Guard My Lips (and Fingertips)

Today is Sunday, the twentieth of June, 2021.

Shalom Aleichem!

Day 23,110

Today is Father’s Day! Happy Father’s Day to any fathers who might stumble across this rambling journal.

There are now only fourteen days until the next holiday, the fourth of July.

Yesterday was just about perfect. Maybe it was perfect. R & J arrived around 1:00 PM. After chatting for a bit, we decided on Hoffbrau for lunch. We decided to dine in, and all five of use went. It was S’s first time in a restaurant in well over a year, and the first time all five of us have dined together in at least that long. The only flaw in the experience was the first steak they brought C was almost entirely gristle. She couldn’t even cut it. So they made her another one, which she said was delicious. I had one of their burgers, the first restaurant cheeseburger I have had in over a year, along with their steak fries. It was delicious!

Yes, I tracked it (best I could, as Hoffbrau does not appear in the WW app). Yes, I gained a pound this morning. It was worth it.

We went home (after stopping by a nearby Sonic, of course), and, after chatting about various things for a while (some pretty deep discussions along the way), we turned on the TV and watched a “comedy” special on Netflix, “Bo Burnham ‘Inside.'” Allegedly, this young man, a musical comedian, spent a year putting together this special, in total isolation, in a single-room guest house on his parents’ property. There were some pretty funny bits, but there were also some extremely deep bits, especially concerning our culture of social media and technology. The music was diverse, and it is my opinion that the guy is a very talented musician. Be warned, however, that there is some pretty extreme language in it, as well as some overtly sexual themes.

R & J headed home after that, and I spent the rest of the evening playing Mass Effect Legendary Edition on the PS4, finally finishing the first of the three games included. I barely started ME2 before heading to bed.

Today, we have our worship gathering at 10:15, followed by lunch, very likely Applebee’s, but if I think of something I would rather have, I might make a push for that. Right this second, I don’t know of anything else that I want. I believe we will be starting with Psalm 32, this morning.

I have received gifts. I got a new leather-bound prayer journal. Well, it’s technically just a journal. My purpose for it will be a prayer journal, which I plan to keep with me most of the time, especially at work. It will be with me at my workstation, so I can write down any new prayer requests that I get during the day. It is nice, handmade leather, with Psalm 46:10 on the cover.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
(Psalms 46:10 ESV)

I also got two new hats!! Both “flat hats,” one red and one blue. I love them!!

Oh, and R & J paid for our lunch, yesterday. That was a very special Father’s Day gift.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.
(The Prayer of St. Francis)

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
(Psalms 32:1-2 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

1. for the love of my wife and daughters. I am blessed beyond measure.
2. that my transgressions are forgiven, my sin is covered.
3. that I was loved by You before the world was created (Ephesians 1).
4. that You will bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth, under Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1)
5. that You are a good, good Father, my father was, too.

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 5 – DAY 1

INVITATION

“You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.”
(2 Samuel 22:29-30 NIV)

I pause at this moment to consider the Lord as the light to my darkness. I think about walls that I encounter, and that, with His help, I can climb over them and move on.

BIBLE SONG

A psalm of David.

I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you.
May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.
(Psalms 141:1-4 NIV)

But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.
Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me.
(Psalms 141:8-9 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
(Ephesians 1:3-10 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

I am aware of the Lord’s presence with me, in this place. He is within me and all around me, just as He is within you and all around you, wherever you may be reading this. I read these passages again, looking for the Holy Spirit to guide my eyes and my soul into deeper meditation and prayer.

I love verse 3 of Psalm 141. I really like the way the NLT puts it.

Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.
(Psalms 141:3 NLT)

I need to modernize it, and add “fingertips,” asking the Lord to guard my lips and my fingers, because I don’t type with my lips. Yesterday, in that Bo Burnham “comedy” special (I keep putting “comedy” in quotes, because, if you step back and look at the entire piece in context, I’m not sure it’s really comedy), he asked a simple question of people on social media. Why do we all feel that it is necessary to express all of our opinions about all of the things all of the time? And then he asked, “Can any one of you just shut the **** up about any one thing?”

Crude, to be sure. But true, and a worthy question, I believe. Once again, at the risk of “kicking a dead horse,” it brings me back to that Amy Grant thought that my opinions about things are not part of my job description to love God and love people.

I have opinions, as do we all. But I am growing into a place where I’m not going to simply share that opinion with the world. If you ask me my opinion, I might share it with you. But if I sense that you are only doing that to start an argument, I will refrain, because I don’t want to argue with you.

I want the Lord to guard my lips and my fingertips. Psalm 19:14 says it like this:

Let the words of my mouth 
and the meditation of my heart
 be acceptable in your sight, 
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
(Psalms 19:14 ESV)

I would, again, modernize this in my own prayer. Father, may the words of my mouth, the meditation of my heart, and the typing of my fingertips be acceptable in Your sight.

Guard my lips; guard my fingertips; guard my heart.

Yesterday morning, I made the mistake of scrolling Facebook. I really just need to stop that. someone with whom I am “friends” with on FB posted an opinion photo, calling people who don’t think like she does “idiots.” This angers me. It angered me, yesterday morning. I don’t agree with her opinion; therefore, in her eyes, I am an idiot. Would she call me that to my face? Doubtful. So why would she put it on Facebook?

Why do we feel that it is necessary to express our opinions about all of the things all of the time? Do we truly believe that this is acceptable in the Lord’s sight?

Verse 4 of Psalm 141, I believe, continues the thought.

Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.
(Psalms 141:4 NIV)

Context is everything, right? So let’s look at the two verses together, again.

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.
(Psalms 141:3-4 NIV)

What I see here, is a prayer, first, obviously, to guard my lips, or, in effect, any expression of my thoughts that make their way out of my brain. The second part of the prayer is that I not get sucked in by other people’s expressions of their opinions. Like the aforementioned Facebook opinion. I’m not calling said person an “evildoer,” necessarily, although I certainly don’t see her actions as good. But I did get sucked in, even if only momentarily. I acknowledged the feeling that it caused within me, and I got up and went to discuss it with C, acknowledging my fault in the matter. After that, it was over. I was better.

“Do not let me eat their delicacies.” Don’t let me get sucked into their meaningless, trite arguments. My opinions are not part of the job description!

Social media posts like that are a trap, set by ‘evildoers,” even though they may not be willingly an evildoer. The solution is found in verse 8, which I have copied into a graphic, recently shared in our church’s “GroupMe” and on Instagram.

But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.
(Psalms 141:8 NIV)

Verse 9 continues by asking God to keep me safe from the “traps set by evildoers.”

So, in order to succeed at my job of loving God and loving people, I need to keep my eyes fixed on my Sovereign Lord, and avoid those social media “traps” set by well-meaning “evildoers.”

The only thing I’m going to mention from the Ephesians passage, which is, in its own right, a beautiful piece of Scripture, comes from verse 10. It’s that bit about bringing “unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” What is going to bring unity? The mystery of His will (verse 9), which will be “put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment.”

Once again, we see the desire of the Lord being unity. You see, there is complete and utterly perfect unity within the Trinity. A recent favorite description of the Trinity describes them as a community. Three in one; “God in three persons, blessed Trinity,” says the old hymn that always used to be hymn 1 in the Baptist Hymnal.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist together in community of perfect love. Each one loving the other two perfectly, and pointing, not to Himself, but to the other two. This concept thrills my soul, and it is the example to which we should all aspire. The Son points at the Father and the Spirit, saying look at the Father, listen to the Spirit. The Spirit points to the Son and the Father, and the Father points to the Spirit and the Son.

What would this world look like if we all followed that example? I don’t care if you believe in God or not. If we all stopped point at ourselves and started caring about others more than we care about ourselves, wouldn’t the world be a most beautiful place?

Love God; love people. Those are my two jobs. And to help me with those jobs, I have a prayer.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. 
May Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, 
on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; 
for Yours are the kingdom and the power 
and the glory forever and ever. 
Amen.

And what is right, smack, in the middle of that prayer?

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”

Father, I have typed many words, this morning, perhaps too many. I pray for us all, that we might aspire to the kind of unity that we find in the Trinity, loving one another they way we are loved, and the way that You, the Son, and the Holy Spirit love one another. Oh, what joy fills my soul when I consider this! What love fills me. Help me to take that love out of this room, and carry it, wearing it out on my sleeve for all the world to see! And help us, all, Lord, to just shut up about all the things all the time. Help us to know that constantly expressing our contrary opinions does no one any good. I pray that I never be guilty of laying any kind of “trap” on social media, or trying to start an argument. May I not be an “evildoer,” but be one who cares more for my fellow human beings than I do for my own “rights.” Help me to love what You love, and break my heart for what breaks Yours.

Eternal God,
the staggering truth that I was loved in Christ before the foundation of the world dwarfs my imagination.
While I cannot fathom it,
let this truth bring me to my knees in gratitude,
that I may wholly love you who first so greatly loved me.
But it's not only about me--
you will unite all things in Christ.
What a plan!
What a God!
Amen.
(Canons of Dort 1.13/14)

BLESSING

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.
(2 Thessalonians 1:11 NIV)

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.
(Proverbs 3:27 NIV)

Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.
(Deuteronomy 16:17 NIV)

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
(Luke 6:38 NIV)

On this Father’s Day, Rick Hamlin writes in Daily Guideposts 2021. “Loving someone means knowing what they love, understanding what makes them happy.”

