cleaning

A day of cleaning... bathroom... shower... floors... spontaneously turned to cleaning... spiritual cleaning...

Prayers throughout the house... blessings... protection... peace... 

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,

and establish the work of our hands upon us;

yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:17

ESV

in the Word

The Word made flesh... have you seen it?
Have you become it?

Identifying your life in the Word... through others gone before... have you?

Today... I'm Simon... in the boat... a net to cast...

...[Jesus] said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

Luke 5:4-5

(my emphasis)

The net I'm dropping doesn't look like it's made for deep water... I'm thinking it's a waste of energy...

But because You say so... I will...

The net cast into the deep... now the wait...

Who are you fleshing out these days?

Do you see yourself in Scripture?

a continual burning

Today I read...

The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn the fat of the peace offerings. Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

Leviticus 6:12-13

ESV

How to keep the fire burning... ...the living sacrifice and the priest... one...?

Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?

The question of disciples on a journey... Jesus the flame... igniting the altar with the Word... hearts aflame...

Have you brought your peace offering today?

Stirred the flames?

Prepared the sacrifice?

bearing a name

Aaron... first High Priest... a name to bear...

"Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal:

Holy to the Lord.

Fasten a blue cord to it to attach to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. It will be on Aaron's forehead..."

Exodus 28:36-38

A precious name engraved in gold...

Holy to the Lord...

We too are priests... high priests... a royal priesthood...

How awesome to think we bear such a precious name...

Holy to the Lord...

holy -- to be set apart

Enhanced Strong's Lexicon

Do you bear the name well...

do you wear it as if it were precious...

or is it a burden?



name

A name... meaningless unless you know...

know -- verb -- to perceive directly: have direct cognition of; to have understanding of; to recognize the nature of: discern; to be acquainted or familiar with; to have experience of

Reminded of this truth... reading:

      ...their perfectly formed mouths singing Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart's Nocturnes 1 and 2.

--- Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts

...specific name... no meaning... no Nocturne experience... 1... 2... or otherwise... unfamiliar... unacquainted... therefore the naming did not reveal...

Jeremiah 15:16....
      Your words came, and I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.

...Words sweet because of His name... His character... bearing His name...

An indicator... how does His Word taste to you... is it sweet... does it bring delight... joy... is it tasteless...

Consider if you know His name...

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8:9

praise

What an awesome God... who did what He did... that we might live...

Seeing my dad... a reminder of that truth...

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits --

who forgives all our sins

and heals all our diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

popa... my dad...

He just walked into my dream... walking his walk...
smiling... radiant... real...
his white mane... tanned skin... strong...
not part of the dream... an unexpected intruder...
walking straight to me... focused on me...
What are you doing here?... heart welling with emotion...
joy...
he reached for my face... both hands...
I for his...
gone...
he disappeared...

Fully awake... filled with new... fresh... pain of loss...
sobs that won't stop...
I miss my dad... 13 years he's been gone...
I hate death...

pain stirred fresh... why now... why today...

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Revelation 21:3, 4

(emphasis mine)

Do not be ignorant about those who fall asleep or grieve like the rest of men who have no hope... Jesus died and rose again... encourage each other with these words. 

Heavenly Father, I'm grateful that You hate death too... grateful You came and destroyed its reign... thank You, Jesus...

identity crisis

Over the last month, I've had four experiences... encounters... that have made me say: Who am I???

Invited into grief... Who am I to help with such pain?

Four adjectives used to identify me... ones I would never use of myself... a son not recognizing me in them... Who am I... what do others see?

A death... deep grief... unexpected... like the loss of a brother... Who am I... bound to another through the Spirit in love?

A request ... sent via a son: Ask your mother to pray... Who am I to be sought to bring a family to God in prayer...?

Unexpected people... unexpected requests... unexpected feelings... unexpected descriptions...

After 17 years... still transforming... still growing... filling the skin of new creation... shocking when others see what you don't... 

Who am I...

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror...

Now I know in part...

1Corinthians 13:12

Who are you... what are you becoming?

God fills

This week I started empty...
really... no words... no God-thoughts... just empty...

