Winn Collier – Spaces of Beauty, Grace, Prayer, and Mercy

Home

“I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return. I will bring them home.” (Zechariah 10:8-10a)

November 11, 2020 Jeff

Today is Wednesday (Hump Day), November 11, 2020. 11/11/2020. Peace be with you.

Day 22,889

Tomorrow is C’s birthday!! I do have some gifts coming, hopefully arriving today.

The U.S. had another record-high day of Coronavirus cases, yesterday, with 135,653. That’s more than three times the second highest country, which was India. As previously noted, we are on a pace to have over three million new cases a month, which will easily push us over the three percent mark by the end of the year. Texas had 12,212, second to Illinois, with 12,623. Oh, and Texas was the first state to have one million total cases.

We are still planning to embark on a geocaching adventure on Saturday. There is a forty percent chance of rain in the forecast, but that is also a sixty percent chance that it won’t rain.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

"Father, I abandon myself
into your hands.
Do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you.
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me
and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul.
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands
without reserve
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father."
Charles de Foucauld

Scriptures and Prayers from The Divine Hours

Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!
(Psalms 57:8 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

For my wife and daughters and son-in-law
For my mother and the years that I had with my father
The promise and anticipation of Home
The firm foundation that is Your Word
The country of resurrection

Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
(Psalms 80:7 ESV)

My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.
(Psalms 71:23 ESV)

Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
(Psalms 68:28 ESV)

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
(Luke 6:45 ESV)

Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;
may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
(Psalms 144:11-15 ESV)

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, so it is now and so it shall ever be, world without end. Alleluia. Amen.

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.

"Merciful God,
who sent your messengers the prophets
to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Grant us grace to heed
their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ
our Redeemer;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and for ever.
Amen."
(The Divine Hours, The Prayer Appointed for the Week)

“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Then Ephraim shall become like a mighty warrior, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine. Their children shall see it and be glad; their hearts shall rejoice in the LORD.
“I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before. Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and with their children they shall live and return. I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria, and I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, till there is no room for them. He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the LORD.
(Zechariah 10:6-12 ESV)

This is a prophecy about Israel and Judah. That is the first thing to understand about this passage.

However, I believe that it is not unreasonable to apply some of it to modern believers.

How many of you have ever felt distant from God? And what about during this pandemic? Something that many of us never expected to see in our lifetime. For those of us who lean toward following the safety guidelines and mandates, it has separated us from our brothers and sisters in Christ, to a degree.

There is a vast sense of loneliness in our world, right now.

Even beyond that, I have been longing for “Home” for at least a decade, now. And, to me, that is a beautiful feeling that God has placed in my heart. Yes, it means that I am, to a large degree, “over” this world. I’ve mentioned before that I am weary of it. Tired of the struggle; especially tired of the fighting and division among our own people. I long for that day when God calls us Home, from our various countries all over the world.

I try to stay in the “country of resurrection.” But, since we still have these mortal coils, it is easy to slip back into the “country of death.”

Verses 8-10a are beautiful verses.

“Our sense of exile may come because of our bad decisions or because of hardships beyond our control. Either way, God hasn’t forgotten us. He knows our desire and will call to us. And if we’ll answer, we’ll find ourselves returning to Him – returning home.” (Winn Collier, Our Daily Bread)

Lamedh.
Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants.
If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.
I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts.
The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies.
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
(Psalms 119:89-96 ESV)

The same “Word” that is “firmly fixed in the heavens,” which holds the universe together, is the same “Word” that I have held in my hands in book form. “The same mind running the universe expresses itself in the Bible,” says Tim Keller.

This Word is the “only solid foundation on which to build a life.” Through all generations, “it stands fast” (verse 90).

(From The Songs of Jesus, by Timothy and Kathy Keller)

Father, while my longing for Home grows stronger every day, I am committed to living out my days in this strange land, surround by the country of death and unforgiveness. But, cliché as it sounds, I am a stranger in this world. As Larry Norman sang, “I’m only visiting this planet.” I am, with great anticipation and excitement, looking forward to that day when You call all of Your children Home. Some of us have gone ahead, at Your bidding, and I celebrate that, even though I miss their physical bodies on this planet. But however this works, we will all, someday, be united in our permanent Home. Until then, give us the grace to live in this “foreign” country.

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!

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
(Revelation 22:20-21 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

No One is Left in the Dark

“As believers in Jesus, members of God’s new family, we move toward one another into the pain, into the sorrow, into those murky places where we would fear to go alone. But thankfully we do not go alone.” (Winn Collier, Our Daily Bread)

September 1, 2020 Jeff

Today is Tuesday, September 1, 2020. Peace be with you!

