An interesting question, should people use their iPods at church. I've been thinking about this off and on lately. First, it was my husband using his iPod to read scripture during the service. I shook my head; I gave him a few disapproving looks (for those of you who may read this and don't know me, I specialize in these....haha..ha).
Next, he began using his iPod to read the call to worship, a Psalm or section of the Bible, from the stage during worship. It was on a music stand; I doubt anyone saw or noticed the difference. But I sure did!! I freaked OUT! (Quietly, inside. The casual observer may have seen me blink just a little too long, my eyebrows raise ever so slightly) WHAT is he DOING!! Sacrilege! For some reason it was The Unthinkable to me.
He argued that it's no big deal, and this way he can have the verses quickly and with no disruption to the flow of the service. It used to take him about 2.5 seconds to find the verse in his Bible. So now he is redeeming the time, putting those 2 seconds to better use. Umm... well done.
Finally, our 13 year old daughter, resplendent with a new iPod, also had the Bible app. Yikes! What might people be people thinking!? Do they think she is texting her friends like the teenage boys at the back of the church, phones hidden under their coats, satisfied smirks on their faces? Or maybe they think she's playing a game...heavens, this is embarrassing. No, she's just following along with the scripture reading. But I can hardly stand it. I'm really distracted...husband to the left of me, daughter to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with actual pages of a Bible.
I convince myself I'm simply archaic, maybe even jealous. I stare straight ahead. I know I have the attention span of a gnat with ADHD, so that's just it; gotta focus.
A few Sundays pass. I give up on the iPod on the stage, I figure my husband is a big boy and can do what he wants. (Whew, good grief, I know....poor man).
The daughter, well my husband began to have a problem with her looking at her iPod, also. We've asked her to put it away now and then. Hypocrites!! I say that tongue-in-cheek. Of course I know that teens need to do as their parents say, not as they do (my whole meaning for existence is kinda dependent upon this premise).
And then I read recently a series of articles on the subject of iPhones at church, and it got me thinking again. There seem to be many different reasons and rationales both for those FOR and those AGAINST. Some valid points, as far as I can tell, with a dash of sarcasm sprinkled in on both sides.
Personally, I don't think people should use their phones because a) it is distracting to people like me, b) it is not a good example to those who may not have the iron control necessary to not check e-mail, tweet, or look at a facebook update, and c) I can't use this on my phone at the moment.
Alright c) is a joke.
That last one should actually read, c) when you use your Bible you can see the immediate and overall context.
Oh, and then there's:
d) iPhones are for entertainment and scripture is not entertainment
e) your phone might ring
f) it might be tempting to update your calendar using the bulletin
g) f) without the bulletin part
h) the battery might die in the middle of the sermon
i) the pastor may think you are making a meme
j) the pastor may think you are taking his picture and then using photoshop
k) your wife or significant other might give you looks like daggers
l) you may never crack a Bible again and have to give away your bookshelves because they are all dusty
m) the blue glow on your face may affect your skin tone
Should people even bring their phones to church? Should we leave them in the car? Should we have baskets for people to drop in their technology before entering the sanctuary? What about the guy with the laptop, taking semon notes? (I'm gonna choke him, yes I am, behind the church later. No joke.)
Besides, I spent all that time memorizing the books of the Bible, and it's not fair that you can bring up any verse with the smooth touch of a Galaxy button. Plus I learned that the Old Testament is the first section and the New Testament is the second one. And if you open your Bible in the middle it generally lands somewhere in the Psalms. And what about Sword Drills? I'd like to see a Bible teacher have some fun with that!
"iPhones UP!! Zebedee chapter 23, verse 19. GO."
Monday, February 25, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
What in the World are We DOing?
However. The past aside, the present and future before us, as well as shelves and stacks of books, it is essential to consider what we are DOING with all these treasures of knowledge. Ahhh, humans!! We love to think (important), and discuss (wonderful), and even debate (we have the answers), and it may preclude but can never take the place of actually putting some legs on it. This is what bothers me about myself. Somehow I've swallowed this idea that I can read, think, even pray, and if I don't get around to taking action it's alright, just missed a bit of the process. My friends, the doing IS the process.
The Entire Point.
