Conversations

I was reading an article about conversations that matter and it referred to the recorded conversations that Jesus had, and what we can learn from them. And all of a sudden it hit me! -the significance of the fact that those conversations were recorded at all! 

If you really wanted to show someone's importance wouldn't you be more likely to record the great speeches they made, or how everyone responded in worship- all the great things everyone said about them? And yet that's not all that is recorded in the Gospels.

In His conversations I think one thing that's clear is: individual people matter! We have all been made in God's image so we have value. Also it is obvious that Jesus cared about individual people. He didn't care about having a great movement or having personal fame for fame's sake- he cared about the lives of individual people.

Now obviously that's not to say that he did not deserve all the worship and praise that he received on Earth since He is God.

But thinking about those conversations existing at all in the gospel narratives caused me to reflect on different things.

Praying the Psalms

 Sometimes reading something in a different translation can impact me in a different way. This can happen to me when I sing the Psalms.

Psalm 119:145-152

"The things you command I will do." Wow! So straightforward and convicting! Often when I read/sing the Psalms I find I need to stop and confess, or commit to doing something I am not doing. God, help me to do the things that you command, or give me the desire to want to do them.

"Before dawn I rise and I cry out for help" How many mornings have I lain in my bed, thinking I should get up so that I would make better use of my time? O Lord, help me to not squander the early morning. Help me to rise and be a good steward of the early morning quiet that is a blessing from You!

"My hope by Your promises stirred" How many times do I place my hope in hearing back from a friend rather than having my hope fully in the Lord and in the promises of His word? Lord, please show me when my hope is in the things of this life rather than in You. Please unite my heart to fear Your name. Help me to place my hope in You and You alone!

"O Lord, in Your love hear my voice when I call" Thank You for Your love for me.

"O Lord You continue to be near to me" Thank You God, that You are always near to me, no matter how I feel. I may stray from You, but You are always with me!.

Teach Us to Pray

 I found great encouragement to pray when we looked at Luke 11 at the women's bible study the other night. (See Luke 11:1-13 below)

The disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray..."

Jesus gives them a model:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread,

4 and forgive us our sins,

    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

 ...which encourages them to pray.

Then he tells the story of the man asking his friend for bread for his friends in the middle of the night, and his persistence in asking (Luke 11:5-8)...encouraging them to pray.

Then he tells them to ask, seek, and knock. And as if that were not enough he says again,"'For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.'"(verse 10), which encourages them to pray.

Finally, he says:

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

If we too are His disciples, how much more encouragement do we need to pray to our heavenly Father?

Luke 11:1-13  ESV

11 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread,

4 and forgive us our sins,

    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence[c] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Fight Songs

When I am aware that I am fighting a significant battle against sin and idolatry,  I'm very intentional about the music that I listen to. It's not so much choosing to listen to Christian music versus secular, more listening to music that contains the truth that will help me fight the battle that I am facing right now. So I made a very specific playlist, and this is the song I've probably been listening to most lately. I share first the lyrics that are really impacting me. Following are the lyrics in their enirety.
My One Thing

Who have I in Heaven but You Jesus?
And what better could I hope to find down here on earth?


Save me from those things that might distract me
Please take them away and purify my heart
I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing
Cause what will I have when the world is gone
If it isn't for the love that goes on and on...


Every night and every day
You hold on tight
Or you drift away
And you're left to live
With the choices you make


My One Thing by Rich Mullins

Everybody I know says they need just one thing
And what they really mean is that they need just one thing more
And everybody seems to think they've got it coming
Well I know that I don't deserve You
Still I want to love and serve You more and more
You're my one thing
Save me from those things that might distract me
Please take them away and purify my heart
I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing
Cause what will I have when the world is gone
If it isn't for the love that goes on and on with

[Chorus]
My one thing
You're my one thing
And the pure in heart shall see God
You're my one thing
You're my one thing

And the pure in heart shall see God
Who have I in Heaven but You Jesus?
And what better could I hope to find down here on earth?
I could cross the most distant reaches
Of this world, but I'd just be wasting my time
Cause I'm certain already, I'm sure I'd find

[Chorus]

Every night and every day
You hold on tight
Or you drift away
And you're left to live
With the choices you make
Oh Lord please give me the strength
To watch and work and love and sing and pray
Cause who have I in Heaven but You Jesus?
And what better could I hope to find down here on earth?
Well I could cross the most distant reaches
Of this world, but I'd just be wasting my time
Cause I'm certain already I'm sure I'd find

You're my one thing
One thing
You're my one thing
The pure in heart, the pure in heart
One thing
And I know that the pure
That the pure in heart that the pure in heart shall see God
[Repeat]

My One Thing

Hedges

I was reading this recently:
6 Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns,
    and I will build a wall against her,
    so that she cannot find her paths.   Hosea 2:6  (ESV)

I was thinking about the hedge.

A hedge is also mentioned in Job when Satan is talking to God :
10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”    Job 1:10-11 (ESV)

I just found it interesting that in Hosea, the hedge is used to block the path of Israel, but in Job, the hedge is a barrier that has been protecting Job from the attacks of the evil one. Boundaries!

Is the God of the Old Testament Just Angry All the Time?

43 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.
2 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.    Isaiah 43 (ESV)

You may have noticed that I have been enjoying Isaiah lately. I think one of the reasons is seeing the tender display of God's love for His people. I know that people often think of the God of the Old Testament as a God of wrath and judgment, and the God of the New Testament as a God of love. One of the problems with this are scriptures that state otherwise (see below*). But I do remember the first time I read through the Old Testament. I felt like God was killing people left and right, and it made such an impression on me! But I think I needed to see how serious God was/is about sin. But then the next time I read it, I felt like I saw His love all over the place! Here are some more verses from Isaiah:

6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
    I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,"  Isaiah 42 (ESV)


4 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.  Isaiah 43 (ESV)


2 Thus says the Lord who made you,
    who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
    Jeshurun whom I have chosen.  Isaiah 44 (ESV)


*10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
    and your years will have no end.”  from Hebrews 1 (ESV)

Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Imagine That! Reading a Whole Letter in One Sitting!

I wanted to read through the book of Hebrews this afternoon, but I wasn't sure if my Sunday nap would try and take over! Why did I feel like this was such an accomplishment? Wouldn't the early church read through whole letters all the time in one sitting? Or maybe even standing!

I was thinking about how we have more copies of the word than ever before, but perhaps read it less, comparatively speaking. Or at the least, maybe our easy access makes the word seem less valuable.

Well, here's an excerpt from my reading today (formatting mine):

19 Therefore, brothers, 
   since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the         blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he               opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his           flesh, 21 and 

since we have a great priest over the house of God,

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without                 wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And 

let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but 
encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:19-25 English Standard Version (ESV)