July 7, 2011

7-7-11Thursday, 7:21 am Springfield 73 degrees, with 100% chance of thunderstorms and highs only in the low to mid 80s.

Last night Bethany returned to Los Angeles, arriving at LAX at 12:47 am Central Daylight time. She texted me, and I was still awake. Yesterday morning she and I launched the Folbot at Springfield Lake and paddled around for an hour. We had a great 9 weeks with her here in Springfield prompted by the surgery on her foot and the required recovery. Now she is beginning this new phase of post-college work and continued preparation for her vocation as a vocalist.

I will continue to be on vacation through the 12th. Audrey’s jury duty fizzled, as the official telephone recording informed her on Tuesday night that her section of the jury pool was no longer needed. We will go to Silver Dollar City today, and spend the next few days in R & R.

I Chronicles 4

The Introduction to Chronicles, written by Jim and Gerri Combs, is most helpful, as found in the Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible. It describes the difference between Chronicles and Samuel-Kings as “reflecting more of a providential standpoint,” emphasizing the altar, the temple, and spiritual history, probably authored by Ezra near the end of the Exile period.

As I prepared to read this chapter, I prayed that amid the genealogies, some nugget would stand out. And, alas, verses 9 and 10 contain the brief mention of Jabez, which led to the expansive writings by Bruce Wilkinson on the prayer of Jabez in verse 10, which is a wonderful prayer. “ ‘Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep my from harm, that it may not pain me!’ And God granted him what he requested.”(NASB)

Lord, on this summer day in Missouri, I pray that your blessing would continue to guide me, as I seek to enlarge not my border, but the work of your kingdom through my life. I covet your hand guiding me, as I serve you in these late middle age or early senior adult years of my life. I give you thanks for my two young adult children, whose childhood you blessed and whose lives are now independent of mine in a healthy way. I thank you for my wife of nearly 30 years and our partnership centered in your will and purposes. Guide me as I pray, and as I strive to follow where you lead, every day.

Having quoted Bruce Wilkerson above, I looked into David Wilkerson’s death on April 27. He died in a car crash in which the car he was driving swerved into the path of an 18 wheeler hauling logs in East Texas. His wife was with him, and she is recovering. I located his blog, and read the last couple of entries, including one the morning of April 27. He mentions death, demonic forces, and the failure even of prayer. He ends on an encouraging note to stand strong in the Lord. One writer suggests he might have swerved into the path of the truck. I have been tempted in this way since I was a teenager. I realized early on that this was a temptation of the evil one, to shorten my life and minimize my impact for the kingdom. I am thankful for the life of David Wilkerson, his teachings, his ministries, his devotion. Guide me Lord as I serve you faithfully, and as I resist all the arrows of the evil one!