DANNY’S DESK
Declare Jesus – Develop Disciples – Glorify God
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.”
Psalm 4:8 NLT
Hello!
My grandfather used to have this massive safe in his house in Kallista. It was HUGE! In it, he kept all manner of things that needed to be kept……. safe! Insurance papers, jewellery, birth certificates, coins and banknotes - and ironically - keys for other things that needed to be locked - for which he had to open the safe in order to get the keys? This safe was a big, solid, and very heavy piece of metal.
What does it mean to be safe? We have a whole lot of physical things around us that keep us safe. Things like laws, police, seatbelts, bike helmets, alarms, safety barriers along our country roads – the list goes on. But despite all the things we have that are placed between us and harm, there is always the threat that something bigger could break through and we could be physically hurt.
Then there are the economic things that keep us safe like superannuation, income, insurance, interest, etc. But these things are only as safe as the latest stock market reports or a financial crisis of some sort. And they still won’t keep us from getting sick or harmed.
With all the physical and economic safeguards that we can employ in our lives, how can we be ultimately safe?
Psalm 4:8 (above) promises us where our ultimate safety comes from, as does Deuteronomy 33:12 - “The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.” (ESV).
There’s no way we can totally avoid harm or hurt in life, but these promises do tell us is that whatever happens - as those who trust in the omnipotent (all-powerful) God - we will always be eternally safe and secure in His loving arms. Josh Dubois writes that this is an: “all-embracing, all-surrounding love that neither death, nor life, nor physical, nor economic, nor emotional distress can ever take away.”
How freeing is that? How safe can we feel knowing that? It’s this kind of love that provides us with the impetus to walk on in safety and security - boldly and unafraid.
In whom are you finding your safety?
Pray with me: Father God, Your presence in my life gives me complete safety. Thank You. Help me to be intentional in seeking Your intimate presence – and in that to be secure. Amen.
Have a great week!
Danny ... See MoreSee Less
DANNY’S DESK
Declare Jesus – Develop Disciples – Glorify God
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”
John 15: 18-19 NLT
Hello!
I don’t know about you, but I love reading a good list! It’s always entertaining as one year ends to read things like the list of popular baby names; or famous people who have passed away; the top-ranked Test Cricket bowlers; what new words have made it into the dictionary – the ‘list’ goes on!
I think that humanity (in general) loves lists – and being on them. There is worldly honour to be included among the most accomplished, the smartest, the powerful – even the quirky! “The Nobel peace prize goes to ….” She totally deserved her Order of Australia”. “We induct … into the Hall of Fame”. “Barry has won the world hot dog eating championship for the 5th year in a row!!” Nice one Barry!!
But I reckon lists are overrated. Jesus wasn’t on any ‘list.’ He didn’t even have a place on earth that He could call home. He was counted among the outcasts, the rejected, the condemned. It didn’t matter.
In John 15:18-19 He tells us: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”
We live in this world but as Paul says in Philippians 3:20: “But we are citizens of heaven…” What a great reminder to us that worldly ‘lists’ are overrated, and if there is any ‘list’ that we should be striving to be ‘on’ it’s the one that sees us counted as a child of God.
If we want to be known as a friend of the world, then go ahead – seek the world’s accolades - I can assure you they will be fleeting. But if we want to be a friend of the Son of God, then we must seek to imitate Him.
How do you live daily as you seek to imitate His kingdom; His character; and His righteousness?
�Have a great week!
Danny ... See MoreSee Less
DANNY’S DESK
Declare Jesus – Develop Disciples – Glorify God
“Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.”
Psalm 65: 8 NLT
Hello!
What – or who – have you ever been in awe of? Have you read the story of someone who has overcome amazing adversity? Have you watched someone do something that you have thought “I am absolutely in awe of that?” Have you seen something designed and constructed that is so elegant and beautiful that you just can’t take your eyes off it? What about someone in your family who inspires and motivates you to being better – someone whom you are in awe of? What are the things that inspire awe—wonder and amazement—in you?
A study done by the University of Michigan during 2021 showed that ‘awe can actively reduce stress.’ The study went on to show that when watching awe-inspiring videos (compared to neutral or pleasant videos) people experience ‘decreased mental chatter,’ and that ‘experiencing something bigger than us helps us transcend our frame of reference by expanding our mental models and stimulating new ways of thinking.’ The study also indicated that ‘people who experience awe report higher levels of overall life satisfaction and well-being.’
The book of Psalms is chock-ful of David’s words of awe towards God. Whether praising or lamenting, David is always in awe of the majesty, power and love of God. The Psalm above as well as Psalm 33:6-9 are just two examples of how we can be in awe of the Creation of God. One pretty simple way to experience and cultivate that sense of awe in Creation, is to take what Fessell and Reivich call an ‘awe walk’. And doing this is a great way to start a new year and to set our hearts and minds afresh on the ‘awesomeness’ of God and His Creation.
I don’t know where you are situated physically as you read this, but wherever you might be, can I suggest that you get outside for 20 minutes or so to wander around your neighbourhood and observe the beauty that God has provided for you each and every day to enjoy? I sat in our backyard - totally still - the other day, and watched birds landing in our water feature and having a bath! It was wonderful. (Until the dogs heard them and raced out barking and they flew away!!) But even in that there was awe at God’s creation as they took flight and disappeared into the bright blue sky – calling out to each other as they flew off.
When you can commit to cultivating this sense of awe into your daily life it will help renew your energy as well as give you time to seek God’s plans for a hopeful future. And as you are able to tap into someone who is far bigger than any of us could possibly imagine, your sense of self will shrink in a good way and your mental chatter, worries and anxieties recede as you become more and more aware of the One who created you and who lives in you.
Ask yourself these questions as you head into 2022:
What took my breath away this week?
How did God insert Himself into my consciousness and inspire awe in me this week?
Who can I share my life-changing awe of God with so that they too might experience it as well?
Have a great week!
Danny ... See MoreSee Less
