Friday, August 20, 2010

Spitting Chunks (I'm very classy today)

I am NOT a Bible scholar, a great Biblical teacher, BUT I love the Lord and I LOOOOVE His word. I am a theologian. I study it, I chew on it, I soak it up, I meditate on it, I listen to it, I hear it, I speak it and I crave it. I simply love His word. It is life to me. I wish I had it all memorized, every word of it buried in my heart to spew out at any moment. Until then, I chew on the parts before me and spit those chunks out (my apologies for the eloquent visuals today).

I was sitting here this past moment rejoicing at a call to prayer I received and immediately His words from Chronicles came jumping out of my heart, only I had one word wrong as I recited it in prayer. I said "When", but the bible said "if".

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What an amazing word from God, what a great promise He makes to us. I began to think about the difference between "When my people" and "If my people" pray means. I'll tell you right now, I have no answer, at least not one that I can intelligently express. But the word when, would say to me "I know you are gonna do this, it's just a matter of time" and the word if, says to me "You know, it's up to you. You can continue in your ways and I'll hand you over, BUT if you choose to ask me for help and stop doing what your doing, I have great things in store."

What are your thoughts? I'm just chewing for the rest of the day. I'm gonna chew on His words, even the little ones! God, open the flood gates and let your word rain on down. Speak to us Lord!!!!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Dirty Toilets

Oh Facebook. . . I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. I love that I can keep in contact with so many friends. I love seeing the pictures, catching up and knowing what's going on. But the time it takes to "keep up" with my 247 friends (and a few still pending) takes a lot of time. Yet, I find my self drawn to read their updates, post of few of my own and encourage a few along the way.

A recent post of a friend begged the question of why are there so many nooks at the bottom of the toilet and wondered what company thought we really wanted to scrub down there. Good point! How many times have we all strained our backs trying to get all the crud out.

Well, my response was this. . . "I think the Lord designed it to get us on our knees. So while I'm down there I'm reminded of my posture before an Almighty God. However in glory, I hope I'm not scrubbing nooks. But, in the meantime take it as a reminder to go before the Lord on your knees with all the crud in your life and when you rise up remember how shinny and clean you are before the Lord"

I truly find no joy in scrubbing and cleaning toilets, but for me there is nothing like getting the job done, stepping back and looking at a clean sparkling bathroom, even if it only lasts for about 2 minutes.

And there is nothing better than falling before the Lord, literally on my knees face down pouring out my soul to him, knowing that each time that I rise before the Lord, I stand forgiven. I stand forgiven even before I fall down, but the joy of rising new each day, each moment is sometimes so overwhelming to me.

I'm reminded again of David in 2 Samuel 7:18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said. . ."Who am I, o Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me this far. . . Is this Your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?

What I love so deeply about that is the translation of the word sat. It is a sitting, a sort of falling back in wonder and amazement. It is a posture of awe and wonder at what an Amazing, God we have.

May we take that posture not only in our heart and minds, but in our physical body also. May we fall face down before the One True Almighty God. May we sit back in wonder and awe at how our Lord deals with us. He is God, He is Lord, He is Worthy of all that we can offer because of all that He first offered us.

I love to simply pour out all that He has poured into me to begin with. Pour it out brothers and sister. . .

This is my prayer in the harvest
Where favour and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow~Brooke Fraser