How long will we wander, before returning to Him?

Posts tagged ‘wisdom’

120) Let My Cry for Help Come to You, O Lord!

Day 120 reading: Psalms, chapters 102-104praise 2

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you. (102:1, NIV)

Sometimes, don’t we just need some validation that He truly hears the prayers of our hearts?

My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. (102:4, NIV)

The Bread of Life is food for our spirit and keeps us in better alignment with our Lord.

My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. (102:11, NIV)

When we are separated from Him, doesn’t every day feel hollow, like we are just going through the motions of living without true purpose, no matter how “busy” we make ourselves?

But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you. (102:27-28, NIV)

His world endures forever, but our lives come and go. But as we bring more life into this world, it is our duty to bring more Life to each life as we lead our children to Him.

Bless the Lord. O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. (103:2-5, NASB)

He gives all and we have the audacity to think we have anything to do with any of our accomplishments.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (103:8-10, NIV)

It makes a chill run up my spine to think of how my life would be if He treated me as I deserved based on all the sins of my lifetime.

How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. (104:24, NIV)

I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my god as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord. But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord. (104:33-35, NIV)

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 121 reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-10 and 1 Chronicles, chapters 11-12

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Eternity, Healing, Perseverance, Prayer, Psalms, Seeing God, Trust

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25) What Dreams May Come

Day 25 reading: Genesis, chapters 38-40

Today we begin with one of Jacob’s 12 sons, Judah. Many times I feel a lot like Judah, as I go about life, not seeking God’s guidance and direction, but making my own human judgments. Judah did not seek His wisdom in any areas of his life and paid dearly, and all of this while his own father was mourning the loss of his son, Joseph.

Meanwhile, The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master (39:2, NIV). And, as a result of the Lord being with Joseph, The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian (39:5, NIV).

But the portion of today’s reading that is particularly interesting to me is the part about the dream interpretations the Lord works through Joseph, while Joseph, the cup bearer and the baker were imprisoned. I have been a student of dream interpretation for decades. My earliest memory of journaling about my dreams was in the fifth grade or so, and I only remember that because I remember the computer I was using at the time.

tandy1000ex-ad(The Tandy 1000, my first “real” computer–it’s particularly funny to see, now, with the iPhones and tablets and hand-held gadgets  even my five year old has these days, but back in the day I thought this giant computer was awesome!!! By the way, this is the exact computer I had, complete with the stand you see in this old ad. It was HUGE. It took up my entire desk…plus there’s the printer and the joysticks and the diskettes….ahhh, those were the days.)

I have filled pages and diaries and journals with my own dreams and the interpretations that these books have taught me, but no matter what these dreams that flow so freely while I sleep have never made sense in their interpretations. The explanations of what driving or eating or a grandparent sighting or a child’s birth meant never seem to coincide with the explanations of any other aspect of the dream. Finally, I gave up trying to interpret my dreams, I tossed out all of the books that teetered on the side of non-Christian, and I stopped scribbling notes in the darkness of night with keywords or catch phrases to keep handy for the next morning when I could attempt to make sense of it all.

Joseph said to [the cup bearer and baker], “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (40:8, NIV)

In all of those years of documenting and researching the meaning of my countless dreams, I cannot remember one time consulting with God. I have always felt dreams were such powerful things, and even through my Christian walk, I have still left interpretation to human minds.

Now, though I am still curious when I have a particularly off-beat dream what it’s supposed to be telling me, I obsess about it much less. I figure that if God is trying to tell me something or give me a special task, He will make it clear enough that I won’t misunderstand. Friends, I know there are areas of my own life where I need to let go and let God (I don’t remember where that phrase originated, but I think it’s about as old as the Tandy 1000 ;-) ). Seeking Him and trusting Him in all of life’s moments will bring us eternal prosperity, no matter where our worldly circumstances take us.

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 26 reading: Genesis, chapters 41-42

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Genesis, Seeing God, Trust

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13) I stand in awe of You, my God

Initially, I was excited about today’s reading because 13 has been my lucky number (I know, “lucky numbers” aren’t exactly biblical) since my first cheerleader tryouts, but then I realized what section of scripture we were studying and I got even more excited. At the heart of today’s reading is one of my favorite verses:

How great is God–beyond our understanding! (Job 36:26, NIV)

Therefore, my entire thought process for today’s journaling revolve around God’s glorious majesty and how beyond us He truly is.

