BUT JESUS often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
This is my number one, all-time favorite verse in the whole Bible with Hebrews 12:2-3 coming in a close second. If I had to choose a one-sentence verse to live by, this would be it.
Jesus did five simple things, each contained within this simple verse, that you and I can do to create intimacy with God. Jesus was withdrawing from the crowds because the crowds were closing in on Him. Mark tells us 'the whole town gathered at the door." I think as daughters and wives and mothers and grandmothers, we can relate, to a small degree, how Jesus must have felt. Do I give myself permission to leave when everyone else is begging me to stay? The next time you wonder, tell yourself, "But Jesus"................often withdrew.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Psalm 121:1, 2 Friday
I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, THE MAKER OF heaven and EARTH. Psalm 121:1, 2
Moses tells us in Genesis 1:2 that in the beginning "the earth was formless and empty"; the NASV says it was "formless and void." Only in Jeremiah 4:23 is this phrase used again. These two words, formless and void, give structure to the first six days of creation. God's "separating" and "gathering" on days one through three give form.
"And God separated the light from the darkness"; and "God separated the water from the waters"; and "God made the expanse, and separated the waters under the expanse from the water above it." "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." "and the gathered waters be called 'seas'."
And His "making" and "filling" on days four through six removed the void.
"God made the two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." "And God said, "Let the water teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." "And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind."
The earth was formless so God separated and gathered; it was void so he made and filled it.
And then in the same verse that tells us "the earth was formless and void," Moses tells us that "darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." Genesis 1:2
My life, like the earth, is formless and void--empty-- until God fill me. I am separated from the world of darkness, and gathered into his fold. His SON is the light. I am made in His image. I am filled with the Holy Spirit. I am to be fruitful and multiply-- make disciples of all nations. His Spirit overwhelms me. Deep calls to deep.
I was formless and void. He made and filled me.
He is the potter. I am the clay.
I am an EARTHen vessel.
Moses tells us in Genesis 1:2 that in the beginning "the earth was formless and empty"; the NASV says it was "formless and void." Only in Jeremiah 4:23 is this phrase used again. These two words, formless and void, give structure to the first six days of creation. God's "separating" and "gathering" on days one through three give form.
"And God separated the light from the darkness"; and "God separated the water from the waters"; and "God made the expanse, and separated the waters under the expanse from the water above it." "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." "and the gathered waters be called 'seas'."
And His "making" and "filling" on days four through six removed the void.
"God made the two great lights--the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." "And God said, "Let the water teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." "And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind."
The earth was formless so God separated and gathered; it was void so he made and filled it.
And then in the same verse that tells us "the earth was formless and void," Moses tells us that "darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." Genesis 1:2
My life, like the earth, is formless and void--empty-- until God fill me. I am separated from the world of darkness, and gathered into his fold. His SON is the light. I am made in His image. I am filled with the Holy Spirit. I am to be fruitful and multiply-- make disciples of all nations. His Spirit overwhelms me. Deep calls to deep.
I was formless and void. He made and filled me.
He is the potter. I am the clay.
I am an EARTHen vessel.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Psalm 121:1, 2 Thursday
I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN and earth. Psalm 121:1, 2
Yesterday I lost connection to my email server. Every time I tried to sign in to retrieve my messages, a box would pop up asking me to enter my password and email address. So every time I would try again, it would reject it and every time it would reject it I would try again and fail. And so I did this probably ten to fifteen times, knowing full-well that every time I tried I was going to fail. I was miserable and mad and frustrated........you name it.
