Worship for the Weekday
Holy and Beloved
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Colossians 1:9-109. For this reason also, since the day we heard [of it], we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10. so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians 3:12-1312. And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13. bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Have you ever taken a job or agreed to lead a committee or organize a function only to realize you were in way over your head? Paul apparently never felt that way when he was bringing others to Christ! In his letter to the Colossians, he takes great care spelling out what kind of lives believers should be living. He doesn’t claim to live like this absolutely, but he certainly tried harder than most at that time or since. He was so grateful for his conversion, he dedicated literally every moment of his life and every ounce of energy working to encourage others to accept God’s amazing grace, manifested in Jesus.
Paul prays for the Colossians to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit n every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” This is what God expects of us as well. That’s a pretty tall order in my book! Paul is painstakingly clear on what qualities one acquires and demonstrates when one is living a life worthy of the Lord. To my mind, rather than get better, the detailed explanation of those qualities make it even harder!
I don’t have a problem ticking off each of the qualities listed in the second scripture passage. I do try to be compassionate, kind, humble gentle and patient. Of course, once I leave the house in the morning I often have trouble remembering this list! In all honesty, once I get out bed, I forget it all too often! But notice Paul uses a particular tense; he doesn’t want us to be compassionate, he wants us to be compassion. He doesn’t tell us that we are to be kind and humble, but rather we will be kindness and humility. When people look at us and how we live our lives, Paul prays they will see these qualities manifested in us.
Being a Christian is hard. God expects us to exude forgiveness, patience, gentleness, humility, kindness and compassion, just as Christ surely did. Exude means to project or display conspicuously or abundantly; radiate. Do you radiate these qualities? Have you abundantly manifested these characteristics in your life? Is your heart so full of gratitude and reverence that the world can easily identify you as “different”?
But there’s more! Not only are we to possess these qualities and to live them out each and every day, we are also required to bear fruit and increase in the knowledge of God! Now that’s really pushing the envelope, don’t you think? I guess if we spent all of our time and energy and resources toward accomplishing this kind of life and lifestyle, we wouldn’t have time for anything else! Well . . . God is a jealous God. He doesn’t want anything else in our lives! He wants us to work to bring about His kingdom on earth. And even tells us how. We just need to figure out how to be a little less human and a little more divine. No small feat.
This truth is why it’s so important to belong to a small group or a community of believers. We all need support, encouragement, direction and correction. Who better to walk with us than another believer striving to bear fruit and increase in the knowledge of God? Who are your friends? Who do you socialize with? Who do you work with? That’s where we start to do God’s work, both by influence and direct action. We attempt to live a worthy life so that others will see how they can gain access to the kingdom. By exhibiting all the qualities we’ve discussed, we leave the door open from someone to ask us, what is the source of our strength and joy? How do we do it? How can we in light of everything bad in the world?
Our answer? We are each chosen by God, holy and beloved, made in his image. He loves us so much he sent Jesus to die on the Cross. That’s we need to say. That opens the door. The Holy Spirit will determine whether or not your questioner enters.
My prayer today is that you remember you are holy and beloved. And that you are conspicuously kind, gentle, humble, patient and compassionate with yourself and everyone you meet.
Mary
Labels: Christ, compassion, gentleness, God, Holy Spirit, humility, Jesus, kindness, patience
You are Chosen and Precious
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Psalm 139:1-10, 13-18, 23-24
1. O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me! 2. Thou knowest when I sit down and when I rise up; thou discernest my thoughts from afar. 3. Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4. Even before a word is on my tongue, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5. Thou dost beset me behind and before, and layest thy hand upon me. 6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8. If I ascend to heaven, thou art there! If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there! 9. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10. even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.13. For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb. 14. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; 15. my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. 16. Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17. How precious to me are thy thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18. If I would count them, they are more than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee. 23. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Should one ever doubt the deeply personal, intimately familiar relationship God has with us, just read Psalm 139 and doubt will be diminished. If you read this psalm in a certain mindset, you could almost picture God as our shadow! That’s how involved he is in every aspect of our lives.
God knows everything, every hangnail, every wrinkle and remnant of a childhood injury, our scars, bumps, bruises and ingrown toenails! He sees our dreams when we sleep and he walks every step with us throughout our days. He hears every word we utter and knows our every thought before it’s even formed. The psalmist here isn’t telling God what he [God] knows, but rather is acknowledging the vast dimensions of God’s relationship with us and acknowledging that it is incomprehensible.
