by Macy Johnson
“Praise Him for His acts of power;
praise Him for His surpassing greatness.”
(Psalm 150:2 NIV)
During
choir practice we rehearsed a new song written about Psalm 150. The keyboard accompaniment
for the choir was sketchy, with just a few chords and minimal chord changes. I
prefer to play only published notations, but soon realized what was written was
boring and mundane. The director felt the same way, so she asked me to fill in
the blanks and play more notes.
by Macy Johnson
“She came up behind Jesus
and touched the edge of his cloak,
and immediately her bleeding stopped.”
(Luke 8:44 NIV)
My husband
and I packed up the camper to leave Georgia’s Elijah Clark State Park. I put
all the inside items into secure places, while Jeff turned off the water and
retracted the stabilizer bars. Suddenly he noticed a young toddler wandering
down the busy roadway that connected the camp sites.
by Macy Johnson
“If you have faith as small as a
mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there’ and it will
move.”
(Matthew 17:20 NIV)
We pulled our camper into Georgia’s Elijah Clark State Park for the first time. A sea of tents with a smattering of trailers filled the waterside campground. After we situated the trailer into our reserved campsite my husband plugged in the electric power. He then turned on the water. Nothing! We looked at each other and Jeff said, “Call the office.”
by Macy Johnson
“I am the true vine, and my Father is
the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that
bears no fruit,
while every branch that does bear fruit
he prunes
so that it will be even more fruitful.”
(John 15:1-2 NIV)
It was a
hot Saturday afternoon in early September. Jeff, my husband, and John, our
son-in-law, lounged in our air-conditioned house and watched a college football
game. My daughter, Libby, and I sat on the dock and watched her children swim
and play in the lake.
by Macy Johnson
“I revealed myself to those who did not
ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek
me.”
(Isaiah 65:1 NIV)
In the mid
1800’s two ships set sail from England. They were assigned the task of
discovering the Northwest Passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
All was lost within two years. Their tragic story is depicted in the AMC drama
series “The Terror.”
by Macy Johnson
“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
(Psalm 139:23 NIV)
My laptop
computer was not performing as it should. I contacted Best Buy’s Geek Squad
online via chat and ordered a diagnostic review. Kainat gained control of my
computer remotely and jumped through several screens to remove hundreds of
temporary files.
by Macy Johnson
“And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love
into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
whom he has given us.”
(Romans 5:5 NIV)
One Saturday
afternoon my husband, Jeff, and I volunteered to organize our assigned book
shelves at the local library. After two hours of reading off the twenty-six pages
of titles while Jeff put the books in order, I drove us to Publix. We detoured to
the pack-and-ship store to return a piece of internet equipment. Unfortunately,
they had closed for the day just before our arrival.
by Macy Johnson
“This is what the Lord Almighty says,
‘Give careful thought to your ways.’”
(Haggai 1:7 NIV)
My husband
and I watched an episode of Air Disasters where an Ethiopian Airlines
pilot allowed an early-morning flight to plunge into the Mediterranean Sea.
His lack of proper sleep caused a lapse in mental awareness. The cause of the
crash was deemed “subtle incapacitation” by the pilot.
by Macy Johnson
“For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:21 NIV)
Book
number six of my God Sightings series was published. Three-hundred
devotions in several books covered a six-year journey of weekly weblogs. Not a
week of blogging was missed, although sometimes I came pretty close. I have
often asked God, “Why do you want me to write these blogs?”
by Macy Johnson
all your waves and breakers have swept
over me.”
(Psalm 42:7 NIV)
A picture
of a woman floating on a raft on a crystal-clear lake made me feel uneasy. I
like to swim in pools and see what is beneath me. I do not want to know what is
below my raft in the lake near my house. I do not want to watch creatures swim
and crawl under me. Large rocks beneath the woman in the lake loomed larger
than life and a bit intimidating.
by Macy Johnson
“You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy.”
(Psalm 30:11 NIV)
One Sunday
morning our congregation sang “Thy Mercy, My God, Is the Theme of My Song” as
our Hymn of Praise. As I sang the second verse I thought of my recent injury
and how my heavenly Father brought me through the pain and recovery. Then I
looked up at the choir and caught the tear-filled eyes of one of the sopranos.