I love my father. I know I have not mentioned him, thus far, today. And I use present tense because, though he is not with us on this plane, he still lives in eternity. So I don’t think it strange at all to say “love,” rather than “loved.”

I also love the memories of my father. I know some of the things he loved. He loved Psalm 139, which we read a few days ago. He loved baseball. Talking about baseball was one of the greatest joys that he and I experienced together. And the fact that he is gone from the physical world is one reason that my love of baseball has diminished, over the past six years. He loved music, both listening and making it. Both of my parents were quite musical in my formative years, and I inherited the talent that I have from them, by the grace of God. My father taught me how to play guitar. What a great joy it was to play and sing together with him.

As years went by, we learned more about what made each other happy. This is true love. And, in those times, there are lessons learned that will never be forgotten.

Father, this morning, I give You thanks and praise for my father and the life lessons he taught me. I thank you for the love of both of my parents, as I lived a truly blessed life, a life which many people do not have in this world. I am forever grateful. I believe that my father is running and jumping in Your beautiful presence, today.

Lord, this morning I ask that You give us true and deep fellowship with the risen Christ. Bring spiritual renewal and refreshment to our souls as we gather together, devoting ourselves to Your Word, fellowshipping together, praying for one another, and sharing in the Supper. I specifically pray for Your Church in Asia, this morning. May Your presence be known, powerful and strong, in their midst.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalms 16:11 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Do Good to All People

Today is Saturday, the nineteenth of June, 2021.

May the peace of God reign in your life, today.

Day 23,109

Tomorrow is Father’s Day.

But, perhaps, the bigger news is that today is Juneteenth, and, thanks to legislation recently passed by the U.S. House and Senate, and signed into law by President Biden a couple days ago, for the first time in history, Juneteenth is a federal holiday. Personally, I believe that is a good thing. I do not expect that my company will provide it as a paid holiday, however, in future years. I might be surprised, though. Who knows?

C is home!!! C is home!!! I felt like Balki on Perfect Strangers, wanting to do the Myposian Dance of Joy. Her flight actually landed about a half hour early, in DFW, so she was home before, or at least right around 10:00 PM.

Today will be a full day, with WW workshop at 10:30, followed by a visit (I think it’s still on) from R & J, with lunch. I’m thinking that I stand to lose maybe a pound or two, this morning. That will put me close to where I was before the unexpected gain, due to medication changes.

Speaking of medication changes, I have been off of blood pressure medication since Monday, and for most of the week, it has been right around 112/65. Until this morning, when it was 99/65! I think it’s safe to say that I won’t be taking Lisinopril any more. I just hope I don’t wind up having to take something else to make it go up!

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

You bless me here
A misty morning
A stirring breath
Silence adorning

You bless me here
A gentle light
Of colors depth
Of beauty bright

You bless me here
A moments’ being
Of dwelling in
A vision seeing

The light of love
Of Spirits way
In Your embrace
I long to stay
(Embrace of Morning, by Daryl Madden)

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD!
(Psalms 31:24 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

1. that C got home safely last night!
2. for the weekend, to rest and refresh for the coming work week.
3. for visits with family.
4. for the many gifts that You have granted me through Your Spirit
5. that You desire justice for the poor and uphold the cause of the needy

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 4 – DAY 7

INVITATION

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
(Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV)

I pause for a moment to reflect on the embrace of love that I experience from my Father, and the hope that I put in Him.

BIBLE SONG

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Rescue me, LORD, from evildoers; protect me from the violent, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips.
(Psalms 140:1-3 NIV)

I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”
Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy.
Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD; do not let their plans succeed.
(Psalms 140:6-8 NIV)

I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence.
(Psalms 140:12-13 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
(Galatians 6:7-10 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I sit here, this morning, in God’s presence, I read these passages again, asking the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and meditations, and my prayers.

The passage from Psalm 140 is a tough one, and tricky, too. I mean, who among us would not agree that it is good to pray that the wicked not be granted their desires, and that we need to be delivered from “evildoers?”

The problem is that we are not all in agreement about who/what is “wicked.”

For a good idea on that, keep reading, looking at verses 12-13. There are a lot of ways that “wicked” can be defined. I believe that the best way is to consider those who do not acknowledge God, through Jesus Christ. Yet not everyone who considers themselves an atheist is really all that “evil,” are they? That sentence was grammatically awkward and I’m not going to try to fix it.

But in verse 12, it says that the Lord secures justice for the poor, and He upholds the cause of the needy. Let’s use that as a context for defining “wicked.” In my opinion, someone is “wicked” who does the opposite of verse 12.

Then who is righteous? Whoever works with the Lord to do the things in verse 12, and then whoever does the things mentioned in verse 13.

And, ironically, there is almost a seamless transition between the Psalms passage and the Galatians passage. Seriously, go up there and read them, maybe out loud and don’t stop or pause when you get to the end of Psalm 140, but just keep reading right on into Galatians 6.

It really flows. It’s almost like the Holy Spirit was guiding the person who put this reading together!

God is not mocked. And He is not deceived by our platitudes. We reap what we sow. Verse 8 is powerful.

Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
(Galatians 6:8 NIV)

I’ve been in both places. Sometimes on the same day. That makes for a rough day, let me tell you. But if we spend our lives hoarding resources, being selfish, and only looking after our own interests, we will find ourselves alone at the end of our lives.

What are we building? Are we building something out of wood, hay, and stubble, that will all burn to the ground at the end of days, or are we building something out of gold and silver, that will live on?

I’m reminded of the parable of the rich fool, from Luke 12.

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
(Luke 12:13-21 NIV)

Also 1 Corinthians 3.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
(1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NIV)

Galatians 6:10 sums it up.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
(Galatians 6:10 NIV)

Father, help me to be one who does good to all people. Once again, this idea flows right into the two jobs that we have, as we walk in Your kingdom. Loving You and loving people, especially “those who belong to the family of believers.” May I never be numbered among the “wicked” in anything that I do, think, or say. Sometimes that is a struggle. I know and acknowledge that even this morning, I struggled with wicked thoughts about a particular person. Forgive me, Father (I know You already have), for those thoughts, and help me to be one who pushes for unity, not division, through our mutual love for You in Jesus Christ. Help me to always “walk the talk,” and may my speech be sincere in all things, never filled with meaningless platitudes.

Lord of the harvest,
it's not a question of "if" anything is growing in my life but "what."
Help me to know that the root of what I see in my life is found in the quiet planting of thoughts,
words,
looks,
desires, 
and gestures.
Guide me to examine those quiet,
hidden places of my life and to sow the Spirit,
so that my life contributes to the growth of your good kingdom,
for all to see and enjoy.
Amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 105/106)

BLESSING

[May you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
(Philippians 1:11 NIV)

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
(1 Peter 4:10 KJV)

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
(Romans 12:6-8 NLT)

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.
(1 Corinthians 12:4 NLT)

Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.
(1 Timothy 4:14 NLT)

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
(Luke 16:10 NLT)

All of this to simply say, exercise the gifts you have been given. You don’t need to take a “spiritual gift inventory” to know what you should be doing. Just do the gifts, which may, in my opinion, vary, depending on the circumstances. But if you enjoy doing a thing for someone else, then do that thing, and do it gladly, and do it well.

Father, thank You for the gifts You have given me. Help me to be more cognizant of them, especially when circumstances arise which would allow me to exercise a gifting. Help me not worry so much about a “vocation” or what I should be doing with the rest of my life. Just guide me by Your Spirit, into areas where I can use the gifts You have given me. All glory to You, through the Son and by the Spirit.

Lord, this morning, I pray for “creative and risk-taking ministry in the church that engages the community,” even and especially for smaller house-churches like ours. I pray desperately for unity and holiness within Your Church, Father. I specifically pray for all who are newly baptized into Your Church, or who are preparing to be baptized, this weekend, or soon. May Your Spirit fill and encourage them.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

It’s All About Love

Today is Friday, the eighteenth of June, 2021

Shalom Aleichem!

Day 23,108

Only two more days until Father’s Day!

Today is worthy of celebration for multiple reasons. First, just because it’s Friday. For me, it’s the last work day of the week. That’s always celebratory. It’s also payday. But most importantly, it is the day that C comes home!! It’s been a while since she has been gone on a work trip, and I’ve had to sleep alone. Both mornings, I awoke before the alarm went off, this morning, more than thirty minutes before.

When you’ve been living with someone for thirty-plus years, you miss their presence when they aren’t there.

I really don’t have much else to say, for now, so I’ll move on to the devotional.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

"Open, Lord, my eyes that I may see.
Open, Lord, my ears that I may hear.
Open, Lord, my heart and my mind that I may understand.
So shall I turn to You and be healed."
(Traditional)

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.
You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them.
You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.
(Psalms 31:19-20 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

1. for Your great goodness, lavished on us.
2. for the shelter of Your presence!
3. that the fruit of the Spirit begins with love.
4. that there is nowhere I can go where You are not.
5. that love exists.
6. That You are!

