In just 24 days it will be Christmas once again. How do you celebrate this season? Share your ideas here on my blog.
Gaye
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
How will you celebrate Christmas
In just 24 days it will be Christmas once again. How do you celebrate this season? Share your ideas here on my blog.
Gaye
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is such a grand time and we have so much for which to be thankful.
here's a link to a wonderful page which will give you a marvelous way to ponder the phrase "One Nation Under God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUo8OuFaiI
Friday, October 30, 2009
Word of the Week: Gratefulness
WOW (Word of the Week) GRATEFULNESS
Luke 17 & 18 gives us a contrasting picture of gratefulness vs. ungratefulness. A principle is taught by our Lord: Gratefulness is a direct result of humility and is demonstrated in our words and actions, specifically in our worship of the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness of turning (James).
In Luke 17 & 18 we are given two very sharp contrasts which causes us to see that we quickly forget from whom we are blessed, and we fail to respond with appropriate gratitude.
The 9 lepers quickly “forgot” from whom they had received the healing --note they were from Israel, that is implied, but the 1 leper who was grateful was a Samaritan! He returned and worshiped. The Pharisee failed to see all that he had was a direct result of the Father's blessing and instead of worshiping Him he worshiped himself. The Publican saw who he was and was grateful that God would be merciful to him as a sinner. He was the one who went home justified. The ungrateful rich young ruler failed to see that all his riches were a blessing from God and that they were temporary; he worshiped his riches and not God. Bartimaeus was asked a question by our Lord; it was answered and he worshiped and followed Jesus.
Out of all of these only three worshiped Jesus...the leper, the Publican, and Bartimaeus. Interesting the contrast between them and the Pharisee and the rich young ruler. The leper, the Publican, Bartimaeus had a need and when that need was met they were grateful and worshiped. Neither the Pharisee nor the rich young ruler saw their need and thus they worshiped themselves and their riches. They were neither grateful nor humble.
May we remember this idea this week: Lord , open our eyes to see our need that we may be humble before you, grateful and using all we have been given for the kingdom, which Jesus said is within us.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
How do you celebrate Oct 31?
Oct 31…Halloween or Reformation Day? Does it matter? As a believer in Christ perhaps it does. As many years as I had been a believing Christian, the church I attended never mentioned it nor did they honor the man for whom it is remembered. It was not until I was a Reformed Christian Day School teacher that I was awakened to what this day symbolized for me as a Protestant. This was new to me and as the “new kid on the block” so to speak, I had no idea about what was before me. With my teammate, Linda we decided we would combine classes on that day and have a “Reformation Party”. A Reformation Party? I had just come from 12 yrs in a public school where the party idea was centered around Halloween, costumes, candy and spooky music! What an awakening I was about to experience which would forever alter my view of this day. We planned games, readings, food, costumes and a special chapel centered around the key character of Martin Luther. To prepare myself I set off to do some research. Why was this a new idea? Why didn’t my church celebrate this day? What was so special that we should devote an entire day to him? I found that he, as a respected professor, was drawn into a controversy with the Catholic hierarchy about the sale of indulgences (certificates sold by the Roman Catholic Church that promised people release from works of penance for absolved sins, both in life and in purgatory). These indulgences “assured” the peasant population of their entrance into heaven. Luther realized from the study of the scriptures that this was a blasphemy against Christ and a deception on those truly seeking their eternal destination. Because of this Luther drafted a series of 95 statements in Latin explaining this and nailed them to the door of the Wittenburg Church on All Saints Day, Oct 31, 1517. Martin Luther was sure that once the church realized this error they would change their ways and he could have an academic discussion with the church and “reform” their thinking. Instead this document brought Luther into conflict with the Pope and the rest of the Church. In the end Luther was excommunicated from the church. Martin Luther then began preaching and teaching the masses of the truth he had come to learn from Paul in Romans: “the just shall live by faith”, that man is saved not by works but by faith in Jesus Christ alone. It learning about this that gave me another viewpoint of why this is an important day for Protestants and should be so honored.
So as a parent, grandparent or even a school aged child how might this day be celebrated? Here’s some ideas I found cruising through the web: http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/Reformation/ReformersWordSearch.pdf Have a Reformation Day Faire:
http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/Reformation/activities.html#anchor58776
Sing “A Mighty Fortress is our God” written by Martin Luther: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/m/i/g/mightyfo.htm
Print out this picture for little ones to color as you explain this day: http://www.teacherhelp.org/images/Martin%20Luther.pdf
Excellent ideas for teaching about this special day; activities, books etc.
http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/SpecialDays/Reformation/#anchor22952
What a testimony to your neighbors if you welcome each trick or treater dressed as Martin Luther! Post your “95 theses” as an additional welcome: Rom 1:17 “The just shall live by faith.”
Friday, October 23, 2009
An Appointed Time
Word of the Week: TimeAppointments! We live our lives here on earth by our day timers and our appointment books. We know we have to be at work at a certain time, we have to pick up Susie or Johnnie from school at a certain time. And we even have to be in our pew at a certain time on Sunday a.m. Did you ever think that Jesus too had an appointment calendar? Listen to what the Apostle John recorded about Jesus “My time has not yet arrived” Jn 7:6; “My time has not yet come” Jn 7:8; “no man laid a hand on Him, because His time had not come” 7:30. But at the appropriate time Jesus’ Calendar book turned the page to the right date and the right time: Jesus replied, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Jn 12:23. I often pondered why God chose that time and not a time earlier? Why not in the time of Noah or Abraham or David? Why the 1st century? What made that time the “right” time? Theologians and Scholars say this prophecy and that prophecy had to be fulfilled. But, God is God, couldn’t he have expedited those prophecies to be fulfilled earlier? I don’t have the answer except what Isaiah wrote long ago and I trust God in His sovereignty to have brought about it in His perfect time: Isa 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The word “time” is especially relevant to me this day. It was on Oct 23, 2008 that my precious Mother’s appointment book came to the last page and the last verse. At approximately 9 a.m. Jesus sent His angels to close her earthly book and begin her new book in the heavens with Him. It was her appointed time just as the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us: For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth Eccl 3:1.
So what does all of this mean to us today about our appointments and our daytimers? We all have an appointed time as Hebrews reminds us: 9:27 And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment.. The question is are you ready for your appointment? If God should send His angels to close your earthly daytimer will you say as Jesus said “The time has come…”
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Word of the Week: Listen!
On at least two occasions, God spoke from heaven regarding Jesus as His Son.
Mark 9:7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son. Listen to him! Luke 9:35 Then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him!”
