In Mark 1:37 it talks about how Everyone is looking for Jesus. Granted, a few verses before this (21-34) He’s teaching in the synagogue as if he was the author of what he’s teaching (with authority) and he’s healed a bunch of people and cast out demons. I would imagine those things not only drew attention to Him, but maybe made people want a lot more from him. Of course, maybe not everyone wanted something from him, but it does say that everyone was looking for him. Which made me wonder if anyone else was trying to use that situation to their advantage.
Immediately I thought about Satan’s direct temptation of Christ in the wilderness (Mark 1:13). Now, after 40 days of tempting doesn’t work, would Satan just give up? I don’t think he works that way. I think if a direct approach doesn’t work, he tries an indirect one instead. For example – using other people. It works on me all the time. Too much attention and praise – I fall to pride. The demand of other people and their needs – I fall to impatience and unrighteous anger. And I know I’m not the only one that falls short when other people enter the equation. I mean, his reaction to people’s complaints is what kept Moses from stepping foot into the promised land. So I tried to put myself in the metaphorical shoes of The Great Tempter. I thought, if one moment of temper ‘caused’ by a bunch of sinners was good enough to trip up Moses, just maybe it could work on Christ.
But see, Christ isn’t just any man. For one thing, he’s omniscient – so he knows what’s going to happen. And because he knows what’s going to happen, he can prepare. Which made me wonder about how he prepared to deal with all these people who were looking for him, who wanted a piece of him and who satan could potentially use to try and cause him to fail. How did he prepare for his day and what can I learn from it?
Well, in Mark 1:35 it says that He went early in the morning, before it was even light outside, away from the house (where people were) to a secluded (quiet and private) place to pray to God. He began his day asking God what He wanted before any imperfect person had a chance to ask him anything else. He consulted with His Father and listened to Him speak. And I can too. I have the capability to get my behind up out of bed early enough to go to a quiet place and talk to my Heavenly Father. I have the opportunity to listen to God’s direction for me each morning before all the clamor and noise intrudes from my daily routine. I have the gift of spending time with God every morning because he loves me and what do I do?
Well, this morning I hit the snooze button. Effectively, this is the conversation that could have happened:
God: (by way of my alarm clock buzzing) Good morning! Rise and shine! Let’s spend some time together!
Me: (by hitting the snooze button the first time) Ummm, no thanks. I think I just want to sleep a little longer. I’m kind of tired.
God: (by buzzing again) How about now, daughter? You ready to hear about what great things I have planned for you today?
Me: (hitting the buzzer again) Aaaaaahhhhhhhh, not really. I think I’d rather just get a LITTLE more sleep.
God: (not going off again till I HAD to get up) Okay. If that’s what you really want.
Granted, in the moment, that bed sure was comfy, but looking back on the day I’ve had today… I was extremely short tempered and cranky all day long. It’s no one’s fault but my own. God gave me so many opportunities to talk to Him in the still, in the quiet, so that I could prepare. But I turned him down. And who wins when that happens? Definitely not me.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A Just Balance and Scales BELONG to the LORD...
Proverbs 16:11 says: A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern.
Just giving it a cursory reading it says to me: Renee, justice belongs to God, and the fairness/unfairness are his concern, not yours. Which seems like it’s telling me to quit complaining about life not being fair because it’s not my concern, it’s Gods.
But is there something more to this verse that my superficial reading is missing?
Shall we get out the dictionary and break it down?
First up: A just balance and scales belong to the LORD.
Just is a synonym for Fair.
Balance and scales are the things that items are measured with.
Belong can mean that something is the property of someone or something else – the just and balanced scales are the property of God.
BUT:
Belong can also mean to be an attribute, part or function of a person or thing – the just and balanced scales are an attribute of God, part of who He is.
Instead of telling me simply that Justice belongs to God (which is true) it could also be telling me that Part of God’s very nature is being fair and just.
Next up: All the weights of the bag are His concern.
All the weights of the bag refers to the standard used to measure. There should be one weight but sometimes people would use differing weights in their bag to cheat others.
Concern can be defined as ‘being the business of’ again, making my original understanding that the weights of the bag are his business, not mine accurate.
BUT:
Concern can also mean ‘to care’. Meaning that He cares about all the weights of the bags and in turn their fairness/unfairness.
Now we have two sort of different views on this verse:
Renee, justice belongs to God and the fairness/unfairness is his business not yours.
and
Renee, God’s very nature is being fair and just; which is why he cares about the fairness of the weights of the bag.
Both things are necessary for me to hear.
Knowing that by His own nature God is Fair and Just and that He cares about the weights of the bag (fairness in measure) helps me. Focusing on His desire for justice and fairness helps release some of my own desire to be in charge of the scales which belong to Him. It helps me to see that it’s okay for me to give up my desire to exact my own payment and compensation when I believe the weight’s in the bag are deceptive and false because I know God, who does everything perfectly, will mete out justice perfectly as well.
No, things will not be perfect here on earth. Yes I will have to deal with life not being fair. I will constantly long for fairness and justice – which is right and good. However, I can be freed from the burden of holding onto bitterness and a desire to retaliate against the injustice and unfairness I have and will face here on earth. How? By realizing that one day all of that will be taken care of by someone with far more power than I will ever have. I can let go and instead of worrying with justice I can concern myself with trying harder to show God’s Love and Mercy – which I am so thankful I receive in abundance every day.
Just giving it a cursory reading it says to me: Renee, justice belongs to God, and the fairness/unfairness are his concern, not yours. Which seems like it’s telling me to quit complaining about life not being fair because it’s not my concern, it’s Gods.
But is there something more to this verse that my superficial reading is missing?
Shall we get out the dictionary and break it down?
First up: A just balance and scales belong to the LORD.
Just is a synonym for Fair.
Balance and scales are the things that items are measured with.
Belong can mean that something is the property of someone or something else – the just and balanced scales are the property of God.
BUT:
Belong can also mean to be an attribute, part or function of a person or thing – the just and balanced scales are an attribute of God, part of who He is.
Instead of telling me simply that Justice belongs to God (which is true) it could also be telling me that Part of God’s very nature is being fair and just.
Next up: All the weights of the bag are His concern.
All the weights of the bag refers to the standard used to measure. There should be one weight but sometimes people would use differing weights in their bag to cheat others.
Concern can be defined as ‘being the business of’ again, making my original understanding that the weights of the bag are his business, not mine accurate.
BUT:
Concern can also mean ‘to care’. Meaning that He cares about all the weights of the bags and in turn their fairness/unfairness.
Now we have two sort of different views on this verse:
Renee, justice belongs to God and the fairness/unfairness is his business not yours.
and
Renee, God’s very nature is being fair and just; which is why he cares about the fairness of the weights of the bag.
Both things are necessary for me to hear.
Knowing that by His own nature God is Fair and Just and that He cares about the weights of the bag (fairness in measure) helps me. Focusing on His desire for justice and fairness helps release some of my own desire to be in charge of the scales which belong to Him. It helps me to see that it’s okay for me to give up my desire to exact my own payment and compensation when I believe the weight’s in the bag are deceptive and false because I know God, who does everything perfectly, will mete out justice perfectly as well.
No, things will not be perfect here on earth. Yes I will have to deal with life not being fair. I will constantly long for fairness and justice – which is right and good. However, I can be freed from the burden of holding onto bitterness and a desire to retaliate against the injustice and unfairness I have and will face here on earth. How? By realizing that one day all of that will be taken care of by someone with far more power than I will ever have. I can let go and instead of worrying with justice I can concern myself with trying harder to show God’s Love and Mercy – which I am so thankful I receive in abundance every day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)