Pittering away in silent dark
Among the loud calls from
Crickets, ribbits, scratchy, squeaky bugs
The call of July
The heat diffused by cover of the dark blanket of a new moon
The metro glow of ambient red upon the horizon
Bask in the glory streaking lights from flies blazing trails within the back yard
The glow bright in the shadows, dim in the house lights
Descriptive tongue through words typed paint the image of a night content with being night while attaining more than just putting the sun to bed
Attaining the composition of singing bugs upon the rhythm of night
--the rhythm of a summer night
God bless Your work--everlasting, glorious, hallelujah work!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Saturday, July 7, 2012
God Promises
I've been studying this week about Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Asa and the split of Israel after Solomon's reign. God kept His promise to Solomon to keep the line of David through the blessing of the autonomy of Judah even though Rehoboam did not please God at all.
I looked back at 2 Chronicles 7:14 at God's promise to Israel:
if "...My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Israel was splitting, hurting and in need of healing amidst struggles for power and control. Instead of humbling himself, praying and seeking God's face; Rehoboam rejected advice from the elders, had no recorded prayer life, and sought to elevate himself in declaring himself greater than his father, Solomon. Jeroboam did no better, appointing false priests to tell him what he wanted to hear, a prayer life that was not noteworthy and his glorification of idols instead of seeking God's face.
Israel was torn into the northern kingdom and southern kingdom...Samaria and Judah. Israel was broken from the most powerful and revered nation under Solomon to a people group split into two weak kingdoms with no repentance--opposed to God in politics, worship and daily living.
What is there to learn from this? Sounds a lot like America, but in studying and talking with God about things, I think there is also a personal application. Saving you seems more at God's heart than saving any political entity, though nations will definitely benefit from a revival of individuals in the body of Christ.
Looking at the original promise, my attention is immediately drawn to Jesus in baptism. He did not sin but followed through with baptism as an example for us. He humbled himself to allow a fallen man, John, to dip him in the water. Then, his conversation with God was heard by those witnessing the event. Prayer is talking to God, but not just talking to God. Jesus listened to God's affirmation of him as a son with encouragement to fulfill God's will. Jesus then sought God's face through fasting and prayer in the wilderness as he prepared for doing his Father's will. Then, he brought a call to repentance and redemption to the world, healing the physically sick as well as the spiritually sick.
He lived the example of God's promise and through Jesus, we are called to live such lives as well. We must give up our poles, our calves, our selves and turn to God through the Holy Spirit in prayer and worship to talk to Him about His will and our daily part in that will.
Matthew 7:7 covers the same expression through the admonition to Ask, seek, knock and find. James 1:6-7 instructs that we must ask with faith, but we are not naming "it" and claiming "it" as it refers to our idols, but we are praying in faith that God's will is what we desire and that He wants to reveal it to us.
We are all spiritually broken and in need of healing through the Holy Spirit. We must humble ourselves, come before God in prayer and seek His face in our daily lives. If we do so, the Spirit will heal us and turn us from our wicked ways to be whole in Christ. God promises.
I looked back at 2 Chronicles 7:14 at God's promise to Israel:
if "...My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Israel was splitting, hurting and in need of healing amidst struggles for power and control. Instead of humbling himself, praying and seeking God's face; Rehoboam rejected advice from the elders, had no recorded prayer life, and sought to elevate himself in declaring himself greater than his father, Solomon. Jeroboam did no better, appointing false priests to tell him what he wanted to hear, a prayer life that was not noteworthy and his glorification of idols instead of seeking God's face.
Israel was torn into the northern kingdom and southern kingdom...Samaria and Judah. Israel was broken from the most powerful and revered nation under Solomon to a people group split into two weak kingdoms with no repentance--opposed to God in politics, worship and daily living.
What is there to learn from this? Sounds a lot like America, but in studying and talking with God about things, I think there is also a personal application. Saving you seems more at God's heart than saving any political entity, though nations will definitely benefit from a revival of individuals in the body of Christ.
Looking at the original promise, my attention is immediately drawn to Jesus in baptism. He did not sin but followed through with baptism as an example for us. He humbled himself to allow a fallen man, John, to dip him in the water. Then, his conversation with God was heard by those witnessing the event. Prayer is talking to God, but not just talking to God. Jesus listened to God's affirmation of him as a son with encouragement to fulfill God's will. Jesus then sought God's face through fasting and prayer in the wilderness as he prepared for doing his Father's will. Then, he brought a call to repentance and redemption to the world, healing the physically sick as well as the spiritually sick.
He lived the example of God's promise and through Jesus, we are called to live such lives as well. We must give up our poles, our calves, our selves and turn to God through the Holy Spirit in prayer and worship to talk to Him about His will and our daily part in that will.
Matthew 7:7 covers the same expression through the admonition to Ask, seek, knock and find. James 1:6-7 instructs that we must ask with faith, but we are not naming "it" and claiming "it" as it refers to our idols, but we are praying in faith that God's will is what we desire and that He wants to reveal it to us.
We are all spiritually broken and in need of healing through the Holy Spirit. We must humble ourselves, come before God in prayer and seek His face in our daily lives. If we do so, the Spirit will heal us and turn us from our wicked ways to be whole in Christ. God promises.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)