Friday, August 23, 2013
Confidence
Every day or so (sometimes I forget) I have a morning routine. I pour myself a small (juice glass) serving of Orange Juice. Then I take a cracker, cookie or some other small pastry/cracker item in the Kitchen and I have myself a make-shift communion. Just between me and God. I break the cracker and think about the confidence Christ had to go to the cross and I ask for that kind of confidence in my life. Then I drink the OJ, remembering that my sin is covered and I ask for him to pour out his love in my life.
A simple thing, a somewhat routine thing, and a glass of orange juice is healthy too.
In today's Daily Bread I landed in John 8. In this chapter Jesus speaks with such confidence. "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going." vs 14.
Can we boldly make that kind of statement?
BAM
What would our day look like if we acted with such confidence in every activity we undertake? Boldly calling that new client. Boldly facing your greatest foe at work. Boldly stepping into unknown waters.
Every day or so (sometimes I forget) I have a morning routine. I pour myself a small (juice glass) serving of Orange Juice. Then I take a cracker, cookie or some other small pastry/cracker item in the Kitchen and I have myself a make-shift communion. Just between me and God. I break the cracker and think about the confidence Christ had to go to the cross and I ask for that kind of confidence in my life. Then I drink the OJ, remembering that my sin is covered and I ask for him to pour out his love in my life.
A simple thing, a somewhat routine thing, and a glass of orange juice is healthy too.
In today's Daily Bread I landed in John 8. In this chapter Jesus speaks with such confidence. "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going." vs 14.
Can we boldly make that kind of statement?
BAM
What would our day look like if we acted with such confidence in every activity we undertake? Boldly calling that new client. Boldly facing your greatest foe at work. Boldly stepping into unknown waters.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
The Spirit of the law, not the Letter
Today's passage from Our Daily Bread took me to 2 Corinthians 3. There is a wealth of information to digest in this chapter. The crumb of this bread is dense & heavy indeed.
For starters... WE are the embodiment of God's word, of his testament. "You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Cor 3:3
In Christian circles we talk about the word of God being living and active. Sometimes we lose sight of what that means. People talk about reading scripture aloud, which can be a powerful experience. People talk about the scripture being like a figurative or literal sword that when spoken can cut to the spirit of man - sort of like a magic spell. People even treat the book, the very printed pages of the Bible as holy themselves - chastising those who would place something else on top of the Bible (say another book). But here we have Paul commending that his letters are not just in print.. that the letter in print is one thing, but the letter written on the hearts of man is more.
The Spirit lives in us and abides in us. The written word guides us and teaches us, but if we do not digest it, if we do not bring it into us and allow it to be written on our hearts it is nothing more than ink on paper. But what's more, the contemplation of scripture, finding its application in our lives in THIS moment is the most important part of its purpose. It is how the spirit comes to life IN our lives and how God's word remains living and active among us.
Today's passage from Our Daily Bread took me to 2 Corinthians 3. There is a wealth of information to digest in this chapter. The crumb of this bread is dense & heavy indeed.
For starters... WE are the embodiment of God's word, of his testament. "You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Cor 3:3
In Christian circles we talk about the word of God being living and active. Sometimes we lose sight of what that means. People talk about reading scripture aloud, which can be a powerful experience. People talk about the scripture being like a figurative or literal sword that when spoken can cut to the spirit of man - sort of like a magic spell. People even treat the book, the very printed pages of the Bible as holy themselves - chastising those who would place something else on top of the Bible (say another book). But here we have Paul commending that his letters are not just in print.. that the letter in print is one thing, but the letter written on the hearts of man is more.
The Spirit lives in us and abides in us. The written word guides us and teaches us, but if we do not digest it, if we do not bring it into us and allow it to be written on our hearts it is nothing more than ink on paper. But what's more, the contemplation of scripture, finding its application in our lives in THIS moment is the most important part of its purpose. It is how the spirit comes to life IN our lives and how God's word remains living and active among us.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Forgotten
It's funny that this entry is about forgetting as it seems that I've forgotten about this blog for quite some time. I've pretty much been off the Journalling band wagon for as long.
