For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little. (Isaiah 28:10 – NKJV)
You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently. (Psalm 119:4 – NKJV)
The last house I lived in growing up was on the back side of the tracks in a small rural town in Kansas. The main part of town was on one side of the tracks and we lived on the other. The name of the street was Santa Fe and tracks were part of the Santa Fe Railroad.
It didn’t take long to realize the train cars had a particular order. No matter how many cars were on any given train the order was always the same. Engines were in front. The number of engines depended on the number of box cars, flat cars, tankers and cattle cars needed to be pulled. In those days a red caboose always tagged along at the rear.
From our little red house across the road we heard trains speed by all hours of the night and watched them fly by during the day. Out of all the trains I watched pass our little house on Santa Fe Street, I never once saw the caboose pulling a train.
If the engines pulling the train are the precepts, the promises, the instructions in God’s Word, the caboose is our feelings. It is easy to let our feelings dictate our actions, but emotions are fickle. When our feelings run the show we chug recklessly ahead without direction. Is your life being controlled by your emotions or God’s Word?
Which car is pulling your train?
Heavenly Father: Teach me to trust Your precepts, find hope in Your promises and follow Your instructions. Emotions are a gift from above, but were never created to pull the train.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Weeding
Oh my, how my garden grows! Weeds that is.
Even with the long drought we’ve had this summer my flower garden was full of weeds. Few flowers mind you, but plenty of weeds.
One of the beauties of homeschooling is how quickly it can become portable. This morning math class met in the front yard. My daughter set with a dry erase board writing out problems for review. I knelt over the front flower bed with the solutions manual open on the stone wall working away with my weeding tool.
Homeschool moms are required to multitask!
It didn't take long to realize how much harder it was to work the weeks out of the dry soil. In our Christian lives our heart is like a garden and water is a picture of God’s Word. Weeds are the things that keep us from walking worthy before the Lord and need to be pulled.
How dry is your garden? Are you reading your Bible daily or is your garden parched and dry from neglect? God’s Word not only shows us the weeds, it softens our reluctance to let go.
Even with the long drought we’ve had this summer my flower garden was full of weeds. Few flowers mind you, but plenty of weeds.
One of the beauties of homeschooling is how quickly it can become portable. This morning math class met in the front yard. My daughter set with a dry erase board writing out problems for review. I knelt over the front flower bed with the solutions manual open on the stone wall working away with my weeding tool.
Homeschool moms are required to multitask!
It didn't take long to realize how much harder it was to work the weeks out of the dry soil. In our Christian lives our heart is like a garden and water is a picture of God’s Word. Weeds are the things that keep us from walking worthy before the Lord and need to be pulled.
How dry is your garden? Are you reading your Bible daily or is your garden parched and dry from neglect? God’s Word not only shows us the weeds, it softens our reluctance to let go.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Treasure Seekers
Yes, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver; For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God. (Job 22:25, 26 – NKJV)
A treasure chest overflowing with golden coins from a real live pirate ship set in front of our eyes on the other side of the flexi glass. We love museums and what a treasure to behold. In April 1717 the Whydah sank just off the coast of Cape Cod. For a few months actual artifacts from this English slave ship turned pirate ship are on display at the Museum Center in Cincinnati. For our younger daughter's birthday a few weeks ago I took her to see the exhibit. How exciting!
Each of us have a treasure chest of our own, most several copies. Are we digging through the Word of God seeking the treasures inside? I’m afraid too many Christians are blind to this great wealth right at our fingers tips.
Treasure seeking is hard work. It takes being in the Word regularly. It takes a prayerful heart that is willing to learn. Sitting in church listening to messages from the pulpit each Sunday will only reveal a few precious gems, but diving in for yourself will uncover riches beyond your greatest imagination.
Heavenly Father: give us a burning desire for Your Word. Make us treasure seekers.
A treasure chest overflowing with golden coins from a real live pirate ship set in front of our eyes on the other side of the flexi glass. We love museums and what a treasure to behold. In April 1717 the Whydah sank just off the coast of Cape Cod. For a few months actual artifacts from this English slave ship turned pirate ship are on display at the Museum Center in Cincinnati. For our younger daughter's birthday a few weeks ago I took her to see the exhibit. How exciting!
Each of us have a treasure chest of our own, most several copies. Are we digging through the Word of God seeking the treasures inside? I’m afraid too many Christians are blind to this great wealth right at our fingers tips.
