A Year With God, Day 60 of 366

So, today is day 60 of my bogging experience.  This ought to have some kind of dramatic ceremony with hats and those little blow-out party things that make the tweet noise.

But I have nothing like that.  I didn't even really have an idea for tonight's blog.  So I'll wing it, and worry about being profound and intelligent another day.

Life it about choices, and promises and disappointments.

Tonight I was invited to dinner with my mother and sister.  I was excited to go, since I haven't seen them in a while, and my husband was working, so I could go and just spend time without worrying if he was having a good time.  But I promised to visit him when he took his lunch.

Well, the restaurant was busy, and it took a long time to seat us, and the next thing I knew, it was time to leave to meet my husband.  And while we'd had our soup and salad, the entree had not arrived yet.  I knew we were running late, but I thought I'd have time to get the entree (fried fish and shrimp and clam strips) put in a to-go box.  But it didn't happen, so I left without it. 

I hurred to meet my husband and enjoyed spending his lunch break with him.  I felt that I made the right decision, but I found myself bitterly disappointed that I didn't get to eat my fish.  It seems like such a petty thing, but I had so looked forward to that meal . . .

And now I think about Jesus praying before he was arrested and nailed to the cross.  He prayed asking God to find another way to save mankind from sin.

And somehow, I think he might have felt rather like I did about the fish dinner, odd as that might sound.  He knew what he had to do was important, but he really didn't want to go through with it.

But in the end, Jesus gracefully acceded to God's plan.  "Not my will, but yours be done."

Which is a great deal better than my pouting over my missed dinner.  So Jesus is definitely the better person.

Is it wrong to compare the two?  Maybe, because there really is no comparison.  Nothing in human experience will ever come close to what Jesus went through.

But somehow, that feeling of really wanting something I couldn't have just clicked in my brain.  If I could multiply that feeling time ten thousand, maybe that would be close to what Jesus felt. 

And if I'd called my husband to say I couldn't make lunch, I could have had my dinner.  Just as Jesus could have said, "I changed my mind, Father!" and gotten out of death on the cross.

As difficult as it was to walk out of the restaurant, I'm glad I got to spend those thirty minutes with my husband.  And I pray that Jesus feels the same about dying to gain me forgiveness for my sins.

A Year With God, Day 59 of 366

Luke 12:18-19

Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like?  What shall I compare it to?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden.  It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air pirched in its branches."

I have never seen the plant that a mustard seed comes from.  But I have seen mustard seeds, and they are very small.  God can take that tiny seed and grow it into a tree large enough for birds to grow on.  And that is what the kingdom of God is like.

From something small grows something huge.  From one man, and one woman came the human race, and from one man, Jesus, came the Christian faith.

I must trust in God to take my small efforts and grow them into something large and living and prosperous, like a tree where birds can perch.

A Year With God, Day 58 of 366

In 2 Samuel, Chapter one, the Bible describes David's reaction to King Saul's death.

The two of them had a pretty rocky relationship.  They started off as friends, but eventually became enemies.  Saul hunted David and tried to kill him numerous times.

Yet in spite of this, David still 'mounred and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan' (2 Samuel1:12).

Anyone might mourn for a loved one or a friend.  It takes a bigger person to mourn an enemy.  But even though Saul was jealous of David and feared and hated him, David never came to hate Saul.  In the end, he wasn't just mourning the death of Saul, but the loss of what Saul could have been--a great friend, a better king, and a man of God's choosing.

I hope that I would mourn the loss of everyone who treated me poorly with as much sincerity as David did.

A Year With God, Day 57 of 366

I have not posted a blog in two days.   I slipped up, and I will not try to make up those missing days.  Instead, I offer the insights I've found in myself.

I think I have lost sight of myself recently.  I feel like I’ve been worn down to the point where there’s almost nothing left.  Last night I would have said ‘There is nothing left,’ but somehow today, I know I’m still there.