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 4 – DAY 6

INVITATION

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
(Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV)

I pause at this moment to appreciate God’s presence, here. He is everywhere, so there’s nothing “special” about this room. It’s just a room. But His presence makes it holy. And, this morning, I rest in that presence, in that holiness.

BIBLE SONG

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
(Psalms 139:1-10 NIV)

BIBLE READING

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
(Galatians 5:16-25 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I continue to enjoy God’s presence, this morning, I read these passages again, asking the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts, prayers, and meditations. In this time, I lay the foundation for my day.

The psalm (139) is a family favorite. It’s one of those passages that gives me goosebumps almost every time I read it.

I think the primary idea that stands out, this morning is that God knows me. And while it is not directly alluded to in this passage, yet He loves me.

I have often sat and wondered, how can God love me like He does when He knows me like He does?

You see, this isn’t just about the “good” things in you. According to this psalm, God knows my thoughts “from afar.” He knows the words I am going to say, long before they get from my brain to my tongue. He knows them even before they form in my brain.

This means, and this is staggering, truly, that He knows I am going to sin, before I do it.

Yet He loves me.

I cannot go anywhere where He is not. That means that, if I go somewhere I should not be, in a fit of sinfulness, He is there, too. Have you ever considered that? Wherever you go, you carry the Spirit of God with you, if you are a believer.

Verse 6 sums up my reaction to all of this.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
(Psalms 139:6 NIV)

We have this challenge issued in Galatians. “Walk by the Spirit,” Paul says, “and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (5:16).

He makes it sound so easy.

There is a battle going on within me, between the flesh and the spirit. The “flesh” is more than just my physical body. For my own purposes, I will simply define “flesh” as the “natural man.” And even though it is true that I have been “crucified with Christ,” I still carry around this flesh. So there is an ongoing battle between the “natural man” and the “spiritual man.”

Many years ago, I described this battle to a friend. Whichever part you feed the most will win that battle, at least for a moment. So if I feed the flesh, walking in its desires, the flesh will be stronger. But if I feed the spirit, by meditation, prayer, and Scripture reading, then the spirit is stronger. Now, I use the lower case s for spirit in this case, because it is my spirit to which I am referring.

The Spirit, which is part of the holy Trinity, gives us fruit. And if we are walking in the Spirit, this fruit will be evident. I have had this list memorized for quite some time.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

This comes right after a list of acts of the flesh, after which it is promised (or warned) that “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

I believe that, in this case, the word fruit is singular, and that all of these should be present, in equal measure, in the child of God. But I could be wrong in that. It’s just my opinion. “Fruit” is one of those weird words, like “sheep,” where the same word is both singular and plural.

Nevertheless, whether singular or plural, the believer who is walking in the Spirit will exhibit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are characteristics that will be visible.

Perhaps it is significant that love is the first one in the list. Perhaps it all begins with love. Because if I am obeying the two big commands, doing my two jobs, and loving God and loving people, it stands to reason that the rest of them will fall in order, right?

If I am loving God and loving people, I will have joy in my life, that pervasive sense of well-being. In that joy, I will also experience peace. I will have inner peace, but I will also walk in peace. Remember what Paul admonishes in Romans?

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
(Romans 12:18 NIV)

If I am at peace, then patience should not be an issue. If I am at peace, having patience, kindness should come easily. And so it goes.

So maybe it is a progression of things, all starting with love. When I was a youth (anyone else hear Joe Pesci saying “yutes?”), this popular musical came out. “It’s All About Love.” Sadly, I am unable to find a picture of that on the Internet. I’m a little surprised by that.

But maybe they were right. Since the two big commandments both deal with love, maybe it truly is all about love. I mean, look at the most famous of all Bible verses. The main verb in the sentence is “loved.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16 NIV)

Father, I celebrate Your love, this morning, along with Your presence. You are. That is a complete sentence, even though the grammar police would cringe. You are, which is why You call Yourself “I Am.” Where I manage to find myself, You are. If I look back on my history, and remember events that happened in my life, You are. To make it more mind-boggling, when I imagine my future, You already are. I praise You for Your presence, that which never leaves, that which is consistent and constant, even when I would rather You not be there. I also praise You for Your great love. Wait. I praise You for love, period. Not just Yours, but the very fact that love exists! Without love, we would surely perish!

Renewing Savior,
it's unimaginable to know your grace and not be renewed,
bearing a crop of beautiful fruit in my life.
Today,
help me to do all I can to keep in step with the Spirit,
catching all your rhythms of grace and love.
In the name of Jesus,
amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 64)

BLESSING

[May you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
(Philippians 1:11 NIV)

If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
(Psalms 139:9-10 NLT)

I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.
(Psalms 34:4 NLT)

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:20 NLT)

Father, this theme continues, that of Your beautiful presence. You know us, yet You love us. And that love and knowledge translates, somehow, into holiness in our own lives. Thank You for answering and delivering when we cry out to You. Thank You for the promises that You will be with us, and the encouragement to not be afraid. And thank You for those beautiful words at the end of the gospel of Matthew. All glory to You, Father, through the Son, and by the Spirit.

Lord, today, give me great wonder at the sacrifice of Jesus. May You also gift us with the capacity to suffer alongside others in this world. I pray, as well, that all children’s’ rights would be championed and defended today.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace, friends.

Free From the Law–Oh, Happy Condition

Today is Thursday, the seventeenth of June, 2021

The peace of God be with you!

Day 23,107

Three days until Father’s Day

We made it through our first night without C. She landed in Vegas at around 10:15 PM, last night. The flight was delayed just over an hour. Of course, that is only 8:15 in Vegas, I believe. I’m not sure what time her first bowling squad is, today. She will have three games with her team, then three games in pairs and three games in singles. At least I think that’s how it goes. I know there will be at least six games, spread across today and tomorrow. Then she will get back to DFW at around 9:30 PM CDT, tomorrow night, barring flight delays.

S and I are not sure what we will have for dinner tonight. There is a good chance that it may wind up being Applebee’s, as they are kind of on the way home, and it’s an easy stop, with their curbside pickup.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

“Think of all the emotions that consume our thoughts: worry, fear, anxiety, anger, pride, and hurt. What good do these bring us? What do we do with them? Do we hold on to them, let them fester? Or do we look at them and ask what is triggering them? Do I need to let go of that?“

O Lord, please help me let go.

Let go of bitterness,
let in forgiveness.

Let go of worry,
let in peace.

Let go of fear,
let in hope.

Let go of pride,
let in selflessness.

Let go of hurt, 
let in love.

Let go of hurriedness,
let in this moment.

Let go of indifference,
Let in compassion.

Let go of property,
let in generosity.

Let go of this false self,
let in my true self.

Let it go,
let you grow.
("Let It Go", by Daryl Madden, in On a Bench of Wood: Reflections of God's Grace)

I think my favorite couplet in there is “Let go of hurriedness, let in this moment.”

For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me and plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
(Psalms 31:13-16 NIV)

Today I am grateful:

1. that "my times are in your hands."
2. for C's safe arrival in Las Vegas, last night.
3. that, though You are high and exalted, You look kindly on us who are lowly.
4. that Your love endures forever, and You do not abandon the work of Your hands (Psalm 138).
5. that we are free from the law, oh happy condition!

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 4 – DAY 5

INVITATION

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
(Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV)

At this moment, I pause, considering all of the negative emotions that flood my soul, each day. By Your grace, O Lord, I will not allow those to fester, but will let them go, and let in the opposite grace from You.

BIBLE SONG

Of David.

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.
When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.
(Psalms 138:1-3 NIV)

Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.
The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.
(Psalms 138:6-8 NIV)

BIBLE READING

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
(Galatians 5:1-6 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

I remind myself that I am in the presence of the Lord, high and lifted up. I read these passages in His presence, asking the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts, meditations, and prayers; direct me to truth for my day.

I am drawn to the second part of Psalm 138, that part that speaks of God being high, exalted, yet He lowers Himself to care for us. Though He is great, He cares for the humble. Though He is mighty, He cares for the weak. That’s us, y’all. The trouble is, we believe ourselves to be exalted, mighty, and strong.

Nevertheless, the Lord condescends to care for us, to love us, to show compassion on us. And His love endures forever.

The Galatians passage for today begins with a bang. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

Freedom.

That’s a word that has been thrown around and abused a lot in the past year. There are many people in the world, especially in Western culture (I pick on Western culture a lot, I realize, but that’s where I am, so that’s what I see), who believe that “freedom” means you can do whatever you want. Sadly, a lot of those people are “conservative evangelical Christians.” I find this puzzling.

I find it puzzling because, as Christians, we give up our “rights.” We surrender them, not to a government, not to other people, but to our God, in Jesus Christ. Instead, we seem to think that this relationship with the Creator gives us more rights. I am utterly baffled as to where we come up with this.

The “freedom” of which Paul speaks is regarding the law. Pretty much the entire letter to the Galatian church is concerning the appearance that they are sliding back into legalism, beginning to follow the law, after having been set free from the same.

