This Is Why He’s My Rock!

James 1:16-18

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV)

This is what I want to think about.  I like the good stuff that comes from God.  But I do understand that I have to have the bad stuff to know the good stuff. 

This verse is stuck in the middle of a couple of topics in James.  I know it’s related to the previous chunk about temptation, but I wanted to set it apart for a crucial element in this sentence: 

“...who does not change like the shifting shadows.” 

I am a small, miniscule, tiny, tiny little human being who deals with other tiny little human beings here on earth.  There is absolutely no way I can even begin to comprehend the magnitude of God.  He created our entire universe, and possibly other universes beyond that.  He gave light to the sun, set the stars in the sky, and placed us on this earth, giving us everything we need.

But I only have my tiny little human understanding.  I do believe that God is bigger than everything, that he can do anything, and that he infinitely loves and forgives me.   Yet my human brain wants to relate him to something in order to make him more tangible.  The problem here is that the only thing I have to which to relate him is other tiny little humans. 

Tiny little humans who change with the wind.  Tiny little humans who lie, cheat, steal.  Who abandon, abuse, betray, deceive.  Who, without fail, never fail to let me down.

This is why it can be so hard sometimes simply to trust God.  It is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.  I’ve got all my human-inflicted wounds, my people trust issues, my expectations to be let down.  All of this wants to carry over to God and it is a daily task to work beyond that.  I must remind myself that my heavenly Father is not my earthly father.  My Friend among the stars is not like unreliable friends I’ve had here on earth.  My Eternal Love is not at all like the romances I’ve experienced on this planet.

I pray that this is something I never forget, and that it is a task which will become less and less work over time.  Because I know God.  I just have to stop trying to assign human characteristics to God in an attempt to understand him. 

Amen!  :D

Put the Corndogs Down!

James 1:12-15

Temptation.  Yet another theme that shows up all over the bible.  Being human, temptation is a daily struggle.  Even if it’s little things, temptation shows up everywhere, sometimes in the least likely of places.  It’s a tricky component of human nature. 

Tempt: to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral (dictionary.com – italics mine).  In other words, to persuade one to do something that goes against the will of God.

I am very familiar with temptation – especially where it connects to my lack of impulse control.  There was one particular grocery shopping trip where a box of fifty mini corndogs jumped in and out of my cart at least four times.  I lost the battle and it came home with me (and I am primarily a vegetarian).  This may be a small, silly example which doesn’t adversely affect my life in any big way, but I still gave into temptation.  

For any of us who are addicts of any sort, temptation plays a huge role in how we live our lives.  Due to the nature of our physiological and psychological addiction, when we get that urge to use, to drink, to gamble, etc, it can be next to impossible to resist.  Somehow the car ends up in the dealer’s driveway.  “Well, I’m already here.  I might as well go in.”  Walking by a bar, “Oh, one drink won’t hurt.  At the most I’ll have two and then I’ll leave.”  I think plenty of folks other than myself know where both of those situations will lead.

What I find interesting about this passage is that James is clear that it is not God who tempts us.  “God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.  Temptation comes from our own desires which entice us and drag us away.” James 1:13b, 14 (NLT)

What about Job?  God allows Satan to wreak havoc upon Job’s life to tempt him to curse God, but God himself in no way tempts Job.   What about Jesus in the desert with the devil?  In Matthew 4:1, Mark 1:12 and Luke 4:1, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert.  Yet the devil, not the Holy Spirit is the source of the temptation.  God doesn’t do the tempting, the enemy does.  James says temptation to give in comes from us. 

While another entity may be the source of that which tempts me, what causes me to succumb to temptation is within my human nature.  I give in whether it is due to my brain chemistry, my seeking of approval or attention, my desire to do something other than what I am doing...  The list goes on. 

The good thing in all of this is that I am reassured that God will never allow my desires and temptations to be more than I can handle.  “God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so you can endure.” 1 Cor 10:13 (NLT)  He will always provide a way out, I just have to pay attention.  And the best way I can keep myself equipped to see the way out is to have my nose in the Good Book and recognize things which are in accordance with God’s will instead of my own. 

