11-15-06

Psalm 40:5-6  "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done.  The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.    Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced;  burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require."

Isaiah 55:1-2 "'Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost,  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?  Listen, listen to me,  and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

The Lord pours out numerous blessings on us, but we have to have the sense to stop and partake of His gifts and then all things will be made wonderful.

10-12-06

Proverbs 23:18   "There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off."

Some days are harder than others.  Some months are harder.  We can loose ourselves in the midst of a struggle and forget to lift up our heads and see the hope that the Lord has promised.  When we do, though, the blessings and the joy are enormous.  Even the struggle looks better.  There is hope and it comes from the Lord.

10-11-06

Isaiah 61:1-3    "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty  instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. The will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

10-9-06

Jeremiah 29:13-14a  "'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and I will bring you back from captivity.'"

    I like this verse.  The verse that is usually cited is verse 11 because it talks about the plans the Lord has for us.  Yet, this verse is also critical.  Having been in the wilderness of loneliness, sometimes the hardest thing to believe is that we will actually find someone when we seek them out.  The Lord, though, gives us a guarantee.  We WILL find him when we seek with all our  heart.  This is a guarantee we have about no one else in our lives.  Our spouses do their best, but they are human.  God will be found by us. 

Yet, this verse also serves as a reminder that I actually do have to seek Him -- with all my heart.  God does pursue us, but because He has given us free will, the decision to seek Him is left to us.  It is a decision.  A conscious thought each day to seek Him and pursue Him.   It is not easy always, and we have to make the decision over and over again.  Yet, we have the promise that He will make sure that we do indeed find Him, and in His presence we will find blessings.

10-2-06

Jeremiah 2:7-9 "I brought you into a fertile lands to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.  The priests did not ask, 'Where is the Lord?' Those who deal with the law did not know me;  the leaders rebelled against me.  The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.  'Therefore I bring charges against you again,' declares the Lord.  ' And I will bring charges against your children's children.' "

9-29-06

Jeremiah 2:4-6 "Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel.  This is what the Lord says 'What fault did your fathers find in me that they strayed so far from me?  They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.   They did not ask, 'Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?'  I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce.  But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable."

9-20-06

Jeremiah 2:1-3 "The word of the Lord came to me: 'Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: 'I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown.  Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them.' declares the Lord."

    God always makes the first move. He created us and knows our weakness.  He always comes first to us rather than waiting for us to come to Him.   Here he went to Israel.  he reminded them of their first love and how He cared for them.  As Christians part of the lesson is that we don't need to wait on people to come to us.  We are to reach out as God did.  We care because Christ cared, and we are to care how He does -- first with hope of response but no guarantees.

9-19-06

Jeremiah 1:17-19 "'Get yourself ready!  Stand up and say to them whatever I command you.  Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.  Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land -- against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.  They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord."

    Jeremiah grows more fascinating to me the more I read.   He is singled out at birth -- before birth actually -- to bring the Lord's word to Judah.  Jeremiah, like us, felt overwhelmed by this task and unworthy of it.  Yet the Lord said -- stand up and get ready.   No excuses.  I am with you -- so get on with it.  Our culture teaches us to make excuses, and so does human nature.  God says "don't be terrified" because He is there to rescue us.   Yet, the Lord followed up with a warning that rejecting the comfort of His presence carries with it a penalty.  If we do not take refuge in the Lord, then our enemies will get to see us terrified.  Something none of use want to happen.   The lesson here -- I'm working on it, but I think it has to do with accepting the Lord's calling and having confidence in that calling.

9-18-06

Jeremiah 1:9-12  "Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, 'Now, I have put my words  in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."  The word of the Lord came to me: 'What do you see, Jeremiah?'  ' I see the branch of an almond tree,' I replied.  The Lord said to me, 'You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.'"

9-15-06

Jeremiah 1:6-8 "'Ah, Sovereign, Lord,' I said, 'I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.'  But the Lord said to me, ' Do not say 'I am only a child.'  You must  go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord."

