Getting Good Advice; July 9, 2017

Posted on July 12, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 12:8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

This is a classic example of shopping for advisers until you find one who tells you what you want to hear. From our perspective the results were entirely predictable, but we see the same sort of thing all the time, and are prone to do it ourselves. There are other examples scattered throughout the Bible, and not a one of them ends well. Paul refers to the fundamental problem by calling it “itching ears.” (2 Timothy 4:3) Sadly, we see it specifically in the Church today, with people seeking out preachers who won’t confront their sins but rather stroke their flesh. That is tragic indeed. We forget that those God loves, He corrects. (Hebrews 12:5-6, quoting Proverbs 3:11-12) Refusing good advice and always seeking the easy way out is a guaranteed recipe for failure, as Rehoboam demonstrated.

I have no high horse from which to proclaim this, because I’ve fallen into this trap myself. My personal pattern has been not to reject good advice so much as not to seek advice in the first place. That is pride, pure and simple. I am not to take human advice over what God says to me, but I must remember that God often speaks through human instruments. I am to weigh advice under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but not reject advice because it doesn’t agree with my preconceptions. Yesterday, following God’s provision and guidance, I signed a contract for purchasing a plot of land next to the church for us to build an elder-care facility. We are now faced with one decision after another, and we don’t have the background, knowledge or wisdom to make all the right choices. I’ve got to know from whom to seek advice, and then listen in all humility. That said, God is still in control, and my first priority must be to listen to Him. I also need to be sure the members are in the loop, understanding what is going on and being a part of it, so that we may have full ownership. At the same time, this facility must not become “the tail that wags the dog.” We are to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and treat this facility as no more than a tool to that end.

Father, yesterday it started to hit me how many decisions and choices will have to be made. It’s rather intimidating! Thank You that You do care and You do guide. Help me not fear any of this, but also not be presumptive or know-it-all. I do ask for good counselors, not just about the building but especially about operations and finances. I don’t know how much to charge residents, how many employees we need, or how much to pay them. I know that if I am proud, I will fail and do considerable damage to people’s image of the Church and of You. May I be fully obedient to Your Spirit, so that all of Your purposes, not just for this project but for this church and for me personally, may be fulfilled in Your way for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Following God’s Plans; July 8, 2017

Posted on July 11, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 11:38 “If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.”

Don’t you know Jeroboam was blown out of the water by this prophecy! The problem was, just like we all tend to do, Jeroboam focused on the promises and overlooked the conditions. He was obviously a man of great ability and potential, but he tried to figure out how to make all this happen humanly speaking, instead of inquiring of God as to His plan of action. One wonders how history would have changed had he been more like David spiritually, recognizing his utter dependence on God and acting accordingly. However, he had never known David personally, so the references to David in the prophecy just made him think of military victories and the like, from the stories he had heard. Much like King Saul, he doesn’t seem to have had a personal relationship with the God of Israel. Having received a personal prophecy of this magnitude, he probably figured that he was fixed for life, and didn’t have to worry about anything. Like Solomon, he is a case history of how not to respond to the blessings of God. The Bible has a lot of those! We are back to Paul’s admonition: “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12) The minute we think we’re OK in our own strength, we are in grave danger. When we are submitted and obedient to God we indeed have nothing to be anxious about, but thinking we can go it on our own puts us on the edge of the tallest of cliffs.

This is something we all need to be reminded of from time to time. Right now it looks like things are falling into place for the elder-care facility we want to build, but the hazards and pitfalls are myriad, and I know I don’t have the skills to navigate through successfully. That knowledge may be my biggest strength! In the first place, the finances involved are huge, compared to the history of this church, not to mention my own personal history. I know that God is never at a loss for money, and “Where God guides, He provides.” However, if I am presumptive, I won’t receive that provision. I know that organizational and administrative skills that I don’t have are called for, both in the planning and the operation of the facility. I am to seek God at every turn, not simply to know what I am to do but more importantly, whom to ask to do what I cannot. I have a life history of attempting anything at all on my own, with varying degrees of success. This project is too important, and affects too many people, for me to let my pride get in the way. As Don Moen’s song says, “God will make a way where there seems to be no way.” However, if I try to make my own way, I will miss His.

