Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Gleanings from the Lord's Mirrored Table
I love the story of Ruth for several reasons. 1.) It is a picture of the bride of Christ because of the "purchase" or redemption of Ruth and Naomi. 2.) It pictures the love and mercy of the Lord in His care for the widows. 3.) Another Gentile woman is brought in to the lineage of our Saviour. There are more reasons but I've listed enough.
Boaz was so kind to intentionally leave "fruit" for Ruth to glean to help feed herself and her mother-in-law. The Lord does this for us as well. He leaves just little small things that we pick up, one or two at the time, that's usually all we can manage. We can be fed by those things and then come back for more. We read and it seems that He opened the book and pointed out the passage for us. His word truly is alive and sharp.
Lately He has been exceptionally kind in His dealings with me. He has thrown down many good pieces of barley for me to gather. I've picked it up and been very convicted by what He's shown me, but so thankful that He noticed and dealt with me so kindly when He didn't have to. I deserved much less. He knows my flesh and my inability to do anything right and remembers and has mercy.
My eyes are to be constantly and always on Him, not on you or them or even me. Him. I am to follow hard after Him and love Him and choose the better part. Before my own Master I stand or fall.
His word is a mirror of my soul and if I look into it long enough I will see my blemishes. These blemishes are removable and need to be removed. :) With the washing of water by the word these ugly spots will be removed by my Groom. Eventually I will be just like He wants me to be, just like Him, but for now I just need to keep looking into that Mirror and allowing myself to be transformed by what I see there.
You see, it's only when we gaze into His holiness that we are able to see our need for Him and His love for us. It's only when we recognize His worth that we can come to understand the true cost of our sin. It's not OUR worth we should be concerned about but His.
"Take heed to thyself. Your own soul is your first and greatest care. You know a sound body alone can work with power; much more a healthy soul. Keep a clear conscience through the blood of the Lamb. Keep up close communion with God. Study likeness to Him in all things." —Robert Murray M'Cheyne
Robert Murray McCheyne was only 29 when he died and yet he had a lot of wisdom and an apparent close communion with God. Why? He spent a LOT of time looking in the Mirror. It is said that he read the Old Testament through once a year and the New Testament and the Psalms twice a year. The saying goes, we are what we eat...well, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. THAT is where we find life--renewal, power, courage, love, truth...EVERY good thing.
May I do this very thing and find myself being transformed by God's mirror, slowly but surely into the very image of His dear Son.
Boaz was so kind to intentionally leave "fruit" for Ruth to glean to help feed herself and her mother-in-law. The Lord does this for us as well. He leaves just little small things that we pick up, one or two at the time, that's usually all we can manage. We can be fed by those things and then come back for more. We read and it seems that He opened the book and pointed out the passage for us. His word truly is alive and sharp.
Lately He has been exceptionally kind in His dealings with me. He has thrown down many good pieces of barley for me to gather. I've picked it up and been very convicted by what He's shown me, but so thankful that He noticed and dealt with me so kindly when He didn't have to. I deserved much less. He knows my flesh and my inability to do anything right and remembers and has mercy.
My eyes are to be constantly and always on Him, not on you or them or even me. Him. I am to follow hard after Him and love Him and choose the better part. Before my own Master I stand or fall.
His word is a mirror of my soul and if I look into it long enough I will see my blemishes. These blemishes are removable and need to be removed. :) With the washing of water by the word these ugly spots will be removed by my Groom. Eventually I will be just like He wants me to be, just like Him, but for now I just need to keep looking into that Mirror and allowing myself to be transformed by what I see there.
You see, it's only when we gaze into His holiness that we are able to see our need for Him and His love for us. It's only when we recognize His worth that we can come to understand the true cost of our sin. It's not OUR worth we should be concerned about but His.
"Take heed to thyself. Your own soul is your first and greatest care. You know a sound body alone can work with power; much more a healthy soul. Keep a clear conscience through the blood of the Lamb. Keep up close communion with God. Study likeness to Him in all things." —Robert Murray M'Cheyne
Robert Murray McCheyne was only 29 when he died and yet he had a lot of wisdom and an apparent close communion with God. Why? He spent a LOT of time looking in the Mirror. It is said that he read the Old Testament through once a year and the New Testament and the Psalms twice a year. The saying goes, we are what we eat...well, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. THAT is where we find life--renewal, power, courage, love, truth...EVERY good thing.