Today’s reading: Job, chapters 35-37

You and I are but human; Job and his friends were merely human. We all have human pride, human will, human sin, and purely human nature. We are not God. We attempt to play “God” at times, but we don’t even come close to understanding what or who we are trying to imitate.

We spend today, again, with Elihu:
If you are righteous, what do you give to him,
or what does he receive from your hand?
Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself,
and your righteousness only the sons of men. (35:7-8, NIV)

If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.
But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge. (36:11-12, NIV)

These go to back to our discussion a few days ago, “The fear of the Lord–that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding” (28:28, NIV). We just don’t get it. We just don’t have it. All you and I can do is fear God, our Maker, the Lord, our Father, and shun evil; in return, the Bible tells me that I will gain whatever level of understanding of God that I can comprehend. All I have, then, is my absolute reverence for God. But, you know what, that’s good enough for me! I don’t want to play God and I don’t have a desire to know all there is to know about Him.

At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place. (37:1, NIV)

The way I see it, knowing all of the secrets ruins the surprise of it all. In some areas of my life, I just want to have that childlike faith that Jesus will teach us about much later in the year (we are reading chronologically, after all, and we’re barely out of Creation now).

God is exalted in his power.
Who is a teacher like him?
Who has prescribed his ways for him,
or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’?
Remember to extol his work,
which men have praised in song.
All mankind has seen it;
men gaze on it from afar.
How great is God–
beyond our understanding!

He is beyond our understanding! There have been times that I have felt so close to Him, that I actually (in my very human, prideful stupidity) have felt that I had some glimpse of understanding Him, in all of His glory. But truly, friends, we can’t even come close.

I imagine Elihu speaking to me as well as to Job here,
“Listen to this, Job;
stop and consider God’s wonders.
Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?
Do you know how the clouds hand poised,
those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?”
(37:14-16, NIV)

“When his voice resounds, 
he holds nothing back.
God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.”
(37:4-5, NIV)

When I stop and consider that literally every breath I take, every hair on my head, every beat of my heart are counted and preordained by Him, it humbles me. In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind (12:10, NIV). He is truly awesome!

As a young girl, I remember always wanting to know what certain people I respected would ask God when they got to heaven. I have this great picture in my mind’s eye of all of His children huddled at His holy feet, like an aged grandfather with his brood of grand kids gathered on the front porch, listening to stories of the good old days. We, God’s children, have a natural curiosity. We wonder of him who is perfect in knowledge (37:16, NIV). Wonder and curiosity about our Maker are healthy, as they bring us to this place we are today, in His Word, studying His inspired writing and learning more about Him, our foundation. He is our guiding light, our shining star, and our leader through life everlasting; all honor and glory are His alone.

Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;
God comes in awesome majesty.
The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
Therefore, men revere him,
for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart? (37:22-24, NIV)

My Bible has an interesting footnote pertaining to this last line of scripture, an alternate translation:
Therefore, men revere him
for he does not have regard for any who think they are wise

Friends, let us be inspired by Him, and live in reverence of His awesome majesty! Let us, in all of our human ignorance, not think more of ourselves than we ought (which we’ll also find later in the book of Romans), or think we are wise in the eyes of God. Let us, instead, live our lives to serve Him and others, and to build upon this foundation in honor of Him.

Tomorrow’s reading: Job, chapters 38-39

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Children, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Job, Quiet time, Seeing God, Trust

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12) Being Spirit-led

I’m so excited about today’s passage in Job. It’s a really neat section that has spoken to me, as I hope it speaks to you, as well.

Today’s  reading: Job, chapters 32-34

Job and his three friends finally ran out of words, excuses, and justifications! And, we are introduced to a fourth friend that we didn’t even know had been sitting among them, as he was not mentioned in chapter two with the others. Apparently, this friend, named Elihu, has been in the scene throughout. Maybe it was his youth (at least in relation to the other four men) that prevented him from initially being mentioned, or maybe he wasn’t actually among the “friends,” but rather eavesdropping. Whatever the case, he has a lot to say, and it seems to be much more Spirit-based than man-based, so let us jump right in.