She recently experienced a close brush with death and the words touched her
heart, too.
by Macy Johnson
“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’
Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
(Psalm 27:8 NIV)
Someone remarked
that every time they thought of Moses, they pictured Charlton Heston. As the
star of the 1956 film, The Ten Commandments, his face was solidified in
the minds of moviegoers. Jonathan Roumie of The Chosen series has provided
viewers with a face to put with Jesus. Jonathan recalled in a documentary how
he is often stopped on the street by people who request prayer for their needs.
They feel a connection to God through Jonathan.
by Macy Johnson
“A strong wind was blowing
and the waters grew rough.”
(John 6:18 NIV)
I looked
out my window one summer morning and watched the wind blow the trees to and fro
in a frightening manner. The water on the lake bounced back and forth. Waves
seemed to dance on top of each other. Overcast skies hinted at much-needed
rain, but it was not in the forecast. What is God trying to tell me? I
thought. Am I in for some rough spiritual weather?
“But we have this treasure in jars of
clay
to show that this all-surpassing power
is from God and not from us.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV)
Robert
Redford won an academy award for directing the 1980 film, Ordinary People.
It is about a typical family’s struggle with death and reminds the viewer no
one is immune from the pain of everyday life. I am reminded daily my frame is
frail. My first thought every morning is to give my heavenly Father my body for
His use, to be a page in His Word. I am an ordinary messenger.
by Macy Johnson
“Let us consider how we may spur one
another on
toward love and good deeds.”
(Hebrews 10:24 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I enjoyed Chimp Empire, a documentary series on
Netflix. Filmed in the remote Ngogo rainforest of Uganda, this film recorded
the daily lives of chimpanzee communities.
I was
enthralled with the nurturing gestures displayed among the family groups of
chimps. The most important sign of affection and acceptance was to groom each
other. Those chimpanzees who were not groomed by another chimp were considered
outcasts. One large community split into two when the oldest male chimp was
challenged, and battles often ensued between the two factions.
by Macy Johnson
“I pray also that the eyes of your
heart
may be enlightened in order that you
may know
the hope to which He has called you,
the riches of his glorious inheritance
in the saints.”
(Ephesians 1:18 NIV)
Oswald
Chambers wrote, “If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a
holy experiment out of you. God’s experiments always succeed!”
Our yard
is my husband’s laboratory. As the descendent of a long line of New Jersey
farmers, he has dirt in his blood. When he retired from manipulating inventory
data for many years, he was trained to become a Master Gardener. Now he can
organize and rearrange plants instead.
by Macy Johnson
“Record my lament;
list my tears on your scroll –
are they not in your record?”
(Psalm 56:8 NIV)
Sunday
morning I glanced out my window to catch an exquisite pre-sunrise. Shades of
pink and purple splashed across the sky and announced the sun’s arrival. I
walked out on my balcony to thank my heavenly Father for such a brilliant
display of His glory. Hummingbirds whirred below me in the salvia bush while
purple martins swooped over the water by the dock.
by Macy Johnson
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable
gift!”
(2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV)
I was
scheduled to volunteer at my local hospital’s gift shop. Mary Ellen opened the
door for me and we visited for a while before she disappeared into the storage
room. I moved around the displays with the help of my cane and inspected new
items. A customer walked in and I noticed her employee badge.
by Macy Johnson
“If the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.”
(John 8:36 NIV)
Two
generations of adults relaxed on the porch and watched their children and grandchildren
chase fireflies through Pop Pop’s garden. Overhead fans kept everyone cool as
the evening darkness slowly descended. One by one, tiny lights flashed over the
azaleas, black-and-blue salvia, and other plants scattered around the yard.
by Macy Johnson
“To rescue us from the hand of our
enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without
fear.”
(Luke 1:74 NIV)
Purple Martins
flew in a frenzy over the water and around their two-story house. “They must be
feasting on bugs,” my husband commented. Then suddenly Jeff jumped out of his
chair and hurried down to the dock. I noticed the birdhouse’s pole was thick
and moving.
by Macy Johnson
“The Lord descended to the top of
Mount Sinai
and called Moses to the top of the
mountain,
So, Moses went up.”