He [and we] is unable to grasp God’s magnitude. Significance. That’s what comes to mind when I read these verses. Because of God we have significance. The God who has the power to breathe life, the God who commands molecules of dust to form a planet, the God who calls forth the elements, the God who reigns eternal and almighty loves us passionately, completely and with no if’s, and’s or buts.
Look in the mirror the next time you feel small and insignificant. Think about these verses and be reminded how precious you are. Remember the importance God assigned to you before the universe existed. Then fast forward from creation to the Cross. Jesus hung there on your behalf, and for me. He hung there for all mankind, past, present and future. And he hung there for you. For you. For me. He hung there because God does know the wickedness within us and he didn’t want us to miss out on spending eternity in heaven with him.
Jesus died for you. He had a choice, but he chose you and your salvation by submitting to the torture and agony of death on the cross. You are chosen. You are valuable. You are precious. You are part of God.
My prayer today is that you will find tremendous comfort in the significance God has assigned to you and your existence. And that you will live today so as to thank him for the inexpressible gift of his grace.
Mary
Coming in Clouds With Great Power
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Mark 8:4-12, 17-19, 22-30
4. "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign when these things are all to be accomplished?" 5. And Jesus began to say to them, "Take heed that no one leads you astray. 6. Many will come in my name, saying, `I am he!' and they will lead many astray. 7. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet. 8. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs. 9. "But take heed to yourselves; for they will deliver you up to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them. 10. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12. And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 17. And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! 18. Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19. For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be. 22. False Christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23. But take heed; I have told you all things beforehand. 24. "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25. and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26. And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27. And then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 28. "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take place.
I know this is long. I just find this text almost poetic. Don’t these words paint a picture for you? There is a song I’ve really come to like that has a chorus based on these verses – the chorus is about Christ coming, riding on the clouds. Verse 30 has puzzled me in the past, because it would seem that Jesus is referring to the current generation which was alive during the time he is speaking. My bible notes indicate this reference is to the “current” faithlessness of the people. That’s a rather different perspective, I think. In that context, we’re still part of the current generation.
These verses have also been misused and misunderstood for a long time. When you read these verses and then think about what is going on in the world, it would be a logical next step to believe that the end is imminent! Wars, famines, families turning against each other – children being kidnapped and trained to kill, even their own families if ordered to. In Africa, rebels attack villages and mutilate pregnant women, rape and murder young girls. Our rainforests have been razed; our world is being stripped of its beauty and natural resources in the name of progress.
The evening news sounds very much like Chapter 8 of Mark, doesn’t it? We even have many false prophets, not just in our country, but all over the world. They are convincing citizens (or attempting to) that violence is justified; murder is alright in the context of war, hatred is necessary to motivate those who commit acts of violence. I could apply all of these prophecies to our current U.S. government, but I won’t. I’ll let you draw your own parallels!
So . . . is the end of the world about to happen? Will today be the day? How about tomorrow? I certainly have no idea! If it is near, Christ instructs us in verse 10,
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whether the end is today or in a thousand years, we must be ready. Our work as Christians is to preach the Good News to those who have not heard it, to those who have forgotten it, to those who have rejected it. We don’t have the luxury of keeping the Word to ourselves and saving only our own souls. Part of our commission is to save as many others as possible.
Rick Warren, author of
The Purpose Driven Life, shares a story in his book about when his father was on his deathbed. Toward the end he wasn’t coherent, but kept muttering, “. . . one more soul for Jesus. . .” over and over. Even on his deathbed, Warren’s dad was living out his identity as a Christian! That is what God expects of
us, too. We are to live every moment of our lives as if it was the last moment of our lives. We are to make our last act on this earth one that will bring one more soul to Jesus.
Don’t spend any time shaking your head and clucking your tongue, muttering that surely we are in the end times! Rather, follow Christ’s instruction:
the gospel must first be preached to all nations, even unto your deathbed.
My prayer today is that you do everything you can to hasten the end of days. And that you look up! Maybe you’ll see Christ coming in clouds with great power.
Mary
Labels: Christ, commission, death, false prophets, violence, war
Seek Poverty
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Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
1 Samuel 17:39
David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.
