Hear the word of the Lord:
Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22)
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Showing posts with label righteous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label righteous. Show all posts
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A human being like us ...
Hear the word of the Lord:
James 5:13-20
Are any among you suffering?
They should pray.
Are any cheerful?
They should sing songs of praise.
Are any among you sick?
They should call for the elders of the church
and have them pray over them,
anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick,
and the Lord will raise them up;
and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to one another,
and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.
The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a human being like us,
and he prayed fervently that it might not rain,
and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
Then he prayed again,
and the heaven gave rain
and the earth yielded its harvest.
My brothers and sisters,
if anyone among you wanders from the truth
and is brought back by another,
you should know that whoever brings back a sinner
from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death
and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:13-20
Are any among you suffering?
They should pray.
Are any cheerful?
They should sing songs of praise.
Are any among you sick?
They should call for the elders of the church
and have them pray over them,
anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick,
and the Lord will raise them up;
and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to one another,
and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.
The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a human being like us,
and he prayed fervently that it might not rain,
and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.
Then he prayed again,
and the heaven gave rain
and the earth yielded its harvest.
My brothers and sisters,
if anyone among you wanders from the truth
and is brought back by another,
you should know that whoever brings back a sinner
from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death
and will cover a multitude of sins.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Like the palm tree ...
Dwell in God’s Word today;
meditate on this psalm one section at a time,
pray about that thought,
and then consider the next thought.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!
The dullard cannot know,
the stupid cannot understand this:
though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever,
but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
For your enemies, O Lord,
for your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.
But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Psalm 92 – NRSV
Grace and peace,
Ron
meditate on this psalm one section at a time,
pray about that thought,
and then consider the next thought.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
How great are your works, O Lord!
Your thoughts are very deep!
The dullard cannot know,
the stupid cannot understand this:
though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever,
but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
For your enemies, O Lord,
for your enemies shall perish;
all evildoers shall be scattered.
But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
you have poured over me fresh oil.
My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Psalm 92 – NRSV
Grace and peace,
Ron
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Do the right thing ...
After this David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?"
The Lord said to him, "Go up."
David said, "To which shall I go up?"
He said, "To Hebron."
So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David brought up the men who were with him, every one with his household; and they settled in the towns of Hebron. Then the people of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
When they told David, "It was the people of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul," David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord, and buried him! Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I too will reward you because you have done this thing. Therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."
2 Sa 2:1-7 - NRSV
When it came to the big moves in his life, David had learned not to completely trust his own judgment. He inquired of the Lord. So the priest would pull out the Urrim and Thummim, and he would do whatever it was that he did to obtain answers from the divine. Once David had the answer, he enacted it. You do what is right, with no other justification required. Action, without hesitation.
When David arrives in Hebron, he learns that the people of Jabesh-gilead have done a very brave and righteous thing. After the Philistines killed Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa, they returned to cut Saul’s head off, put his armor in their temple and mount his body, and his sons’ bodies, on the wall of Beth Shan. This was both shameful and horrible to the Israelites. When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about this, they were convicted. As a community they decided to right this wrong.
So, in a courageous raid, the men of Jabesh-gilead marched all night to Beth Shan, stole the decomposing bodies from the wall and brought them back to Jabesh. They burned the bodies, gathered the bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh. Where is a respectful place? Where does the king sit as judge? Under the well-known tree in a community.
Many people would not risk the danger to rescue people who are still alive. The citizens of Jabesh knew this well. Years earlier, Nahash the Ammonite had besieged Jabesh offering them their choice of death, or making a treaty which required their right eye to be gouged out - most often the dominant eye of an archer or the one who carried the sling. Nobody would come to rescue them, even though they were alive, well, and willing to fight alongside their rescuers. No one, except Saul. Saul gathered up an army within seven days, raced across Israel, defeated Nahash, and freed Jabesh.
Saul didn’t do it because it seemed reasonable. You do what is right, with no other justification required.
The people of Jabesh didn’t need an excuse to go rescue the bodies of Saul and his sons. You do what is right, with no other justification required.
