Dear friends and family,
Thank you to all who prayed for our sabbatical. We are refreshed, renewed, and excited for all that lies ahead in the next season of life and ministry. We had a precious 9 weeks away together, and Karl finished with a week of solitude. It was a gift to be able to unplug from computers and our phones, to be still and delight in God’s creation along the Garden Route of South Africa, and to get quiet enough to be able to listen to the Lord speak to us through His Word. The Psalms were especially meaningful, and we studied and went deeper into various books in the Old and New Testaments. We sensed and understood the Lord’s covenant nature and His divine love in a deep way. Psalm 23 was one of our “theme” scriptures that we kept coming back to, being reminded of Jesus as our Good Shepherd, always leading us. We read other meaningful books – The Pursuit of God (A.W. Tozer), Praying the Psalms (A. Venter), The Waymaker (A. Voskamp), Abide in Christ (A. Murray), and With (S. Jethani), just to name a few.
Much of the Word, along with the books we read, seemed to open our eyes afresh to His covenant of lovingkindness. Two Hebrew words were especially meaningful to us. Hesed, which describes His covenant love that can never be broken, unfailing, attachment love, as well as Yada, reflecting the way He knows us, that inner engagement, dedicated, relational-type of knowing. We commune with Him to know His heart and understand this mystery of how He knows each of us so intimately. It was a special time to renew our own marriage covenant of 40 years, as well as renew our vows to the Lord.One of Jenny’s takeaway verses, which speaks of His covenant love and intimate knowing, is from Hosea 2:19-20; And I will betroth you to Myself forever, I will betroth you to Myself in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to Myself in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
Karl was reminded of God’s unconditional LOVE, the truth that God never LEAVES us, and renewed commitment to daily follow the LEADING of the Good Shepherd. A significant verse for him was Psalm 25:4-5; Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Karl & Jenny