David was preparing to fight Goliath – a “giant” – the representative of a tribe of giants. Of course Saul’s natural instinct was to arm David with his (Saul’s) armor. Saul’s armor would have been extraordinary I’m sure and designed to protect Saul’s life against all forms of attack. David had faith in himself and his own natural abilities, though. He felt weighed down and knew he would be encumbered by the unfamiliar armor.
No, David needed to be unencumbered by man’s tools, weapons, armor and ideas. He needed to trust in God—the God who had given him the expert ability to use that slingshot—and the God he somehow knew had hand-picked him for this task. David didn’t need worldly protection! He had divine protection.
The world is very busy telling us what we need and what we should have. If you watch any television at all you know that there is a pill for whatever ails you. Retail therapy cures all ills and acquiring more and bigger and better things will make your life more enjoyable. Those messages are hard to ignore. Americans live in a bubble, surrounded by those who want us to don man’s armor.
Too often, we heed the advice of the drug companies, the car companies, the furniture stores, the “once-in-a-lifetime, going-out-of-business” sales. We buy a new car, start looking for a bigger, more expensive house, eat fast food-but now it’s healthier-and never seek God and His understanding, His will for us, His desires for our lives.
My husband and I were talking last night about a revelation he had recently. His comment really struck me at the time because of its profundity and it has stuck in my mind since. He said we should seek poverty. Seek poverty. Now isn’t that counter to what “the world” tells us? In truth vast numbers of people living in the world today live in poverty. They live in abject poverty, squalor. They are on the verge of starvation. They literally live in poverty.
But I think my husband was speaking to something a little different. We have learned so well to rely upon God and his understanding in the past year. We have had no choice. Since he lost his job over a year ago, my husband has worked steadily, but in many different part time and temporary jobs in search of the one that was a good fit. Without the regular full time income and benefits, we’ve been forced to evaluate our lives and what is essential to us.
What we have discovered is that in spite of our lack of substantial income, we have thrived spiritually. Our relationship has grown deeper, stronger more spiritual. Both of us now strive to discover what lessons God wants us to learn and how he wants us to apply them to our lives and to our ministry as believers.
I don’t know what the future holds for us. I do know that God has it all under control and has already lain out the path he wants us to follow-individually and as a couple. Sometimes I am impatient. Sometimes I try to don the world’s armor. But it is very heavy and awkward compared to the easy, light burden and yoke of faith.
My prayer today is that you seek poverty. And that you rejoice in the abundance of God’s gift to you—His grace.
Mary
Labels: abundance, faith, grace, poverty
The Voice of the Lord
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Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
I was pretty sure I had recently included verse 8 in one of my devotions. In fact, “Here am I” was the title of one of them. I have shared since I’ve resumed my morning posts that I have been waiting and wondering what God has in store for me. I’m rather pleased with myself that I haven’t immediately filled up my calendar with activities to fill the time. I have tried to be intentional, pray and wait for God to reveal and affirm His desire for me and for my life.
That is very out of character for me! I have been impatient and even impetuous in the past. I’ve been investigating various organizations and considering numerous opportunities to serve, but I am waiting . . . and praying . . . and giving the decisions to God. In the past I have incorrectly interpreted verse 8 to mean that I had to be the one who did it all! Save the world single-handedly! I believed I could because I was on the side of God.
What so often happens though when we fill our lives and spend our time on so many activities is that we don’t do a “check-in” to be sure we’re in line with God’s desire and plan. When I pause to allow God to affirm me and what I’m doing, I allow Him to be in charge. Over the past year or so I have stepped back from leadership positions in church and in my community. I felt I needed a break to rest in God and to evaluate where I was in my faith and in my faith journey. It has been very instructive. The earth has actually continued to spin on it’s axis without my micromanagement!
I received a call a couple of weeks ago from a woman who asked me to participate in an activity that I had been interested in for a long time. Since my calendar wasn’t full of “very important” activities, I was able to join a group of people on Saturday to protest gun sales without background checks. Now don’t stop reading! It’s not about gun ownership—it’s about sensible gun laws. Anyway, that’s not the point! The point is I was available. Then on Sunday I composed a poem about gun violence—it came unbidden throughout the day. It came from that creative, compassionate center of my soul that I do not control, but rather obey.
