more on... His Word... a solid place to land...

Yet again... this morning... He leads me to another reminder of the solidity... trustworthiness... and power of His Word...

A note... written next to Psalm 33... a reminder that He gave me this psalm to rest in... awaiting another surgery... on a different loved one...

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Praise the Lord with the harp;

make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Psalm 33:1-5

And I wonder... If one rejects the solidity of His Word...? where do they go to find stability...? And how do you know what's true...? if part is in error...? which parts...? who chooses...? And what about testing the spirits...? and teachings of others...? where do you go to check the validity...? if you can't go to the Word...?

By faith... He calls us to believe He created the universe... 

By faith we understand that the universe 

was formed at God's command, 

so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Hebrews 11:3

...and by His word no less...

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,

their starry host by the breath of his mouth...

Psalm 33:6

Considering the expanse... complexity... and enormity... of creation... it's not much of a leap of faith... to believe He wrote a book...

An eternal... timeless book... written from His perspective...

This book... His Book... has been integral to my walk of faith... it's a gracious gift... the one temporal thing He's given us... with which to seek Him out...

By His Spirit... I meet Him in it's pages... 

He speaks... comforts... guides... corrects...

Never have I found it's message lacking...

nor His way... faulty...

Now... I haven't always liked what I found in His Word... there have been some painful wrestling matches along the way... but in the end... I know He's right... and I'm wrong... and there is no other way... no other words of life...

The more I pursue Him... through His Word... obedience... prayer... the more healing I find... more peace... more joy... in living His Way... not mine...

He says...

Taste and see that the Lord is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

I've tasted... by eating His Word...

And Yes... He is good...

Won't you taste too...?

Note: A new Quote du Jour published today... check it out on Jeremiah's Menu...

filling a hunger...

Jesus answered, "It is written:

'Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Matthew 4:4

There is only one way to live full and it is "by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

---Ann Voskamp, "Dark Grace", in One Thousand Gifts Devotional

And who doesn't want to live full...? Isn't that what we all long for...? satisfaction...? acceptance...? fullness...?

There is only... one... way... to fill the hunger...

"...I have come that they may have life,

and have it to the full. ..." --- Jesus

John 10:10

Living His Way... by His Word... His logic... a life is satisfied... filled...

When your words came, I ate them;

they were my joy and my heart's delight,

for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.

Jeremiah 15:16 NIV

a hungry harvest...

My reading through... brings me to John... and the word that comes to mind... hungry 

A gnawing emptiness...

The world is ripe for harvest... because it's hungry... for the Bread of Life...

Jesus said, "... The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. ... I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. ..."

John 6:33-36 NLT

The only Bread that fills the aching hunger of the soul... Jesus...

That's why He told His disciple... 

...feed My lambs...

...feed My sheep...

They're hungry... for...

peace...

love...

hope...

joy...

and the only Bread that fills... is Him...

The One we find set on the altar... a manger... 

the Bread of Presence...

the Manna from heaven...

Lord... teach me how to feast on You...

and how to feed those who are hungry...

[Related fare...

making Him manageable...?

a lesson from the manger...

back to the manger...  ]

eat pray love... a Word to share...

It caught my eye when I saw it in the booklet from Saturday's teaching...

Downloaded... yesterday...

Ate from it... today...

How could I not share it here... on Jeremiah's Menu...?

Beth Moore's: Jeremiah's Eat, Pray, Love

It's FREE... an audio download... found at... lproof.org ... go to the "Store"... then to "Free Downloads"... (or just click "Jeremiah's Eat, Pray, Love" above... and if I did it right... it will take you right where you need to go...)

Three sessions... and resources... to download... for FREE!...

Highly recommended... download it yourself... and eat...

When your words came, I ate them;

they were my joy and my heart's delight,

for I bear your name,

O Lord God Almighty.

Jeremiah 15:16

giving a Word... to be...

A prayer cast up during a pause in conversation... placed on hold... I said...

Lord... give me the Word needed... to share...

A phone call... from a beloved child... needing a sounding board... struggling... anxious... distressed... about emotions... and the future...

Already more than thirty minutes in... sharing feelings... thoughts... I hear...

I'm looking for something solid...

This child standing in the shadow of the unknown... the squishy... feeling impatient... looking for a firm place to stand...