“But it is the Spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right. Therefore I say: Listen to me; I too will tell you what I know.” (32:8-10, NIV)

I also really enjoy the New King James Version translation, particularly of verse nine:
“Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice.”

Can I get an “Amen” from the less-than-”aged” crowd?!?!

Friends, the Spirit of God is in us, leading us an directing us; but we must allow ourselves to be led and we must have quiet understanding of the words that are used through us by the Spirit. I love how this one quote describes the Holy Spirit as the breath of the Almighty.

A few years ago, I read The Shack, by William P. Young. It was a powerful work of fiction (though I think “inspired fiction” would be a better-suited category name), but in today’s references to the Holy Spirit, I am reminded of how perfectly the Spirit is described, even personified, in The Shack.

click to visit theshackbook.com


In the book, the Spirit, though (kind of) personified, is described more as a graceful wind, she (which doesn’t personally hang me up, but it may some to have God, whom so many refer to in the male sense, personified as female–but that’s not relevant to today’s discussion) never seems to touch the ground or go through the usual gait that accompanies walking, per se.

The Spirit is a being, a breath, substance, and energy. I love the moments in my life when I have known without a doubt that my mouth is being used to speak words, but my mind is not directing anything; those times when the Spirit has worked through me have been amazing to me. The Spirit of God can do such awesome things through each of us. My mouth, with my voice, can speak of things I know nothing about with fluency and forthrightness, and because it is Spirit-led, it is also Spirit-received. No one questions me, because I am not the one with the answers. I love the opportunities God has granted me to be His sounding-board, of sorts, and in times like these I get more frustrated with my human nature than usual because these times have been short-lived as my human nature struggles to regain control. Meanwhile, my lips are grinning ear-to-ear for the special time I spent, and being able to truly just be a bystander in my own body.

“For I am full of words, and the Spirit within me compels me;
inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst.
I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply.” (32:18-20, NIV)

I’m relieved to know that I’m not the only person who sometimes feels like if I don’t get this thought or this feeling or this opinion out, I’m just going to explode.

“The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (33:4, NIV)

Elihu was so filled with the Holy Spirit, yet so careful not to step on the words of his elders, that by the time Job and his three friends tired of their argument, Elihu felt like he was going to burst for his turn to speak. But, really, isn’t God’s timing here just wonderful? The Spirit in Elihu is just sitting back, watching these four older, “wiser,” men work themselves up into a frenzy, playing blame games and holding themselves up on a higher pedestal than the others. Elihu waited until just the right time, and the Spirit spoke through him words of true wisdom to the four men.

“It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice.
Who appointed him over the earth? Who put him in charge of the whole world?
If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath,
all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust.” (34:12-15, NIV)

“His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step.
There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.
God has no need to examine men further, that they should come before him for judgement.” (34: 21-23, NIV)

We don’t have to tell God what we think, know, do, say; He knows! He is there! He is always there watching us. He sees when we slip. He sees when we lose control over our eyes, our mouths, our thoughts, and our bodies. Why would we think we have to make excuses to Him about all the good that we have done and the wrong that we are trying to cover up? He already knows. He was there. And He knew even before whatever it was even crossed our human minds. We can’t surprise God. And the sooner we get that through our very human skulls, the sooner we will be able to grow and mature in Him. And as we mature in our walk with Him, as we truly, truly, TRULY realize that God is greater than man (33:12, NIV),the more open our hearts and minds will be to receiving all of the great gifts He has yet to give us. He always has perfect timing.

“For God does speak–now one way, now another–though man may not perceive it.” (33:14, NIV)

I pray that I can learn to quiet my human mind so that I can take in the lessons God wants me to learn. I often pray that God keep my eyes on the path He has set for my life and that if I get distracted, that He pull my attention right back where it needs to be, no matter what. But my biggest fear; rather, the one part of this that my human nature has the most trouble trusting in is that I will catch the signs and signals and ROAD SIGNS and big flashing neon signs that God puts out for me along the way, saying “Follow Me,” “This Way,” “Turn Right Here,” “Go Talk to that Person About Me,” “No, You Missed Them, GO BACK!!” Lord, please don’t let me miss your signs because my humanness gets in the way.