There is a scene in ‘Memory’ by Lois McMaster Bujold (Yes, I quote her a lot—there’s a reason she’s my favorite author), where the main character is torn between the life he was born with, and the cover identity he’d created in the course of his work as a covert operative.  The scene goes something like this (quoting from Memory—ha,ha—so this isn’t exact):

He hears a voice in his head, and says, ‘Who are you?’.

The voice responds, ‘Who are you that asks?’

And suddenly he realizes that the spying and the stress and the politics and the adventure and confusion in his life are not what defines him.  Underneath all of that, he is still himself.  And from that realization, he can choose who he wants to be.

So, I am at that point today.  I have a little nugget of me-ness that I have found.  Now I have to define what I want to be.  And then work on getting that out of the little kernel in my soul and out to my skin.

I want to be:  Confident.  I’m trying to think of other things to make this a list, but that is all I can come up with right now.  That’s the biggest thing, I suppose.  To be me, and not apologize for it.

I want to be:  Confident, independent, dramatic—just a bit, creative, loving, able to make wise decisions.  I want the focus to work on my goals, to write my stories without getting distracted.  I want the self-confidence to finish what I start, and believe in what I’m writing, that I am good at it, and that others will read and enjoy what I write. 

I want to believe that what I write will touch someone’s heart and make a difference to them.  Even touching one person, one time, with one word would be enough, I think.  

I don’t relate much to Peter.  He seems impulsive, and I am rarely impulsive these days.  But I have to wonder how he felt after denying he knew Jesus.  I wonder he felt anything like I’ve been feeling.  Like if I could, I would shrink myself down to the size of a grain of sand, so I could lie on a beach with a million other grains of sand, and never be noticed.  So that the ocean could wear me down to nothing, and all my mistakes would vanish forever.

But Peter must have realized that it doesn’t matter.  God knows every hair on my head, and every leaf on every tree, and every grain of sand on every seashore.  There is no way to hide from God.

I fear that I will not be forgiven for my mistakes.  But, even more I fear being forgiven, as illogical as that might sound.  Because if I am forgiven—and I know God will forgive me—then somehow the expectations seem higher, and the potential for letting Him down, even greater.

And so I pray that God will forgive me, and that He will show me the way forward.

A Year With God, Day 54 of 366

Tonight, I flipped my Bible open to Revelation, and looked at a few verses.  And then I realized I don't feel confident enough to try to interpret that book.  The prophecies are beyond what I can understand on my own.

At first I felt inadequate, but then I realized that it's okay not to understand everything.  No one person can understand the mind of God.  Niether can any one person understand the entire Bible.

When I have more time, perhaps I will research the book of Revelation, so I can learn some understanding of what it all means.

A Year With God, Day 53 of 366

Ezekiel 1:1

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

What struck me when looking at this verse is that Ezekiel knew exactly when and where he saw the visions of God.  It was a clear thing, undeniable.  It wasn't vague, he didn't 'guesstimate' he knew to the day when it happened.

I wonder what it's like to have a vision that intense--so unforgettable.  It couldn't have been a comfortable thing.  I imagine a lot of people thought Ezekiel was weird, to say the least.

My encounters with God's word have been much more subtle.  I almost said I wished I could have a vision as intense as what Ezekiel experienced, but I'm not sure I'd really be comfortable with it.  I suppose I am too wishy-washy to handle it.

But still, I wonder what it felt like, to be the bearer of God's message to the people.  It must have been exhilerating, but I think it would be terrifying as well.

Nothing makes me feel more inadequate than being handed a task by someone who has complete faith in my ability to do more than I can imagine doing.

A Year With God, Day 52 of 366

I heard someone say that it will always be sunny in heaven.

I hope that's not true.  I hope it rains sometimes.  I like rain. Gentle rain that soaks into the ground and makes grass and trees and flowers grow.

Or a fierce storm with thunder and lightning and strong winds, which makes me appreciate being inside and warm and dry.