God is referred to only as the word “voice”. We note several points from just two verses: 1. the voice came from heaven; 2. the voice came from a cloud, 3. the voice spoke regarding Jesus, 4. The voice proclaimed Jesus as his Son, thus indicating possession by the pronoun “my”; 5. the voice was understandable to those listening.
We also note several details about the Son: 1. He is the dear Son, 2. He is the only Son, 3. He is the Chosen one;
There is one command and only one command: “Listen to him”. This phrase has the idea that one is to attend, pay attention to, to perceive what has been or will be said to them. Listening then is an active word.
There are two examples of truly listening to the Word of God. One is found in Nehemiah 8 where the people asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law and read to them. He read from early morning until midday….and the people were attentive to the book of the Law. The second example is in Luke 10:39 Mary,… sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said
Principles: Listening is an active word; Attentiveness to Jesus is commanded.
Thought for today: Did you listen to Jesus today? When you listen are you actively listening or is your mind on other things? Where do you need to stop and really listen to Him?
Friday, October 9, 2009
Word of the Week: Compassion
WOW: CompassionHave you ever read something that tugged at your heartstrings and left you feeling grateful and is a reminder of God’s grace to you? On Oct 8th in the Dallas Morning News there was an article on a homeless man whose life had been turned upside down. He was known affectionately as the “mayor” of a village of cardboard shacks living under a bridge on Interstate 45 for the last 15 yrs. The article tugged at your heart as you read of this man’s life, going from prosperity to poverty. But all that changed on Oct 8th as he became the newest resident of a new “village” to house homeless people with the sole purpose to help them get back on their feet. He has been given a second chance. How did it happen? It took just one individual, a man who at one time thought life was all about “him” but God grabbed his heart and transformed his life. Now this individual takes time to deliver peanut butter sandwiches and befriend the homeless, one of whom was the “mayor”. As he visited, he learned that this person had seen the hypocrisy of many and thus it took him 6 yrs to alter this perception. How was he able to do that? He demonstrated one key element: the compassionate love of Christ. Compassion means to reach out to someone in need and meet that need; it means you step out of your comfort zone and reach into the heart of one, putting aside all cultural boundaries and see this person in God’s eyes and remind yourself that one day you may stand next to him/her in eternity.
As we read the gospels we are touched with the compassionate spirit of Christ as He reached across the boundaries to heal a man’s withered hand or heal a leper. In sharp contrast we are given a view of the uncompassionate hearts of the religious leaders who sought to accuse Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. He challenged them to think about what is the principle of the Sabbath rule. Is it to wait when there is a need or to meet the need when it arises? Mark writes that Jesus was “grieved at the hardness of their hearts” and spoke these words to them: Matt 12:7 “If you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy (compassion) and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” Jesus reminded these religious leaders that although they knew the rules/standards for righteousness they lacked a key element: compassion towards those in need. So where will you step outside your comfort zone today and show Christ’s compassionate spirit? Who in your sphere of influence is in need? Who needs to hear the words of the Hymn “Wonderful Words of Life”?
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Apathetic American Church Part One
I am writing this as a way of trying to understand why the American church is floundering so much in the area of Sunday School. This is a long epistle so have broken it down into parts. Here are my thoughts for part one:
I am writing this not only to the church but to myself as well…being vulnerable is an important tool of opening oneself up to critical thinking and a reorganized way of seeing our world. This all began as I have been reading through Ezekiel and saw my uncircumcised heart being pricked. I have been attending church for most of my life but have yet to find one that truly encourages study as an ongoing habit and worthwhile “adventure”. They quote 2 Tim 2:15 but I see no evidence of it. If one were to ask the student in that class if they had studied ahead of time to present themselves an approved student to that teacher, they would say wholeheartedly “yes”. Yet the evidence speaks for itself. The student has not prepared nor has the teacher. Why is this so true today? The questions the teachers ask fall into the range of the factual not critical and are what I call “poi”…a pooling of ignorance, a reordering of the gray matter, which may or may not have anything to do with the passage they were assigned. The class then becomes what I term a “wot”; a waste of time. More often than not, application is given by the teacher not the student.
Stay tuned for part two where I explore what I feel are some more of the problems in the American Sunday School system today and why we are seeing so many fall away. We have been lulled into the thinking that Sunday School's focus should be fellowship. And to do that the church has changed it from Sunday "School" to Sunday Bible "Fellowship". Could that be a reason our kids are growing up uneducated to the truths? Could this be a reason we may not be discerning? Stay tuned.....
I am writing this not only to the church but to myself as well…being vulnerable is an important tool of opening oneself up to critical thinking and a reorganized way of seeing our world. This all began as I have been reading through Ezekiel and saw my uncircumcised heart being pricked. I have been attending church for most of my life but have yet to find one that truly encourages study as an ongoing habit and worthwhile “adventure”. They quote 2 Tim 2:15 but I see no evidence of it. If one were to ask the student in that class if they had studied ahead of time to present themselves an approved student to that teacher, they would say wholeheartedly “yes”. Yet the evidence speaks for itself. The student has not prepared nor has the teacher. Why is this so true today? The questions the teachers ask fall into the range of the factual not critical and are what I call “poi”…a pooling of ignorance, a reordering of the gray matter, which may or may not have anything to do with the passage they were assigned. The class then becomes what I term a “wot”; a waste of time. More often than not, application is given by the teacher not the student.
Stay tuned for part two where I explore what I feel are some more of the problems in the American Sunday School system today and why we are seeing so many fall away. We have been lulled into the thinking that Sunday School's focus should be fellowship. And to do that the church has changed it from Sunday "School" to Sunday Bible "Fellowship". Could that be a reason our kids are growing up uneducated to the truths? Could this be a reason we may not be discerning? Stay tuned.....
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Being vulnerable before others......
The prophet Jeremiah is an incredible person who is willing to wear his emotions on his sleeve. He opens his heart before the world so that we can hear, and be a part of his life. The book of Lamentations is his diary and we weep with him as he visually shows us the last days of Jerusalem. It is a book of incredible sadness and weariness with only the bright light in Lam 3:22 to remind the reader that God is ever faithful. The last chapter shows how weary Jeremiah has become as he has watched the beauty of Jerusalem become a tattered city. It is like watching a person go from riches to rags in a matter of time. We are seeing this unfold before us in our world of foreclosures of today. Once on top of the world only to now be at the pit wondering what has gone wrong and what will the future be like. Jeremiah although knowing all that was to transpire was in the last chapter wondering if God had indeed forgotten them. How often do even believers go through a tough time and wonder, God have you forgotten me? Are you so angry that it cannot be resolved? Jeremiah must have felt a similar pang in his heart as he has watched it all unfold.