Amen!  :D

p.s. While looking over various topics of temptation, an image of Peter from Family Guy showed up in the search results.  Of course I had to look.  Rev Peep: Resisting Temptation

I Already Planned to Sell My Couch, Now I Need to Have a Yard Sale!

James 1:9-11, 5:1-3

“Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it.”  James 1:10b (MSG) 

Growing up in the countryside of the Midwestern US, there always was an abundance of wildflowers growing in the fields and pastures.  While James refers to the wildflower withering in the sun, I think of winters, cold snaps, early and late freezes as ways I saw wildflowers die.  They came and went with the changing of the seasons and their lives were at the mercy of the weather.

A common misconception about verses like these is that the bible tells us money is bad.  But what it actually says is that the love of money is not good.  “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”  1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)  It is not riches or wealth themselves that are bad.  But how important they are to me can make way for harsh judgment.

In the story of the young rich man (Matt 19:16-23; Mark 10:17-23), Jesus tells the man, “Go sell all your possessions... Then come follow me.”  Matt 19:21 (MSG)  It wasn’t that he couldn’t get to heaven while rich, but that his possessions were too important to him.   He was unable to let go of earthly things and follow Jesus because his stuff was more valuable to him than Jesus.   God doesn’t mind if I have money or possessions, he just doesn’t want my focus to be on things of this world.  If I am focused on making money or acquiring stuff, then my focus is not on God.

Then consider the ever-changing economy, stock market fluctuation, massive amounts of individual and national debt, depressions, recessions...  In the blink of an eye I can require major surgery that costs many thousands of dollars.  I can lose everything I own in a fire or flood.  Even if I had money, I couldn’t count on it always being there.

The only thing that is sure and constant in my life is God.  I can’t count on worldly prosperity, but I can count on God.  Keeping my focus on him and living according to his will I will be more fulfilled and spiritually prosperous than if I am trying to figure out how to get more money, get more stuff, get more, get more, get more.

So I will enjoy the wildflowers while they are here, but not mourn them when they are gone.  Because I know that while they come and go with the changing of the seasons, God who gives them life will always be by my side.  And I can count on that.

Amen!  :D

Why Can't I Just Flip a Switch?

James 1:5-8

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father.  He loves to help. ... Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.” James 1:5a, 6a (MSG)

So many times I have asked for help, yet not really expected to receive it.  Did I know God could do it?  Sure did!  Did I think he’d do it for me?  Sure didn’t.

I believed in the power of God.  I believed in the power of prayer.  And for a short time, I even believed it could work in my life.  But then my world fell to pieces again, and I feared that believing God would do anything for me would only set me up to be let down.  While I had experienced plenty of good things in my life, mostly what I felt was pain, disappointment, and abandonment.

So in my darkest hours, I couldn’t find the light.  In great desperation, all I could pray was, “God, help me,” but I didn’t really believe he would.  Because if I really believed he would and then he didn’t, there truly would be no hope left at all.  Better to ask and not expect to receive than to ask, believe, and be left in the dark anyway. 

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.” James 1:6a (NIV) 

Doubt.  Defined as: 1) to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe; 2) to distrust; 3) Archaic. to fear; be apprehensive about.  (Dictionary.com)

Uncertainty, hesitation, fear...  Distrust.  Having doubts about God is the number one way to prove I do not trust him.  I do not trust that he will provide.  I do not trust that he will catch me if I fall.  I do not trust that he will ever pull me out of my darkness into his light.  I couldn’t believe because to believe was to have hope, and to have hope meant opening myself up to the possibility of being hurt.  And I hurt enough as it was.

The thing is, truly trusting God and believing he will do all of those things listed above, even in the midst of trying times, takes the weight of the world off of my shoulders.  God will do what I cannot do, and there is a lot that I cannot do.  Surrendering to him and his will for my life, spending a great deal of time in prayer, meditation, and the Good Book makes life a lot less difficult to live, even when it still brings pain.

So I’ll keep earnestly believing.  I will keep trusting, I will continue to lift my hands high, and I will walk in his light.