    How does Jeremiah respond to the Lord's calling?  With fear and excuses.  Just like we do. Just as Moses did.  And God says -- don't be afraid.  We simply need to obey. The words are not ours and we need not be afraid.  We just must resolve to stay with what the Lord has called us to do.  Whether it is to overcome sin in our lives or to become a missionary.   He will walk with us and rescue us, when we need it. 

9-14-06

Jeremiah 1:4-5:  "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.'"

    These verses represent my effort to become more familiar with one book of Scripture with which I am less familiar.   Jeremiah is known to the Lord at the beginning.  How much  of a comfort this is.  The Lord has a plan for us from the beginning.  Later on in Jeremiah, God  tells us that  he has plans for us, and his plan for Jeremiah was quite extensive.  A calling was his from the beginning.

    I am blessed that way too -- at least to a degree.  The Lord did not tell me directly, of course.  According to my mom. I decided to become a teacher at about age 3.  I have a calling to do what I do.  When I become discouraged, that is what I need to remember.

9-13-06

I Corinthians 15:3-5  "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised again on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve."

This is of first importance. Christ's sacrifice, resurrection & appearing.  So many thoughts here. It is hard to choose one upon which to focus.    Paul says this is of first importance -- how easily we can forget that. Our lives become so full of activities, work, home, family, and most of these are even good things, but we tend to forget what is of  FIRST IMPORTANCE.   That is why God instituted the Lord's supper every week -- we are forgetful and we need to remember.  

    It is also important to notice that Paul does not end  with simply remembering the Cross.  We must remember the Cross -- make no mistake, but it is also important to remember that the story does not end there.  If it did, we would all be fools in the worst sense.  The burial and resurrection are just as critical.  The sacrifice only works if Jesus triumphed over sin and death -- which he did.  We must remember the entirety of the story.  Our lives begin at the Cross, but they do not end there. 

    It also struck me this morning that Paul includes the appearance of Jesus to the apostles as of first importance as well.  Jesus did not finish the sacrifice and then simply leave us here.  He returned to make sure we understood and returns to us constantly in the form of the Word and the Spirit.  We are not alone -- another critical part of the story.

9-11-06

II Chronicles 20:17   "'You will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.'"

    This verse is amazing on so many levels.  First, there is the Lord's deliverance of Israel as part of the working out of His plan.  He would not let it fail -- his plan, just as the verse in Acts 5:34 indicates -- he would not let it fail.  

    Then there is the message to us.  It is not that we do not have to fight this battle -- or any battle -- alone.  As humans, that would often be enough for us.  In fact, that is how we comfort one another.  "I will be with you."  "You do not have to go through this alone."  But the Lord always goes beyond our meager earthly expectations.  He says that it is not only that we are not alone, but that we do not have to fight this battle.  He will fight it for us.  Wow.  God is going to fight the battle.  Well, we are so not loosing.  

    The Lord does ask something of us, but it is not that the we fight.  We simply have to trust him enough to take up our positions and face the enemy.  He will fight, but he wants us there as witnesses to His glory and as His representatives. 

    If we would only remember this, we want are tempted to avoid a difficult situation.  We do not have to fight the battle.  The Lord will do it.  He will give us his strength, or the right words of comfort or confrontation.  It is his battle and His glory -- we just have to stand there as witnesses.

9-6-06

Acts 5: 38-39  "'Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone!  Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.'" 

    This is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. Yet, when I sat down to try and comment on the verse it was a little bit difficult.  Perhaps this is because I have loved this passage for so long.   There is so much truth here & so much comfort.  Worry about the world consumes  so much of our time and energy.  This passage however tells us not to worry -- if the purpose is not from God -- it will fail.   It may not fail today, or tomorrow or next year, but it will fail.  God is in control.  We are in the Lord's camp and on His side, and we need not worry about the purposes of evil men.  We should fight them but we do not need to worry.  I also see this as confirmation of truth. Fishermen, tax collectors -- could these men change the world?  Not from the world's perspective, but God used them and therefore they did not fail.  He would not let them.