Our God is a good God, and He shows us grace and mercy at every turn. As I write today’s refection on this scripture reading from Job, I am still milling over a Bible lesson I recently studied on the topic of grace; how we give it, how we receive it, and how we see grace shown to us every moment of our earthly lives by God, the Master of grace.

“Then he comes to men and says, ‘I sinned, and perverted what was right,but I did not get what I deserved.
He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.’
God does all these things to a man–twice, even three times–
to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him.” (33:27-30, NIV)

He does all this, He forgives us so much, THAT THE LIGHT OF LIFE MAY SHINE ON HIM (read: YOU!)

Isn’t that just awesome? Friends, I am so pleased that you are on this incredible journey with me. I don’t care if you’re reading as soon as this posting goes up, or if you read it five years from now. Whenever you come to it, and whenever you take this Chronological Bible study journey, it will be the right time for you, the time in your life when you are most open and ready to receive all that the Lord has planned for you to learn through in-depth reading into His Word. His timing is always perfect! Amen!!!

Tomorrow’s reading: Job, chapters 35-37

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Job, Seeing God

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10) Dominion and awe belong to God!

We’ve reached the double-digits, my friends!!! Have there already been days of struggle for you in the reading? Have there already been days when you really just didn’t feel like picking up the Good Book and reading any more of Job’s ranting? Well, I am so pleased with you and with myself that we kept going, even when distractions have reared their ugly heads. I know there are always things that will distract us all from the things we know we “should” be doing; the key is standing strong and doing what we know we need to. And this is definitely one of those “need to” kind of things. This is our foundation. This is our solid ground. Without our Lord and Maker, we are dust. And without His inspired Word, we know nothing of our beginnings. Without our perseverance, we will go to our graves still knowing nothing of our Creator. So, dear friends, keep up the good work! I am so proud of us!!! (and I know He is smiling at us, too!)

Today’s reading: Job, chapters 24-28

Marilyn’s youngest daughter, Charlotte, standing on the promises of God!

Wow! Today’s passage is so powerful! I hope you are as excited and moved by it as I am, or what comes through my typing may never make sense. First of all, this line spoken by Bildad: “Dominion and awe belong to God” (25:2). Isn’t that the truth, friends? He created you and I, He is the Maker of Heaven and of Earth, He grants you and I free will, but He has dominion.

And I love all of the discussion of wisdom and true understanding that follows. I can’t even explain or commentate, I can only re-type the inspired Word:

“But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living.” (28:11-13)

“God understands the way to it and He alone knows where it dwells, for He views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When He established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, when He made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He confirmed it and tested it. And He said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord–that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’” (28:23-28)

Isn’t that just beautiful? To fear the Lord is wisdom and to shun evil is understanding! Don’t you want wisdom and understanding? I do!!! He brings hidden things to light (28:11). This is why standing on the Word is of critical importance in our lives. Doing what is nice and what is kind is lovely, but to truly do what is right and what is just and what the Lord is leading us to do takes a strong foundation in Him. He will grant us wisdom and understanding through our reverence of Him. Dominion and awe belong to God! (25:2)

Repeat after Job: “As long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.” (27:3-4)

Wouldn’t it be lovely (I’m already writing words of defeat, knowing in my human nature this is a virtually impossible task) to NEVER speak wickedness or deceitfulness? NEVER! Through God nothing is impossible, but don’t start beating yourself up already over the almost-certain failure of these NEVER’s for God is like a gentle caretaker. He is our Creator God and even when we do wrong against Him, He loves us and forgives us without holding a grudge. “But God charges no one with wrongdoing” (24:12).

Like when my children have one of those days when I am about ready to pull my hair out and go screaming out of the house, that’s just when He gives me new-found patience, and within moments or (at it’s worst) hours, the memories of those crazy times have faded and I hold no grudges against my children for being children. God holds no grudges against humans for being human. Glory!

“How faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?” (26:14)

We may never truly grasp all the power within His mighty hands, but maybe He will give us a taste as eternal celestial beings. I know that my human brain cannot comprehend His power, but in that lack of comprehension comes the awe and reverence that He deserves above all.

“The fear of the Lord–that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” Amen!

Make it a great day, Marilyn

Tomorrow’s reading: Job, chapters 29-31

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Job

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It’s Not About ME!