Here is my comment (yeah...it was a little long...hence this post)
I cannot see Jesus sitting under a tree for hours discussing how people need to be healed and rescued, and then walking to the next town and discussing it again.It's true. And yet, if you enjoy reading, what's the loss? Some books on my shelves are treasures that I go back to and read over every few years. Some are good books that for whatever reason I wasn't interested enough in to finish. So be it. Some I read once and have no desire to read again, but the colorful spines on the shelf bring a smile to my face as I remember. With all the actual problems I have, I'm not going to manufacture any based on what I did or didn't read deeply. A question that has been challenging me recently is "What have you done with what you've read?" Say I sit down and invest some time in one of the great books Tim Challies has reviewed and recommends. Do I simply say,"Well, that was pretty good. Theology was sound, far as I know. I enjoyed that. Next...." or did I think about a real, living breathing day-to-day change I could make? If it was about fulfilling the Great Commission, did I talk to anyone about my relationship with Jesus? If it was about the Holy Spirit, did I watch for His fruit in my life or consciously try to keep in step with Him? If it was a challenge to be thankful, did I thank someone, did I pray, did I write what I was grateful for? If I DO something with the information, it is never a loss. If it doesn't take root... and begin to grow...it wasn't deep enough. The motto of the complacently informed -- Think Deeply, Do as Little as Possible.
I CAN see Him sitting under the tree with the disciples, talking, teaching, sharing, thinking... and then going through the village healing, encouraging, challenging, helping. Talking to the tax collector up in the sycamore tree. Healing the daughter of the Canaanite woman, who had great faith. Feeding people with bread and fish. Preaching in the synagogue. Jesus did the work; He made the sacrifice. And ultimately sacrificed it all, His life -- exchanged for ours. And now He sees me, set free, bought with a price, sitting and talking under a tree. Reading, studying. Thinking. While the hungry beg by the side of the road. I hoard my food, I keep the directions hidden, and the searching wander farther away.
Read, Pray, Love....?
Do?
Friday, February 1, 2013
Paint and Life
Why is choosing a paint color so difficult? For me it's always incredibly hard. Crazy though -- why would I rather live in drabness for years, rather than take a risk with a paint I may hate? Besides all the obvious reasons such as cost, hard work, dealing with smell and drip cloths and taping off ceiling and trim...I'm wondering if I fear failure too much. Don't want to mess it up!! Yep that's probably it, alright.
And another thing. This part has to do with personality, or personaliTIES as the case may be! For those of you who know the 4 basic personalities of Choleric, Sanguine, Melancholy and Phlegmatic, I happen to be a strong Melancholy and Sanguine blend. Now for the uninitiated, these two profiles are OPPOSITES. They sit on opposite sides of the table and rarely strike up a conversation for fear of eye-rolling and unpleasantness. And the table they are sitting at happens to be up in my brain, or psyche, or what-have-you. So the melancholy, list-making, careful planner wants grey, and rules and subtle sophistication. Sanguine Pam wants teal blue, and copper, and lively swirls, and to leave the rich golden color on the living room walls. Unfortunately for the walls of my house, there seems to be a standoff between these two darlings. Ever try to be bold and original, yet thoughtful and careful at the same time?! HMMM?? Good luck.
Now I understand spontaneous combustion. Ha ha. That was a little joke.
Sanguine Pam is laughing.
Melancholy Pam is wondering how long it will be until I'm done writing this blog and can get on with my day.
Sanguine Pam is secretly planning to take a nap.
What both don't realize is in about 5 minutes I'm going to force all of us to do a tough exercise routine. (hee hee)
What's it gonna be? Grey Whisp or Gossamer Blue? As a university student renting off campus, my roommate and I just went to Canadian Tire and bought whatever reasonable mis-tint was there that day for four bucks. And were quite happy with the results! Aahh Life, when didja get so complicated.
And another thing. This part has to do with personality, or personaliTIES as the case may be! For those of you who know the 4 basic personalities of Choleric, Sanguine, Melancholy and Phlegmatic, I happen to be a strong Melancholy and Sanguine blend. Now for the uninitiated, these two profiles are OPPOSITES. They sit on opposite sides of the table and rarely strike up a conversation for fear of eye-rolling and unpleasantness. And the table they are sitting at happens to be up in my brain, or psyche, or what-have-you. So the melancholy, list-making, careful planner wants grey, and rules and subtle sophistication. Sanguine Pam wants teal blue, and copper, and lively swirls, and to leave the rich golden color on the living room walls. Unfortunately for the walls of my house, there seems to be a standoff between these two darlings. Ever try to be bold and original, yet thoughtful and careful at the same time?! HMMM?? Good luck.
Now I understand spontaneous combustion. Ha ha. That was a little joke.
Sanguine Pam is laughing.
