Dear Fellow Children of God,
I was recently golfing with a friend who hit a number of
bad shots. He exclaimed in frustration,
“If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” Then he hit a really nice LONG putt which
dropped in, then rolled out of the cup.
ANOTHER instance of bad luck! Do
you ever have days like that?
I want to share with you a string of frustrating
experiences I faced last month while home for family holidays. On Tuesday, January 9, I drove north from our
home to Ravine Lake, one of my favorites, to go ice fishing. When I got there a snow plow was
working. I passed him up and tried to
drive down the road toward the lake. But
then my wheels started sinking in the snow.
I talked to the man in the AT&T truck plowing the road. He was frustrated too. “I’ve gotten behind this year with all the
snow, and I just haven’t been able to catch up.
I have five properties to plow from here to Glennallen, and this pickup
they gave me can only do so much. The
road to the lake is not plowed.” I did
not fish on Tuesday.
I did drive up on Wednesday with my snowmachine. My machine had worked well the previous 3-4
times I had started it. I even filled it
with gas on the way up. But, after it
started, it stopped. No matter what I
did I could not get it to start again.
(Even after putting it in the garage and warming it up that night I
could not get my snow machine re-started.
Darn!) So, I gave up and drove to
Seventeen Mile Lake. Before going out on
the lake I tried my auger. It had
started on the first pull in the garage before I left. But, now it wouldn’t start. I think I might have had some bad gas and
there was water in the line which froze.
In frustration, I gave up and thought about night skiing at Skeetawk. I guess I had mis-read their web page,
because when I arrived the gate was closed.
So, I went home and cooked supper.
Cooking was not my original plan.
I did get out to Seventeen Mile Lake without the
snowmachine on Friday, January 12. I had
started the auger in the garage, and it started again, on the first pull. This time my ice auger started at my truck
before I walked across the lake. Yet,
when I arrived at my fishing spot, walking through the snow and pulling my
sled, the auger was less willing to start.
I finally pulled the cord and the auger started, but the cord had
broken, and then the auger stopped. I
walked 600+ steps back to my truck (I counted them.) and worked for an hour on
my auger and reattached my cord. I
walked back to my fishing spot, 600 steps AGAIN, pulled the cord, and got the
auger working, but when I pulled the throttle the throttle handle fell off!!!! I don’t know if I am stubborn, or just not
very smart, but I manipulated the throttle with my fingers, and got two holes
dug, and actually caught 13 fish, all of which I released. When I got home at the end of the day (I
fished past sundown, till 5:00 p.m.), I was BEAT! I guess I just don’t know when to stop.
So, let me ask you again, “Have YOU ever had one of those
days? Or a series of days? Life in a
sinful world is full of frustration.
Worse than that, our lives are full of pain and suffering, evil and
hatred, and death. What do we do when
faced with life’s struggles?
Let
me share with you the words of St. Paul from 2 Corinthians 1. “8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we
experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that
we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received
the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God
who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril,
and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us
again.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10)
As we read these words we can hear the trouble and frustration faced by
Paul and his companions. They persevered
and learned a lesson. Their lesson was “not
to rely on the [themselves], but on God.” I don’t know about you. Sometimes I learn those lessons which Paul
learned, but unfortunately, I often have to re-learn them!
The series of sermons I am preaching this year for
mid-week Lenten worship services is entitled, “The Blessings of Suffering.” We will seek to look at the reality of the
suffering in our lives caused by the sin in our world. But, we will also seek to rejoice that, even
in times of suffering, God can and does bless us. It always amazes me that God used the worst
that could happen in this life, the death of His Son, to accomplish the
greatest gift of love, the salvation of the world. Remember the words of 2
Corinthians 1:10, 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he
will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”
Have you ever had one of those days? Were you able to rejoice as you learned lessons
of God’s love for our lives? Rejoicing
in times of suffering can seem impossible.
But our loving Heavenly Father is so powerful, and so loving, that He
even uses our trials for our blessings.
A Child of God, Learning Lessons of God’s Love Through
the Trials and Frustrations of Life,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. NEWS CONCERNING FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH - Gainesville.
·
We counted 82 people attending the Pot Luck
and Self -Study meeting on Sunday, January 28.
THANK YOU for all who attended.
PLEASE PRAY that God will bless our call process.
·
WE ARE STILL GAINING PEOPLE TO READ THROUGH
THE SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025! –There is still time to join
Pastor Rockey in reading through the Bible during 2024 and 2025, using the
“Today’s Light Bible.” This Bible leads a person through Scripture in 2
years and includes daily devotions. This Bible may be purchased
online at CPH or at Amazon. Here is a link to purchase this devotional
Bible. https://www.amazon.com/Todays-Light-Devotional-Bible-Fryar/dp/0758643519/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18IZZOYD5KP0Z&keywords=today%27s+light+devotional+bible&qid=1701895876&sprefix=Today%27s+light+devotional%2Caps%2C432&sr=8-1
Also, we WILL
have a Zoom meeting to discuss questions about the readings. I think I may have my new computer finally
working with ALL the programs I need.
·
LUTHERAN BIBLE TRANSLATORS – First
Lutheran supports Tim and Michelle Miller and their work in Thailand for
Lutheran Bible Translators. The Millers
will be at First Lutheran, this Sunday February 4 to report on
their word and to thank First Lutheran for its support.
·
NEW MEMBER CLASSS –A new membership class
will begin in the new year, perhaps on February 11th, (NOT
THE 4TH). If you are interested, 5-6 people are talking of
attending this class.)
·
A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS continues on
Sunday at 8:45 a.m. in the Besalski Fellowship Hall.
·
SUNDAY SCHOOL IS HELD EACH SUNDAY DURING
WORSHIP. Bring your children and
grandchildren!
P.P.S. PICTURES
– AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
· I
did go FISHING twice this week.
o
On Friday, January 26, I went fishing with Mark
Hoyer on Newnan’s Lake for Crappie, or specs.
Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/CNNPGvjH54Kr6VZKA
o
On Saturday, January 27, I went fishing by
myself on the Suwannee River. It was
quite windy. I had 5 bites and caught 2
fish. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/vY4cwCAGqnRi7xEM9
*******
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019
from serving as full-time senior pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer,
AK. I was writing a weekly devotion
previously entitled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired many asked me to continue
writing these devotions. So I have
continued writing. However, with life's
changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys Through Life as a Child
of God." Since I am no longer
senior pastor at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those
who asked to receive it. (Currently I am
serving as Vacancy Pastor for First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL.)
So, if you
stopped receiving these devotions and wondered why, now you understand. And, if you are now receiving these devotions
and do not wish to receive them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove
your name from my distribution list. My
e-mail address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer
is that these devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord,
Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather
Vacancy Pastor, First
Lutheran Church, Gainesville, FL
Pastor Emeritus, St.
John Lutheran Church, Palmer, AK
How great is the love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we
are!” (1 John 3:1 a)
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