Day 85: September 5, 2012- Little Man in Big People Land

Little Man Explores Big People Land.

 

So Luke said hi to me today from the iphone. In the form of this picture.

 

 

I don't know how he did it.

But you're a resourceful fellow, you sly guy.

And Mom made this one for Daddy:

Luke and Dad are in the big bed on a weekend morning. We love weekends, because we can be together. Daddy loves the bed a little more than Luke does.

The Readings:

Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25, Luke 7:11-35, Psalm 68:19-35, Proverbs 11:29-31

Old Testament.
Probably good before Moses dies for him to give the Israelites a run down on what God has been saying to them. Not sure they're going to remember.

But this one's about the ten commandments, so that's cool.

He finishes with the final, the most important thought: fear the Lord. And then he instructs them to tell the story of what the Lord has done when their children ask why they should.

Cultivating a healthy fear of the Lord is deciding what he says matters most and putting him on the throne of one's heart, even over oneself. There are reasons to fear him. But I kindof think the fear of the Lord is the deepest of loves yet...

New Testament.
Man, how cool is it that Jesus just has compassion on a mother when her son is being carried by, so he heals her. I pray we do that now. God give us faith!

And Jesus has a pretty poetic answer for John the Baptist's followers when they come looking for him. I always wondered how John got the message from a somewhat cryptic answer. But the miracles pretty much speak for themselves.

Finally, why do we require people to jump through our hoops in the church? John got criticized for living strictly, fasting and abstaining from wine, and was accused of having a demon. Jesus lived in freedom, ate and drank wine, and was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard.

But here's the key for a church that often reacts hastily over living rightly in Christ-- wisdom is proved right by her children.

Grow the tree of our spiritual lives deep in the roots of God's Word and a relationship with him, and he'll give us the wisdom of how to be free and how to be strict, and at what times. And "a good tree bears good fruit." So wisdom, if we have it, will show the fruit of righteousness. And when we look at the fruit we are producing, we will see the state of our tree clearly, our lives, whether good or bad.

Jesus is pointing to this in his analogy of wisdom being proved by her children. So let's grow a tree in wisdom, with the love of God, the Word, and the Holy Spirit! It may not sway to the tune of whichever prevailing wind presses upon it, but it will be rich with fruit in Christ Jesus.

Psalms.
There's power and majesty in God. Awesome is he!!

Proverbs.
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life..."

Oh, God, you know what you're doing.





To read along, click here.

Day 42: July 24, 2012- The Molten Calf and Peter in the Fire

The Readings:

Exodus 32:1-33:23, Matthew 26:69-27:14, Psalm 33:1-11, Proverbs 8:33-36

Old Testament.
Arggh! Really? We're going to create a golden calf as Moses is on the mountain with God? So forty days is too long to wait. And we're going to decide a calf we made out of our earrings took us out of Egypt.

Gotta hand it to God's people. We're some brainiacs. I guess it's a lesson in not getting impatient with God's timing and giving up on God. Or maybe just fearing God. Certainly, the issue is not the accessories, here.

New Testament.
Peter denies Jesus three times. Judas realizes what he's done and kills himself. Major players are getting the shake-down as the curtain is being called on history's biggest moment.

Psalms.
God has all power. Isn't it good to shout aloud and sing for joy to him? If you haven't done that in a while, perhaps it's time to let loose and do it now.

Proverbs.
If you listen to wisdom, you love life. If you reject wisdom, you hate life.

I feel like this is Bible For Dummies: Solomon's Cliff Notes Version. Or something like that. At least it's simple enough we can understand. But are we really seeking God's wisdom?

I'd have to say, if we aren't reading our Bibles regularly, we're not seeking wisdom.




To read along with the podcast, click here.

Day 28: July 10, 2012- Self-control, Wisdom, and Following God

The Readings:

Exodus 5:22-7:25, Matthew 18:21-19:12, Psalm 23:1-6, Proverbs 5:22-23

Old Testament.
God's plan doesn't seem to be working out very well to Moses. But what happens is exactly what God told him would. Sometimes God's plan doesn't make sense. It seems to take the long way. Or worse...hurt. But it always works out for his greatest glory. So let's not complain or question him. Let's accept that God is God and his ways are good. He's going to work it out. And it'll be good.

New Testament.
Jesus addresses his disciples over a couple major issues. The first is forgiveness. Rather than giving someone a few chances and then deciding one is vindicated in dismissing him or her, Jesus says we're to forgive forever. Pretty much. He uses an illustration of how we've been forgiven of millions. And then we hold twenty bucks against a brother?

The other is marriage. It's a beautiful thing. It represents Christ and the church. And how permanent is it? Jesus explains- God doesn't want us to divorce, ever. But if one has broken the covenant through cheating sexually, then we may divorce. Otherwise, any remarriage is adultery. Even the one who was divorced is an adulterer if he or she remarries (apart from sexual infidelity). That's a message that we don't quickly live by. But he makes it crystal clear.

