It is my custom to send, usually by email, a bit of wisdom each day to my daughters and grandchildren. These bits of wisdom will include comments from my good friend Matthew Henry who in 17th Century England wrote an excellent Commentary of the whole Bible. Or, it might be a pithy quote from something I’m reading, or something from current events, or occasionally even an original thought from myself.
My purpose, since I’m no longer with them everyday, is to provide what I consider some worthwhile direction for their day. God knows there’s plenty of non-worthwhile stuff out there.
There are a few non-family members on my email list who have in some way expressed an interest or otherwise found a way to be included. I very much appreciate those folks. Should they desire, they can be deleted from my list with a simple request. Daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren however have no option, they are stuck with me. That doesn’t of course mean they actually read what I post. I have no control.over that. I did what I could.
I got the idea from Job.The one in the Bible. He had seven sons and three daughters. I have only the three daughters!😉
Job, the scripture tells us, was a very rich man. And,one doesn’t have to read far to discover he is also a good father. He was concerned about his children who were no longer resident in his house.
Job, maybe like myself, had at least some control over his children while they lived with him.. His words, actions and discipline provided motivation and direction…he hoped anyway.
But then the children moved away.
What’s a caring father to do?
Job “rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all.” His thinking was; “It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.”
Interestingly, he only mentions his sons as potential sinners, with no specific mention of his daughters. Maybe they were like mine, just pretty darn good! It does say however he offered sacrifices for “them all.” I’ve never had a son so I really can’t comment on their potential sinfulness but I will say my three daughters don’t need me to burn a lot of offerings for them.
Like Job, I get up early and pray, but I don’t do the burnt offering thing. I do email instead.
Matthew (Henry) and I were reading just the other morning in Psalm 8, and I thought this was pretty good.
“The works of creation and Providence evince and proclaim to all the world that there is an infinite Being, the fountain of all being, power, and perfection, the sovereign ruler, powerful protector, and bountiful benefactor of all the creatures. How great, how illustrious, how magnificent, is his name in all the earth!”
Commenting on Psalm VIII
The Psalmist and my friend Matthew use Creation to prove there is a loving God.
Here in the early Psalms, the Psalmist is actually King David, (the same one who as a young lad killed Goliath). King David “The Psalmist,” is lamenting some of his problems. He was getting older and he was vexed in both body and spirit. I love that word vexed. (See Psalm VI)
If King David had problems and was vexed, should I be surprised that I also have problems and am “vexed?”
The early Psalms are a good read if you, like me, are getting up there in years, and like me might have had a problem or two. I recommend them.
And then there are the pithy quotes from some of my stack of reading.
Here, is but one recent example from This Vast Enterprise by Craig Fehrman. It’s a great read on the subject of Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery.
“Along with Ordway, Drouillard, and two others, he trekked along a high bluff, killing a buffalo for lunch and garnishing it with goose eggs.”
This said of Meriweather Lewis.
Think about that! Who kills a buffalo for lunch? I’m thinking there would have been quite a bit of unmentioned prep work involved.😉
This got me thinking. My only experience with heading west into the “wild” was Philmont Scout Ranch. There were 14 days of hiking through the mountains of northern New Mexico. Everything you needed, food, tents, fishing poles, clothes, etc. had to be carried on your back. We were Explorer Post 64.
One night, a bear got into our food and we were on limited rations for the next few days until we reached the next resupply point. Much of our food was dehydrated, requiring the addition of water. No word on how the bear fared after his first long drink. After the bear, we were on Cheeze Whiz and crackers for a few days.
I remember our first morning back at base camp. Our leaders, I remember Harold Gill and Virgil Theiner, cooked breakfast for us over a campfire. It was amazing! !
Except for the bear, and the thunderstorms, it was actually a pretty neat experience.
Another link to Lewis and Clark 😉 was scouting out some possible tower locations needed to allow remote communications for oil production locations in North Dakota. I was in Montrail County. I learned later after plotting the data on my map that I had stood on that county’s highest point.
Just a few miles below me was the giant reservoir that had swallowed up the Missouri River. The location had spectacular 360 degree views.
Later it occurred to me that in 1804, very possibly Lewis and/or Clark or a trusted one of their band of merry men had stood on that very spot, scouting out their way west.
Well that’s probably enough for one day. I may have to make this into a blog post. 🤕
Have great and thoughtful day….
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