Here's something that I don't get.
Was listening to my daily audio Bible and we're in Exodus 8 (and following)...
The Egyptian magicians kept replicating the signs done by Moses and Aaron. They made frogs that covered everywhere and the magicians did the same thing. But why would they do the same thing? Why make even more frogs? If they were trying to show they had power (or access thereto), why not take the frogs away? Pharaoh asked Moses to pray to God to take the frogs away...
Then there were the gnats - and this time the magicians could not replicate the sign and they said, "This is the finger of God." But yet they didn't realize that when God took away the frogs and they didn't?
I just don't think it makes sense. Well - that they didn't make sense. Or maybe it simply goes to show that if we are rebelling against or hardened against God then we don't make sense and we try to "kick against the goads" (so to speak). Hmm...
The other thing that continually gets me when I read (or hear) these passages is a prayer that comes to my mind and heart...
"Lord, do not let my heart be so hardened, do not let me harden my heart against You!"
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Genesis 22:1-19 (God testing Abraham)
I want to think and write this out while it's still fresh. This year (2010) instead of reading through the Bible in a year, I'm listening to it. (I'm using an iPhone app but they also do it through podcasts - it's from Daily Audio Bible at http://www.dailyaudiobible.com/)
I was listening to today's section as I was ready for bed - and guess that problem with doing so is times like this when something catches me and I want to think on and/or write about it.
Today's Old Testament reading included Genesis 22. This is where God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac was Abraham and Sarah's only son (Ishmael and Hagar had been sent away by this point). But more than that, he was a son of the promise, born in their old age as fulfillment of a promise of God and anticipation of fulfillment of another promise (that through Isaac, Abraham's descendants would be numerous and inherit the land Abraham was living in as a stranger).
Now I've heard all sorts of teachings and sermons on Abraham and Isaac - we even had a mime piece about the whole thing! But something I knew before struck me in a new way tonight.
To further give background as to what about the passage hit me, you have to know that I have also heard teachings and sermons on how we need to "give back" our dreams and passions and "promises" that God has given - to sacrifice them - to be able to - to know and show that God is really first in our lives rather than the gift which He has given being first. And you should also know that in reflecting on 2009 and looking forward to 2010 this year, along with starting to go through the book Beginning Again: Benedictine Wisdom for Living with Illness, I've been doing a good bit of thinking on my health and mime stuff. Because my health mostly gets in the way of mime stuff and I wonder (too often, probably) if I can or should be doing mime at all...
And, granted, mime was never a promise. I believe it is a God-given passion, even gifting and that it is part of and/or related to the call God has in my life regarding the arts and teaching. But that's not my point. Correlating my mime and health with Abraham and Isaac is a stretch to begin with.
My point is Abraham's lack of questioning. That's what stuck out tonight. I question. I doubt and I second guess. But Abraham didn't do that. He didn't spend hours or days questioning God's logic in how the promise would be fulfilled if he killed his son. He didn't - like I often do - question his hearing or understanding of the original promise. ("Maybe God didn't say that or mean that...")
He got up the next day and obeyed. He trusted God. He was obedient. He knew that if anyone could still work the promises given with him sacrificing the promised son through whom they were supposed to come, God could.
That's what I want. Trust and ready obedience. Not all this questioning. Not all this second guessing and doubting myself (or God). Because if anyone can still bring about me being a mime and teaching or performing it in spite of my poor health and broken body, God can.
And I've seen it happen already. So why do I doubt?
Trust and Obey!!
I was listening to today's section as I was ready for bed - and guess that problem with doing so is times like this when something catches me and I want to think on and/or write about it.
Today's Old Testament reading included Genesis 22. This is where God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac was Abraham and Sarah's only son (Ishmael and Hagar had been sent away by this point). But more than that, he was a son of the promise, born in their old age as fulfillment of a promise of God and anticipation of fulfillment of another promise (that through Isaac, Abraham's descendants would be numerous and inherit the land Abraham was living in as a stranger).
Now I've heard all sorts of teachings and sermons on Abraham and Isaac - we even had a mime piece about the whole thing! But something I knew before struck me in a new way tonight.