That’s how I know I’m in line with God’s will for me – He takes over and uses my gifts and my abilities to advance His Word, to do His bidding, to add my voice to the noise, to the grinding din that can overpower the still small voice within. Yes, God wants us to step up and be the one who goes for Him. First, though, He wants us to know what we are to do, and how, and when and where!
My prayer today is that you find a quiet place to spend time listening for the voice of the Lord. And that you declare, “Here am I,” when you discover what you are to do, and where, and how, and when.
Mary
Labels: activities, faith, faith journey, God's will, prayer
Come Thirsty
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John 4:25-30-39-42
25. The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." 26. Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." 27. Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" 28. So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, 29. "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" 30. They went out of the city and were coming to him. 39. Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." 40. So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41. And many more believed because of his word. 42. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."
Immediately preceding these verses is the story of the Woman at the Well. She is one of the New Testament figures to whom I most relate. Not that I have had “many husbands” as we learn she has. I relate to her because of her thirst. She represents, for me, that part of each of us that longs for something more than what this world can offer us. She needed hope. She needed to be looked upon as a person of value. She needed Christ! She is each of us.
The story tells us that it was noon or mid-afternoon when the woman went to the well in the center of town for water. Most often women or older children went to the well early in the morning before it was too hot, and in order to have water for cooking and cleaning for the day. This woman was either shunned by the other women or was ashamed and wanted to avoid the sneers and sarcastic asides of the other women and so avoided them.
Of course we know that it was no coincidence that Jesus chose to rest at that particular well. It wasn’t uncommon for the disciples to play a “caretaking” role on Christ’s behalf. They wanted to serve him and do whatever they could to protect and sustain him, so they went to town to buy food while he rested at that well. The woman was so overcome with excitement and astonishment, she forgot why she had even come to that well – or no longer cared. Though she was an outcast, she spoke to everyone she met. She didn’t care what the others said or thought—she couldn’t keep this to herself! It had to be shared!
The surprising thing is that the others believed her. Even though she was a woman; even though she was an outcast; even though she had no right to look them in the eye, they believed her! I imagine they thought she must be speaking the truth since she was defying all convention and disregarding her low status to address them. I’m sure they noticed the change in her face and in her eyes, as well. The sullen, gray complexion and dull, dark eyes were surely to a smooth, warm skin tone and dancing, sparkling eyes! She must have truly met the Messiah! Nothing else could explain the profound transformation.
What about us? We’ve drunk deeply from that well. Do we glow? Do our eyes dance and sparkle when we share the Good News? Are we truly new creatures in Christ? All too often we keep silent so as not to offend or annoy others. Political correctness seems to be the order of the day in the U.S. Be careful not to hurt anyone’s feelings by sharing your religious beliefs. We don’t want to take the chance that someone will think we’re a “Jesus freak” or wacky, or out of touch with “reality.” The message Christ delivered is for everyone. If we truly live a Christ-like life, we couldn’t possibly offend anyone. Nothing we say about Jesus and His message is counter to acceptance, peace, cooperation, understanding or compassion. Jesus stands for hope! Jesus is the incarnation of God’s grace.
I believe that any God big enough to send his son/himself to earth to deliver a message so profound and so radical is big enough to love and accept all faiths based on the principles Christ represents. Some faith systems are much older than Christianity. I think Christ is for those of us who need him. Don’t forget, Christ is God! I don’t think it can be wrong for those of other faiths to worship God based on their history, ethnicity and heritage. We all have the same goal: heaven. Call me a heretic, but I think God can be manifested in many different ways. We all hunger and thirst for Him. I have found Him in the person of Christ. That well is never empty. No matter how thirsty I am, my thirst is quenched each time I read His word and live out His teachings to the best of my ability.
My prayer today is that you come thirsty to the well of living water. And that you offer a cool drink to everyone you meet.
Mary
Labels: belief, Christ, faith, God, Messiah woman
Here Am I!
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2 Timothy 3:1-5
1. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. 2. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3. inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, 4. treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5. holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.
1 Chronicles 16:35
Say also: "Deliver us, O God of our salvation, and gather and save us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
Year after year I think to myself that surely things can’t get much worse in the world. Year after year I’m proven wrong! I never cease to be amazed at human capacity to destroy and defile not just each other, but everything in our wake. The anger and arrogance, recklessness and blatant lack of awareness of who we are and whose we are is stunning. And year after year we manage to escalate our mindless, soulless disregard for each other and our world to a new level.