Day 22,818 (for any new readers, that is how many days I’ve been walking this planet)

Six days until Labor Day!

Yesterday was one of those days . . . I felt like I got very little accomplished (as my work load didn’t stop building) because people kept bothering me with emails and phone calls and Skypes. Questions, questions, questions. Of course, what I have to remember is that part of my role is “customer service.” So, if the customer has questions, I need to answer them. Sometimes even in cases where they already have the information they are asking for.

But today is a new day. Welcome to September! The threshold of Autumn! The month next door to my favorite month of the year! And look! It’s only supposed to be 90 degrees today! In addition, there are possible thunderstorms for the rest of the week, with 90% chance of more rain today. As long as the t-storms are not extreme, I don’t mind them. And our yard certainly needs the rain.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

“Enter, Lord Christ–
I have joy in Your coming.
You have given me life;
and I welcome Your coming.
I turn now to face You,
I lift up my eyes.
Be blessing my face, Lord;
be blessing my eyes.
May all my eye looks on
be blessed and be bright,
my neighbors, my loved ones
be blessed in Your sight.
You have given me life
and I welcome Your coming.
Be with me, Lord,
I have joy, I have joy.”
(Celtic Daily Prayer)

There truly is, I believe, a sense of joy in my soul, this morning. No particular reason. But in the sense of Dallas Willard’s definition of “joy” as being, “a pervasive sense of well-being,” I think I am experiencing that, this morning. Truly, in God’s Kingdom, things are far better than we could ever imagine, and we are in God’s Kingdom NOW! (That’s more Dallas Willard stuff.)

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
(Psalms 66:16 ESV)

Today I am grateful:

For the joy (pervasive sense of well-being) in my soul this morning
For Your mercies, new every morning
For the songs You put in my heart
That, in Christ Jesus, we are all bound together. No one is left in the dark
That the harmony of nature and mankind will be restored when You return for our resurrection

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah. that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
(Psalms 67:1-2 ESV)

Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning.
(Psalms 119:54 ESV)

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
(Psalms 51:7 ESV)

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
(John 13:3-5 ESV)

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
(John 13:12-17 ESV)

Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps a way.
(Psalms 85:8-13 ESV)

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

"Merciful God,
who sent your messengers the prophets
to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Grant us grace to heed
their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ
our Redeemer;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and for ever.
Amen."
(The Divine Hours, The Prayer Appointed for the Week)

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
(1 Corinthians 12:14-26 ESV)

Y’all, this is SO important that I can’t emphasize it enough (and I think Jesus keeps emphasizing it, as well)!

“We’re tied to one another,” says Winn Collier in today’s reading in Our Daily Bread. And it is true. I have emphasized this before, on Sunday mornings before we take the Supper together (when we were able to do that). Oh, how I miss that! The Supper has become such an integral piece of our worship, that I almost love it more than anything else we do.

The Holy Spirit ties us all together, and I even believe that this transcends time. (Stick with me, here.) I believe with all my heart that, when believers take the Supper together, they are joining with believers all over the world, and even joining with all the saints who have gone before us. Remember, even though their bodies may have passed on, their spirits are still alive, forever. So when we celebrate the body and blood of Jesus, we are, by the power of the Holy Spirit, all linked together, and celebrating together. I challenge you to consider that the next time you have the privilege of partaking in commumion.

But this is more than just about communion. This is about life. Even though many of us are somewhat isolated, still, get this.

WE ARE NOT ISOLATED!

We just aren’t. See the above comments. The Holy Spirit links us together. We are all still part of the Body of Christ, even if we are unable to physically fellowship with one another. So, if you are stuck in your house, working from home, you are not alone. In a spiritual sense, I am with you, and you are with me.

Folks, I’m getting chill bumps just writing this. “Behold I tell you a mystery,” Paul said (not about this, but I don’t care, hahaha!). It is a mystery, indeed, because we are all one body. We are bound together in Jesus.

If one of us suffers, we all suffer (at least that’s how it is supposed to work). If one of us celebrates, we should all celebrate (but sometimes, we’re resentful or jealous, aren’t we?).

In God’s new community, in the body of Christ, no one is “left in the dark.”

(Winn Collier, Our Daily Bread)

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:20 ESV)

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9 ESV)

. . . fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
(Isaiah 41:10-13 ESV)

Let us not forget the truth that, besides us all being bound together in Jesus, HE is also with us, “always, to the end of the age.” Isaiah 41:10 has become one of my favorite verses, in recent years. “Fear not, for I am with you.” Add that to the truth that the entire body of Christ is bound together in Christ by the Holy Spirit, and what more do you need??