Father, thank You for this very timely Word. I go this morning to sign the contract to purchase the land. That’s a major step, but it’s just one of very many. Help me be humble before You to recognize each step in turn, not trying to run ahead or lag behind, but listening obediently to You. May all of Your plans for this facility and for this church be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Genuine Wisdom; July 7, 2017

Posted on July 11, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 11:4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

Here we have the incredible stupidity that for me negates all of the wisdom for which Solomon was so famous. I get stirred up and angry every time I read this passage. What on earth is one man doing with 1,000 women in the first place!? The writer here pulls no punches, talking about how God had expressly forbidden the Israelites to take wives from specific idolatrous nations, for exactly what brought Solomon down: they would lead them into idolatry. When Solomon spoke such an exalted concept of God the Creator at the dedication of the temple, it is mind boggling that he would descend into idolatry with any god, much less the truly detestable gods of the nations from which he chose women. The passage repeatedly uses the word “love” in describing Solomon’s relationship with his wives and concubines, but I certainly wouldn’t dignify it with that word. After 48 years of a blessed marriage, I can’t see how Solomon had anything remotely approaching what I have. No wonder he became so bitter, as comes out in Ecclesiastes! He could have avoided that tragedy had he followed the instructions in Proverbs, that supposedly includes a lot of material he himself wrote: “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.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Solomon trusted in his own understanding, and so was quickly deceived. He failed to hold the Word of the Lord as an absolute standard against which to judge everything else, and so fell horribly.

I may have something of a fixation with Solomon because I have a high IQ, and he is such an example of how that can go horribly wrong. The interesting thing is, I’ve got to be careful not to be proud of my humility! I have certainly not been the steward I could have been of all that God has placed in me, but by God’s amazing grace He has kept me from going the way of Solomon. It wasn’t so many years ago that He finally got through to me that He’s smart and I’m not, rather than my simply being a lot less smart than He is. My intellect is simply on a different plane from His, and there can be no comparison. As He told Isaiah, it’s on the order of the distance from here to another galaxy, versus going down to the corner store. (Isaiah 55:8-9) I have got to go by what He says, rather than simply what seems “reasonable” to me. I am frequently asked for advice and counsel by various people. I am not to ignore what I have learned over years of walking with the Lord, but I still am not to rely on what I have already been given, but rather seek God for right now. He will not violate His Word, but He may well apply it in ways that would never occur to me, and His way is always best.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the person who came for counsel and comfort last night, and for what You did in that time. It certainly wasn’t anything I did! Help me be available to You at all times, allowing You to take me by the hand and lead me to do Your will, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Dealing with Wealth; July 6, 2017

Posted on July 7, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 10:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.

This story is a Hollywood favorite, because it has all the themes they like to use. I’m not sure how many movies have actually been made of it, but for movies with a Biblical source, it’s probably second only to the Exodus. However, Hollywood dwells on the wealth and the sex, and not on what this first verse says. (There is a strong tradition that one of the things Solomon gave her that she asked for (verse 13) was an heir, who became the progenitor of Ethiopian Jews.) This verse, however, talks about Solomon’s “relation to the name of the Lord.” What Solomon had prayed for the temple was definitely coming to pass. It was evident that all of Solomon’s wisdom and glory were from the Lord, but he clearly got distracted by all the glitter and forgot where it came from. Having no limits (Ecclesiastes 2:10) isn’t good for human beings! We have the secular proverb that “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I don’t know if we would say that Solomon was absolutely corrupted, but he certainly did himself in by focusing on the flesh, on the things of this world. Paul got it right when he said, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18) That’s the way to true joy and satisfaction, rather than the nihilistic dead end that Solomon found.

I’ve never had to deal with great wealth. The joke says, “I’d like to give it a try,” but I’m not so sure I would. There have been times when more money would definitely have made things easier for me, but I’m not sure easier would have been better in the long run. I’m dealing with someone right now who has never had any financial worries, and frankly, I feel sorry for them. Their view of life and of people is definitely skewed, and not for the better. The constraints of age are upon them, and they can’t grasp that money won’t fix it, nor should it. Right now as a church we are in the position of God pouring out funds to us for something He wants us to do, but the money is just numbers. I need to be sure it stays that way! I don’t know where all the necessary funds are going to come from, but I have great peace and assurance that they will be there when needed. My task is to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, (Matthew 6:33) and not be distracted by the tools I am given to that end.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. This church, and frankly, Cathy and I, are known for our relation to You. May our actions and words consistently be as You desire, drawing people to You and giving You glory, so that many may come from death to life, in a chain reaction that will impact the city, the nation, and the world. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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One with the Lord; July 5, 2017