May I do this very thing and find myself being transformed by God's mirror, slowly but surely into the very image of His dear Son.
The Ramblings of the Mentally Disturbed ;)
Have you looked up the definition of lazy in the dictionary lately? If so, you probably saw a picture of me. Let me know if you saw my picture though because nobody asked if they could put that in there, and I'm NOT going to win any prizes for being photogenic. ;) What's up with that anyway? Some of my friends and my kids and my kids' friends and my friends' kids all smile like they were trained to be models. ?? I just generally look a little like a dork...no, a lot like a dork. (Oh, I forgot, I'm not supposed to say dork anymore, it's not cool...oops! Oh, but HEY! I don't care. I'm friends with Si Robertson on Facebook!!! It's on like donkey kong, HEY! hehehehe)
Moving on, we had a busy spring season with the remodeling, a little short vacation and some ministry opportunities and it seems I cannot get back into the routine of life. I'm tired of that and I don't know what to do about it. I wish I was organized and remembered that I was organized because I can get organized but then I forgot I did it. Sigh.
I'm going to try to do better...good grief!...I've got to or we won't eat around here. :)
I've been being taught many things about myself and about life in general lately. Hmmm, maybe that's what's kept me down. hehehehehe. Naw, I'm not down, just barely moving...I tell people I have teenageritis. Ever heard of it? If not, and you have children, you will. I love my teenagers and they love me. We have a good relationship but that doesn't change the fact that they have all these things going on in their lives. They have not been brainwashed properly. If they had they would be perfectly obedient and think my thoughts after me. I really need to go that brainwashing school that everybody thinks I graduated from, with honors BTW...GOSH. Perhaps the little girls will do better with their brainwashing, maybe they'll be more receptive. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!;) NO, I DO NOT BRAINWASH MY KIDS OK?! DON'T TURN ME IN TO THE (shhhh)...authorities.
On that note, I would like to think that they (the teenagers) are renewing their minds in Christ. Unfortunately, I can't. They won't let me think that. They like me better unnerved.
All seriousness aside, I'm wondering if I'm really going to post all this incessant rambling. Probably. Maybe. Why not? They don't read my blog posts, nobody does. :)
Speaking of blogging,both my older girls are blogging now. Check them out at: http://carolinesreviews.wordpress.com/ and http://chamomilecreek.blogspot.com/ (I tried to do active links but it wouldn't let me. :( What is wrong with you, Blogger?)
Okay, so after 42 years I started drinking COFFEE!!! I couldn't believe it and when I told my sister she's like, "ME, TOO!" How weird is that? Raised by a father who bled coffee and grandparents who taught him to bleed that way you'd think one of us kids would drink the stuff--nope--not til now anyway. Now we do. Of course, I'm not tough like them, I don't drink it straight. I don't know how people do that without making really ugly, weird faces. ?? I like mine with about a teaspoon or so of honey and milk (not as much as my hubs thinks I like tho). It's good. Since I started drinking it I've noticed that the people who love it always try to validate the drinking of it. They say stuff like, "the news said it's good for ya" and "it supposed to extend your life". The folks who don't like it say, "that stuff'll kill ya" and "you know it keeps you from absorbing iron". I just love to be sitting near a "lover" and a "hater" and start a conversation/fight. hehehehe It makes for good blogging material, except I never blog, so... For all you haters out there, I only drink a cup a day or so--for all you lovers, I'm sorry, it's true. I must say in defense of the bitter stuff, that the aforementioned grandmother lived to be 92 and was energetic every day of her life...her husband died at 68 and was tired when he did...go figure? Just like everything else I guess, there's no right answer. (I REALLY hate that, too.)