Today’s passage uses that word “circumcision” a few times. But it’s not really about circumcision, is it? It’s about trying to follow the law. And circumcision was a big point of contention in the early church, because the Jewish Christians thought that that was a thing that must be insisted on.

But Paul disagrees. He even goes so far as to tell them that if they do get circumcised, then they have to follow the entire law to be saved.

Let’s move forward a few thousand years. Let’s talk about dancing, drinking, playing cards, viewing “R-rated” movies.

I once served as music minister at a church where I heard the preacher boldly proclaim from the pulpit, “I condemn any Christian who watches an R-rated movie!”

I didn’t stay at that church very long, but that’s not why I left. There were other reasons that I won’t go into here.

He condemns. In the face of Romans 8:1, this pastor condemns those whom Christ does not. In case you need a reminder . . .

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
(Romans 8:1 NLT)

So in our day, drinking alcoholic beverages, watching R-rated movies, whatever . . . these are the modern day equivalent of circumcision. These are things that the most conservative of evangelicals would say that you can’t do and be a Christian.

Now . . . let’s go back to my statement about freedom not meaning you can do whatever you want. Because it doesn’t. Paul has a lengthy discussion in Romans about this, concerning things that might make my brother stumble. So what does that mean? It means that if, by consuming an alcoholic beverage, I cause a rift with my brother, then I will not consume that alcoholic beverage. At least not where he can see it or know about it.

“Freedom” means that we are not bound by the legalistic requirements of the law. And if we start insisting that Christians must abstain from things like alcohol, R-rated movies, dancing, playing cards, smoking (hah!), or whatever, the we must also insist that the entire law be kept in order to be saved.

And we all know (or at least we should know, if we read our Bibles) that this is

impossible.

Paul makes a very bold statement in verse 4.

You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
(Galatians 5:4 NIV)

I could keep writing about this all morning. But then I would be late for work. This reminds me of an old hymn, which, oddly enough, I don’t remember singing very much, if at all, at Calvary Baptist Church in Mineral Wells. I honestly couldn’t hum the tune, at least not past the first line. But the words are beautiful. This is one written by that master of hymnody, Philip Paul Bliss.

1
Free from the law—oh, happy condition!
Jesus hath bled, and there is remission;
Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,
Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

(Chorus)
 	Once for all—oh, sinner, receive it;
Once for all—oh, doubter, believe it;
Cling to the cross, the burden will fall,
  Christ hath redeemed us once for all.
2
There on the cross your burden upbearing,
Thorns on His brow your Savior is wearing;
Never again your sin need appall,
You have been pardoned once for all.
3
Now we are free—there’s no condemnation;
Jesus provides a perfect salvation:
“Come unto Me,” oh, hear His sweet call,
Come, and He saves us once for all.
4
Children of God—oh, glorious calling,
Surely His grace will keep us from falling;
Passing from death to life at His call,
Blessed salvation once for all.

Father, I praise You that I am free from the law. Yet my freedom has boundaries, because it does not mean that I can do whatever I please with no consequences. What it does mean, though, is that there is, therefore, now, no condemnation for me, as I am in Christ Jesus. Now, as I walk in this freedom, help me to consider the brothers and sisters around me. Help me also to consider the non-believers around me. In fact, may I consider all around me as more significant than myself, releasing any so-called “rights” to You, that I might totally live in humility and grace before You, in Christ, by the Holy Spirit.

Mighty God,
remind me today that faith is a verb,
an active trust in Jesus.
I don't want a coffee-table faith that's mostly display,
a Sunday-only faith that's limited piety,
or a bookish faith that only lives in my head.
Give me a faith that lives and breathes and walks out the door into everyday life,
carrying with it joy,
peace,
and love for all,
always trusting in what Jesus has done for me.
In his name,
amen.
(Westminster Confession 11.2)

BLESSING

[May you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
(Philippians 1:11 NIV)

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
(1 Peter 4:8 ESV)

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”
(John 15:9-10 ESV)

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

Father, these Scriptures continue to impress upon me that which You have already given me. Help me to be a loving person, abiding in Your love, keeping Your commandments (those two big ones), and being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to others, as You have forgiven me. All glory to You, through Christ and by the Spirit.

Lord, may I grow in holiness today. May You uncover any idols that I might be hiding in my heart. May I know, fully, Your forgiveness, and be willing to extend that, fully, to others in my life.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:38-39 NLT)

Grace and peace, friends.

No Fear

Today is Wednesday, the sixteenth of June, 2021.

Shalom Aleichem! May the peace of God reign in your heart!

Day 23,106

Four days until Father’s Day

I’ve not much to write about, this morning, other than today is the day that C travels to Vegas for the rest of the week. She will be gone tonight and tomorrow night, and return late Friday night. She has graciously started our chicken soup in the crock pot for dinner tonight, so S and I will have dinner ready when I get home from work. One of us will have lunch already made for tomorrow. As for what we will do for dinner tomorrow night, it may turn out to be Subway. Or I might cook eggs and bacon for us. Who knows?

Please pray for C’s traveling safety and that she has a good time on this team building trip.

By the way, I have just learned that Summer officially begins Sunday night at 10:32 CDT. That is the Summer Solstice, the longest daylight of the year.

“Sumer is icumen in; Llude sing cuccu!”

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

With every breath
A thought to sink in
The Spirit surrounds
Draw it within

With every heartbeat
A reminder of love
For each moment of life
Is a gift from above

With every sunrise
Our cross we can cope
For the light of Gods peace
Is the source of our hope

With every encounter
Of each soul this day
A practice of blessing
For each of them, pray

The greatest commandment
In this practice we find
We love our Lord God
With our heart, soul and mind
(With Every, by Daryl Madden)

You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place.
(Psalms 31:8 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

1. that, no matter what circumstances may try to dictate, I am always "in a safe place"
2. that we are all equal at the foot of the Cross
3. that all of the things about which I have opinions are merely "footstool problems"
4. that my opinions about those things are not part of the job description for my two jobs, which are loving You and loving people
5. that "I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me." (Psalms 16:8 NLT)

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 4 – DAY 4

INVITATION

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
(Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV)

I pause, briefly, to meditate on the truth that I am, indeed, always in a safe place, for I am beloved of God, and I rest secure in Him, even when moments of anger and unrest threaten me, which they did yesterday evening. All is well, no worries. Just a few moments of ranting over footstool issues, as I briefly succumbed to the moment. But we walk in His Kingdom, and in His Kingdom, things are far better then we could ever imagine (Dallas Willard).

BIBLE SONG

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?
(Psalms 137:1-4 NIV)

Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!”
Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us.
Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
(Psalms 137:7-9 NIV)

BIBLE READING

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
(Galatians 3:26-29 NIV)

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
(Galatians 4:1-7 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I read these passages again, how does God move me? What does the Holy Spirit say to me, as He directs my thoughts and meditations. I quietly enjoy the presence of God during this time.

Psalm 137 is one of those tough ones. It’s one of what they call the “imprecatory” psalms, where the psalmist is calling for really bad things to happen to his enemies.

Honestly, even though this is in our holy Scriptures, I do not see myself ever being able to pray for someone to dash the babies of my “enemy” against the rocks. But, then, I’ve never had any real “enemies,” have I? So I can’t really say how I would react, if I were a national ruler and someone were trying to take me out. And back in those Old Testament days, when armies would defeat a city, they pretty much killed everyone, including the babies.

And, could it ever be said that the psalmist’s attitude was wrong?? I know. It’s “Scripture.” It is also a song, not a theological treatise. “How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?” he asks.

But here is what the prophet Jeremiah sent to the people of Israel, in Babylonian captivity:

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
(Jeremiah 29:5-7 NIV)

While I realize that “sing songs” is not specifically mentioned in this passage, it generally tells the people to carry on and live life as you normally would. In following verses, it is stated that, basically, they’re going to be there a while, so settle down.

And there’s also that bit about seeking the peace of the city to which they have been exiled.

Ouch.

Even back then, God was telling His people to pray for their enemies. Interesting.

This is why I would struggle to ever pray like Psalm 137.

Then, in the Galatians passage, Paul points out that we are not slaves, but children. And, in our adoption as children, there is no real division between us. I have loved this part for a long time. Especially verse 28.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 3:28 NIV)

We are all equal in Christ. I have heard it said that “the ground is level at the foot of the cross.” Literally, it wasn’t, of course, because the cross was on top of a hill. But the idea is true. As we face the Cross of Christ, that instrument of torture that brought us grace and peace with God, we all stand the same. We are all equally broken (in God’s eyes . . . I realize that some of us are way more broken than others . . . but are we really??), we are all equally sinners, and we are all equally in need of grace.

Gentiles don’t need more grace than Jews. Men don’t need more grace than women. Poor don’t need more grace than rich. All are equal at the foot of the cross.

And we are all equally heirs, with Christ, to God’s Kingdom.

