Hey, Y'all,
Nearly 6 weeks since our last post--crazy how time passes, especially when you're trying to keep up with a perpetually awake (by which I mean utterly alive, observing, absorbing everything, and growing like a weed) 4-month-old, moreso in the context of being sick as a dog for over a week (piggy flu, anyone?) and starting the process of moving back home, to say nothing of working on buying a home--sweet! Can't believe our year-long sojourn is almost done...
At any rate, kind reader, here's the thought du jour. Ran across it October 28 in the devotional "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. Give it a read, then stop for a second and read it again, slowly. Some spiritual writings are too profound for a mere cursory reading, so I'll slow it down, even read it aloud, and very often find that bit of extra lingering over the words lets them wash over and through me in a way I'd otherwise miss. So give it a try--see if God doesn't meet you (more than) half way :-)
I am not saved by believing--I simply realize that I am saved by believing. And it is not repentance that saves me--repentance is only a sign that I realize what God has done through Christ Jesus.
The danger here is putting the emphasis on the effect, instead of the cause. Is it my obedience, consecration, and dedication that make me right with God? It is never that! I am made right with God because, prior to all of that, Christ died for me.
When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals, the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ instantly places me into a right relationship with God. And as a result of the supernatural miracle of God's grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, or because I have repented, but because of what He has done.
The Spirit of God brings justification with a shattering, radiant light, and I know I am saved, even though I don't know how it was accomplished.
You've been prayed for today...
J
Monday, November 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
"Listening to your life"
Hey, Y'all,
I was looking in my (ironically-labeled, I now realize, as some of these are a couple of years old) "future RST" folder and found this quote whose citation I've apparently lost. Here it is...
I received word recently of the passing of a 68-year-old woman who was a mom and a grandmother--she was involved in an automobile accident which left her in a coma from which she never recovered. In the words of a family friend, she was "just a normal housewife whose family was her career." When they spoke at her funeral, they all spoke about a remarkable woman who had a profound influence on their lives by "merely" being there and being faithful to God.
Here's a truth among truths: there's no substitute for the power of a steady life of faith. It may not hit you over the head, but over time, the reality of a loving life takes hold and you cannot shake it. We often hear about the more glamorous stories of radical change faith can produce, and these are indeed thrilling and inspiring stories, but the real examples are often unclaimed until someone is suddenly taken from us, or we are given time to listen to the silence of someone's life. And that silence can speak volumes.
Think of all the unsung heroes like her who will shine like stars in Heaven. It's not always--no, in fact, it's almost never the convincing argument or the riveting miracle that changes lives. It's much more often the quiet power of a steady faith that leaves the deepest impression and can win over the hardest heart.
If someone listened to your life today, what would they hear? Anxiety, fear, confusion, hurry? Or love and a faith that is bigger than all those things? What speaks loudest in your life? It's a sobering thought and I, for one, have to say I am not real pleased with the results of my own self-assessment in this regard. Good thing we've all got a little more time by the grace of God. Live well today, live well every day. You never know who'll be listening to your life.
You've been prayed for today...
J
I was looking in my (ironically-labeled, I now realize, as some of these are a couple of years old) "future RST" folder and found this quote whose citation I've apparently lost. Here it is...
I received word recently of the passing of a 68-year-old woman who was a mom and a grandmother--she was involved in an automobile accident which left her in a coma from which she never recovered. In the words of a family friend, she was "just a normal housewife whose family was her career." When they spoke at her funeral, they all spoke about a remarkable woman who had a profound influence on their lives by "merely" being there and being faithful to God.
Here's a truth among truths: there's no substitute for the power of a steady life of faith. It may not hit you over the head, but over time, the reality of a loving life takes hold and you cannot shake it. We often hear about the more glamorous stories of radical change faith can produce, and these are indeed thrilling and inspiring stories, but the real examples are often unclaimed until someone is suddenly taken from us, or we are given time to listen to the silence of someone's life. And that silence can speak volumes.
Think of all the unsung heroes like her who will shine like stars in Heaven. It's not always--no, in fact, it's almost never the convincing argument or the riveting miracle that changes lives. It's much more often the quiet power of a steady faith that leaves the deepest impression and can win over the hardest heart.
If someone listened to your life today, what would they hear? Anxiety, fear, confusion, hurry? Or love and a faith that is bigger than all those things? What speaks loudest in your life? It's a sobering thought and I, for one, have to say I am not real pleased with the results of my own self-assessment in this regard. Good thing we've all got a little more time by the grace of God. Live well today, live well every day. You never know who'll be listening to your life.
