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Seek, Fear, Love

The Bible is filled with reminders that if we seek the Lord He will be found.

The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he destroys.

Psalm 145:18-20

The Lord asks us to seek Him, fear Him and love Him.  The seeking and loving I get – the fearing, I struggle with.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him. We have all heard this. I certainly want Him to be near.  And yet I don’t seek Him as much as I should.  We should  reach out more.  He should be our first  speed dial.  He should be tagged in all our posts.  Knowing, as we do,  that when we seek Him He is near, why aren’t we constantly and honestly seeking Him?

I have never liked the Bible verses that suggest we must fear the Lord.  I suppose I want the warm, gentle God. The post 80’s Father, where corporal punishment is discouraged – so surely smiting must be out of the question.  I am not sure that God wants us to fear Him, at least I want to believe that He doesn’t. So why is the Bible filled with fear?   I think the fearing is necessary.  I think we need to fear to recognize how much we need God.  Without fear, we think we can do anything. We think we are invincible.  We think we don’t need God. And then where would we be?  God saves us.  He saves us from ourselves.

Ultimately, God is love.  And He wants us to love Him.  This is a hard juxtaposition – fear and love.  God wants us to come to Him in love.  Not out of obligation.  As a parent, we don’t want just the obligatory hug and I love you from our children. We want the warm hug and meaningful expression of love.  We want our kids to want to be with us.  But we will sometimes take what we can get, hoping that as they mature, they will come back. So does God.

I wish I could show Him how much I love Him.  But my love is immature compared to His.

Lord,

Teach me to love. I want to be with you.  I don’t want to fear you, but I fear being without you.  I want to honor and respect you.  You are almighty.  You can destroy or buildup. I am nothing but what you have created. I am nothing without you.  I owe everything to you.  Help me to grow through your love, your grace and your mercy.

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Conquer Evil With Good

Another day marked by tragic events. I was led to today’s verse by the radio this morning.  Do not let evil overcome you, the radio announcer said, but overcome evil by good.   Tonight I flipped the Bible to Romans and read the entire section:

Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute [you],
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil;
be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all.
If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.
Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Rather, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.”
Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.

Romans 12:9-21

This seems to say it all. If only it were easy to do.  Let love be sincere.  Love is not always easy.  Sometimes we just pay it lip service.  But God’s love is always sincere.  God’s love for us is true even when we do wrong  – even when we hurt Him.  Can we show the same love to others?

Weep with those who who weep (our thoughts certainly go out to those who are suffering). But do not  repay evil with evil.  Live at peace with all.  That is hard.   Even harder is this: bless and do not  curse those who persecute you!

Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit.  It is easy to to rejoice in God when the sun is shining.  We cannot grow slack in zeal when dark clouds surround us.  Even more must we be fervent. Even more must we ignite God’s fire.

Rejoice in hope — no matter the struggle, our hope in the the Lord, in His salvation, is empowering.

Endure in affliction — GOD will see us through!

Persevere in prayer — all we need to do is Pray!

Serve the Lord!

If we do these things, if we persevere in prayer and try to do these things, we will not be conquered.  We will not be conquered by evil. We will conquer evil with good.

Dear Lord,

Take care of those who are suffering tonight.  Wrap them in your loving embrace.  May they rejoice in hope.  And please bless those who have caused the suffering.  I pray that they come to know you.  Wrap them in your loving grace.

 

 

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True Glory

Boast in the Lord!  It is a beautiful fall Sunday morning.  The Lord’s day.  It is a wonderful time to rejoice in the Lord!  He is great indeed.  He hears our prayers!

Today, I opened the Bible to 1 Corinthians 2:6, but then the wind blew the pages to Jeremiah:

Thus says the LORD: Let not the wise boast of his wisdom, nor the strong boast of his strength, nor the rich man boast of his riches;  But rather, let those who boast, boast of this, that in their prudence they know me,  Know that I, the LORD, act with fidelity, justice, and integrity on earth.  How I take delight in these—oracle of the LORD.

Jeremiah 9:22-23

The world teaches us to be wise, strong and rich.  All “glory” on earth seems to go to those who have these attributes.  Many of us strive to achieve these things.  It makes life easier on earth, doesn’t it?  It is so easy to get caught up in, and cater to, the world which rewards those who have strength, wisdom and riches.  Today, millions will watch football players who are richly rewarded for their physical strength.  And then argue over whether they should kneel or stand for the flag.  Certainly our country is great — but is it great because of its wisdom, strength and riches?  (it is certainly no longer great because of its commitment to God)   Although many players pray before the game, there is no announcement over the intercom, there is no fly over or fireworks during it.  We don’t stand together or kneel together to do it.  Although our country is great, far greater is our Lord!