Melancholy Pam is wondering how long it will be until I'm done writing this blog and can get on with my day.
Sanguine Pam is secretly planning to take a nap.
What both don't realize is in about 5 minutes I'm going to force all of us to do a tough exercise routine. (hee hee)
What's it gonna be? Grey Whisp or Gossamer Blue? As a university student renting off campus, my roommate and I just went to Canadian Tire and bought whatever reasonable mis-tint was there that day for four bucks. And were quite happy with the results! Aahh Life, when didja get so complicated.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
The Rewards of Risk
Is risk rewarding? Well, consider moments and events you are proud of in your life. Or those times that shaped your character. Risk, I'm betting, was heavily involved. Today is January 1, 2013. What do you want to change this year? What do you need to risk to do it? I'm guessing there is something. Perhaps you'd like to spend your time more wisely. Or start something important, even though you're afraid you might not finish it.
One thing I've learned from observing others, past and present, is you become who you want to be by DOING it. Film-makers make films, even if it is running around your neighborhood making a documentary of the sad state of lawn maintenance in the 21st century. Eventually you might be Peter Jackson filming The Hobbit. The great musicians, dancers, poets, chefs, and architects sang, danced, wrote, cooked, and designed until they were tired, frustrated, worn-out. I'd like to be a writer, but I'm often afraid to write. I may read it back and it will sound trite, or ridiculous, even grammatically riddled with errors. Bah! I can't be a writer. Foolish thought. Besides, my bookshelf is jammed with wonderful writers! Who needs another one on God's green earth!
..............This, my friends, is what I tell myself. So can you relate? Well, even if I'm not meant to be a writer, if I don't risk it then I won't know. I won't be able to move on from there. See what I mean? Like stepping-stones across a stream. There's a bit of a free-fall over the water while leaping to the next rock, but it's the only way to get there. A moment, climbing the mountain, when you are suspended over the face of the cliff and eternity, but it's bloody uncomfortable just hanging on to where you are all the time.
Risk is not ONLY for the young, though it is for the young, too. When I was younger I had fire in my veins. I did everything, anything, didn't worry about it. If only one could combine the confidence of youth with the experience of years! Instead it seems the experience of years holds back the horses at the gate and even locks them in the barn now and then, tossing and charging until the spirit is broken. It's a sad day, when you unlock the door of your dreams and find they have no life left in them.
So. As a challenge to myself for this fresh new year, if I want to do something, I'll DO it, not just think about it. If I hope to be something, I'll BE it. Perhaps badly, maybe not as well as I'd hoped, but better than hanging on for dear life to the top of the fence. Whatever happens, let's keep fighting. So often I've wanted to give up and let the world go on without me. Not dying but dying inside, a passive face that smiles and hides and feels nothing. This year I've been too close to that abyss, and I want to struggle away from it, and carry on with a dream or two in hand.
Keep going friends, risk is worth it in the end.
One thing I've learned from observing others, past and present, is you become who you want to be by DOING it. Film-makers make films, even if it is running around your neighborhood making a documentary of the sad state of lawn maintenance in the 21st century. Eventually you might be Peter Jackson filming The Hobbit. The great musicians, dancers, poets, chefs, and architects sang, danced, wrote, cooked, and designed until they were tired, frustrated, worn-out. I'd like to be a writer, but I'm often afraid to write. I may read it back and it will sound trite, or ridiculous, even grammatically riddled with errors. Bah! I can't be a writer. Foolish thought. Besides, my bookshelf is jammed with wonderful writers! Who needs another one on God's green earth!
..............This, my friends, is what I tell myself. So can you relate? Well, even if I'm not meant to be a writer, if I don't risk it then I won't know. I won't be able to move on from there. See what I mean? Like stepping-stones across a stream. There's a bit of a free-fall over the water while leaping to the next rock, but it's the only way to get there. A moment, climbing the mountain, when you are suspended over the face of the cliff and eternity, but it's bloody uncomfortable just hanging on to where you are all the time.
Risk is not ONLY for the young, though it is for the young, too. When I was younger I had fire in my veins. I did everything, anything, didn't worry about it. If only one could combine the confidence of youth with the experience of years! Instead it seems the experience of years holds back the horses at the gate and even locks them in the barn now and then, tossing and charging until the spirit is broken. It's a sad day, when you unlock the door of your dreams and find they have no life left in them.