(Exodus 19:20 NIV)
It has
been over five weeks since I ventured up the steep staircase from the main floor of our home to my
piano/writing studio on the second floor. Fractures
in my pelvis have healed enough for me to climb stairs again. With great
anticipation, I look forward to slowly making my way up the staircase, left
hand on the banister and right hand on my cane.
by Macy Johnson
“Swarms of locusts will take over all
your trees
and the crops of your land.”
(Deuteronomy 28:42 NIV)
To step
out of my house these past weeks is to step into the movie set of “War of the
Worlds.” The mating call of male cicadas resembles the sound of approaching
alien aircraft in the 1953 film. The constant whirr, which is the loudest sound
an insect can make, could bring a grown man to his knees like in the movie. I
have been told that at some nearby locations, the sound is even more deafening
than at our house.
by Macy Johnson
“Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves is heard in our
land.”
(Song of Songs 2:12 NIV)
I received
a large, flat, white envelope with instructions on the outside: “Do Not Bend.”
Jeff, my husband, and I looked at each other. “What could this be?” he asked. I
opened the package to discover a colorful floral rendition painted on cardboard
with instructions to bring it to life.
by Macy Johnson
“At the Lord’s command they encamped,
and at the Lord’s command they set
out.
They obeyed the Lord’s order,
in accordance with his command through
Moses.”
(Numbers 9:23 NIV)
Eric, the
physical therapy technician, followed me as I laboriously pushed the walker
down the hallway. I ran headlong into Cora, one of the hospital administrators.
“Who are you looking for?” the technician asked. “Her!” she said pointing at
me.
by Macy Johnson
“He will wipe every tear from their
eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed
away.”
(Revelation 21:4 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I recently watched a documentary about a man who cannot feel
pain. His parents discovered his odd ability when he chewed off his tongue while
teething.
by Macy Johnson
“He said, ‘Throw your net on the right
side of the boat
and you will find some.’
When they did, they were unable to
haul the net in
because of the large number of fish.”
(John 21:6 NIV)
Our
daughter’s family came for a long weekend visit over the Easter and spring break
holidays. Saturday morning a new package of fish hooks blew off the dock into
the water, lost to the watery depths. The next day our granddaughter, Dahlia,
cast the fish net into the water to catch bait and pulled up the package of new
fish hooks! “You never know,” I said to my husband, Jeff.
by Macy Johnson
“Father, if you are willing, take this
cup from me;
yet not my will, but yours be done.”
(Luke 22:42 NIV)
The Maundy
Thursday communion service touched my heart. The choir sang two pieces from our
Easter cantata and I was filled with the Holy Spirit. When I got home, my
husband and I anxiously waited for our daughter and her family to arrive from
Birmingham.
by Macy Johnson
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into
the wilderness
to be tempted by the devil.”
(Matthew 4:1 NIV)
My
husband, Jeff, and I watched a documentary on Amazon Prime Video about an actor’s
walk of faith with Jesus. As he revealed his story of wandering in the
wilderness, I was drawn to my own wanderings. God provided for his specific needs
in a dramatic way, so he videoed the process on his phone and brought his
audience to tears with him. When all hope was lost, the angels tended to his
needs in a miraculous way. God prepared this actor’s heart to meet his Savior
on his knees. He surrendered all to Jesus in the wilderness.
by Macy Johnson
“Call to me and I will answer you and
tell you
great and unsearchable things you do
not know.”
(Jeremiah 33:3 NIV)
It was a
quiet evening by the campfire at Watson Mill Bridge State Park. Jeff and I discussed
dinner plans when children on bicycles zoomed past our campsite. An older woman
cycled not far behind. My husband observed the activity and remarked, “That
looks like fun.”
by Macy Johnson
“Among all these soldiers there were
seven hundred
chosen men who were left-handed,
each of whom could sling a stone at a
hair and not miss.”
(Judges 20:16 NIV)
Amy, our
church’s music director, was seated at the piano bench with me one night before
choir rehearsal. We practiced a four-hand piano duet together. I suggested I turn a particular page, so she wrote my name at the bottom of the sheet
in her music book with her left hand.
by Macy Johnson
They have eyes to see but do not see
and ears to hear
but do not hear, for they are a
rebellious people.”