9-4-06

Matthew 14:27 -- "But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'"

The Lord is here -- take courage today.

9-1-06

Psalm 103:11-14 "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;  as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."

8-31-06

Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus said  to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'"

Often when we hear this verse, we focus on taking up our crosses, and making sacrifices for the Lord.  Lately, though, I wonder more about the first part and how it connects with verse 23.  In Verse 23, Jesus rebukes both Peter and Satan --"Get behind me, Satan!"   The denying of oneself is a difficult concept in today's world. It is certainly one with which I struggle.  I am more likely to tell myself I deserve a treat -- "a break today" as McDonald's used to say -- rather than denying myself and doing as a should. I feel guilty after indulging, but unfortunately that does not mean that I have any more self-control the next time.  Coming after Jesus needs we must not only have our minds on the things of the Lord, but practice self-control in all aspects of our lives.   Not that I have already attained this, as Paul said, but that I keep striving toward it.

8-30-06

John 1:14  "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Sometimes it easy to forget how utterly amazing this is.  God was the first missionary, sending out his son.  Even more so, he changed his form and took on our pains and sufferings to better know us and to save us.  I am teaching on Asia right now, and this concept is utterly foreign to Chinese culture.  The gods were separate from man and certainly even if a god became flesh, he would not become an ordinary peasant man.  On that the Greeks and the Hindus would agree. Yet God is not bound by our limitations.  He does the unexpected. He transforms himself into his creation in order to rescue that creation. An act beyond our imagination.  We are told that He can do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.  Our imaginations are limited to the possibilities that are God's nature, which is why he came to us, instead of having us struggle alone to come to Him.

8-28-06

Psalm 40:2-3 "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."

 8-25-06

Isaiah 55:8-9 "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'"

I have been wrestling with the meanings of things lately -- both personally and as an historian.  This is always a precarious business. The Lord tells us flat out here in Isaiah that we will not understand everything about the "why" of events in our own lives.  We simply do not have the ability to see the full picture from our limited perspective. 

8-24-06

Isaiah 43:1-3a  "But now this is what the Lord says --  he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you;  I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;  the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;"

    I came across this verse this morning as I was hunting.   I really like this.  Notice what the Lord says here.  I know you -- I created you, I formed you.  He offers us comfort and assurance by reminding us that he knows us inside and out.  We are his and we are redeemed and protected.  But then he goes on.  Verse two tells us we will have trouble.  Not if we go through the fire, but when, because we will all go through it.  Yet, we will survive it and be whole, because the Lord is our savior and will walk with us through it all.  Neither water nor flame nor trouble will consume us. 

8-23-06

Titus 2:7-8  "In everything set them an example by doing what is good.  In you teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

This verse is critical for me as a teacher and I try to pass it on to all of my students who are going into teaching.  It also shows us the universality of  Scriptural  principles.  What school does not look for these qualities in its teachers?  What community does not demand them?  It is a serious business to affect the hearts and minds of people -- whatever their age.  There is no higher calling than to show people the way to the Lord through our teaching. 

8-22-06

Psalm 55:16;19;22: "But I call to God and the Lord saves me."   "God, who is enthroned forever, will hear them and afflict them -- men who never change their ways and have no fear of God."  :Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

The Psalms are always interesting.  We often do not know quite what to do with the calls of the Psalmists to smite the enemies and the promise of the Lord's retribution.   Yet, the reality is that all of us have foes in our lives.  People and situations we have difficulty overcoming. We read the news and see behaviors that are ungodly.  What should our response be?  Some choose to be Chicken Little and see the world disintegrating around us.  I think this is where verses such as Ps. 55:19 speak to us.  We need to give these people and their fate to the Lord.  Yes, we work to change the world by showing them Christ, but we are not to worry about the evildoers.  That is the Lord's job.  We need to trust not only the Lord's mercy but also His judgment. Be as the Psalmist was and give those cares to the Lord. "Cast your care on Him".