Treasure seeking is hard work. It takes being in the Word regularly. It takes a prayerful heart that is willing to learn. Sitting in church listening to messages from the pulpit each Sunday will only reveal a few precious gems, but diving in for yourself will uncover riches beyond your greatest imagination.
Heavenly Father: give us a burning desire for Your Word. Make us treasure seekers.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Frisky, Hyper Days
Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? (Psalm 85:6 - NKJV)
As soon as we opened the back door this morning we knew it was one of those frisky, hyper days. Our 20 pound terrier flew through the backdoor from her early morning romp looking more like an out of control bulldozer. I laughed as she zoomed from room to room. It always surprises me how she keeps from plowing into things at that speed. Occasionally she does plow into a person or an unexpected closed door, but usually her reckless aim is pretty accurate.
Frisky, hyper days require a temperature just low enough to spring her body into enthusiastic motion. This morning it was in the low 50s after weeks of 80s and 90s. It was fun watching her jubilant response as her leash was drawn from her basket. Every nerve in her body cried out, "Come on people, lets go!"
Our usual 2 to 3 miles turned into 5, though little Gracie was dropped off at home after 3. Arthritis in her back hips makes more than that too much for the little girl. After we dropped her off back at home my daughter and I walked on to McDonald's for Egg McMuffins and juice. We returned an hour later excited to plow into a full day of homeschool.
The Lord knows we need an occasional change to shock us out of the mundane, usual days that usually occupy our time. This week it was not the mundane but the over eventful from which our weary souls cried for relief. A medical emergency in the family over the past few days had sapped our strength. A long, brisk, slightly chilled walk was just what we needed.
"Thank You Heavenly Father for a frisky, hyper day. The change has caused me a new to rejoice in Your goodness."
As soon as we opened the back door this morning we knew it was one of those frisky, hyper days. Our 20 pound terrier flew through the backdoor from her early morning romp looking more like an out of control bulldozer. I laughed as she zoomed from room to room. It always surprises me how she keeps from plowing into things at that speed. Occasionally she does plow into a person or an unexpected closed door, but usually her reckless aim is pretty accurate.
Frisky, hyper days require a temperature just low enough to spring her body into enthusiastic motion. This morning it was in the low 50s after weeks of 80s and 90s. It was fun watching her jubilant response as her leash was drawn from her basket. Every nerve in her body cried out, "Come on people, lets go!"
Our usual 2 to 3 miles turned into 5, though little Gracie was dropped off at home after 3. Arthritis in her back hips makes more than that too much for the little girl. After we dropped her off back at home my daughter and I walked on to McDonald's for Egg McMuffins and juice. We returned an hour later excited to plow into a full day of homeschool.
The Lord knows we need an occasional change to shock us out of the mundane, usual days that usually occupy our time. This week it was not the mundane but the over eventful from which our weary souls cried for relief. A medical emergency in the family over the past few days had sapped our strength. A long, brisk, slightly chilled walk was just what we needed.
"Thank You Heavenly Father for a frisky, hyper day. The change has caused me a new to rejoice in Your goodness."
Friday, October 5, 2007
1553 Tyndale New Testament
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. (Matthew 24:35 – NKJV)
My younger daughter and I signed a special ledger. The librarian took my library card to hold, pointed us to an assigned locker, and gave us a key to lock up our things. We were not permitted to carry anything into the room with us. We both set down at an assigned table and waited for the book to be brought to us. The librarian gave us a special book stand and a long slender weight designed to hold the pages of the book open evenly and put less pressure on its spine. I was surprised we weren’t asked to wear the white gloves I've seen on “History Detectives”. She didn’t need to ask us to be careful. Respect and reverence were written all over our faces.
For the next hour my daughter and I gently turned the pages of a Bible nearly 450 years old. We read favorite passages together in hushed whispers, working through words spelled differently and printed in a flowing script all but lost to time.
I could feel goose bumps forming as my fingers touched history!
This Tyndale New Testament was printed in London in 1553. Twenty years earlier it was a forbidden book, smuggled into England from printers in Germany where William Tyndale lived in hiding -- an outlaw according to the British Crown. In 1536 Tyndale was burned at the stake. Witnesses recorded his last words, “God, open the eyes of the King of England.” By 1553 this precious copy was printed legally in London, but would once again be outlawed within the year as Mary I (Bloody Mary) took the throne.
If pages could talk!
