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Lyn Cooke Christian Blog and Commentary

Act now to share the love of Christ in the Middle East

A New Year!

  • 2015Jan 04

It's a New Year! I opened my Daily Bible on Thursday and started afresh. "In the beginning God…"  And although I have read them a hundred times, these words are like a warm balm to my heart and soul.  I think Genesis is my favorite book in the Bible. I continued to read, and my heart was so tender to Adam and Eve. Each year that I read the creation story, I see it with new eyes. This time I see Adam and Eve's vulnerability and  frailty and I see myself--- the countless times I've been duped by the enemy's cunning!

As I follow their story, I practically melt as I see the tenderness of God in these verses. Adam and Eve disobeyed God.  Innocence was lost. Shame and fear entered humanity {among other things}.  And they try to hide from the very One who created them.  The relationship they had with God is now forever changed. Sin entered Eden. Their choices have long-reaching repercussions that we are still experiencing today.

As I read along, I'm anticipating the verses when God announces the punishment for their sin, but this time as I read, the words that leap off the page are:

"Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them."  Genesis 3:21

I sense such affection in these words. That the great God of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, would reach down and cover His children is so precious to me!  He is loving regardless of what we do. No matter how bad we mess up, we don't have to hide. We can walk out of the shadows and come to Him as we are. He will not turn us away.

As I read these words in Genesis, my heart is quickened by events that happened thousands of years ago.  God speaks to me through His Word by the power of His Spirit. And little by little, He changes me. Each day that I open His Word, I feed on His faithfulness, His constancy, His love. Jesus said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". (Matt. 4:4)

I'd like to encourage you to read your Bible this year, daily. There are many plans and Bibles to help you with this. I read from The Devotional Daily Bible which you can get here. The girls over at She Reads Truth are doing #365 days of truth and they have an app you can get for your phone. Also, my dear friend, Denise Hughes, has Team 365 that's going through the Bible in a year and you can join them right here.

Here's to a New Year!

 

 

A Great Light

  • 2014Dec 23

 

I was halfway between Florida and Virginia a couple of days ago, crumpled in a heap on a hotel room floor sobbing. I flipped on the TV for a bit of distraction only to feel worse by the barrage of frightening stories on the News channels interspersed with the shiny tinsel-clad commercials that tempt us to believe that right now everyone is merry and bright. I was neither.

I turned off the TV and in between sobs, cried out to God. Literally.

I am dealing with a few tough situations in my life that are out of my control and beyond my understanding. I am frustrated and scared. And I feel like I'm walking in the dark.

In the stillness of that hotel room, I sensed a faint whisper… "I came into darkness."

I remembered the words from Isaiah. "A people walking in darkness…"

Jesus left His throne to take on the limitations and frustrations of humanity. He pierced this dark world with the light of His Presence. He came at a time when Herod's murderous regime was wreaking havoc. He came when the Pharisees and Sadducees were heaping unbearable burdens on people and filling their own coffers with silver and gold. Jesus came when corruption had infiltrated every aspect of society. Secular and religious. When the hearts of many had grown cold.

Jesus came. And He comes now. Into this darkness. Mine.  Yours.

I have been thinking about these words from Isaiah for days now. I still cannot see into the shadows of my circumstances. It still remains dark. But…. Jesus sees everything. Psalm 139:12 says, "Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You."

He is the Light of the World. And He will lead me.

He is the Good Shepherd. He will guide me.

And He is Immanuel. God with me.

The good news of great joy is that I have a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  I am not alone.  And I am not left alone to grapple in the darkness.

He is Light and He is here. Praise God!  Jesus is here.

Giving Thanks

  • 2014Nov 27

 

Giving thanks today to the Source of all blessings and gifts. For we know that every good thing comes from above, from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17).


Father, we thank You for every blessing, for  every gift, for our families, our friends, for shelter and clothing, for work and for play. We thank You especially for hearing us when we call, for rescuing us from the dominion of darkness and transferring us into the kingdom of Your beloved Son, in whom we have forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14) Thank You for calling us out of darkness and into Your marvelous light! (1 Peter 2:9) Thank You that even when we were dead in transgressions, You made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with Him in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 5-6)  O Lord, thank You that You have not left us alone, but You sent Your Spirit to help us and guide us in all we do. (John14:26)

We thank You for this great country of ours, for bringing us so far, for establishing us and protecting us. We ask that You move in the hearts of every American today. Point us toward You. Establish us in Your word. Capture our hearts, Lord, as only You can. Send a wave of revival all through our land, we pray.

We thank You and praise You, in Jesus' name, Amen.