Good morning!
It's a rainy Monday morning and on my way to the gym earlier, I was thinking that the gloominess felt comfortable. It's sad, I know, but I've been starting to feel pretty "blah" in the normal-everyday-ness of life. Every day seems the same and to stray from it only means there's more catching up to do later (i.e., laundry, dishwasher, etc...). But the cloudy skies and drizzling rain felt right at home. I didn't complain. I didn't even notice it at first. Then I came home and read Psalm 138 and was caught off guard by a couple of words David chooses to use here. Here's the passage for you:
Psalm 138 (New King James Version)
A Psalm of David.
1 I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 Though the LORD is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
(http://www.biblegateway.com/)
I've highlighted in red the words that struck me this morning. I've been feeling so "normal," so routine, so run-of-the-mill lately that I've been forgetting to live. I've been forgetting to take hold of what my Savior promises me in terms of a life lived in Him!
David doesn't just tell the Lord that he'll acknowledge Him in his morning devotions....he wants to praise Him with his whole heart.
God hasn't just been loyal to us...He has magnifed His love, made it greater toward us, and backed it with His own Great Name!
When we've needed Him in the past, He hasn't just shown us the steps to get through...He has made us bold with strength.
When we're in the middle of a struggle and feel defeated, He won't just sit on the sidelines and be there with a drink of water...He revives us with new life and a refreshed heart and mind.
And God won't just get us through the day on a string...He promises to perfect in us the things concerning us. (Note: He won't perfect in us things concerning others!)
Wouldn't it be great to live a life filled with feelings of revival, refreshment and bold strength? I don't want the rain to feel comfortable. I don't want to be up early and not notice that the sun hasn't risen. I want to trust my day to the One who promises that I won't ever have a mediocre day if I place it in Him. Then I can welcome the rain as refreshment and renewal.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A Picture of Jesus
A question was posed to me yesterday that has had me thinking since then. The discussion revolved around Daniel 10 and prayer. While Daniel was praying, he saw a vision of a man so glorious, so majestic, that it made him fall prostrate and fall asleep. Soon after, the hand of an angel woke him and gave him the strength to stand. Many scholars believe that first vision was a heavenly-arrayed Gabriel. But the idea was also posed that maybe, just maybe, it was a preincarnate appearance of Jesus Himself.
After looking it over and thinking about it, I think I might agree. Looking through Scripture, there have been very few other visions or appearances to make a man react this way. Ezekiel fell when he saw what could only be a vision of Christ. Wasn't it Moses who could only look at God's feet? Saul fell in the middle of the road when God's light and voice came from heaven. When God makes Himself/His Son visible to man, it is too much for them to withstand.
Then the question was asked. "Have you ever thought about how you'd react if Jesus suddenly appeared to you while you were praying? How do you picture your reaction?"
I admitted that I have never given that any thought. But it did get me thinking then. How do I picture Jesus?
Is He the gentle figure in a white robe and blue sash from Sunday School?
Is He the Risen Savior, gloriously new, with scars in His feet and hands?
Is He an obscure Helper, giving us daily strength from where He sits enthroned in the heavenlies?
Is He the forgiving and gracious One, sitting down to dinner with taxpayers and sinners, making it logical that He would commune with me?
Is He beaten and bruised, carrying His own fate on His shoulders?
Is He still hanging on that cross, looking up to His Father with a question on His heart?
Is He the stranger down the street that you just showed kindness to?
Is He present in your home everyday, a welcome guest at every meal?
Or is He so bright and majestic in stature that the very thought of Him coming around the corner would be enough to make us fall into a coma?
Your background may determine how you physically picture Jesus today. Some religions choose to crucify Him again every Sunday, so you may have no choice but to see Him still on that cross. Some are so ingrained in their childhood church days that Jesus is never pictured without the dark hair and blue sash.
But regardless of how you were trained to see Him as a child, He is your Savior today. He is all of these things and more. He is "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Fater, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end." (Isa. 9:6)
That same man who hung on that cross, calling out to His Father for relief, is the very same One who rose three days later to prove His love for you. See Him how you must. But see Him. Feel His presence every day and know that He is near to you, guiding you, loving you, and promising that He will never leave.
