{"id":367,"date":"2010-02-12T10:00:15","date_gmt":"2010-02-12T17:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/?p=367"},"modified":"2011-06-29T06:46:23","modified_gmt":"2011-06-29T13:46:23","slug":"his-loving-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/?p=367","title":{"rendered":"“His Loving Hands”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n[Translate]<\/a>\"\"\n
\n<\/div>\n
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\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Well\u2026\u00a0 TGIF ! Thank God I\u2019m Forgiven!!!<\/p>\n

You were probably thinking about this acrostic TGIF as \u201cThank God it\u2019s Friday\u201d.
\nIndeed\u2026 it is Friday, but the end of the week doesn\u2019t have much meaning if we don\u2019t
\nhave something to look forward to. What is it that you are looking forward to?<\/p>\n

I know it would please our Pastor if you said you were looking forward to his message
\nthis Sunday, or it would certainly please your wife if you said you were looking forward
\nto doing something special for her this Valentine\u2019s Day. The list goes on\u2026<\/p>\n

It goes without saying that there are an endless number of things to look forward to in
\nthis world we live in. The old pessimistic saying, \u201cThe only thing we have to look
\nforward to is death and taxes.\u201d is one way to look at the world. Most of us however, are
\nusually a bit more positive. Nonetheless, it does turns out to be a bit challenging at times
\nto pick and choose the \u201cthings we look forward to the most\u201d \u2013 that is, realizing the desires
\nof our heart.<\/p>\n

On a larger scale however, the deeper, and more significant question might look more
\nlike, \u201cWhat is it that we are really looking forward to in our Christian life? This speaks
\nto our level of contentment in life, and has a lot to do with what we value and appreciate.
\nIn a real sense, we tend to become what we desire, and we desire to be steered by what is
\nin our hearts, and our hearts tend to reveal that which we look forward to. Many times
\nthis comes down to an internal conflict of doing what \u201cwe\u201d want to do, versus doing what
\n\u201cGod\u201d wants us to do.<\/p>\n

This opens us up to attacks by the evil one, so we must be careful in our worldly walk \u2013
\nalways being conscious of what we look forward to (that is, what we are thinking and
\ndoing). 1 Peter 5:8, \u201cBe self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
\nlike a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.\u201d
\nIn a worldly sense, our will and God\u2019s will are always at odds with one another, for we as
\nsinful man always have desires of the flesh (worldly desires), but as followers of Christ,
\nour desire is that which is of God. What is the right balance between the two? Is it
\npossible to \u201cblend\u201d these desires? We need to be careful not to dilute our understanding.
\nGod\u2019s Word talks about this matter of trying to serve \u201ctwo masters\u201d. In Ecclesiastes,
\nSolomon speaks about the futility of life apart from God (a chasing after the wind), and
\nhe concludes in 12:13-14, \u201cNow all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:
\nFear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will
\nbring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.\u201d
\nIn Romans 7, Paul speaks of the difficulty of struggling with our sinful nature, which
\ngives us a clue that worldly considerations have choices and consequences. Consider
\nwhat Paul is looking forward to as he concludes in 7:25 \u201cThanks be to God \u2013 through
\nJesus Christ our Lord!\u201d<\/p>\n