Time time...reminds me of Eccl..there is a time ...and Jeremiah must have been thinking ...there is a time for joy and a time for mourning and this was his time to mourn and wonder. How many of the prophets were faithful to present God's Word but just like Habakkuk Jeremiah wondered, God where are you? They were as vulnerable in their emotions as we often are. It is comforting to know that even strong prophets like Habakkuk and Jeremiah had the same feelings and they too wondered about the plan unfolding.
In the midst of all of his wondering we come to Lam 3:22 The Lord’s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end. They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! This is how Jeremiah kept looking heavenward. When circumstances seem overwhelming and beyond our scope we too can echo these words to comfort ourselves and keep our eternal perspective.
Time time...reminds me of Eccl..there is a time ...and Jeremiah must have been thinking ...there is a time for joy and a time for mourning and this was his time to mourn and wonder. How many of the prophets were faithful to present God's Word but just like Habakkuk Jeremiah wondered, God where are you? They were as vulnerable in their emotions as we often are. It is comforting to know that even strong prophets like Habakkuk and Jeremiah had the same feelings and they too wondered about the plan unfolding.
In the midst of all of his wondering we come to Lam 3:22 The Lord’s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end. They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! This is how Jeremiah kept looking heavenward. When circumstances seem overwhelming and beyond our scope we too can echo these words to comfort ourselves and keep our eternal perspective.
Monday, August 24, 2009
God's Gift to us...Language
One of the marvelous gifts of language is that we can describe with words what we see, hear and feel. How marvelous is the gift that God has given to us. The English language however is unable to adequately describe many words such as love. We have one word whereas the Greek has three, phileo = friend; agape = true love, and eros which is a love of intimacy. The Hebrew language used in the OT gives us the beauty of the Hebrew language which far outweighs our English. Hebrew evokes the imagery of the words that English strives to depict but often falls far short. Take for example the name of God. In English we use God alone to describe Him. But in the Hebrew language we find that God's attributes are given by the names the authors of the OT books used. For example: Jehovah Jireh = God my Provider, El Roi = the God who sees, Jehovah Sabaoth = Lord of the heavenly armies, in English it is Lord of Hosts. He goes before His people to pave the way and to provide and protect them with His outstretched arm. Which name is your favorite? Mine is Jehovah Sabaoth. It is found in all of the OT and first in the book of Samuel. Today in Jeremiah 50:34 we are given the description of Him as He comes to redeem His people from captivity. Their Redeemer "ga'al" means to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom.He is their kinsman who is strong; the Lord of Hosts "Jehovah Sabaoth" or Jehovah "tsaba'" means that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host is His Name. As you read a verse like this you want to stop and ponder what all of that brings to mind. What vision do you have? We have been reading Jeremiah and the Babylonian conquest. The Judahites have been in captivity and will be there for 70 yrs. Think of yourself being in captivity and then hearing this verse. What a picture. What thoughts come to mind? God has not forgotten me! He will avenge the wrong, He will ransom me from my captors, and He will fight for my release. What a beautiful picture this gives us as we know the meaning of those words and phrases. Do you know this Redeemer? Do you know Jehovah Sabaoth? If not, send me a note and let's chat.
Jehovah Sabaoth, thank you for being my Redeemer my ga'al, my Lord of Hosts. I never need to fear ..for You are with me. Thank you for revealing Yourself to my precious granddaughter in her own words: " I believe You're my healer I believe You are all I need I believe You're my portion I believe You're more than enough for me Jesus, You're all I need " That sums it up beautifully better than I could say....Truly God is all we need. He is all we need because He is all in all.
Jehovah Sabaoth, thank you for being my Redeemer my ga'al, my Lord of Hosts. I never need to fear ..for You are with me. Thank you for revealing Yourself to my precious granddaughter in her own words: " I believe You're my healer I believe You are all I need I believe You're my portion I believe You're more than enough for me Jesus, You're all I need " That sums it up beautifully better than I could say....Truly God is all we need. He is all we need because He is all in all.
Friday, August 21, 2009
The parable of Matt 21
As I was writing in my journal this a.m. summarizing Jer 41 to Jer 45 I recalled the parable in the NT about the two farmer boys in Matt 21. The similarities are striking. In Jer 42 we hear the Judahites telling Jeremiah that they wish to hear a word from the Lord and no matter what it is, good or bad, they will obey. See Jer 42:6 But look at their reaction when 10 days later they do not hear what they thought they should have heard. The men had "rethunk" their position. Well, we will listen and obey if it meets with our way of thinking. They in essence had predetermined what they were going to do no matter what God said and 10 days of waiting had confirmed their thinking. They were just hoping that God would align Himself with their thinking and when it did not they "rethunk" their decision. But, God does act that way. No sirree He does not. And He expects that our yea should be yea and our nay should be nay, not somewhere in-between. So listen to their decision in Jer 43:2 "Jeremiah you are a liar. God did not send you with these words". Let's see here...I think Jeremiah had proven himself to be a true prophet, had he not? Deut 18:22 gives us the test of a true prophet. If what he prophesied actually came to pass he was from God and if not then he was false. Jeremiah had over and over proven to be a true prophet yet these had already predetermined that he was false. Ten days had changed their minds. Now in the NT Jesus told a parable beginning in Matt 21:28 that bears a similar resemblance in attitude. There was a farmer who had two sons. The farmer told his "farmer boys" go and work in the vineyard. The first said "I will and he did not". The second said "I won't but later regretted what he said and he did". Jesus told that parable as a rebuke to the Pharisees who were men of "double-speak". They like the men in Jeremiah's day had said they would obey the Lord but when it came down the nitty gritty, it just did not fit in with their view of what they were to be doing and how they were to be the religious leaders of their day. The men of the historical record in Jeremiah,the two farmer boys and the religious leaders in Jesus' day are a picture of us when we say we will but do not do. We have already pre-determined what we will do but want God to agree with us. But God does not respond this way. He wants us to do as the people in Jeremiah's time said they would do: Jer 42:6 That is our test. We know what to do, but we fail to follow through. Why? Perhaps because deep within our hearts we do not trust God and His Word, that we think we know best.
My son wrote in his on-line mini-journal: We need to be careful to "not filter what God says, or is revealed to us" through our own view as to what it believable, but consider the source and have faith in God's revelation (eg God's word).
This may be applicable to "do I need to trust all of what it says in the Bible or just some of it"? In addition to be reminded of Jam 4:17 "to him who knows to do good and does it not, it is sin".