And the reason? It is a covenant, made at an altar, before God, and two become one. That can't be undone, except through sex, because it's also the consummation of the union. This is just the nature of marriage. Jesus isn't trying to hold us back. We often think we're entitled to whatever we want because we live in America. But we don't have a right to what we want outside of God's design. If we live it God's way, it will always turn out best. For us, our husbands and wives, our children.

Psalms.
What a comforting Psalm. To many people, Psalm 23 is a favorite. Try reading it to your newborn son soon after he's born. Pretty special.

Proverbs.
Let us learn the lessons above. Proverbs ties it all together here. We should heed God's Word, lest we "die for lack of self-control, " or "be lost because of [our] great foolishness."




To read along with the podcast, click:

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Day 27: July 9, 2012- Like a Little Child

Luke's Second Bath!

I know what you're thinking. 27 days is not a long time for a second bath. We're employing a small contingent somewhere in Minnesota with our family's baby wipe consumption. And warm wash cloths...free, I know. But innumerable portable soap towelette scrub-downs do not help his bath-per-day ratio. Technically, whatever happens on the middle of the bedroom floor cannot be called a bath. It's a glitch in the system we're aware of.

So Luke has just begun to experience the sensation of submersion.

If you noticed the submarine surface dive fiasco a couple days ago, you know he didn't have the best start. I think more fluid was actually dispersed from his tears and scream spittle than was displaced by his body.

We're working on the situation. He's graduated to getting his toes wet and being sprinkled across the chest. Without so much as a whimper.

Stud.

So yeah, this kid is bound for great things, I can see it.

He'll be doing backstrokes across the tub with his baby bottle in no time. (The short way.)

This is not a kid who'll get wipe downs on the bedroom floor forever. No, he's one to whom the sound of the ocean will call, in whose heart the roar of many waters will stir for a great voyage. Or at least the sound of the bathroom sink as I wash my hands after changing him.

He's got something. Potential. Actually, he's got humongous feet. But I think they'll reveal in time his land-sea-air potential. He can already stand. With a sort of caved in one leg thing going on and me holding him up. But, watchout. This kid's for real.

Sometimes he doesn't cry when I wipe him.

Now if we could only figure out a convenient way to bathe him after every changing, we could put a small town in Minnesota out of business for good.

Luke: The Afterbath

The Readings:

Exodus 4-5:21, Matthew 18:1-20, Psalm 22:19-31, Proverbs 5:15:21

Old Testament.
Moses whines and whines about what God wants him to do. He tries to get out of it. Then when he finally does it, he fails again and again. Discipleship training program, anyone? This is God's version. Fortunately, he told Moses that Pharoah would reject his message, but I'm sure it still smarts. Where God leads us, he often lets us go through the trials that hone us. He actually wants us to be strong. Don't let this discourage you. "Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us." (Romans 5:3b-5a)
This is the only method of God making us grow that I know...

New Testament.
Like a little child. Like Luke. Today, I'm gonna be like Luke. Luke trusts me. Well, he trusts mom, anyway. He knows he's getting milk. He just accepts what we give him. No apprehensive taste test with one eye cocked suspiciously. No, he just guzzles it down. Do we trust God? Do we humbly accept from him without question, like a kid does his Daddy? Today, Luke is the lesson. And just this once, I'm gonna be just like you, little guy.

Psalms.
David is really calling out to God. He needs him to come through. But listen to how he worships as he does. He's not afraid to declare to the heavens the glory of God. We should too. Let's be unabashed in one thing, at least. Let's be unabashed worshippers. Then they can call us men and women after God's heart. Like David.

Proverbs.
Pretty important message after the last couple days of warnings about the immoral women. This is possible men's greatest temptation, and I wonder if immoral men are women's. Still, there is a reward. Solomon explains God wants us to experience great joy in our spouses, if we have them. If we don't, we have a Lover God who draws us close. And he is delighted when we preserve ourselves for him. or for our spouse. But to have sex with whomever we want sells ourselves away to pleasure; it destroys the most valuable thing we have: our purity. And life goes with it.




To read along with the podcast, click:

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Day 26: July 8, 2012- The Burning Bush

The Readings:

Exodus 2:11-3:22, Matthew 17:10-27, Psalm 22:1-18, Proverbs 5:7-14

Moses gets a surprising visit from Diety in the form of a flaming shrubbery.

Jesus tries to tell people about his coming death and the prophecies regarding it long ago.

Psalms features just such a prophesy- the entire passage prophesies Jesus lamenting his suffering on the cross (these are the famous last words Jesus would speak as his final allusion).

And Proverbs gives more advice about why to stay away from seductive, immoral women. Great advice that make guarding your heart all the more important!



To read along:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%202:11-3:22,%20Matthew%2017:10-27,%20Psalm%2022:1-18,%20Proverbs%205:7-14&version=NKJV