Posts tagged ‘God’s Word’

May 27th, 2010

Other thoughts on Apathy

by MB

I was reading about Nehemiah today.  Nehemiah asked the King if he could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the gates and walls that had previously been destroyed.  He gathered people to take back with him, and that is what they did.  Of course, there was opposition.  In the end, though, they all gathered at the walls that had been rebuilt and Ezra read the laws that had been given to Moses and the Israelites.

Do you know what the people did when they heard the laws?  They wept bitterly.  They suddenly realized that God was revealing something to them that maybe they were hearing with new ears.  The people were told not to weep, but to rejoice because this was a day to celebrate for God’s laws had been revealed and Israel was turning back to him.

I couldn’t help but think though of the people mourning.  There was some kind of heart change.  Some kind of revelation that made it click.  And they wept.

Yesterday I told you about being indifferent and struggling with that.  Last night my family left to go do some things and I had a chance to just be alone with my thoughts and with God.  I reluctantly flipped my Bible over to 1 John 2.  I have always loved 1 John 2 because I love the thought of God defending us….defending me.  I often feel like I’m defending myself to everyone and that when I was growing up, no one ever came to my defense.  So that picture of God being my advocate, the one who fights for me, has always been a picture that comforts me and helps me to focus on Him.  It’s very easy for me to see God in the wrong light or as a God that is looking down on me with a huge frown saying, “Why are you so stupid?”

So I read this verse and like the Israelites, it broke me (1 John 2:28-29-ESV):

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

It doesn’t say there, “if you feel that He is righteous”, it says “if you know”. Those 3 words spoke volumes to me. Yesterday I stated how I know that God is good and righteous and just, but I am indifferent. But, I know the truth. I don’t want to focus on the me, either.  I want to focus on His goodness and how He has found it in Himself to bless me with knowledge that is just too good for me.  And because He is good, I can know the truth even if I do not feel it and act out in faith because of that truth.

I’ve read that passage a thousand times, but like the Israelites, hearing it again and hearing those 3 simple words changed me.  This passage also reminded me that we are not meant to just talk to God once in awhile.  It says “abide in Him”.   That is a moment by moment relationship, not a “when I feel like it” relationship.  I have to admit I certainly struggle with that.  It’s hard to go to God when we feel like such utter failures, at least I feel that way.  I love this quote, which I will end with, by Paul Tripp:

True righteous only begins when you come to the end of yourself.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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CategoryBible, Christian Walk, Encouragement | Comment5 Comments »

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April 20th, 2010

Eat your food

by MB

1 John 2:13-14 “I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

Our family owns two parakeets.  One of them is named Skeeter and the other Skittles.  They actually belong to my 2 girls, however, I think they would be dead if it was up to them to “take care” of.  They just don’t do a very good job of feeding them, giving them water, and playing with them.

Sometimes it has been over a week and we have not fed them.  Bird food in their cage can last a good 4 days, but then you can tell when they are not being taken care of.  They start squawking at each other, fighting, and feathers are all over the floor.  “When is the last time you fed your birds?” I ask my girls.  “I don’t know.” is the common reply.  Then I know the birds are starving and need some TLC.

It’s like night and day once we feed our birds.  They are happy, cleaning each other, kissing each other, and tweeting softly.  They feel content and happy and their squabbles are over.  They know they are loved.

We can be like parakeets sometimes.  The difference is that we have the choice to be fed or not.  We can open up our Bible or not.  We can pray or not.  We can repent or not.  We can go to church or not.  We can obey or not.  We have options.  If we choose not to read our Bibles or pray, we find ourselves a lot like my birds–upset, confused, mad, and fighting with each other.  What contentment we find though, when we do open up our Bibles, pray, and listen to what God is saying to us.  We are happy.  We find kind things to say to each other.  We are walking and abiding with Jesus.  We know we are loved.

We have no reason to feel empty.  God is trying to feed us.  Will we make the choice to be fed or continue starving on the bread crumbs thrown our way?  Will we feed off the things of this world instead of turning our faces in prayer to God?

If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great -John Piper (A Hunger for God)

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April 18th, 2010

Be careful!

by MB

One thing I do not like is conflict.  I don’t want to only discuss “safe” subjects on my blog, but writing something for the sake of attention and arguing seems to irritate me.  It’s probably why I do not like to discuss politics.  Most often than not, it only ends in bitter words and angry insults that rear its ugly head.

I remember when I was in YWAM after I graduated high school.  I was preparing to go on a missions trip to Mexico and Cuba.  We were in these small groups where we could be held accountable, pray for one another, and learn from each other.  One time, everyone went around the room and would describe another person.  I don’t know why this stuck out to me, but one girl told me I was “careful”.  Sometimes I think I should be much more careful especially since I’ve done my fair share of being careless, causing hurt and bitter feelings.

Being careful is a great thing to possess.  The word “careful” is used 117 times in the NIV.

There are many uses of the word careful in scripture.  Here are a few examples:

Be careful to listen:

(Exodus 15:26) He said, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”

(Exodus 23:22) If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.