So, since I knew apparently I could not fix the problem I decided to call technical support, which by the grace of God I found the number to, on the A T & T bill I had just paid and thrown away. Anyway after picking a number out of the three I had to choose from, I dialed it and got a phone tree. It was one of those new-fangled ones that lets you give voice commands just like you were talking to a real person, even though you and “it” know you’re not. It asks you to enter or state your ten digit phone number; it asks you to listen to the following suggestions of problems, try to figure out which one of them sounds like yours and tells you what to say after you’ve found it. Then it says “Now let me see if this is what I heard you say,” and then it repeats “what it thinks it heard you say” back to you and then you have to say “correct” or “no” and then it proceeds to ask you another question if you answered “no” because it needs to get the answer right before it can know which question you need answered. Did you get that?!? AND I DID THIS FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES. And let me say again, I DID THIS FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES! AND AT THE END OF THE FIFTEEN MINUTES IT TOLD ME THAT SINCE THEY WERE EXPERIENCING SUCH A HIGH VOLUME OF CALLS I SHOULD CALL BACK LATER. And I bet I don’t have to tell you how I felt, do I?
So, today I decided at 7:55 a.m. I would try again, hoping that the “high volume of calls” that kept me from getting in yesterday would be the “low volume of calls” enabling me to get in today. And eureka I got in!
Her name was Michelle in Southeast Asia. I asked her what her real name was and she said “Michelle. It’s really Michelle.” I found out she was twenty-eight years old which prompted me to say to her that my “age twenty-nine” was the worst year of my life and that I hoped she had a great “age twenty-nine” and she said she was sorry, but that she hoped she did too. I told her I could completely understand her, that her language was perfect and complimented her performance. I told her to have a good day and a great year next year and she told me to have a great year also.
Michelle and I talked for forty-five minutes, mostly with her giving me commands and me doing what she told me to do. I could not believe that this person who lived half-way around the world, who sounded like she lived next-door, could give me a command that, if I would do it, would fix my problem here in Bowling Green, KY. I think that’s amazing!
The words for today’s meditation are, “My help comes from the Lord, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN...” Moses tells us in the very first sentence of the Old Testament, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” That God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. That God said… and that God said…and that God said. And it happened.
Psalm 33:6 says, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made.” Can you imagine? Can you imagine that the heavens were created just because God, the creator, spoke them into existence? I can’t. I just simply cannot wrap my mind around that. No matter how hard I try, I can’t wrap my mind around that. Can you?
Why do I doubt if God can help me? If the help to fix my computer, came from a twenty-eight year old woman living in Southeast Asia, who could tell ME what to do to fix my problem, then why do I doubt, that the help to solve any problem I could ever have, could come from the God -- "THE ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD" --who spoke and CREATED THE HEAVENS ?
“My help comes from the lord, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN…” No doubt about it. And I think that's truly amazing.
Yesterday I lost connection to my email server. Every time I tried to sign in to retrieve my messages, a box would pop up asking me to enter my password and email address. So every time I would try again, it would reject it and every time it would reject it I would try again and fail. And so I did this probably ten to fifteen times, knowing full-well that every time I tried I was going to fail. I was miserable and mad and frustrated........you name it.
So, since I knew apparently I could not fix the problem I decided to call technical support, which by the grace of God I found the number to, on the A T & T bill I had just paid and thrown away. Anyway after picking a number out of the three I had to choose from, I dialed it and got a phone tree. It was one of those new-fangled ones that lets you give voice commands just like you were talking to a real person, even though you and “it” know you’re not. It asks you to enter or state your ten digit phone number; it asks you to listen to the following suggestions of problems, try to figure out which one of them sounds like yours and tells you what to say after you’ve found it. Then it says “Now let me see if this is what I heard you say,” and then it repeats “what it thinks it heard you say” back to you and then you have to say “correct” or “no” and then it proceeds to ask you another question if you answered “no” because it needs to get the answer right before it can know which question you need answered. Did you get that?!? AND I DID THIS FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES. And let me say again, I DID THIS FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES! AND AT THE END OF THE FIFTEEN MINUTES IT TOLD ME THAT SINCE THEY WERE EXPERIENCING SUCH A HIGH VOLUME OF CALLS I SHOULD CALL BACK LATER. And I bet I don’t have to tell you how I felt, do I?
