Skip to main content

Thinking


 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-4) 

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) 

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 4:19) 

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12-13) 

          Today (yesterday by the time you read it) is one of those days that I usually count as the beginning of a year. I have lots of beginnings of years: January 1, when I return to Erie, April 27, when school starts, when I return to Zephyrhills. I usually approach these times when the plan to set goals, and more often than not, if they are set, that’s the end of it. I have set a few to begin today, most of them the standards of getting healthy and fit, doing all the things I feel guilty for not doing and not doing the things that aren’t good for me, reading a lot and writing even more…you know the drill. 
         This morning on my walk, however, I found myself thinking about the past couple years. There are a few verses that have been hanging around, maybe even stalking me. I can’t get away from them. The verse from Genesis walked into my life in fall, 2015. I think the Luke verse, which I connect with the phrase “bow the knee” showed up the spring of 2017. 
         The idea that God will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus peeked at me in 2016 but has been showing up a lot in the last four months. Recently, it started bringing a partner, the idea that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 
          Sometimes, it’s easy to be flip and acquisitive about the needs meeting and doing all things ideas, but my hold on them is desperation. I keep being told that I need to find a helper in my care for Dad, and that 75% of caregivers die before the person they’re caring for, so I have to take care of myself and meet my own needs, etc. It’s tempting to be depressed. When we’re going through a crisis, it’s hard. But, God says…
          And in little ways (so far as I’ve noticed) God has been providing for my needs. Yesterday, I got two patterns that I wanted for next to nothing. A friend has told me about a store where I might be able to find fabric at good prices. The past two times I’ve gone birding, I’ve encountered birds I have not photographed before, and last night, some of the photos were nice. 
          While the first two passages speak to me of challenges I’m afraid to face, the last two give me hope. When I remember them, I look forward to seeing how  God will provide.

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