This last week, many of our neighbors in Oklahoma and Texas suffered from horrible range fires that swept across huge expanses of land at unbelievable speed. They lost grass, hay, fences, horses, cattle, barns, and houses, too. It is a gift from God that some of them were able to get themselves out of the fire alive. After the fire, they are now working hard to restore their farms and ranches to some form of normalcy. So to pray for them would be a good thing. But real righteousness is coupling action with prayer.
Independently, Burl and Doug came to me. Burl wanted to haul our excess clothing for children from our clothes closet to Sunset, TX to clothe children there who didn’t have any left. He took some groceries, too, to help tide their families over for a bit. Doug gathered up a semi-trailer load of hay and took it to Blanchard, OK, where horses and cattle were literally starving. The hay that he took will help tide them over until these ranchers’ hay can get up high enough to swath and bale. Neither one did this for the public to find out. And we’re not going to brag about it outside our community.
You do what is right, no justification required. Action coupled with prayer, without hesitation.
Blessings,
Ron
The Lord said to him, "Go up."
David said, "To which shall I go up?"
He said, "To Hebron."
So David went up there, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David brought up the men who were with him, every one with his household; and they settled in the towns of Hebron. Then the people of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.
When they told David, "It was the people of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul," David sent messengers to the people of Jabesh-gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord, and buried him! Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you! And I too will reward you because you have done this thing. Therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."
2 Sa 2:1-7 - NRSV
When it came to the big moves in his life, David had learned not to completely trust his own judgment. He inquired of the Lord. So the priest would pull out the Urrim and Thummim, and he would do whatever it was that he did to obtain answers from the divine. Once David had the answer, he enacted it. You do what is right, with no other justification required. Action, without hesitation.
When David arrives in Hebron, he learns that the people of Jabesh-gilead have done a very brave and righteous thing. After the Philistines killed Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa, they returned to cut Saul’s head off, put his armor in their temple and mount his body, and his sons’ bodies, on the wall of Beth Shan. This was both shameful and horrible to the Israelites. When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard about this, they were convicted. As a community they decided to right this wrong.
So, in a courageous raid, the men of Jabesh-gilead marched all night to Beth Shan, stole the decomposing bodies from the wall and brought them back to Jabesh. They burned the bodies, gathered the bones, and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh. Where is a respectful place? Where does the king sit as judge? Under the well-known tree in a community.
Many people would not risk the danger to rescue people who are still alive. The citizens of Jabesh knew this well. Years earlier, Nahash the Ammonite had besieged Jabesh offering them their choice of death, or making a treaty which required their right eye to be gouged out - most often the dominant eye of an archer or the one who carried the sling. Nobody would come to rescue them, even though they were alive, well, and willing to fight alongside their rescuers. No one, except Saul. Saul gathered up an army within seven days, raced across Israel, defeated Nahash, and freed Jabesh.
Saul didn’t do it because it seemed reasonable. You do what is right, with no other justification required.
The people of Jabesh didn’t need an excuse to go rescue the bodies of Saul and his sons. You do what is right, with no other justification required.
This last week, many of our neighbors in Oklahoma and Texas suffered from horrible range fires that swept across huge expanses of land at unbelievable speed. They lost grass, hay, fences, horses, cattle, barns, and houses, too. It is a gift from God that some of them were able to get themselves out of the fire alive. After the fire, they are now working hard to restore their farms and ranches to some form of normalcy. So to pray for them would be a good thing. But real righteousness is coupling action with prayer.
Independently, Burl and Doug came to me. Burl wanted to haul our excess clothing for children from our clothes closet to Sunset, TX to clothe children there who didn’t have any left. He took some groceries, too, to help tide their families over for a bit. Doug gathered up a semi-trailer load of hay and took it to Blanchard, OK, where horses and cattle were literally starving. The hay that he took will help tide them over until these ranchers’ hay can get up high enough to swath and bale. Neither one did this for the public to find out. And we’re not going to brag about it outside our community.
You do what is right, no justification required. Action coupled with prayer, without hesitation.
Blessings,
Ron
Friday, November 14, 2008
Righteous wrath in human flesh ...