You've been prayed for today...
J
Sunday, September 13, 2009
"Pour out your heart...Lift up your hands" (Part 2)
Hey, Y'all,
Wow, a week already -- good grief! OK, on to Part 2.
So I was reading Psalm 128 again as I periodically do (it's one of my favorite passages, but that's another RST for another time :-) when I decided to also read Psalm 127 (it's funny how often I'll run across something useful or thought-provoking when I read a chapter before and/or after; you should give it a try and see if the Lord doesn't use that little bit of initiative to speak to you in a shockingly clear voice).
At any rate, I'd forgotten that Psalm 127 starts out, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain."
That's striking a pretty profound chord in me these days.
It then continues, "Don't you see that children are God's best gift, the fruit of the womb His generous legacy?"
Hmmm. Yeah. That one also found its mark. Funny how that works. I guess for me this RST is a call to action, the culmination of thoughts and conversations Evonne and I have been having recently. It's a reminder that even though much has been written about God and the Bible, and much of it is in fact worthwhile, nothing can take the place of actually opening The Book and communing with its Author directly. As we've said here before, He actually seeks us out, He relishes His time with us, His children. He knows our lives, He knows our needs; that's why the invitation woven throughout scripture -- His eternal message to us -- is to stop, even for a just moment, and be refreshed and filled, our characters refined and ennobled:
"The Lord called to the man--as He still does--and said, 'Where are you?' Come now, let us reason together. Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Whoever is thirsty, let them come; and whoever wishes, let them take the free gift of the water of life." (from Genesis 3, Isaiah 1, John 4, and Revelation 22).
You've been prayed for today...
J
Wow, a week already -- good grief! OK, on to Part 2.
So I was reading Psalm 128 again as I periodically do (it's one of my favorite passages, but that's another RST for another time :-) when I decided to also read Psalm 127 (it's funny how often I'll run across something useful or thought-provoking when I read a chapter before and/or after; you should give it a try and see if the Lord doesn't use that little bit of initiative to speak to you in a shockingly clear voice).
At any rate, I'd forgotten that Psalm 127 starts out, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain."
That's striking a pretty profound chord in me these days.
It then continues, "Don't you see that children are God's best gift, the fruit of the womb His generous legacy?"
Hmmm. Yeah. That one also found its mark. Funny how that works. I guess for me this RST is a call to action, the culmination of thoughts and conversations Evonne and I have been having recently. It's a reminder that even though much has been written about God and the Bible, and much of it is in fact worthwhile, nothing can take the place of actually opening The Book and communing with its Author directly. As we've said here before, He actually seeks us out, He relishes His time with us, His children. He knows our lives, He knows our needs; that's why the invitation woven throughout scripture -- His eternal message to us -- is to stop, even for a just moment, and be refreshed and filled, our characters refined and ennobled:
"The Lord called to the man--as He still does--and said, 'Where are you?' Come now, let us reason together. Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Whoever is thirsty, let them come; and whoever wishes, let them take the free gift of the water of life." (from Genesis 3, Isaiah 1, John 4, and Revelation 22).
You've been prayed for today...
J
Sunday, September 6, 2009
"Pour out your heart...Lift up your hands" (Part 1)
Hey, Y'all,
Happy Labor Day weekend! It's been sweet, hope you too are taking a little breather, I know I needed one. Ran across this text in an excerpt from Max Lucado's new book -- Fearless -- that really touched me (don't remember ever having read it before; but then considering it's found in the book of Lamentations it's probably not that strange):
"Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children."
Lamentations 2:19
Nice; really love the imagery, so vivid, so clear it's nearly heart-rending. Now here's the excerpt (for some reason this is all resonating with me a little more than it previously might have :-)
Jairus...begged Jesus to come to his home (Luke 8:41). The father wasn’t content with long distance assistance; he wanted Christ beneath his roof, walking through his rooms, standing at the bedside of his daughter. He wanted the presence of Christ to permeate his house. My wife displays this same longing. I will someday ask God, “Why were you so good to my daughters and me?” and he will answer by pointing to Denalyn. “She just kept talking about you and your kids.”
Denalyn takes regular prayer walks through our house, stepping into each bedroom and living area. She pauses to pray for her daughters and husband. She takes full advantage of the invitation of Lamentations 2:19: “Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children” (Lam. 2:19).