“If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going.  As you have the light, believe in the light.  Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives.  You’ll be children of light.”  John 12:35b, 36 (MSG)

Amen!  :D

Thanks, But I Wanted a Pony

James 1:1-4

The book of James is a great book in the bible.  God called me to read it again last night and I've decided to meditate on James over the next few days.  The more time I spend with the Good Book, the more the Good Stuff sticks.  I like it when it sticks, so I'm going to take this particular Good Stuff bit by bit.  For better digestion, take smaller bites.  :)

James, acting as a leader, is writing to Jesus' followers who have moved away from Jerusalem and are in different parts of the early world.  Unlike Paul, he isn't simply writing to one group of people, rather addressing Christ's followers as a whole.  

In reading the bible, just about any chunk of it seems to contain a lesson on going through trials.  James is no different.  He starts out strong, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides." James 1:2 (MSG)  A gift?  Really?  NLT says, "...consider it an opportunity for great joy."  Not just joy, but great joy.  

"Because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:3 (NIV)  Now James sounds like Paul, "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance..." Rom 5:3 (NIV)  When I had my business I was known practically to snarl the words, "Perseverance is the key!!!" near the end of a grueling day or during a particularly difficult project.  I obviously didn't believe it, as I was overworked, overwhelmed, and spiritually undernourished. 

While going through any difficult time, I knew I had to stick it out, but I could not make myself be happy about persevering.  My spiritual hat was pulled down way too low for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  My hard work always paid off - job well done, happy clients...  But I hated constantly being stressed and under pressure.  Job-wise or otherwise, I never wanted to stay in my trials. 

But, "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:4 (NIV) 

If all I am focused on is making it through a tough time, I am missing the point.  I'm stumbling through an obstacle course, twisting ankles and getting bruises because my eyes are on the finish line, not the obstacles, and most importantly, not on God.  Maturity develops as I patiently examine each obstacle, look to God for help, then step out in faith, trusting that he'll catch me if I fall.

Now, I am glad to have "an opportunity for great joy" these days.  I am focused on my obstacle: I got laid off.  I need to find a job.  The economy isn't the best right now and there aren't many jobs out there.  But I am also focused on God: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NIV)  God will provide.  So I am thankful, and it is a gift because it allows me to lean on God, to strengthen my faith and to grow spiritually in a way that I could not if I never were tested. 

When Paul writes of one of his trials, he says, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in [your] weakness." 2 Cor 12:8-9 (NIV)

Amen!  :D
  

David's Got the Right Idea

Psalm 77:2

Psalms are pretty popular, and for good reason.  Throughout all the psalms, David is a roller coaster of human emotion.  I see myself in many of his words and can identify with a lot of his feelings.  While I have to turn some verses into metaphors for my own life (i.e. I am not a king and do not fight battles against other nations), many ring clear and true written just as they are in just about every version of the bible.

I have plenty of highlighted verses throughout the book of Psalms.  Having spent so much of my life in pain, many of them are verses which highlight David's anguish, his times of sorrow, when he fears that God has turned his back. 

In today's psalm, my highlighted verse is verse 2: "I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal.  When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right," I didn't believe a word they said."  (MSG)

This is one of the reasons I love The Message and the way it is written.  So often, in all my times of distress, friends would attempt to comfort me by saying some form of those exact words.  Other versions of the bible read that David's soul was not or refused to be comforted.  I do identify with those words as well, but the way it is spelled out in The Message carries far more weight for me.  "...my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal."  Throughout many of my darkest times I wrote a lot of poetry.  One untitled poem from 2004 begins,
      
       "It's a scar that's still an open wound
       that no amount of time can seem to heal..."