Posted on July 7, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:61 “But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Once again we have clear proof that being the instrument for speaking God’s truth doesn’t necessarily mean you do it. Solomon spoke the conditions for continuing to receive the blessings of God, but then he didn’t fulfill those conditions himself. One phrase in this summation is translated differently in the NIV and the Japanese, and it is the key to the whole issue. Where the NIV says “your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord,” the Japanese says, “Your hearts must be totally one with the Lord.” I can understand how those could each be a good translation of one original, but the Japanese brings to mind Jesus’ words in the Upper Room, where He talked repeatedly about our being in Him and Him being in us, using the metaphor of a grape vine. (John 15:1-10) Then in His final prayer in the Upper Room He doubled down on the issue, praying for succeeding generations of believers with the words, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21) That’s what “one heart with the Lord” is all about. That does require consistent choice on our part, which is why “fully committed” isn’t a bad translation. God supplies His Spirit to indwell us and transform us into the likeness of His Son, (Romans 8:29) but we must choose to yield ourselves to Him, to receive and operate in the unity He desires of us and offers to us. To the degree we do that, walking in all He has said to us, we will enjoy the totality of His blessings.

This is as true of me as it is of anyone. As a preacher, speaking the Word of the Lord regularly, I have the huge temptation to feel that because I’ve said it I’m doing it. If only it were that simple! The words of my mouth are important, (Romans 10:9-10) but words without action are empty. (James 2:14) I must choose to draw near to my Lord, not just daily but continuously. I don’t want to be like Solomon, who squandered the riches of God by feeling he deserved them. I’ve got to walk in constant awareness of my total dependence on God, staying focused on Him so that His Spirit may flow through me and His power be manifested in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) We are in intense spiritual warfare right now, so this is of utmost importance. I know that He who is in me is greater than all the forces that are against me, (1 John 4:4) but I’ve got to abide in Him for His victory to be manifested fully in and through me.

Father, thank You for this very timely reminder. Thank You that the real estate agent agreed to sell us all three building plots, just as we had prayed. The devil is not at all happy that Your plans for us are proceeding, and he’s doing all he can to mess with us. Help us keep our focus on You and on what’s really going on, so that we won’t attack one another by mistake. May we not be deceived into using fleshly tools in the battle, but rather let Your truth flow through us all in love, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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World Missions; July 4, 2017

Posted on July 6, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:41-43 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name—for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when he comes and prays towards this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling-place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”

I don’t know how well I have registered that there was such a “world missions” oriented declaration at this point in Israel’s history. Various prophets touched on God’s heart for the nations and it comes out in a Psalm or two, but this is a very public pronouncement on the part of the king. Solomon’s motives may have been less than pure, focused on building the reputation of the temple itself, but still this is a very real start to reaching out to anyone, of whatever ethnicity, who seeks God. It took some pretty dramatic action on God’s part to get even the early Church to recognize that He was more than the God of the Jews, but now the tables are turned and some Christians go so far as to be antisemitic. I think such people don’t really know the God they claim to serve! Paul got it right when he said that God wants everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4) We miss so much of God when we focus on I-my-me-mine. God worked with one people group, the physical descendants of Abraham, just as he works with individuals today, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t care about everyone else. We have trouble grasping that because God is infinite, someone else being loved and blessed in no way diminishes what is available for us. With God, it’s never a “zero-sum game!” Anyone who thinks about it realizes that the more they love, the more love they receive. Love totally violates Newton’s laws, not to mention entropy, and God is love. The better we grasp that the more blessed we will be.

I grew up in a family that was totally steeped in world missions. My grandfather, W. O. Carver, founded what is currently the oldest Department of Missions in any school in the world and his second daughter became a single missionary, before marrying my father in Japan (since he had received his own call to missions). Even as a child it was a mystery to me how some people could be unconcerned about the salvation of those outside of their immediate circle. At this point I have been an independent, self-supporting missionary in Japan for about 36 years. Small churches have a strong tendency to become self-centered, so to counter that we have been tithing our general offerings to New Life League, a Christian printing company in the Tokyo area that sends Bibles to China, as well as to other places that need them. I try to help the believers understand that yes, God loves us and wants the best for us, but that doesn’t mean He loves anyone else less, and we can participate in what He wants to do through prayer and in various other ways.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I pray that You would help me be more effective in sharing Your worldwide vision with Your children, so that we may participate fully in what You are doing, for our blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Concept of God; July 3, 2017

Posted on July 6, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”

It may have been Solomon’s intelligence that enabled him to have this revelation of God’s infinity. Given the general theological concepts of the day, this seems rather remarkable. That said, we are back to the extreme irony of the idolatry he engaged in to mollify his foreign wives. He may have justified it by saying those idols weren’t real gods, which is true enough, but he was still engaging in expressly forbidden behavior, and the impact on others of his doing such a thing was immense. We are back to the simple fact that even though he knew how big God was, he forgot how small he was. That never works! Humility is absolutely essential, because pride will blind us in amazing ways. It is only when we get a glimpse of how small and sinful we are that we grasp how magnificent, how truly amazing, the grace and love of God are. We sing, Amazing Grace, but then turn around and take that grace for granted. We are indeed important, but only because God has chosen to make us important by focusing His love on us. Why He would do that is the greatest of all mysteries! We need the grasp of how big God is that Solomon had, and at the same time be fully grateful for the incredible miracle it is that He loves us.