Amazing... how by faith... we do what God asks... even when we have nothing... bring nothing... just faith... He fills...

Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,

who alone does marvelous deeds.

Praise be to his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72:17

empty to be filled

Fullness of joy is discovered only in the emptying of will.

--- Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

Empty...

to be filled...

joy in waiting...
joy in serving...

joy in worship...

joy-full...

the great thing about being empty...

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

serving and sacrifice

To serve... wait... worship... in the moment... moment by moment... we must be empty...

Empty of... expectations... agendas... self-interests... self...

Exodus...
The work of worship: sacrifice... killing of livestock...

Jesus... our Sacrifice... self-emptied...

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship.

Romans 12:1

 {Lead Me to the Cross -- video link for email subscribers}

Lord, Jesus, lead me to the cross, rid me of myself, I long to worship wholly and serve fully...

What do you need to sacrifice in your life to worship well?

Are you willing to self-empty to serve?

serving and worship

Serve...

Worship...

used interchangably by translators...

Exodus...

Let My people go that they may serve Me... worship Me...

As long as the Israelites worked for Pharaoh... served him... they could not serve Him...

Trapped in slavery... His people could not serve... worship...

Trapped as slaves to sin... His people cannot serve... worship...

To worship is to have a heart of service for whatever it is you worship...

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey -- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

Romans 6:16

Believers are no longer held by sin...

we are dead to sin...

freed by Christ...

Free to worship... serve... whom we choose...

A life free to serve Him...

a life free to worship...

We're in no hurry, God. We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you've done are all we'll ever want.

Isaiah 26:8

Msg

What is the state of your worship?
Who do you choose... the flesh... the Spirit... Life... death...?

serving and waiting

Serve...
Wait...
Both require attentiveness... alertness to the next call...

Those who are served -- self-serving -- make the call... give the command...

Servers... waiters... listen... in every circumstance... every situation... not looking to self but to Master... always attentive... waiting...

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

Psalm 130:5

ESV

Who are you serving? ...yourself or the Lord?

On whom do you wait?

empty

What's great about being empty?
There's lots of room to be filled...

Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy,

fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives,

filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit,

will brim over with hope!

Romans 15:13

Msg

easily stirred

Today I find myself easily stirred...
trying to rest wholly...
yet little things...
looming deadlines...
stir up my heart and prevent rest...

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength,

but you would have none of it. ..."

Isaiah 30:15

Why is it so hard?

Why -- some days -- do I choose none of it?

consumer warning

New facets of sin glare in my own heart...
exposed by a diet of Word...

A black box warning on every Bible should read:

Consumption has been found to expose varying degrees of evil in the heart resulting in a desire to die to self!

To follow the Word requires self-crucifixion...

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ..."

Luke 9:23

...daily self-crucifixion...

Today I'm willing to die to self...
seeing new and deeper levels of selfishness...
transforming eyes shining light into the darkness of my own heart... things I don't want to be...

The response: repent...
agree with the Word regarding the sin...
confess...
seek forgiveness...
give thanks...

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

 as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:8-12

Lord Jesus, I choose to agree with what You've revealed in my heart... selfishness has a stronghold I can hardly fathom... Forgive me, Lord... Thank You for Your extravagant love and grace... I choose to follow You... 

good vision... another reason to eat the Word

Without God's Word as a lens, the world warps.

Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

She talks of "Scripture glasses" to help us see clearly the Light in the world around us... I want to take it deeper...

Scripture is not something we wear on the outside... an accessory... it is something taken internally...

Eating God's Word for good vision is like eating carrots for good eyesight...

Vitamin A helps alleviate night blindness...

God's Word brings light to the dark...

Our internal lens... the eyes of our heart... need to be transformed through appropriate spiritual nutrition... the consumption of Scripture... prayed... meditated... translated by the Spirit... then we begin to see the Word made flesh all around us...

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" --Jesus

Matthew 6:22, 23

Eat God's Word every day...

develope an appetite...

the more you eat the more you'll want...

You'll soon be seeing Light in the dark...

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 18:28

a prayer to the Rock

 To the One who's harder than hard things...