So. As a challenge to myself for this fresh new year, if I want to do something, I'll DO it, not just think about it. If I hope to be something, I'll BE it. Perhaps badly, maybe not as well as I'd hoped, but better than hanging on for dear life to the top of the fence. Whatever happens, let's keep fighting. So often I've wanted to give up and let the world go on without me. Not dying but dying inside, a passive face that smiles and hides and feels nothing. This year I've been too close to that abyss, and I want to struggle away from it, and carry on with a dream or two in hand.
Keep going friends, risk is worth it in the end.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
BIRTHDAY!
Hello again....been awhile.
This taking a break from teaching has its pitfalls, which I knew. Ths structure is missing.
For someone whose self-worth is really tied to what she does during the day, it's a hard thing!
How do I get things done that need doing? Now that the contractors are gone and the basement is in the final stages (I'm finishing it) the house is quiet. I do love it. But feel so guilty sometimes, and the time goes fast....pretty soon I'm back at the school picking up the kids and thinking "Wow, what did I accomplish today?" Because the homework, supper, nightly activities hamster wheel starts going again, so I better have something to show for my day!
Today is my birthday, December 6. That date will always have a glow about it. No matter how many boring or disappointing birthdays go by, I'm still enchanted by December the 6th. Yay!
I have needed to be still for awhile,
to wait beside the window.
Takes time for the spinning to stop
after the ferris wheel.
The snow will gently fall,
and if I stay here,
it will cover me and I will disappear.
So I watch through my window
with a beating heart
too restless to rest -
too impatient to start.
Apathy and expectancy
take turns looking through
as children playing peek-a-boo,
but I hide from you.
or horses at the starting gate
I paw and twitch and twist my fate.
To know what I need,
To need what I want,
to want what I have.
To jump off the train and have it stop for you.
The trouble with windows is they keep out the noise,
and the air.
And you only see what you can see from there.
So happy birthday to me. May I find the peace I need this year, and be able to stop and enjoy the moments as they slip quietly away. May I learn to measure my days in love and trust, in hugs and smiles.
This taking a break from teaching has its pitfalls, which I knew. Ths structure is missing.
For someone whose self-worth is really tied to what she does during the day, it's a hard thing!
How do I get things done that need doing? Now that the contractors are gone and the basement is in the final stages (I'm finishing it) the house is quiet. I do love it. But feel so guilty sometimes, and the time goes fast....pretty soon I'm back at the school picking up the kids and thinking "Wow, what did I accomplish today?" Because the homework, supper, nightly activities hamster wheel starts going again, so I better have something to show for my day!
Today is my birthday, December 6. That date will always have a glow about it. No matter how many boring or disappointing birthdays go by, I'm still enchanted by December the 6th. Yay!
I have needed to be still for awhile,
to wait beside the window.
Takes time for the spinning to stop
after the ferris wheel.
The snow will gently fall,
and if I stay here,
it will cover me and I will disappear.
So I watch through my window
with a beating heart
too restless to rest -
too impatient to start.
Apathy and expectancy
take turns looking through
as children playing peek-a-boo,
but I hide from you.
or horses at the starting gate
I paw and twitch and twist my fate.
To know what I need,
To need what I want,
to want what I have.
To jump off the train and have it stop for you.
The trouble with windows is they keep out the noise,
and the air.
And you only see what you can see from there.
So happy birthday to me. May I find the peace I need this year, and be able to stop and enjoy the moments as they slip quietly away. May I learn to measure my days in love and trust, in hugs and smiles.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
On Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs is a good one to read every day. So I have been told, at various times and by various people, especially my father while I was growing up. It seems to leave traces of wisdom where it goes, and layers of understanding that build, with bricks and mortar, houses and rooms of knowledge that you can take shelter in.
Today is Novemember 13. What jewels are there in Proverbs 13? I'm going to lay some of them out here.
"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin."
AAhhhhh, how many times have I wished I had stopped and thought before the words came tumbling out! I am a verbal thinker. Which means, frankly, that I talk alot....blah blah blah... For example. This morning I go into Home Hardware to get a can of paint. I know what I need, and the color, but I talk it through with the lady at the paint desk anyway, asking questions I pretty much know the answer to already, because as I'm talking it out the color, the texture, the brand of paint, the amount - gallon or pint- all makes sense. I now feel reasonably sure I'm buying the right thing. Bless their hearts, these people who listen to me.
Rash speaking gets you in trouble. Nobody will comment on it, perhaps, but a reputation is built, and others may trust you less, or be wary of your anger spray can that shoots acid at random. A life can come to ruin. Picture a ruined house or castle on a hillside. Where no care is taken, things fall apart; acid eats through stone, rain erodes the foundation, wind and leaves blow in windows left open and make a rotten mess inside.
