Monthly Archives: November 2019
“Giving Thanks for Ordinary Goods”
Here is a wonderful 12-step reading for today. Enjoy! Hazelden Publishing sells some very helpful devotional materials for people in recovery. Some are overtly Christian. Most are not. All are helpful.
“
Thursday, November 28
for most this amazing day . . .
. . . for everything
which is natural which is infinite
which is yes.
—e. e. cummings
Let us be thankful today for all simple obvious things: for the sun’s rising this morning without our having to awaken it; for another good turn the earth makes today without expecting anything in return; for our ability to know right and wrong by heart. Let us give thanks for all small things that mean the world to us; for bread and cheese and clean running water; for our ability to call our enemies our friends, to forgive even ourselves; for our own bodies, however sagging and worn, which insist on continuing for at least another day.
How much ordinary daily good do I take for granted?” (From Today’s Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.)
“HEARING THE MUSIC BEYOND THE RECORDING”
Here is a wonderful thought from one of my Hazelden Publishing 12-step recovery readings:
“Monday, November 25
All music is what awakes from you when you are
reminded by the instruments.
—Walt Whitman
A small group of friends sat in a room around a record player. It was a heavy
old thing, with parts that had to be operated by hand and only one speaker –
nothing like a modern stereo at all, but more like an antique phonograph. The
record – a recording of their favorite music – was old, too, and scratched, its
grooves worn smooth as a stone in some places. The tone arm skipped and
scratched, and the sound was tinny, hard on the ears.
Most of the friends squirmed in their seats as they listened, and several
grumbled that it was impossible to hear the music with such inferior equipment.
But one of the group sat listening, her eyes closed, swaying to the music and
humming softly to herself.
“How can you enjoy this?” the others asked.
“Ah,” she said with a mysterious smile. “I am listening beyond
the recording to the music I know is there!”
Can I find the music that’s playing for me today?”
(From Today’s Gift: Daily Meditations for Families ©1985, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.)
Am I—are we—listening to the music I know is there?
As I write this journal entry, my wife is asleep. Sitting here, listening to the rhythm of her breathing, do I hear the blessed hymn of her rest? What a wonderful symphony Sharon is, even when she is asleep!
Will I hear the music that I know is there today when I attend scholarly lectures at the annual Society of Biblical Literature meeting? Scholarly presentations are merely the notes on the page. They are not the music. But the music is there.
And then, there is my own music. Do I really listen to the music of my own life: the dramatically dark movements and the passages that are filled with light and joy? Does God enjoy listening to the symphony that is me?
Today, I will listen to the music that is beyond the recording.
“Fatherly Care and Sovereign Rule”
“Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
(Psalm 103:1–5 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version)
https://accordance.bible/link/read/ESVS#Psa._103:1-5, accessed 11-18-2019.
I am being besieged by Psalm 103:2-3 right now. The preacher at the church we are attending quoted it in his sermon yesterday. This morning, the “3-Minute Retreat” put out by Loyola Publishing used Psalm 103:2-3 as the basis of their daily meditation.
Motyer comments insightfully about Psalm 103. “The blend of changeless fatherly care and endless sovereign rule is the distinctive stress of this psalm.”[1] I need both of those things right now: fatherly care and sovereign rule. The changeless and endless modifiers are also very important.
All the verbs in verses 2-5 (except for “renews” in verse 5) for what God does for us are participles. In Hebrew, participles often suggest continual action that flows out of the character of the one who is acting. God is continually forgiving, continually healing, and so on.
The retreat master for the 3-minute retreat writes, “God’s compassion is abundant. There are times in life when we feel so unlovable, so unforgiveable that we want to hide. We may think that if we just ignore what is going on in our lives, ignore what needs healing and forgiveness it will just go away. Thankfully, God does not act that way. Rather, God waits patiently to receive us and to forgive us again and again. This is why our souls sing out, ‘Bless the Lord, my soul.’ ”
Yes, right now, I would very much like to hide. But there is nowhere to hide. (I try to hide in the refrigerator. I eat when I’m stressed and when I am depressed. Of course, I like to eat anyway.)
