Forgive my absence as we forge thru the dark night of winter.
I have undergone some intense treatment for my neck, & recovery is slow.
thanks for the extended grace & ongoing prayers...
Quick Testimony from the Valley...
Behind the Scenes and away from social media norms,
I (Pastor Phil) have been living at less than full capacity for an extended time.
I came across a pretty stellar commentary from John Piper recently ~
based out of Deut. 32:39
See now that I, even I am he, and there is no god beside me;
I kill and make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
There of course is a much greater context to Moses record here, but every time I go through a valley of my own, when I get discouraged, or even a bit despaired ~ God is purposing something significant through my affliction. It seems so backward to us. But it cultivates character, dependence, and a reminder that I/we are as yet children in need of a compassionate dad to heal our wounds, breathe life back into us, and quench this longing for our mortality to be absorbed by immortality,
where death has no sting, sin has no grip, shame has no strangle hold, and pride has not foothold.