Or snow that piles upon the ground, so I can make snow angels or snowmen or have a snowball fight, and then when I amcold and my nose is turning red, I can come inside for hot cocoa, and warm myself by the fire.

I hope that in heaven there will be all types of weather, and that everyone can appreciate them.  Because God gave us all kinds of weather, and there is beauty in each type.

A Year With God, Day 51 of 366

Numbers 13:27

They gave Moses this account:  "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!  Here is its fruit."

This reminds me that God wants to give me all good things.  And all I have to do is go forward and claim it. 

This doesn't mean its going to be easy.  There will still be challenges to face, but if I have faith, God will give me the strength to overcome them, just as he helped the Israelites in the promised land.

A Year With God, Day 50 of 366

Matthew 16:15

"But what about you?" he asked.  "Who do you say I am?"

The pastor mentioned this verse in passing during today's sermon.  And it stuck in my mind.

A funny thing about human beings, if we say something, we tend to believe.  I am thinking of how a person can control how she feels, just by choosing a word to define her emotions.

For instance, I am sitting at my computer right now, feeling a lot of vague things.  If I choose one word to describe how I feel, I might say, 'I'm lonely.'

And it's true.  My husband is at work, and I am missing him.  But the act of saying that I miss him, focuses my emotions on that, and it beomes my focus, because I had that conscious thought.

You can choose to be happy, at least at times.  I learned about it as part of a self-esteem course.  You control how you feel.  No one can 'make' you feel something.  You decide what you feel, and that act of deciding gives you power.

In that same way, we choose what we believe.  And saying what we believe is a powerful thing.  It makes our inner thoughts reality.

So, who do YOU say that Jesus is?

A Year With God, Day 49 of 366

Haggai 1: 2-4

This is what the Lord Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.'"

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:  "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

This passage could be used as a big condemnation of failure to tythe, or greed, but to me, the message is much simpler--Think about your priorities.

What do we put off?  And what do we take care of right away?  Do we work long hours, and give up seeing our families?  Do we spend time with one sick child, and perhaps neglect a healthy one?  Do we forego something we want, so we can get something special for a loved one?

I am coming out of a time of very tight finances.  It has been a constant thing to priorities the bills, and it's hard to decide what needs to be paid, and what can be put off.

But God is our shelter, our refuge in time of need.  It doesn't seem right that I be living well, while God's house is falling apart. 
Imagine if your parent has helped you out when you desperately needed it, and now you're back on your feet and doing well.   Your parent's house is neglected and falling apart.  Shouldn't you do what you can to help out?

I find myself convicted now.  I just started a new job, and I got paid yesterday.  I hadn't thought about giving to the church.  My instinct is to hold on to that money--tight!--because I need it, and I haven't had extra money for a long time.  But I know I need to give something back, so I will.  It won't be much, but the Lord will bless it.

A Year With God, Day 48 of 366

Isaiah 38:1

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death.  The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says:  Pur your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."

A while ago, I saw a man at church.  I didn't know him well, but I liked him.  I asked, 'How are you?' in that casual way we do, not expecting anything more than 'Oh, fine' in response.

He said, 'Not too good.  I'm dying.  But I am ready to go." 

Those weren't his exact words, but that was the gist of it.  I was too shocked to remember it clearly.

The thing that struck me was that he was at peace about it.  He knew God was calling his name, and he was ready to go. And he spoke very eloquently about it, too.  It's something that will stay with me, even if I don't remember his words.

And now I wonder, how would I feel if I got the word, like Hezekiah?  'You are going to die, Susan, get your affairs in order.'

I'd like to think I'd use my time to say farewell to my family, and take care of my finances and such.  I'd like to think I wouldn't cry and argue and shake my fist at God, and blame him, and curse bitterly.

But I might.

But, no.  If ever I'm in that situation, I will remember the gentleman from church, and do my best to emulate his graceful acceptance.

