Mission Faithwalk

               Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. (Proverbs 31:3) Some time ago, I wrote about the more famous section of Proverbs 31, and pointed out that while it was advice given a son who happened to be king, it could easily be advice of a father or mother to a daughter.  It is advice from a Father who is King, to sons and daughters who are princes and princesses. Also some time ago, I wrote about the idea of vampires, those people, places, and things that suck the life out of you. They may make promises, but they bleed you dry. Translated, then, the verse may be read “Do not spend your strength on men/women, your vigor on those/that who/which ruin princes/princesses. My first thought was that right now, there are no men on whom I feel tempted to spend my strength or vigor. In fact, it seems to me that one of my challenges is a fear of spending strength or vigor in, with, on, or for an...

            “ Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. (Habakkuk 1:5) As we look around, we see all sorts of things that are amazing. We have hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, wars, people hating, and all manner of evil. We also see folks helping folks, the possibility of paralyzed people walking again, of mechanical arms, legs, and hands, discoveries, love, and beauty. There are parts of the world where Christianity is growing. It’s all mixed together and it all amazes us – or should. We know what He’s done in the past. We have read what He’ll do in the future, and we suspect that now is part of that future, but it’s not an immediately happy future from our perspective. We feel like Habakkuk, asking how God can allow it all.  But in all that we look at as evil, God is able to - and does – use people we think are mon...

                 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, (Psalm 30:11)           Though I prefer the NASB’s use of “mourning” to the NIV’s, “wailing,” the latter fits better with my recent post about grocery store aisles. This verse brings to mind a transition that has taken place in the last ten years. The first five of those years still involved lots of stress caring for my father, but there were tiny steps. In the past five, I’ve moved more assuredly into gladness (NASB), joy (NIV), and, well, maybe not quite dancing.           But this isn’t the way we think it should be. We want the transition to go at the speed of Leo Sayer’s Long Tall Glasses : less than three minutes between “of course I can’t dance”  and “Hand me down my tuxedo, next week I’m coming back for more.” But as...

                 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (Proverbs 29:11 NIV) Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV) Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is one who keeps the Law. (Proverbs 29:18 NASB) Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18 ESV) I’ve shared multiple translations of this verse because it’s one of my favorite verses and the differences help in understanding it. But I’m going to expand it in its principle. Where there are no guiding principles, there is chaos, but happy is the person who has and follows guiding principles. And the closer those guiding principles are to reality, the more your life will “work.” After my rant two days ago about Scripture twisting, I’m feel...

                 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:7-9)           Yesterday, I responded to a comment on Facebook that suggested that a parent's first (and only?) priority in life should be tending to the needs of his/her child. I pointed out that there are needs, and there are felt needs. A child may be absolutely sure she needs a dragon or another candy bar. They may throw themselves down in the grocery store aisle and scream, and nothing short of giving them what they want is going to be enoug...

                 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37) Excuse me while I vent. I’m reading a book about simplicity, in which the author cites this verse as an argument that we should live out a divine center in which we do not experience internal conflicts about what we should or should not do. Now, had he referred to the first chapter of James, I probably would not be having this response. I’m not saying his idea of being single-minded and living out of the divine center are wrong. But Matthew 5 does not address the issue of being conflicted about what one should do. It has to do with taking oaths. Jesus taught that we are not to swear by Heaven, the Earth, Jerusalem, or our heads. Rather, we are to simply say, “Yes” or “No.”  That’s not the same thing. It’s not even close . His claim now creates in me a conflict of motivation. Do I throw the book in the met...