Imagine, if you will, that you live in first century Judea. You are blessed with a teenage son, Nathan, who has just gone through his bar mitzvah, his coming of age as a Jewish “man.” For years you have described to him what the Temple was like, and what it would be like when he was old enough to take, for the first time, the sacrificial lamb into the temple courts for his family. You have carefully tutored him on what to say and to do, and he has been an eager learner. He has raised the lamb, the lamb that he picked, from birth. It is beautiful. It is perfect. It is well-chosen as a young man’s first gift to God.
With some considerable pride you set out for Jerusalem and the Passover feast. The city is unimaginably crowded with countless pilgrims and their sacrifices. Nathan waits in line for his opportunity to enter the Temple and offer his lamb. As you enter the temple courts, a priest asks you if you have your temple tax, so you prompt Nathan, who reaches into his bag and shows the coins. “No,” says the priest, “these coins can’t be taken into the temple – they have the image of Caesar stamped on them. They’re idolatrous!” Nathan looks at you for a clue as to what to do, but you’re both on unfamiliar ground here.
“So what are we supposed to do?” you ask.
The priest points over to a table on one side of the entrance and says, “You’ll have to take this Roman money over there and exchange it for temple coins.” You start to balk, but one of the temple guards glares at you and nods his head in the direction of the exchange tables. You are mad, but grudgingly, you make the trade, only to discover that the exchange rate means that you’ve already spent much of the money you’d saved for the trip. You grouse about it to the man exchanging the money, but he just shrugs his shoulders and turns to the next customer.
You pat Nathan on the back, and say, “it’s alright, Nathan, everything will be fine.” You both turn toward the Temple gate.
As you enter, a priest comes up to Nathan to examine his lamb. He shakes his head; “This lamb won’t do – you’ll need to get a replacement.”
“That lamb is perfect,” you growl back, as you see the hurt on Nathan’s face.
“I am the priest, and I make that determination. Think what you want, and say what you will, you will not sacrifice that animal at this temple.” He pauses, then makes an offer: “ That vendor over to the right will buy this grubby little beast, and sell you one that is suitable.”
Your blood is boiling, but your son is watching. You stomp over to the sheep seller, who spends more time assessing you than he does Nathan’s lamb. He makes a ridiculous offer for Nathan’s animal and quotes an astronomical price for the one he is willing, “out of the goodness of his heart,” to sell you. It is as if the man knows exactly how much money you have in your pocket. And the lamb he is selling? It is not half the animal that Nathan’s is.
While struggling with my temper and my decision, a quiet man with this intense face comes up, lifts Nathan’s lamb into his arms, says, “Beautiful animal,” and then asks us to stand over against the wall for a few moments. What happens next is best described in the words of a man who later became a friend of mine:
Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
John 2:13-22 – NRSV
What does the righteous anger of God look like? This story provides us with one sample. Let’s hear the words of David describing the holy wrath of God:
Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations of the heavens trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
He bowed the heavens, and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
He rode on a cherub, and flew;
he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness around him a canopy,
thick clouds, a gathering of water.
Out of the brightness before him
coals of fire flamed forth.
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High uttered his voice.
He sent out arrows, and scattered them —
lightning, and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
He reached from on high, he took me,
he drew me out of mighty waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
They came upon me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my stay.
He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
2 Samuel 22:8-20 – NRSV
When evil interferes with you, the child of God, know that it does not please God. When someone treats a child in an evil way, know that it invites the wrath of God. How righteous wrath is different from some kinds of human anger is something that we will discuss soon. Until then, spend the day knowing that you have a Father who is passionate in his love and care for you, and for all of his children.
Blessings,
Ron
P.S. – This devotional thought is developed from a sermon by a friend of mine, Sheldon DeVries.
With some considerable pride you set out for Jerusalem and the Passover feast. The city is unimaginably crowded with countless pilgrims and their sacrifices. Nathan waits in line for his opportunity to enter the Temple and offer his lamb. As you enter the temple courts, a priest asks you if you have your temple tax, so you prompt Nathan, who reaches into his bag and shows the coins. “No,” says the priest, “these coins can’t be taken into the temple – they have the image of Caesar stamped on them. They’re idolatrous!” Nathan looks at you for a clue as to what to do, but you’re both on unfamiliar ground here.
