What time is it?
(NRSV)Ecc 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
In 1965 The Byrds released the song “Turn, Turn, Turn.” The tune was melodic, but even better were the lyrics which came straight from the Bible.
“To everything, turn , turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
It occurs to me that I generally know what time it is. I am aware of the seasons, and the time of day, but there are some things I do not know.
I do know that we, in the United States, are experiencing summer, and living in Arkansas I expect the season to be sweltering. But I do not know, for certain, what each day will bring. I know what is on my calendar, what is planned, but what about the unplanned?
I have been remembering the old songs of the church, and today the one that comes immediately to mind is “Living by Faith,” by James Wells and R. E. Winsett.
1. I care not today what the morrow may bring,
If shadow or sunshine or rain,
The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything,
And all of my worries are vain.
Refrain:
Living by faith in Jesus above,
Trusting, confiding in His great love;
I’m safe from all harm,
in His sheltering arm,
I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.
What time is it? Regardless of what time it is, David said in Psalm 31:15 “my times are in your hands.” May we bow before the most high God today and every day, recognizing, as Job did in (NRSV) Job1:21 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Since Jesus Came Into My Heart
(NIV) Heb 10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Sometimes when I think of our ability to draw near to the One, True and Living God, I am overwhelmed. That He would love me and provide a sacrifice for my sins leaves me in awe. And that God desires to be in relationship with me is something I can barely comprehend.
Yet, I know, believe and understand that I have been given not only this gift of salvation, but also the gift of faith. And so I purpose in my heart that I will hold on to the hope instilled in me through faith, and I will continue to share the joy found only in Jesus, giving encouragement to others along the way.
May we each be more aware today and every day of God’s presence and may His love abound so that we can do nothing less that share His love, hope and joy with others.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Since Jesus Came into my Heart, Rufus H McDaniel, 1914
1 What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart!
I have light in my soul for which long I have sought,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
Refrain:
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.
2 I have ceased from my wand’ring and going astray,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And my sins which were many are all washed away,
Since Jesus came into my heart! [Refrain]
3 I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure,
Since Jesus came into my heart!
In God We Trust
(NIV) Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Did you know when you make your dwelling place with God, it is the same as choosing to abide with Him? There is a permanence in abiding, a stability not found in “just passing through.”
When we dwell with the Lord we are promised rest, and with rest comes the ability to trust. I am not sure we fully recognize the value in this type of trust.
Two of the scariest words I ever hear are “trust me.” If a person is trustworthy, is it really necessary to affirm that fact?
Trusting involves letting one’s guard down. Trusting means we are vulnerable and vulnerability means we are exposed.
May we today cast our cares upon the One, True and Living God. He doesn’t have to ask us to trust Him. It is part of His nature.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lead Me To The Rock
(NIV) Psalm 61:1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
I was raised in church. Sitting between one aunt who sang soprano, and another who sang alto, I learned to love the songs we sang on Sunday morning, particularly those songs that mirrored Scripture. In fact, my love for God’s Word was probably birthed in me by singing the songs written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I easily memorized the songs of Fannie Crosby, Albert Brumley and others whose themes ranged from salvation to a heavenly destination.
I mourn the loss of these songs of the faith. There are probably two generations who will never know the joy of singing “I’ll Fly Away” or the peace of “How Great Thou Art.” And with the passing of these songs, many of which were intrinsically tied to the Word of God, we are witnessing the growth of biblical illiteracy.
David understood the importance of song. King Saul, plagued by depression and paranoia, could only be calmed by hearing songs praising the One, True and Living God.
I learned years ago as I visited folks in nursing homes that diseases which robbed people of their memories were powerless to steal the comfort found in singing “ I Love to Tell the Story,” or “Victory in Jesus.” They clung to these songs like a lifeline, and I realized that the diseases which viciously attacked the brain had less power over the heart.
David’s prayer encompasses truths we would do well to remember: there is no place on earth where we cannot find God’s presence, the God of our youth is still the God of our old age, and just as He has delivered us before, He will do so again.
Jesus is the rock of our salvation, and a very present help in the time of need. May we continue to allow the songs pointing us to Jesus to reverberate in our hearts and may these old songs inspire us to fall in love once more with God’s holy word.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Humble Yourself
1 Peter 5:5 …Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)–[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble. [Prov. 3:34.]
6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,
7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Ps. 55:22.]
1Peter 5:7 has always been one of my favorite scriptures, but to grasp the full meaning we need to begin our reading earlier In the text. And, to understand the text on an even deeper level, try reading it in the Amplified Bible.
In real estate, everything is about location, but in the Bible, it is all about context. If we begin our reading with the promise of 1 Pet 5:7 we are starting at the end of the verse, thereby missing the necessary frame of reference.
Peter’s instruction to “clothe yourself in humility” for protection against being prideful informs us that God opposes the proud. Why? Because pride is a sin, elevating the creation above the Creator.
If we want to depend on God to care for us, we must approach Him in humility. Then, we can lay everything, once and for all, at His feet.
May we strip ourselves of every falsehood, knowing that God’s watchcare is far better than anything we can accomplish on our own.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 