kroberson's blog

“The flowers are springing up, and the time of singing birds has come, even the cooing of turtledoves.” (Song of Songs 2:12)

It’s finally getting warm enough (at least for me) to open my windows and let the fresh air in. I love this time of year, and I enjoy listening to the frogs croak by the creek near our house and hearing the birds chirping their joyful songs.

As I was opening my windows this morning, my son, David, asked me, “Mom, why do the birds sing?” I told him that I think God made the birds to sing to remind us to sing His praises. I believe God uses all of creation to remind us of Him:

"Ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. They all know that the LORD has done this. For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of all humanity.” (Job 12:7, 9, 10)

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28a)

I enjoyed the challenge Pastor Mark gave us on Easter Sunday. He challenged us to find three things that amazed us about God and then tell them to three different people. I am taking on this challenge and would like to share my thoughts with you.

Most of us have read the book of Jonah. I was listening to a teaching this week regarding the fact that when Jonah wanted to go in the opposite direction of where God was calling him, there was a boat right there in the port waiting to take him where he wanted to go. The same is true for us. There will always be a boat ready to take me in the opposite direction that God is calling me to go.

“I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.” (Eph. 1:19-23)

Do you ever notice how God has designed infants to develop? First, they learn to sit, then they learn to crawl, then they learn to pull themselves up on a piece of furniture and stand. It is the same, I think, with our spiritual life in Christ.

What was the greatest gift you ever received? Is there a gift that would just take your breath away on Christmas morning as you wake up to see it with a big red bow on top? A gift that would be just too wonderful for words? A new car? A sewing machine? A computer? Or how about this: What was the greatest gift you have ever given? Were you beside yourself with the anticipation of what the recipient of your gift would do upon opening it?

If you’re looking for a gift too wonderful for words, there’s good news! You already have it! A gift too wonderful for words is already yours and it didn’t cost you a THING! This gift is so magnificent that it is BEYOND telling in human words.

“Thanks”giving

“Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.” (1 Chronicles 16:8)

This verse is the beginning of David’s song of thanksgiving to the LORD. He gave the song to Asaph and his fellow Levites the day the Ark of the LORD’s covenant was brought to Jerusalem.

There’s a story behind this song. You see, the Ark was taken by the Philistines during Saul’s reign and through a number of different circumstances came back again to the city of Kirjathjearim. This was a city on the northern boundary of Judah. The Ark stayed there until David became King and ordered it brought back to Jerusalem.

I was talking with some friends recently about the “busy-ness” of our lives and how easily we load our schedules up to a point where we hardly have time for a devotion let alone to sit and listen to God, it got me to thinking and praying and researching.