Sunrise, Sunset

May 31st, 2012 dsisler

Are you a sunrise person or a sunset person? I’ve always been an early riser, so I’ve enjoyed more sunrises than sunsets in my lifetime. I believed a sunrise was more beautiful, but I’m beginning to think that are each beautiful in their own way. For their own purpose.
Our sunrises in Colorado begin in the east, but as the sun rises, it transforms the mountains to the west. The sunrise is as beautiful to the west as it is to the east.
Our sunsets in Colorado have the mountains as their backdrop. I have seen some of the most beautiful sunsets here.
I love that God has given us this type of beauty. Beauty for us to enjoy. Let me share a little of the references in the Bible and what God says about sunrises and sunsets.
Sunrise
In the Old Testament, there are many references to the sunrise. Most of them deal with something facing toward the sunrise. A building, an entrance, where the Israelites were to camp, or the direction they headed on a journey.
These accounts can be found in Exodus 27:13; 38:13; Numbers 2:3; 3:38; 21:11; 34:15; Joshua 1:15; and Joshua 19:12.
Also in the Old Testament, David shared that he was a light at sunrise in his world because he followed and trusted God. (2 Samuel 23:3-4)
In the New Testament, we see the scene at Jesus’ resurrection at sunrise in Mark 16:2-3. “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’”
It seems appropriate that Jesus appeared just after sunrise. Especially since He is described as the “Bright Morning Star”(Revelation 22:16).
Sunset
In the Old Testament there are references to the sunset. If a cloak was used as a pledge, it was to be returned by sunset. These laws can be found in Exodus 22:6; Deuteronomy 23:11; and Deuteronomy 24:13.
During a battle with the Amalekites, Moses’ arms were held up until sunset so the Israelites would obtain victory (Exodus 17:12).
There are other references in the Old Testament that are too gruesome to mention at this time of day, but you can look them up if you’d like.
Mark 13:2 and Luke 4:40 tell us how Jesus was greeted with sick people at sunset. “At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.” (Luke 4:40)
I have seen some beautiful sunrises here in Colorado. But I have equally seen some beautiful sunsets. I think these two events, that just happen to occur daily, are a reminder for us to think about our God and how our lives can be changed through Him.
At sunrise we can seek God and ask for His guidance throughout our day. We can know that it is a new day and that we have the opportunity for a “do over.” I guess that is why one of my favorite Bible verses is Lamentations 3:22-23. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
At sunset we can once again approach God with our daily victories, troubles, struggles, temptations and sins. We can seek His grace and forgiveness and allow Him to cover us with His wings. Psalm 141:2 tells us, “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” The evening sacrifice is our lives, lived with God’s power and strength throughout the day.
Through my Christian walk, I can enjoy both sunrise and sunset as seen through Scripture. In Colorado, I can also enjoy both sunrise and sunset. I guess it’s not for me to debate any longer. I love them both!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share

Jury Duty

May 30th, 2012 dsisler

I am heading to jury duty this morning. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the courthouse. I’ll sit and wait for as long as they tell me I must. And at the end of the day, I may or may not be chosen to sit on the jury.
I haven’t been called for jury duty since the early 90’s. That case was settled out of court and I didn’t even have to go to the courthouse.
Each person in my household has been called in the past few years. I was very surprised and excited when I received my notice.

 

Yes, it will be inconvenient, but I feel it is something I am capable of and should do as part of my freedom and citizenship of the United States.
I have some privileges and duties as a citizen of God’s Kingdom as well.
Ephesians 2:19 and Philippians 3:20 show us that we are citizens of God’s Kingdom.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.”
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Titus 3:1-11 gives us an idea of how we are to live in this world as citizens of heaven.
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”
This list contains things we should and shouldn’t be doing. Being subject to the laws of the land, being peaceable, showing true humility are just some of the things we are to do. We should set aside foolishness, disobedience, and envy. This list goes on as well.
And the reason is so that we can stay focused on what we should stay focused on. Doing good. We are to devote ourselves to doing what is good.
So for now I’m thinking of jury duty as doing what is good. It for certain is doing what is right. It may be a long day, but in the end, the reward will be greater than the sacrifice.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share

Follow

May 29th, 2012 dsisler

I must confess there have been a few times when I didn’t feel like writing anything for this blog. Days when I was overly tired. Days when I was emotionally spent. Days when I felt lazy.
I’ll also admit there have been a few days when I had no idea what I was going to write. Days when there was nothing in my head. Days when the list of ideas for blogs simply weren’t interesting to me. Days when I sat before a blank screen wondering what could possibly be so interesting to others. Days when I wanted to go one direction and couldn’t make it work.
But I’ll also admit it was on those days that God showed up in the biggest way. Days when He showed me exactly what to write. Days when He brought to mind the best words in the right order for someone to read. Days when I might not have written anything unless He was smack dab in the middle of it.
It’s on these days that I realize who is really in charge of this blog and my writing. It’s God.
Do you ever wonder about God’s leading in your life? Do you think it is possible? If so, let me share a few passages with you to see how God does work in our lives and how we can be open to following His direction.
It would be wonderful if God was as visible to us as He was to Israel during their journey in the wilderness. He led them by day by a pillar of cloud and at night by a pillar of fire. (Exodus 13:20-22) But the interesting thing in these verses if that it says that “the Lord went ahead of them in” each of these pillars. He was there, but He went before them. Leading them. Directing their path.
God isn’t that visible today. Instead, God urges us to use His Holy Spirit and His Holy Words to guide us on the right path. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Acknowledging God is the first step to understanding His leading.
Then we need to ask God to lead us through His wisdom. Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
And Luke 11:9-10 encourages us to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” When we ask God to lead and guide us, He will do so. All we need to do is ask.
After we’ve asked for guidance, we need to be open to instruction. We need to listen and accept instruction from God. “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” (Psalm 16:7)
Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” What a blessing from God when we accept His instruction!
The next step is to follow. Follow God’s lead. Isaiah 48: 17 tells us, “This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’”
We hear the words of Jesus in John 16:13. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
Jesus also says in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
When we are open to following God’s lead, we will be in the light. That light will illuminate the path, the direction, the way we should go and it will be clear.
The benefits of following God’s lead are a great encouragement. “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”(Isaiah 58:11)
Who wouldn’t enjoy refreshment and satisfaction from God? I know there is nothing like it and without God’s guidance, I would feel parched. Empty. Lethargic.
So I’ve committed Full Measure of Joy to God. I’ve learned to follow His lead. I’ve given all of it over to His control. And I claim the promise in Proverbs 16:3. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share