So, today I decided at 7:55 a.m. I would try again, hoping that the “high volume of calls” that kept me from getting in yesterday would be the “low volume of calls” enabling me to get in today. And eureka I got in!
Her name was Michelle in Southeast Asia. I asked her what her real name was and she said “Michelle. It’s really Michelle.” I found out she was twenty-eight years old which prompted me to say to her that my “age twenty-nine” was the worst year of my life and that I hoped she had a great “age twenty-nine” and she said she was sorry, but that she hoped she did too. I told her I could completely understand her, that her language was perfect and complimented her performance. I told her to have a good day and a great year next year and she told me to have a great year also.
Michelle and I talked for forty-five minutes, mostly with her giving me commands and me doing what she told me to do. I could not believe that this person who lived half-way around the world, who sounded like she lived next-door, could give me a command that, if I would do it, would fix my problem here in Bowling Green, KY. I think that’s amazing!
The words for today’s meditation are, “My help comes from the Lord, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN...” Moses tells us in the very first sentence of the Old Testament, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” That God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. That God said… and that God said…and that God said. And it happened.
Psalm 33:6 says, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made.” Can you imagine? Can you imagine that the heavens were created just because God, the creator, spoke them into existence? I can’t. I just simply cannot wrap my mind around that. No matter how hard I try, I can’t wrap my mind around that. Can you?
Why do I doubt if God can help me? If the help to fix my computer, came from a twenty-eight year old woman living in Southeast Asia, who could tell ME what to do to fix my problem, then why do I doubt, that the help to solve any problem I could ever have, could come from the God -- "THE ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD" --who spoke and CREATED THE HEAVENS ?
“My help comes from the lord, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN…” No doubt about it. And I think that's truly amazing.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Psalm 121:1, 2 Wednesday
I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1, 2
Help...comes.
But I cry to you for help, O Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Psalm 88:13
In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3
In the morning... I pray.
I wait... in expectation.
Help...comes.
Help...comes.
But I cry to you for help, O Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you. Psalm 88:13
In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3
In the morning... I pray.
I wait... in expectation.
Help...comes.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Psalm 121:1, 2 Tuesday
I lift up my eyes to the hills--WHERE DOES MY HELP COME FROM? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1, 2
Who do you go to first when you need help? Matthew, Mark and Luke, all three, share with us the account of the woman who had had "an issue of blood" for twelve years. This woman who had bled FOR TWELVE YEARS was immediately healed when she decided to go to Jesus and just touch the hem of His garment. I wonder if she represents any of us who at one time or another has needed help.
Mark gives us some key words that describe the woman's dilemma that sound very much like what happens to us when we don't go to Jesus, first, also. "She had suffered..." "a great deal..." "under the care of many doctors..." "and had spent..." "all she had..." "yet..." "instead of getting better..." "she grew worse." Mark 5:26
I don't think I have to expound on any of those words for you to get my point. Going to Jesus should not be our last resort; it should be the first thing we do when we have a problem. "And my God will meet ALL YOUR NEEDS according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19 tells us. Regardless of whether He does it immediately like he did the sick woman or not, I guarantee you He WILL meet your need in His time, at the exact time you need it.
Who do you go to first when you need help? Matthew, Mark and Luke, all three, share with us the account of the woman who had had "an issue of blood" for twelve years. This woman who had bled FOR TWELVE YEARS was immediately healed when she decided to go to Jesus and just touch the hem of His garment. I wonder if she represents any of us who at one time or another has needed help.