Spoiler Alert: its not about you, either.

Life seems a little overwhelming at times. There is so much for us to do. So many people depending on us. So many giving us praise or criticism. So much of our worlds naturally revolve around “ME.”

This is true for all of us, but the truth is that in my own life, I can tell a positive difference in ME when I am putting HIM first. When I humble myself before the Lord, He does lift me up (see James 4:10). He lifts me up, He carries me, He helps me act and react in difficult situations, He is my guide. He cannot be my guide, however, if I put ME before HIM in my personal list of priorities.

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11)

To put him first is like being continually fed by the river of Life. When we go to God first with our trials and frustrations, fears and doubts, excitement and joy, He fills us full of overflowing care and guidance. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) When we first go to God, we please Him and are, in turn, fulfilled.

How can we go to God first with everything, though, if we do not hold Him up and exalt His name above all others? We must train ourselves to keep God on our first proverbial speed-dial button in our hearts. If something horrible happens, call Him first. If something wonderful happens, share your joy with Him first. In going through the day-to-days, we can live in constant communion with our Lord. He knows all, sees all, and knows all of our wants and needs before we do, but He loves any opportunity that we allow Him one-on-one time.

The book of Job reminds us that dominion and awe belong to God (Job 25:2). Our human nature puts ME, our careers, our husbands and wives, our children, our friends, and even our pets and civic causes before HIM. We are told countless times through the inspired Word of God to hold Him up in the greatest light,and not to be so self-centered that the face we see in the mirror every day is more important than the One who created it. Do not think of yourself more highly then you ought (Romans 12:3),  but rather be humbled before Him and receive His blessings of grace (see Proverbs 3:34).

Friends, let me tell you, God has been speaking this lesson to my heart so I can hear it as well as pass it along to others. I have to remind myself continually that this life is not about me, that I am merely a messenger and teacher and that my purpose is not for ME but to further HIS kingdom. I have a lot of old wounds and old habits and I must remind myself to trust in Him to make my path known to me, to guide me and direct me, and to open my eyes to see and follow.

You were taught, with regard to your former ways of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self; created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)

To put off your old selves. That is a refreshing analogy for me. To shed my old life that existed when I thought I was smarter than God and independent from Him. I also like the way it is phrased in Romans, that we are to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. (Romans 12:1) We do this when we realize HE is bigger than ME and that HE comes first.

I have a very fresh example of this in my own life. Just a few days ago I was having a great, productive day at the office. I work for our family business, designing and manufacturing custom and signature pieces of fine, heirloom-quality jewelry. Now, I pray for our family business a lot. A LOT! I pray for God’s hand to be on our business sales, strategies, craftsmanship; I want every aspect of our business to be conducted in a way that pleases Him. This seems particularly true in these tough economic times, as I pray for my family’s livlihood and blessings.

So, the other day I had a great morning. I even made a pretty good sale and was just so excited and thankful to God for sending this customer to us. Generally, I take leftovers for lunch but that morning I had forgotten to pack a lunch so I headed home to eat a quick bite and get back to the office. My husband was also home and frustrated with kiddo issues (when you have five kids, there are bound to be issues). He was venting and I was working hard to keep his foul mood from spoiling my awesome day.

Here’s where the freeze-frame would be if this were a movie: As he was talking, venting, and getting more frustrated and angrier at the situations he had been dealing with all morning, I had to completely stop and just pray. I shut out all noise and prayed, silently and to myself. Alone, I didn’t have the answers my husband wanted or needed to hear, but I knew that with God’s guidance, we could make a new path.

We had been down this road of parenthood frustration countless times so I knew so many of the negative alternate endings that could happen if I allowed ME to assume I knew more than HIM. So, I prayed a quick prayer for guidance and direction, for my words, actions, and reactions to be in line with God’s plan for me, and I returned to my husband as the action sped back up to real-time.

God gives answers. God gives direction. God helps and encourages. God supports and leads. God gave me wisdom that day to say exactly the right words to calm my husband’s frustrations, open some new pathways to help resolve the issues at hand, and allow me to get back to the office. The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge (Psalms 18:2).

God does not falter. He loves us unconditionally. He sees us when we are happy and when we are sad. He created us in His image, but we have allowed the world to come between us and our Creator. Today is a fresh new day, and every moment that passes is an opportunity to realign yourself with God’s plan for your life.

