Jeremiah 29:11 is probably one of the most quoted verses in scripture. It’s the one about the plans God has for us…. remember? It used to be that I figured I had messed up the best plan royally by now, but looking back (remembering) the way God worked with people like Abraham or Jacob who messed up constantly made me realize that just because I mess up it doesn’t mean that God’s plans don’t happen. And then I began to see that it’s not so much the plan as it is the goal – to be more like Yeshua. It’s so easy for me to have a laundry-list of things I want God to do (my plans). I think part of the process is learning to remember that His way is ultimately better (for the overall goal of restoring the world, not always for me)… and being willing to submit to it. Anyway, my thoughts seem oddly jumbled this morning. Skip Moen wrote an interesting post about this verse today, and I highly recommend reading it. It’s got some really interesting points about God’s plan and our tendency to put God in a box. Read it here. >>>
Psalm 119:21 You rebuke the proud–the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. After reading the post on Skip Moen’s website this morning, I thought that I’d do something light here, some fluff, shiny happiness. Yeah. Then God had this waiting for me. No fluff today, I guess. To really understand where I’m coming from with this verse, you really ought to read the post this morning. It might help to understand the context from which I’m coming. In some ways I feel like crying. Anyway, here we go. Here’s the last few lines of the post (in case you didn’t read the whole thing) and you’ll see why I sighed when I started reading Psalm 119 this morning: Of course, He isn’t husband to all nations or to just anyone who happens to acknowledge that He is God. He is husband to Israel and to all those who take upon themselves the obligations of the marriage contract given to Israel. Did you get that? What happens to the martial contract when someone who does not accept the terms of agreement between God’s chosen and God decides to step into the place of the wife? What would you do in your marriage if someone claimed he or she had replaced you? [1] Coming off of that question, I faced the verse in Psalms. So, of course, I looked at the Hebrew to get a deeper understanding of the verse. The word for rebuked is ga’ar and it means to rebuke, reprove or corrupt. Hmmmm, our nation has become rather corrupt lately… perhaps God is rebuking/reproving/corrupting. The word for the proud is interesting, too. It sheds some light on why the proud might be: they are the zed, the arrogant, presumptuous ones. Is the church today presumptuous in assuming that Israel is no longer chosen, that she has been replaced? The proud are cursed. Scary thought. The word for stray (or err) is shagah and it has lots of meanings: 1) to go astray, stray, err a) (Qal) 1) to err, stray 2) to swerve, meander, reel, roll, be intoxicated, err (in drunkenness) 3) to go astray (morally) 4) to commit sin of ignorance or inadvertence, err (ignorantly) b) (Hiphil) 1) to lead astray 2) to lead astray, mislead (mentally) 3) to lead astray (morally) [2] I particularly thought “to commit sin of ignorance or inadvertence” was interesting, as the majority of those in the church today would completely disagree with much of what Skip proposes about the validity of the Old Testament covenant, and the inappropriateness of replacement theology. I don’t think they ignore God’s commandments, His Torah, maliciously (I certainly didn’t), but in ignorance and centuries of swerving, meandering theology has slowly caused a swerving in the Way. And finally, mitzvah is the word used for commandments, and it means pretty much that. The commands of God. Interesting how what I read in Psalms today dovetails with the study from Today’s Word. Perhaps God was speaking despite my ignorance. Perhaps God is speaking. Period. [1] Moen, Skip. “Today’s Word» Status: Married.” Hebrew Word Study | Skip Moen . N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2010. <http://skipmoen.com/2010/07/15/status-married>. [2] ”Psalms 119 (Blue Letter Bible: NKJV – New King James Version).” Blue Letter Bible. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2010. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=119&v=15&t=NKJV#conc/21>
I’m sorry I’ve been a bit lax at posting lately. I’ve had this cold yuck for about a week, and a head that feels like it might explode isn’t very conducive to computer work. I’m hoping that I’ll be up and about more in the next few days. So, to get you thinking this morning, Skip challenges us to think about the words that come out of our mouths. I know that I am sometimes careless with my words, especially when I’m angry or upset. I think my mouth is the hardest thing to control. I especially struggle with saying unkind things about people or venting to other people when I’m hurt or mad or frustrated or when I feel something is unfair. I don’t like to be so judgmental about people, and that’s something I’ve been really challenged to work on. Anyway, read Skip’s article here. >>
A Thought on Trying to Rest Ah, sabbath. Let me tell you, it’s a lot easier to talk about rest than it is to actually rest. My husband almost had to go in to work, I had to clean out the refrigerator (certainly not by choice, but life happened), and because of that the trash had to go out. For the most part, it was restful. And, best of all, the entire family got to go hear Skip Moen speak at the church where I occasionally lead worship in Ocoee! That part was awesome! We’re actually going back this morning to the 9am and 11am services to hear part 2 and 3 of his talk. It’ll be interesting to see how the little monkeys hold up to the second service since it starts (and ends) so late. I suspect they’ll be fine, but will be pretty darn tired (and hungry) on the ride home. Ah well. So, I started reading two books yesterday (yes, I do read two; it’s the add/multi-tasker in me): Hearing God (Dallas Walker) and Pagan Christianity (Frank Viola and George Barna). Both are very interesting. Here are some thoughts about chapter 1 of Hearing God: God’s Will One thing I liked is how Willard describes God’s will. As a parent I may tell my kids to go and play. I don’t tell them what room to play in or with what toys or in what manner (although I do expect them to play nicely). God’s will is similar. God doesn’t always micromanage life. Sure, there are some times when He is very specific, especially when there’s a particular purpose He wants accomplished, but He just expects us to live according to His Torah. Just keep living until He says otherwise. Abraham spent three years between the times when