Over and over again, I identify with David's pain.  "I'm desperate for a change from rage and stormy weather." Ps 55:8 (MSG)  "I'm caught in a maze and can't find my way out, blinded by my tears of pain and frustration. ... For as long as I remember I've been hurting."  Ps 88:9, 15 (MSG)  "Long enough, God - you've ignored me long enough."  Ps 13:1 (MSG)

The neat thing about David and his psalms, though, is that verses like those are very few.  Verses expressing pain and grief are not few, but in most of the psalms, David immediately asks God for help or reassures himself by ruminating on God's love, strength and forgiveness.  "And me?  I'm a mess.  I'm nothing and have nothing: make something of me.  You can do it; you've got what it takes..." Ps 40:17 (MSG)  "If God hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it.  The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling," your love, God, took hold and held me fast.  When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up." Ps 94:17-19 (MSG)

While David has his moments where he is stuck in the pit, trapped in that dark place, more often than not he quickly runs to God for rescue.  Without hesitation, he lifts his hands high so that God may grab onto them and haul him out of the pit. 

Without hesitation, he lifts his hands high so that God may grab onto them.

When I am in so much pain, it is easy for me to forget God's heavenly mercy.  It's easy for me to forget that God wants to give me joy.  It's easy to forget that it is from God that I draw strength, it is God who saves me, and it is God who covers me in his grace.  I need to take a lesson from David who, in the midst of a losing battle, trusts that God will bring him through.

Amen!  :D

I Need to Unplug

Psalm 55:1

Before I opened the bible this morning, my prayer was for God to help keep me from distraction and to bring forth today any job prospects he would like me to investigate.  The first verse in Psalm 55 was certainly the Holy Spirit praying for me: "Open your ears, God, to my prayer; don't pretend you don't hear me knocking.  Come close and whisper your answer.  I really need you."  (MSG)

"...whisper your answer."  Sometimes I wish God would shout, loudly instructing me or reminding me what I should be doing.  If he shouted, I'd be more likely to hear him.  But over and over again, I hear the reference to, "The still, small voice of God."  Which is why I must, "Be still and know that [he is] God." Ps 46:10a (NIV)

If I don't take at least a few moments each day to slow down, to be still, to interrupt the clutter of all the things I am thinking and doing, I can't very well expect to hear God's whisper.

It's easy to get distracted.  I'm so connected, spending all this time online right now job hunting, researching, emailing, blogging, twittering, facebooking, etc, and I'm forgetting to disconnect from the world and connect to God.  To take those moments throughout the day to pray, be quiet, be still and listen.

When I prayed for help not to be distracted, God reminded me that, if I'm knocking, but am not quiet enough to listen for his whisper, I won't know if I am knocking on the right door.  I won't know if I'm still on his path for me, if I'm moving in the right direction.

So today I will be sure to take those moments, to spend time in quiet communion with God.  I will be still, and I will listen for his whisper.

Amen!  :D


**Funny how he works: Whispering Shepherd

Even if You're Not an Addict...

Ephesians 4:17-32

This nice little chunk of scripture really identifies with what I've learned and know I need to work toward to stay stong in recovery.  I must change my way of life.  The old things have to go.  I hear it a lot in the rooms and heard it in treatment: People, places and things.  I have to change up my people, places and things in order to make a clean break with my old way of life.  Walk away from unhealthy people, avoid old hangouts or places likely to put my recovery in danger, and get rid of my bad habits that helped keep me in my misery.

"Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything - and I do mean everything - connected with that old way of life has to go."  Eph 4:21-22 (MSG)

I can see Paul standing at the front of a room full of addicts on this one.  He says we have to get rid of the old, bad stuff and take on a new way of life, a new life in God.  And now that we know, we can't just hide the toolbox and say we didn't know how to handle a situation. 

Many of us previously led a life full of lies, whether they were lies to get what we wanted, lies to hide our problems, or lies for any other reason.  Paul's instructions are clear: "No more lies ... tell the truth." Eph 4:25 (MSG)  Paul even tells us it's okay to be angry, but emphasizes that we shouldn't let our anger control us or use it for negative purposes.  And this is the passage from which the saying, "Don't go to bed angry," comes.  The Message uses those exact words.  Other versions of the bible say not to let the sun go down on our anger.  I don't remember exactly when I took strong hold of this advice, but it makes a big difference in how I wake up in the morning if I've gone to bed while still stewing on an issue instead of letting it go or resolving it before the night is over.

