A must listen Observations on 2000 almost* consecutive mornings with you s30e11

Please join me and Asa for some thoughts about 2000 mornings with you.  We'll gratefully set out an argument for a renewed commitment from both of us.  This is especially for those who do NOT regularly listen/watch. 

We'll also remember a song I wont to commemorate the first 365 days of being with you in this podcast.  It is beautifully sung by Mikaela Smith, my daughter-in-law. 

https://youtu.be/hLWj-XUPxVI

Watch, listen and join me for this milestone, as well as the one that comes tomorrow.  It is great to Be With You.

Here is the video link to this 2000th podcast episode:   https://youtu.be/a_PGSdUyNm8

Transcript

A must-listen:Observations on 2000 almost* consecutive mornings with you s30e20

I have been recently reminded, and accurately so, that this podcast, now also a daily video, is 2000 days old. I thought I’d pause from the regular expression of this video podcast, to pause to make a couple of observations. 

Let me start with a regret. It stands in Psalm 34:18 that The Lord is near to the brokenhearted 

and saves the crushed in spirit.

It breaks my heart that I was not MORE broken-hearted before the Lord. 

More brokenheartedness = more NEARNESS. 

Nearness to His whispers, His commands,  and His delights.

Perhaps I could have done better. 

More broken before Him might have meant more nearness to Him, right?

And then, if I could have just communicated that “being more-near”, that closeness, that nearness, proximity

         It would have been, it might have been, a better podcast, right?

So indulge me as I regret not being more effective by being more crushed of spirit before Him and His word and more brokenhearted before His whispers.

The last time I waxed poetical about this podcast was at the 365 day mark. Then, He impressed upon me the truths of Lamentations 3:22-25

22  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end;

23    they are new every morning; 

great is your faithfulness. 

24    “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, 

“therefore I will hope in him.” 

25    The Lord is good to those who wait for him, 

to the soul who seeks him. 

It resulted in my writing and producing a song called Every Morning. I enclose it as a renewed and unchanged sentiment.  It is beautifully sung by my daughter-in-law Mikaela Smith. I wouldn’t change a note for this 2000thday

I’d like to make an argument for you to listen now if you have not been listening or if you have previously listened, and stopped.  

 Why should you devote 7 minutes of your day again to this?

1.   They are better than ever before. I wish this podcast at the start was as good as it is now. The podcast now is what I wish it was many years ago.

So, if you listened more than  year ago and weren’t that impressed, I’d probably agree with you then, but not now. Give it another try where we are today in the Psalms of my friends or perhaps at the beginning of season 28 the Gospel of John

2.   They are all on video now, and that is a slightly better communication tool than just podcasting. 

3.   These lessons are more approachable than ever. God has been very good in helping me give illustration to the truths of His Word. I give Him full credit and as the previous thoughts about regret, I take all the blame if I have failed. 

4.   If You’d benefit by more regular contact with God then this just might be the vehicle for you. The big point is that you would rigorously attach yourself To God. If this podcast can help, which I think it can, then you might benefit by more rigorously attaching yourself to it once again.

What I’d ask

1.   Try again for a week.  Yes I realize that this is your time and this is the truecurrency of your precious life. It is The preciousness of your life that is actually the main reason that I boldly ask. I suppose there is a confidence even in asking that you’d move more towards more Biblical literacy and the changes that exposure to His Word brings. If you are doing something that is more regular and more effective I congratulate you, but sadly for many, there isn’t something more regular and more effective 

2.   Don’t wait to admire these podcast efforts until after I am dead and in heaven. If they have a value at that hour, then they have a value at this hour. I do not desire your admiration. I do desire your devotion, not to me, but to Him.

3.   If you do regularly watch, redouble your efforts at like, subscribe, sharing. Maybe do one thing a day.

Let me answer a few common questions: 

How did it start? By the accident of Covid and the design of the Lord and the encouragement of two of my pastors.  I didn’t mean to start a podcast. Though being with the Lord each morning has been a regular part of my life for many decades, I did not plan to have this be a part of my life, nor did I plan on having it be a part of the lives of those who have previouslyand currently are listening. But here we are, and I am very grateful to be a part of it.

Have the days been consecutive? no there are two that I remember missing, but generally I didn’t like it, and to their great credit my most faithful listeners complain.  So it has been mostly in a row, but I didn’t want this to be some sort of an obsession, so I broke the streak early, so this wouldn’t be about some prideful marker of longevitiy. 

What are the plans for the future? Just be faithful. I plan on meeting the Lord each morning for as many mornings as He gives me.  I hope I can continue with this project.

So at this 2000th day juncture I am so grateful that you are here!

 I hope and pray that you’d join me on day 2001 tomorrow, 

if the Lord gives us another morning.