Isn’t that the first response to the evening news? Threats of yet another war somewhere in a land far away, the latest escapades of a spoiled and misguided movie star, drought, famine, starvation, earthquakes, bridge collapses, HIV/AIDS, ethnic cleansing, global warming and on and on and on. Do you ever find yourself thinking these must be the last days? Where are the lovers of God? Where are the peacemakers and the healers? What happened to our life?
Well, I have a feeling we haven’t hit rock bottom yet! Sadly, we’re not even close to bottom! So what is our alternative to being victimized and sucked in to the ways of the world? How do we live a life worthy of God’s grace when all around us there is a glaring lack of evidence that it even exists? I think the verse from Chronicles would be a good place to start. Call out to God for our deliverance; our personal deliverance, and the deliverance of God’s world.
There are plenty of reasons to adopt a woe is me attitude. I can understand why so many may be hopeless and disillusioned. At first glance it does appear as if God has left us alone and on our own. That’s why it’s so important to surround ourselves with other Christians. Without a church family and a faith community, we have no place to go, no comfort or reassurance, no hope for the future. Unless we can counter what the world tells us with a reminder of what Christ tells us, we can become hopeless, distraught, afraid and discouraged.
Timothy was written a couple of thousand years ago! And the world is still here. Mankind is still alive and kicking! Somehow we’ve managed to survive. God’s incredible grace has sustained us through the ages. God has sent to live among us today people like Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, medical missionaries and doctors without borders, The Red Cross and volunteer aid workers, prayer warriors and nameless, faceless saints whose names we’ll never know. God’s people are in the world. They labor for His kingdom. They are
doing something to make this world a better place to live in.
We are called to be a people apart. Not separate from the world, but apart from it. We are to live by a higher calling. We are to be the face of God to a fallen and sin-filled world. We are to be the difference. We are to call out to God on behalf of those who cannot or will not do so.
”He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”[Micah 6:8] “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."[Isaiah 6:8]
The world is calling out for you. Pick a cause; make a donation; say a prayer. Do something. Be the one who does justice, loves kindness and walks humbly with your God.
My prayer today is that you will respond “Here am I!” when the world calls out. And that you give thanks to God’s holy name and rejoice in His praise.
Mary
Labels: drought, faith, famine, grace, HIV/AIDS, justice, kindness, missionary, war
God’s Good, Pleasing and Perfect Will
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Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.
1 Corinthians 2:12
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
One of the first prayers many young children learn is the Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done. On Earth as it is in Heaven.” The Bible tells us this is the prayer Jesus taught the disciples when they asked him how they should pray. This model follows the instructions of these two verses. I guess I should say, once this prayer was introduced, the disciples preached based upon the prayer.
Thy Kingdom Come: God’s Kingdom – Heaven – Not this world. Thy Will Be Done: God’s will – not man’s, not what we think or want – what God wants for us. That’s how we are to live: in accordance with God’s will for us. In order to live in accordance with God’s will, though we need to know what it is! That can be tricky, because so often in our lives we are required to take the lead, to be in charge, to make a snap decision. Life is so fast-paced in our world today that we could be run over and left behind if we’re not on top of our game.
But God has a better way. He has amazing, unimaginable plans for abundance and blessings in store for us. He desperately wants to pour them out into our lives. We risk missing out on God’s will for our lives when we charge ahead, thinking with our heads rather than our hearts and our souls. If we never allow time for God to reveal his plans for us, we will trample right over them. God wants to renew our minds to His way of thinking and living. He’s not going to force it though; he waits for us to be open to His will.
That’s a lot of responsibility. That places the burden on us. Perhaps that’s why so often we just don’t “go there.” We feel so burdened and weighed down by the cares of this world that we just can’t or won’t take responsibility for one more thing. No matter how wonderful the end result could be, we just don’t have the energy to do one more thing in our lives.
What I repeatedly re-discover is that if I just stop for a few minutes and clear my mind of all the cares of this world I can begin to see the vision God has of me in my mind’s eye. When I go for a walk, or sit quietly reflecting on God’s word or reading scripture, my mind begins to be renewed. God reveals himself to us when we are fully open to Him and fully engaged in discovering His will.
When we set ourselves apart we have taken the first step in the transformation process. Getting in that habit will increase the likelihood that our decisions will be based on God’s will for our lives, not man’s.