Perhaps I could try hiding in
God. Now there’s a thought!
[1]J.A. Motyer, The Psalms, New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition; ed. D. A Carson et al.; Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 551.
“MEMORIES THAT WARM AND MEMORIES THAT WARN”
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Exodus 20:2)
Today, in my gratitude list, I listed back to back two similar that were similar, yet very different.
“Memories that warm.
Memories that warn.”
There are truly good memories. And then there are memories that merely make you feel good for a little while, but then leave a bitter after-taste. These latter “good” memories are not good. A memory that leaves you colder is a shortcut that leads to long regrets.
However, the truly good memories are just that: good memories. And they are to be cherished.
But the bad memories are also to be cherished. They help us to be humble, and to not make more bad decisions that will lead to more bad memories and long regrets. These warning memories also make us more empathetic and compassionate toward others.
Memories that warm and memories that warn both play a crucial part in being fully human. However, I should try to live so that I have more warming memories.
Here is an affirmation that you might find helpful today: Today, by God’s grace, I choose to remember the things that warm my heart, and the things that warn my heart. I am consistently choosing today to make good memories, so that I may be more warmed than warned. I’ve had plenty of warnings already.
“The Timing of God”
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7, English Standard Version)
I have made a great discovery: God’s timing is not my timing. And this is good news, because I have a lousy sense of timing anyway. That’s true when I am at the plate, trying to hit a softball. It is also true when I am going through multiple, crushing stresses as I am right now.
But here is my confession concerning God’s sense of timing:
- God sees more.
- God knows more.
- God loves more.
- God knows more.
And because of the many “more-nesses” of God, I can (at least occasionally) back off of my own frantic timetables.
In 1 Peter 5:7, quoted above, the Greek word translated “he cares” is in the present tense. In Greek, the present tense is used for actions that are taking place continually. God’s continual care for me, for all of us, means that God’s apparent slowness is not a function of his lack of caring about us. God cares continually.
In view of the continual caring of God, the clause “. . . so that at the proper time he may exalt you . . .” means that I need to count on God’s care, even as I wait.
I can wait in God’s care, knowing that God is never late.
“Overwhelming Sins, Overwhelming Forgiveness”
“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.” (Psalm 65:1-3, English Standard Version)
I am always struck by the second line of vs. 3. The first line doesn’t surprise me in the least. Iniquities often prevail against me. I’m only too familiar with that dynamic.
But to say that when my wrong-doings overwhelm me, then—precisely then—God atones for those wrong-doings?!? What! That is non-sequitur on steroids!
And yet, that is what the psalmist is saying.
Sometimes, those of us who are Christians fall into the trap of thinking that the Old Testament is about law and God’s wrath, and the New Testament is about grace and God’s loving forgiveness.
Nope! Law and wrath, grace and loving forgiveness are in both the New and the Old Testaments.
So, as the author of Hebrews (New Testament) says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, New International Version)
How much it cost God to atone for our transgressions is made fully apparent at the cross of Christ. Such love and forgiveness can be received as a gift, but it should never be taken for granted.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Even a Sliver of Light” April 9, 2024“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:6, English Standard Version) I missed the total eclipse yesterday. There were a number of good reasons for this, but […]
- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
- “The Power of Encouragement—Even for Old People” March 10, 2024“But encourage each other every day while it is ‘today.’ Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (Hebrews 3:13, New Century Version) Yesterday, I was walking at a nearby park. There was a large group of young people some of whom were running while other young people […]
- “Endurance” March 10, 2024“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us […]
- “The Limits of Non-Judgmentalism” February 24, 2024“Matt. 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matt. 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, English Standard Version) This morning, in my virtual 12-step meeting, we discussed the topic of judgmentalism. There were many wise […]
- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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