(Ezekiel 12:2 NIV)
My next-door
neighbor, Susan, and I belong to a small choral group that meets at a local
nursing home. We sing every Wednesday afternoon for the shut-in residents
there. During one of the songs I leaned over to her, held the open hymn book up
to my face and whispered, “See the lady in the back of the room in the blue
shirt? She sticks her fingers in her ears when we sing.”
by Macy Johnson
“The earth is the Lord’s, and
everything in it,
the world and all who live in it.”
(Psalm 24:1 NIV)
As a child
I often heard the phrase, “In or Out!” It usually occurred when I lingered in
the doorway and allowed precious warm or cool air to escape.
by Macy Johnson
“Abraham answered, ‘God himself will
provide
the lamb for the burnt offering, my
son.’
And the two of them went on together.”
(Genesis 22:8 NIV)
Friday
afternoons I enjoy “Tea at 3” with my neighbor. We talk about how God has
worked in our lives the past week over a cup of hot tea in my kitchen. Susan
and I discuss hopes and dreams for our families as we share our hearts. I
walked outside with her and she commented on the abundance of daffodils in our
yard. My husband, Jeff, planted them to pop before our eyes in early spring.
by Macy Johnson
“If we are thrown into the blazing
furnace,
the God we serve is able to save us
from it,
and He will rescue us from your hand.”
(Daniel 3:17 NIV)
I firmly
believe when I am taught a new lesson from scripture, I can expect a test along
those lines pretty soon after.
The story
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3 is one of my favorite
Bible truths. Paige Brown of West End Community Church recently brought it to
life for me in her online study in the book of Daniel. Although the three men
were bound with ropes when thrown into the furnace, they walked around with a
visitor. The blaze burned off their ropes, but did not singe a single hair on
their heads. They were free!
by Macy Johnson
“Dominion and awe belong to God;
He establishes order in the heights of
heaven.”
(Job 25:2 NIV)
Benjamin
Franklin is credited with the quote “A place for everything, everything in its
place.” According to BookBrowse.com, “the first
known use of the exact expression appears in The Naughty Girl Won, a
story published by the Religious Tract Society in 1799.”
by Macy Johnson
“The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit;
a broken and contrite heart O God, you
will not despise.”
(Psalm 51:17 NIV)
I sat
quietly and read through my weekly Bible Study on the book of Ephesians while
my piano received its annual tuning. The sporadic sounds of notes played repeatedly
were a distraction. Ping! A sudden “crack” reverberated through the house.
by Macy Johnson
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to
you.”
(Matthew 7:7 NIV)
I took my
seat at the large table for the quarterly meeting of the Friends of Greene
County Library. I visited with the Vice President and prepared to take minutes
as the new Secretary when a member sat down next to me. I met Kim at a previous
library function many months ago. She laid down a copy of one of my God
Sightings books, pointed to the picture on the back cover, and excitedly
asked, “Is this you?” “Yes,” I replied. “I want to talk with you after the
meeting,” she whispered.
by Macy Johnson
“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s
womb.”
(Psalm 139:13 NIV)
I recently
attended the memorial service for a dear friend. Many years ago Sally and I
sang in the church choir and played handbells together. She passed away on her seventy-fifth
birthday after she fought a long battle with cancer. The same day she was
welcomed into heaven, my daughter celebrated her birthday. Sally ran into the
arms of Jesus while Libby strolled on a sunny beach in the Caribbean with her
husband.
by Macy Johnson
“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.”
(Psalm 57:5 NIV)
The word glory
appears almost three hundred times in the Bible, forty-four times in the Psalms
alone. It can be defined as the manifested presence and uniqueness of our
Creator God.
by Macy Johnson
“Be
careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’
before
men, to be seen by them.
If
you do, you will have no reward
from
your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew
6:1 NIV)
I recently
read a story about a master craftsman who labored at the site of a new
cathedral. A bystander asked him why he worked with diligence on a piece of
stone that would not be seen. The man replied, “God will see it.”