A Year With God, Day 47 of 366

Psalm 125:2

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the Lord surrounds his people

both now and forevermore.

I grew up in a valley, surrounded by hills and mountains.  The hills shaded us from the summer's heat, and hid us from the public, so it was a quiet little community few people had heard of.

In more militant times, those hills would provide protection against invading armies as well, as well as providing beauty and the means to provide food and shelter for the families that lived there--with timber and hunting and mushroom picking, and fishing.

God wants to provide for us in much the same manner-- to protect us from harm, to provide for us, to shelter us from times of trouble.

It's a beautiful image.

A Year With God, Day 46 of 366

Matthew 5:13

"You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything,  except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

On my way home tonight, I chewed a piece of gum.  And I started to think about the qualities I like in gum.  I like a long-lasting flavor, and a texture that doesn't get hard after only a few minutes of chewing.

Then I remembered Matthew 5:13, and suddenly envisioned chewing gum as a picture of the Christian life.

As Christians, we need to make sure the 'flavor' of Christ is evident in our life-- a crisp minty flavor that refreshes us.  And we need to stay pliable, even after getting chewed on.  But at the same time, we have to hold our form, and not be swayed by earthly things.  We can't disintigrate like a cheap peice of bubble gum that turns to mush in your mouth on a hot afternoon.

And we have to be persistant.  Because sometimes, the only way to get through to some people is to stick with them, like a wad of gum in their hair.

I hope eveyrone finds this analogy amusing, and not gross.

A Year With God, Day 45 of 366

Ezekiel 17:1-2

The word of the Lord came to me.

"Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of Israel a parable."

This verse struck me, because essentially, God is telling Ezekiel to tell Israel a story.  Not just any random story, but a story with a lesson to teach.

All the best stories have some point to them, as I learned writing Critical Analyses in Mrs. Tibbles' High School English class.   And God is saying that using stories to illustrate a biblical truth is a good thing.

Pastors do it frequently, usually with personal anecdotes, but also with things they've read about.  It's easier to understand the lesson when it's put in words and images we understand.  Like talking about fishing to fishermen, or about herding sheep to a shepherd.

The thing to remember though, is to be careful to stay true to what the bible says, and not to twist the word of God to our own purposes.

A Year With God, Day 44 of 366

Lamentations 3:31-32

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

These verses say to me that no matter how much I whine or complain, God always has a sympathetic ear.  We humans get tired of hearing our friends compoain about the same things over and over.  But God with his infinite patience and infinite compassion, will hear us every time we cry out to him.

I am a sinner, and that will never change.  I might have faith, and want to avoid sin, and I may be able to do so for a while.  but eventually, I will fall again.  And it's good to know that when I do, I can ask God for forgiveness, and trust that he will forgive me, and helpt me find strength to go on.

A Year With God, Day 43 of 366

I wanted to give a personal example of how God healed me, as an addendum to my last post.

I was born with a heart defect.  There was a hole between the ventricles of my heart.  Ordinarily, this hole should have closed before birth, but in my case it didn't.  So the heart would pump blood to my lungs, and then, instead of pumping it out to my body, it kept going back to the lungs again.  By the time I was three years old, my heart was the size of a full-grown adult's.

I'm not sure how it looked to my family, except that I tired easily and often fell asleep in unusual places, like behind the couch or under a cardboard box.  My sisters tell me that they often searched all over for me, only to find me snoozing safely later. 

I'm not sure how my parents discovered the problem.  My mother knew something was wrong, and insisted that the doctor follow up on it.  So, just after my third birthday, I went in for open heart surgery.

We had to travel to the biggest city in the state, hours away from home.  It must have been very scary for my mother.  But, if I recall the story correctly, our pastor was there at that time for some reason--dental work, perhaps?.  And a family friend was studying nursing at the hospital where I was sent, and she was able to observe the operation.  And many of our neighbors donated blood on my behalf.