It's rather important, this guard over our lips. And some of us have to post a stronger guard than others. heh heh...
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Ain't that the truth. Do we always get what we want (or think we want)? Sometimes. Sometimes we force it and take what we shouldn't have, and that hurts too. Longing, hope that is always out of reach, makes your heart ache. We've all felt it at some point. This verse makes me wonder though, is a longing fulfilled always a tree of life? I mean, at the moment, it can make you feel vibrant, buzzing with life, on top of the world!!!! But if it is a longing for something (or someone) that you are not meant to have, the tree is rotten through and through in a short time. A short life. Proverbs has a lot to say about the human condition, and how we operate, how we deviate, and our propensity to destroy without meaning to, sometimes, like a child in a grocery store. Piles of neatly ordered cans come crashing down.
Our hearts are often NOT in the right place, they are devious, and lead us down paths of pain. This I know from experience, and I'm sure you also, reader, have tasted this.
"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."
Self-explanatory! It's interesting all the mention of harm, or destruction, or ruin as the polar opposite of wisdom. Like a cake that falls flat without baking powder. Like an instrument that hasn't been tuned. Like a castle built on sand, everything falls apart without it!
The thing with wisdom though is if you've never seen it you don't know you need it.
The aspiring musician who has never heard a symphony might know that something is wrong, but never think to tune his poor squealing violin. Does this not apply to raising children, running a home, and having friends? Mentors are so important, those people who show us a straight line before we build, and play us a song before we sing. If we learn to recognize wisdom, we won't be able to play the instrument of our lives without it. We will recognize the sweet sounds of harmony.
Today is Novemember 13. What jewels are there in Proverbs 13? I'm going to lay some of them out here.
"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin."
AAhhhhh, how many times have I wished I had stopped and thought before the words came tumbling out! I am a verbal thinker. Which means, frankly, that I talk alot....blah blah blah... For example. This morning I go into Home Hardware to get a can of paint. I know what I need, and the color, but I talk it through with the lady at the paint desk anyway, asking questions I pretty much know the answer to already, because as I'm talking it out the color, the texture, the brand of paint, the amount - gallon or pint- all makes sense. I now feel reasonably sure I'm buying the right thing. Bless their hearts, these people who listen to me.
Rash speaking gets you in trouble. Nobody will comment on it, perhaps, but a reputation is built, and others may trust you less, or be wary of your anger spray can that shoots acid at random. A life can come to ruin. Picture a ruined house or castle on a hillside. Where no care is taken, things fall apart; acid eats through stone, rain erodes the foundation, wind and leaves blow in windows left open and make a rotten mess inside.
It's rather important, this guard over our lips. And some of us have to post a stronger guard than others. heh heh...
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
Ain't that the truth. Do we always get what we want (or think we want)? Sometimes. Sometimes we force it and take what we shouldn't have, and that hurts too. Longing, hope that is always out of reach, makes your heart ache. We've all felt it at some point. This verse makes me wonder though, is a longing fulfilled always a tree of life? I mean, at the moment, it can make you feel vibrant, buzzing with life, on top of the world!!!! But if it is a longing for something (or someone) that you are not meant to have, the tree is rotten through and through in a short time. A short life. Proverbs has a lot to say about the human condition, and how we operate, how we deviate, and our propensity to destroy without meaning to, sometimes, like a child in a grocery store. Piles of neatly ordered cans come crashing down.
Our hearts are often NOT in the right place, they are devious, and lead us down paths of pain. This I know from experience, and I'm sure you also, reader, have tasted this.
"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."
Self-explanatory! It's interesting all the mention of harm, or destruction, or ruin as the polar opposite of wisdom. Like a cake that falls flat without baking powder. Like an instrument that hasn't been tuned. Like a castle built on sand, everything falls apart without it!
The thing with wisdom though is if you've never seen it you don't know you need it.
The aspiring musician who has never heard a symphony might know that something is wrong, but never think to tune his poor squealing violin. Does this not apply to raising children, running a home, and having friends? Mentors are so important, those people who show us a straight line before we build, and play us a song before we sing. If we learn to recognize wisdom, we won't be able to play the instrument of our lives without it. We will recognize the sweet sounds of harmony.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Trust and Twisted Motives - Devotional
Morning Devotions
READ Acts 1:21-26
Recently the topic of selfishness
has been on my mind. The thing that is insidious about selfishness is it has a
lot to do with motives. And motives are notoriously hard to pin down, like
nailing jello to the wall.
