Good morning. Today is Sunday, February 24, 2013. Up early to head to the school where our church meets. Set up is at 715, band rehearsal at 830, the “Fuel” service (that’s for the people who work in other areas during the main worship service) at 930, and the Worship Celebration at 1045.
Today is National Tortilla Chip Day. I suppose you need some salsa or queso to go along with those, right? I mean…just tortilla chips alone would be kind of boring. Ooh, or maybe some guacamole. Yeah. That would work just fine.
Stephanie drug me to the gym again yesterday. I guess that’s a good thing. That was after Christi and I bought a new toilet at Home Depot and tried to install it ourselves. Something isn’t quite right, though, so we are going to have to break down and call the HD installers to come rescue us. Good thing we have another bathroom in the house! 😀
On this date in 1500, Charles V, “the greatest of all the Habsburg emperors,” was born. “By the time he was nineteen his father and grandfather were dead, his morbidly insane mother was locked up for life in a lonely town in Spain and Charles was the master of more land in Europe than anyone since the Roman emperors.” He was not only emperor, he was also King of Spain, Charles (Carlos) I. On this date in 1525, his forces defeated those of French King Francois I. His actual coronation occurred on this date in 1530, even though he had been emperor for over ten years. He would be the last emperor crowned by a pope until Napoleon “coerced another one almost 300 years later.”
Today’s birthday (besides Charles V) is the great Honus Wagner, born on this date in 1874. Besides being famous for having the most valuable baseball card in existence, he was actually one of the better baseball players of his time, and, some would argue, of all time. He passed away in 1955.
Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. Psalm 30:4
I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” Psalm 142:5
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
I give you thanks for this new day. I pray for inspiration during this time of devotion. Jesus, show yourself to me.
Today, I’m reading Isaiah 29:9-10.
9 Astonish yourselves and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink!
10 For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).
The Lord has put the prophets and seers to sleep, he has silenced them.
Today’s reading from A Year With God is called “Treasuring God’s Word.” The scripture reading is Psalm 119:9-16.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
In truth, you could read the entire 119th Psalm to find inspiration on the topic, “Treasuring God’s Word.” “This Psalm explores the words of God’s provision through the law and the delight of living under its guidance.” The entire Psalm is a “wide-ranging A-Z reflection on living gladly under God’s rule.” As discussed in a previous post, when I was reading through Psalms, this psalm is a Hebrew alphabetic acrostic, each section of eight verses beginning with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Psalm includes praise, it includes thanksgiving, it admires the Lord’s wisdom and generosity through giving us his laws and precepts, it pleads for deliverance and renewal, and there is more. The unknown psalmist overflows with his delight in the law of the Lord and his eagerness to be molded by the “with-God life” that it portrays.
I am challenged to allow the spirit of this joyful Psalm bubble up within me as I reflect on my chosen passage today. A quote from Abraham Lincoln is included at the end of the reading. “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from The Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book.”
Father, as I reflect on 1 John later today, may I experience the same kind of joy that the author of Psalm 119 experienced. May I be every bit as excited about reading your words and allowing them to mold and shape my life. My heart’s desire is for my life to be a “with-God life,” completely defined by the characteristics of Jesus Christ and his love in my life. I desire to be known as a person of love and peace. I pray that your Word would shape me into that, for the rest of my life. May it be true of me, as in verse 14, “In the way of your testimonies I delight…”
I pray for this morning’s worship celebration. May you fill all of our hearts with your Spirit this morning as we worship you. I pray for Jacob as he prepares to share a message with us this morning. Open our ears and hearts to hear what you would say to us today. And may our worship not stop when we leave the doors of that building this morning. May our lives be full of worship for you, from Sunday to Sunday.
I sincerely desire for the Word of God to shape my life into a life of peace and love.
Grace and peace, friends.
Spaces of Beauty, Grace, Prayer, and Mercy 