I could tell stories of the bits and peices I remember of that time, but that's not the point.  The point is that my family and friends were praying for me, and I recovered and grew up healthy as any other child.  When I was eighteen, a specialist told me that if it weren't for the scar on my chest, no one would know I'd had surgery.

I believe that my family had faith in God.  Does the fact that I was not miraculously cured make that faith any less sincere?  I think not.

After the surgery, I was part of at least one long-rang medical study.  I went in for periodic check-ups throughout my childhood.  I had EKGs and Echo-cardiograms, and had my heart listened to by dozens of doctors and doctors-in-training. 

The same surgery I had is now performed on new-born babies.  And I am proud to be part of making that happen--though a very small part indeed.

I imagine my parents not knowing if I would recover, not knowing if I would grow up, not knowing if I'd be healthy, and I think how scary that must have been.

But now, other parents in that same situation can have reassurance that their children can grow up strong and have perfectly healthy lives.

And I choose to believe that is part of God's plan.  And I am honored to be part of that plan.

A Year With God, Day 42 of 366, belated.

This blog was delayed because I have been under the weather, a hopefully rare occurence.

But this, combined with an article I read recently, got me to thinking about faith healing.  The article mentioned that a young man died of a treatable disease, because his family did not seek medical treatment because they believed in healing by faith, rather than by doctors.

I do my best to accept the beliefs of others, even when I do not agree with those beliefs.  But I will say this, I do not believe in refusing medical treatment on the grounds that God will heal me by my faith. 

It puts me in mind of that story about the man trapped  by rising waters.  A truck comes by, and the man refuses a ride because 'God will save me.'.  Then a boat comes by, and he gives the same response.  Then a helicopter, and he again refuses the ride.  He drowns, and asks God, 'Why didn't you save me?', to which God replies, 'I sent a truck, a boat and a helicopter.  What more do you want?'

If the story were told concerning a medical ailment, God might respond, 'I sent a school nurse, a paramedic and a doctor, what more do you want?'

I have also heard of times when a death is blamed on lack of faith.  How heartbreaking that must be for a family member to deal with--the accusation that their loved one didn't have enough faith to get better. 

I don't know why some people get sick and others don't.  I don't know why some sick people recover while others don't.  But I believe that God does nothing haphazardly or by chance.  So I believe that there is some reason behind it all, even if we do not yet understand it.

A Year With God, Day 41 of 366

I think that sometimes we act like small dogs at the dog park. 

They run around and want to play with the big dogs, and then sometimes they get scared and run back to their owners.

People are like that with temptation.  I know it's not a good idea, but I want to check it out.  I want to try it.  And then when I get overwhelmed I run away.  Even when I bring it on myself.

Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; teh righteous run to it and are safe."

God should be our safety zone, just as a dog's owner is her safety zone.  And God will welcome us back, and keep us safe, even when we are in danger from teasing the big dogs.

A Year With God, Day 40 of 366

So today I started thinking about clutter.

I sometimes have the idea that more is better.  like making homemade pizza-- a little cheese and sausage is good, so a LOT of cheese and sausage must be even better!  Except that then the crust doesn't cook well, and all the toppings fall off because there's too much weight for the crust. . .

Or I think if I get a nice filing bin to put my paperwork in, I'll be organized, and it won't be as cluttered.  But I end up with a bunch of paperwork on top of the bin waiting to be filed.

So I wondered-- does God have clutter?  Did he calculate birth rates and space requirements before he created the earth?  Perhaps the end of the world will come when the population grows to the point that there is no room for anyone else.

It's amusing to picture that, but I know it's not true.  God has a great sense of balance and organization.  Like a Master Bonzai Artist, He arranges every blade of grass and every leaf and needle on every tree in the world.  And He guides into place every insect and animal and fish.  And He also guides the people, calling them to the paths that He has prepared for them, but only if they heed that call.

God creates balance in the universe-- birth balances death, winter balances summer, peace balances war. 