And I see him at the head of the room in a treatment center, telling us we don't have to live the way we used to live anymore.  For those who stole, "Well, no more!  Get an honest job..."  Eph 4:28 (MSG)  For those who have resentments, rage, or used violence to solve problems, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."  Eph 4:31 (NIV)  And to all of us, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other [as you have been forgiven]."  Eph 4:32 (NIV)

Great advice - regardless of whether I'm an addict, an alcoholic, a gambler, a cheater, an abuser, or simply a human being.  After all, I don't have to struggle with addiction to be a thief.  I don't have to be an abuser to have rage.  I don't have to be an alcoholic to have resentments.  I don't have to be a drug dealer to use violence.  I don't have to have any special, labeled problems or disorders at all to see that things in my life need to change, that I need to shed my skin and grow into a new life.

Being human, I am fallible and prone to make mistakes.  I will, inevitably, try to take control of my life back here and there, and I will make wrong decisions.  Good thing for me that God has mercy on me, forgives me, and continues to cover me in his Grace.

Amen!  :D

The End of Aimlessly Drifting is Near

Genesis 8:10-11

In Genesis chapter 8, the great flood ends and Noah, his family and all the animals from the ark are reunited with land instead of an endless sea.  As with many stories from the bible - especially the old testament - I was vaguely familiar with the story of Noah.  God was mad at humans, God told Noah to build the ark & take the animals two by two, God sent a massive flood to destroy everything and everyone else. 

I've long associated the dove with the olive branch (as well as the rainbow) in this story as God's new covenant with humanity never to destroy them again.  The dove was God's promise.  I see images of the dove with the olive branch everywhere as symbols of peace.  The olive branch as a symbol of peace derives from early Greek mythology in which the goddess of peace, Eirene, is often depicted with an olive branch.  The wikipedia article and other internet search results claim that the dove part of the symbol originates from the gospels as an interpretation of the Holy Spirit ("As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him." Luke 3:22 MSG)  Yet it shows up in the story of Noah in the first few chapters of the entire bible, and a lot of the search results that cite this reference reinforce my previous belief of the dove as the sign of the end of the flood, God's new covenant.

Except that it's not!   =O

I have a tattoo I designed of a dove in flight with the olive branch in its beak, which I love, on the outside of my right ankle.  I got it as the symbol of peace and often have referred to it as God's promise.  During one of the bible studies in treatment, God prompted me to examine the story of Noah to better understand my dove.  Being God, he picked the most appropriate time to reveal the truth of this symbol to me.

Yes, it is a symbol of peace, but it was not the sign of the end of the flood.  It was a sign that the end of the flood was NEAR. 

The five translations of the bible I have all say this in different ways in Gen 8:11b:

"Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth." NIV
"So Noah knew the waters had lessened on the earth."  NAB
"Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone."  NLT
"Noah knew then that the water had subsided from the earth."  Oxford Study Bible (Revised English Bible)
"Noah knew that the flood was about finished."  MSG

My NIV has a note explaining, "The olive leaf carried by the dove told Noah that lower elevations (where olives grew) were above water and had sprouted new life."

This revelation had a profound impact on me and made my tattoo have much more meaning to me than before.  The end of the flood is near.  I made it through the storm and soon will walk on dry land.  God has not left me to drift aimlessly and endlessly at sea. 

While the dove still could be seen as a promise from God, the rainbow, not the dove, is the sign of God's covenant.  "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you. I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the covenant between me and the Earth." Gen. 9:12-13 (MSG)  The dove is the preview, a sign that the covenant, a promise never to bring such a flood again, will soon be here.  The Dove says, "Hang in there.  It's almost over.  You made it."

Amen!  :D

Oh, God, My Faithful German Shepherd

Psalm 23:1

Psalm 23 in its entirety is a good one.  It is perhaps one of the most well-known psalms.  But I really would like to hone in on the first verse today.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want."  NIV
"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need."  NLT
"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack."  NAB
"The Lord is my shepherd; I lack for nothing."  Oxford Study Bible (Revised English Bible)
"God, my shepherd!  I don't need a thing."  MSG

So, God is my shepherd and I don't need anything.  Cool.