"Ouch"
A good reminder. As Paul said to men like to have their ears tickled and when the truth comes it is denied as truth or changed to fit in with their/our agenda. It reminded me of Rom 1:32 Men know the ordinance of God... yes men have a special place in their hearts, a God-vacuum that only HE can fill and they know. In the original language that word know has the meaning of : to know upon some mark, that is, recognise; by implication to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge: - (ac-, have, take) know (-ledge, well), perceive.
Thus God has revealed enough of Himself that they are held accountable for the truth of who He is and His character. Rom 1:20 says that even His creation speaks of His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature so that man is without excuse. God has revealed Himself so that they might "know".
In one of the online devotionals I read today the author said the spies going into Canaan saw the bounty but not the Pillar. Where were their eyes? On themselves and not on the Pillar. We say we "know" but in reality we do not "know" because we have chosen to deny Him and His ways. That is our fundamental error and why we too fail like the men surrounding Jeremiah, the farmer boys, the Pharisees and those who reject God today: we want our ears to hear what we have already predetermined and if God's Word meets that expectation we follow it but if not we seek to find other passages that might contradict it. But, God does not contradict Himself. His word is yea and yea and nay and nay. We would be wise to heed that same model otherwise we are as Jam 4:17 says 'in sin'.
Draw me closer to You Lord that I might see Your holiness and reverently submit to Your way knowing the truth of Is 55:8 "your ways are higher than mine" . I can trust You , forgive me when I do not choose that route. Keep me closely bonded to You.
My son wrote in his on-line mini-journal: We need to be careful to "not filter what God says, or is revealed to us" through our own view as to what it believable, but consider the source and have faith in God's revelation (eg God's word).
This may be applicable to "do I need to trust all of what it says in the Bible or just some of it"? In addition to be reminded of Jam 4:17 "to him who knows to do good and does it not, it is sin".
"Ouch"
A good reminder. As Paul said to men like to have their ears tickled and when the truth comes it is denied as truth or changed to fit in with their/our agenda. It reminded me of Rom 1:32 Men know the ordinance of God... yes men have a special place in their hearts, a God-vacuum that only HE can fill and they know. In the original language that word know has the meaning of : to know upon some mark, that is, recognise; by implication to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge: - (ac-, have, take) know (-ledge, well), perceive.
Thus God has revealed enough of Himself that they are held accountable for the truth of who He is and His character. Rom 1:20 says that even His creation speaks of His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature so that man is without excuse. God has revealed Himself so that they might "know".
In one of the online devotionals I read today the author said the spies going into Canaan saw the bounty but not the Pillar. Where were their eyes? On themselves and not on the Pillar. We say we "know" but in reality we do not "know" because we have chosen to deny Him and His ways. That is our fundamental error and why we too fail like the men surrounding Jeremiah, the farmer boys, the Pharisees and those who reject God today: we want our ears to hear what we have already predetermined and if God's Word meets that expectation we follow it but if not we seek to find other passages that might contradict it. But, God does not contradict Himself. His word is yea and yea and nay and nay. We would be wise to heed that same model otherwise we are as Jam 4:17 says 'in sin'.
Draw me closer to You Lord that I might see Your holiness and reverently submit to Your way knowing the truth of Is 55:8 "your ways are higher than mine" . I can trust You , forgive me when I do not choose that route. Keep me closely bonded to You.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I choose....
Today in my quiet time I was in the book of Habakkuk. Say that three times fast! Habakkuk was a prophet sent to the kingdom of Judah in the time just before the Babylonian captivity. Habakkuk saw the evil atrocities of the barbarians that God would use to punish Judah and he obviously had a problem with God's intentions. He writes in his "diary" Hab 1:2 I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, “Violence!” But you do not intervene." Does this sound like "me" at times? God where are you as we see the evil about us? God seems to be, at times, silent to us..but He has not left the scene of action. He is there and He responds: Hab 1:5 "For I will do something in your lifetime that you will not believe even though you are forewarned." As this dialog continues back and forth we see the anguish in Habakkuk's soul and yet at the end of the book we see his conclusion to the matter. Habakkuk writes that he chooses...I will exult the Lord... Hab 3:18 I will rejoice because of the Lord; I will be happy because of the God who delivers me! The sovereign Lord is my source of strength.That is what lies before us as well. What choices will we make?
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Patience of God the Folly of Man
As I read each day I look for the character of God and the contrast of man. I have been seeing the folly of man in regards to the wisdom and patient lovingkindness of God. Today I read II Chron 36:15 The Lord God of their ancestor continually warned them (the Israelites) through his messengers, for HE felt compassion for his people and his dwelling place. II Chron 36:16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, and ridiculed his prophets
If we read this in context we see that Nebuchadnezzar, after capturing Jerusalem, made Zedekiah king. If you read Jeremiah you will see that Zedekiah had called Jeremiah into hear "a word from the Lord". He was told: surrender to the Babylonians and you and the city will be spared. His answer: I fear the Judahites. Now in II Chron 36 we see another facet of this intriguing tale. II Chron 36:12 "He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, the Lord’s spokesman." We get a hint of how he did not humble himself by what God said in II Chron 36:16. Zedekiah in essence mocked the words, despised the warning, and ridiculed Jeremiah. The end of Zedekiah was that he tried to flee, he was captured by the Babylonians, his sons were executed before his eyes, his own eyes were taken from him, and he sat in a Babylonian jail cell for the remainder of his life. Hindsight is truly 20/20 as I said in my blog yesterday. Would that we not be Zedekiahs but heed the words of the Lord.
Spiritual Truth: God is compassionate and longsuffering...even when His people mock, despise and ridicule His messengers.
Principle: Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows,
It seems that we are seeing this being played out in our time as God's messengers continually are raising the red flag of warning but those in leadership seem to be mocking God's Word, they despise His messengers and they ridicule those who stand for righteousness. BUT, God's longsuffering will end one day and then it will come to pass: II Chron 36:16 Finally the Lord got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.
The more I read the news lately my fears seem to be escalating. I fear that this is ahead for us because of this. How much longer will God be patient?
Now to apply this personally: Am I too despising the Word of God or is my heart sensitive to His pleading for righteousness? Those three characteristics the author of Chronicles gave: mock, despise and ridicule are very pointed. The NETBible defines mock as the translation of hathal, "to play upon," "mock," "deride"
To despise means to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe.
To ridicule means to deride; make fun of.
May I be sensitive to the words of God and not be found guilty of these transgressions. Oh Lord how patient You are, keep me close to You so that I do not exhibit these character qualities, may I not be full of folly but full of wisdom. Keep me pure and holy before You.
