Good evening everyone,-sorry but I just finished up my finals for the summer!

Mark 8:23-25 -And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

One of the greatest temptations we have in this age of hyper speed technology is to think that the Lord operates with us on such a level. But if we have made the mistake of believing that we change, grow, and stabilize quickly, then we might miss the beauty of what makes a relationship deep and beyond pettiness.

This man was probably happy that he could just partially see even though he probably lived with this blindness for awhile. He was simply grateful for change in his life, grateful but not satisfied with just barely seeing. He was made to realize that He was with a God who wanted Him to see more clearly than he may have been satisfied with, so he kept hold of Jesus hand.

The goal is to move beyond just a touch from God, (oh I’m better) to realize the need to hold His hand so we can see. He desires to show us beyond what we sometimes wrongly "see" and know about ourselves, the people we love, and the place He bas called us to. Continue to pray that God open your eyes as you walk with Him to realize what is really in your midst.

In His Love, Ld

On Aug 15, 2012 2:14 PM, "Soong-Yol Hong" <soongyol> wrote:

I love the God of love. Not so much the God of holiness. Perhaps because I’m keenly aware of my sinfulness. I want the God of love to forgive me over and over and put up with my failings. But when I think about the God of holiness, I feel very uneasy, uncomfortable, and guilty.

But God as revealed in the Scriptures is both. He is a God of love but at the same time a God of holiness. Whether I like it or not is a moot point. I may not like the earth being round but that won’t change anything.

A very troubling story unfolds during Joshua’s time. A man named Achan takes some plunder and keeps it for himself during their conquesting war. This, God instructed them specifically not to do. When it is revealed that he had done so, Joshua orders all Israelites to stone not only Achan to death, but his sons, daughters, and animals as well. Then, they burned them! (Joshua 7)

I have a choice to make here. Either I can be the judge of God’s actions or let God be God and judge my own sense of right and wrong. As with you, I can’t help but feel that the punishment was too severe. Besides, why his children? What have they done wrong? Was it really that big a deal that this man kept some plunder? Soldiers do that all the time (U.S. soldiers used to take watches, knives, pistols from fallen German soldiers all the time during WWII).

But I remember that God is smarter than me, more loving than me, and more competent than me. If my senses are offended by God, it is my senses that need to be recalibrated and not God’s actions.

I woke up this morning as you did. That means God’s not done with me. I may not finish the day but at least God deemed that I should live one more morning and possibly an evening. He can take me and you any time. That is the healthy fear of God.

PH