of placing the blood on the door post after bringing the sacrificial lamb into the house.

This day marked the beginning of their calendar. It was going to be the first day of the first month of their year. It was to be celebrated annually along with the Feast of Unleavened Bread as an ongoing reminder of God’s saving, delivering power and God’s care for His people.

I find it of interest as the history of God’s people unfolds the Passover became a forgotten event. That would be like never celebrating New Years or  more specially July 4th. This date in American history at least provides the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices and dedication that brought the United States political freedom.

The failure of Israel to celebrate God’s deliverance from slavery resulted in passivity, spiritual and moral compromise and idolatry. The Lord God was viewed as no more significant or powerful than the calf idol or any other image of the pagan nations. Remembrances of the past became ritual and ancient history.

How does this apply to us? We celebrate the Lord’s supper to remember Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, but it is equally important to remember our day of freedom from the slavery to sin when we surrendered our life to Christ. The outward testimony of that inward work is pictured in baptism. I recall a more liturgical denomination encouraging members to “remember your baptism.”

That came to mind as I reflected on the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread as I read Exodus. Perhaps there is some merit to that as far as taking time to reflect on God’s delivering work in our personal lives.

I recall some years ago a pastor sharing about a man who had lived a wild life before coming to Christ. He asked him one day if he was ever tempted to go back to some old habits or way of living. His response was “everyday!” But he said what made the difference is recalling his baptism and that he was new creation in Christ and that “old self” was dead and gone!

We place a lot of emphasis on our physical birthdays. Perhaps you need to begin marking your “spiritual birthday” or some other tradition or celebration that will help you remember your life transformation through Christ. And then use that time to share your story with your children and reinforce Bible-based, Christ-centered values to your family.