Seeing Diamonds As Marbles

Good morning. It is post-Monday, March 31, 2015. Last day of March. Six more days until Opening Day!!

Today’s Word of the Day is precocious. Now, here is a word that may not mean what I thought it meant. The first definition has to do with flowers or plants: “flowering, fruiting, etc., unusually early; spec. producing flowers before the leaves are developed. Also: (of flowers or fruit) appearing or produced unusually early; (of flowering or fruiting) occurring unusually early.” Used figuratively, “Of, relating to, or indicative of precocity or premature development; occurring prematurely.” Or, “Of a person (now esp. a child): prematurely developed or showing an unusual degree of advancement in some faculty, ability, or proclivity; (hence, of attributes, behaviour, etc.) indicative of such development.” So is it possible that it was misused in “Bette Davis Eyes?”

Today is World Backup Day. This does not mean you should live the day in reverse. What it does mean is that you should back up your data files! It’s easier than ever to do this, now, what with the seemingly limitless “cloud” resources. For example, I just learned, a few days ago, that I have unlimited photo storage in the cloud with my Amazon Prime account! So you bet I’m taking advantage of that! I already have a hard drive back up system on my PC, but having this additional source helps me feel a little more confident that I’ll not lose all of my pictures. You know . . . the ones I hardly ever look at . . . Someday, though. Someday.

I had a much better day at work, yesterday. The attitude was a lot better, and I felt more connected yesterday, for the most part. This morning, however, I don’t feel 100%. I think I’ve got some sinus drainage going on, and didn’t sleep well, last night. I’m having some trouble waking up. So if I say anything that doesn’t make sense, here, that’s my explanation.

Excuse me while I kiss the sky.

Tonight is Huddle. I never know what to expect there. New adventures every week.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.
Psalm 25:9-13

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

(From Solid Joys)

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel.
Colossians 1:3-5

Today’s reading is “What Binds the Hands of Love.”

“The problem with the church today is not that there are too many people who are passionately in love with heaven. The problem is not that professing Christians are retreating from the world, spending half their days reading Scripture and the other half singing about their pleasures in God all the while indifferent to the needs of the world.

“The problem is that professing Christians are spending ten minutes reading Scripture and then half their day making money and the other half enjoying and repairing what they spend it on.”

Worldly-mindedness hinders love, even when it is “disguised by a religious routine on the weekend.”

Where are the people who are so in love with heaven that they feel like exiles on earth? Where are the people who have tasted heaven to the point that the diamonds of earth are as marbles to them, the entertainment of the world is totally void, and the causes of earth “are too small because they have no view to eternity?”

These people are not “in bondage to the Internet or eating or sleeping or drinking or partying or fishing or sailing or putzing around.” They are free people in a foreign land. How can one who feels like an exile maximize enjoyment of God? By doing labors of love, that’s how.

“Only one thing satisfies the heart whose treasure is in heaven: doing the works of heaven. And heaven is a world of love!”

The “cords of heaven” do not bind the hands of love. “It is the love of money and leisure and comfort and praise — these are the cords that bind the hands of love. And the power to sever these cords is Christian hope.”

“The great fountain of love is the powerful, freeing confidence of Christian hope.”

This reading convicts me. But does it convict me enough to do something about it?

Father, I confess . . . I am a slave to the Internet, to entertainment, to eating and sleeping, and to other things of this world. Unfortunately, it is the state of our culture that I pretty much have to spend a large portion of my day working to pay the bills and put food on the table. This is our lot as humans. But that does not have to rule my life. Help me to focus more on you, Lord, than I do on Facebook. Help me to “pray without ceasing,” even while I am working. May your Spirit guide me to being more heavenly-minded than worldly-minded, to the point that the “diamonds of the world look like marbles, the entertainment of the world is empty, and the moral causes of the world are too small.” Break my heart, O God. Break my heart for what breaks yours. Change it.

I pray for this day. May we have safe passage to work and back today. I pray for Christi’s day, that it would be less stressful than yesterday. I pray that we would not spend time worrying over things that are not important, or things that have not yet happened. (That last one is more about me.) I pray that you would show Stephanie your great love today, and draw her closer to your heart. Inspire her to read and think on your words today. I pray for our Huddle gathering tonight, that it would be glorifying to your name.

May you bring peace to my parents today, and continue my mother’s healing. Shower them with grace today, and grant them what they need most for this day. I pray the same prayer for Rachel and Justin, and that you would draw them closer to you. help Rachel figure out her future, that she may realize her career desires.

Your grace is sufficient.

This reading hit me kind of hard today. So much so that I don’t have a lot to say about it. I have some praying and pondering to do. May we all seek to be more heavenly-minded than worldly-minded. The future grace and glory of heaven is worth infinitely more than the marbles of earth.

Grace and peace, friends.