I'm rambling a bit here, but God does not just pile us up in the corner like clutter and forget about us.  he places each of us carefully in place, and watches our every move.  If we believe in him, he will never let us go.  Only in that, is God like a hoarder.

A Year With God, Day 39 of 366

If you could be one of Jesus' disciples who would you be?

The most talked about is probably Peter.  A lot of people empathize with his impulsive nature.  The other disciples are not as well known.

If I had to choose, I'd have to say I'm most like Andrew.  Here is a bit from the story of how Jesus fed the five thousand.

John 6:8-9  Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

I heard a sermon once about this passage, and it always stuck in my mind.  How did Andrew know about the boy's lunch?  Did he peak in the kid's lunch pail?  Or was he walking around asking if anyone had anything to eat?  Perhaps the boy approached Andrew and offered his meal.

There is not much here, but it's implied that Andrew did more than what is stated.  He may well have been asking if anyone had extra food.  In which case, he should be commended.  A little is better than nothing, and he brought what he found to Jesus, who was able to use it.

Or if the boy approached Andrew, then Andrew must have been willing to listen--even to a small boy.  In which case, he showed a heart for children much like Jesus' own, and he should be commended for being willing to listen.

There is just something about Verse 9 that reminds me of myself.  'I don't know what you can do with this, Lord, but here's what I have.'

That is how I feel about my gifts to God.  They are inadequate, but all I can do is hand them over, and trust that God knows what to do with them.  And God can do great things with my small gifts, just as he fed five thousand from that one boy's lunch.

A Year With God, Day 38 of 366

Psalm 116:1-2

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;

he heard my cry for mercy.

Because he turned his ear to me,

I will call on him as long as I live.

Whenever we cry out to the Lord, He hears us.  He is never too busy or too distracted.  He is never on another call, or away from his desk.

If we ask for mercy, He will listen.  And since he does listen, we should continue calling on him every day of our lives.

Yet it sometimes seem that we only cry out fo help when we are desperate.  As soon as things get better again, we forget about God.

I am in need right now, and I am crying out for mercy.  I pray that I will continue to call upon the Lord and trust Him when things get better for me.

A year With God, Day 37 of 366

1 Corinthians 12:20 says, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.  So it is with Christ."

The pastor at my church taught a lesson from Philippians this Sunday.  Ond of the things he sad is that on our journey to learn about God and grow closer to Him, we need the skills of all believers.  This reminded me of 1 Corinthians 12:20. 

It also reminded me of a series of books by David Eddings--the Belgariad.  In the series, a young farm boy grows up to become king and to fulfill a great prophecy and overcome evil.  In order to fulfill the prophecy, he gathered a group of people to help him-- a wise man, a woman of power, a warrior, a thief, a noble night, and others.  Each had an important role to play in the story.  They were not all there for every event, and many of them did not witness the ultimate battle.  But each of them was part of the greater story, even though they were not always aware of it.

That is how living life for Christ should be.  We are part of a grand design created by God.  We each have a role to play.  We may not see the entire design in our lifetime.  But we are part of it, nonetheless.  We must learn to trust God and his grand design.  He will not let us fail in whatever our destiny might be.

Some day, we will be able to look back over the whole series of God's story of the universe.  And even though I am just a minor character in that story, I know that God will remember me by name, and congratulate me on a job well done.

Like the character in David Eddings' book, I can't fail to do the task that God put me on earth to do.

That's why I am here.

A Year With God, Day 36 of 366

I was listening to the classical music station on the way to church today.  I must confess, with no offense meant to my cousin, the expert pianist, I prefer violin to piano.  Somehow, the thought stuck in my head, and I knew I had to write about it in today's blog entry.

I tried to think of why.  Is it something about the way the notes blend together?  Or because playing the piano requires a manual dexterity that is completely beyond my ability?  Is it because the piano seems to have a visual element that doesn't translate well to radio?  (I did enjoy watching my cousin play at her concerts, and watching her fingers fly across the keyboard, and it's not the same just hearing the music).