God talked to him. In that time, he just lived. Also, building on something Willard said later in the chapter, God builds character in us so that we know how to “play” appropriately and nicely with others. As He shapes me to be more like Him, my character and actions are more like His, and I think more like Him. Therefore, I am more likely to do things in a manner which pleases Him. I’m also more likely to know what and where His will is happening because I’m more like Him. And that comes through the tough process of reshaping my character. Strain One of my favorite things in this chapter, that I liked so much I read it to John, is a story he told about a time when he was under a lot of strain and one day God told him to pull his car over. God said, “My Son had strains that you will never know, and when He had those strains, He turned to Me, and that’s what you should do.” Several thoughts occurred to me about that quote: First, I think I tend to assume I know the strains that Yeshua endured because we have the “gospels” about His life. But, if I really think about it, there’s an awful lot missing from the gospels about His life. He lived a lot more than what we have there. There were probably a lot of times when Yeshua was strained that none of the gospel authors wrote about. Second, I need to stop trying to solve everything myself. I need to remember to let God be god. I wasn’t made to carry everything myself. I need to remember to turn to Him for help. And occasionally, turn to others in my community, too. I’ve realized that this is an area I struggle in. I’m okay at turning to God, but I really struggle with letting other people help me/us out. I don’t know if it’s pride, or if it’s awkward because I feel like I owe them something, or what it is, but I have a tough time with this. For example, Skip’s putting together a cruise for the people who read Today’s Word and I posted that I didn’t think we could go. Ostensibly my excuse is the boys (and yes, it makes me a little nauseous thinking about them getting close to the rails), but truthfully, we just can’t afford to pay for4 (or even 2) of us to go. I didn’t post that part because I don’t want people to think I’m asking them to pay for us to go. Yes, it would be nice to be able to go, but because it always seems to be the financial aspect that holds us back, I don’t want to raise the issue again. It’s probably pride. I don’t know. And last, knowing God’s will cannot be about controlling the future or minimizing risk. Desiring to control the future or minimize rise or secure safety/comfort may indicate a preoccupation with ME, instead of a focus on God.
I had the opportunity to participate in a webinar by Dr. Skip Moen on the topic of the Sabbath. It was really awesome! There were a couple of things he spoke about that I really liked. 1. Time, not a place, is sacred. It’s not as much a matter of where you are, but in that you let God intersect into your normal routine. 2. It’s about relationship. Relationships take place in time, which we have no control over. Sabbath restores our relationships primarily with God and also with our family. 3. Tranquility, serenity, and peace. That’s what Sabbath is for. Now, I did ask Skip about those of us with children. With my two wildly energetic children, there’s not much tranquility, serenity, or peace at any time. But Skip reminded me about how Yeshua pointed out the wonder and joy that children have in life and that Yeshua invited the children to be with Him and used them as examples for His disciples to emulate. So, taking my little monkeys to the playground and enjoying their enthusiasm isn’t breaking the Sabbath because it’s a reminder of the uninhibited joy of living that God intended for us all to have. And, while this doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll have a whole lot of peace or serenity, my children draw me closer to God in so many way. So, I’m excited to think that this is something I can do. Friday night, supper together to start Sabbath, and then spend Saturday together at home or at the playground. I’m thinking it would be a good opportunity to put aside the laptop, the computer, the X-Box 360, and the generic TV, and spend time playing together or watching Veggie Tales or Skip Moen’s Israel DVD, reading, and talking. Saturday night we could go to services at our church (yes, I know it’s not a messianic assembly, but we enjoy gathering with others). Then on Sunday we could run all the errands that we normally would run on Saturday. It’s doable. And it sounds refreshing. So, if I stop posting on Saturday mornings, it’s because I’m celebrating Sabbath. I’ll try and post Saturday night, if possible. Oh, and if you’re in the Orlando area, Skip Moen is speaking at St. Pauls Presbyterian Church in Ocoee/Gotha (across from the West Orange Mall) on Saturday night (6pm) and Sunday (9am and 11am I think). It’ll be awesome!
Hi! After the fun and craziness of yesterday, I’m exhausted. I think I’m working on a cold, too. Fun stuff! Here’s an interesting article about the Sabbath that I enjoyed. Read it here. >>>
Today’s post by Dr. Skip Moen sparked a vein of frustration in me. It is about the Shema (the prayer that Jewish people say every day), and it’s translation in the gospels. First read his post here. Then you can read my comments, if you’d like: As a teacher, I see this mindset (that it’s what you know, not what you do) perpetuated everywhere and saturating the educational arena. One of my biggest struggles is to take my students from a point where they are waiting for me to feed them facts and stuff things into their heads (which is what most of them have come to expect after years of being told to memorize facts for a standardized test), to a point where they DO something with information. One of my favorite quotes is by Plutarch (yes, he’s Greek, I think) that says the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. Fires rage and consume and MOVE. Water in a cup just sits there and eventually becomes stale. Perhaps the way we teach students in school promotes this idea that God is about what I know and faith is about what I know and love is about what I feel, instead of it all being about action and movement and flow. Maybe that’s why I get so frustrated when students come to me bored and hating school and expecting yet another class of facts. Maybe that’s what we’ve done to Christianity. Facts are boring unless you understand what to do with them and understand why they’re important. But above all, you must DO something. Sorry for a bit of a rant! This post sparked that frustration I feel about the way things work in society, and it’s reflected in how we understand Yeshua and YHWH. Scary. Sad.