The Super Natural – God Stuff

Psalm 42:8

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

I grew up reading comic books. I had many first editions and full series. I enjoyed the ones where the mild mannered people in day-to-day life turned into super heroes when trouble came their way. One of my favorites growing up was mild mannered Clark Kent becoming Superman. I wouldn’t miss an episode and even today try to catch the old TV show when I can. My brother was a fan of Batman!

I must admit – I don’t watch much TV these days – other than some really old shows – sports and the news (you can guess which news program I watch the most). Some of the shows I tape and try to watch are the ones about super heroes. I like the supernatural! I like it when good overcomes evil.

Today’s passage reminds me of the supernatural presence of God in my life. Psalm 42:8 – By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. I guess it is just that phrase – by day the Lord. God is always at work in our lives. By day – He is directing His love in us – through us – and in spite of us. And at night – we are singing songs to His glory and presence in our lives.

God Does The Supernatural

Jonah 1:17

Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

The Bible is filled with stories that skeptics have a hard time believing. There’s the one about feeding 5,000 men (not counting the women and children in one report) with a two fish and five loaves with 12 baskets leftover after all had eaten their fill. There’s the one about a small boy slaying a giant of a man with a slingshot and a stone. There’s the one about a man thrown into a den with hungry lions all-night and surviving. There’s the one about the man dead for several days and being summoned from his tomb by Jesus. I could go on and on.

Just so we are on the same page – Jesus believed in these stories – because He speaks of them as He is quoted in the Gospels. Jesus is quoted as speaking about the Great Flood and Noah and He is quoted as speaking about today’s passage – and miracle. There’s that word – miracle. A miracle is something thought impossible – like the Miracle Mets of 1969 when they played my beloved Baltimore Orioles in the World Series and won in five games. Some believed the ’69 Orioles to be one of the finest teams to ever play the game!

God Is My Super Hero

Psalm 42:8

By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

I grew up reading comic books. I had many first editions and full series. I enjoyed the ones that were mild mannered people in day-to-day life but when trouble arose – they would become super heroes. One of my favorites was mild mannered Clark Kent becoming Superman. I wouldn’t miss an episode and even today try to catch the old TV show when I can. My brother was a fan of Batman!

I must admit – I don’t watch much TV these days – other than some really old shows – sports and the news (you can guess which news program I watch the most). Some of the shows I tape and try to watch are the ones about super heroes. I like the supernatural!

How’s Our Prayer Life?

Luke 5:16

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

How’s our prayer life? I ask this question often. It is the 3rd devotional thought that has the same title. I ask it because I believe our prayer life is very important – even essential to our walk the Lord.

We usually get out of something what we put into it. If we lack communication or time for our spouse – our marriage won’t be very good. If we don’t spend time with our children our relationship with them will be shallow. If we put little into our jobs we will get fired.

How’s our prayer life? Prayer is our communication time with God. We’re called in Scripture to deny self and follow Christ. We’re called to spend time in prayer as Jesus modeled for us.

Lord, If You Are Willing?

Matthew 8:2

“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

What are you willing to do? Usually that list would be limited to things you can do as well as thing that you want to do. When Jesus was teaching among the people – a person with leprosy came up to Him and said to Him – “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Here is today’s passage in partial context. Matthew 8:1-4 – ¹When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”