Thoughts for another day

June 3, 2009.

Today's verse: 1 Kings 8:42. (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Oh Israel, the place where the Lord of all the earth, the Most High, Almighty God chose to dwell, of all places on earth, truly a blessed land, beckoning the peoples of the earth and to become the dwelling place of the same blessed God whom we serve, what is it in you that the nations come to you, that people around the world yearn to know, etc.

Now, having gone to the holy land and seeing it before my eyes, I can but wonder at the place which God chose of all places on earth to house His own people the Israelites. You know when you see the place, you can’t help but realize that without His help there’s nothing the people there can do. It’s amazing how the country is… Hot and fiery. Today of course human ingenuity has transformed the place into an oasis and again it’s God who has given His blessings for such. Nestled among mighty Arab nations and other hostile nations like Iran and Iraq, Israel lives in fear day by day, yet, defended only by Yahweh God, the Great I AM. While the Jews there may rely on their weaponry and sophistication, they are but trite if real time war were to begin. But it is God who is their stronghold just as He was when David was king.

From the air that blows in the country to the fierce heat of the mountains the nature and character of our God comes forth. I can remember His telling them in the Bible that He has kept them in the midst of hostility so that He can prove He is God. He has made them His people, peculiarly His own so that they will always keep Him in mind, not only for those times, but even today. Just now I spoke to a guy who lives there and he said that they never know when they will die and that is why, being faithful helps. Even today, for us who follow Christ, being faithful helps.

As for our verse today, I pray that all men everywhere come to know Him, the God of our fathers and of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and obey His Word so that life now and later will be blessed and we strive to praise Him always.