From all this, we too can conclude that it is far better, to place God at the \u201ccenter of our
\nlives\u201d \u2013 that is, a Christ-Directed Life that considers Him in everything that we look
\nforward to. This mindset results in harmony with God\u2019s plan for our life. As a practical
\nmatter, only when we have a Christ-Directed Life, is it possible to realize the full
\nmeasure of goodness that God has planned for our life.
\nHowever, having a Christ-Directed Life does not mean a casual acceptance of Christ.
\nThere is inherent responsibility in being a follower of Jesus. Let this serve as a starting
\npoint that challenges us each new day. God desires that we elevate our thinking and
\nbehavior so that we may grow as Christians. Listen to what it says in Proverbs 9:10.
\n\u201cThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t you wish there was a so-called \u201cspiritual GPS\u201d we could use to help us with all the
\npaths and turns we encounter in life \u2013 that when we approach life\u2019s intersections, it would
\ncall out to us in a Godly voice, \u201cGo left at Straight Street, then turn right \u2013 your
\ndestination is ahead.\u201d The truth is, we as Christians have one \u2013 it\u2019s called the Holy Spirit,
\nand He dwells within each of us. Not only that, God allows us \u201cfree will\u201d, and if we
\nlisten carefully to His instructions, the Holy Spirit will guide us as promised by Jesus.
\nFor as it says in John 16:13-15, \u201cBut when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide
\nyou into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he
\nwill tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine
\nand making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the
\nSpirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you think that God puts trust in us? He does \u2013 and He has expectations of us all.
\nThis certainly puts a different perspective on \u201cwhat we look forward to\u201d. Simply stated,
\nGod desires that we look forward to Him, giving Him thanks in praise and worship \u2013 not
\njust on Sunday, but every day of our lives. God also desires that we are obedient. When
\nwe do this, God gives back to us abundantly \u2013 for He knows we have worldly needs and
\ndesires, and He takes care of everyone according to His will.<\/p>\n

What are you looking forward to today?<\/p>\n

When I think about God\u2019s desire for us, it seems clear that His love is never ending.
\nAfter all, look at everything He has provided for us in this world. Not only in this world,
\nbut the world to come.<\/p>\n

In this, God also provided a way for the forgiveness of sins through what Jesus did for us
\non the Cross — the atoning sacrifice of His Son Jesus so that we may have eternal life. As
\nwe know, we can\u2019t earn our salvation, as it is a free gift from God, made available all
\nthrough faith in Jesus Christ. (TGIF) What great love God has demonstrated to us!
\nRomans 5:8, \u201cBut God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
\nsinners, Christ died for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though we have struggles in this world, God continues to pour out His Grace upon
\nus. Even though we sometimes sin against Him \u2013 God continues to give us more than we
\nneed. Sad to say, we may leave or ignore God sometimes, but listen to what God says in
\nHebrews 13:5, \u201cNever will I leave you; never will I forsake you.\u201d God\u2019s Guiding Light
\nalways shines in our life — 24\/7, and in every moment and circumstance He desires that
\nwe come to Him in humble obedience \u2013 seeking Him — that He may tenderly hold us in
\n\u201cHis Loving Hands\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When I try to visualize God\u2019s \u201cLoving Hands\u201d, I\u2019m reminded of a beautiful object in our
\nMilky Way Galaxy called \u201cThe Eagle Nebula\u201d, technically named ic2177. This object is
\nvery large and is considered an emission nebula. One small region that is part of this
\nnebula appears to me as \u201ctwo hands\u201d meshed together, gently holding that which needs to
\nbe cared for.<\/p>\n

Can you see the hands in this image? It is a good visual reminder of God\u2019s Grace,
\nMercy, and Love \u2013 all declared to us in His Creation.<\/p>\n

This is the region of the Eagle Nebula that I call \u201cLoving Hands\u201d. I took this image last
\nyear from our now snow covered JMSM Observatory near Mayhill, NM. Speaking of
\n\u201csnow covered\u201d, the photo below shows what conditions are like now at the observatory.
\nOne thing we can always look forward to here in New Mexico — changes in the weather!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nYep\u2026 God has a plan \u2013 snow and all\u2026\u00a0 I hope this day brings you closer to God, and that as you go through your busy day and the upcoming Valentine\u2019s Day weekend, you will reflect on the Glorious Hope we have in Jesus \u2013 and consider how wonderful it is to be held in \u201cHis Loving Hands\u201d.
\nNow that\u2019s something to look forward to!<\/p>\n

Your Brother in Christ,
\nMike Sherick<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Translate] <\/p>\n

Well\u2026 TGIF ! Thank God I\u2019m Forgiven!!!<\/p>\n

You were probably thinking about this acrostic TGIF as \u201cThank God it\u2019s Friday\u201d. Indeed\u2026 it is Friday, but the end of the week doesn\u2019t have much meaning if we don\u2019t have something to look forward to. What is it that you are looking forward […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=367"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1334,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367\/revisions\/1334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.imagingtheheavens.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}