I saw pictures today that broke my heart, and immediately brought a certain verse of scripture to mind. The pictures were of people walking through flooded streets in Houston, Texas, in the devastating wake of Tropical Storm Harvey. The people in the images on the news look so helpless and desperate, overwhelmed by water.

​I saw their faces, and I ached for their ordeal, and I prayed for their safety, and I thought, "Oh, if they could just get to higher ground!" I don't know much about the landscape of Houston. I think of Texas as being very flat. And with the water coming down so fast, it seems their only refuge would be an elevated place.

​Many times in life, we feel flooded with trouble, much like the literal flood being experienced right now in Texas. It rains down on us and overtakes us, and we feel like we just need to get to a place of refuge.

King David certainly felt like this, when he wrote the psalm that says, "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psalm 61:1,2) This is the verse that came to mind when I saw pictures of the flooding. There is a rock that is higher than all of us- a place of spiritual safety above the storms of life.

When we trust Him, God is our rock. Psalms 62:7 says, "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."

Rocks are solid, and they can provide stability. In the New Testament, Jesus compares those who follow his teaching to "a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." (Matthew 7:24-25)

​The Word of God provides a sure foundation for life. No matter what circumstances we may face, we can trust in the Bible to point us in the right direction and teach us how to endure trials.

​I pray for the people in the path of the storms in Texas. I pray that God will provide physical safety and refuge. My hope for those overwhelmed by this terrible situation is that they will trust in Him as their Rock, that their hearts will be comforted by Him and He will give them courage.

It is often said that money is the root of all evil.  Indeed the scriptures tell us (1 Timothy 6:10) that specifically the “love of money” is the root of all evil.  But we understand there are many sins that have nothing to do with money, so we have to look at the verse in context.

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”  Here we see money was the root of all the evils of those who coveted after it and allowed it to compromise the tenets of their faith.

There is, however, another portion of scripture in the New Testament that I believe provides us an explanation of the cause of ALL evil in the world.  It seems too simple that there is a singular problem with mankind that causes us to sin, but I believe the first chapter of Romans does provide us with a powerful and concise explanation.   

​​I underlined the parts of the passage I want to bring out as key points. 

There is no such thing as an atheist.  I find it hard to believe that anyone could look at the beauty and majesty of creation and arrive at the conclusion that it is all a serendipitous result of cosmic happenstance.  We have the evidence of God the creator right in front of us, so there is no excuse for unbelief.
 
So, what is the cause of evil?  Not glorifying God as God and not being thankful.  (I suppose that really is two causes, but I believe they go together.)  Along with that comes worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator (which brings us back to the love of money- a “thing” that people have created and tried to elevate above God).

In this same chapter, verses 26 and 27 specifically address homosexuality; then verses 29-31 give us a list of some of the other problems in the world, all prompted by the failure to honor God as God- the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent Creator- and to be thankful for His perfect design: “fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful”.

​It is easy to understand that sin is disobedience, but we disobey whenever we fail to recognize His creative power and His authority over all creation.  I believe that much of the moral decline of our society can be attributed to the theory of evolution being widely embraced as scientific fact.  People have bent and stretched the definition of science for the express purpose of denying the Creator.

​Not honoring God as Creator is the starting point of sin for many, while others may espouse the idea of Intelligent Design and still fail to honor God as God in other areas by simply not following His divine instructions outlined for us in the Bible. 

​Now that we understand the cause of sin, at a base level, what is the antithesis of a sinful life?  Romans 1 gives us the answer for that, too!

Verse 16 says: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."  And verse 17 delivers the final answer: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (For further study, the last part of verse 17 is a reference to Habakkuk 2:4.)

​How beautifully the Word of God fits together!  It doesn't condemn and just point out all the weaknesses of man.  It mercifully gives us instruction for how not to fail.  The antithesis of a sinful life- one of wickedness, deceitfulness, envy, pride, etc.- is one of faith in Jesus and the redemption that comes from Him alone. 

I’m sure there will be tons of devotional articles about the “Great American Eclipse”.  On August 21, 2017, people in a 66-mile-wide path, stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, will be able to witness the sun be completely blocked from view by the moon, and the rest of the United States will experience a partial eclipse.  Obviously, the eclipse is a big deal, and there are several spiritual applications that can be drawn from it.  Here are my thoughts about this grandiose celestial event. 

Darkness and Light are common spiritual themes.  We know that Light is symbolic of goodness and God, and darkness is symbolic of evil and Satan.  But, the analogy I draw from thinking about the eclipse doesn’t deal with the most obvious symbolism.  When I think about the eclipse, I think about the massive, powerful sun being covered up, blocked out, at least from our line of sight.  The sun is so big and powerful, yet it will be hidden from view.
 
Right now, especially, in our country and in our world, it feels like sin abounds- against God and against our fellow man.  It’s easy to feel like the egregious acts of evil we witness daily are too rampant and too serious to be overcome.  But the Bible clearly gives us the answer:  “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)”  This verse is a reference to Proverbs 10:12, which says: “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”

Love eclipses sin.  Just as the sun will negate the effect of the sun during the eclipse, love can negate the power of sin in the world.

I’m thankful for the total spiritual eclipse that has taken place in the life of every believer.  When a person repents of their sin and believes on Jesus as their Savior, the sins of the past are blocked out, never to be seen again by God. 

Where I live, 95% of the sun will be covered by the moon during the solar eclipse.  But, Jesus, who’s love is perfect, has covered up 100% of my sin.  The Bible says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)”  Not a little bit free.  Not mostly free.  Free, indeed.

Thank you, Lord, for my children and for the gift of summer vacation.
As this new school year begins, I pray for your blessings on them:

Lord, please give my children Christian teachers.  Let the people who lead and teach them be led and taught by You.
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Surround my children with kind and patient authority figures, who are also consistent and structured.

Lord, please help my children know and remember their identity in You.  Help them understand how You see them .

Help my children have a healthy self-esteem throughout the school year.  Let them be confident in how well You made them.

Lord, please put people in my children's paths that will encourage them, motivate them, inspire them, and guide them in the right way.

Give them friends who will encourage them in their faith, and let my children encourage others. Teach them how to be a friend.

Please let my children encounter people who are different from them, so they will see how creative You are in Your most important handiwork.

May you expand my children's knowledge of science this year, so they will marvel at Your awesome creation.  Let them learn more about the history of the people you have placed on this earth, so they can learn from the mistakes and the successes of the past.  Give them a passion for reading, and for language, so they will learn how to think and to communicate.  And, let each lesson my children are taught contain only truth.

Teach them how to be responsible.  Teach them how to deal with stresses and pressures.
Please give my children endurance to accomplish the tasks set before them every day.  Help them to try their best at everything, with a good attitude.  Give them a healthy pride in their accomplishments at school.  Please teach them to accept and learn from their mistakes.
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Father, let this be a fun and happy school year.  I pray school will be a joyful place for my children to spend their days.  I pray this year will be exciting and memorable to them.

Please protect my children from all mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual harm.  Guard them, Lord, with Your strong hand.

Help my children to let their light shine for You.  Please present them with opportunities to show people Your love, at school and everywhere they go.

Above all, let Your will be done in the lives of my children.
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​Amen

- "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."  Galatians 6:1-2

- "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." James 5:19-20

The body of Christ should operate as a cohesive unit to help protect individual believers from spiritual danger.

Again, we are not speaking of physical things (although I have enjoyed many wonderful meals at church).  ​We join together with other believers to receive spiritual food; that is, sustenance that helps us grow in the faith. 

- "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

- "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16​

​We come together- teaching, preaching, and singing- to be fed spiritually.