“So what are we supposed to do?” you ask.
The priest points over to a table on one side of the entrance and says, “You’ll have to take this Roman money over there and exchange it for temple coins.” You start to balk, but one of the temple guards glares at you and nods his head in the direction of the exchange tables. You are mad, but grudgingly, you make the trade, only to discover that the exchange rate means that you’ve already spent much of the money you’d saved for the trip. You grouse about it to the man exchanging the money, but he just shrugs his shoulders and turns to the next customer.
You pat Nathan on the back, and say, “it’s alright, Nathan, everything will be fine.” You both turn toward the Temple gate.
As you enter, a priest comes up to Nathan to examine his lamb. He shakes his head; “This lamb won’t do – you’ll need to get a replacement.”
“That lamb is perfect,” you growl back, as you see the hurt on Nathan’s face.
“I am the priest, and I make that determination. Think what you want, and say what you will, you will not sacrifice that animal at this temple.” He pauses, then makes an offer: “ That vendor over to the right will buy this grubby little beast, and sell you one that is suitable.”
Your blood is boiling, but your son is watching. You stomp over to the sheep seller, who spends more time assessing you than he does Nathan’s lamb. He makes a ridiculous offer for Nathan’s animal and quotes an astronomical price for the one he is willing, “out of the goodness of his heart,” to sell you. It is as if the man knows exactly how much money you have in your pocket. And the lamb he is selling? It is not half the animal that Nathan’s is.
While struggling with my temper and my decision, a quiet man with this intense face comes up, lifts Nathan’s lamb into his arms, says, “Beautiful animal,” and then asks us to stand over against the wall for a few moments. What happens next is best described in the words of a man who later became a friend of mine:
Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
John 2:13-22 – NRSV
What does the righteous anger of God look like? This story provides us with one sample. Let’s hear the words of David describing the holy wrath of God:
Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations of the heavens trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
He bowed the heavens, and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
He rode on a cherub, and flew;
he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness around him a canopy,
thick clouds, a gathering of water.
Out of the brightness before him
coals of fire flamed forth.
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High uttered his voice.
He sent out arrows, and scattered them —
lightning, and routed them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
He reached from on high, he took me,
he drew me out of mighty waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
They came upon me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my stay.
He brought me out into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
2 Samuel 22:8-20 – NRSV
When evil interferes with you, the child of God, know that it does not please God. When someone treats a child in an evil way, know that it invites the wrath of God. How righteous wrath is different from some kinds of human anger is something that we will discuss soon. Until then, spend the day knowing that you have a Father who is passionate in his love and care for you, and for all of his children.
Blessings,
Ron
P.S. – This devotional thought is developed from a sermon by a friend of mine, Sheldon DeVries.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Something less than the big dog ...
Here is your third dose of Country Boy Wisdom.
"If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch!" I don't like this saying because it was said to me many times while playing football in Arkansas. Being the susceptible person that I was, it really hit home to me that maybe I wasn't good enough, or maybe I don't belong with everyone else. At times, it could have been used for motivation to help, but instead it was used to berate and tear down.
I was watching the History Channel the other day and came across a show on the Inquisition. The people who originally thought of this idea were probably devout God fearing people. Problem was, they became the elite, the best, the only. They were killing people in their "righteous cause". Problem was, they didn't realize how off they were and how far reaching this oppression would reach. When Rachel and I were in Scotland doing some mission work, we encountered priests and others who said that a large percentage of the people there were very distrustful of religion of any kind due to the old history of how oppressed people were by the "Cosmic Cop" God.
The most well know verse in the Bible is probably John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
God said "the world", because he means "the world". He wants all to come and know Him and what he has. We don't have to be a big dog or part of the elite group. We have to be us and follow what He has for us to do. God offers everything we will ever need and we can share it with all the other people in "the world". So that everyone will come to know him and the "pack of dogs" can all run together and chase after God.
May you be blessed today with everything you need. And may you have peace, too.
Jeremy
"If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch!" I don't like this saying because it was said to me many times while playing football in Arkansas. Being the susceptible person that I was, it really hit home to me that maybe I wasn't good enough, or maybe I don't belong with everyone else. At times, it could have been used for motivation to help, but instead it was used to berate and tear down.