My prayer today is that you have the opportunity to renew your mind so you can test and approve God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for your life. And that you make it a habit to spend time with God each day.
Mary
Labels: bible, future, God's will, heaven, Jesus, plans, scripture
Selah
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Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God [who] is our salvation. Selah.
Do you think of God as one who daily bears your burden? Somehow that seems almost like it diminishes God’s to think of him as a beast of burden, doesn’t it? This the first time I can remember finding a passage in the Old Testament that refers to God in quite this way. Or perhaps it’s just the first time I’ve interpreted a passage in this manner.
Maybe it’s the poet in me, but the whole scene appears in my mind’s eye: Jesus riding in to town on the back of donkey—a beast of burden. . . He is being hailed as a King – but not a Savior – not yet. They didn’t understand; they limited Jesus to their own perception and vision of a Savior. They made their own interpretation of what they needed at that point in time. God had a better plan. But they were too caught up in the moment to see it.
The meaning of the word Selah is unclear even to biblical scholars. It is translated both as “silence” or “pause;” and “a louder strain.” So, we are instructed to pause and reflect upon the God who is strong enough to bear not only my burdens but your burdens and the burdens of the world—The God who is our salvation. Our other option is to shout this phrase from the rooftops!
Perhaps both are appropriate. After reflecting upon God’s all surpassing capacity to support and uplift us, we are inclined to declare that He is our salvation – and to do so loudly and with great excitement! Why wouldn’t we make such a declaration to a hurting world!?
Another thought occurs to me: God’s intention is that He be the burden-bearer. That means we are to give Him our burdens and not keep them, hug them tightly to ourselves, become slaves to them. He wants us to hand over our burdens to Him so we can be free to fully and with great joy worship Him—the God of our salvation.
Wow! That makes sense. In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren explains that our whole purpose, our reason for existing, is to worship God. We can’t do that if we are enslaved by burdens that preoccupy and distract us from God. God wants us to focus only on Him and His greatness, His glory, His vastness and His ability and desire to bear our burdens. The God who made the earth with a mere wave of His hand, wants to serve us as a slave.
Selah. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God [who] is our salvation!
Sometimes we forget about the personal aspects of God’s relationship with us. We think of our relationship with God on that level, but often not in reverse. We forget that God is our God, my God. We focus on what we want, we ask God for things we think we need. We limit God when we do that. God who is my personal God wants to give me abundance, blessings and eternal life. We ask for crumbs and He wants to give us the whole cake. We ask for sip, he want to fill our cup to overflowing.
Selah. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God [who] is our salvation! My prayer today is that you offer up your burdens to the God of our salvation. And that you allow God to give you the abundant blessings He has stored up for you.
Mary
Labels: abundance, blessing, burden, salvation
Despair is the Opposite of Hope
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Isaiah 19:20 KJV
And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.
Psalm 40:17
As for me, I am poor and needy; but the Lord takes thought for me. Thou art my help and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God!
I’ve been a bit of a funk the past few weeks—not depressed, really, just feeling not quite at rest in my soul. I know some of the reason is that my daughter was married recently and life has settled back into somewhat of a routine—no more spreadsheets and to do lists for the wedding! More time to ponder the state of things now! Also my son is growing up and at nineteen will be leaving for some special training and schooling in a few months. That means he’ll be independent and capable of existing without me!
I identified the other day the reason for my funk: I’m disappointed. Disappointed in the world, in the public school system that didn’t give my son the support and guidance he should have had, disappointed with the field of presidential candidates, disappointed with the local government, disappointed with the seeming moral decline of society, and well . . . I’m just plain disappointed in everything! Well, I’m not disappointed in myself or my family. Hmmm. Looks like I’m disappointed in all those things out of my control.
I shared with some friends last night that I am keeping watch over myself that my disappointment doesn’t turn into despair. Of course, I don’t think that will really happen. Despair is an absence of hope and I am ever hopeful because of Christ. I know that may sound a bit trite but it’s true. In times like these, I do call out to God continually. I ask that He reveal to me what is next for my life. I pray about what I am to do now. I’ve spent the last 22 years being a mother before all else; doing the business of mothering before anything else.
As for the world . . . I guess I’ve been too busy lately to fully grasp the disappointing state of affairs! When I checked dictionary.com for disappointment I found the words sadness and disillusionment. I think those are better descriptors of what I’m feeling. I know – everything is going relatively well in my life! I’m going to try to figure out what I can do to feel more empowered and to make a difference regarding all the disappointing situations in the world.
