It is Monday morning, August 20, 2012. The birthday celebrations are over, the strawberry cake is gone, and we are strategizing on how to get the rest of the cookie cake out of the house today.
Today is “National Radio Day.” There aren’t many radio stations that I still listen to. My favorite one, though, is 91.7 KXT. As with pretty much all radio stations, you can now stream them online. This station plays pretty much everything. I say “everything,” but you won’t hear much top 40 pop on there. There are plenty other stations that will assault your ears with the likes of Jason Derulo and Pit Bull. But you will hear Gotye, alongside Bruce Springsteen, Bare Naked Ladies, Peter Gabriel, The Shins, The Flaming Lips…I’ve heard classical guitar music, many, many local music acts. There’s no telling what you might hear in any given hour. They were recently voted the best radio station in Dallas, narrowly “edging” out 102.1. And yes, that pun was intended. For those of you not in the DFW area, that station is called “The Edge.”
On this date in 1911, the first commercial telegram was sent around the world from the New York Times office. On this date in 1940, Leon Trotsky was murdered in Mexico. Oh, wait…we don’t call that “murder,” we call it “assassination.” If you’re a government person, it’s assassination. On this date in 1975, Viking 1 was launched to Mars. On July 20, 1976, it became the first craft to land on Mars. On this date in 1920, Jim Thorpe, along with six other men, met and formed the American Professional Football Conference.
Our birthday celebrations were a huge success. Unless you count the ground lost in the arena of weight loss. But we aren’t going to obsess about that…we’re just going to get right back on track. Stephanie was very happy and said that it was a great birthday. If I’m not mistaken, she may have used the words “best ever” in her description. As far as I know, good times were had by all.
Father, once again, I pray for a glimpse of you this morning. Show me something in your word that I can take into the world with me during this day.
Today, I’m reading Psalm 81. This psalm, yet another by Asaph, begins with praise.
Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. (1-3)
The voice of God follows as he tells them of their failure to listen to him.
But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.
Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. (11-14)
Our God still calls on us to listen to him, to heed his voice. If we will but listen, he will take care of our every need.
My Utmost For His Highest
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Today, we focus on the last portion of this verse. “Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once and ask Him to establish rest. Never allow anything to remain which is making the dis-peace.” Yesterday, we saw the answer to most, if not all problems being “Come to me.” The thing that is causing my life with Christ to disintegrate is not something to suffer, it is something to wrestle against. I must not allow self-consciousness to continue, because it will become self-pity.
Here’s an interesting statement: “The child of God is not conscious of the will of God because he is the will of God.” Think about that for a few minutes. If I am having to struggle to find the will of God, then I have certainly deviated from it. If I am truly walking with God, I do not have to be seeking his will, because I am living it. I also don’t have to be constantly asking for knowledge of answered prayer, because I am “restfully certain that God always does answer prayer.”
I need not attempt to “overcome self-consciousness by any common-sense method.” I simply need to heed the advice of Matthew 11:28. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Christ-consciousness will take the place of self-consciousness.”
Father, as I go out into this day, I pray that I can take your consciousness with me. Let me not be self-conscious, but Christ-conscious. I pray for the mind of Christ in all that I do today, beginning with this moment. As I drive to work, I will pray for the saints, as well as any others that are needing prayers in my “sphere of influence.” I know that you hear my prayers, and I pray that I be walking in faith. Give me the strength to wrestle with that which threatens to disintegrate my walk with you.
Give me ears to hear your words and to heed your call on my life. May my prayers rise up to you like sweet incense. I pray that you would subdue my “enemies” and turn your hand against my “foes.” I also pray that I would treat everyone that I meet today with the respect due all human beings. May they sense your Spirit in me as we interact during this day.
I pray for this day. Give Christi a good, successful work day, and I pray that her pain would continue to decrease. The exercises from physical therapy seem to be helping a bit. I pray for my day at work, as well, that it will be smooth. Give Stephanie a good day today, as well.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Possibly the best advice Jesus ever gave us…
Grace and peace, friends.
Spaces of Beauty, Grace, Prayer, and Mercy 