A Year With God, Day 31 of 366--Reflection

Today marks the end of my first month of blogging, so I think I'll take a moment today to think about what I've written and what I am hoping to accomplish here.

My original goal was simply to write something every day, to get myself in the habit of doing so.  I thought I'd type out some of the random thoughts I have occasionall on the subjects of God and the Bible.  I thought perhaps I'd come up with one or two ideas worth pursuing further.

I didn't think too much about whether anyone else might read this.  But I wrote--and still write, with the thought in mind that this is first for my own edification, but the thought that someone else might read it.  So I don't put every thought down.  Which is probably a good thing, since I have been rather depressed lately, and I whine plenty elsewhere.  And there are some things that are not mine to tell, and some things I don't want made public, even to such a limited public as this blog draws.

As I've written, though, I think it's been a benefit to me.  This blog helps me clarify my thoughts, and work out things.  I might be writing about Deborah, but I am thinking about my life.  And I also think of possible readers, and there are enough people who've mentioned the blog to me that I know a few do read it occasionally, and it reminds me that there are people who care about me.

Many of my posts concern things I see or read that remind me of God.  And typing them out each day, I've come to realize that a lot of things make me think of God.  And I find myself looking for God in every day life.  Which is a good thing.  Looking for things to write about gives me focus, too, so I feel like I'm accomplishing something.

So much as I sometimes don't want to write a post every single day.  As often as I find myself delayed in going to bed because I put it off until the end of the night, I am glad that I chose to start this blog.  And I feel good that I have--with one exception-- held true to my commitment to write every day.

So, going forward, my goals are to write my blog entries in the morning, so I don't delay them too long.  I also hope to illustrate that God can be found everywhere--in songs and romance novels and playing with pets.  God is not just God in the big things.  He wants to be present for every small detail of our lives.  And if we look for Him we will find Him. 

I think there's a Psalm that says that.  I will have to look that up.  Or Jeremiah 23:23-- 'Am I a God nearby, declares the Lord, 'and not one far away?'

Though I suppose in this case it would be the opposite-- God is not just far away, he is God nearby, too.

A Year With God, Day 30 of 366

Many times in the Bible, believers are referred to as sheep.  It's possible to draw a lot from that analogy, but I am thinking of something more basic.

There is a certain trust you get when you take good care of a pet.  Perhaps not turtles or fish, but I always feel good when my cat deigns to curl up on my lap.  And when a dog hops up beside you and collapses with her head on your knee, well, that shows true trust.

And that's how we should feel when we talk to God.  Confident that he will take care of us, trusting that he knows best, perfectly content to draw close and fall asleep, knowing he will protect us and provide for us.

There are worse things than being God's lap dog.

A Year With God, Day 29 of 366

I was thinking of the scene in the New Testament when Jesus walked on the water.  Peter sees Jesus and recognizes him from the boat he and a couple other disciples were riding in, and Peter jumps out and runs across the water.  Then suddenly he realizes what he's doing and sinks.  Jesus reaches out and pulls him back out of the water.

The point of the story is usually about keeping your eyes on Jesus, and trusting him to keep your footing solid.

But if I had been in that boat, I would not have been Peter.  I might have recognized Jesus first (because soemtimes I can recognize people by the back of their head, or the way they stand) but I would not have jumped out of the boat.

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  Peter is known for his impulsive reactions, which is his greatest strength and his greatest weakness all in one.  But everyone can't be like Peter.

But I would have been jealous of Peter.  I'd have wished I had the nerve to jump out of the boat, too.  But I just don't think that's in my nature.

And I have to be okay with that.  I would be there to help Peter and Jesus into the boat and give them towels to dry off with.  And that's not a bad thing, either.

A Year With God, Day 28 of 366 (belated)

2 Chronicles 6:32-33

"As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm--when he comes and prays toward this temple,

then hear from heaven, your dwelling place and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that ll the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your name."

This verse caught my eye.  This is what church is supposed to be like, opening and welcoming of all who come to worship.  This is the welcoming spirit I've found in every church I've attended, from Oregon to Florida back to Oregon, then down to Texas, back up to Ohio, and now back to Oregon again.  

The family of God should be like any loving family, where you are welcome to stay with your aunts and uncles and cousins if you travel their way.  Instead of the connection of family bloodlines, believers are joined by the blood of Christ.  In both cases, there are certain shared experiences that bring people together.

And it's implied in verse 32 that the foreigner is respectful of God's temple.  He goes to pray toward the temple.  So he is not the bad houseguest who complains constantly and demands that his hosts cater to his every need and want.  Instead he is interested in what his hosts are doing.  He wants to learn more about them, and spend time with them, and enjoy the beauty of their home.

So, let's remember this when others come to visit our homes, or our church homes.  And remember it, too, when we visit others.

A Year With God, Day 27 of 366

What is woe?

Merriam Webster.com defines it as:  Used to describ grief, regret or distress.

I think woe is like depression, sort of a worn-down weariness and lack of hope.  Woe is the feeling you get when you think, 'This is it.  If things don't get better today, I'm done.'

In some translations of the Bible, it uses the phrase, 'Woe unto you.'  Usually said to those who knowingly sin against God--like teachers of the law who are more interested in building their own power, rather than educating the people.

Woe is not something that should be wished on someone lightly.  I think I have been feeling woe recently, and now I begin to see the light ahead.  And the lightening of the load makes me realize how burdened I have been feeling.

If you turn to God and rely on him, your woe will become hope again.

A Year With God, Day 26 of 366

Genesis 1:5

'God called the light "day" and the darkness he called "night".  And there was evening and there was morning--the first day.'

Imagine what that first day must have been like.  Darkness, then out of nowhere . . . light!  The dawn of a new world, the dawn of a new day, full of new beginnings.

And this has been repeated millions of times.  Each day is a chance for a new start, and each day is unique.

What a blessing the morning is.

A Year With God, Day 25 of 366

In Judges chapter 4, Deborah, the prophetess who led Israel, calls for Barak, who was a general in Israel's army.  She told him that God would deliver Sisera, an enemy general into his hand.

But Barak said he would only go if she went with him.  And in verse 9, '"Very well," Deborah said. "I will go with you.  But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.

Sisera hear that Barak was coming after him, so he fled to a friend's tent.  Jael, his friend's wife, greeted him, gave him mil, and covered him with a blanket.  He told her to stand watch and hide him, but when he fell asleep, she drove a tent stake through his temple and killed him.

There are several interesting things about this story.  I wonder about Heber, Jael's husband.  I wonder why Jael decided to kill Sisera.  It doesn't really say.  The important thing is that the word of God that Deborah gave was fulfilled.

One might call this passage a story of feminine triumph.  Or it could be described as feminine duplicity.  I find myself respecting Jael's courage.  Any woman, facing a warrior alone must have courage to face him down and kill him as she did.