Maybe some dear saint hid this copy of God’s Word instead of destroying it when the order came. Maybe it was carried away to Geneva, Switzerland where many English Protestants fled during Mary’s reign. Centuries passed before this volume came to be part of a rare book collection. How many fingers turned these pages? How many are in Heaven because of the jewels inside?
My younger daughter and I signed a special ledger. The librarian took my library card to hold, pointed us to an assigned locker, and gave us a key to lock up our things. We were not permitted to carry anything into the room with us. We both set down at an assigned table and waited for the book to be brought to us. The librarian gave us a special book stand and a long slender weight designed to hold the pages of the book open evenly and put less pressure on its spine. I was surprised we weren’t asked to wear the white gloves I've seen on “History Detectives”. She didn’t need to ask us to be careful. Respect and reverence were written all over our faces.
For the next hour my daughter and I gently turned the pages of a Bible nearly 450 years old. We read favorite passages together in hushed whispers, working through words spelled differently and printed in a flowing script all but lost to time.
I could feel goose bumps forming as my fingers touched history!
This Tyndale New Testament was printed in London in 1553. Twenty years earlier it was a forbidden book, smuggled into England from printers in Germany where William Tyndale lived in hiding -- an outlaw according to the British Crown. In 1536 Tyndale was burned at the stake. Witnesses recorded his last words, “God, open the eyes of the King of England.” By 1553 this precious copy was printed legally in London, but would once again be outlawed within the year as Mary I (Bloody Mary) took the throne.
If pages could talk!
Maybe some dear saint hid this copy of God’s Word instead of destroying it when the order came. Maybe it was carried away to Geneva, Switzerland where many English Protestants fled during Mary’s reign. Centuries passed before this volume came to be part of a rare book collection. How many fingers turned these pages? How many are in Heaven because of the jewels inside?
Monday, October 1, 2007
Two Greek Words
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22, 23 - NKJV)
Fussing over two Greek words is silly – isn’t it?
I don’t even know Greek, but I can give you the transliteration of these two little prodding irons consuming my thoughts: chrestotes (5544) and agathosune (19). The numbers in the parentheses after each were assigned by a man named Strong back in the nineteenth century. Even a stay-home mom like me can read the numbers and look up the definitions with a copy of Strong’s Dictionary in hand.
Frustration came about because the lesson guide I’m using to lead a Ladies Bible Study gives a separate chapter on each fruit of the Spirit. Sounds simple enough, but these two words are not cooperating. The study guide starts the chapter on kindness and the chapter on goodness with clearly defined definitions for each word, but the definitions blur as the chapters progress.
Am I losing sleep over a trifle?
The more I study the more these two little Greek words get under my skin. If the Holy Spirit moved Paul to pen two different Greek words in a row -- with the same meaning -- we need to listen! God knew once would not be enough to get our attention.
Suddenly the issue is no longer eight or nine products of the fruit of the Spirit. These two Greek words have the same basic meaning: moral goodness, integrity, kindness, upright of heart and life, or goodness. The issue becomes obedience.
This week I will preface my lesson with what I just shared and pray for God to enable our small group of ladies to produce an active, goodly kindness in our lives.
Fussing over two Greek words is silly – isn’t it?
I don’t even know Greek, but I can give you the transliteration of these two little prodding irons consuming my thoughts: chrestotes (5544) and agathosune (19). The numbers in the parentheses after each were assigned by a man named Strong back in the nineteenth century. Even a stay-home mom like me can read the numbers and look up the definitions with a copy of Strong’s Dictionary in hand.
Frustration came about because the lesson guide I’m using to lead a Ladies Bible Study gives a separate chapter on each fruit of the Spirit. Sounds simple enough, but these two words are not cooperating. The study guide starts the chapter on kindness and the chapter on goodness with clearly defined definitions for each word, but the definitions blur as the chapters progress.
Am I losing sleep over a trifle?
The more I study the more these two little Greek words get under my skin. If the Holy Spirit moved Paul to pen two different Greek words in a row -- with the same meaning -- we need to listen! God knew once would not be enough to get our attention.
Suddenly the issue is no longer eight or nine products of the fruit of the Spirit. These two Greek words have the same basic meaning: moral goodness, integrity, kindness, upright of heart and life, or goodness. The issue becomes obedience.
This week I will preface my lesson with what I just shared and pray for God to enable our small group of ladies to produce an active, goodly kindness in our lives.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)