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
(Psalms 98:7-9 NIV)

What better way to close out this morning’s devotion than the image of the trees, the rivers, the mountains, and the seas, clapping their “hands,” praising God, singing for joy!!

When Jesus comes again, He will restore “this ancient harmony. So our future hope is powerful. If rivers and mountains will be like this when He returns, what will we be like?”

“Lord, I once thrilled to hear tales in which trees and animals could talk, magic helped people escape death and the ravages of time, and love triumphed over evil. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we will be too, and all these things will be ours. Let me live all day in the joyful hope of my final rising. Amen.”

(From The Songs of Jesus, by Timothy and Kathy Keller)

Father, You have taken that spark of joy that I had at the beginning and multiplied it ten-fold, maybe even more! Thank You for these encouraging words, this morning; words that can take me into the challenges of this work day and get me through to the end of it. Words that can get me through the train wreck of 2020. Or is it a “train wreck?” What if we looked at it more as a vehicle designed to direct our hope and trust more firmly into You??

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
(Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)

Grace and peace, friends.

Evening, Morning, and Noon

April 27, 2020April 28, 2020 Jeff

Today is Monday, April 27, in the third week of Easter. Peace be with you!

Day 22,691. If you are new to this blog, that’s how many days I’ve been alive.

Thirteen days until Mother’s Day! As seen on Facebook, Dads, your kids won’t be bringing home handmade Mother’s Day gifts from school this year. You’ve got thirteen days! Hahaha!!

Our Zoom church gathering yesterday, was phenomenal, in my opinion. We read a very familiar passage, 1 Corinthians 13, but in our discussions, we went pretty deep, I think. The discussion was really good. Then we moved on to a passage in the middle of the next chapter, that describes what a church gathering should look like. Again, we had some great discussion and even some thoughts on things we might do differently, moving forward. While I am enjoying these Zoom meetings, I am really anxious for when we can meet face-to-face again. That beings said, I’m not anxious to do it too soon.

It’s Monday again, and a new work week is here. I don’t anticipate it being any less busy than last week, but hopefully, I’ll have a little time to get caught up, this morning while everyone is still waking up. Plus there have been talks about reopening places (in some cases, even before the governor says it’s okay), so I should probably be prepared for a little bit more traffic soon.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS

Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
(Psalms 98:1-3 ESV)

Today I am grateful:
1. For a new week of opportunities to serve the Lord and my fellow human beings. (Lord, give me a heart of service.)
2. That “joy still comes in the morning,” and “hope still walks with the hurting.” (Matt Maher)
3. For the reality of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Three in One.
4. That You are a prayer-hearing God!
5. That I can come to You any time of day or night.

Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
(Psalms 31:2-3 ESV)

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
(Psalms 31:19 ESV)

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!
(Psalms 31:24 ESV)

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”
(Matthew 10:26-27 ESV)

A Song of Ascents.
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
(Psalms 126:1-6 ESV)

“I thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered me from the dominion of sin and death and brought me into the kingdom of your Son; and I pray that, as by his death he has recalled me to life, so by his love he may raise me to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”
(The Divine Hours, The Prayer Appointed for the Week)

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
(Isaiah 43:1-7 ESV)

“Throughout Scripture, God promises to be with His people, to care for us, guide us, and never abandon us–whether in life or death. Even when you find yourself in difficult places, God is with you. He’ll help you pass through the waters.”
(Winn Collier, Our Daily Bread)

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV)

Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it. Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets. If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers. Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them. As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.
(Psalms 55:9-19 NIV)

David has, apparently, been betrayed by a close friend. How do we survive experiences like this, with the “extraordinary inward pain and distress” that they bring? We see, in verse 17, that part of David’s response is to pray three times a day: evening, morning, and noon (remember, if you will, that the Hebrew “day” began at sunset). There are a number of Christian churches, and people, who have adopted this same schedule. The book that I begin with each day, The Divine Hours, has three daily prayer sections: morning, afternoon, and evening. Four, actually, because there is also a section they call “Compline,” which is to be read/prayed at bedtime.