Yeah, I'm starting to understand the enormity of that need, the depth of that feeling. Now, before I lose those of you without children of your own, I'll say this: I realized a while ago that I was responsible for "my" children long before I had my first. What am I talking about?
First and most important, I realized that my walk with God was not something I would just be able to "flip on" when the time came; it's something that takes consistent, persistent effort on my part, not because God's that hard to find but because I'm that easy to distract. That's why I like to think of it as my "walk" with God; slow, rich, constant, life-long.
Secondly, I realized that I was (and am) Uncle Juan, and Tio Cacalos, and The Godfather, to more than a few little ones who watch everything I do and listen to every word I say. Am I showing them properly what a good man, a Godly man, looks like?
That's why I want -- no, why I need -- "Christ beneath my roof, walking through my rooms, standing at the bedside of my daughter. I want the presence of Christ to permeate my house," [starting with me].
More on this next post, but in the meantime...
You've been prayed for today.
J
Happy Labor Day weekend! It's been sweet, hope you too are taking a little breather, I know I needed one. Ran across this text in an excerpt from Max Lucado's new book -- Fearless -- that really touched me (don't remember ever having read it before; but then considering it's found in the book of Lamentations it's probably not that strange):
"Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children."
Lamentations 2:19
Nice; really love the imagery, so vivid, so clear it's nearly heart-rending. Now here's the excerpt (for some reason this is all resonating with me a little more than it previously might have :-)
Jairus...begged Jesus to come to his home (Luke 8:41). The father wasn’t content with long distance assistance; he wanted Christ beneath his roof, walking through his rooms, standing at the bedside of his daughter. He wanted the presence of Christ to permeate his house. My wife displays this same longing. I will someday ask God, “Why were you so good to my daughters and me?” and he will answer by pointing to Denalyn. “She just kept talking about you and your kids.”
Denalyn takes regular prayer walks through our house, stepping into each bedroom and living area. She pauses to pray for her daughters and husband. She takes full advantage of the invitation of Lamentations 2:19: “Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children” (Lam. 2:19).
Yeah, I'm starting to understand the enormity of that need, the depth of that feeling. Now, before I lose those of you without children of your own, I'll say this: I realized a while ago that I was responsible for "my" children long before I had my first. What am I talking about?
First and most important, I realized that my walk with God was not something I would just be able to "flip on" when the time came; it's something that takes consistent, persistent effort on my part, not because God's that hard to find but because I'm that easy to distract. That's why I like to think of it as my "walk" with God; slow, rich, constant, life-long.
Secondly, I realized that I was (and am) Uncle Juan, and Tio Cacalos, and The Godfather, to more than a few little ones who watch everything I do and listen to every word I say. Am I showing them properly what a good man, a Godly man, looks like?
That's why I want -- no, why I need -- "Christ beneath my roof, walking through my rooms, standing at the bedside of my daughter. I want the presence of Christ to permeate my house," [starting with me].
More on this next post, but in the meantime...
You've been prayed for today.
J
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Things To Tell Lea About God--A Continuation
Dear Lea,
As I write this you are reclined in your rocker, cooing and wiggling and listening to lullabies. It’s hard for me to imagine that you will ever experience any fatigue (like me at the moment) or depression, financial hardship, poor health, anxiety, loss… (I could go on).
All you have to do is trust us for your every need--it is, in fact, your only option. We’ll do our best not to let you down, but later on in life people you trust might; or all your own good intentions may come to nothing. One day you will be asking yourself: “Is there something wrong with God, or is it just me?”
I don’t know what the pain in your life will be, but we all have some. There are always other ways to cope and struggle along, but oddly enough, the only answer that I have found is to return to a level of trust that some might call infantile.
Lea, my hope for you is that you come to know this as the truest truth of all about yourself and God:
“You, oh God are all I [really] have,
and you give me all I [really] need…”
Psalm 16:5
For now, keep on playing, and don’t worry about the future. Come to think of it, you already get this concept of trust don’t you? I guess that’s why He said,
“…Let the little children come unto me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Unless you receive the Kingdom of Heaven like a child you will never enter it.”
Mark 10:14, 15
Love,
Mama
As I write this you are reclined in your rocker, cooing and wiggling and listening to lullabies. It’s hard for me to imagine that you will ever experience any fatigue (like me at the moment) or depression, financial hardship, poor health, anxiety, loss… (I could go on).