8-21-06

Luke 18:27 "Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Jesus says this after talking about how difficult it is for the rich to be saved, and then his disciples ask "Who then can be saved?"   The reality is that salvation and indeed every aspect of our lives are impossible without God.  Whenever a new semester begins, there is great possibility and great promise, but that promise can only be fulfilled with the Lord's help.  His assistance to me as a teacher begins early in the morning and continues every throughout the day -- as long as I stay focused on Him.  With God all things are possible -- even making through the first day of classes with one's sanity intact.

8-16-06

John 5:30   "'By myself, I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.' "

Jesus is speaking here to his disciples.  By himself, he could do nothing.  Wow. Why is it then that I think I can conquer sin and the world all on my own?  It is not my strength, but that of the Lord. Without God's strength, I can do nothing, just as Christ himself said.  Our judgments and our actions should be always in search of pleasing God.  If not, we will judge incorrectly and we will fail.  But always -- we need to remember that it is not by ourselves that we do this.  We do it through God's strength and power.
 

8-15-06

Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."

 What a perfect prayer every morning.  I have a friend who has a little sign asking the Lord to "keep his arm around my shoulders hand firmly over my mouth."   It is the same basic problem. How many times does our tongue get us into trouble?  I say things when I am tired or angry or frustrated that I simply should not say.  Remembering James 3:6 that "the tongue is also a fire" is difficult in the midst of things.  I do much better if I pray ahead of time for the Lord to control my tongue than by waiting until the confrontation comes because at that moment sometimes I am too angry to pray. Praying ahead of time helps me from getting too angry and saying things I will regret later.

8-10-06

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men."   I have a salt shaker on my desk, given out in a class on the Sermon on the Mount.  It reminds me to be "salty".   In our world, "salty" can mean many things -- including speech that is sarcastic, or  contains frequent obscenities or colorful expressions.    Certainly, that is not we are to be.  We also have condemned salt through our dieting fads, and we tend to forget that salt is necessary for Life. When the Lord says we are to be salt, He has told us that we are to make things better and necessary for life.  It is that simple. Our presence as the Lord's children should be a blessing to those around us, not a discomfort.  We will have days when do not succeed, but our goal should always be to be a blessing to those around us. 

6-13-06  :  Isaiah 54: 1-5

"'Sing , O barren woman, you who never bore a child;  burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,' says the Lord. Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.  For you will spread out to the right and to the left;  your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.  Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame; Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.  You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more your widowhood.  For your Maker is your husband -- the Lord Almighty  is his name -- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth."

    I have been struggling recently with the fact of trying and not succeeding -- yet to have children.  I know many women who have been in this situation.  For many the story of Hannah provides great comfort.  She after all survives those terrible years of grief and has many children, including, of course, Samuel.  But --- what if that does not happen?  This verse is for those who have not had children -- either "yet" or ever.  

    The Lord, unlike the culture of the ancient world and of today, says  we are to sing -- to shout for joy.  Whoa. Not something many women in that situation think of doing, but the Lord calls us to do the unexpected.  He also gives us the promise of blessings as well. "More are the children"  -- we will have the opportunity to rejoice with others and to participate in their joy and to nurture many along the way.  I have had to learn this with being a teacher.  So much of being a teacher involves the encouragement and "mentoring" (to use a current buzz word) often associated with being a mother.  Open wide your gates -- the Lord will fill them, if only we allow him to do so.