I was watching the History Channel the other day and came across a show on the Inquisition. The people who originally thought of this idea were probably devout God fearing people. Problem was, they became the elite, the best, the only. They were killing people in their "righteous cause". Problem was, they didn't realize how off they were and how far reaching this oppression would reach. When Rachel and I were in Scotland doing some mission work, we encountered priests and others who said that a large percentage of the people there were very distrustful of religion of any kind due to the old history of how oppressed people were by the "Cosmic Cop" God.
The most well know verse in the Bible is probably John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
God said "the world", because he means "the world". He wants all to come and know Him and what he has. We don't have to be a big dog or part of the elite group. We have to be us and follow what He has for us to do. God offers everything we will ever need and we can share it with all the other people in "the world". So that everyone will come to know him and the "pack of dogs" can all run together and chase after God.
May you be blessed today with everything you need. And may you have peace, too.
Jeremy
Thursday, September 25, 2008
A litany of why
Sometimes we wonder why things are the way that they are for us. We are, after all, the children of God. Should we not be blessed? Let me voice the litany of “why” questions that I hear my brothers and sisters speak from day to day:
Why does our family struggle with finances, with meeting our bills? It’s not like, after all, that we spend hundreds of dollars each month on cigarettes or alcohol. It’s not as if one of us has a gambling problem. Yes, we probably could be a little more careful with our money, but why do we feel as if we live from day to day? Why are things happening that cause my retirement nest egg to decline, it seems like every day?
Why do I have this pain, why do I experience this personal suffering in my body? Why does this pain distract my spirit, restrain my godly passion, diminish my energy to do the righteousness of God? Since my body affects my spirit, why is this pain allowed to persist?
Why does this world careen from one crisis to another? We know that reporters are honored by their peers when they find the ugly, not the good; crisis, not creativity. Still it seems as if there is enough violence, hate, poverty, and war in our world for several lifetimes, not just ours.
Why are my children suffering? I know that God says that he loves children; why does he allow these challenges to happen in their lives? Aren’t their trials great enough? Haven’t I prayed enough, counseled enough, given enough?
Why does God withhold this desire of my heart from me? Does it not glorify him? Would it not please him? Do I not please him? Surely this is only a small thing in the power of God …
Why? Well, honestly “why” is the natural question in the face of suffering. It leads to lament, which is the moaning of our spirits before the spirit of God. We need to lament, we need to express to God our sorrow because he does understand it. He even understands the sorrow that is too deep for words. Eventually though, on the other side of lament, comes the act of faith, the act of endurance. James says, “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 NRSV)
Paul goes further. He says that suffering, that crisis, only serve as contrast to the glory that even now God is bringing to his creation.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Romans 8:18-30 – NRSV
O God, be righteous; because your righteousness is our righteousness, the righteousness of your frail children.
O God, be glorified; because your glory spills over to bring glory to us, your children oppressed by an arrogant world.
O children of God, be righteous: do justice, show mercy, and walk humbly before your God, and you will demonstrate the righteousness of God.
O children of God, glorify God, humble yourselves, and he will lift you up.
O God hear the sighs of our heart, enact in us the glory of your righteousness, and help us trust that you are the Savior, the one who comes at just the right time. O Lord, expand the borders of your kingdom; please begin in our hearts.
Grace, and peace,
Ron
Why does our family struggle with finances, with meeting our bills? It’s not like, after all, that we spend hundreds of dollars each month on cigarettes or alcohol. It’s not as if one of us has a gambling problem. Yes, we probably could be a little more careful with our money, but why do we feel as if we live from day to day? Why are things happening that cause my retirement nest egg to decline, it seems like every day?
Why do I have this pain, why do I experience this personal suffering in my body? Why does this pain distract my spirit, restrain my godly passion, diminish my energy to do the righteousness of God? Since my body affects my spirit, why is this pain allowed to persist?
Why does this world careen from one crisis to another? We know that reporters are honored by their peers when they find the ugly, not the good; crisis, not creativity. Still it seems as if there is enough violence, hate, poverty, and war in our world for several lifetimes, not just ours.
