"The Hurt and The Healer" - MercyMe
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
My God's Hands and Feet
1 Peter 5:6-7
New International Version (NIV)
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Revelation 21:4
King James Version (KJV)
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
The pain of rheumatoid arthritis makes me very aware of my hands and feet, actually most of my joints. I've been to a couple of family gatherings recently. I couldn't help but notice my sister, who also has rheumatoid arthritis, walk like I walk. So that's what I look like! We both have that rheumatoid arthritis shuffle.
On another day I sat across the table from another family member who is very ill. His eyes were weeping from allergies, but his hands were too weak to wipe away his own tears. It made me think of what a caring, intimate and loving act it is to wipe away someone's tears, and that is what my God promises He will do.
I pray that I will be the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth as it will be in Heaven.
"Your Hands" - JJ Heller
Monday, May 13, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Family Bibles
Psalm 103:17
New International Version (NIV)
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
Proverbs 1:8-9
New International Version (NIV)
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
2 Timothy 2:15
English Standard Version (ESV)
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,[a] a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
As I write this, my iPad is charging because I'll be carrying it to church tomorrow as my Bible. Yes, times have changed. The young man who lives in our house but doesn't want to be blogged about has the Bible on his smart phone and electronic tablet. My husband, however, still carries and reads the Bible old style. Actually all three of us have print Bibles that we cherish and read but the new-fangled versions are nice too. I like that they're easy to hold and I can enlarge the print with a swipe of my fingers, but I might miss the sound of pages turning during church; and I have to wonder if all those sword drills of my youth were for naught, since I can now electronically summon a verse at will. Times may change but God's word never does. I'm thankful for my parents who impressed on me the need to learn it. It's the truth that has set me free.
Such are my meandering thoughts because I enjoyed listening to Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash sing "The Family Bible" on Youtube this morning.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Even Jesus Had a Mom
Luke 1:46-55
English Standard Version (ESV)
Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
I could be labeled a fundamental, evangelical Christian, a bit shy of liturgy and incense, or any other church thing that might threaten my belief in salvation through grace alone, Jesus being my saving grace. I like bringing out Mary for Christmas and Easter, because she was there for her Son's birth and death, but I give little thought to her the rest of the year. I'm being convicted to remember her this Mother's Day because no mother wants to be neglected on that day, and neither would Mary. I suspect even Jesus would have been in the card store searching for the right card for His mom if such things existed during His time on earth. I think that in loving her He would have also honored her.
It couldn't have been easy being Mary but she was blessed indeed.
"Sing Like Mary Sang" - Ryan Delmore
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