The Word... it came to mind... unsure if it fit perfectly... I shared...

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming.

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield

its valuable crop and how patient he is 

for the autumn and spring rains.

You too, be patient and stand firm, 

because the Lord's coming is near.

James 5:7-8

Along with advice... commit it to God... wait for clear direction...

The response...

Now, that's solid...

So today... the son is a farmer... waiting... standing firm... for God to grow... the future...

There is only One solid place to stand... and that's Him...

I thank God... for the Word to share... that brought a firm place to stand... in the midst of unchanging circumstances...

I thank God... for a Word to give... a Word made flesh... in the life of a loved one...

How about you... are you willing... to ask for a Word... when the opportunity arises... to give to others... who struggle... to help them stand firm... in whatever... circumstances...?

Be in the Word... not only for yourself... but for loved ones... that you might... be the Word...

Dear Lord... help me to continue to give a Word... make the way for the Word to be flesh... in the lives of those I love...

[Related fare...

in the Word

transitions...]

feeding babes...

Feeding a spiritual baby... it's challenging... there are several in my life right now...

This vision... it comes to mind... feeding spiritual babes... looks just like feeding a baby... when it's time to move to solid food...

Feeding a newborn milk... is easy... it's what they crave... they suck eagerly... latch on... without effort... but moving to solid food... toward maturity.... that's when things get messy...

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The spoon is loaded... sometimes the mouth opens wide... sometimes it clamps shut...

If you've ever fed a baby...you know that even if you get the food in... half of it squirts back out... when they close their mouth...

Then there are times... they don't like the taste...
food is spit...
thrown...
wiped off the tongue...

As a teacher... mentor... leader... mom... feeding an immature spirit... can be frustrating...

These spiritual babes... housed in big bodies... can deceive... make you expect more than they are able... to take in... understand... then comes the temptation... to throw up your hands... give up... walk away...

But it's important to remember... that with a baby... we don't stop feeding just because it's hard... we keep on... continually...  trying new foods... textures... meal after meal... because... if we stop... the baby will become malnourished... starved... and die...

So today... I choose to keep this reality in mind... as I prepare spiritual meals... for sixth graders... and others... who are hard to feed... those spiritual babes...

Lord... fill me with Your love... as I prepare... and serve... spiritual meals... to spiritual babes... I long for each to grow to maturity... to feed themselves Your Word... because they crave it... and value its deep nutritional content for their souls... and spirits... Fill me with JOY... to share... and serve... Your Word... remind me of the importance... of persistence... and patience... in feeding these babes... who belong... to You...

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,

is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use

have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:13-14

a humbling encouragement

I received some encouragement today... the warm and fuzzy kind...

A run-in with a friend... she said very gracious things about these writings... these oddball posts that make me feel naked as I stand before her...

She praised way beyond my comfort level... and I said... Praise Him!

A very unexpected encouragement...

Yet later... as I thought... I received a spur... I should have questioned further...

So grateful that she finds blessing in my words... but what about His...? I should have asked... Do these words make you hunger for Him... for His Word...?

That is the purpose... the mission... not to turn people to me or my words... but to Him... increase a hunger for seeing His Word made flesh in their's...

The only way to see... is by eating... His...

What about you... those who grace this table with your presence... do you hunger for more of Him...? because of what you've eaten here...?

That is my hope... that is my prayer...

He must become greater; I must become less.

John 3:30

filling up

The realization of drinking from the wrong well... and setting up my spouse as an idol... accepting my unintentional idolatry... have (by God's grace) been accompanied with additional revelations... to answer the question... How do I drink up the Living Water...? reject the lies and fill my soul with Him...? 

It begins with His Word... the Bread of Life... the eating of Scripture... the meditating... believing... trusting... and living on... His Word... His Truth...

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

1John 4:16

And so we know... and rely on... the love God has for us...

Do you...? 
Do you know... and rely on... the love God has for you? 

I picked up a small book on Friday... read it Saturday... The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness... by Timothy Keller... a timely book for me... and the wrestling I've been about lately... rooted and wrapped up in my emotions... feeling enslaved to feelings... which I know full well are deceitful... but feeling (ugh... there they are at work again) trapped...