    The Lord promises in the New Testament that if we leave family we will blessed with more.  I was single for a long time and the emotions of being single and dealing with a lack of children are similar.   Our human wisdom seeks out  what is wrong  with us to solve what we see as a problem.  We ask:  "what is wrong with me?"  "Why does no one think I'm attractive?"  "Why would I not be a good parent?"  "Why me, Lord?"   The last question is probably the biggest issue -- we focus on ourselves and God does not.  He knows that He has good things planned for us (Jer. 29:11; Rom. 8:28)   Sometimes what we desire most gets in the way of our desiring of God.  We need  to rejoice in God and his presence regardless.  Our joy is not to be rooted even in things as wonderful as a loving spouse or children.  It is also not just be rooted in ourselves -- but rather in the Lord.   The Lord will grant us blessings beyond our imagination, but we have to be willing to see not merely what we want (and don't always get) but what He would have us want and have us do.  There will still be rough days -- but truly  to "trust and obey" is the only path. 

4-24-06

Luke 10:19-20 "I have given you authority  to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy;  nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

    Jesus' comments here are really interesting, and even more so in light of our culture's recent renewed obsession with the occult.  There are Christians who debate the issue of "charismatic gifts", but the point of the scripture here is that the power to overcome earthly troubles (snakes & scorpions) or even the power of evil is not to be our focus.   We are not to be afraid  because nothing in this world or in the next can harm us as God's children. That our names are in heaven is the reason to rejoice not the gifts of the Spirit or what they can do. 

    We have this trouble in so many ways. We get caught up in using our gifts for the Lord -- or simply doing things -- and we forget that the programs and activities are not the reason for our joy anymore than the ability to conquer Satan is.  It is good that we can, but our joy and our focus is not to be those things. When we focus there, we get caught up in the wrong issues and our joy can quickly dissipate.  We also can become caught in our own egos and even become afraid -- the very thing we are not to do.   Our joy is to be in Him and His word. 

    I also found this striking because of so many television programs and movies that have focused on the occult.  The hero/ heroine is always conquering evil with certain powers. The battles against demons and darkness are there and the symbols of Christianity are even used as part of the combat.  Very few, however, ever consider the consequence of using such symbols -- that if they have power it is because they represent truth.   Jesus' words here in Luke also remind us such powers are really not the point nor are powers of evil.  Rather, the issue is God's truth.  If we focus on the powers, we will become consumed by a seemingly never-ending battle.  Why?  Because the battle is not and cannot be won by us alone.  The battle is the Lord's and He has already defeated the Evil One.  The point is whether our names are in heaven not whether or not we can trample scorpions.

4-12-06

Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."     Oh, how hard this is.  We do indeed have so many things we feel we MUST accomplish.  Giving matters over to the Lord is difficult.  It is also even more difficult to accept when our plans fail.  His plans and purposes do not fail. Ours do.   The Lord can turn our poor choices to his glory.  letting him rule when we want to quit or our plans go awry is some of the hardest things we have to do.  Yet, when we do, the peace of the Lord is indeed ours.  

March

3-27-06

John 4: 25-26   "The woman said, 'I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.'  Then Jesus declared, 'I who speak to you am he.'"

 Jesus first tells that he is Messiah to an outcast woman of an outcast people.   She believes that the deliverer is coming and Jesus comes to her.   She believes and it comes. Can you and I say the same?  Such simple faith -- which is so hard for us.  To believe that Jesus is who he says and that he has all the answers.  Even when we come to faith, sometimes the hard part is remembering to turn to the Lord first for answers and not elsewhere.  We want to be in charge.   Yet, if we believe Jesus is Messiah, then we should start always by looking to him for answers and not ourselves and to the world.

3-22-06

Nehemiah 6:8-9  "I sent him this reply: 'Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head. They were trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.' But  I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands.' "

    This is really my theme verse at the moment.  We live in a "post-modern" world where many people do not believe in absolute truth.  As part of this, there are often reports that have little basis in fact.  As Christians, we cannot afford to be taken in by "hollow and deceptive philosophy".  We must know the truth of the Gospel.   