Have you ever had that phone call, the person on the other
end telling you how amazing you are, or how generous, or perhaps they are
listing the frustrations of their day and What A Great Listener You Are? And
the result of this rather one-sided conversation is you feel that person is a
wonderful and generous soul rightbackatcha, and you just want to give some love
back. And then the one-two punch comes, as the wonderful person asks you to do
something for them. Makes a request that is pretty hard for you to fulfill, but
not impossible.
Suddenly the air all blows violently and noisily from the balloon of your inflated ego and you realize that the motivation behind all the love is simply that the person wants something. Simply a little selfishness. I want or need something, and I know how to get it from you. The anger you feel at that moment is generally mixed with a large dose of confusion and prevents you from saying anything but a stuttered, “Yes, yes…of course. No problem.”
Suddenly the air all blows violently and noisily from the balloon of your inflated ego and you realize that the motivation behind all the love is simply that the person wants something. Simply a little selfishness. I want or need something, and I know how to get it from you. The anger you feel at that moment is generally mixed with a large dose of confusion and prevents you from saying anything but a stuttered, “Yes, yes…of course. No problem.”
The point of this scenario is
that motives are difficult to see, and hard to understand. What looks good from
the outside can be kinda rotten on the inside. But God can see it. He weighs
hearts, and he knows exactly what is on the scale. At the end of Acts chapter 1
the disciples are faced with choosing a new disciple to replace Judas Iscariot.
“So they proposed two men: Joseph called
Barsabbas… and Matthias. Then they prayed, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart.
Show us which of these two you have chosen…’”
Fascinating! There is so much
here to unpack!
For a start, the disciples used their own wisdom and experience, to a point, in settling on these two men. God has given us understanding, and we can certainly use it to test the waters of our own or another’s motives and character. They were confident that these two men were a good choice.
But they were wise enough to realize that only God can see the heart, the inner motives. They pray, and ask God directly. “Lord…show us.”
How many times do we by-pass this “little” step? Maybe because we wish we had the answer all by our amazing selves? Probably!
Next, they believe that God is going to come through, and trust Him completely. They cast lots (knowing God can work through our simple devices) and when the lot falls to Matthias, the sentence concludes, “so he was added to the eleven apostles”.
Not, “and they sat around and discussed whether Matthias was indeed the best choice.”
No second-guessing, no man-centered discussion, just trust that God has seen, has heard, and has answered. This is a great lesson in faith. Simply relying on God to come through, and being satisfied with His answer.
For a start, the disciples used their own wisdom and experience, to a point, in settling on these two men. God has given us understanding, and we can certainly use it to test the waters of our own or another’s motives and character. They were confident that these two men were a good choice.
But they were wise enough to realize that only God can see the heart, the inner motives. They pray, and ask God directly. “Lord…show us.”
How many times do we by-pass this “little” step? Maybe because we wish we had the answer all by our amazing selves? Probably!
Next, they believe that God is going to come through, and trust Him completely. They cast lots (knowing God can work through our simple devices) and when the lot falls to Matthias, the sentence concludes, “so he was added to the eleven apostles”.
Not, “and they sat around and discussed whether Matthias was indeed the best choice.”
No second-guessing, no man-centered discussion, just trust that God has seen, has heard, and has answered. This is a great lesson in faith. Simply relying on God to come through, and being satisfied with His answer.
Are
you afraid to trust your own motives because you’ve seen the ugly weeds of
selfishness twisting around your good intentions? Or does someone else
regularly blind-side you with manipulation, otherwise known as twisted motives?
We can use the disciple’s example and first use our own discernment and
experience, to a point. Next we ask God for help to see as He sees. Then, we
can trust what He shows us, through his Word or by His Holy Spirit. Trust Him,
no second-guessing. We know we are flawed creatures, prone to wander, but we
have a loving and faithful God, a God who sees.
PRAY Oh God, it is hard to be human, as You so well know. Thank-you that You see me for who I really am, and help me to trust that YOU know the answers and what is best for me. Help me to trust and obey. Guard me from the selfish motives in my own heart, and the hearts of others. Thank-you for your faithfulness to me, your protection, your love. Amen.
PRAY Oh God, it is hard to be human, as You so well know. Thank-you that You see me for who I really am, and help me to trust that YOU know the answers and what is best for me. Help me to trust and obey. Guard me from the selfish motives in my own heart, and the hearts of others. Thank-you for your faithfulness to me, your protection, your love. Amen.
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