After looking it over and thinking about it, I think I might agree. Looking through Scripture, there have been very few other visions or appearances to make a man react this way. Ezekiel fell when he saw what could only be a vision of Christ. Wasn't it Moses who could only look at God's feet? Saul fell in the middle of the road when God's light and voice came from heaven. When God makes Himself/His Son visible to man, it is too much for them to withstand.
Then the question was asked. "Have you ever thought about how you'd react if Jesus suddenly appeared to you while you were praying? How do you picture your reaction?"
I admitted that I have never given that any thought. But it did get me thinking then. How do I picture Jesus?
Is He the gentle figure in a white robe and blue sash from Sunday School?
Is He the Risen Savior, gloriously new, with scars in His feet and hands?
Is He an obscure Helper, giving us daily strength from where He sits enthroned in the heavenlies?
Is He the forgiving and gracious One, sitting down to dinner with taxpayers and sinners, making it logical that He would commune with me?
Is He beaten and bruised, carrying His own fate on His shoulders?
Is He still hanging on that cross, looking up to His Father with a question on His heart?
Is He the stranger down the street that you just showed kindness to?
Is He present in your home everyday, a welcome guest at every meal?
Or is He so bright and majestic in stature that the very thought of Him coming around the corner would be enough to make us fall into a coma?
Your background may determine how you physically picture Jesus today. Some religions choose to crucify Him again every Sunday, so you may have no choice but to see Him still on that cross. Some are so ingrained in their childhood church days that Jesus is never pictured without the dark hair and blue sash.
But regardless of how you were trained to see Him as a child, He is your Savior today. He is all of these things and more. He is "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Fater, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end." (Isa. 9:6)
That same man who hung on that cross, calling out to His Father for relief, is the very same One who rose three days later to prove His love for you. See Him how you must. But see Him. Feel His presence every day and know that He is near to you, guiding you, loving you, and promising that He will never leave.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Challenge
So, how did it go? Did you take me up on my challenge? Did you find a time this week that you could devote to communicating with God?
Yeah, I didn't either. And I think it stinks. The "busies" of life get in the way all too often. Why is it that I can have a great morning with the Lord and I can be diligent in His Word (some mornings, not every , mind you). I can ask for patience and wisdom throughout the day and I can believe that He will grant it. But by the time lunch rolls around, I've taken it all back upon myself and I'm running aground. I have verses posted all over my kitchen--strategically placed so that when I'm doing a task or looking for something, His Word will hit me first. Have they been there long enough to have blended into the background and I dont' notice them now? Maybe I just take His Words for granted?
This post must be short as the day is whizzing by already. But my challenge isn't for a week this time and it isn't for those reading (although you're welcome to join if you'd like). My challenge is for today. No, my challenge is for this morning---that I wouldn't let the morning take over my focusing on the One who created the day.
Yeah, I didn't either. And I think it stinks. The "busies" of life get in the way all too often. Why is it that I can have a great morning with the Lord and I can be diligent in His Word (some mornings, not every , mind you). I can ask for patience and wisdom throughout the day and I can believe that He will grant it. But by the time lunch rolls around, I've taken it all back upon myself and I'm running aground. I have verses posted all over my kitchen--strategically placed so that when I'm doing a task or looking for something, His Word will hit me first. Have they been there long enough to have blended into the background and I dont' notice them now? Maybe I just take His Words for granted?
This post must be short as the day is whizzing by already. But my challenge isn't for a week this time and it isn't for those reading (although you're welcome to join if you'd like). My challenge is for today. No, my challenge is for this morning---that I wouldn't let the morning take over my focusing on the One who created the day.
Psalm 113
The LORD Exalts the Humble.
The LORD Exalts the Humble.
1Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Praise the name of the LORD.
2Blessed be the name of the LORD
From this time forth and forever.
3From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of the LORD is to be praised.