All you have to do is trust us for your every need--it is, in fact, your only option. We’ll do our best not to let you down, but later on in life people you trust might; or all your own good intentions may come to nothing. One day you will be asking yourself: “Is there something wrong with God, or is it just me?”
I don’t know what the pain in your life will be, but we all have some. There are always other ways to cope and struggle along, but oddly enough, the only answer that I have found is to return to a level of trust that some might call infantile.
Lea, my hope for you is that you come to know this as the truest truth of all about yourself and God:
“You, oh God are all I [really] have,
and you give me all I [really] need…”
Psalm 16:5
For now, keep on playing, and don’t worry about the future. Come to think of it, you already get this concept of trust don’t you? I guess that’s why He said,
“…Let the little children come unto me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Unless you receive the Kingdom of Heaven like a child you will never enter it.”
Mark 10:14, 15
Love,
Mama
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Already Done
Hey, Y'all,
Our brother Chris sent this text out a couple of weeks ago, been percolating in the back of my mind ever since. Funny how you see different facets of texts at different times...Thanks for the reminder, brother! Here we go:
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!
I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
Today for some reason the fact that He has already overcome the world jumped out at me. Soothing thought. He isn't someday maybe-in-the-distant-future going to overcome the lord (usurper) of this world. He's already done it. Bank on it; it's "bruised His heel, crushed his head" definitively done.
"Take heart!"
It is finished.
You've been prayed for today...
J
Our brother Chris sent this text out a couple of weeks ago, been percolating in the back of my mind ever since. Funny how you see different facets of texts at different times...Thanks for the reminder, brother! Here we go:
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!
I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
Today for some reason the fact that He has already overcome the world jumped out at me. Soothing thought. He isn't someday maybe-in-the-distant-future going to overcome the lord (usurper) of this world. He's already done it. Bank on it; it's "bruised His heel, crushed his head" definitively done.
"Take heart!"
It is finished.
You've been prayed for today...
J
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
What is God like? Reeds and Wicks
Hey, Y'all,
It occurs to me that one of these days Lea is going to ask her dad what God is like. Been thinking about the answer; get the feeling this could take a while :-) So here's the first in a series...
This is what God is like, little Lea:
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
Isaiah 42:3
How 'bout you? What is God like?
You've been prayed for today.
J
It occurs to me that one of these days Lea is going to ask her dad what God is like. Been thinking about the answer; get the feeling this could take a while :-) So here's the first in a series...
This is what God is like, little Lea:
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
Isaiah 42:3
How 'bout you? What is God like?
You've been prayed for today.
J
Sunday, July 26, 2009
"Not Of This World"
Hey, Y'all,
Today's (somewhat crankified :-) RST is a follow-up to the "Flocks and Fields" one, but the funny thing is that it actually preceded and helped crystallize it. So anyway, here we go...
Observed the other day (for the nth time) a giant sticker in a car window stating in oversized pseudo-goth wannabe-hardcore font: "Not Of This World."
Muttered under my breath (for the nth time): "Not Of This World!" (yes, I did do the sarcastic 'air quotes' -- ask Evonne). "Not Of This World? Not of any use whatsoever!"
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Before I get thirty e-mails explaining the concept using really small words, it's OK, Mr. Grumpypants gets it: "in" and not "of" blahbittyblah, I get it. I'm just sayin'.
It's the too-often seen underlying sentiment that perturbs me--you probably know what I'm talking about. It goes a little like this:
"Not Of This World."
I'm a little bit better than you.
I have more Light. I have The Truth.
I need to stay away from you lest you soil me because
(wait for it)
I am not of this world; I'm just holding my nose and waiting for the next one.
So why does that sticker aggravate me? Because it seems to me that that is not how we're supposed to live. Even a casual glance at the gospels shows us that Christ was very much of this world. And before I get those thirty e-mails again, let me just remind you: He is the Son of God but He also repeatedly calls Himself the Son of Man. Jesus got His hands dirty--touching lepers, making mud with which to cure blind men, relishing interaction with all manner of questionable characters (you and me chief among them, I might add :-).
And just in case it wasn't completely clear, in His "opening manifesto" (The Sermon On The Mount recorded in Matthew 5, 6, and 7) He pointedly states, "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world." Salt in the shaker is of no use whatsoever; neither is a light that won't shine.
So how 'bout it: are you "of this world" or not?
You've been prayed for today...