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord,

for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God;

may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Psalm 143:8-10

no words

The world is full of hard things...
death...
broken marriages...
incurable diseases...
arrests...
babies born too soon...

No words...
just peace and confidence in God's presence and love...

What, then, shall we say in response to this?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

weary

To rest wholly...
you must trust wholly...

Whether it's a chair...
a person...
or God...

Weariness comes from not resting wholly...

Lord, teach me to rest wholly in You.

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." -- Jesus

Matthew 11:29

resting

A day for resting...
a day for re-storing energy...
a day for re-creating order...

Be at rest once more, O my soul,

for the Lord has been good to you.

Psalm 116:7



Psalm 119: Samekh

Somehow I've let more than a month slip by without offering up a portion of Psalm 119, the current entree... Christmas must have gotten in the way... the cook too busy talking...

Today we're back to Psalm 119 -- the fifteenth serving -- the fifteenth letter: Samekh (pronounced sah-mekh... huh... that's helpful...).

Read Psalm 119:113-120

Samekh is for "hiding place"...

You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

Psalm 119:114

ESV

We hide to seek refuge... to find a safe place to sustain us during uncertain or dangerous times... we hide to find security... stability... when the world wobbles on its axis...

God is found in His Word... His Son the Word made flesh...

the Bible... tangible... a place to run to when everything else is unsure... untrustworthy... 

I hate the double-minded...

Lord, You are my hiding place... 

Away evildoers, don't distract me from God's way...

Sustain me, Lord, according to Your promise...

Uphold me...

The world is full of the double-minded... all unsure... untrustworthy... deceitful...

But in God's Word... in Him... we find unchanging Truth... a reality that anchors and upholds... that keeps us from being destroyed... protection in the storm...

When your world quakes... everything spinning... nothing to hang onto... run to Him... take refuge in His Word... hide yourself there and let Him speak stillness into your life... trust His Word... a sure foundation for our times...

As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the Lord is flawless.

He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 18:30

embracing failure

Yesterday's failure, today I embrace as a weakness that strengthens.

In this unique time in history, the year of the Lord's favor, in Christ, we are holy and righteous even when we fail and fall because of the the One who's names is: The Lord Our Righteousness.

...the Lord said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast gladly about my weaknesses that Christ's power may rest on me... I delight in weaknesses... For when I am weak I am strong... (2Corinthians 12:9-10)

Failures in obedience are weaknesses to boast in -- He is my RIGHTEOUSNESS -- it is not about me and what I do. It is all about Him. Each time I recognize a failure, a missed opportunity to bless another, a giving into fear, in this I boast. With each failure, I become less. With each failure, I'm more willing to die to self. I want to get out of His way!

He must become greater; I must become less.

John 3:30

My failures -- my sins -- help me to die to self and give Christ more room to be. Less of me equals more of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, that I would continue to become less, that with joy and thanksgiving I accept my weakness and Your grace, that I become less that You may become greater in my life.

falling to fear... again

Fear...
again I'm reminded of its acronym...

False Evidence Appearing Real

again I fell for its lie...

the illusion...

again I missed an opportunity to be a blessing...

to obey my Father...

to be a conduit for Love...

When will I learn...

Praise God for His patience...

His mercy...

His Son...

again I resolve to never give in to fear again...

fear God alone...

 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.

And by him we cry,"Abba, Father."

Romans 8:15

writing hungry

Writing...
re-writing the essence of writing...

Writing and re-writing words in hopes of making others hunger...
hunger for His Word...

Refining words that others might turn to the perfect Word...
He is found in His Word...

My own hunger increases...
my spirit yearns for more...

More of Him...
more life...
more...

Maybe His purpose in my writing is my hunger...
drawing me ever nearer and deeper into Him...

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

Psalm 42:1

Do you hunger for Him...?

for His Word...?

peace: no matter the distance

Peace...

peace as my college kids drive off today...

one 300 miles to start the semester tomorrow...

the other to adventure with friends on a 1000 mile road trip...

Even though they are far and my flesh wants to worry, I have peace...

God loves them more than I ever could...

In Christ we are connected by the Spirit...

God is trustworthy no matter what...

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3John 1:4