I know in general what a shepherd is.  A shepherd leads & feeds the sheep.  This is a reference used all over the bible, including instructing Christ's followers to be shepherds to his flock and feed his sheep (i.e. 1 Pet. 5:2). Merriam-Webster defines shepherd as: 1: A person who tends sheep; 2: Pastor; 3: German Shepherd.  (God spelled backward is Dog and a German Shepherd is a Dog, therefore a German Shepherd is God in Dog form.)  Dictionary.com gives a similar, but more descriptive definition (which still includes a dog): 1: A person who herds, tends and guards sheep; 2: A person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people; 3: a member of the clergy; 4: the Shepherd, Jesus Christ; 5: Sheepdog.

Hmm...  God is my shepherd.  He tends to me, guards, protects and watches over me, herds me to guide me in the right direction, ministers to me and leads me through Christ's teachings, and loves me unconditionally like a fuzzy, furry pooch that will nip me in the heels should I start to stray from the flock, then lick my face to show me it was out of love.

Sheep don't worry.  At least, not to my knowledge.  Much like my kitties are well provided for as pampered housecats, all of the sheep have their needs met by the shepherd.  He (or the dog) steps in to rescue them should a wolf come hunting.  He leads them to green pastures for the lushest of grass upon which to snack.  (Psalm 23:2)  If one goes missing, he searches to find it.  (Luke 15:4-7)

God is my shepherd and I am his sheep and shepherds provide all the sheep need, therefore God provides all I need.

But I have tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt and am carrying a balance on my credit card.  But I just got laid off and am unemployed, not earning any income to pay on said debts.  But food for my belly and gas for my car cost more of that money I don't have. But, but, but.  I need to sit on my but and trust that God will provide.  If I haven't learned that by now, I need to start paying better attention.

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion.  There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.  Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.  And you count far more to him than birds.  What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving.  Don't worry about missing out.  You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."  Matt. 6:25-26, 31, 33b.  (MSG)

Amen!  :D

Can You Hear Me Now?

Matthew 9:14-17

Though only a few verses long, this gospel lesson packs quite a punch if I listen, really listen to what it is saying.

In the bible translation, The Message, there are several times that Jesus asks, "Are you listening to this?  Really listening?" (Matt 13:9, for example)  I feel as though he is likely saying this after every lesson, even if it isn't written.  This is because he knows he has a limited amount of time to get the Good News out to the people and he wants to make sure they get the point.

God is Love & Light.  God is Forgiving.  God wants us to be Happy.

In this lesson, John's followers want to know why Jesus' followers do not fast as they and the Pharisees do.  Jesus resplies that one does not mourn at a wedding, and in The Message, he even says, "This is Kingdom Come!" Matt 9:15b

In an attempt to better understand this (am I really listening?), I have five different translations of the bible sitting open in front of me.  In all of them, John's followers ask about fasting.  In all of them, Jesus asks if wedding guests would mourn or be sad while the groom is still with them.  The New American Bible has a footnote explaining that, "Fasting is a sign of mourning and would be as inappropriate at this time of joy, when Jesus is proclaiming the kingdom, as it would be at a marriage feast."

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matt 6:10  "This is Kingdom Come!" Matt 9:15b (MSG)  Am I listening?

I can mourn when Jesus isn't with me.  Which means that I have no need for sadness because Jesus is always with me.  "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11 (NIV) 

So I shouldn't go moping around and complaining.  I need to put my nose in the Good Book and really listen.  The Kingdom is here - I just need to open my eyes and my heart to see it.

Amen!  :D

Why Won't God Just Do It?

John 2:1-11

At the most recent Celebrate Recovery meeting I attended, this week was an extra week - meaning that it was not scheduled for either a testimony or step study.  The leader* took the opportunity to talk about what he called the "Divine-Human Cooperative."  He explained that what this meant is that we work in partnership with God, God does not work for us. 

