Aug 31 Fix my eyes on the eternal

O Father, what amazing pictures are created with Your very words.

I can imagine “storehouses of snow;” sparkling, frosty, frozen, piled so high they are mountains in themselves!

And I can picture You “laying the earth’s foundations”, “marking off its dimensions,” “shutting up the seas behind doors,” “fixing the limits of [the seas] and setting its doors and bars in place.”   The mighty waters obeying Your commands, stopping where You say to stop.  Remaining only where You have given them permission to be.

Only You can bind and loose the stars as You “bring the constellations forth in their seasons.”  And I can see it as You “tip over the water jars of heaven” to bring such needed moisture to the earth.  You know “when each mountain goat gives birth” and see each “doe bear her fawn.”

Only You could give the ostrich her great speed, and the horse its strength with “flowing mane.”  From Your mighty words I am reminded of Your astounding strength, creativity, power and inventiveness.  And over it all, You alone have authority!

It reminds me how much I want to be with You.  Not here on earth, but enjoying the fullness of Your presence in heaven.  With Paul, I “groan, longing to be clothed with my heavenly dwelling…”   Also with Paul, I “live by faith and not by sight… and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  What a wonderful day that will be!

And yet, my time on earth is not done.  And although there are difficulties here I would rather skip over to just be with You, You have given me assurance that my “light and momentary troubles are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”   So I “will not lose heart!”  I will “be renewed day by day” by Your Word, and upheld by Your promises.

Father, help me “fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  So I will live, physically, in this world, but have my heart and my attention focused on the world that is to come.  Father, show me how to do that.

Do not let me be overwhelmed or discouraged by what is temporary.  Renew me day by day as I come to You in prayer.  Help me enjoy Your amazing Creation through the eyes of the Creator.   And I will not lose heart.  Amen

Job 38:1-39:30; II Corinthians 4:13-5:10

Aug 31 Fix me eyes on the eternal

O Father, what amazing pictures are created with Your very words.

I can imagine “storehouses of snow;” sparkling, frosty, frozen, piled so high they are mountains in themselves!

And I can picture You “laying the earth’s foundations”, “marking off its dimensions,” “shutting up the seas behind doors,” “fixing the limits of [the seas] and setting its doors and bars in place.”   The mighty waters obeying Your commands, stopping where You say to stop.  Remaining only where You have given them permission to be.

Only You can bind and loose the stars as You “bring the constellations forth in their seasons.”  And I can see it as You “tip over the water jars of heaven” to bring such needed moisture to the earth.  You know “when each mountain goat gives birth” and see each “doe bear her fawn.”

Only You could give the ostrich her great speed, and the horse its strength with “flowing mane.”  From Your mighty words I am reminded of Your astounding strength, creativity, power and inventiveness.  And over it all, You alone have authority!

It reminds me how much I want to be with You.  Not here on earth, but enjoying the fullness of Your presence in heaven.  With Paul, I “groan, longing to be clothed with my heavenly dwelling…”   Also with Paul, I “live by faith and not by sight… and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  What a wonderful day that will be!

And yet, my time on earth is not done.  And although there are difficulties here I would rather skip over to just be with You, You have given me assurance that my “light and momentary troubles are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”   So I “will not lose heart!”  I will “be renewed day by day” by Your Word, and upheld by Your promises.

Father, help me “fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  So I will live, physically, in this world, but have my heart and my attention focused on the world that is to come.  Father, show me how to do that.

Do not let me be overwhelmed or discouraged by what is temporary.  Renew me day by day as I come to You in prayer.  Help me enjoy Your amazing Creation through the eyes of the Creator.   And I will not lose heart.  Amen

Job 38:1-39:30; II Corinthians 4:13-5:10

Dec 1 Love what’s Eternal

Father, John writes of how to live in love.  He says I am to love my brother and sister.   And I am not to love the world or anything in it.  These are tall orders.

Help me love my brother and sister: other believers who You have put in my life.

Some of them are so loving to me that it is easy to love them back.   They have been like “iron sharpening iron.”  We hone one another to be better and “sharper. “

But some are like sandpaper to me.  We do not get along, and although they may “sand off’” some of my rough spots, mostly they are just an irritant and cause sore, raw spots that hurt.  These people are harder to love.  They are the ones I need Your help with.

Remind me that each one of them is one of Your amazing creations who You love greatly.  I know that You love them; show me how to do the same.