If we read this in context we see that Nebuchadnezzar, after capturing Jerusalem, made Zedekiah king. If you read Jeremiah you will see that Zedekiah had called Jeremiah into hear "a word from the Lord". He was told: surrender to the Babylonians and you and the city will be spared. His answer: I fear the Judahites. Now in II Chron 36 we see another facet of this intriguing tale. II Chron 36:12 "He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, the Lord’s spokesman." We get a hint of how he did not humble himself by what God said in II Chron 36:16. Zedekiah in essence mocked the words, despised the warning, and ridiculed Jeremiah. The end of Zedekiah was that he tried to flee, he was captured by the Babylonians, his sons were executed before his eyes, his own eyes were taken from him, and he sat in a Babylonian jail cell for the remainder of his life. Hindsight is truly 20/20 as I said in my blog yesterday. Would that we not be Zedekiahs but heed the words of the Lord.
Spiritual Truth: God is compassionate and longsuffering...even when His people mock, despise and ridicule His messengers.
Principle: Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows,
It seems that we are seeing this being played out in our time as God's messengers continually are raising the red flag of warning but those in leadership seem to be mocking God's Word, they despise His messengers and they ridicule those who stand for righteousness. BUT, God's longsuffering will end one day and then it will come to pass: II Chron 36:16 Finally the Lord got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment.
The more I read the news lately my fears seem to be escalating. I fear that this is ahead for us because of this. How much longer will God be patient?
Now to apply this personally: Am I too despising the Word of God or is my heart sensitive to His pleading for righteousness? Those three characteristics the author of Chronicles gave: mock, despise and ridicule are very pointed. The NETBible defines mock as the translation of hathal, "to play upon," "mock," "deride"
To despise means to regard with contempt, distaste, disgust, or disdain; scorn; loathe.
To ridicule means to deride; make fun of.
May I be sensitive to the words of God and not be found guilty of these transgressions. Oh Lord how patient You are, keep me close to You so that I do not exhibit these character qualities, may I not be full of folly but full of wisdom. Keep me pure and holy before You.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Hindsight is truly 20/20
Today we have been inundated with the news of our elected Pres Obama in seeking to derail the DOMA Act. Interestingly he has done so in "secrecy" lest the conservatives reach out to derail his search to be an all - inclusive society. But, what is so disturbing is that it was done "in secret". So how are we to react? I think we just need to turn to a chapter in Jeremiah again for the lesson to be learned. Truly hindsight is 20/20.
Jer 38 is the story of the waffling Zedekiah. To be king means you listen to wise counsel, you heed the counsel and then assess the proper action. Zedekiah listens to counsel, who wanted permission to silence Jeremiah. Zedekiah much like Pilate washes his hands of the whole situation. However, once the deed has been planned and Jeremiah has been placed in a cistern to die, he rethinks his decision but has no way out of this dilemma. Enter Ebed-Melech, a true servant of God who pleads for Jeremiah's life. Once freed, what does Zedekiah do? He seeks "secret counsel" from Jeremiah. He promises protection for Jeremiah. What does Jeremiah do? He wisely listens but makes the decision once again to share with him what God has said: yield to the Babylonians and you will live and this city will be saved from fire. How does Zedekiah respond: I am fearful of the men of Judah. Thus he has listened but not heeded the true prophet's words. He has witnessed the accuracy of all what Jeremiah has said in the past so it was not like this was not measurable witness! Yet, Zedekiah's fear of man led him to listen but fail to heed the warnings. End of story: The last sight Zedekiah had was the execution of his sons by the Babylonians before they put out his eyes. Brutal, yes. You wonder if as he sat in the Babylonian jail cell he recalled the words of Jeremiah and said to himself: why did I not listen to Jeremiah? Why did I think my way was best? Why, why why? Because hindsight is truly 20/20.
We are living in a disoriented age. We call truth error, we call what is right wrong. We see sin but ignore it. Why? We are like Zedekiah: we are "afraid" of the Judahites. We have moved full circle from the godly standards of our forefathers to the time warp of what Jude wrote: Ju 1:18 “In the end time there will come scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires." We can read, hear and totally ignore the Word of God, because we think we "know better" than God. Paul wrote in Rom 1:25 "they exchange the truth of God for a lie" and we are seeing it before our very eyes. God said in Gen 2:24 and Mar 10:7 man..shall cleave unto his wife"... When God created marriage He made it Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve!
If we were to interview Zedekiah today he might tell us: listen, heed and follow the words of the Lord. Truly hindsight is 20/20. If the DOMA act is removed from the law, as Pres Obama seeks, we will surely see the lasting effects of in in the generations to come. The children will not know nor will they understand the beauty of marriage, they will be confused. God is not the author of confusion~ He is the author of order. Why are we so willing to accept what God has wisely instituted? Because we are like Zedekiah, we think we "know better" and disregard the word that is before us. We listen, we ponder, and we choose our own way.
Today on the Tapestry Blog my friend Sue wrote about this beginning even now:
http://blog.bible.org/tapestry/ Truly as Sue says "YIKES!" What a confused world we are bringing before our children's eyes. Who is charge here? Where are the righteous parents? Where is wisdom? We are fast becoming a nation of "fools" The EBD defines the contrast: a moral rather than an intellectual quality. To be "foolish" is to be godless Ps 14:1
Truly hindsight is 20/20.
Jer 38 is the story of the waffling Zedekiah. To be king means you listen to wise counsel, you heed the counsel and then assess the proper action. Zedekiah listens to counsel, who wanted permission to silence Jeremiah. Zedekiah much like Pilate washes his hands of the whole situation. However, once the deed has been planned and Jeremiah has been placed in a cistern to die, he rethinks his decision but has no way out of this dilemma. Enter Ebed-Melech, a true servant of God who pleads for Jeremiah's life. Once freed, what does Zedekiah do? He seeks "secret counsel" from Jeremiah. He promises protection for Jeremiah. What does Jeremiah do? He wisely listens but makes the decision once again to share with him what God has said: yield to the Babylonians and you will live and this city will be saved from fire. How does Zedekiah respond: I am fearful of the men of Judah. Thus he has listened but not heeded the true prophet's words. He has witnessed the accuracy of all what Jeremiah has said in the past so it was not like this was not measurable witness! Yet, Zedekiah's fear of man led him to listen but fail to heed the warnings. End of story: The last sight Zedekiah had was the execution of his sons by the Babylonians before they put out his eyes. Brutal, yes. You wonder if as he sat in the Babylonian jail cell he recalled the words of Jeremiah and said to himself: why did I not listen to Jeremiah? Why did I think my way was best? Why, why why? Because hindsight is truly 20/20.