Why are my children suffering? I know that God says that he loves children; why does he allow these challenges to happen in their lives? Aren’t their trials great enough? Haven’t I prayed enough, counseled enough, given enough?
Why does God withhold this desire of my heart from me? Does it not glorify him? Would it not please him? Do I not please him? Surely this is only a small thing in the power of God …
Why? Well, honestly “why” is the natural question in the face of suffering. It leads to lament, which is the moaning of our spirits before the spirit of God. We need to lament, we need to express to God our sorrow because he does understand it. He even understands the sorrow that is too deep for words. Eventually though, on the other side of lament, comes the act of faith, the act of endurance. James says, “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 NRSV)
Paul goes further. He says that suffering, that crisis, only serve as contrast to the glory that even now God is bringing to his creation.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Romans 8:18-30 – NRSV
O God, be righteous; because your righteousness is our righteousness, the righteousness of your frail children.
O God, be glorified; because your glory spills over to bring glory to us, your children oppressed by an arrogant world.
O children of God, be righteous: do justice, show mercy, and walk humbly before your God, and you will demonstrate the righteousness of God.
O children of God, glorify God, humble yourselves, and he will lift you up.
O God hear the sighs of our heart, enact in us the glory of your righteousness, and help us trust that you are the Savior, the one who comes at just the right time. O Lord, expand the borders of your kingdom; please begin in our hearts.
Grace, and peace,
Ron
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Confessing our vices
A prayer to challenge us, and a scripture to give us comfort.
Prayer of Confession - Our Vices and Virtues
O Father, we know that all of us have sinned
and fallen short of your glory.
We confess that we know personally the hatred which divides
nation from nation, race from race, sisters from brothers.
We admit that even though our words or thoughts
may conceal hate, our actions give us away.
Father forgive.
We realize that the covetousness of people and nations
to possess what is not their own is not distant from us,
but has taken up residence in our heart as well.
Father forgive.
We own up to stockpiles of the greed which exploits
the work of human hands, and lays waste to the earth,
Father forgive.
We concede that our bottomless hunger has sharpened the pangs of
our envy of the welfare and happiness of others.
Father forgive.
We acknowledge our deafness, our indifference to the plight
of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
Father forgive.
We allow our eyes to lead us into the lust which dishonors the bodies
of men, women and children,
Father forgive.
We confess the pride which leads to trust in ourselves and not in you,
Father forgive.
[Selah – a turning]
Father, help us to swallow our pride and fill our throats with your praise;
Correct our vision from lust to the discernment of beauty and truth;
Open our ears to your calling to forsake our indifference,
and embrace a passion that tunes our ears
to hear the cries of the oppressed for justice;
Refine our taste with your goodness that we may satisfy our hunger
With contentment instead of deepening it with envy;
Liquidate our greed to make room in our lives for
the conservation of our planet’s resources;
O Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Remove the dross of covetousness from our hearts and shape us
into vessels of blessing for others;
Train our minds to purge hatred from our thoughts
And fill the gap with love for others before our waywardness
replaces it with something worse.
Help us empty ourselves of evil, Father,
so that you may fill us with that which is good.
Continue your work of conversion in us, Father.
O Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Through your Spirit, shape us to conform to the image of Jesus;
In the name of your perfect imager we petition you,
Amen.
Enlighten us with your word, O Lord.
and princes will rule with justice.
Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
a covert from the tempest,
like streams of water in a dry place,
like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
Then the eyes of those who have sight will not be closed,
and the ears of those who have hearing will listen,
The minds of the rash will have good judgment,
and the tongues of stammerers will speak readily and distinctly.
A fool will no longer be called noble,
nor a villain said to be honorable.
For fools speak folly,
and their minds plot iniquity:
to practice ungodliness,
to utter error concerning the Lord,
to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
and to deprive the thirsty of drink.
The villainies of villains are evil;
they devise wicked devices
to ruin the poor with lying words,
even when the plea of the needy is right.
But those who are noble plan noble things,
and by noble things they stand.
- Isa 32:1-8 NRSV
Grace and peace,
Ron
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