Father, these truths are stunning, when we truly look them in the face. All of the prejudices (and each person has different ones) that we have grown up with are false in Your Kingdom. They are lies, that need to be set aside, destroyed. Show us truth, Lord, as we live together. I pray for unity in Your Church, as this seems to be a recurring theme, lately. Help me to champion this, Lord. Help me to be the harbinger of unity among Your Church. This prayer frightens me, Lord. It frightens me because I know how I feel about some issues. I have (gasp) opinions. But the truth remains . . . those opinions are not part of my job description when it comes to loving You and loving people. So keep teaching me to love. I failed at that, a bit, yesterday evening. Remind me that those things about which I have opinions are also merely footstool problems.

Adopting God,
thank you for being not only the all-knowing architect of space and history but also my loving Father.
You have made space in your heart for me,
and I am embraced as your child.
I praise you for the wonder that you have chosen me,
that I have been brought in from the outside--
acceptable,
accepted,
and loved in Christ.
In Jesus' name,
amen.
(Westminster Larger Catechism 74)

BLESSING

[May you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
(Philippians 1:11 NIV)

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.
(1 Peter 5:10 NLT)

Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.
(1 Chronicles 16:11 NLT)

I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
(Psalms 16:8 NLT)

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

Father, thank You for these words of encouragement, this morning! As I seek You, continually, let Your strength flow through me, via the Holy Spirit. I know that You are always with me, and I will not be shaken, for You are right beside me. I will not fear, for You are with me; I will not be discouraged, for You are my God. I will celebrate Your strength today. When those problems arise, bring my thoughts and meditations right back around to this. All glory to You, Lord, through the Son and by the Spirit.

Lord, this morning I lift up governments, world leaders, and the needs of our world. The needs are many, and quite staggering, but not for You. I specifically pray for the continent of South America, all its countries and peoples. May Your blessings flow. And I pray for all military personnel, especially those involved in peacekeeping.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Let the words of my mouth 
and the meditation of my heart
 be acceptable in your sight, 
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
(Psalms 19:14 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Your Love Never Fails

Today is Tuesday, the fifteenth of June, 2021

The peace of God be with you!

Day 23,105

Five days until Father’s Day.

I believe R & J are coming over Saturday, to celebrate Father’s Day. I need to decide what I want to have for lunch that day. I don’t even know which way I am leaning at this point. Viable choices include Hoffbrau Steakhouse, The Lost Cajun, any number of barbecue places, and, of course, Applebee’s. But the latter is our normal Sunday lunch, so it probably won’t be that. A lot also depends on the general consensus as to whether we are going to actually go out to eat, or someone is going to go pick it up and bring it home.

I got a surprise message from my doctor’s office, yesterday. I think I mentioned that I sent blood pressure readings to them on Saturday, for the past two weeks. I got the following message back yesterday.

“Let’s stop the lisinopril for now as well. He was on lisinopril 40mg and is only taking 1/2 (20mg) and it is still low. Stop all lisinopril for now and send in blood pressure readings in 1-2 weeks to check for stability.”

So, as of now, at least for the time being, I am completely off my blood pressure medications!! Hallelujah!!

That leaves me with only two prescription pills that I am taking. Metformin for diabetes and Atorvastatin for cholesterol.

One more day until C leaves for Vegas for a few days. Not a pleasure trip, mind you, but I hope that she does have some fun. Every year, her company, the United States Bowling Congress, sends teams to the Open Championship tournament (every year except for last year, of course), as a “team building exercise.” So her team is going tomorrow night, bowling Thursday and Friday, and returning Friday night. So S and I will be on our own for a couple nights.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

“How often we focus on the grand things we hope to accomplish. We admire great works of art, movie stars, politicians, the rich and famous. But do we stop to notice what is in front of us right now?”

"In the knowledge of the little
is found the great pearl.
In the wonder of the moment
is the fruit of awe.
In the seeking of the unnoticed
is the enlightened passage.
In the glow of his presence,
eternal wisdom is claimed."
(Knowledge of the Little," by Daryl Madden, in On a Bench of Wood: Reflections of God's Grace)

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.
(Psalms 31:7 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

1. that You see our troubles, and You care about the anguish of our souls; may You help us care as much about each other's anguish, as well
2. for the little things that are right in front of every day; help us to see them, to notice You in the details
3. that Your steadfast love never fails
4. for Your gracious mercies, new every morning
5. that I don't need anything but Jesus to seal the deal on my salvation

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 4 – DAY 3

INVITATION

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
(Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV)

I pause for a moment to rest in the security that I feel in this moment. I ask the Lord to help me see Him in those details.

BIBLE SONG

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
(Psalms 136:1-4 NIV)

He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
(Psalms 136:23-26 NIV)

BIBLE READING

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
(Galatians 3:1-3 NIV)

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
(Galatians 3:10-14 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I am aware of God’s loving presence in this place, I read these passages, hoping for some inspiration and direction from the Holy Spirit.

The passage from Psalm 136 is one that is intended to be read/sung “antiphonally.” What this means is that one side of the room would read the first half of each verse, and the other side would respond with “His love endures forever,” or whatever the phrase was in the original language.

When I was growing up in the Baptist church, we had these things called “Responsive Readings,” back in the back of the hymnal. I secretly loved it when we did those. It was something different, and we got to read stuff out loud. The pastor would read the first bit, and then we would read the next bit, which was conveniently set in bold type, so we knew what to read. Somehow, miraculously, we always managed to read it pretty much together.

Psalm 136 is one of those “responsive readings.” When you look at it that way, perhaps it won’t seem quite as repetitive/boring. I confess that there have been times I have pretty much just read every other phrase. I mean, after three or four verses, you have the “His love endures forever” bit memorized, right?

Then there are times when I focus on that phrase. Because the truth of it is stunning. Let me tell you . . . when you are “in the moment,” in meditation or prayer, and you stop to dwell on “His love endures forever,” “His mercy endureth forever,” “His steadfast love endures forever,” or whatever your translation of choice says, it is quite calming.

Take whatever anxiety you have in your life right now. What is coming up in your day? Do you have a stressful meeting on the calendar? Do you have a co-worker who is hard to get along with, hard to work with? Are there particular temptations that you know you are going to have to face today? Are you failing somewhere in a relationship, or with your relationship with your Father?

“His love never quits.” (The Message)

I was just reminded of a song.

"Your love never fails, it never gives up;
never runs out on me.
In death in life
I'm confident and covered by
The power of your great love.
My debt is paid
There's nothing that can separate
My heart from your great love."

The song is called “One Thing Remains,” and can be heard by a number of different artists.

But the truth is there. God’s amazing love (how can it be?) never fails, never gives up, never runs out, never quits, endures forever.

So next time you read Psalm 136, don’t skip those bits. They may actually be more important than the ones that are all different.

Father, I praise You that Your love never fails, never runs out, and never gives up on me. Thank You for Your steadfast love, Your mercy, that endureth forever. There are so many different ways we can say or sing that, and it never gets old. Because You never get old, and Your love never gets old. Your mercies never cease.

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
(Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT)

Complete God,
who wants a partial Savior?
And yet we hedge our bets,
often trying to add something else to Jesus,
as if he's only half a Savior,
as if something else will make us more spiritual,
more holy,
more acceptable to you.
Forgive us for what this is,
a trampling on your grace.
Give us the faith to rest in your complete salvation in Jesus.
Amen.
(Belgic Confession 22)

BLESSING

[May you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
(Philippians 1:11 NIV)

“And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
(1 Kings 8:61 NIV)

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
(Psalms 119:103-105 NIV)

Father, may I be focused on Your ever-present, ever-living Word all throughout this day. May those mercies, new every morning, continue on after the morning is over. Be the focus of my day; be the direction of my path. Be my all in all today.

Lord, please give us a strong sense of love and commitment for the communities in which You have placed us, both spiritual and physical. Equip us, O mighty God, to serve these communities in unique ways. I specifically lift up police, firefighters, and emergency workers today. Keep them and everyone they serve save, Father.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Yet, LORD my God, give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.
(2 Chronicles 6:19 NIV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Through the Lenses of Grace

Today is Monday, the fourteenth of June, 2021

Shalom Aleichem. May the peace of God be with you!

Day 23,104

Six days until Father’s Day

We had a little unexpected (and somewhat undesired) excitement, last night. At around 10:00 PM (I think), as we were fast asleep, Tessie (dog) started barking excitedly at the front door. C and I both jumped out of bed. I peeked out of the bedroom, and C said, “There’s someone at our front door.” I threw some shorts on and opened our castle-style peephole.

It turned out to be a guy from Atmos Energy, our gas company. You see, earlier, in the evening, there was a knock at the door, and it was our neighbor, Tasha, wanting me to come out and see if I smelled gas around the area between our houses. I actually did not. There was one second where I thought I got a whiff, but it was short-lived, and I didn’t smell it again. And our gas meters are almost right next to each other, as our houses are approximately six feet apart. That might be a slight exaggeration, but it’s close.

Turns out the leak was there, and it was right next to our new pool heater. At the first time, the guy was just letting us know he was there, checking things out. Unfortunately, he came back to the door just after 10:30, to tell us where the leak was. He was able to turn off the valve going to the heater, so we didn’t have to shut of the gas to the house. We’ll need to get that fixed, and I’m thinking we contact the guy who installed the heater for us, recently.

