Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Saturday, March 03, 2012
a clean life
"Our LORD, you bless everyone who lives right and obeys your Law. You bless all of those who follow your commands from deep in their hearts and who never do wrong or turn from you. You have ordered us always to obey your teachings; I don't ever want to stray from your laws. Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing. I will do right and praise you by learning to respect your perfect laws. I will obey all of them! Don't turn your back on me. Young people can live a clean life by obeying your word." ~ Psalm 119:1-9 (CEV)
"Young people can live a clean life by obeying your word."
I have many times contemplated how my life would have been different if I had captured and managed this single concept when I was young. How might my life have ventured differently, how much would it have wavered, how much pain missed and how much real life enjoyed?
My fleshly thoughts, of course, turn to all the "fun" I would have missed, the hedonistic pursuit of pleasure that drove, and wasted, much of my life.
I would trade all that now for the simple ability to love and live with abandon to the Lord. I long for the peace that would have come from pure motives and the knowledge that each of my steps was orchestrated by Him and not by my headlong rush to "feel" the next experience of the flesh.
"Young people can live a clean life by obeying your word."
I wonder what "a clean life" might have felt like for 20, 30, 40, 50 years.
I have to think my heart would be light, my regrets few and my smile genuine.
Friday, March 02, 2012
God, can I ask you something?
Me (in a tizzy) : God, can I ask you something?
GOD: Sure.
Me: Promise you won't get mad?
GOD: I promise.
Me (frustrated): Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
GOD: What do you mean?
Me: Well I woke up late,
GOD: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start,
GOD: Okay....
Me (growling): At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait
GOD: Hmmmm..
Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call
GOD: All right
Me (loudly): And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work. Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
GOD: Well let me see..... The death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.
Me (humbled): Oh...
GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that might have hit you if you were on the road
Me (ashamed): ............
GOD: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work
Me (embarrassed): Oh.....
GOD: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered
Me (softly): I see God
GOD: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm sorry God.
GOD: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me.........in all things, the good and the bad
Me: I WILL trust you God
GOD: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.
GOD: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after my children.
GOD: Sure.
Me: Promise you won't get mad?
GOD: I promise.
Me (frustrated): Why did you let so much stuff happen to me today?
GOD: What do you mean?
Me: Well I woke up late,
GOD: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start,
GOD: Okay....
Me (growling): At lunch, they made my sandwich wrong and I had to wait
GOD: Hmmmm..
Me: On the way home, my phone went dead, just as I picked up a call
GOD: All right
Me (loudly): And to top it all off, when I got home, I just wanted to soak my feet in my foot massager and relax, but it wouldn't work. Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
GOD: Well let me see..... The death angel was at your bed this morning and I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.
Me (humbled): Oh...
GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that might have hit you if you were on the road
Me (ashamed): ............
GOD: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick and I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work
Me (embarrassed): Oh.....
GOD: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give a false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered
Me (softly): I see God
GOD: Oh and that foot massager, it had a short that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm sorry God.
GOD: Don't be sorry, just learn to trust me.........in all things, the good and the bad
Me: I WILL trust you God
GOD: And don't doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.
GOD: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after my children.
Scriptural References: II Samuel 22:31, Proverbs 3:5, Hebrews 2:13
Thursday, March 01, 2012
"Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace." ~ Leviticus 10:3 (NASB)
"Then Moses told Aaron that this was exactly what the LORD had meant when he said: "I demand respect from my priests, and I will be praised by everyone!" Aaron was speechless." ~ Leviticus 10:3 (CEV)
All too often, those of us who call ourselves by the Name of our Lord, act and speak in manners contrary to biblical teaching. We have a sacred responsibility to act in a manner that reflects a Holy God, not in a manner that detracts from Him, both for us and for those who watch us.
As Aaron seemed to be in the passage noted, we should be ashamed of ourselves and seek His forgiveness for current transgressions and His help to prevent future failures of the flesh.
"Then Moses told Aaron that this was exactly what the LORD had meant when he said: "I demand respect from my priests, and I will be praised by everyone!" Aaron was speechless." ~ Leviticus 10:3 (CEV)
All too often, those of us who call ourselves by the Name of our Lord, act and speak in manners contrary to biblical teaching. We have a sacred responsibility to act in a manner that reflects a Holy God, not in a manner that detracts from Him, both for us and for those who watch us.
As Aaron seemed to be in the passage noted, we should be ashamed of ourselves and seek His forgiveness for current transgressions and His help to prevent future failures of the flesh.
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