As for me, I am poor and needy; but the Lord takes thought for me. Thou art my help and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God! I know I must wait for God to reveal what’s next. I just don’t like to wait! Enough whining for today! I am truly ever hopeful! I am impatient for the day Christ comes again in glory. Until then, I’m just going to have to do whatever I can to hasten that day!
My prayer today is that you cry unto the Lord—the source of all hope, the Great One, the Deliverer. And that you pray about what you can do to bring about a world worthy of the second coming.
Mary
Labels: deliverer, despair, disappointment, help, hope
Come Forth and Come Here!
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Zechariah 13:9
...I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name and I will answer them; I will say, "They are My people," and they will say, "The Lord is our God." -
If you aren’t familiar with the process of refining metals, this verse may not provide as much comfort and hope for you as it is intended to do. An unknown author told a story about a woman who was interested in learning how the refining process worked.
“She went accordingly and without telling the object of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which he fully described to her. "But Sir" she said, "do you sit while the work of refining is going on?" "Oh, yes, madam," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured. As the lady was leaving the shop, the silversmith called her back, and said he had forgotten to mention that the only way that he knows when the process of purifying is complete when he sees his own image reflected in the silver....”
Sometimes in our lives we may feel as if we are in that furnace of trouble, shame, fear, doubt, loneliness, grief or pain. During those times, it helps to remember that though we an the super-heated refiner’s fire, God has his gaze steadily fixed on that furnace. Dross is the waste that is burned off during the refining process. As the metal is heated the dross rises to the top and has to be removed by the metallurgist. God works the same way in our lives. He removes all the dross from our lives until we are a reflection of His Son.
Dan 3:12, 19-26
12. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20. And he ordered certain mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21. Then these men were bound in their mantles, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were cast into the burning fiery furnace. 22. Because the king's order was strict and the furnace very hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He said to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered the king, "True, O king." 25. He answered, "But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." 26. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.
That fourth image in the furnace was Christ. And He is in our furnace with us. Even though it doesn’t feel like it, He is with us as the dross is burned off and scooped out and thrown away. And when He sees His own reflection transposed over ours, He calls to us to come forth and come here.
My prayer today is that you find peace in the truth that no matter what you are experiencing in your life, Jesus is walking through the fire with you. And that you wait with great anticipation for Him to call you to come forth and come her.
Mary
Labels: God, gold, Jesus, refiner's fire, silver
Behold! He is Coming Soon!
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Revelation 22:12-14
Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
Colossians 3:1,2 MSG
So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides.
Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ--that's where the action is.
See things from his perspective.
I recently happened upon an earlier post where I discussed the word “behold.” Basically it means, “Hey, pay attention! I’m about to say something very important!” And if you read the sentence immediately following it in the passage from Revelation, you’ll see that John was sharing some wonderful news! As a matter of fact, this passage was part of a sermon I delivered at a nursing home recently as part of my Lay Speaking Ministry. The topic of the sermon was hope and being a blessing to others.
For some reason I find tremendous comfort and even get a little excited when I read the first line of the Revelation passage, “Behold, I am coming soon.” That declaration brings me immediately to the Colossians passage where we’re instructed, “Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is.”
So, we are to wake up, look up, get ready, be prepared and see things from the perspective of the Risen Christ. That’s a much different perspective than the one we’ll be hearing on the evening news! It’s not the frame of reference from which we generally see the world. But we have good news! We have hope! We have a promise! And it’s a promise from God – the Alpha and the Omega – the God of Genesis, who was already in existence when he decided to make Earth and the universe and us.
His power is above all others. His promises never fail – have you read the story of Exodus? Have you read the Old Testament? After 2,000 years of defying and disobeying God, He still sent us a Savior! Behold! We must be ready when Christ comes again so we must pursue the things over which Christ presides. He doesn’t preside over war, murder, hate, anger or fear. He is the Prince of Peace, the Holy One of God, Deliverer, Bread of Life and Chief Cornerstone. Run that in tomorrow’s news cycle!
Behold! He is coming soon!
My prayer today is that you will see things from Christ’s perspective. And that you will be ready when He comes—for behold! Today could be the day!
