"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations." ~ Ps 67:1
The first part of this verse is very familiar to most of us. It's a blessing that is often spoken as a benediction to close worship services and send us on our way. Today as I read it, I am drawn to the result of God's graciousness and His "face shining on us"... that His ways and His salvation may be known around the world to ALL nations. That's every person in the world!
Do you consider yourself blessed? If so, are you using that blessing to bring the good news of salvation through Christ to the people around you? How are the ways of God being made known to the people around you? Let His light shine through you and remember: you are blessed so that....
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The God of my life
"All day long the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me - a prayer to the God of my life."
~ Psalm 42:8
This evening in church a song that was shared referenced Psalm 42. While the ensemble sang, I decided to read the passage. The verse I quoted above jumped off the page and I immediately committed it to memory. I had walked to church and on the way home, I meditated on this word. In part, I was asking myself why it spoke to me so deeply.
"All day long the Lord directs His love." The Lord is constantly active in my life throughout the day. He has orchestrated the day with abundant opportunities to experience His love in the forms of blessings, discipline, grace, beauty... so much more. As He directs His love, He does so in such a way as to teach me and to help me grow deeper in my walk with Him. As He directs His love, He shows me opportunities to be an instrument of His love to others in my path.
"His song is with me at night." As I lie down each evening, it is the Lord's song that comes to bring praise and honor and glory, thankfulness for how He has directed His love all day long. It is His song that comforts me when I have had a difficult day; His lullaby sings me to sleep. It is His song that reminds me that I am His child.
"A prayer..." How is the Lord's directing of His love and the presence of His song a prayer? I wonder, is this what the psalmist intended? Then I thought about the promise that the Spirit prays on our behalf... with sighs to deep for words... (or something like that, I'll have to look it up)... So, the Lord/Spirit is praying on my behalf through Love and Song! That's cool. I like that idea! I think for now I can accept that... and still need to ponder this verse for many more days. I'm excited to see what the Spirit my show me about Our Father's love.
"to the God of my life." The God of MY LIFE... wow! This idea isn't necessarily new to me, but I heard it fresh today. I'm challenged to rethink how I live my day to day life. Am I living as if I believe that God is THE God of my life? How can I allow the Lord's directing of His love all day and His song that is with me at night to compel me to make my life a prayer, a song of praise, to Him?
Oh, Lord. Help me to be aware of the ways you are directing your Love in my day to day activities. Teach me your song as you bring it to me at night. Mold my heart that I may sing your praises, be an instrument of your love, and that my life may be a prayer to you, THE God of my life.
~ Psalm 42:8
This evening in church a song that was shared referenced Psalm 42. While the ensemble sang, I decided to read the passage. The verse I quoted above jumped off the page and I immediately committed it to memory. I had walked to church and on the way home, I meditated on this word. In part, I was asking myself why it spoke to me so deeply.
"All day long the Lord directs His love." The Lord is constantly active in my life throughout the day. He has orchestrated the day with abundant opportunities to experience His love in the forms of blessings, discipline, grace, beauty... so much more. As He directs His love, He does so in such a way as to teach me and to help me grow deeper in my walk with Him. As He directs His love, He shows me opportunities to be an instrument of His love to others in my path.
"His song is with me at night." As I lie down each evening, it is the Lord's song that comes to bring praise and honor and glory, thankfulness for how He has directed His love all day long. It is His song that comforts me when I have had a difficult day; His lullaby sings me to sleep. It is His song that reminds me that I am His child.
"A prayer..." How is the Lord's directing of His love and the presence of His song a prayer? I wonder, is this what the psalmist intended? Then I thought about the promise that the Spirit prays on our behalf... with sighs to deep for words... (or something like that, I'll have to look it up)... So, the Lord/Spirit is praying on my behalf through Love and Song! That's cool. I like that idea! I think for now I can accept that... and still need to ponder this verse for many more days. I'm excited to see what the Spirit my show me about Our Father's love.
"to the God of my life." The God of MY LIFE... wow! This idea isn't necessarily new to me, but I heard it fresh today. I'm challenged to rethink how I live my day to day life. Am I living as if I believe that God is THE God of my life? How can I allow the Lord's directing of His love all day and His song that is with me at night to compel me to make my life a prayer, a song of praise, to Him?
Oh, Lord. Help me to be aware of the ways you are directing your Love in my day to day activities. Teach me your song as you bring it to me at night. Mold my heart that I may sing your praises, be an instrument of your love, and that my life may be a prayer to you, THE God of my life.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Fruit of my lips...
"From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things, as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.... A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult... Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." ~ Proverbs 12: 14, 16, 18
Recently I lost a "friend" on facebook. I had posted a comment that expressed frustration over some difficulty I'd been having with a relationship. My friend assumed that I was talking about him; he "de-friended" me. (This "de-friending" concept is interesting to ponder, but I'll save it for another time. :)
I'm big on communication and have to admit that I was disappointed that my friend made an assumption, rather than just asking me about the comment. However, I also had to recognize that, while I wasn't taking about my friend, he did have a valid point about my post. The fact is that things we say on Facebook or other social networking sites are seen by any number of people. So, I ask myself, "Do I have a responsibility in what I choose to post? Am I responsible for how the words I express are interpreted by others?"
When we feel attacked, we often want to respond with words that defend our position on a specific issue or circumstance. However, I hope to learn from the example of Christ. "Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge." ~Matthew 27:14... Is it not better to keep silent, than to say something that can cause harm, even unintentionally?