J
Today's (somewhat crankified :-) RST is a follow-up to the "Flocks and Fields" one, but the funny thing is that it actually preceded and helped crystallize it. So anyway, here we go...
Observed the other day (for the nth time) a giant sticker in a car window stating in oversized pseudo-goth wannabe-hardcore font: "Not Of This World."
Muttered under my breath (for the nth time): "Not Of This World!" (yes, I did do the sarcastic 'air quotes' -- ask Evonne). "Not Of This World? Not of any use whatsoever!"
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Before I get thirty e-mails explaining the concept using really small words, it's OK, Mr. Grumpypants gets it: "in" and not "of" blahbittyblah, I get it. I'm just sayin'.
It's the too-often seen underlying sentiment that perturbs me--you probably know what I'm talking about. It goes a little like this:
"Not Of This World."
I'm a little bit better than you.
I have more Light. I have The Truth.
I need to stay away from you lest you soil me because
(wait for it)
I am not of this world; I'm just holding my nose and waiting for the next one.
So why does that sticker aggravate me? Because it seems to me that that is not how we're supposed to live. Even a casual glance at the gospels shows us that Christ was very much of this world. And before I get those thirty e-mails again, let me just remind you: He is the Son of God but He also repeatedly calls Himself the Son of Man. Jesus got His hands dirty--touching lepers, making mud with which to cure blind men, relishing interaction with all manner of questionable characters (you and me chief among them, I might add :-).
And just in case it wasn't completely clear, in His "opening manifesto" (The Sermon On The Mount recorded in Matthew 5, 6, and 7) He pointedly states, "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world." Salt in the shaker is of no use whatsoever; neither is a light that won't shine.
So how 'bout it: are you "of this world" or not?
You've been prayed for today...
J
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Taste and See
Hey, Y'all,
Happy Sabbath, again -- man, time flies when you're having fun (and sleeping intermittently :-) Today for no particular reason woke up feeling (aside from a mite groggy) all kinds of profound contentment; deep joy; sweet peace. I keep hearing this text in my head:
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8
You know what? I am blessed. Without measure.
And He is very good.
You've been prayed for today...
J
Happy Sabbath, again -- man, time flies when you're having fun (and sleeping intermittently :-) Today for no particular reason woke up feeling (aside from a mite groggy) all kinds of profound contentment; deep joy; sweet peace. I keep hearing this text in my head:
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8
You know what? I am blessed. Without measure.
And He is very good.
You've been prayed for today...
J
Saturday, July 4, 2009
InDependence
Hey, Y'all,
Happy Sabbath, and happy 233rd birthday, America. I'll admit it: I'm a patriot. I love this country, utterly...although admittedly these days it's more the ideal of this country that I love. So I thought that for starters I'd share one of my favorite quotes with y'all (if I remember right I owe this one to Linden--thanks man!). Samuel Adams, one of the founding fathers, said:
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”
Righteous...
OK, so on a completely different tack...Had a not-entirely-random thought most ironical this morning (wait, what am I, Yoda?!?). Anyway, it occurred to me--today being Independence Day and all--that we as a nation have always valued (or at least paid a great deal of lip service to) independence: "Do it yourself." "He pulled himself up by his bootstraps." "I did it my way." Sounds good; noble; right.
Thus couldn't help but feel anew the tension inherent in trying to reconcile that mentality (or, more correctly, that work ethic) with the completely contrasting idea put forth by Christ: that dependence on God is the only path to rest, and peace, and significance.
You can race around frantically trying to achieve, to fix it (whatever "it" is), to do all the stuff you have to do. To take care of it yourself. To do it yourself. Unfortunately, it's an utter fallacy. The only thing you achieve is complete bone weariness and worn-out frustration.
Here are the verses that kept bookending my ruminations:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:5
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:12,13
May we come to see that striving for so-called independence from God is a sure way to run yourself ragged and find yourself wholly thwarted; that only in dependence can true meaning and real peace be found.
You've been prayed for today...
J
Happy Sabbath, and happy 233rd birthday, America. I'll admit it: I'm a patriot. I love this country, utterly...although admittedly these days it's more the ideal of this country that I love. So I thought that for starters I'd share one of my favorite quotes with y'all (if I remember right I owe this one to Linden--thanks man!). Samuel Adams, one of the founding fathers, said:
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”
Righteous...