Like Solomon said years ago, everything under the sun? Vanity. (ie. there are no right answers) Oh, wait a minute. There was one thing you could do that wouldn't be vain. "Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Then Paul said, "...[abound]in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain the Lord." Ecc. 12:13b and 1 Cor. 15:58b (To clarify for all my friends who think I'm trying to make it to heaven on works-hahahahahaha-can't be done. We must be known by the Lord Jesus Christ or He will say, "Depart from Me. I never knew you." That's the REAL question to ask you know. Not do you know Jesus, but does He know you.)
Be blessed, my friends! Be blessed as you follow Him. (If you don't follow Him yet...find Him and start...you will never regret it.) :)
Moving on, we had a busy spring season with the remodeling, a little short vacation and some ministry opportunities and it seems I cannot get back into the routine of life. I'm tired of that and I don't know what to do about it. I wish I was organized and remembered that I was organized because I can get organized but then I forgot I did it. Sigh.
I'm going to try to do better...good grief!...I've got to or we won't eat around here. :)
I've been being taught many things about myself and about life in general lately. Hmmm, maybe that's what's kept me down. hehehehehe. Naw, I'm not down, just barely moving...I tell people I have teenageritis. Ever heard of it? If not, and you have children, you will. I love my teenagers and they love me. We have a good relationship but that doesn't change the fact that they have all these things going on in their lives. They have not been brainwashed properly. If they had they would be perfectly obedient and think my thoughts after me. I really need to go that brainwashing school that everybody thinks I graduated from, with honors BTW...GOSH. Perhaps the little girls will do better with their brainwashing, maybe they'll be more receptive. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!;) NO, I DO NOT BRAINWASH MY KIDS OK?! DON'T TURN ME IN TO THE (shhhh)...authorities.
On that note, I would like to think that they (the teenagers) are renewing their minds in Christ. Unfortunately, I can't. They won't let me think that. They like me better unnerved.
All seriousness aside, I'm wondering if I'm really going to post all this incessant rambling. Probably. Maybe. Why not? They don't read my blog posts, nobody does. :)
Speaking of blogging,both my older girls are blogging now. Check them out at: http://carolinesreviews.wordpress.com/ and http://chamomilecreek.blogspot.com/ (I tried to do active links but it wouldn't let me. :( What is wrong with you, Blogger?)
Okay, so after 42 years I started drinking COFFEE!!! I couldn't believe it and when I told my sister she's like, "ME, TOO!" How weird is that? Raised by a father who bled coffee and grandparents who taught him to bleed that way you'd think one of us kids would drink the stuff--nope--not til now anyway. Now we do. Of course, I'm not tough like them, I don't drink it straight. I don't know how people do that without making really ugly, weird faces. ?? I like mine with about a teaspoon or so of honey and milk (not as much as my hubs thinks I like tho). It's good. Since I started drinking it I've noticed that the people who love it always try to validate the drinking of it. They say stuff like, "the news said it's good for ya" and "it supposed to extend your life". The folks who don't like it say, "that stuff'll kill ya" and "you know it keeps you from absorbing iron". I just love to be sitting near a "lover" and a "hater" and start a conversation/fight. hehehehe It makes for good blogging material, except I never blog, so... For all you haters out there, I only drink a cup a day or so--for all you lovers, I'm sorry, it's true. I must say in defense of the bitter stuff, that the aforementioned grandmother lived to be 92 and was energetic every day of her life...her husband died at 68 and was tired when he did...go figure? Just like everything else I guess, there's no right answer. (I REALLY hate that, too.)
Like Solomon said years ago, everything under the sun? Vanity. (ie. there are no right answers) Oh, wait a minute. There was one thing you could do that wouldn't be vain. "Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." Then Paul said, "...[abound]in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain the Lord." Ecc. 12:13b and 1 Cor. 15:58b (To clarify for all my friends who think I'm trying to make it to heaven on works-hahahahahaha-can't be done. We must be known by the Lord Jesus Christ or He will say, "Depart from Me. I never knew you." That's the REAL question to ask you know. Not do you know Jesus, but does He know you.)
Be blessed, my friends! Be blessed as you follow Him. (If you don't follow Him yet...find Him and start...you will never regret it.) :)
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