Mary
Labels: Christ, Colossians, God, Revelation, second coming
Multi-vitamins and Green Pastures
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Psalms 23:1-6
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
I guess I could have called to mind about 10 or so scripture verses that would apply to my situation this morning. What possessed me to forego my morning routine of meeting with God before I began my day for all those months? I am so out of that habit that when I logged on this morning my first impulse was to check my email. I stopped myself though, because at a minimum posting today is a matter of pride. At its core, it is the renewal of my part of a covenant with God.
I have been tired. I don’t mean sleep deprived, though that is true! I’ve been tired of breathing, walking, even thinking. Not in a suicidal or even a depressed way at all. I’ve just been worn out in my soul. I know it’s because I haven’t been turning enough over to God. I’ve been persevering, carrying on; maintaining the status quo. I’ve craved those still waters and green pastures. I have not lost my faith that God will provide for me, care for, sustain and love me. I had just stopped going to the next level: resting in him.
Enough of bewailing everything I haven’t been doing! This morning as I jumped from verse to verse, every single word of scripture sounded so beautiful and seemed so applicable to my life! Every one! I was blown away by how glorious the word of God sounded to me this morning and I realized that’s what I’ve been missing: relishing scripture, being enfolded and embraced and empowered by it. I guess the best way I can describe it is that scripture for my life is like a multi-vitamin for my body. I can get by without the extra nutrients and minerals but after a couple of weeks, I don’t have that little extra that I need to walk the extra ½ mile or clean an extra room or do an extra load of laundry.
I know that sounds pretty mundane. But that’s why my discovery of what I was missing has been so elusive. Slowly, day by day, it becomes easier and easier to not do that little extra because I just don’t have that extra boost! In my case, the boost has been my mornings with God. Trust me, 5 a.m. came very early this morning!
On my way in for a 2nd cup of coffee I realized I’m rambling and really struggling to explain the subtleties of a life grounded in and centered upon Christ. I haven’t done a very good job and I know it’s because I’m out of the habit not only of experiencing it fully, also of sharing the glorious, wonderful, amazing, unspeakable depth of God’s love and the deep well of grace from which he allows us to drink, even when we don’t think we’re thirsty.
Today my prayer is that you will go to him, all who labor and are heavy laden. He will give you rest. And remember that no matter how hard your life is his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Mary
Labels: God, Jesus, rest
The God of Peace Shall Be With You
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Philippians 4:8,9 KJV
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
These verses were in my "daily dose" email. In other words, I subscribe to a service that sends me scripture daily. To be honest, in the last several months I haven't even opened the emails on most days. I didn't delete them at first; I just didn't open them. Ultimately, I ended up with about 100 messages that had never been read (I actually have three daily subscriptions!) I justified my actions by telling myself I was too busy--too busy planning my daughter's wedding, too busy working my nanny job with very early start time each day, too busy getting my writing business off the ground . . . too busy ignoring God!
I find it interesting that after all these years of professing that God needs to be the center and focus of our lives before anything else, I haven't been following my own convictions. Interesting and sad because I've missed out on the peace that comes with complete reliance upon God and His power, His wisdom, His love.
My blessings have been manifold in the last year, despite financial strains and some other issues. Things are really falling into place for our family. Still, I have felt a twinge each time I opened an email about other important topics and avoided one about living my faith. What I was reminded of and convicted of in the wee hours of the night is that God loves me in spite of myself! Not only does He love me, He continues to pour out His blessings upon me! Not only does He pour out His blessings upon me, He woos me back to Him.
In spite of all these truths, I've felt a certain unease. I've been watching way too much of the 24-hour news programs, stressing more than I should about the state of the world and how powerless and victimized we all are. Oh, I've been praying. I've been reading books and staying connected at church. I just haven't been making God first!
That's why this scripture is so powerful for me. When God is first, we expend our energy thinking on whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is just, whatever is pure. When I'm in a right relationship with God, I think upon what is lovely and of good report, virtuous and worthy of praise. I'm breathing a deep sigh of relief as I type this. I'm feeling the comfort that only God provides when we think of Him. First, last, and everywhere in between.
I'll be signing on again each morning. There, I've said it, so now I have to do it! I look forward to it! I have missed my morning cup of coffee with God.
My prayer today is that you think of all the good and right and true things in the world. And that you offer praise for God's love, patience, mercy and peace.
Mary