With reference to addiction, since this is a recovery program, we cannot simply pray for God to remove our addiction (or our co-dependency, or our eating issues, etc.) and expect the he will take it away so easily.  True, we can rely on God for strength, but he will not do it all for us.  We must do the work in addition to the prayer.

There is the saying, "Pray like everything depends on God, work like everything depends on you."  I believe this is the simplest way of defining the Divine-Human Cooperative.

The leader went on to ask, "What's the first miracle?"  After a moment of silence with no response from the group, he said, "Most of us in here are drunks.  We should know this!"  He referred to the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine: John 2:1-11.  He illustrated his point by indicating in the scripture where Jesus had the servants fill the water pots and told them to fill the pitcher and take it to the host (John 2:7,8).  The only thing Jesus did was turn the water into wine because we as humans could do the rest.  Why should Jesus be expected to do ALL the work?  The others were perfectly capable of filling some jugs with water and carrying a pitcher to the host. 

We must be willing to believe that God can and will perform miracles, and to trust that he will provide, but we cannot rest on our laurels waiting for something to happen.  After all, no one will open the door if we haven't knocked.

Amen!  :D


*Due to anonymity being a foundation of the program, I obtained the leader's permission to use his words without his name in this blog

I Think You Should Read This. It Would Be Good For You.

Romans 14:13-23

I need to take note of the first verse in this reading: "Forget about deciding what's right for each other." Rom. 14:13a (MSG) 

In the past, I've all too often decided what I think someone else should be doing.  I'd get frustrated when they wouldn't take my advice or change their behavior.  I actually caused myself a lot of stress over some - most noteably my ex.  Even long after we broke up I still thought I knew better than she did how she should live her life.  I could have avoided so many headaches if I only had focused on myself and let her sort out her own stuff.  Arguments would have been far less frequent, and my blood pressure would have stayed consistently normal. 

Now that I am learning to focus on myself and my own behavior with biblical help and by listening in the rooms of Al-Anon and at Celebrate Recovery meetings, my life can be much simpler.  At the end of that first verse it says, "...don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is." Rom. 14:13b (MSG)  So true!

The rest of the reading uses food as an example since different religious sects at the time were particular about what should or should not be eaten, but the point is the same.  "So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other.  Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault."  Rom. 14:19 (MSG)

Amen!  :D

God Credentials

Philippians 3:1-11

Yesterday I began job searching online.  I feel somewhat blind as I am not sure exactly for what I am searching.  I know I feel called to ministry, but is that as my job or something outside my job?  Regardless, it can be difficult not to get discouraged as many postings for jobs outside of retail or food service list having a degree as a requirement. 

Despite years of college and nearly enough credits for two degrees, I do not have that piece of paper to "qualify" me.  God knows this, of course, and spoke to me this morning to keep my fears at bay.  In Philippians 3:3, 4; Paul points out that those who work in ministry must utilize the Spirit of God, relying on him and not on any "impressive credentials." (MSG)

I take comfort in this, continuing to believe that God will take me where he wants me, and I don't need a piece of paper to get me there.

Amen!  :D

He'll Promote You at the Right Time

1 Peter 5:1-7

At this time where I am stepping out in faith & trusting that God will provide, I continue to find verses in my daily devotionals that seem directed specifically at me.  Yesterday, all of them were about being tested and staying strong.  Yesterday, it was confirmed that I lost my job.

The beauty of it is that I am not freaking out.  Any time fear or worry about what I will do creeps in, I lift it up in prayer.  God will show me the way.  And he has plans for me, "He'll promote [me] at the right time."  1 Peter 5:7 (MSG) 

I've always felt called to some type of ministry, but never felt I was in the right place or frame of mind to minister to others.  All of my mental instability, fears & thoughts about myself held me back.  Now that God has brought me more than ever into communion with him, I will be able to carry his message.

So if I listen to all of today's reading, I understand that I am to be a tender shepherd & trust that God will put me where I need to be at the right time. 

Amen!  :D

Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference. 
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as he did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that he will make all things right if I surrender to his will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with him in the next. 

Amen!  :D