Anyway, the reason for this seemingly rigorous (and, perhaps to some, ritualistic) schedule is that “God is a prayer-hearing God.” We see this in verses 18 and 19 (as well as in hundreds of other verses throughout the Bible). “The more we ask, the more we receive (James 4:2b).” “You do not have because you do not ask God.” (NIV)

“Lord, there are many things you are willing to give me. But only if I ask you for them are they spiritually safe to give me. So lead me and strengthen me to come to you more often with my needs. I praise you that you invite us to do so–through Jesus. Amen.”
(From The Songs of Jesus, by Timothy and Kathy Keller)

Father, I don’t pray nearly enough. I start my day with these prayers, and sometimes I pray on the way to work. But the anxieties and stresses of the work day tend to choke out my mindfulness and sense of prayer. Then I only remember after I have already reacted incorrectly to a situation. Please remind me, by Your Holy Spirit, to pray more often during the day, both for myself (which is something I truly don’t do enough) and for others who are in need of Your help. Then remind me to pray before I fall asleep at night, that my dreams and thoughts might be guarded by Your truth.
Lord, please shorten these days. Protect our families; protect our church families; protect our nation, and protect our world. We pray for this disease to end. And may we be quick to learn a valuable lesson from these days. Much of what we thought we needed, we truly don’t need. Teach us to pray!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

“As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number.” Job 5.8-9

Grace and peace, friends.

Walking Backwards

September 7, 2019 Jeff

Today is Saturday, September 7, 2019. Blessings to you!

Day 22,458

35 days until Galveston and our 34th anniversary!!

We worked a little over two hours overtime, yesterday. Of course, we won’t get paid “overtime” because we had a holiday in the week. Our company only pays overtime if you physically work more than forty hours in the week. So we worked two extra hours at straight time. So I didn’t get home until almost 8:00 PM.

Fortunately, we had nothing planned for this weekend. C is out getting her nails done, and I’ll go pick up our Kroger Click List between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. We have church (gathered) in the morning, and I probably should practice a little this afternoon. That’s about it.

The Texas Rangers hung on and beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-6. Brett Martin got the win in relief, as he was the pitcher of record when the Rangers went ahead. The Rangers are 70-73, in third place in the AL West, 22.5 games out of first place, and 13 out of the wild card. The wild card E number is 8. The next game is today against Baltimore, at Camden Yards. Starting pitcher is Jonathan Hernandez. Only 19 games left.

The Boston Red Sox beat the Yankees, 6-1. Marcus Walden was the winning pitcher. The Sox are 76-65, in third place in the AL East, 15.5 games out of first place, and 6 games out of the wild card. The division E number is 6, and the wild card E number is 16. The next game is today against the Yankees, at Fenway Park. Travis Lakins is scheduled to start. Or, rather, “open,” as it is scheduled to be a “bullpen game.” I’m seeing this a bit more, as a trend. There are 21 games left.

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL AND PRAYERS
All Scriptures are from the ESV unless otherwise noted

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah.
Psalm 61:1-4

Today I am grateful:
1. For the weekend, to rest for the work week ahead
2. That God is my refuge and strong tower, to whom I can run when my heart is faint
3. That, no matter where I am, the Lord is in this place
4. That Jesus emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant, so that he could teach us how to live a God-honoring life
5. That we can have, if we so desire and choose, the mind of Christ

“Almighty God,
we entrust all who are dear to us to your never-failing care and love,
for this life and the life to come,
knowing that you are doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.”
(The Book of Common Prayer, Prayers, 54. For those we Love)

(From Our Daily Bread)

Walking Backward, by Winn Collier

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:1-11

Apparently, when the great writer, Flannery O’Connor, was six years old, she taught a chicken to walk backwards, on her family farm. This caught the attention of a newsreel crew that filmed the chicken, then proceeded to do some trickery to show ducks, cows, and horses, also “walking backwards.” Here’s that video (she is called “Mary O’Connor” by the narrator.

In a sense, Flannery, herself, walked backwards through her life. Her writing was counter-cultural in nature. “Publishers and readers were entirely baffled by how her biblical themes ran counter to the religious views they expected.”

For those of us who follow Jesus, our lives should also run “counter to the norm.” In our culture, the “norm” is to grab for all the “gusto” we can get, chasing the money, chasing the bigger house, the more opulent life. We seek power and position and influence. We seek to have people cater to us and serve us.

Not so the follower of Christ. The follower of Christ, in the action of “walking backwards,” seeks to serve, seeks to give away rather than hoard and consume. The Jesus follower is content with what he has, and seeks to simplify her living conditions. While we might, indeed, seek to be influential, that influence runs in a completely different direction than the cultural definition.

In the Philippians passage, Jesus did not attempt to hold on to his “equality with God.” He surrendered that equality for a few years, in order to walk on earth in a human body. During that time, he showed us humility, and how to serve and love one another. Indeed, as Paul says, he “emptied himself by taking the form of a servant.” It could be said that he poured himself out. It could be said that he “walked backwards.”

As his followers, we should be doing the same.

Father, help me to “walk backwards” in my life, choosing to do the things that Jesus did, in order to follow him more closely. May your Spirit dwell within us as we try to have the mind of Christ.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, so it is now and so it shall ever be, world without end. Alleluia. Amen.

Grace and peace, friends.