Perhaps it was a bit of all of that and more.  Finally, it just occurred to me--I prefer the violin to piano because God made me that way.

It seems like such a simple thought, but somehow it's very profound.  No two people are exactly alike.  Some prefer piano.  Some prefer violin.  Some like country music, while others love rap.  I

It's amazing how much variety there is for each individual person on the planet.  And how amazing is God, that he knows us all by heart, and remembers every nuance of our personalities.

A Year With God, Day 35 of 366, (belated)

Matthew 14:30-31

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

I spent a great deal of time yesterday, sitting in a quiet room with someone who was ill.  And I discovered that when he was restless, if I took his hand, he calmed down.  We all need human contact, to let us know we're not alone, to help us not be afraid.

There is power in the human hand, and not just physical power.  I don't know how it works, I just know that it does.

And how much more power is there in the hand of God?  Jesus rebuked Peter for his lack of faith, but He still reached out and caught him.  Jesus caught him before he spoke.  Like a parent jerking a child out of the path of an incoming parent, Jesus then gave corrective instruction.

It's comforting to think that any time I am afraid, or frightened, or lonely, Jesus is there to take my hand and help me.  And He believes that I can do things I think are impossible.  Just as He knew that Peter could walk on the water with Him.  I think it was not just that Peter doubted Jesus.  I think Jesus was also rebuking Peter for not having faith in himself.

God is able to do more than we could ever hope or imagine.  And He is capable of doing so through me.  That's an awe-inspiring--and intimidating--thought.

A Year With God, 34 of 366

Matthew 11:28

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

What more needs to be said?

A Year With God, Day 33 of 366

1 Kings 18:21:  Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.

This verse is an interesting commentary on human nature.  Elijah is fed up with the people of Israel wavering between worshiping God, and worship of Baal.  So finally, after much arguing and preaching and trying to convince them to follow God, he kind of gives up. 

'Make a choice!' he says.  'I don't care which.  Just decide what you want to do, and do it.'

But the people said nothing.   They refuse to make a choice.  Did they lack the nerve to turn their backs on the God that had brought them out of Egypt?  Did they fear the pagan god Baal too much to risk his wrath?  Were they afraid to admit they'd erred?  Did they worry that they would look foolish?  Perhaps they were afraid of all the priests of Baal, because there were hundreds of them, and only Elijah on God's side.

Or were they simply incapable of making the decision?

It is human nature to sit and complain about all the things we see wrong with the world around us.  Unfortunately, when the time comes for us to get up and go out and work to change what we dislike, we don't want to do it.  Be it fear, or laziness or indecision, we do not like to fight the status quo.

So what is a good enough reason to go outside our comfort zone and stand up for what we believe?  Surely our the state of our eternal souls, and the souls of those we love, should provide powerful incentive.  And yet, too often it does not.

And does standing up have to be a huge risk?  I think not.  So here is the challenge.  Stand up for what we believe in for a small thing--like saying a quiet word of prayer before eating at a restaurant.  If a cashier gives us too much change, return the extra.  Show our appreciate for others by saying please and thank you.  Resist the urge to honk the horn at that man who cuts you off.

Start with the little things, and when the time might come to stand up for a big thing, then we'll be in the habit, and perhaps it won't be so scary.

A Year With God, Day 32 of 366

I wonder what it must have been like to be on Noah's Ark?  Lots of animals in a confined space . . . limited food . . . only a few people for company.

It must have been a lot of work for the few humans on board.  They must have started to worry about how long the food would last, and when the rain would stop.  And even when the it did stop raining, they still had to float around for weeks waiting for the waters to recede.

How glad they must have been to get off that boat at last, and be able to walk around and get away from each other, and the animals.

How doubly glad they must have been to see that rainbow in the sky--the symbol of God's promise never to destroy the entire earth again.