The Shadow of the Almighty

This is the best example of Psalm 91 that I've seen in a long time.

In the Details

Sometimes I see God’s presence in broad, arcing brushstrokes. Revivals that leave whole countries breathless, hungry for the holy spirit. Entire lifetimes spent serving the hungry and the homeless and the forgotten. The selfless dedication of a missionary setting off for another continent.

Sometimes I see Him in the small places, the intricate pen and ink details. The prayer of a friend when I’m lost and confused. The smile of a stranger in the tangle of a crowd. The glimpse of an inspirational bumper sticker on the freeway.

Sometimes I see Him in a quiet walk through the woods with a friend; sometimes I hear His voice when I weep.

Sometimes I see Him in a halo of glowing cherry blossoms. Always here, always watching, always near. And most importantly, always God.

What he said

What David said,

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

"There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

"Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat."

Selah.

Now take another look at that NASA photo below.

Here's Lookin' At You

This undated image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows a ghostly ring of dark matter in a galaxy cluster designated Cl 0024+17. Dark matter may have played a key role in forming the earliest stars, according to researchers who suggest that the mysterious and invisible material may also have been responsible for creating black holes.

NASA, ESA, M.J. Jee and H. Ford/Johns Hopkins University/Handout/Reuters

Am I the only who sees a giant eye, staring at us from outer space?

What he said

Paul said,

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose."

The Abyss

I stood on the edge of the Abyss; that black night of the soul that never ends. I've heard others speak of it, terrified whispers, half-mad memories. I've heard it called a heavy black cloud that settles on you, rides you like a mantle, like a parasitic beast.

But that is not what it is.

It's like descending into Hell. Like leaving the world of light and air, sacrificing oxygen; it is like drowning in a lake of tar, black; it steals all light and hope; it rolls over you in waves of disaster, flows down your throat, into your lungs. You struggle to escape and then all of a sudden, a dull thudding sudden, you realize that you have adapted to this alien landscape that swallows light. You're breathing tar, it fills your lungs and heart and veins with viscous black night. You're cold and dead. Rock hard stone. Each breath brings pain and yet you can’t stop breathing. You want to.

But you can’t.

This black death is not death.

It is eternity. The dark life that never ends. It is the pit of despair.

And there is only one way to escape.

One drop of red blood. It cuts through the black monster night, it slices like a warrior blade through the unending river of black tar. It cuts all the way through to the heart of your soul.

Hope. Like the pulse of a distant tribal drum.

He calls. Pierced hands reach into the bottomless black.

He pulls. One drop of red. It stains the universe.

It changes everything.

Forever.

What he said

Paul said,

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

The Greek word, poiema, was translated to mean workmanship. It's the root for our modern English word "poem."

You and I are a page in God's book of poetry.

And He's not done writing yet.

What he said

James said,

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

Amen to that, brother.

Discussing Spiritual Science Fiction

There's an interesting post on spiritual science fiction here.