Keller explains about our natural self... our ego... and its feelings...

The ego often hurts. That is because it has something incredibly wrong with it. Something unbelievably wrong with it. It is always drawing attention to itself -- it does so every single day. It is always making us think about how we look and how we are treated. People sometimes say their feelings are hurt. But our feelings can't be hurt! It is the ego that hurts -- my sense of self, my identity. Our feelings are fine! It is my ego that hurts.

He explains how we all have an over-inflated ego... constantly trying to fill up with something other than God... a bellow full of hot air... empty... fragile...

In the same age where we reject the word SIN... we also shy away from the word EGO... only really obnoxious people... arrogant people... bullies... have big EGOs... not true... we all sin... and we all have supersized egos...

As I thought about my own ego... clearly inflated... and empty... at least in my marriage relationship... as I find my feelings hurt... now realizing it is just my ego being deflated... I begin to see in me this balloon... that needs to be filled... but with something solid... real... perhaps a Rock...?

Then yesterday... in the car... I caught the end of a message... one I hunted down and listened to in its entirety today... Overcoming Childhood Traumas... the heart of the message... Jesus identifies with us... and in Christ... as Believers... new creations... He becomes our identity...

And so we know... and rely on... the love God has for us...

Filling with Him... happens when we know and rely on His love for us... which we come to know through His Word... eating it... consuming it... making it our life... trusting and acting on all He says is true... and rejecting the lies He reveals...

The last couple of days I have felt... (I know it's probably those feelings again)... more solid... in my faith... more substantial as a person... recognizing the blessings of Jesus that are so totally outrageous... and abundant... and no longer wanting to be blessed... no longer wanting to ask for more... but to be a blessing to Him... because... do I really need anything more...? do you...?

God my shepherd!

I don't need a thing.

You have bedded me down in lush meadows,

you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word, you let me catch my breath

and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through Death Valley,

I'm not afraid when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner

right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head; 

my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me 

every day of my life.

I'm back home in the house of God

for the rest of my life.

Psalm 23

Msg

growing to see

The ability to see the Word made flesh comes from knowing the Word... the spirit fed a steady diet of Scripture... grows from infancy to maturity... moving from milk to meat...

...solid food is for the mature, who by constant use

have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:14

We live in a world where... evil is called "good"... and good "evil"... seeing... distinguishing good... from evil... is difficult... vision blurs... distinctions unclear...

All around us... the material... natural... world... reveals spiritual truth... even our entertainment... the worldview from which it is based... promotes good... or evil...

Can you see clearly... is your favorite flick... good... or evil...?

The shows your children love... keeping them entertained while you do... are they good... or evil...?

Can you see... behind the story... for the heart of the message...?

Can you... distinguish... good... from evil...?

Practice... training... prayerful study of the Word... a heart open to the Spirit... obedience to the truth you know... is the only way... to improve your vision... see clearly... and make choices for Life...

Father God... I ask for Your blessing... a hunger for Your Word... and the eyes of my heart to be enlightened... that I might see... the Word made flesh...

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James 1: thoughts... part 1

One thing I've learned about eating the Word... is to take note of words that repeat... connecting one book to another... echoing throughout the Whole... connections that add insight and deepen meaning...

Read James 1

Last week... a word from the trail... on the not quite right day... connected with a word in James...

...wither... according to Webster's... to become dry and sapless... to lose vitality, force, or freshness...

The Word from James filling my thoughts...

For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass;

 its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed.

In the same way, the rich man will wither away

while pursuing his activities.

James 1:11

HCSB

(emphasis added)

Now... before leaving the trail... I knelt... opened the small Bible I'd taken from the car for the walk... just to see if there was one more thought to take home...

Matthew 13... the sower... the seed that fell on all sorts of ground and the outcome of those seeds...

The connection...

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.

It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.

But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched,

and they withered because they had no root.

Matthew 13:5-6

(emphasis added)

The thought struck... deepened... the rich man... connected to... rocky places, where [the seed] did not have much soil...

Those who are rich... [and of course in the world-wide economic picture... anyone reading this is rich...] make rocky ground for God's Word... no place for roots to take hold...

The rocks... could they be... material possessions... distractions... pursuit of entertainment... pursuit of more... ?