After being awakened the second time, it took me until after midnight to fall back asleep. Needless to say, I’m a bit tired, this morning.

Hopefully, I won’t sound cranky in my devotional. Heh.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

It is my longing
Of time that we share
In peace of the morning
Of a silent prayer

To sit in the sunrise
Of beautiful view
In fragrance of stillness
With light pouring through

A Spirit of being
To dwell here with You
Of wonder to wander
Of drifting into

To listen within
The voice of above
A vision of beauty
Your facets of love
(My Longing, by Daryl Madden)

Turn your ear to listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe.
(Psalms 31:2 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

1. that You are my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe
2. that the gas leak isn't more serious than simply a valve at the pool heater
3. that You have drawn me in, to seek You in the morning
4. that Your grace allows me to look through the lenses of grace at others around me, setting aside my opinions, as well as theirs, that I might love my neighbor as myself
5. that I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 4 – DAY 2

INVITATION

“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
(Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV)

This morning, I pause to consider the Lord as my rock of protection, my fortress. Today, He will be my strength, getting me through a day with inadequate sleep.

BIBLE SONG

Praise the LORD.

Praise the name of the LORD;
praise him, you servants of the LORD, you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.
(Psalms 135:1-4 NIV)

BIBLE READING

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.
“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
(Galatians 2:15-21 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I set here, this morning, resting in God’s presence, I try to give attention to these readings, letting the Holy Spirit guide me in my meditations and prayers. Is there anything in these passages that I need to ask God about?

As have completed the Songs of Ascent psalms. But Psalm 135 continues to encourage those who minister in the house of the Lord, telling them to praise Him. “Sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.”

We did that yesterday morning. I wasn’t prepared, but when I walked in the door for our church gathering, Brandon had his guitar strapped on and pointed me toward his piano. We sang a couple of songs before we settled in to read and discuss Scripture. It was nice to sing and play together, even though I had no music or chord charts. The psalmist is right. It was pleasant.

Galatians has always been a difficult book for me. There is a lot of legal speak about being justified by grace rather than works or law. That part I get, but it gets rather complicated at times. Verse 17, in particular, puzzles me.

But the crux of it all, I believe, is found in the famous verse 20. Galatians 2:20 is a memory verse that always comes up early in any Bible memorization plan.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
(Galatians 2:20 NIV)

It presents a mystery. Especially when you consider that, yes, I do live. I walk around in a living body; my mind is alive; my spirit lives. But, in theory, I have “died to the law so that I might live for God.” See? Complicated.

But when we look at verse 20, it all seems to make sense. This life, the life that I am currently living, “I live by faith in the Son of God.” I walk by faith, not by sight. I live in grace. I live in the country of forgiveness (thanks to Eugene Peterson for that language).

And then, in verse 21 . . .

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
(Galatians 2:21 NIV)

I wrote a lot about setting things aside, over the last two days. One thing that we do not set aside is grace, God’s grace. “Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,” said the writer of that great hymn. We must not set aside grace. In fact, it is that grace that allows me to make progress in setting aside all those opinions that don’t matter, in the long run.

If I set aside grace, my opinions become all-important. They become that which drives and directs me. However, if I live in grace, walking in the country of forgiveness, I, too, am forgiving. I don’t look at your opinions. Instead, I look through the lenses of grace and see the work that Christ has done in your life and heart.

Father, I thank You for grace. I cannot thank You enough for grace. I praise You; I sing praise to You, for it is pleasant. Help me to sing more; help me to praise more; even help me to craft more songs of praise and worship to You. For You are praiseworthy. Thank You for setting me on this path, in this country of forgiveness. Thank You that You are helping me to look at others through these lenses of grace, not seeing their opinions, but seeing You in them. Help me to see Jesus in those around me. And if those around me are not believers, even then, help me to see some Jesus in them, as they are truly “the least of these,” about which Jesus spoke.

Blunt God,
you don't leave any wiggle room on this one,
do you?
Either the salvation you offer is all in Christ or it is not in Christ at all.
I love Jesus,
but sometimes I find a hybrid gospel appealing,
adding some current spirituality to faith in Jesus,
topping the gospel with my hard work or winning personality,
augmenting grace with my pleasant idols.
Confront me again with the unvarnished truth that my salvation is in Christ alone.
Amen.
(Belgic Confession 22)

BLESSING

[May you be] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
(Philippians 1:11 NIV)

Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
(2 Timothy 4:2 NLT)

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”
(Matthew 25:21 NLT)

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”
(Mark 16:15 NLT)

In today’s reading from Daily Guideposts 2021, writer Ginger Rue comes up with a real gem of a statement, and it sums up a lot of what I have encountered in the past year or so. “Try not to focus too much on things that won’t matter ten thousand years from now.”

Whoa.

Remember “footstool problems?”

Yeah.

I’m just gonna leave that there.

But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
(Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT)

Father, I praise You for the promises of Your presence, as the Scriptures are replete with such promises. I dwell in Your presence, I walk in Your Kingdom. Not perfectly, of course, but I’m there. And, hopefully, growing grace and mercy as I walk. Help me, like Ginger, not to focus on footstool problems, things that won’t matter in a few days, much less in ten thousand years! And help me to live in grace today, in all circumstances.

Lord, may You give us all wise stewardship when it comes to the resources You have provided for us. Please gift people in Your kingdom with conservation strategies and techniques, that we might live a better world for future generations. I lift up all leaders in Your Church, this morning. Give them wisdom and insight on how to deal with the stark division that exists in Your Church, these days.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.
(Jude 1:24-25 NLT)

Grace and peace, friends.

On Unity

Today is Saturday, the twelfth of June, 2021.

May the peace of God be with you!

Day 23,102

Eight days until Father’s Day.

The weekend is here, and we are looking forward to a restful time. Of course, as always, there are things that must be done, but nothing really out of the ordinary. I need to get my car inspected, and license tag ordered, but I have until the end of June to do that.

There was a brief conversation about the possibility of going up to Winstar casino today. But then, C is going to Vegas this coming Wednesday night, for the USBC “team-building” event, to bowl in their Open Championship.

We do have our WW workshop at 10:30, this morning, and we are all signed up for it, this week. I’m expecting to neither lose nor gain, this week, as my home weight, this morning, is exactly the same as last Saturday’s. That’s a good thing, considering the effects that the medication changes have had on my body over the last couple weeks.

And, as far as I know, our church group will be meeting in person tomorrow, at the host’s home.

We didn’t put in a grocery order last night, because C went earlier in the week, on one of those days she worked from home. We do need a few things, but not a lot, so one of us will likely make a trip to the store. Thos are the only things that really need to happen, this weekend.

I’ve never really mentioned this, but each day, when I log into WordPress, there are “spam” comments on various blog posts. But the WordPress filters are really good about catching them and sending them to a spam folder. What is interesting is the subject matter. They are pretty equally divided, lately, between comments about CBD oil or hemp, vaping shops, or random, senseless comments where the web site linked is something about “extra proxies.” I’m not 100% sure what that is, but it has something to do with a gateway between me and the Internet.

Oh. I almost forgot. My uncle had hip replacement surgery, yesterday. We knew this was imminent, but we weren’t sure when it would be happening. I got a text, from one of my cousins, yesterday morning, shortly after 8:00 AM, that he was in surgery. It seems to have gone rather quickly, but apparently, it went well, and he was in a room, talking to his kids, by noon. We will be praying for quick recovery, and that this surgery will help in his mobility issues.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

"Open, Lord, my eyes that I may see.
Open, Lord, my ears that I may hear.
Open, Lord, my heart and my mind that I may understand.
So shall I turn to You and be healed."
(Traditional)

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.
(Psalms 27:14 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

1. for the weekend, a time to rest and renew for the upcoming week of work
2. for times of worship and praise, scattered throughout the day
3. for the power, intricacies, and complexity of music
4. for a deeper understanding of unity within the Body of Christ
5. for all of the things appointed in my life, which have brought me to where I am today

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 3 – DAY 7

INVITATION

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
(Psalms 133:1 NIV)

I pause to consider, to remind myself that I am in the presence of the Lord, asking His Spirit to guide me into worship and meditation and prayer.

BIBLE SONG

A song of ascents. Of David.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
(Psalms 133:1-3 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
(Romans 13:8-12 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I read these passages, I look to see how God is speaking to me, this morning. His Spirit and His Word are alive as I read.

I see how important unity among the Church is to our God. How His heart must break at the division within His Church, today. And the blatant refusal to even try tells me how unimportant God’s heart is to some folks.

I will reiterate what I have come to believe in recent years. We have two jobs. Love God and love people. Our opinions on “controversial” issues are not included in the job descriptions for those two jobs. Trust me, I struggle mightily with this. But if our opinions on things don’t agree, that should not affect our relationship as brothers or sisters in Christ.

Carry this thought into the Romans passage. I have shaken my head at times, hearing people use Romans 13:8 as an argument against using credit cards. “The Bible says we aren’t supposed to have debt!” While I will agree that debt is, for the most part, a bad thing, I am fully persuaded that that is not the context of this verse. But, hey . . . many folks care nothing for context, right?