4The LORD is high above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.
5Who is like the LORD our God,
Who is enthroned on high,
6Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in heaven and in the earth?
7He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8To make them sit with princes,
With the princes of His people.
9He makes the barren woman abide in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
Praise the LORD!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Prayer Challenge
Good morning!
Yesterday in Bible study, our Small Group Leader suggested that we all take on the challenge of prayer this week. I don't mean, making-sure-I-get-up-on-time-to-say-hi kind of prayer. I mean the kind like Daniel presented before our Savior in Daniel 9. I would encourage you to read Daniel 9:1-18 and really look at his prayer. He first went before the Lord with fasting, sackcloth and ashes because he believed that what God had prophesied through Jeremiah was at the verge of being fulfilled. He went fervently before His God, waiting for his place in that next step in history. Are we going before the Lord even close to fervently? We all claim these times are getting harder and they are obviously part of the "end times." And what are we doing as we wait?
Daniel also recited Jeremiah's words in his own prayer. I have been trying to do this for quite some time now and it has really made a difference in my prayer life. Try reading part of the Psalms and inserting your own name or "I" into parts. You'll be amazed how the Scriptures come to life for you.
I encourage you all as well, to be a part of our prayer challenge for the week. To really make prayer time matter and to work to remember to talk with Him constantly throughout your day!
Let me get you started with this reading from Praying God's Word Day by Day by Beth Moore:
The freedom of Christ is worth the surrender of absolutely anything. Relief, not remorse, awaits the repentant.
Father, Your Word says that a person who lacks self-control is like a city whose walls are broken down (Prov. 25:28).
Sometimes I feel like there is so much rubble, I can't rebuild the wall (Neh. 4:10). But Your Word claims that You are the Repairer of Broken Walls, and the Restorer of Streets with Dwellings (Isa. 58:12). Please introduce Yourself to me by these wonderful names and rebuild the rubble in my life.
I confess to You that I am overwhelmed by the task ahead, but I am thankful that You have authority over all things. Heaven is Your throne; earth is Your footstool (Matt. 5:35). Therefore, anything over my head is under Your feet!
Yesterday in Bible study, our Small Group Leader suggested that we all take on the challenge of prayer this week. I don't mean, making-sure-I-get-up-on-time-to-say-hi kind of prayer. I mean the kind like Daniel presented before our Savior in Daniel 9. I would encourage you to read Daniel 9:1-18 and really look at his prayer. He first went before the Lord with fasting, sackcloth and ashes because he believed that what God had prophesied through Jeremiah was at the verge of being fulfilled. He went fervently before His God, waiting for his place in that next step in history. Are we going before the Lord even close to fervently? We all claim these times are getting harder and they are obviously part of the "end times." And what are we doing as we wait?
Daniel also recited Jeremiah's words in his own prayer. I have been trying to do this for quite some time now and it has really made a difference in my prayer life. Try reading part of the Psalms and inserting your own name or "I" into parts. You'll be amazed how the Scriptures come to life for you.
I encourage you all as well, to be a part of our prayer challenge for the week. To really make prayer time matter and to work to remember to talk with Him constantly throughout your day!
Let me get you started with this reading from Praying God's Word Day by Day by Beth Moore:
The freedom of Christ is worth the surrender of absolutely anything. Relief, not remorse, awaits the repentant.
Father, Your Word says that a person who lacks self-control is like a city whose walls are broken down (Prov. 25:28).
Sometimes I feel like there is so much rubble, I can't rebuild the wall (Neh. 4:10). But Your Word claims that You are the Repairer of Broken Walls, and the Restorer of Streets with Dwellings (Isa. 58:12). Please introduce Yourself to me by these wonderful names and rebuild the rubble in my life.
I confess to You that I am overwhelmed by the task ahead, but I am thankful that You have authority over all things. Heaven is Your throne; earth is Your footstool (Matt. 5:35). Therefore, anything over my head is under Your feet!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Simple Trust in the Lord
Good morning! This has been a busy weekend. Not so much with things to do, but with things to be thought of, decisions to be made and conclusions to be drawn. This has been a weekend filled with the thought, "What am I supposed to do here?"