We do not reward or recognize those who know God.  The media doesn’t seem to pay attention.  Money doesn’t follow.  We, as humans, make it hard on ourselves by not celebrating it — by not making it more rewarding on earth.  But then, we miss the point if we are looking for the world to reward us.  The world has nothing on God.  The reward is in heaven.  Perhaps it is not suppose to be easy.  All things worth having are worth fighting for.  Wisdom, strength and riches are nothing unless we know God.

We constantly boast about our children.  Facebook is filled with posts and pictures of their every accomplishment.  Let’s boast about our Father.

Almighty Father,

You are beyond all worldly greatness.  You are greater than we can imagine.  I want to know you more!  I want to know your wisdom, feel your strength and experience the true riches that only you can provide.  You alone provide true glory!

 

 

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A Brighter Life

This describes how I feel many days:

Is not life on earth a drudgery, its days like those of a hireling?  Like a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for wages,  So I have been assigned months of futility, and troubled nights have been counted off for me.  When I lie down I say, “When shall I arise?” then the night drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.

Job 7:1-4

When I read Job, I often feel like Job is a whiner and complainer.  And so when I read this, I have to reflect that I am often a whiner and complainer too.  In the Bible, one of Job’s friends reminds him:

Still, if you yourself have recourse to God and make supplication to the Almighty,  Should you be blameless and upright, surely now he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful home.  Though your beginning was small, your future will flourish indeed.

Inquire of the former generations, pay attention to the experience of their ancestors—As we are but of yesterday and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are but a shadow—Will they not teach you and tell you and utter their words of understanding?  Can the papyrus grow up without mire?  Can the reed grass flourish without water?  While it is yet green and uncut, it withers quicker than any grass.

So is the end of everyone who forgets God, and so shall the hope of the godless perish.

Job 8:5-13

And later another friend tells him:

If you set your heart aright and stretch out your hands toward him,  If iniquity is in your hand, remove it, and do not let injustice dwell in your tent,  Surely then you may lift up your face in innocence; you may stand firm and unafraid.  For then you shall forget your misery, like water that has ebbed away you shall regard it.  Then your life shall be brighter than the noonday; its gloom shall become like the morning, And you shall be secure, because there is hope; you shall look round you and lie down in safety; you shall lie down and no one will disturb you.

Job 11:13-19

As usual the Bible tells me just what I need to hear.  Make supplication to God.  Set your heart aright and stretch out your arms to Him.

So I sit on the porch, with the Bible on my lap, my arms stretched out to God.  I feel the morning sun’s light on my face and the warmth surrounds me.  And I breathe.  In and out.  Slow and deep. And I admit my weakness — and I hand my complaining spirit over to God.

Lord, Set my heart aright. Remove the inequity and injustice from my hand and heart.  Help me not to compare myself to others.  Help me to reach out to others, all others, with your love.  Thank you for the friends you send me who help remind me of your goodness and your love.  Help me to be that friend to others.  Help me to change the drudgery of the day into the newness and brightness of the morning sun.  Your goodness surrounds me.

 

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No false gods

I will have no false gods.  As long as I can remember, I have known that this was one of God’s commandments.  It was an easy one, I believed.  There is only one God.  I don’t believe in any other gods.  I don’t believe any other gods exist.  Check.  One commandment followed.  I thought…

Foolish by nature were all who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing the one who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan; Instead either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.  Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them.  Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them realize from these things how much more powerful is the one who made them.  For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.  But yet, for these the blame is less; For they have gone astray perhaps, though they seek God and wish to find him.  For they search busily among his works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.  But again, not even these are pardonable. For if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord?

Wisdom 13:1-9

I do not call them gods, but I have put things before God.  The so called good things in life: food, money, power, jobs, family, friends.  Is it wrong to enjoy life?  “Foolish by nature were all who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing the one who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan.”  The failing in enjoying the good things is not recognizing God in all of them.  The joy that we feel in beautiful things — incomparable to the beauty of their creator and the joy He can bring.  Humans are better than anything we can create.  Similarly, God, our creator, is far greater than what He has created.  Every powerful force that we see on earth, whether natural or man made, is nothing when compared to God who created and fashioned all power.  Because I cannot fathom this beauty and strength, this power and joy, I sometimes let it fall to the back of my mind and instead focus on the lesser things in front of me.

