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
Saturday, July 11, 2009
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
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Take Heed!
Hey, Y'all,
Today's RST is short but solid; gotta remember to make it a point to remember, 'cause Lord knows we're prone to amnesia (or maybe it's just me again :-)
"Take heed, and guard your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children..."
Deuteronomy 4:9
There are so many things to chew on in this passage--here're a few:
"Guard your soul diligently" -- half-hearted (or actual disregard in my) efforts will not suffice as we do have an Adversary and his greatest joy is our misery.
"Take heed...lest you forget" -- yeah, 'cause that never happens.
"Lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart" -- this is the crux of the matter: He's been mighty good to me, I've seen it with my own eyes, yet how often does that fact "depart from my mind and heart" (interesting too how it addresses both my logical and emotional ways of remembering).
"Teach them to your children and your children's children..." -- no greater joy, no greater responsibility.
So there you go--any thoughts?
"Take heed, and guard your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children..."
You've been prayed for today...
Today's RST is short but solid; gotta remember to make it a point to remember, 'cause Lord knows we're prone to amnesia (or maybe it's just me again :-)
"Take heed, and guard your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children..."
Deuteronomy 4:9
There are so many things to chew on in this passage--here're a few:
"Guard your soul diligently" -- half-hearted (or actual disregard in my) efforts will not suffice as we do have an Adversary and his greatest joy is our misery.
"Take heed...lest you forget" -- yeah, 'cause that never happens.
"Lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart" -- this is the crux of the matter: He's been mighty good to me, I've seen it with my own eyes, yet how often does that fact "depart from my mind and heart" (interesting too how it addresses both my logical and emotional ways of remembering).
"Teach them to your children and your children's children..." -- no greater joy, no greater responsibility.
So there you go--any thoughts?
"Take heed, and guard your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your mind and heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children's children..."
You've been prayed for today...
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Action, Not Words
Hey, Y'all,
Today's RST is based on a powerful thought of Max Lucado's -- I'd never thought of this passage in quite this way before.
Genesis 3:21 has been called 'the first gospel sermon,' preached not by preachers, but by God himself. And not in words, but in symbol and action.
'The LORD God made clothes from animal skins for the man and his wife and clothed them.'
God covered them. He protected them.
Love always does.
Made me think immediately of Psalm 91 -- to say nothing of the innumerable other passages describing the Lord's relentless love and actual affection for us, yes, even to the point of covering us and our shortcomings. Reminds me yet again --I don't get tired of this visual -- of the prodigal's father and His reaction to his son's appearance on the horizon (Luke 15:20):
'But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.'
Yep, consistent is our God; it's 'the first gospel sermon,' reiterated, and again, not in words, but in powerful symbol and unmistakable action. God is entirely too good to me, to you.
You've been prayed for today...
Today's RST is based on a powerful thought of Max Lucado's -- I'd never thought of this passage in quite this way before.
Genesis 3:21 has been called 'the first gospel sermon,' preached not by preachers, but by God himself. And not in words, but in symbol and action.
'The LORD God made clothes from animal skins for the man and his wife and clothed them.'
God covered them. He protected them.
Love always does.
Made me think immediately of Psalm 91 -- to say nothing of the innumerable other passages describing the Lord's relentless love and actual affection for us, yes, even to the point of covering us and our shortcomings. Reminds me yet again --I don't get tired of this visual -- of the prodigal's father and His reaction to his son's appearance on the horizon (Luke 15:20):
'But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.'
Yep, consistent is our God; it's 'the first gospel sermon,' reiterated, and again, not in words, but in powerful symbol and unmistakable action. God is entirely too good to me, to you.
You've been prayed for today...
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Delight, Petitions
Hey, Y'all,
So I ran across this text and a funny thing happened: I read it, but it didn't sit well with me; so I read it again, and interestingly, I heard something different when I read it that second time.
