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Once as I sat on the beach by the ocean, I read over 75 Scriptures referencing water. A quick search discovered over 700 verses about water. In the Bible, water illustrates God’s provision, protection, power, pardoning, and prominence. He created the waters (Gen. 1:9-10), commanded the sea (Proverbs 8:29), and calmed the waves (Psalm 109:27).…
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A sunrise or sunset at the beach is a beautiful sight to behold. In between it’s rising and setting, the sun has illuminated our sand castles and warmed our bodies from several dips in the ocean. At just the right angle and time of day, the sun’s rays can aid in attempts at capturing the…
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Writing in the sand can be relaxing. I’m not the best artist, so it’s a good thing God erases it and gives a blank canvas to try again. As I walked along the beach one morning I thought about the two times Jesus stooped down to write in the sand. John 8:1-11 tells us a…
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As a parent, I want my kids to learn from my mistakes and do things better than I did at their age. Foremost, I want them to serve the Lord in their youth and lay a foundation of following Jesus that carries over into their children. This was the heart of Asaph in Psalm 78.…
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“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians…
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While running at the beach one morning, I saw this pile of broken and discarded beach chairs and tents. Behind the fence was an even greater pile. The hopeful handyman in me stopped to see which ones were salvageable. Some would be easily repaired with a new bolt. Some would be more difficult with a…
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When everything seems like it is falling apart, we must remember God holds everything together. That can be difficult to believe in the moment. I believe that’s why Asaph started Psalm 75 with praise (v. 1). Praise helps us overcome worry, anxiety, fear, doubt, and a host of other issues because we focus our attention…
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James, the author of the book of James and half-brother of Jesus, was a powerful firsthand witness of the joy and suffering of Jesus. Did you know James was martyred? He was thrown off a temple in Jerusalem by the Pharisees and didn’t instantly die. The scribes and Pharisees said he prayed, “Father, forgive them,…
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Sunday morning I went running early before church. I vividly remember running down a road with grass almost as tall as me and I put my hand out to touch it as I passed by, almost giving the weeds “high fives”. Later that day, someone said they saw me running that morning and had a…
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There is some debate about who wrote Psalm 72. The introduction says it is “of Solomon”, but the end of the chapter says “this concludes the psalms of David” (v. 20). My advice is do not get hung up on this. Perhaps David is praying it for his son Solomon who will succeed him as…
stephen R Harrison 