Mark gives us some key words that describe the woman's dilemma that sound very much like what happens to us when we don't go to Jesus, first, also. "She had suffered..." "a great deal..." "under the care of many doctors..." "and had spent..." "all she had..." "yet..." "instead of getting better..." "she grew worse." Mark 5:26
I don't think I have to expound on any of those words for you to get my point. Going to Jesus should not be our last resort; it should be the first thing we do when we have a problem. "And my God will meet ALL YOUR NEEDS according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19 tells us. Regardless of whether He does it immediately like he did the sick woman or not, I guarantee you He WILL meet your need in His time, at the exact time you need it.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Psalm 121:1, 2 Monday
I LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE HILLS--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1, 2
If you have already read my thoughts I posted at four o'clock this morning, centering around the words "I LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE HILLS," you should be realizing by now that these thoughts are not the same as the ones you read this morning. No, these are not tomorrow's thoughts either but what I struggled with writing last night. This verse that I thought would be a "piece of cake" to meditate on, turned into THREE HOURS OF MEDITATION for me between the hours of midnight and three o'clock. (Yes, that also included doing other things, like downloading 148 pictures so I could upload 10 of them for you; trying to find a song I knew I had, that was based on Psalm 121, but couldn't find for an hour; finding it on Google; then finding it on Itunes; going back to find the CD (yes I did!); copying it and then trying to change it into an MP3 format so NING would accept it, to no avail.... I WILL have it for you some time this week; I promise.) What I thought the jist of this verse was, was not what it became after chewing on each word and digesting it for three hours. What happened to me last night is why I think meditation is so important and why I include it every day in this group. Don't ever take for granted that the verse means what you think it means at first glance. Spiritual truths are spiritually discerned and discernment comes from the Spirit leading and guiding us into all truth.
I picked this verse out because Phil and I just spent the last four days in Gatlinburg, Tn. with a breath-taking view of the mountains behind us, in front of us, to the side of us, above us and below us. We were nestled in mountains and loved every minute of it. And I heard this verse in my head the whole time we were there. I was constantly lifting up my eyes to the hills. And I was amazed at God and His handiwork. But the significance I gave to the hills is not the same significance the psalmist gives. He down-played them, whereas I magnified them. I had been looking at God's creation and its magnitude rather than looking at God and the magnitude of his power. What I thought this verse said, was the exact opposite. No, the psalmist lifting up his eyes to the hills did not strengthen him; realizing his help was not there did.
If you have already read my thoughts I posted at four o'clock this morning, centering around the words "I LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE HILLS," you should be realizing by now that these thoughts are not the same as the ones you read this morning. No, these are not tomorrow's thoughts either but what I struggled with writing last night. This verse that I thought would be a "piece of cake" to meditate on, turned into THREE HOURS OF MEDITATION for me between the hours of midnight and three o'clock. (Yes, that also included doing other things, like downloading 148 pictures so I could upload 10 of them for you; trying to find a song I knew I had, that was based on Psalm 121, but couldn't find for an hour; finding it on Google; then finding it on Itunes; going back to find the CD (yes I did!); copying it and then trying to change it into an MP3 format so NING would accept it, to no avail.... I WILL have it for you some time this week; I promise.) What I thought the jist of this verse was, was not what it became after chewing on each word and digesting it for three hours. What happened to me last night is why I think meditation is so important and why I include it every day in this group. Don't ever take for granted that the verse means what you think it means at first glance. Spiritual truths are spiritually discerned and discernment comes from the Spirit leading and guiding us into all truth.
I picked this verse out because Phil and I just spent the last four days in Gatlinburg, Tn. with a breath-taking view of the mountains behind us, in front of us, to the side of us, above us and below us. We were nestled in mountains and loved every minute of it. And I heard this verse in my head the whole time we were there. I was constantly lifting up my eyes to the hills. And I was amazed at God and His handiwork. But the significance I gave to the hills is not the same significance the psalmist gives. He down-played them, whereas I magnified them. I had been looking at God's creation and its magnitude rather than looking at God and the magnitude of his power. What I thought this verse said, was the exact opposite. No, the psalmist lifting up his eyes to the hills did not strengthen him; realizing his help was not there did.
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