Here's the text:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
In all honesty it annoyed me a little bit that first time through. I think we're all big boys and girls and know that it's patently absurd to chronically expect to get what we want; sounded a little too "God is Santa Claus" to me. So I read it again (a couple of times :-) and this is what it sounded like:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."
So I read it again:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."
And once more:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."
That kind of made me sit up a little straighter. He will, wait, He has, He does, give me the desires of my heart. It's entirely possible that if I'm still thinking that I'd be better off with a giant estate or a better car, I can't quite see it that way. Maybe my desires need refining (or outright correction).
Another version of the text says that He'll give me "the secret petitions of my heart" if I find in Him my delight. Which got me thinking: what does that look like? How do I delight myself in the Lord? And is it possible that I've already received those "petitions of my heart" (and more) but I am only truly aware of it when He's actively influencing my understanding of "reality"? And what do I have rattling around in that part of my heart? What do I need to discuss further with Him? What (else) does He need to be made Lord over?
How 'bout you? Anything come to mind?
You've been prayed for today...
So I ran across this text and a funny thing happened: I read it, but it didn't sit well with me; so I read it again, and interestingly, I heard something different when I read it that second time.
Here's the text:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
In all honesty it annoyed me a little bit that first time through. I think we're all big boys and girls and know that it's patently absurd to chronically expect to get what we want; sounded a little too "God is Santa Claus" to me. So I read it again (a couple of times :-) and this is what it sounded like:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."
So I read it again:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."
And once more:
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will change the desires of your heart."
That kind of made me sit up a little straighter. He will, wait, He has, He does, give me the desires of my heart. It's entirely possible that if I'm still thinking that I'd be better off with a giant estate or a better car, I can't quite see it that way. Maybe my desires need refining (or outright correction).
Another version of the text says that He'll give me "the secret petitions of my heart" if I find in Him my delight. Which got me thinking: what does that look like? How do I delight myself in the Lord? And is it possible that I've already received those "petitions of my heart" (and more) but I am only truly aware of it when He's actively influencing my understanding of "reality"? And what do I have rattling around in that part of my heart? What do I need to discuss further with Him? What (else) does He need to be made Lord over?
How 'bout you? Anything come to mind?
You've been prayed for today...
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
In The Arena?
Hey, Y'all,
Today's thought is not, at first blush, obviously spiritual, but I'm reminded of the quote that states that "Truth is Truth, even if you find it waiting for you in an unlikely place." I'm convinced that our God is big enough to reach us in unconventional ways. So here we go -- words to live by indeed:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
Reminded me of something we discussed in church this past Sabbath -- the principle that rarely (if ever) does anything of any real significance come about by happenstance; nothing meaningful ever happens by accident. We must be deliberate, we must be intentional, if we expect to achieve anything of value, and this is doubly so in the spiritual arena where we are at all times (aware of it or not) in conflict with an Adversary whose primary goal is to disrupt our pursuit of genuine and meaningful interaction, of relationship if you will, with Our God.
Today's thought is not, at first blush, obviously spiritual, but I'm reminded of the quote that states that "Truth is Truth, even if you find it waiting for you in an unlikely place." I'm convinced that our God is big enough to reach us in unconventional ways. So here we go -- words to live by indeed:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
Reminded me of something we discussed in church this past Sabbath -- the principle that rarely (if ever) does anything of any real significance come about by happenstance; nothing meaningful ever happens by accident. We must be deliberate, we must be intentional, if we expect to achieve anything of value, and this is doubly so in the spiritual arena where we are at all times (aware of it or not) in conflict with an Adversary whose primary goal is to disrupt our pursuit of genuine and meaningful interaction, of relationship if you will, with Our God.
So that's the deal; are you going to strive valiantly, yes, even erring and coming up short again and again? Or are you going to sleepwalk, or sit on the sidelines, or worse still, be one who critiques those in the arena? You are either one, or the other. Make your choice.
You've been prayed for today...
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