    We also need to be sure that we know the reality of the world in which we live.  My dad is a chemist by training.   He also gets frustrated and aggravated with  what my husband calls "junk science".   Those who rush to the conclusion without supporting data.  Many Christians are troubled by various reports on the news, or the latest e-mail circulation.  Many of these only possess a small grain of truth, if that.  Be careful of what you take to be truth.  Be certain of the facts first.   We have to be grounded in reality and know where to go to find the facts.  

3-6-06

Mark. 2:27 "Then he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'" 

    God intends his commands for our good, not our harm and not to be a burden unto us.  He gave the Israelites the Sabbath because they needed rest.  We still do.  Resting in the Lord's presence is essential for our survival -- spiritually, emotionally, and physically.   Of course, doing this is easier  said than done.  If you are like me, you have far too many things to do and insufficient time for them all.  No amount of organization ever seems to help.  With the Lord's hand  though, the important will get done.  But we still need to find time to rest in HIS presence.

February

2-22-06       

Psalm 40:1-4    "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.   He lifted me out of the  slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth,  a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.  Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods."

    I have certainly felt as if I were in the mud and mire.  This scripture reminds us we need to be rescued not from enemies but from our daily lives.  The grime of everyday living that almost drowns us.  We cannot see the way ahead and we become discouraged -- or maybe we can see it and that depresses and discourages us even more.  

    But the Lord is near.  He will hear our cry and give us a firm place to stand.  We may still have the struggle, but the Lord will wipe us clean, keep us dry  and give us the ability to enjoy life (that's the song part).  We just have to remember to look to the Lord  and not around at the world.

2-13-06  

Deut. 1:12-13 "But how can I bear your problems and your burdens and your disputes all by myself?  Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you."  

1:16-17  "And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien.  Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike.  Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God.  Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it."

I like this section of Deuteronomy.  Actually, I have discovered a wealth of wisdom in Deuteronomy.  The first part is good for all of us who, like me, try to do everything ourselves.  We want to bear every burden and hear every problem.  The Lord did not intend for us to do this.  Moses divides up the burden -- because no one person can bear it all. That is God's job, not ours.

This verse is particularly relevant in an election year. We are to choose our leaders carefully.  As humans we cannot foresee every issue our leaders will face.  Consequently, we need to make sure those we support have wisdom and understanding and respect.  These are qualities that are important no matter the level of leadership. 

I also like the second set of verses because it admonishes not only judges to be impartial and to make righteous decisions with boldness, but the same also applies to us as Christians.  Hear both sides impartially -- whether one is Christian or not and then make the decision based on wisdom and truth.  Judgment is God's, and we are not to be afraid of men or what they might say or do in response.

2-3-06

Psalm 24:1-2   "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,  the world , and all who live in it;  for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters."

This is a piece of the good news that we often forget.  We have a barrage of bad news surrounding us constantly, but the world in which we live does not belong to the evil one.  It belongs to the Lord, Our God.  Satan may work in it, but he has lost the battle already.   I love the song "This is My Father's World" because it embodies this thought.  My favorite line  is " This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet."  We need to remember this. I found the words to the song/ poem -- which has more verses than we often sing -- and all of them echo this theme.  We live in God's world.  No matter how often we feel as if we are aliens and strangers here (as we should), God is still in control.  It is his world.  And we are His.  There is a thought which can put a lump in your throat.  We are His and so is this world.  The world may deny him, but like the child who cannot change his parentage by being angry, the world cannot change who the Creator is by denial.   Be ye glad.  The Lord reigns.

Cyberhymnal & This is My Father's World

January

1-26-06

 Philippians 1:14-16:    "Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life -- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing."  

 How hard this is to do. Yet, notice how this connects with the verse below.   If we focus on God and learn to be without complaining and arguing we are a credit to Him and to the Truth of the Gospel.  When we try to win with the weapons of the world, we are no longer different, and we will not be those stars in the universe.

1-20-06

The passage that is echoing in my head at the moment is II Corinthians 10:3-5. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments  and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we  take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 

 [Hit Counter]