I want my words to be words of encouragement and praise. "Through Jesus let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His Name. And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." ~Hebrews 13:15-16 ...If my words cannot do these two things: 1) Offer a sacrifice of praise and 2) do and share good with others, then it would be better if I remained silent.
Peace of Christ to you.
Recently I lost a "friend" on facebook. I had posted a comment that expressed frustration over some difficulty I'd been having with a relationship. My friend assumed that I was talking about him; he "de-friended" me. (This "de-friending" concept is interesting to ponder, but I'll save it for another time. :)
I'm big on communication and have to admit that I was disappointed that my friend made an assumption, rather than just asking me about the comment. However, I also had to recognize that, while I wasn't taking about my friend, he did have a valid point about my post. The fact is that things we say on Facebook or other social networking sites are seen by any number of people. So, I ask myself, "Do I have a responsibility in what I choose to post? Am I responsible for how the words I express are interpreted by others?"
When we feel attacked, we often want to respond with words that defend our position on a specific issue or circumstance. However, I hope to learn from the example of Christ. "Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge." ~Matthew 27:14... Is it not better to keep silent, than to say something that can cause harm, even unintentionally?
I want my words to be words of encouragement and praise. "Through Jesus let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His Name. And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." ~Hebrews 13:15-16 ...If my words cannot do these two things: 1) Offer a sacrifice of praise and 2) do and share good with others, then it would be better if I remained silent.
Peace of Christ to you.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Joy along the Journey
"You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done." Psalm 92:4
"Joy is simple (not to be confused with easy). At any moment in life we have at least two options, and one of them is to choose an attitude of gratitude, a posture of grace, a commitment to joy." ~Tim Hansel
I've been reading a book called You Gotta Keep Dancin' by Tim Hansel. Mr. Hansel was injured in a climbing accident, which resulted in chronic pain. While he spends some time talking about his own difficulties, his words of encouragement are for anyone who suffers physically, emotionally or spiritually. His own journey has lead him to joy.
I want to be joyful as I journey the path that has been set before me through personal choice and God's design. After recent surgery, I experienced great joy; I was able to see God's hand upon my situation and know that He had brought miraculous healing to my life. I don't want to let that joy go! A new medication I began taking left me feeling tired and I also noticed that I seemed to be depressed. These are good days to remember that joy is a choice I can make every day and in every circumstance.
Joy doesn't guarantee that every day will be perfect. Certainly, there will be days when I struggle with feeling well physically and emotionally. However, I can look at my life and recognize the good that God has already done for me and know that He will do it again. The days I feel weak and unable are the days that I can say, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." (Nehemiah 8:10
Monday, September 6, 2010
Forgetting what lies behind...
"Forgetting what lies behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 3:13b-14
I've read this passage many times and, like most people, I've assumed that the past we are to forget is all the negative, unpleasant or sinful things of our past. However, during a recent conversation with fellow Christians, I realized that in the context of Paul's writing, his statement actually follows a laundry list of all the achievements and accolades that can be attributed to him. So, the past he forgets includes all these things, too. I cannot move forward with Christ if I am overly focused on past successes, or overly consumed by past failures. None of these things matter; it is obtaining the things that Jesus has planned for my future that are most important to my journey.
Today, on this leg of my journey, I have the assignment of learning what it means to live a life of humility. I have been accused of enjoying the limelight a little too much and in many ways I think that's true. Being recognized has played a large role in my self-esteem. I love the laugh, the pat on the back, the golden star. But those things are all about me and I don't want that to be true of me. I long to leave behind my past habit of seeking to be seen and desire to live a life of humility... being humble and meek in the ways that Christ my Savior is humble and meek.
I hope that this blog will be an avenue to journal the journey. As I begin it today, I don't know when I'll actually post it for my friends to follow. I guess for now, it will be to whomever the Lords reveals it... I wonder if making it known to many would be humble, or "limelight seeking"... Guess I'll find out in time.
This blog is also a part of my accountability to be in the Word on a daily basis. If I am to become all the God has planned for me to be, I have to communicate with Him through study and prayer. If you are a praying person, please pray for me to be diligent in studying His Word. Thanks.
I've read this passage many times and, like most people, I've assumed that the past we are to forget is all the negative, unpleasant or sinful things of our past. However, during a recent conversation with fellow Christians, I realized that in the context of Paul's writing, his statement actually follows a laundry list of all the achievements and accolades that can be attributed to him. So, the past he forgets includes all these things, too. I cannot move forward with Christ if I am overly focused on past successes, or overly consumed by past failures. None of these things matter; it is obtaining the things that Jesus has planned for my future that are most important to my journey.
Today, on this leg of my journey, I have the assignment of learning what it means to live a life of humility. I have been accused of enjoying the limelight a little too much and in many ways I think that's true. Being recognized has played a large role in my self-esteem. I love the laugh, the pat on the back, the golden star. But those things are all about me and I don't want that to be true of me. I long to leave behind my past habit of seeking to be seen and desire to live a life of humility... being humble and meek in the ways that Christ my Savior is humble and meek.
I hope that this blog will be an avenue to journal the journey. As I begin it today, I don't know when I'll actually post it for my friends to follow. I guess for now, it will be to whomever the Lords reveals it... I wonder if making it known to many would be humble, or "limelight seeking"... Guess I'll find out in time.
This blog is also a part of my accountability to be in the Word on a daily basis. If I am to become all the God has planned for me to be, I have to communicate with Him through study and prayer. If you are a praying person, please pray for me to be diligent in studying His Word. Thanks.
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