| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “The Great Adventure” Our Bible verse for today: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines; though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the flocks disappear from the pen and there are no herds in the stalls, yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The Lord my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!” Habakkuk 3:17-19 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Look for the good” Henri Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest who lived in the mid-late 1900s (he died in 1996). Henri was an out-of-the-box priest and sometimes, something of a renegade. For a while he served as a missionary priest among the poorest of the poor in South America. On the other end of the spectrum, he also spent years as a professor of religion at Harvard and he is the author of many very good books about living the Christian life. Henri also spent the last years of his life living and working among developmentally disabled adults. In his many books Henri revealed that he struggled with doubts about himself, with insecurities, loneliness, sometimes doubts about his faith, and more. He also struggled with depression. However, he was also at the same time an upbeat person who was always finding ways to help and encourage others. Of that seemingly inconsistent struggle between high and low, depressed but upbeat, he once wrote, “In the midst of the sorrows is consolation, in the midst of the darkness is light, in the midst of the despair is hope, in the midst of Babylon is a glimpse of Jerusalem, and in the midst of the army of demons is the consoling angel.” The adventure of living the Christian life is not a straight and level journey. Instead, it consists of highs and lows, majestic mountaintops bathed in sunlight, and deep dark valleys that are threatening and difficult. Henri’s point was that even in the deepest and darkest valleys of life there is evidence of God’s presence and comfort, and there is the opportunity for joy even in the sadness and despair. The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk certainly discovered that to be true. Times were tough for him and his fellow Jews. The people were unfaithful to God, the powerful army of Babylon was poised to invade, the Jews were on the edge of disaster, and they knew it. But in 3:17-19 Habakkuk declared that he was going to continue looking to God and trusting Him no matter what – and regardless if others did or not. Habakkuk was determined to find joy and goodness in the sadness and evil. No matter what you are going through at this point in your life, God is with you and He is faithful. There is good to be found in the bad, there is light in the darkness, and there can be joy in the sorrow. I encourage you to look for it. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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