Solomon’s concept of God is particularly lacking in Japan, where traditional Shinto has assigned deity to any and every impressive natural feature, from the sun on down to impressive trees. That makes it all the more interesting that Michio Kaku, the ethnic Japanese astrophysicist who is one of the main sources of String Theory, has come out clearly to say that the structure of the universe demands a Creator to have put it all together. That’s a far cry from animistic Shinto! Sadly, however, Mr. Kaku hasn’t been able to make the leap of faith to believe that this Creator cares about and loves each human being. I deal with people’s concept of God all the time, seeking to help them understand how big and great He is and how absolutely amazing it is that He would love us enough to send His Son to save us from our own sins. I recall the blank look I got from the CEO of the company that operates the wedding chapel where I do weddings when I read this verse in the dedication ceremony they asked me to hold for the chapel building when it was built. I had him promise, in front of the assembled guests, that he would not put the chapel to any use that would dishonor the name of Christ. I’m not sure he’s kept that promise! It all comes down to simple, childlike faith that God is my Daddy, and He loves me. That is the Gospel I preach.

Father, I have demonstrated abundantly that I can’t get through to people by my own strength and wisdom, so I ask You to do so by Your Spirit. Open their eyes to You and to themselves, so that they may indeed repent and believe, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Honoring the Office; July 2, 2017

Posted on July 5, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 8:23 “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.”

I think even Solomon was a bit taken aback by the cloud that filled the temple. (vv. 10-11) What he says here shows the generally polytheistic mindset of everyone in those days, specifying that Yahweh had no rivals. This prayer is actually ironic in the extreme, because Solomon himself later stooped to idolatry to appease his various foreign wives. That irony is heightened by his acknowledging that God’s promises are conditional on wholehearted obedience, which he obviously lacked. I feel sure the Holy Spirit guided his mouth, so that he actually spoke judgment on his later self. He said numbers of things in this dedication ceremony that were and are obviously from God, showing that God often honors the office, even in spite of the person occupying it. That was evident in Eli giving God’s instructions to young Samuel (1 Samuel 3) as well as in Caiaphas speaking out God’s plan of salvation through the cross of Christ. (John 11:49-52) This can sometimes bring about a jarring disconnect for those who are spiritually sensitive, when God’s words come through the mouth of someone who is manifestly not living as an obedient servant of God. As an extreme example, there is not only Caiaphas, but also the people who were jeering at Jesus on the cross, with no idea that they were quoting Psalm 22:8. (Matthew 27:41-43) God uses even those who are in rebellion against Him to fulfill His purposes, but they get no benefit from it themselves. That’s all the more reason for humility when we realize that God is using us. I have always liked the line from Don Francisco’s son about Balaam that says, “So if the Lord starts using you, don’t you pay it any mind. He could have used the dog next door, if He’d been so inclined.” Right now God seems to be using a deeply flawed President to accomplish some things that are very much on His agenda. Rather than focus on the flaws, God’s children need to be focused on what God wants to do, and provide prayer support. The intensity of the spiritual warfare involved is evident to anyone with spiritual perception, but we must remember that the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

This is an important point for me, because I occupy the office of pastor/teacher, and God has used me many times to speak His Word and do other things as His agent. I must not let that devolve into personal pride. I am to be deeply grateful that He would choose to use me, but not think that being used in itself gives me special status. At the same time, I am not to doubt that He does use me, and so hesitate to make myself available to Him. The moment I think, “How could He use me?” I have taken my eyes off of Him and fixed them on my own weaknesses and failures. I am to honor His call and commission on my life, without honoring myself in the process. That can get tricky! It’s clear, both from my track record and from logical analysis, that I can’t get it right consistently on my own. That’s all the more reason for me to depend on Him. He is more than able to do whatever He likes through me, and I am to keep myself available at all times.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Looking back, I can see that many times You have used me even when I wasn’t aware of what was going on. Help me not try to figure You out, but just listen obediently to whatever You say, so that You will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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God’s Promises; July 1, 2017

Posted on July 5, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 6:11-12 The word of the Lord came to Solomon: “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, carry out my regulations and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.”

