He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Ps. 147:3)
Yes, we have all been wounded in this battle. And we will be wounded again. But something deeper has also happened to us than mere wounds.
I expect that all of us at one time or another have said, “Well, part of me wants to, and another part of me doesn’t.” You know the feeling—part of you pulled one direction, part of you the other. Part of me loves writing and genuinely looks forward to a day at my desk. But not all of me. Sometimes I’m also afraid of it. Part of me fears that I will fail—that I am simply stating what is painfully obvious, or saying something vital but incoherent. I’m drawn to it, and I also feel ambivalent about it. Come to think of it, I feel that way about a lot of things. Part of me wants to go ahead and dive into friendship, take the risk. I’m tired of living alone. Another part says, Stay away—you’ll get hurt. Nobody really cares anyway. Part of me says, Wow! Maybe God really is going to come through for me. Another voice rises up and says, You are on your own.
Don’t you feel sometimes like a house divided?
Take your little phobias. Why are you afraid of heights or intimacy or public speaking? All the discipline in the world wouldn’t get you to go skydiving, share something really personal in a small group, or take the pulpit next Sunday. Why do you hate it when people touch you or criticize you? And what about those little “idiosyncrasies” you can’t give up to save your life? Why do you bite your nails? Why do you work so many hours? Why do you get irritated at these questions? You won’t go out unless your makeup is perfect—why is that? Other women don’t mind being seen in their grubbies. Something in you “freezes” when your dad calls— what’s that all about? You clean and organize; you demand perfection—did you ever wonder why?
(Waking the Dead , 128–30)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Learn from those who didn't persevere
Read Judges 1- The tribes of Israel do an inadequate job of vanquishing the aliens living in the Promised Land.
INSIGHT
The book of Judges is a pathetic chronicle of a weak and willful people. Soon after Joshua's death, the Israelites begin to fall short of the directives he gave them. They fail at the most crucial point and tolerate the presence of immoral idol worshipers among them. The story which follows is one of sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, corruption, and greed. The depths to which the Israelites plunge is truly disgusting - reminding us of the warnings given by Moses and Joshua. Turning your back on God always has tragic consequences. When we read about the Israelites, their foolishness seems so clear. Yet when we are faced with temptations today, it doesn't seem so clear. We can learn from the past, however. The consequences can be just as grave for us. A wise man walks with the Lord and is saved.
PRAYER
Because we can be delivered from bondage to sin, offer your praise for the Lord's goodness:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:24, 34).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3, 6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president and national leaders,
whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!(Psalm 84:11-12).
INSIGHT
The book of Judges is a pathetic chronicle of a weak and willful people. Soon after Joshua's death, the Israelites begin to fall short of the directives he gave them. They fail at the most crucial point and tolerate the presence of immoral idol worshipers among them. The story which follows is one of sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, corruption, and greed. The depths to which the Israelites plunge is truly disgusting - reminding us of the warnings given by Moses and Joshua. Turning your back on God always has tragic consequences. When we read about the Israelites, their foolishness seems so clear. Yet when we are faced with temptations today, it doesn't seem so clear. We can learn from the past, however. The consequences can be just as grave for us. A wise man walks with the Lord and is saved.
PRAYER
Because we can be delivered from bondage to sin, offer your praise for the Lord's goodness:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions . . .
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:24, 34).
Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
He is despised and rejected by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. . . .
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:3, 6).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
greater faithfulness with your time,
the president and national leaders,
whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!(Psalm 84:11-12).
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