Not loving the world is also a difficult task.  While many things in the world are repulsive and easy to avoid, it was these same three things John mentions here that have drawn people into sin since Adam and Eve.

The first two are the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes.”  The word lust here is a “strong desire of any kind, good or bad, but evil if not submitted to the will of God. “

So whether it is for intimacy, or pleasure, or just comfort, I would usually rather feel comfort than pain, a full stomach than hunger, warm and safe than cold and fearful.  It can be hard to turn away from things that offer me a sense of satisfaction in food, comfort or safety.   But I need to be sure my flesh and my eyes are not pulling me to just go my own way and satisfy worldly appetites.

Father, show me how to maintain proper limits and boundaries.

The third, “the pride of life” represents a moral arrogance or boasting of superior attitude or vanity.  The world holds that the one with the best or the most wins.  Your economy is different.  It is not the elevation of possessions or self that will give me eternal life with You.  Help me live a life of obedience to You and humility toward others.

I believe what John says: “the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  Do not let me invest in what will pass away, but invest in what is eternal.  Amen

I John 2:7-11: 15-17

Aug 31 Fix my eyes on the eternal

O Father, what amazing pictures are created with Your very words.

I can imagine “storehouses of snow;” sparkling, frosty, frozen, piled so high they are mountains in themselves!

And I can picture You “laying the earth’s foundations”, “marking off its dimensions,” “shutting up the seas behind doors,” “fixing the limits of [the seas] and setting its doors and bars in place.”   The mighty waters obeying Your commands, stopping where You say to stop.  Remaining only where You have given them permission to be.

Only You can bind and loose the stars as You “bring the constellations forth in their seasons.”  And I can see it as You “tip over the water jars of heaven” to bring such needed moisture to the earth.  You know “when each mountain goat gives birth” and see each “doe bear her fawn.”

Only You could give the ostrich her great speed, and the horse its strength with “flowing mane.”  From Your mighty words I am reminded of Your astounding strength, creativity, power and inventiveness.  And over it all, You alone have authority!

It reminds me how much I want to be with You.  Not here on earth, but enjoying the fullness of Your presence in heaven.  With Paul, I “groan, longing to be clothed with my heavenly dwelling…”   Also with Paul, I “live by faith and not by sight… and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  What a wonderful day that will be!

And yet, my time on earth is not done.  And although there are difficulties here I would rather skip over to just be with You, You have given me assurance that my “light and momentary troubles are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”   So I “will not lose heart!”  I will “be renewed day by day” by Your Word, and upheld by Your promises.

Father, help me “fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  So I will live, physically, in this world, but have my heart and my attention focused on the world that is to come.  Father, show me how to do that.

Do not let me be overwhelmed or discouraged by what is temporary.  Renew me day by day as I come to You in prayer.  Help me enjoy Your amazing Creation through the eyes of the Creator.   And I will not lose heart.  Amen

Job 38:1-39:30; II Corinthians 4:13-5:10

 

Dec 1 Love what’s eternal

Father, thank You for giving me Your Word so I will know how to live.  Thank You that it usually does keep me from sin.  But, if I mess up, thanks to You I have an advocate.  Your atoning sacrifice bore the punishment and paid the price, “not only for [my sin], but for the sins of the whole world.”

John writes of how to live and how to love.  He says I am to love my brother and sister.   And I am not to love the world or anything in it.  These are tall orders.

Help me love my brother and sister: other believers who You have put in my life.

Some of them are so loving to me that it is easy to love them back.   They have been like “iron sharpening iron.”  We hone one another to be better and “sharper. “

But some are like sandpaper to me.  We do not get along, and although they may “sand off’” some of my rough spots, mostly they are just an irritant and cause sore, raw spots that hurt.  These people are harder to love.  They are the ones I need Your help with.

Remind me that each one of them is one of Your amazing creations who You love greatly.  I know that You love them; show me how to do the same.

Not loving the world is also a difficult task.  While many things in the world are repulsive and easy to avoid, it was these same three things John mentions here that have drawn people into sin since Adam and Eve.

The first two are the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes.”  The word lust here is a “strong desire of any kind, good or bad, but evil if not submitted to the will of God. “

So whether it is for intimacy, or pleasure, or just comfort, I would usually rather feel comfort than pain, a full stomach than hunger, warm and safe than cold and fearful.  It can be hard to turn away from things that offer me a sense of satisfaction in food, comfort or safety.   But I need to be sure my flesh and my eyes are not pulling me to just go my own way and satisfy worldly appetites.