We are living in a disoriented age. We call truth error, we call what is right wrong. We see sin but ignore it. Why? We are like Zedekiah: we are "afraid" of the Judahites. We have moved full circle from the godly standards of our forefathers to the time warp of what Jude wrote: Ju 1:18 “In the end time there will come scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires." We can read, hear and totally ignore the Word of God, because we think we "know better" than God. Paul wrote in Rom 1:25 "they exchange the truth of God for a lie" and we are seeing it before our very eyes. God said in Gen 2:24 and Mar 10:7 man..shall cleave unto his wife"... When God created marriage He made it Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve!
If we were to interview Zedekiah today he might tell us: listen, heed and follow the words of the Lord. Truly hindsight is 20/20. If the DOMA act is removed from the law, as Pres Obama seeks, we will surely see the lasting effects of in in the generations to come. The children will not know nor will they understand the beauty of marriage, they will be confused. God is not the author of confusion~ He is the author of order. Why are we so willing to accept what God has wisely instituted? Because we are like Zedekiah, we think we "know better" and disregard the word that is before us. We listen, we ponder, and we choose our own way.
Today on the Tapestry Blog my friend Sue wrote about this beginning even now:
http://blog.bible.org/tapestry/ Truly as Sue says "YIKES!" What a confused world we are bringing before our children's eyes. Who is charge here? Where are the righteous parents? Where is wisdom? We are fast becoming a nation of "fools" The EBD defines the contrast: a moral rather than an intellectual quality. To be "foolish" is to be godless Ps 14:1
Truly hindsight is 20/20.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Today in Jeremiah 35-37 I was struck by three distinct scenes which are played out. The first one is the contrast of man's obedience to a forefather in stark contrast to man's disobedience to God.
The second one was the fear of God by only 3 men to the lack of fear on the part of the king and his court to the Word of God
The third found in Jer 37:11-21 was the false arrest,imprisonment and placement of Jeremiah in the king's house. This chapter brought to mind the spiritual principle: God uses any and all circumstances to bring about His intended purposes. Even when times are bleak and dark if we open our spiritual eyes we can see that He has a plan and He is using this circumstance to glorify Himself.
Josh McDowell wrote some time ago a book on decision making and those principles he laid out came to mind.
1. Consider the Choice before me
2. Compare the choice to what God has written
3. Choose God's way
4. Count on God for His provision and protection.
We are not told how Jeremiah lived out the first three steps but that the 4th step was resoundingly placed here for us shows us that the first three had been considered. God touched the heart of King Zedekiah to gain Jeremiah's release from prison. Why would a king do this to Jeremiah? Jer 37:17 tells us why. He wanted to know if Jeremiah had a word from the Lord. Jeremiah then applied the principle of appeal as he petitioned the king for his provision and protection and it was granted. Not only did the king listen to the words Jeremiah spoke, but he also provided for Jeremiah's protection placing him in the court of the guardhouse and gave him a daily ration. In this place Jeremiah thus had free access to all who came and went. He had the opportunity thus to speak for God in ways he would not have had otherwise. He had a daily ration that he neither had to work for nor pay. He had the protection of the palace guards!
So what is the point in all of this dialog? Two thoughts and one spiritual principle come to mind which are found in the words of Joseph in Gen 50:20 and the words of the Apostle Paul in Rom 8:28. God will give us wisdom to make choices, we can trust that He will bring about His way to glorify Himself and in the midst of all He proves His trustworthiness to provide for us and to protect us.
The test thus is before us/me. How will we/I view circumstances? Can I see God using today's circumstance to open doors of divine opportunity that otherwise might not happen if my present circumstance did not occur? Will I have spiritual eyes to see that with each circumstance God will use with my compliance or without my compliance to bring about His plan and purpose.
May I today have spiritual eyes to see beyond my circumstance to the greater plan that God has for me and for those with whom I interact.
The second one was the fear of God by only 3 men to the lack of fear on the part of the king and his court to the Word of God
The third found in Jer 37:11-21 was the false arrest,imprisonment and placement of Jeremiah in the king's house. This chapter brought to mind the spiritual principle: God uses any and all circumstances to bring about His intended purposes. Even when times are bleak and dark if we open our spiritual eyes we can see that He has a plan and He is using this circumstance to glorify Himself.
Josh McDowell wrote some time ago a book on decision making and those principles he laid out came to mind.
1. Consider the Choice before me
2. Compare the choice to what God has written
3. Choose God's way
4. Count on God for His provision and protection.
We are not told how Jeremiah lived out the first three steps but that the 4th step was resoundingly placed here for us shows us that the first three had been considered. God touched the heart of King Zedekiah to gain Jeremiah's release from prison. Why would a king do this to Jeremiah? Jer 37:17 tells us why. He wanted to know if Jeremiah had a word from the Lord. Jeremiah then applied the principle of appeal as he petitioned the king for his provision and protection and it was granted. Not only did the king listen to the words Jeremiah spoke, but he also provided for Jeremiah's protection placing him in the court of the guardhouse and gave him a daily ration. In this place Jeremiah thus had free access to all who came and went. He had the opportunity thus to speak for God in ways he would not have had otherwise. He had a daily ration that he neither had to work for nor pay. He had the protection of the palace guards!
So what is the point in all of this dialog? Two thoughts and one spiritual principle come to mind which are found in the words of Joseph in Gen 50:20 and the words of the Apostle Paul in Rom 8:28. God will give us wisdom to make choices, we can trust that He will bring about His way to glorify Himself and in the midst of all He proves His trustworthiness to provide for us and to protect us.
The test thus is before us/me. How will we/I view circumstances? Can I see God using today's circumstance to open doors of divine opportunity that otherwise might not happen if my present circumstance did not occur? Will I have spiritual eyes to see that with each circumstance God will use with my compliance or without my compliance to bring about His plan and purpose.
May I today have spiritual eyes to see beyond my circumstance to the greater plan that God has for me and for those with whom I interact.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Abiding in the Presence of Jehovah
The Fifth Dimension sings Up, up and away My beautiful, my beautiful balloon Suspended under a twilight canopy We'll search the clouds for a star to guide us. I am so glad that I do not need to search the clouds for a star to guide me...the "STAR" has already made the path clear and visible to the eye that wishes to behold Him. . ..and that is how we felt this a.m. in the worship centers in which we participated. We were up in a spiritual sense and away into the presence of Jehovah. The passage in Hebrews brought this full force as we looked into the New Covenant of Hebrews 8 (the longest OT quotation in the NT which is from Jer 31 which just happened to be my quiet time devotions!!! ).