My reading this morning fell onto Psalm 131. Three little verses talking about trusting in the Lord. It first caught my eye that these three verses really were titled (in my NKJV) "Simple Trust in the Lord." Now, I don't know about you, but sometimes that "task" seems so far from simple that I can't recognize it through the snow.
Thankfully, David here reminds us that when our mind is in the right place, trusting Him is not as daunting as we might think. He comes before the Lord with a humble heart. He then points out that he is not concerning himself "with great matters, nor with things too profound for me."
Isn't that where the majority of our stresses come from? I can't count how many times I've worried and stressed over something I don't have any control over. I mean, I think I can control it, just because I have something to do with it (or vice versa). But the reality of it is that there is nothing in my power to make it turn out the exact way I want it to turn out. David reminds us that trust first starts with humbling ourselves before God and leaving our troubles with Him.
The next step to really trustng is shown in verse 2. "Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul." He compares this to a child who is weaned from his mother. My Bible's notes put it clearly:
"The image is that of a child who is no longer unsettled and discontented, but one who is at peace and trusting in his mother, who is there to comfort and to meet his needs." (Nelson's NKJV)
When we are at peace with our surroundings and decisions, we can trust that God will comfort us and meet our every need. It's human nature to worry about things--especially the big things! My in-laws are looking at retiring and moving to our community--an hour away from where they've lived for almost 30 years. This is a huge change for them-major life changes, in fact. And it is so hard for them to know which house is the right one to place an offer on, when they should sell their current home, how to pack. And with all of this, we're praying for strength for dad who is just getting through this last month of tough, physical work. Anyone would be overwhelmed by this many major issues on top of each other.
And I admire their ability to put "Simple Trust in the Lord." I'm sure it's taking everything they have (I know it would for me!) to remind themselves that God knows their plans before they do. It's hard to not get excited about a house when you don't yet know if it's the house God has for you.
"Simple Trust" never seems simple. But I'm going to take today and make that my goal.
My reading this morning fell onto Psalm 131. Three little verses talking about trusting in the Lord. It first caught my eye that these three verses really were titled (in my NKJV) "Simple Trust in the Lord." Now, I don't know about you, but sometimes that "task" seems so far from simple that I can't recognize it through the snow.
Thankfully, David here reminds us that when our mind is in the right place, trusting Him is not as daunting as we might think. He comes before the Lord with a humble heart. He then points out that he is not concerning himself "with great matters, nor with things too profound for me."
Isn't that where the majority of our stresses come from? I can't count how many times I've worried and stressed over something I don't have any control over. I mean, I think I can control it, just because I have something to do with it (or vice versa). But the reality of it is that there is nothing in my power to make it turn out the exact way I want it to turn out. David reminds us that trust first starts with humbling ourselves before God and leaving our troubles with Him.
The next step to really trustng is shown in verse 2. "Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul." He compares this to a child who is weaned from his mother. My Bible's notes put it clearly:
"The image is that of a child who is no longer unsettled and discontented, but one who is at peace and trusting in his mother, who is there to comfort and to meet his needs." (Nelson's NKJV)
When we are at peace with our surroundings and decisions, we can trust that God will comfort us and meet our every need. It's human nature to worry about things--especially the big things! My in-laws are looking at retiring and moving to our community--an hour away from where they've lived for almost 30 years. This is a huge change for them-major life changes, in fact. And it is so hard for them to know which house is the right one to place an offer on, when they should sell their current home, how to pack. And with all of this, we're praying for strength for dad who is just getting through this last month of tough, physical work. Anyone would be overwhelmed by this many major issues on top of each other.
And I admire their ability to put "Simple Trust in the Lord." I'm sure it's taking everything they have (I know it would for me!) to remind themselves that God knows their plans before they do. It's hard to not get excited about a house when you don't yet know if it's the house God has for you.
"Simple Trust" never seems simple. But I'm going to take today and make that my goal.
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