Praise the LORD from the Earth, You…Snow

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Todd D. Nystrom

Psalm 148:7-13 – Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, ⁸ fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word! ⁹ Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! ¹⁰ Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds! ¹¹ Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! ¹² Young men and maidens together, old men and children! ¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.

Freshly fallen snow blankets the trees in our back yard early this morning. Morrow, Ohio.

Here is another great passage from the book of Psalms where we read about all the earth praising the Lord, even the snow! It is not too difficult to see God’s handiwork in an enchanted scene like this. And yet, Psalm 148 tells us it is not just the majestic and beautiful parts of creation, but even the fire, hail, mist, and stormy winds that fulfill his word.

God in his sovereignty commands all of his creation; he can create storms (Jonah 1:4) and he can calm storms (Mark 4:39). With all of his magnificence on display in the world around us it should be evident, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

So, who is it that is without excuse? Not only does the psalmist tell us who it is, the “Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children!” He then goes on to tell us what it is that they should be doing and why, “Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.”

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He Went Up On the Mountain to Pray

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Mark 6:45-47 – Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.

The setting sun highlights the mountains over St. Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island. Glacier National Park, Montana.

This short passage forms a transition between the accounts of two of Jesus’ miracles, feeding the five thousand from only five loaves of bread and two fish, and his walking on water. As such, it is easily overlooked. While these two miracles are often mentioned for their clear demonstration of Christ’s divinity, this transitional passage, highlights the fullness of his humanity.

Despite being the one who created the mountains and the sea, Christ was also a man and he still needed time away from the crowds to rest and go to his Father in prayer. “And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” This simple verse gives such a vivid picture of our Savior’s own need for retreat, and is an example we would all do well to heed.

For me there is no better time than being in the great outdoors (mountains preferred, but optional) away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, to reflect on the greatness of our Lord, to seek him in prayer, and to listen for his voice in the peace and quiet of his amazing creation.

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My Grace Is Sufficient

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 – So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

A remote bluff with a scenic view a quarter of a mile off of Rough Trail. Red River Gorge, Slade, Kentucky.

I always carry a well-stocked first aid kit along with quite a bit of survival gear when we hike. Some would probably accuse me of being a little overstocked. I suppose I could trim down what I carry a bit, but leading groups of people on hikes, sometimes in fairly remote places, I would rather err on the side of caution and be ready to handle any emergency that might arise.

There are a number of well known “pastors” out there today who preach a terrible distortion of the Christian message, known as the prosperity gospel. Promises of health, wealth, and happiness abound in their teachings. Following Christ does not mean we will be successful in everything that we do, not even in our ministry efforts, nor does it mean we will be richly rewarded in the form or earthly treasures. Neither does being a follower of Christ mean that we will be free from sickness or injury.

Paul does not tell us specifically what his “thorn…in the flesh” is in today’s passage. We do not know whether this weakness of Paul’s was an illness, injury, or some mental or spiritual challenge he was facing. Regardless of the particular affliction, Paul was obviously bringing it to the Lord in prayer, but apparently to no avail. God’s answer to Paul was simply, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

How many of us can actually say that we would be “content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities?” I can only pray that someday I might be blessed with this kind of faith. I can only pray that someday “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” May we all be blessed to realize, whatever afflictions and weaknesses we experience in life, that God’s grace, won through the blood of Christ, is the only thing we really need.

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A Mist that Appears

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

James 4:13-17 – Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”–¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

The morning mist hangs over a field along Hopkins Road. Maineville, Ohio.

When I read this passage from James, I have a sense that there are a couple of things that could be misunderstood if we are not careful. First, I do not see this as a condemnation of commercial ventures that make a profit. Christ himself in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) uses an illustration of profitable investing to make a point. I will grant you that the intent of this parable was not to teach wise business strategies, rather that we should use the time, talent, and treasure God has blessed us with to the best of our ability in serving him. That said, I doubt Christ would use something as a positive example for us to follow in our Christian walk if God considered that something inherently evil or sinful.

And, second, I do not believe James is telling us it is wrong to plan for the future, nor that we should just sit idly by and assume God will provide everything without any effort on our part. Certainly God will provide; but as we read in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ¹¹ For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. ¹² Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

So what should we take away from this passage? For one thing, it reminds us that our time is short and the future in this life, even for Christians, is uncertain, “you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” We should plan for the future and work to earn a living, but we need to realize that the outcome is in God’s hands, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” It also reminds us that our successes are gifts from God. He is the source of all blessings. We need to give him the credit, and not “boast in” [our own] “arrogance,” which is a sin.

And finally, I would leave you with this thought, though this passage does not speak explicitly about prayer, it does serve to remind me that we need to bring all things to God in prayer, thanking him for the blessings in our life, as well as seeking to understand and accept his will for us as we plan our future endeavors.

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