To further give background as to what about the passage hit me, you have to know that I have also heard teachings and sermons on how we need to "give back" our dreams and passions and "promises" that God has given - to sacrifice them - to be able to - to know and show that God is really first in our lives rather than the gift which He has given being first. And you should also know that in reflecting on 2009 and looking forward to 2010 this year, along with starting to go through the book Beginning Again: Benedictine Wisdom for Living with Illness, I've been doing a good bit of thinking on my health and mime stuff. Because my health mostly gets in the way of mime stuff and I wonder (too often, probably) if I can or should be doing mime at all...
And, granted, mime was never a promise. I believe it is a God-given passion, even gifting and that it is part of and/or related to the call God has in my life regarding the arts and teaching. But that's not my point. Correlating my mime and health with Abraham and Isaac is a stretch to begin with.
My point is Abraham's lack of questioning. That's what stuck out tonight. I question. I doubt and I second guess. But Abraham didn't do that. He didn't spend hours or days questioning God's logic in how the promise would be fulfilled if he killed his son. He didn't - like I often do - question his hearing or understanding of the original promise. ("Maybe God didn't say that or mean that...")
He got up the next day and obeyed. He trusted God. He was obedient. He knew that if anyone could still work the promises given with him sacrificing the promised son through whom they were supposed to come, God could.
That's what I want. Trust and ready obedience. Not all this questioning. Not all this second guessing and doubting myself (or God). Because if anyone can still bring about me being a mime and teaching or performing it in spite of my poor health and broken body, God can.
And I've seen it happen already. So why do I doubt?
Trust and Obey!!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Seeking God in fear...
A couple of things stuck out to me as I did my Bible reading tonight - but there is one in particular I want to mention:
2 Chronicles 20.3
"Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord."
Often we are told "do not be afraid." Instead we need to be resolved and determined and "get 'er done" in spite of the fear.
Now, granted, there is some truth to the whole "do not be afraid" thing - God said it to Joshua and the angel said it to Mary and Jesus said it to his disciples... But they were encouraging the ones they were talking to not to dwell in fear or be overcome by it. They weren't telling them to dig deep inside themselves to conquer all.
Sometimes fear is a natural and appropriate response... say, when your kingdom is about to be invaded by a multitude of armies. It's not so much the feeling of fear that is the issue, but what we do with it. Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord.
Isn't that what we should do?
Do you?
2 Chronicles 20.3
"Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord."
Often we are told "do not be afraid." Instead we need to be resolved and determined and "get 'er done" in spite of the fear.
Now, granted, there is some truth to the whole "do not be afraid" thing - God said it to Joshua and the angel said it to Mary and Jesus said it to his disciples... But they were encouraging the ones they were talking to not to dwell in fear or be overcome by it. They weren't telling them to dig deep inside themselves to conquer all.
Sometimes fear is a natural and appropriate response... say, when your kingdom is about to be invaded by a multitude of armies. It's not so much the feeling of fear that is the issue, but what we do with it. Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord.
Isn't that what we should do?
Do you?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
On suffering...
Great quote by Henri Nouwen from today's Finan reading:
"There is no suffering - no guilt, shame, loneliness, hunger, oppression, or exploitation, no torture, imprisonment, or murder, no violence - that has not been suffered by God. There can be no human beings who are completely alone in their sufferings, since God, in and through Jesus, has become Emmanuel, God with us. The Good News of the gospel, therefore, is not that God came to take our suffering away, but that God wanted to become part of it."
Praise God for His wonderful hesed (lovingkindness)!
"There is no suffering - no guilt, shame, loneliness, hunger, oppression, or exploitation, no torture, imprisonment, or murder, no violence - that has not been suffered by God. There can be no human beings who are completely alone in their sufferings, since God, in and through Jesus, has become Emmanuel, God with us. The Good News of the gospel, therefore, is not that God came to take our suffering away, but that God wanted to become part of it."
Praise God for His wonderful hesed (lovingkindness)!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Finan Reading - June 7
from Celtic Daily Prayers:
Scriptures: Psalm 32:5, Micah 7:8-9, Galatians 6:14
The meditation was from Blaise Pascal (which I found interesting in itself)...
"Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because He shows us both God and our own wretchedness. Jesus is a God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair."
Love the tension/balance there. And I wonder if that was at the back of Max Lucado's mind when he wrote this of Peter after his denial and later conversation with Jesus (from "A Gentle Thunder"):
"If Peter had shed tears but not seen the cross, he would have known only despair. Had he seen the cross but shed no tears, he would have known only arrogance. But since he saw both, he knew redemption."
Scriptures: Psalm 32:5, Micah 7:8-9, Galatians 6:14
The meditation was from Blaise Pascal (which I found interesting in itself)...
"Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because He shows us both God and our own wretchedness. Jesus is a God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair."
Love the tension/balance there. And I wonder if that was at the back of Max Lucado's mind when he wrote this of Peter after his denial and later conversation with Jesus (from "A Gentle Thunder"):
"If Peter had shed tears but not seen the cross, he would have known only despair. Had he seen the cross but shed no tears, he would have known only arrogance. But since he saw both, he knew redemption."
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Finan Readings - June 1 & 2
This year I'm doing the daily offices from the book Celtic Daily Prayers for my devotional times. I'm using the Finan series of readings. The following are from the first two days of June - and June is themed "Jesus of the Scars."
________________
June 1st:
Scripture: Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 52:15, Luke 24:30-40
Question: What are the only man-made things in heaven?
Answer: The wounds in the hands, feet and side of Jesus.
(I found that extremely profound to think upon yesterday)
________________
June 2nd:
Scripture: Psalm 129:3-4, Isaiah 50:6-9, 1 Peter 2:22-24
Excerpt from Henri Nouwen:
"Jesus' hands and feet were not just anyone's hands and feet, but the signs of His real bodily presence. They were the hands and feet of Jesus marked with the wounds of His crucifixion. It is of great spiritual importance that Jesus made Himself known to His disciples by showing them His wounded body. The resurrection had not taken His wounds away but, rather, they had become part of His glory. They had become glorified wounds.
"Jesus is the Lord who came to save us by dying for us on the Cross. The wounds in Jesus' glorified body remind us of the way in which we are saved. But they also remind us that our own wounds are much more than roadblocks on our way to God. They show us our own unique way to follow the suffering Christ, and they are destined to become glorified in our resurrected life. Just as Jesus was identified by His wounds, so are we."
________________
June 1st:
Scripture: Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 52:15, Luke 24:30-40
Question: What are the only man-made things in heaven?
Answer: The wounds in the hands, feet and side of Jesus.
(I found that extremely profound to think upon yesterday)
________________
June 2nd:
Scripture: Psalm 129:3-4, Isaiah 50:6-9, 1 Peter 2:22-24
Excerpt from Henri Nouwen:
"Jesus' hands and feet were not just anyone's hands and feet, but the signs of His real bodily presence. They were the hands and feet of Jesus marked with the wounds of His crucifixion. It is of great spiritual importance that Jesus made Himself known to His disciples by showing them His wounded body. The resurrection had not taken His wounds away but, rather, they had become part of His glory. They had become glorified wounds.
"Jesus is the Lord who came to save us by dying for us on the Cross. The wounds in Jesus' glorified body remind us of the way in which we are saved. But they also remind us that our own wounds are much more than roadblocks on our way to God. They show us our own unique way to follow the suffering Christ, and they are destined to become glorified in our resurrected life. Just as Jesus was identified by His wounds, so are we."
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Psalm 67.1-2
Verse one sounds like the familiar blessing:
"God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us..."
In fact, it's part of the priestly blessing given in Numbers 6.
But the Psalm continues on, giving a further goal for the blessing - "that Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations."
It's not simply a request to be blessed - it is a request that that blessing also bless others.
Nice.
Lord, make me a blessing!
"God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us..."
In fact, it's part of the priestly blessing given in Numbers 6.
But the Psalm continues on, giving a further goal for the blessing - "that Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations."
It's not simply a request to be blessed - it is a request that that blessing also bless others.
Nice.
Lord, make me a blessing!
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