...the rich man will wither while pursuing his activities...

He has a personal agenda to attend to... we have personal agendas... no room for God's Word... for God's Way...

The scorching... does it come from lack of trust in God... trusting wealth... more than the Savior...?

Jesus explains to His disciples...

The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places

 is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.

When trouble or persecution comes because of the word,

he quickly falls away.

Matthew 5:20-21 

The rich... the rocky... too much stuff to take root... no time to grow deeper in relationship with the One who brought joy... When trouble comes... does he return to his own way... to his own form of security... or is he the one who bought into the whole prosperity gospel... thinking God does not allow trouble to come to those He loves...? No time to pursue... and seek... the true God...?

It makes me think... do I know some who deceive themselves... thinking they are rooted... but distracted by their own activities... am I one...? Are we all just withering... not planting anything eternal... ignoring His call on our lives... too busy... too important...?

The rich... those who appear to have much... are rocky... lacking... no place for spiritual roots to grow...

Just a thought...

abc's

Considering the next entree selections for Jeremiah's Menu... I continue to be drawn to acrostics... in different readings... I discover new ones... other Psalms... and even the Proverbs 31 woman... an acrostic...

The aleph-bet-ical organization of God's Word... designed for memory... aligned... for easy recall...

Delving into an acrostic psalm today... I went to Logos exegetical guide... looking for each one of the twenty-two Hebrew letters... the ones of Psalm 119... I became stumped... one letter missing...

Much searching brought me to a commentary... noting Psalm 37 as... An almost complete alphabetic acrostic...

What do I do with that...? I don't know...

Were students of Psalms stumped... by the missing letters in the almost complete acrostic psalm... as they tried to memorize...?

And why do I keep thinking another acrostic is next on the menu...?

A Hebrew acrostic does not help me memorize... but maybe it's the thought... that these words are important... important enough for God to inspire as abc's...

Memory is also on my mind lately... attempting to memorize a large chunk of the Word... by faith... A feat I know I cannot do on my own... an inspired attempt... one my flesh would never choose... but the exercise... of memorizing... keeps me in the Word... when I catch thoughts going astray... I begin to recite... in my mind... the brief part I've learned... so far...

Another verse comes to mind... when I think of memorizing holy verse... one I memorized a while ago...

I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

Notice... this is a verse from Bet... in the Psalm 119... acrostic...

An important thing to remember... to know... hiding God's Word... by memory in your heart... decreases the tendency to sin...

Yes... abc's... they are important... and so is eating the Word... till it is hidden... deep in your bones... in your heart... where it is a part of all you do...

eating joy

JOY... there is none like it... eating the Word with sisters...

Today the second week of study... women invited to my home... seated around the dining table... studying Scripture... sharing hearts... a beginning... of new relationships... new works of God... in the hearts and minds of His treasured possessions...

JOY... that is what I'm filled with... thank-full...
for each who said Yes to the invite...
for His timing in the offering...
for His empowering boldness in this introverted-perfectionist...
for His plan and purpose for this study at this time for these sisters...

JOY... for the opportunity to continue to invite... and encourage... more sisters... to eat...

When your words came, I ate them;

they were my joy and my heart's delight,

for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.

Jeremiah 15:16

JOY... of eating... multiplied... when shared...

Who can you share a table with...?

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

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

eve of a new year

Consider what you might do to add more of God's Word to your spiritual diet beginning the first day of the New Year...

Find a Bible reading plan...
set your alarm 5 minutes early, have coffee, tea, or juice with God in His Word...
choose a book or a gospel or randomly open the Book each day with a prayer: Lord, what do You have to say to me today?

Ask God to increase your hunger for His Word...
His Presence...
His Wisdom...

Jesus is the Word made flesh, He will meet you in the pages of your Bible. The more you meet Him there the more you will begin to see Him in your world... the Word made flesh...

Past years I have read the Bible in a year with a reading plan... I just finished reading the Bible chronologically (in order of the events as they happened) over 3 years... this year I feel God leading me to read the Bible in a year again, but in a different translation than I usually use and going straight through from Genesis to Revelation...

Ask God to help you make a plan to draw closer to Him... the rewards are eternal... there is no better way to use your time and energy than eating God's Word...

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

James 4:8

ESV