Skip to main content

We Are The Memorial Stones


            We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 75:1) 

            Like so many things, when I hear of what God has done in the lives of others, it tends to generate one of two responses: thankfulness or jealousy. I admit, I struggle with the jealousy. Some people seem to be so blessed with God's closeness. I don't want their closeness to disappear, but I'd like to have it, too. The reality is that I may not have their particular brand of closeness, but I have the sort of closeness that God knows is right for me. He protects me from the problems someone else's sort of closeness might cause: pride.
          When my heart is right, I am thankful for the stories of God's closeness to others because it means I can grow closer to Him, too. The stories build my faith, and allow me to see God through His work. In Old Testament times, God told the Israelites over and over: remember, tell one another about what I did, put up monuments so that when people see, they are curious and ask. In New Testament times, God didn't seem to be interested in mounds of rocks as memorials. Instead, Christians, themselves, are to be the memorials. People are supposed to see us and be curious. We are to "[a]lways be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. " (I Peter 3:15 b)          
  
            Thank You, Lord, for what You have done in the lives of so many. Hearing their stories can make us long to be closer to You and more willing to give up what comes between us. Work in us so that we tell our stories even when we don't use words.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Pure...

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, a...
Post a Comment
Read more