In fact, the only mention of money in the context has to do with taxes! Just look at verse 7.

Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
(Romans 13:7 NIV)

In fact, the entire paragraph before the one quoted above deals with government authority. So to yank verse 8 out and preach that debt is forbidden is quite a stretch. The “debts” referred to are taxes, revenue, respect, and honor. And the definition of “revenue,” seems to have to do with income, and especially state income.

Now, concerning our two jobs, what this passage does tell us is that one of those jobs sums up the entirety of the law. Jesus agreed with this. “The commandments,” says Paul, “are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”

In order to do this, I have to set aside my opinions about politics. I have to set aside my opinions about race (which have evolved to a really good place, in my own assessment, but that means that I might have to ignore your opinions about race in order to fulfill that command). I have to set aside my opinions about gays and lesbians (and all those other letters). I even have to set aside my opinions about abortion.

Here’s the thing, though. In order to love you in the way that Jesus has commanded, I also have to set aside YOUR opinions on those things. This is where, I believe, it becomes the most difficult for all of us. And let it be known that I am writing this “on the fly,” this morning. I believe that the Holy Spirit is inspiring me as I type.

Look up there at my parenthetical comment on race. That applies to all of these “controversial issues.” Not only do I have to set aside my opinions about these things, I also have to set aside your opinions about these things. If your opinion about politics is causing a rift between us, and we are both believers in Christ, we have to, we MUST set those aside!

THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE COMPROMISING OUR BELIEFS!

What it does mean is that we agree that there is something higher, something more important, at stake! The very unity of the Body of Christ. I don’t have to change my opinions for us to be in unity in Christ. You don’t have to change yours, either. We just need to “agree to disagree,” and move on with doing things like helping the needy, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoners and the sick, and so on . . . all of those things that Jesus said we should be doing for “the least of these.”

We need to wake up from our self-obsessed slumber, because “our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

Father, I confess that I have not done well with these commands. I have allowed opinions of brothers and sisters to separate. Forgive me and help me to be more like what I am writing, this morning. Show us all the path to unity in these days of darkness. I also pray that You would hasten the daylight. Bring on the return of Christ, to fix all of this. But Your mercy reigns over all things. Delay it as long as You need to in order to save as many as You have ordained. I pray, desperately, that You would help us all to set aside our imperfect, selfish, opinions, that are dividing Your Body. Help us to live in unity with one another, love one another as Christ loved us, honoring one another more than ourselves, sacrificing ourselves for one another. Have mercy, Lord, have mercy!

Compelling Lord and Savior,
thank you for the beauty of a gospel-centered life.
Your kingdom-calling isn't that we merely avoid evil and keep our noses clean,
but that we work for the good of those around us.
So plunge us deep into gospel living in our neighborhoods,
exhibiting a patient,
peace-loving,
gentle life of love that protects others and seeks the good of all,
even our enemies.
Amen.
(Heidelberg Catechism 107)

BLESSING

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.
(Ephesians 3:16-17 NIV)

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
(Psalms 90:12 NIV)

LORD, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.
(Psalms 144:3-4 NIV)

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
(Proverbs 3:13-16 NIV)

Some of the gatekeepers were assigned to care for the various articles used in worship. They checked them in and out to avoid any loss. Others were responsible for the furnishings, the items in the sanctuary, and the supplies, such as choice flour, wine, olive oil, frankincense, and spices.
(1 Chronicles 9:28-29 NLT)

Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
(Jonah 1:17 NLT)

And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.
(Jonah 4:6-8 NLT)

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
(Psalms 139:16 NLT)

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.
(2 Thessalonians 1:11 NLT)

You may wonder what some of these passages have to do with each other. But there is a common thread, believe it or not. In Chronicles, the people mentioned were appointed for the various tasks. In Jonah, the great fish was appointed (or arranged) to swallow Jonah. Likewise, the shade plant was appointed, the worm was appointed, and the scorching heat was appointed. Each of those passages features the same Hebrew word.

The passage in Psalm 139 does not use that same word, but does have the thought that all of my days were recorded before any of them came to pass. “Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

A passage that is not included here (I just thought of it) speaks of good works that were planned for us, long ago.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
(Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

“Planned” seems to me to be very similar to “appointed.” Paul is praying, in 2 Thessalonians, that the people be empowered to accomplish all the “good things your faith prompts you to do.”

“Everything happens for a reason,” we have all heard it said. While that may not be the best thing to say to someone who has just suffered a tragedy in their lives, I do believe it is true. What this means is that those challenges and trials, those “bad things” that may happen to us, all serve God’s purpose in bringing about our maturity, or to “bring [us] to the appointed place of His calling in [our lives].”

Embracing this truth is one of the things that can enable us to “be thankful in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

(From The Book of Mysteries, by Jonathan Cahn)

Father, I thank You for this time, today. It has been quite illuminating. I praise You for the teaching of the Holy Spirit, showing me things that I have not ever considered before. I’m aware that I am likely not the first person to think of these things. But please, by the power of Your Spirit, enable me to live them out. Help me to start a love revolution, Lord.

Lord, I pray that we, Your Church, may work together for the common benefit of all people (even, and especially, for those we might consider “enemies”). I ask that “deep care, bold love, and rich community” be experienced within the Church. And for those who are seeking work or trying to decided on a career path, may Your Holy Spirit guide them to what is best for them.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, 
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O, Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world,
grant us Your peace.
(Agnus Dei)

Grace and peace, friends.

The Ordinary Life

Today is Friday, the eleventh of June, 2021.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,101

Nine days until Father’s Day

The big news around the Bickleyhouse today is this:

Player to be named later

Yes, we adopted another kitten last night. She is a Seal Point Siamese. One of my Facebook friends called her an Applehead Meezer. We don’t know if she is full-blooded or not, and we really don’t care. We got her from a family in Denton (about a mile from R’s house), who still owns the mom and the dad. As the caption states, we have not named her yet. Or, as I have told some folks, she has not yet told us her name.

We have a couple of choices that are floating around. C thinks she might be Sophie. I’m wondering if she is Cleopatra. We have also tossed around the idea of Elvira. Not because we like the queen of horror movies, but because . . . okay, there’s this podcast, see? Called My Favorite Murder, and one of the hosts used to have a Siamese cat named Elvis. At the end of every episode, she would say, “Elvis, want a cookie?” and Elvis would say, “Mrowr!” Well this cat is a girl, so we don’t want to name her Elvis, you know.

Anyway . . . as soon as there is a name, we will let everyone know.

We stopped by R and J’s house before coming home, to show them the new kitty. That was a nice addition to the day. I think everyone in the family knows, by now, so it’s safe to let out that they are planning, it seems, to move to Indianapolis. Yes, the one in Indiana. Why Indiana? They have friends there. R can continue to keep her current job with pretty much no regard for where she lives. J would probably have to find a new one since he works for UNT. They have actually made an offer on a house out there.

That’s about it for current events, so on to the devotional.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Let nothing disturb you,
let nothing frighten you,
all things will pass away.
God never changes;
patience obtains all things,
whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
Amen.
(St. Teresa of Avila)

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
(Psalms 27:8 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

1. that You have said, "Seek my face."
2. for kittens, puppies, rainbows, and other things that make children smile
3. for the ability to take my everyday life, the most mundane things, and offer them up to you as a "living sacrifice," embracing all that You do for me
4. that I own nothing, yet have everything (2 Corinthians 6:10)
5. for Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 3 – DAY 6

INVITATION

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
(Psalms 133:1 NIV)

I pause, briefly, at this time to reflect on seeking God’s face. My gratitude is flowing, this morning, like a river after the spring rains.

BIBLE SONG

A song of ascents.

LORD, remember David and all his self-denial.
He swore an oath to the LORD, he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
“I will not enter my house or go to my bed, I will allow no sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
(Psalms 132:1-5 NIV)

For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,
“This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.
I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food.
I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.”
(Psalms 132:13-16 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
(Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
(Romans 12:9-16 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I enjoy God’s presence, this morning, I reflect on these two passages, asking the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts and ponderings, leading me toward a deeper understanding of my walk with Christ.

I am drawn to the idea of the “living sacrifice” presented in Romans 12. How do we offer our bodies as living sacrifices? I like the way Eugene Peterson put it in The Message.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
(Romans 12:1 MSG)

It’s not a matter of going out and doing spectacular things for God, though that is certainly a good thing. It’s a matter of taking that everyday life, your ordinary life, the mundane things you do every day, and offering them up to God. I love the idea of “embracing what God does for you.”

I am reminded of Brother Lawrence, who is well known for this thought of finding God in even the most mundane tasks, like washing the dishes.

But the real nuts and bolts of offering up your life as a living sacrifice comes in that second passage from Romans 12, this morning. Let’s go back up there and read that again.

It starts with, “Love must be sincere.” The NLT words that, “Don’t just pretend to love others.” “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” Let’s be clear on this. It does not say, “Hate evil people.” And this cliché about “love the sinner, hate the sin,” is all well and good, but most people who say that don’t really love the sinner. You can tell by how they treat the sinner, all the while forgetting that, oops, I’m a sinner, too!

