The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Across the small town, three different believers would remember this verse. Yesterday I shared with you about the firefighter named Frank and how this verse impacted his life. Now let me introduce Helen to you. Sitting in her reading nook and looking out the window, Helen softly cried once again. Her husband had gone Home to be with the Lord nearly a year before this. Twice in the past month Helen had stumbled and fallen in her home. The time for her to live alone was over. In a few days her family would be coming to pick her up and bring her to live with them. “How can I leave my home?” she wondered. “How can leave the place where all my memories took place?” she asked the Lord. While she didn’t hear an audible voice, this verse came back to her mind very vividly, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” The tears dried. “That’s my answer, isn’t it, Lord,” Helen said right out loud. “Thank You. I don’t have to see at this moment how everything will take place. I simply need to walk by faith, and I will if You will help me.” By the way, it was not always easy, but Helen’s move to live with her children and grandchildren were days of great blessing for her and them. Tomorrow I will share about one more person in this little town and how walking by faith and not by sight impacted his life.

For today: Every believer is called upon to read the Word of God, believe it and put it into practice with the Lord’s help. We believe it even when we don’t understand. How does this impact your life?

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Across the small town, three different believers would remember this verse. Frank, a firefighter for eighteen years, backed the big rig, Rescue 5-5-4, into the station after battling a house fire on the west side. A feeling of unsettledness again swept over him as he wondered how he could protect his family in the very best way in these days. With the sound of the airbrakes, he shut off the engine and brought himself back to reality. He and his wife Angie were doing everything possible and taking every precaution in these days of coronavirus. “It is time to remember that we walk by faith and not by sight,” he said to himself. It was a good reminder for him that day. I’ll take you to the second believer tomorrow. For now, do you know the Lord as your Savior? If not, please take a moment to go to michaelpeck.org and click the banner that says, “Heaven! Are you going there?” It will fully explain what you need to know and do to belong to the Lord.

For today: It is a wonderful blessing to know the Lord and to walk by faith as we trust His Word.

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

The powerful vision of Christ to John is before us. Christ is about to reveal Himself to the Apostle as the all-encompassing, sovereign Lord. He refers to Himself as Alpha and Omega which, of course, are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This means that He has existed for all eternity. There never has been a time in which He didn’t exist in eternity past, and there will never be a time that He won’t exist in eternity future. He is eternal. I don’t fully understand nor do I comprehend this. But may I be quick to say to you that I fully believe this. Those of us who have placed our trust in Christ know that we belong to the One Who always was and always will be and still is in everything in between. This does not make life on earth easy; however, it does bring us the eternal perspective of remembering that we are in the hands of the One Who can be trusted.

For today: I have a far greater viewpoint when I, by faith, look into the face of He Who is eternal.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1-4).

Schools across the United States have closed, and even with materials being sent home and in spite of the fact that many have digital capabilities of being connected with their teacher and classmates, a whole lot of parents are now discovering a new level of being stretched. One parent posted a picture on social media which read, “You thought I was talking to myself, didn’t you? Wrong! I was having a parent-teacher conference!” During these days of children being home and schoolwork being stressful, it is imperative that we pray for parents and that we pray for children. The principles for children of acting with respect, honor, and obedience are so needed today. The principles for parents of not being harsh, demanding, and unreasonable are also so important. Throughout this unusual season in which we are living, may God’s Word and His will be highly treasured and remembered.

For today: Many parents are beginning to get a whole new level of appreciation for teachers and administrators in these days of shelter in place. May we all get a new appreciation of the Lord and His Word as well.

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?” (Romans 11:33-34).

It has been my privilege to serve the Lord nearly fifty years in full-time ministry. I have stood at hospital bedsides, sat in living room settings or in my church office, and a dozen other places where people have, through tears, said to me, “Pastor, I don’t understand why the Lord has allowed this to happen. What is the Lord doing?” Even in my own personal life as I have stood alone at the window and looked toward the skies, I have whispered, “Lord, what do You want me to do? I don’t understand.” Even now in these times of worldwide pandemic, it is important to remember that our God is sovereign. He is in control. Even when I don’t understand, I can quietly wait before Him, fully trust Him, continue to praise Him, seek to invest time with Him in Bible study and prayer, and rejoice that He is totally awesome. No, friend, these are not mere words that I read somewhere once. These are pillars of joyful blessings to incorporate every day.

For today: Our God is too wise to make any mistakes. I’m going to trust Him. How about you?