I don’t think of it as worshipping a false god — because I still allow myself to think of this as I did as a child — worshipping is something you do in church,  and I only worship God in church.  And therein lies my problem.  I limit my worshipping to church.  I only worship God in church.  But my focus and energies on these lesser things outside of church is putting these things in front of God.  God gives us so much evidence of his goodness, his power, his strength, his majesty, his beauty and the joy that only He can provide us.  How do we not more quickly find the Lord?

Lord, forgive me.   Sometimes I need the smack in the face to see what is right in front of me. You have made so many wondrous things.  I am distracted by the beauty that surrounds me.  I am mystified by your strength and power.  I am in awe.  My mind wants to know and see what it cannot even begin to understand.  Forgive me, God.  I am lazy.  I settle for what I can see rather than searching for what I do not understand.  Help me.  I want to keep your commandments.  I want to put You above all things.  Help me to keep that focus so that I might do your will.

 

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My Spirit Rejoices

My spirit rejoices in God my savior!

Today the Bible opened to Mary’s words before the birth of Jesus.  Mary models how I want to live.  Her strength and faithfulness inspire me.

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.  For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.  The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.  He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.  He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.  The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.  He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Luke 1:46-55

I am stuck on the first line:  My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.  Is there a difference between soul and spirit?  For me, soul is that deep inner part, the root of our being, our inner most self, the part that is our truest being.   That is the part that Mary says proclaims the greatness of God.  That is the truest of proclamations — not just a Sunday morning proclamation.  It is not her mouth or her hands or her brain that proclaims it — but her soul.  A part that does not lie or fake or just follow the crowd.

Mary goes on to state: My spirit rejoices in God my savior.  For me, spirit is the part that we share with others. Mary knows to the depths of her soul that God is great, but she does not keep it there, she shares it with others.  Her spirit rejoices in God.

I want to know God in the depths of my soul.  And I want my spirit to rejoice in Him.

God, you are great indeed.  Fill my inner heart.  Fill my soul.  Help me to follow Mary’s model of faithfulness and strength.  Help me to trust in you, like she did.  Help me to share your love with the world.  My spirit rejoices in you!

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners!

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God’s Protection

There are fires in California, Oregon, Washington and Montana.  A large earthquake in Mexico.  Hurricane Harvey just pushed through and Hurricane Irma is closing in. (And those are just the current “natural” disasters not the ones we inflict on ourselves — roughly a million assaults, 15,000 homicides, 60,000 drug overdose deaths and 35,000 motor vehicle deaths each year.)

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shade of the Almighty, Say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.”  He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare, from the destroying plague, He will shelter you with his pinions, and under his wings you may take refuge; his faithfulness is a protecting shield.  You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day,  Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon.  Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come.  You need simply watch; the punishment of the wicked you will see.  Because you have the LORD for your refuge and have made the Most High your stronghold, No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.  For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go.  With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.  You can tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.  Because he clings to me I will deliver him; because he knows my name I will set him on high.  He will call upon me and I will answer; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him and give him honor.  With length of days I will satisfy him, and fill him with my saving power.

Psalm 91

The Psalm is titled Security under God’s Protection.

No matter what the disaster.  God is there.  No matter what the terror of the night.  God is our refuge.

Lord, protect all those who are facing disaster, destruction, pain and suffering.  I pray that they call out to you and rely on you for strength.  I pray that any harm they suffer brings them closer to you.  God, you are my refuge and my fortress.  I pray that I can live all of my days under your shelter.

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Bread of Life

Basic human needs are food and water.  We cannot survive without them.  Four hours out in the sun and I feel like I am dying without water.  One bottle is not enough.

Today the Bible opened here:

All you who are thirsty, come to the water!  You who have no money, come, buy grain and eat; Come, buy grain without money, wine and milk without cost!  Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what does not satisfy?  Only listen to me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare.  Pay attention and come to me; listen, that you may have life.  I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the steadfast loyalty promised to David.  As I made him a witness to peoples, a leader and commander of peoples,  So shall you summon a nation you knew not, and a nation that knew you not shall run to you, Because of the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

Isaiah 55:1-5

As I read these words, I am reminded of Jesus’ words:

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

John 6:35

We know our hunger and thirst for food and water.  If we are able, we satisfy that hunger and thirst.  Many of us, at least I do, over-satisfy that hunger.  We satisfy this human need.  But that greater need, we often leave still thirsting.  We sometimes ignore our hunger and thirst for God.  We need food and water daily.  I know there is not a day that goes by that I do not receive both, in more quantities than I need.  I cannot say the same thing about the living bread and water.