Make Him a priority. You don’t have to make a big show of it, faith is a very personal thing, but let me tell you, when you put the Lord first in your life, people see the difference in you without you even having to say a word. HE is bigger than ME, so I put my faith in HIM.

Dear God, Thank you for every person who ever reads these words. Thank you for giving me the lesson to learn for myself and to pass on to others who may need to hear the same message. God, please walk with me and these friends and clear the path for us so we can see clearly the path you have laid out for us. I know you have incredible plans for our lives and I submit fully to you now and am so excited to see how you tell my story. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Category:

1 Thessalonians, Ephesians, Isaiah, James, Job, Proverbs, Psalms, Romans

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Romans 12:1-8

Lately, I have found myself in a bit of a rut. A good rut, but a rut just the same. I have found that I spend much of my study time reading works by pastors and wonderful Bible scholars, listening to lectures or watching videos or television broadcasts of sermons or lessons, but actually spending very little time one-on-one in the Word of God. I may read a passage or two in the Bible on my own, and I certainly flip to the verses as directed by the teachers I am studying, but quiet, personal time in His Word seems to have lessened for me in the last few weeks. As soon as I realized that I was studying other people’s commentaries on the Bible, rather than the Bible itself, I stood up and took notice!

Let me just say, so there is no misunderstanding, that I believe there is so much insight to be gleaned from studying what other’s before us have studied, and allowing trusted teachers to pass on their wisdom to us. There are countless amazing Bible scholars, ministers and teachers to study under, from the least to the greatest, they all have unique insight and I learn something new every time I study with them. However, what I am saying here is that sometimes I study them rather than Him.

So, this week I have taken action and instead of listening to a certain sermon or lesson, I have been listening to the Word read in audio form (one terrific free resource for this is: faithcomesbyhearing.com). And, instead of spending all of my personal study time reading works and studies by other authors, I am reading The Author. As simple as this all sounds, it is so easy to get inspired and excited about a certain teacher or lesson series that we actually forget to spend quality time just reading our Bibles and allowing His inspired Word to speak to us and through us.

Today, my personal focus is on Romans 12:1-8. Oftentimes, when I study, I enjoy reading several translations of the same passage so that I can be sure to grasp the full meaning of it, in language that I can truly understand. In doing so, I come up with my own translation, of sorts, what seems more a blending of them all. The following is my personal translation of this brief passage of scripture:

(1) You are called by God to worship Him at all times. Live every day, doing what is pleasing to God and what will bring honor to Him. (2) When you truly humble yourself before God, He will transform your mind and your thoughts so you will not be changed and brought down to the level of the world around you, but you will be a good example for others and lift the world up to honor Him. (3) As a messenger of God, I must warn you to remember that it is not you who does anything, but it is only through Him that we can have eternal success. (4) Just like all of the various parts of the same human body has different purposes and uses, they all come together to form the whole body. (5) Likewise, we make up the body of Christ and depend on one another to function properly. (6) God has given each of us special gifts, so let each of us make the most of the gifts He has given us so freely and not wish we had the gifts of other people. If God has given you a message of divine truth which will reveal God’s will, speak out when your faith in Him leads you to do so. (7) If God has given you a heart for serving others, serve with all the love and compassion that He has given you. If God has given you a gift for teaching, apply all of your energy to teaching well. (8) If God has given you the gift of advising others, do so in a way that comforts and encourages them. If God has given you a heart to give to others, give freely and without regret. If God has called you to leadership, lead diligently and in line with His own leadership. If God has called you to be merciful, show mercy to others with a happy heart and a smile on your face.

I want to encourage you, sisters, to do the same self-translating in your own study time. It helps me to better soak in what I am reading and studying to make it my own so that I can more readily relate to 2000+ year old wisdom. Even if you only have one translation to read from, look up definitions to the words you read–even if you use those words every day, looking it up can sometimes reveal something about the meaning of the passage as a whole that you had not seen before. And pray! Pray that God opens up the Word to you in a new way every time you go to Him to study. Pray that He reveals something fresh to you, even if you have studied the same passage for 30 years. As it is written in Lamentations: “Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” (3:23, New Living Translation)

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

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Lamentations, Romans

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