A MID-POINT CHECK UP AND RENEWAL
July One! Wow! Half of the year is come and gone! Have you ever noticed that every year seems to pass even faster? I had a seminary prof who believed each year seemed to pass faster and faster because God was getting us ready for eternity where a thousand years seems like a day. There may be something to that; but all I know is that these past six months have flown by. At mid-point, I find it is a good place for examination and renewal. First, am I keeping in daily touch with God? None of us can afford to miss a daily meeting with the Lord. Reading His word and hearing His voice is essential to good spiritual health. As one saint once said, “The appointment is worth the anointment.” Secondly, am I giving thanks for His provision? No matter what my economic status may be, I am rich compared to three quarters of the world’s population. I give thanks through my giving and generosity. Let me encourage you to be faithful and proportionate in your return to the Lord and the ministry of His kingdom. Thirdly, am I telling the ones I love that I love them? None of us can ever say, “I love you” too much. Are there children, grandchildren, or friends who have not heard you say, “I love you” in some time? Better yet, say, “I love you” to ones who have hurt you. If you do, Christ will live within you in greater measure. Finally, in the words of the Psalmist, “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps 90:12). Jesus stated that wisdom when He said, “Seek first His kingdom and all its righteousness” (Matt 6:33) which is the day-to-day application of the Lord’s Prayer—“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth (in my little part of the earth on which I stand) as it is in heaven.” The importance of staying on top of your walk with God is underlined in Paul’s words to Timothy (and to us): “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim 4:16). We have six months remaining in 2019 to make a difference in someone’s life. It might even be your life that will feel the difference. Pastor Mike