We participate in can food drives for the hungry, serve meals in soup kitchens and homeless shelters, deliver food and water to hurricane and other disaster victims.  We help satisfy the human needs of our neighbors and friends, but what are we doing for their spiritual needs.  What are we doing to help them come to the water?

God reminds us repeatedly throughout the Bible that just like the bread and water that we need for life on earth, we need the living bread and water that only comes through God for eternal life.  We go through life hungry for it and unsatisfied, and often we do not even know that that is the emptiness we feel.  We spend money on all the things that the TV ads tell us will make us happy, will satisfy our every need, but no material thing ever does.  Instead we continue to suffer from depression and anxiety — a dissatisfaction with life.

Let us come to the water!

Dear Lord,

You know our every need.  Please help all who are thirsty and hungry to find the food and drink that they nee.  Help them to recognize what they truly hunger for.  I know I thirst and hunger for more of you.  Help me to help others find and satisfy their basic needs.

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Today Passes By Too Quickly

It’s Saturday, but it’s still a busy day.  Wake up early, wake up the teenager, get him ready for his soccer game, search his room for a long sleeve shirt (and clean up a month’s worth of dirty clothes along the way), drive the shirt down to him before his game, cheer him on at the soccer game, do two loads of laundry when we get back home and try to figure out what we are going to do for dinner.

Time to sit down and open the Bible, before the day gets away from me (again):

Take care, brothers, that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God.  Encourage yourselves daily while it is still “today,” so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.  We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end, for it is said:

“Oh, that today you would hear his voice: ‘Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.’”

Hebrews 3:12-15

As I read this, one sentence kept jumping out at me:  Encourage yourselves daily while it is still “today,” so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.

I am trying to make the Bible part of my daily encouragement, but I do not always succeed.  It is so easy to let the day slip away, so easy to get caught up in living, so easy to focus on doing what the world says we need to do, instead of focusing on God.  And when I fail — I can feel it.  I need daily encouragement.  The more we get away from God, the more we open ourselves up to the deceit of sin.  Sin is sometimes easier and we can convince ourselves, deceive ourselves, that it is ok, even when we know it is not.  We need the daily encouragement so that we do not become hardened or numb to the lure of sin, to the lure of living selfishly and satisfying our current wants, rather than living for God.

In this sentence, one phrase jumps out even more: “while it is still ‘today'”.  We do not know when today will end, when our time on earth will end.  Will we be with God?  Or will it come when we have pulled away?  I have heard many times the saying: “don’t go to bed angry.”  We don’t want the sun  to go down on our relationship with our spouse while we are angry with each other because we know that the longer we allow those feelings to fester the harder it is to pull back together, to keep the relationship strong.  Yet, how often do we let the sun go down on our relationship with God?

Lord,

It is not always easy to follow you.  Sometimes, like any relationship, it is hard work.  I need your encouragement.  I need it  daily.  Sometimes I need it hourly.  Help me to live every day like it is my last.  Help me to do the good  “today” and not put it off for a tomorrow that may never come.

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BC — beyond comprehension

I have been struggling all day with the Bible’s words.  This morning, the Bible opened to Luke, where Jesus talks about John the Baptist.  There is a similar passage in Matthew.  I read both, read the footnotes and read a few commentaries, and I am still not sure what Jesus is telling me:

I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”  (All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God; but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

“Then to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?  They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,  ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.  We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’  For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’  The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’  But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

Luke 7:28-35

The best I can discern is that Jesus is telling us that as great as John was, he preceded the kingdom of heaven.  He preceded Jesus’ death and resurrection, preceded Jesus’ opening the gates of heaven and the sending of the Holy Spirit.  My first thought is how fortunate am I to have been born when I was.  My second thought is one of utter awe and amazement.  I am suddenly struck by just how huge Jesus’s coming was.  Jesus’ love and grace changed the world — changed heaven.  And there is no way to compare what was before with what occurred after.  And there is no way for me to truly comprehend life before Christ.

Lord,

I continue to be amazed by you.  By your love and grace.  By your words and plan.  I am humbled.  I know that it is a gift of which I am not worthy and yet is freely given.  I seek your wisdom.  I seek you.  Help me to listen so that I might see.