“Honor one another above yourselves.”

We haven’t been doing too good with that one through a pandemic, have we . . . what with all this insistence on “my rights,” and “my freedoms,” and acting like being required to wear a mask is like the most inconvenient thing you’ve ever been asked to do in your entire life.

If we are offering up ourselves as living sacrifices, we are also giving up our so-called rights.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” I’ll confess that we could do better at the hospitality thing. We don’t invite people into our home very often. We could definitely do better. I think we do alright at the sharing part, though.

How are we at blessing those who persecute us? Let’s get real for a second. I don’t know that I have ever been really persecuted. So I don’t think I have had a chance to test that one.

Then, at the end, Paul lays it down with telling us to “live in harmony with one another.”

Boy, do we have some work to do.

Father, Your Church is in disarray, these days. We aren’t doing a great job of living in harmony, nor are we doing very well at honoring each other above ourselves. I pray for the Holy Spirit to have His way with us in these times. I pray that Your people would open their hearts to Your Spirit in such a way that we might be truly transformed into a people of love, a people who take Your Words seriously, and not just the parts that we like. I pray for my own attitudes toward others, which, I think I can say, is improving, these days. But we could do better in the hospitality arena. Help us in that area. Lead us all toward a deeper fellowship with You and with one another.

Loving Father,
how quickly we can become discouraged about your church,
especially when we measure it by attendance,
political influence,
budget,
or programs.
Free us from trying to size up your church by the pattern of this world.
Instead,
keep us in your way of simple service and humble love,
energized in your mission,
always encouraged,
knowing your hands guide and keep your people.
Amen.
(Belgic Confession 27)

BLESSING

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
(Ephesians 3:16-17 NIV)

thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18 MSG)

Let me shout God’s name with a praising song, Let me tell his greatness in a prayer of thanks.
(Psalms 69:30 MSG)

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
(James 1:17 NLT)

Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
(2 Corinthians 6:10 NLT)

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 5:20 NLT)

Father, these last Scriptures are sinking deep into my soul. I give You thanks and praise in all circumstances. You are my keeper, my provider, my Rock and my salvation. You are my fortress and my deliverer. You are my hiding place, where I can run when I feel afflicted. I shout Your name with a praising song, today. I will tell of Your greatness in my prayers of thanksgiving. Indeed, everything that is good and perfect in my life comes from You. I do not “have” anything. I own nothing, and yet have everything. All glory to You, Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, by His Spirit.

Lord, give all of us a deeper gratitude for the work of Christ on the cross. I pray, today, for those who live in poverty and injustice. May Your Spirit prevail and justice be done for all. I also pray for the equal treatment of women in our society, and in all of the world, as well.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
(Romans 12:12 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends!

Kitty update: It appears that her name is Cleo (Cleopatra).

On Waiting

Today is Wednesday, the ninth of June, 2021.

Peace be with you!

Day 23,099

25 days until July 4th

I totally forgot Father’s Day is coming. Or Fathers Day, or Fathers’ Day. However you want to put it. It’s eleven days until Father’s Day.

My blood pressure seems to have stabilized. This morning, it checked at 110/70. Pretty much perfect. I also lost about a half pound on the scale, which is encouraging. Weird, because I don’t normally lose weight in the middle of the week, but encouraging. I try not to take too much stock in the daily weigh-ins, and WW even discourages that. But the new scale we got a few weeks ago comes with an app (doesn’t everything, now?) and wirelessly communicates data to the app. So I step on it (the scale, not the app) every morning.

If you haven’t been reading, I’ve recently made some doctor-directed medication changes because my blood pressure had gotten a bit on the low side. I have been taking blood pressure medication for years, but with all of this weight loss (120+ since February of 2020), my blood pressure has lowered as well. Changing the meds caused me to have some rather unexplainable weight gain in the past week. Hopefully, that is leveling off, as well.

I don’t have much else to write about, so on to the real purpose of why I’m here.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

THIS MORNING'S PRAYER, by Daryl Madden

Draw in the fresh air
Turn gaze up high
Losing oneself
In the blue sky

Exhale completely
Fill senses deep
Allowing the present
Moment to seep

Sounds of surrounding
Of comforts embrace
Blessings of peace
Born by Your grace

Soul of the filling
Our being of here
Light of consuming
Of this morning’s prayer

For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
(Psalms 27:5 NLT)

Today I am grateful:

1. this morning's time of prayer and meditation; teach me, Holy Spirit
2. that I am hidden in Your sanctuary, out of reach on a high rock
3. that You call us to fight against our culture of instant gratification
4. that You call us to wait
5. for the grace in which I stand

Scriptures and Prayers from Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

ORDINARY TIME – WEEK 3 – DAY 4

INVITATION

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
(Psalms 133:1 NIV)

At this point, I pause to reflect on being hidden in the sanctuary of the Lord, high on His rock, out of reach of evil.

BIBLE SONG

A song of ascents.

Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD; Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
(Psalms 130:1-8 NIV)

BIBLE READING

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
(Romans 5:1-11 NIV)

DWELLING: SILENCE AND MEDITATION

As I take this moment to rest in God’s presence, I linger over these passages, asking the Holy Spirit to draw me in, deeper, pointing out specific words or phrases on which I need to focus.

I see the word “wait” occurring five times in Psalm 130. That tends to make me think it might be important. You think? I find it interesting that he says, “my whole being waits.” The ESV renders that, “my soul waits.” And while my whole being, my soul, is waiting, I put my hope in God’s Word.

Waiting is something that western culture doesn’t like. In fact, we hate waiting. We hate waiting so much that we pay Amazon a yearly fee in order to get faster deliveries. In our defense, we get a lot more than that for the yearly fee, like streaming TV and movies, and those faster deliveries are also at no extra charge. Believe me, the yearly fee more than pays for itself.

But look at our TV watching trends. We can now binge an entire series of a show on Netflix or Amazon Prime in a day or two, without having to wait until next week for the next episode to be released. HBO has not catered to that, by the way. They still release episodes the old fashioned way, a week at a time.

But then we have to wait a whole year for another season. Ugh!

God wants us to wait, though. Just look at that famous verse in Isaiah 40.

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31 ESV)

The results of “waiting” are tremendous.

And this idea, even though the word, itself, is not included, is represented further in our Romans passage for the day. Romans 5:3 speaks of suffering. We hate that almost as much as we hate waiting. But look at the benefits of suffering (and waiting). Perseverance, character, and, finally, hope.

Perseverance is a sort of waiting, isn’t it? One definition of perseverance is, “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.”

Ooh. “Delay.” A sort of synonym for “waiting.”

It is sad to me that everything that is encouraged in today’s Scripture readings goes against almost everything Western culture embraces. This causes me to kick back against our culture. This is why, as I wrote yesterday, I am striving to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry” from my life (thanks, Dallas Willard).

Believers in Jesus need to fight against the culture. We need to be different. We are called out people, right? We are supposed to be “peculiar.” I know a lot of believers who are peculiar, all right, but in the wrong ways. Hahaha!

The Romans passage also speaks of “this grace in which we now stand.” I love this line, and it makes me think of a song by the late Keith Green.

That nothing lasts
Except the grace of God
By which I stand in Jesus
I know that I would surely fall away
Except for grace
By which I am saved

Father, I thank You for this grace by which I stand in Jesus. I thank You for the faith that You have given me, my whole life long. I pray that You will help me to wait, for my whole being, my soul, to wait for You, and while I wait, hope in Your Word. Where else can I find hope? Help me as I continue on this journey to “ruthlessly eliminate hurry.”

Sacrificial God,
how can I comprehend a deliverer who gives his life for powerless rebels,
for us even though we were your enemies?
Your love in Christ's death is the matchless wonder of the world--
your greatest glory,
the world's deepest hope,
and our sweetest joy.
Amen.
(Belgic Confession 26)

BLESSING

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
(Ephesians 3:16-17 NIV)

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
(1 Peter 5:5-7 ESV)

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
(Hebrews 13:17 ESV)

More words we don’t like in this culture. “Subject,” “humility/humble,” “obey,” “submit.”

Father, as I read more words that our culture hates, I embrace the thoughts that they conjure. Help me today, to be humble, submissive, obedient. Again, help me to wait and be watchful for where You are working, and hoping in Your Word, that I might have perseverance, character, and hope. All glory to You, through the Son, by the Spirit.

Lord, I lift up all national and local communities to You. May Your presence be known in our midst, and Your protection be over us. May Your grace fall on all who work in the healthcare profession, especially those who must care for the dying. May You be present in the midst of all courts and judges today, that justice be served in all cases.

I pray for peace in our nation, peace in our world. I pray for racial injustice to end, and I pray for the pandemic to be over. Above all else, though, I pray for Your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

In the midst of my troubles and stress,
my Lord,
my wishes, hopes, and desires
rest in your gracious hands.
Help me accept your will and direction.
Please come alongside me,
my advisor and confidant,
my savior and friend,
my Lord and my God.
Let your will be done.
("Comfort Me in Trust," by Daryl Madden, in On a Bench of Wood: Reflections of God's Grace)

Grace and peace, friends.