The thing that strikes me right now about this was that God’s promises to David were dependent on Solomon’s follow-through. To some that might seem unfair, but it’s the way things work. We don’t see the end from the beginning the way God does, so our perception of things is often distorted. God was pleased with the temple – really, more the heart attitudes that were behind the construction than the building itself – but He also knew how later generations would desecrate it, and how the Babylonians would tear it down. He was trying to make it clear to Solomon that obedience wasn’t an option, but Solomon acted like he forgot it in his later years. Actually, I think it was probably more a matter of feeling that as king, he was above such rules and regulations. Sadly, we see such an attitude in politicians all the time. Even if they seem to get away with it in this life, they still have to stand before God in the end. Solomon may have felt that building such a magnificent temple gave him a special in with God, but God isn’t impressed with things, any more than he needs a roof over His head to keep Him dry. We need to remember what Solomon forgot, that God looks on the heart, and He is pleased with humility. (Isaiah 66:2)

I honestly don’t know what, if any, promises God made to my parents that await their fulfillment in me. I have received some promises myself that I have a feeling won’t be fulfilled until my death or after. In any case, the task for me is faithful obedience, leaving timing up to God. Part of the pride I operated in for too much of my life was feeling that any child of my parents was automatically blessed, since they were such upstanding servants of God. The message that brought me to repentance as an adult was that no one gets into heaven hanging onto anyone else’ belt. It was like God tapped me on the shoulder, and when I turned around He had a mirror for me to see the state of my heart. I literally fell to my knees and wept, “My Lord and my God.” I will forever be grateful for His grace in doing that. The goal of my life now is to hear Him say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) Nothing that could happen to me on this earth could begin to dim the glory of that moment. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You that all the trees on the neighboring property are down safely, just as we prayed. I ask that the work on digging up the stumps, and everything to follow, likewise go smoothly. I continue to ask that we be sold the three plots we have asked for, and that everything about building and operating the elder-care facility would go as You intend. Thank You for the sunburn I got yesterday, to put a point on the “light and momentary troubles” Paul mentioned. May I rest, relax, and rejoice in You throughout today, just as You have told me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Stewardship of the Earth; June 30, 2017

Posted on July 3, 2017 by jgarrott

1 Kings 5:10-11 In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted, and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year.

It seemed incredible just a generation or two ago that the land of Israel would have been such an agricultural powerhouse as to be able to export such quantities of wheat and olive oil, but today Israel is again an agricultural exporter. We get “Sweetie” grapefruit even here in Japan! Given wisdom from God, the Jews have developed irrigation techniques that have caused the desert to blossom, even to the point of changing the climate. Conversely, Lebanon was once famous for cedar and other trees that provided a major source of their wealth, but today it’s hard to locate such trees anywhere but on their flag. Greed and political turmoil have robbed them of what God had originally provided. Israel too has had a succession of wars over the past 70 years, but they have managed to restore the land in spite of, and even in the middle of, all of that. The loss of the forests of Lebanon has had a major drying effect on the climate of the whole region, which is why Israel’s high-tech irrigation systems are in such demand. Human history shows that there is certainly such a thing as man-made climate change, but it has come from human impact on vegetation rather than from “greenhouse gasses.” Ancient Egyptian records show that timber was once harvested in the Sinai Peninsula! Today that seems downright unimaginable, to the point that the archaeologists who discovered the documents doubted first their own translation and then the documents’ authenticity. Solar cycles are the biggest driver of climate, but mankind is certainly responsible for stewardship of the earth, ever since Eden. We are not to be deceived by politically motivated “movements,” but we are to respect what God has provided and “clean up after ourselves,” as my mother always told me.

This feels very close to home right now, because workers are in the process of clearing all the trees from the land next door. That has been emotionally painful to watch, since some of the trees were over 100 years old. However other trees, when cut have revealed that they had been hollowed out by termites, and so were in need of being culled. That said, the whole neighborhood is in shock and mourning over the loss of the major “green island” we have enjoyed. As Cathy has said, it is actually a blessing to the church that we had nothing to do with the decision to cut it all down, because the result is proving to be a strengthening rather than a worsening of our ties with the neighborhood. That said, if we do indeed get the three building plots we have asked for, we need to be careful and intentional in what trees we plant around the senior care facility we are planning, so that we will over time be a channel of restoration, blessing people and giving glory to God.

Father, thank You for this word this morning. I pray that the work on the land would proceed as You intend, and that the eventual use of every bit of it would likewise be according to Your plan. May we keep our eyes on You and be good stewards, not only of the material things but also of the abilities and opportunities You provide, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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