OK, so on a completely different tack...Had a not-entirely-random thought most ironical this morning (wait, what am I, Yoda?!?). Anyway, it occurred to me--today being Independence Day and all--that we as a nation have always valued (or at least paid a great deal of lip service to) independence: "Do it yourself." "He pulled himself up by his bootstraps." "I did it my way." Sounds good; noble; right.
Thus couldn't help but feel anew the tension inherent in trying to reconcile that mentality (or, more correctly, that work ethic) with the completely contrasting idea put forth by Christ: that dependence on God is the only path to rest, and peace, and significance.
You can race around frantically trying to achieve, to fix it (whatever "it" is), to do all the stuff you have to do. To take care of it yourself. To do it yourself. Unfortunately, it's an utter fallacy. The only thing you achieve is complete bone weariness and worn-out frustration.
Here are the verses that kept bookending my ruminations:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:5
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Philippians 4:12,13
May we come to see that striving for so-called independence from God is a sure way to run yourself ragged and find yourself wholly thwarted; that only in dependence can true meaning and real peace be found.
You've been prayed for today...
J
Monday, June 29, 2009
Flocks and Fields
Hey, Y'all,
No, your eyes are not deceiving you: RSTs are back! You'll notice a couple of new things (including a space below for your responses/thoughts) and there's more yet to come. But for now, welcome back!
So, how do we kick off the new-and-improved RSTs blog? Funny you should ask. This particular idea has been simmering for some time now, but a few days ago I ran across this thought that I'd saved a while back. It's funny 'cause I'd just been thinking that we're at the Christmas Equinox (at least that's what I'm calling it) -- the day in the year at which point we are farthest from Christmas. I'd been listening to Christmas music--sounded really sweet and seemed to make the summer heat less oppressive...At any rate, that essay by Jon Walker of PurposeDrivenLife.com referenced this text that finally crystallized the not-entirely-random spiritual thought for today:
“The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.”
Luke 2:20 (NLT)
I love that. Now read the text again, slowly; see anything interesting?
These shepherds heard the angels; they saw the Christ child. What did they do in response? Did they run off and ensconce themselves in a monastery somewhere where they could preserve the purity of their experience and not be "soiled" by the common?
Nope. They went back to their flocks and fields. Glorifying and praising God, but they went back. They went back to work. They went back to school. They washed the dishes and took out the garbage and did their laundry and paid their taxes. They went back to their flocks and fields.
So too must we. If we are to be of any use in this world we must always return to our flocks and our fields. Christ's life, our chief example, illustrates this principle over and over. The Sermon on the Mount in fact states it explicitly--we are the light of the world (of no use whatsoever if covered up), we are the salt of the earth (of no use whatsoever if safely in the saltshaker).
So: you know that in one way or another angels have sung in your life and you've seen God; what flock has God placed in your hands to tend? What field has He given you to work?
You've been prayed for today...
J
No, your eyes are not deceiving you: RSTs are back! You'll notice a couple of new things (including a space below for your responses/thoughts) and there's more yet to come. But for now, welcome back!
So, how do we kick off the new-and-improved RSTs blog? Funny you should ask. This particular idea has been simmering for some time now, but a few days ago I ran across this thought that I'd saved a while back. It's funny 'cause I'd just been thinking that we're at the Christmas Equinox (at least that's what I'm calling it) -- the day in the year at which point we are farthest from Christmas. I'd been listening to Christmas music--sounded really sweet and seemed to make the summer heat less oppressive...At any rate, that essay by Jon Walker of PurposeDrivenLife.com referenced this text that finally crystallized the not-entirely-random spiritual thought for today:
“The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.”
Luke 2:20 (NLT)
I love that. Now read the text again, slowly; see anything interesting?
These shepherds heard the angels; they saw the Christ child. What did they do in response? Did they run off and ensconce themselves in a monastery somewhere where they could preserve the purity of their experience and not be "soiled" by the common?
Nope. They went back to their flocks and fields. Glorifying and praising God, but they went back. They went back to work. They went back to school. They washed the dishes and took out the garbage and did their laundry and paid their taxes. They went back to their flocks and fields.
So too must we. If we are to be of any use in this world we must always return to our flocks and our fields. Christ's life, our chief example, illustrates this principle over and over. The Sermon on the Mount in fact states it explicitly--we are the light of the world (of no use whatsoever if covered up), we are the salt of the earth (of no use whatsoever if safely in the saltshaker).
So: you know that in one way or another angels have sung in your life and you've seen God; what flock has God placed in your hands to tend? What field has He given you to work?
You've been prayed for today...
J
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