Today Pastor Jeff used this passage. See:
http://bible.org/byauthor/25/jeff_miller
Jeff gave the illustration clearly of the contrast from the Temples of Solomon, Zerubbabel, and then Herod to the "true" tabernacle noted in Hebrews 8. The Temple here on earth was majestic but the tabernacle in heaven will be greater, far greater. In the earthly tabernacle/temple the Most Holy Place was visible only to the High Priest and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. When Jesus sighed "it is finished" the curtain between the two was torn from top to bottom so that ALL could now enter in. With the New true tabernacle, the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place is fully drawn back and one day we will see Jehovah in all of His glory. "We behold the Lamb of God,Risen for the sins of man, And we behold Him, In majesty, We behold the Lamb of God" As we looked at the contrast between the Old Covenant to the New Covenant he used the illustration of an area rug. In the Old Covenant sins were covered, like one might use an area rug to cover a spot, the sin is still there but covered from the naked eye. But, in the New Covenant it is as if God picks up our sin symbolized by the illustration of the old carpet and removes it completely so that there are no more stains, no more marks, it is replaced by a new "carpet" ..our new spiritual life and it is done by the blood of the Precious Son of God's death on the cross.
The marvelous thing is that Jesus said "it is completed, finished, done" and He sat down at the right hand of the Father. He removed the stains of sin, He replaced them and now no longer do I need an "area rug" called offerings and sacrifices but now I am pure and holy in His presence. One day I/we (who have accepted this blood sacrifice of the pure Jesus who gave His life willingly for me/us) will be in His presence. I will behold Him in all of His glory and bask in His presence.
Today Pastor Jeff used this passage. See:
http://bible.org/byauthor/25/jeff_miller
Jeff gave the illustration clearly of the contrast from the Temples of Solomon, Zerubbabel, and then Herod to the "true" tabernacle noted in Hebrews 8. The Temple here on earth was majestic but the tabernacle in heaven will be greater, far greater. In the earthly tabernacle/temple the Most Holy Place was visible only to the High Priest and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. When Jesus sighed "it is finished" the curtain between the two was torn from top to bottom so that ALL could now enter in. With the New true tabernacle, the curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place is fully drawn back and one day we will see Jehovah in all of His glory. "We behold the Lamb of God,Risen for the sins of man, And we behold Him, In majesty, We behold the Lamb of God" As we looked at the contrast between the Old Covenant to the New Covenant he used the illustration of an area rug. In the Old Covenant sins were covered, like one might use an area rug to cover a spot, the sin is still there but covered from the naked eye. But, in the New Covenant it is as if God picks up our sin symbolized by the illustration of the old carpet and removes it completely so that there are no more stains, no more marks, it is replaced by a new "carpet" ..our new spiritual life and it is done by the blood of the Precious Son of God's death on the cross.
The marvelous thing is that Jesus said "it is completed, finished, done" and He sat down at the right hand of the Father. He removed the stains of sin, He replaced them and now no longer do I need an "area rug" called offerings and sacrifices but now I am pure and holy in His presence. One day I/we (who have accepted this blood sacrifice of the pure Jesus who gave His life willingly for me/us) will be in His presence. I will behold Him in all of His glory and bask in His presence.
We will see the risen Lord,
We rise and His command,
And we behold Him,
In righteousness,
We will see the risen Lord.
Friday, August 14, 2009
God's Plans
Today in my quiet time I read through Jer chapters 24-29. I came once again to the beautiful verse in Jer 29:11. How precious that verse must have been to the ears of Jeremiah. But, the question lies before us...was it just for the Judahites and Jeremiah or does it apply to me as well? To answer that question one needs to seek to determine if there is a spiritual principle hiding that must be extracted. I believe that no matter what was written whether in the OT or the NT, there is a basic underlying principle that will guide us through the maze of life. Today it is this: The past, present and the future is determined by God and more importantly in His wisdom He has planned that which will benefit me! He told Jeremiah: I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you and that principle applies to me as well. So then, I can then trust that all that has come my way has been filtered through His fingers and it is for my good for that His ultimate purpose be fulfilled. Often when things occur that seem to be less than satisfactory by human reflection, we find ourselves saying "why" when in essence we ought to be saying, what is the lesson I am to learn from this? What is God's purpose for me in this time? How can I apply what I am experiencing to someone else's life so that this time is not wasted. Let me give you an example from my own life to make it clearer. Up until a year ago I was less than affected by what it meant to be a shut-in. However, when my Mother became incapacitated and was no longer able to attend church that became a reality for me and my sister (bless my sister in all of that time..amazing). We found out real fast that when someone is a shut-in, they are essentially abandoned by much of society. My dearest Mother who had been an active member of her church became a "not seen, not heard, not thought of" with the exception of the precious ladies in her SS class. The Pastor never called, never sent a card, never visited. The Deacons of the church never visited, never called but did send one card. The reality hit home, Mother had been abandoned by those to whom she had at one time ministered. Fast forward to today, I saw it again recently when I attended a Sr. Picnic at my former church. A lady sat in her wheelchair and no one ministered to her needs. So....how has God used those experiences? I find that I take time to minister to those who are in wheelchairs at each church we visit (we are now visiting many for bible.org) and I find that now I take the time to "sit a spell" and minister to them, if nothing else but to listen to them, to give them attention. My heart has been turned from a quick hello to time spent beside them. So God used a difficult time to teach me a lesson that I can now use for His work, for the benefit of another. It has opened my eyes to a new ministry. Would I have learned it another way? Perhaps, but God's ways are not my ways. Isa 55:8-9
Take time today and minister to someone less fortunate. You will receive a blessing and you will see God's plans for you unfolding.
Take time today and minister to someone less fortunate. You will receive a blessing and you will see God's plans for you unfolding.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
God, His character in contrast to mine
As I was reading this a.m. in my quiet time I was struck by the contrasting character of God: He is near; ready for us to come to Him and sit at His feet much like Mary did OR He is compared to a lion coming out of his lair after being awakened, He is full of fierce anger. Why is God angry? He is angry at sin, that which separates us from His presence. But, God is also a patient God waiting on us to see HIM and to come to HIM and be bathed in His presence. But why is this so hard for us?