Father, show me how to maintain proper limits and boundaries.

The third, “the pride of life” represents a moral arrogance or boasting of superior attitude or vanity.  The world holds that the one with the best or the most wins.  Your economy is different.  It is not the elevation of possessions or self that will give me eternal life with You.  Help me live a life of obedience to You and humility toward others.

I believe what John says: “the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  Do not let me invest in what will pass away, but invest in what is eternal.  Amen

I John 2:1-17

Aug 31 Fix my eyes on the eternal

O Father, what amazing pictures are created with Your very words.

I can imagine “storehouses of snow;” sparkling, frosty, frozen, piled so high they are mountains in themselves!

And I can picture You “laying the earth’s foundations”, “marking off its dimensions,” “shutting up the seas behind doors,” “fixing the limits of [the seas] and setting its doors and bars in place.”   The mighty waters obeying Your commands, stopping where You say to stop.  Remaining only where You have given them permission to be.

Only You can bind and loose the stars as You “bring the constellations forth in their seasons.”  And I can see it as You “tip over the water jars of heaven” to bring such needed moisture to the earth.  You know “when each mountain goat gives birth” and see each “doe bear her fawn.”

Only You could give the ostrich her great speed, and the horse its strength with “flowing mane.”  From Your mighty words I am reminded of Your astounding strength, creativity, power and inventiveness.  And over it all, You alone have authority!

It reminds me how much I want to be with You.  Not here on earth, but enjoying the fullness of Your presence in heaven.  With Paul, I “groan, longing to be clothed with my heavenly dwelling…”   Also with Paul, I “live by faith and not by sight… and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  What a wonderful day that will be!

And yet, my time on earth is not done.  And although there are difficulties here I would rather skip over to just be with You, You have given me assurance that my “light and momentary troubles are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”   So I “will not lose heart!”  I will “be renewed day by day” by Your Word, and upheld by Your promises.

Father, help me “fix my eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  So I will live, physically, in this world, but have my heart and my attention focused on the world that is to come.  Father, show me how to do that.

Do not let me be overwhelmed or discouraged by what is temporary.  Renew me day by day as I come to You in prayer.  Help me enjoy Your amazing Creation through the eyes of the Creator.   And I will not lose heart.  Amen

Job 38:1-39:30; II Corinthians 4:13-5:10

 

Dec 1 Love what’s eternal

Father, thank You for giving me Your Word so I will know how to live.  Thank You that it usually does keep me from sin.  But, if I mess up, thanks to You I have an advocate.  Your atoning sacrifice bore the punishment and paid the price, “not only for [my sin], but for the sins of the whole world.”

John writes of how to live and how to love.  He says I am to love my brother and sister.   And I am not to love the world or anything in it.  These are tall orders.

Help me love my brother and sister: other believers who You have put in my life.

Some of them are so loving to me that it is easy to love them back.   They have been like “iron sharpening iron.”  We hone one another to be better and “sharper. “

But some are like sandpaper to me.  We do not get along, and although they may “sand off’” some of my rough spots, mostly they are just an irritant and cause sore, raw spots that hurt.  These people are harder to love.  They are the ones I need Your help with.

Remind me that each one of them is one of Your amazing creations who You love greatly.  I know that You love them; show me how to do the same.

Not loving the world is also a difficult task.  While many things in the world are repulsive and easy to avoid, it was these same three things John mentions here that have drawn people into sin since Adam and Eve.

The first two are the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes.”  The word lust here is a “strong desire of any kind, good or bad, but evil if not submitted to the will of God. “

So whether it is for intimacy, or pleasure, or just comfort, I would usually rather feel comfort than pain, a full stomach than hunger, warm and safe than cold and fearful.  It can be hard to turn away from things that offer me a sense of satisfaction in food, comfort or safety.   But I need to be sure my flesh and my eyes are not pulling me to just go my own way and satisfy worldly appetites.

Father, show me how to maintain proper limits and boundaries.

The third, “the pride of life” represents a moral arrogance or boasting of superior attitude or vanity.  The world holds that the one with the best or the most wins.  Your economy is different.  It is not the elevation of possessions or self that will give me eternal life with You.  Help me live a life of obedience to You and humility toward others.

I believe what John says: “the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”  Do not let me invest in what will pass away, but invest in what is eternal.  Amen

I John 2:1-17