I am thankful though. It's easier to journal in times of struggle and pain than it is to journal in times of peace and joy. It's like they say ... the artist needs pain for his muse. That's another entry.
So I'm trying something new... short notes daily (or as oft as I can remember...) from a quick note or passage of scripture. I daily read the "Our Daily Bread" on my phone so I have a feeling much of these entries will be from those.
Today it took me to Genesis 40 - the story of Pharoah's cup bearer and baker thrown into prison with Joseph. He interprets their dreams, tells the cup bearer good news and the baker bad news which both come to pass. Then the cup bearer fails to do the one thing he promised Joseph - to remember him.
At the end of the passage, without reading anything else, it seems an odd story... sure there's Joe's ability to interpret dreams - which he acknowledges is from God, but it seems that the whole point of Chapter 40 is to tell us that Joseph was forgotten. The Good Guy loses - again.
Of course we know that later in the story the cup bearer remembers, but at the time he forgot about him. I know that feeling. I experience it a lot. I think in truth many of us do. We hope that someone will remember that we like to go to brunch at blah blah restaurant... but then we see them post on Facebook a photo with mutual friends at brunch. We hope that someone will remember to invite us to their party, but they don't. We hope that our boss will remember that we want a promotion - and then they give it to someone else. Or we hope that God will remember that we need a new set of tires and then something comes along that takes away the tire money... and we feel forgotten.
I think this story is here, in part, to remind us that even the pillars of our faith were forgotten at some point. That it happens to the best of us, that it happens to the least of us. And in his way, to let us know that even our best attempts to be remembered still rest on His arm, on His timing. But... when it counts He has promised to not forget us. When Pharoah could not find anyone to interpret his dream, guess who was there to remember... the cup bearer. So we know two things. 1. don't lose heart when we are forgotten for some endeavor, favor, opportunity... and 2. ask to be remembered. Joseph didn't just hope that the cup bearer would remember him, has asked him to, and I'm sure he asked God to let him. It did not happen in Joseph's timing, but it DID happen in God's.
It's funny that this entry is about forgetting as it seems that I've forgotten about this blog for quite some time. I've pretty much been off the Journalling band wagon for as long.
I am thankful though. It's easier to journal in times of struggle and pain than it is to journal in times of peace and joy. It's like they say ... the artist needs pain for his muse. That's another entry.
So I'm trying something new... short notes daily (or as oft as I can remember...) from a quick note or passage of scripture. I daily read the "Our Daily Bread" on my phone so I have a feeling much of these entries will be from those.
Today it took me to Genesis 40 - the story of Pharoah's cup bearer and baker thrown into prison with Joseph. He interprets their dreams, tells the cup bearer good news and the baker bad news which both come to pass. Then the cup bearer fails to do the one thing he promised Joseph - to remember him.
At the end of the passage, without reading anything else, it seems an odd story... sure there's Joe's ability to interpret dreams - which he acknowledges is from God, but it seems that the whole point of Chapter 40 is to tell us that Joseph was forgotten. The Good Guy loses - again.
Of course we know that later in the story the cup bearer remembers, but at the time he forgot about him. I know that feeling. I experience it a lot. I think in truth many of us do. We hope that someone will remember that we like to go to brunch at blah blah restaurant... but then we see them post on Facebook a photo with mutual friends at brunch. We hope that someone will remember to invite us to their party, but they don't. We hope that our boss will remember that we want a promotion - and then they give it to someone else. Or we hope that God will remember that we need a new set of tires and then something comes along that takes away the tire money... and we feel forgotten.
I think this story is here, in part, to remind us that even the pillars of our faith were forgotten at some point. That it happens to the best of us, that it happens to the least of us. And in his way, to let us know that even our best attempts to be remembered still rest on His arm, on His timing. But... when it counts He has promised to not forget us. When Pharoah could not find anyone to interpret his dream, guess who was there to remember... the cup bearer. So we know two things. 1. don't lose heart when we are forgotten for some endeavor, favor, opportunity... and 2. ask to be remembered. Joseph didn't just hope that the cup bearer would remember him, has asked him to, and I'm sure he asked God to let him. It did not happen in Joseph's timing, but it DID happen in God's.