Waiting is hard as we live in a society that fosters movement rather than quietness. Often I think back to the summers when I was a kid. I had many tasks to do each day, thanks to an ever disciplined and manager Mother, but one thing she encouraged was for us to read. There was no TV, no email, no cell phones (only the party line and that was scary...you never knew who was listening or even might interrupt your "private" conversation). But the afternoons when it was hot, NOTE: no pool...no lakes in close proximity...you sat under a tree or in your bedroom high in your palace in the sky,and you read voraciously. You lived life virtually but you didn't call it that for that is 21st century word. You imagined and you pretended and you thought what it must be like to be Nancy Drew or another story character like Prince Valiant. I guess I am dating myself here for all you young ones :-) But, in reality you were learning to wait as you took time to "sit a spell" and just get lost in a book. Now as I am older I still "sit a spell" and I read voraciously but now my reading is in God's Word as I live life virtually; I visualize David in his running, Bathsheba in her dilemma, Jeremiah as he faces depression, Deborah as she questions Barak and Ruth as she humbly follows Naomi home to Bethlehem not knowing what lay ahead. Yes, waiting is a good thing for it teaches us to experience the nearness of God as it says in Ps 62:5, or wonder what the fierce anger of God towards sin must be like.Jer 25:38 (my reading for today).I hope I never have to experience that~~!!! , the loving character of God John 3:16. And then in my time of waiting I begin to meditate upon Him...He is Almighty, He is Beautiful, He is the Compassionate Christ, He is my Deliverer, He is the Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, HE is HOLY. I do that until I have gone through the alphabet down to the letter "z" and I see him as the Zealous One who desires my purity and righteousness and one who is patiently waiting on me to be quiet so that He might reveal His next step. Yes, waiting is a good thing....for it brings us to the beautiful place with and near God and into His presence.
Here is a chorus that sums it up beautifully:
In the presence of Jehovah, God Almighty, Prince of Peace; Troubles vanish, hearts are mended, in the presence of the King...
Waiting is hard as we live in a society that fosters movement rather than quietness. Often I think back to the summers when I was a kid. I had many tasks to do each day, thanks to an ever disciplined and manager Mother, but one thing she encouraged was for us to read. There was no TV, no email, no cell phones (only the party line and that was scary...you never knew who was listening or even might interrupt your "private" conversation). But the afternoons when it was hot, NOTE: no pool...no lakes in close proximity...you sat under a tree or in your bedroom high in your palace in the sky,and you read voraciously. You lived life virtually but you didn't call it that for that is 21st century word. You imagined and you pretended and you thought what it must be like to be Nancy Drew or another story character like Prince Valiant. I guess I am dating myself here for all you young ones :-) But, in reality you were learning to wait as you took time to "sit a spell" and just get lost in a book. Now as I am older I still "sit a spell" and I read voraciously but now my reading is in God's Word as I live life virtually; I visualize David in his running, Bathsheba in her dilemma, Jeremiah as he faces depression, Deborah as she questions Barak and Ruth as she humbly follows Naomi home to Bethlehem not knowing what lay ahead. Yes, waiting is a good thing for it teaches us to experience the nearness of God as it says in Ps 62:5, or wonder what the fierce anger of God towards sin must be like.Jer 25:38 (my reading for today).I hope I never have to experience that~~!!! , the loving character of God John 3:16. And then in my time of waiting I begin to meditate upon Him...He is Almighty, He is Beautiful, He is the Compassionate Christ, He is my Deliverer, He is the Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, HE is HOLY. I do that until I have gone through the alphabet down to the letter "z" and I see him as the Zealous One who desires my purity and righteousness and one who is patiently waiting on me to be quiet so that He might reveal His next step. Yes, waiting is a good thing....for it brings us to the beautiful place with and near God and into His presence.
Here is a chorus that sums it up beautifully:
In the presence of Jehovah, God Almighty, Prince of Peace; Troubles vanish, hearts are mended, in the presence of the King...
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Today is August 12 and is my beginning experiment in blogging. Today is a perfect day to begin as today we celebrate the birthdays of my daughter in law and my granddaughter. We called them earlier to sing the Happy B'day song to them before we began our busy day here at bible.org.
So far it has been a marvelous day with cool temperatures. I took my 1 mile walk around my neighborhood and waved at several people as they were leaving for work or out walking. One thing I love about our new neighborhood is the friendly people who live here. All stop and wave or wish you a good day or good morning. It is most delightful.
We have French doors in the family room of the home we are renting. This allows us the privilege of seeing the many little birdies that come to cheer us. I purchased a bird feeder for my husband and we have had fun watching them come to feed. We have blue jays, sparrows, a pair of cardinals with their babies and those huge blackbirds. They are so precious to see and watch. We recently took a trip to Upper NY State to see my inlaws where we watched with great enthusiasm the yellow finches. What fun.
Also this a.m. I received a phone call from the dad of our godchildren. He was on his way back to Charlotte. God is at work in his life and he wanted to share it with me. What a blessing. It is neat to have so many wonderful people who take time to share lovely thoughts.
Today in my quiet time ( a time of reflection in God's Word) I read in Jeremiah 18-22. In this section Jeremiah is told to go and watch the potter with his clay as an analogy of how God works with Israel and ultimately with us. We are truly clay in the Potter's Hand. HE is molding us and making us to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus. Sometimes God has to rearrange the clay to bring a new dish or bowl out of the clay. The important point is that the clay must be malleable to do that. I noted especially Jer 18:4 "the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel as it pleased the potter to make". It brings God great pleasure to remold me and to make me into the vessel for His use. This reminds me of the verses in Rom 9:20 "The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?" How often do I stop and talk to God about "why did you make me like this, when in reality I am to be malleable so that HE can make me into the vessel for His use.
My prayer today is that I be malleable for His use.
So far it has been a marvelous day with cool temperatures. I took my 1 mile walk around my neighborhood and waved at several people as they were leaving for work or out walking. One thing I love about our new neighborhood is the friendly people who live here. All stop and wave or wish you a good day or good morning. It is most delightful.
We have French doors in the family room of the home we are renting. This allows us the privilege of seeing the many little birdies that come to cheer us. I purchased a bird feeder for my husband and we have had fun watching them come to feed. We have blue jays, sparrows, a pair of cardinals with their babies and those huge blackbirds. They are so precious to see and watch. We recently took a trip to Upper NY State to see my inlaws where we watched with great enthusiasm the yellow finches. What fun.
Also this a.m. I received a phone call from the dad of our godchildren. He was on his way back to Charlotte. God is at work in his life and he wanted to share it with me. What a blessing. It is neat to have so many wonderful people who take time to share lovely thoughts.
Today in my quiet time ( a time of reflection in God's Word) I read in Jeremiah 18-22. In this section Jeremiah is told to go and watch the potter with his clay as an analogy of how God works with Israel and ultimately with us. We are truly clay in the Potter's Hand. HE is molding us and making us to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus. Sometimes God has to rearrange the clay to bring a new dish or bowl out of the clay. The important point is that the clay must be malleable to do that. I noted especially Jer 18:4 "the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel as it pleased the potter to make". It brings God great pleasure to remold me and to make me into the vessel for His use. This reminds me of the verses in Rom 9:20 "The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?" How often do I stop and talk to God about "why did you make me like this, when in reality I am to be malleable so that HE can make me into the vessel for His use.
My prayer today is that I be malleable for His use.
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