(Daniel 10:10-11) A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

(Luke 8:18) Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”

(Hebrews 2:1) We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Be careful to obey:

(Joshua 23:6) Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.

(2 Kings 17:37) You must always be careful to keep the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.

(Ezekiel 11:20) Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

(Romans 12:17) Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

(Titus 3:8) This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Be careful to how you obey:

(Ephesians 5:15-16) Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

(1 Corinthians 3:9-11) For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 8:9) Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

(Proverbs 13:24) He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

(1 Corinthians 10:12-13) So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

(Hebrews 4:1) Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

(Luke 21:34) Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.

(Haggai 1:4-6) Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

I am not a Bible guru or an expert.  I don’t know that much about Hebrew or definitions.  I did look up a few passages from the Old Testament (ESV) and several had the same Hebrew word.  The Hebrew word “shamar” was defined this way: To keep, guard, observe, give heed (or keep safe, preserve).

Simply stated, I think if we are observing, keeping safe, preserving and trusting ourselves to listening and obeying the words that are taught in scripture, than we will not be caught off guard.  We will be entrusting ourselves to Jesus.  I think this is so important because how often do our minds deceive us?  I would say a whole lot, in my case.  Little things become huge.  Little seeds of jealousy turn into giant trees of envy and hatred.  Little seeds of unforgiveness become bitter roots (Hebrews 12:15).  A little “I want” turns into a big “I must have”.  No sin is little.  It’s just more deceitful.

I pray that we will all take heed, look around, and be very careful to what God is saying to us.   In what ways are you careful with what God is saying to you?  In what ways do you find yourself struggling?

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March 3rd, 2010

He will sustain you

by MB

“To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.“   Psalms 3:4-6

If you read Psalms 3, you will soon realize that David certainly had enemies.  They wanted him dead.  They wished him much harm.  We might not have enemies.  We might even be really well liked.  Our enemies might be our own thoughts toward ourselves.

“I awake again, because the Lord sustains me”.  This verse stood out to me.  There have been many days where I’ve had trouble just rising from the bed and telling God that I was unhappy.  In some ways, if I never woke up, that would be ok with me.  I was fine with that.  Death did not scare me.  Life did.  My enemy at that moment was Satan and the lies he had led me to believe.

What did David do?  He cried out to God.  In the depths of despair and fear, he called on God.  He didn’t wallow in his fear or self-pity.  He knew God would save him from whatever lie ahead.  If our enemy is a person or if it is in the form of a lie, we sometimes feel like the world is against us, don’t we?  David could lie down and go to sleep and he knew that God would sustain him.

I must admit, I’m not very good at calling on God.  Sometimes I exhaust all avenues before I go to Him.  It’s sad.  I have been praying much more lately about whatever issue I am facing and asking God to help me seek His face, not the face of a friend or the face of a good book or the face of helpful website.  I need God, plain and simple.  And no matter what I am facing, I know He will sustain me.  He will sustain you too, my dear friends.

What has God been teaching you through your circumstances of loneliness, worry, and fear?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 55:22:

Cast your cares on the Lord, He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall.

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January 28th, 2010

2010 Prayer

by MB

I never really thought much about resolutions for 2010 because honestly, I’m always trying to set goals and live by them.  My goals aren’t the typical goals “eat better”, “lose weight”, “get my boss to notice me”…etc.  Instead, I set goals to keep moving toward the cross.  There are so many things that just take time away from Him.  We can let the littlest of things drag us away.  Lately, my little things include TV, computer, and obsessing too much over what people think of me or say about me.  Is God going to care about any of that?  If I update my blog for hours or leave piddly comments on facebook to people who never even read them instead of actually taking time to read the Word and dwell on it, is God going to be proud of me?

My main goal this year is to read through the Bible.  I already have a head start on it.  My hope is to get through the entire Bible.  I also want to memorize verses this year.  I tell my kids how important it is  to memorize, yet I don’t do it.  Hypocrite.  I have memorized some verses with them for school and they have stayed with me.  They speak to me when I need them.  It’s really an amazing thing to have scripture hidden in your heart.  It seems to repeat itself to me when I’m going through a situation where it fits.  So I make those things a priority.  Also, prayer.  Praying is so important, but I find it hard sometimes to do so.  I need to make time.  How can God really speak to us if we don’t let Him?

I say these things not because A, B, and C will make me a better Christian (although, it won’t hurt); I say it because I love God and want to know Him better.  I read Ray Ortlund’s blog the other day.  I think what he said is really good in regards to accepting Jesus.  I hope you will take time to read it as well.  I will end with a quote from his blog:

That kind of person can “accept Jesus” in either of two ways. One way is to invite him onto the committee. Give him a vote too. But then he becomes just one more complication. The other way to “accept Jesus” is to say to him, “My life isn’t working. Please come in and fire my committee, every last one of them. I hand myself over to you. Please run my whole life for me.” That is not complication; that is salvation.

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