I’m Back!

May 28th, 2012 dsisler

It’s been nearly five weeks since leaving my home in Colorado to care for Mom after surgery. But last night, I arrived home.
I’m back with my husband and kids. I’m back in my own home. I’m back within view of the mountains. I’m back at my desk. I’m back.
I missed Mom last night. I wondered how she was doing. I prayed she would stay safe. I missed laughing with her. I missed her.
I thought of the people in the Bible who also left their homes to live someplace else temporarily. People like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Daniel, and Jesus to name a few.
But I want to chat about Jacob. He had been deceitful his whole life. To his brother Esau and his father Isaac. And the final straw within the family dynamics was Jacob’s deception to his father to gain his brothers blessing. Esau was angry and Rebekah feared for Jacob’s life.
Jacob left to live with relatives. But his goal was to find a suitable wife. And he did. But Jacob was then deceived by his uncle. In the end, Jacob has two wives. He loved one and tolerated the other.
Years pass. Children are born. Jacob’s flocks increase. Laban becomes jealous of Jacob’s wealth. Jacob heads home.
Unsure of what the encounter with his brother might be, Jacob sends gifts ahead to ease the reunion. But Esau didn’t want the gifts; he wanted his brother back home where he belonged.
God visited with Jacob along his journey. In a dream…the Jacob’s ladder dream where God promises Jacob the land he slept upon and that his descendants would be “like the dust of the earth.” In another dream God told Jacob to go back to his native land. Angels of God met Jacob along the way to reassure him. Jacob wrestled with God all night long and in the end received a new name. God told Jacob on another occasion to go to Bethel and build an altar there.
Yes, God was with Jacob on this journey. He led Jacob, He encouraged Jacob, and He assured Jacob of His presence.
When Jacob died, “he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.” Jacob joined those who had gone before him. Those who had been faithful to God and His instruction. His father and his grandfather.
(For more information about Jacob, his family, and his life, his story can be read in Genesis 25-49.)
God is with us on our journeys in life as well. He is there to lead us, to encourage us, and to assure us of His presence. With eyes wide open, we can seek and find Him.
Yes, I’m back. It’s good to be here. But memories of Ohio linger and sometimes I’m saddened that I live so far away. I trust that God will gently guide me through this transition. Just as He always has.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share

Which Is It?

May 27th, 2012 dsisler

Driving along a stretch of road this past week, a corner caught my attention. A Bob Evans restaurant on the corner with a Golden Corral sign in front of it. I laughed out loud when I saw it and wondered how these two restaurants had allowed this discrepancy to occur.
At first sight, the signage looked deceitful, but as I looked around, I could see the Golden Corral behind the Bob Evans restaurant.
Perhaps it wasn’t deceitful, but it certainly wasn’t correct.
Deceit is such a devastating word. It brings to mind such evil connotations. It shows that someone is willing to lie to make someone else believe that lie.
God has a great deal to say about deceit. In my New International Version Study Bible Concordance, there are 65 references to deceit in some form. Deceit, deceive, deceitfulness, deceived, deceiving or deceiver. They all come from the lord and master of deceit, Satan.
Let’s look at a few passages where God speaks of deceit and how it can affect our lives.
Psalm 5:9 says, “Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.” This is a description of a deceiver. It isn’t appealing. It is not attractive. And yet, we each know someone who fits this description. A deceiver.
Jesus shares a list of evils where deceit is included in Mark 7:20-23. “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All of these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” These evils should not be in the heart of a Christian. These evils create unclean hearts. Unclean hearts break Jesus’ heart.
Paul and Barnabas encountered a sorcerer who was filled with deceit on Cyprus. This account can be found in Acts 13:4-12. “Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, ‘You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?’” (Acts 13:9-10) Paul knew evil when he saw it. He knew deceit was within this man. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, we too can uncover deceitfulness. Use this special weapon against evil.
Hebrews 3:13 reminds us, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Sin is deceitful. It tells us that no one will get hurt. It tells us that no one will know. It tells us that this little thing will bring us great pleasure. It is wrong! This passage tells us that we have been called to be encouragers. Encouragers for a purpose. To keep others from sin.
Deceit is sin. Deceit is evil. Deceit in any form should not be in our hearts. Satan will try to lead us in that direction and will bring people into our lives who live by deceit, but with the Holy Spirit, we can fight against this evil. Let no one deceive you dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
For further study on deceit, these verses might be helpful. Leviticus 19:11; Jeremiah 17:9; Hosea 10:2; Ephesians 5:6; and 1 Peter 2:1.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

  • Subscribe by Email

  • About Me

    "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19


    I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in southwest Ohio.

    I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

  • Bible Studies & Other Happenings

    Bible studies I’m currently leading:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    In September 2012 I went to SE Asia on a service trip. For more information, check out preachitclearly.blogspot.com.

  • Categories

  • Recent Posts

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On Linkedin