Friday, July 07, 2006

Hosea 10-12; Psalm 73; Hebrews 4

Praising You for my girlfriends….Margarita Nite last nite and just sitting at a sidewalk table catching up with each other.
Praising You for summer evenings to sit at sidewalk tables….breezes and fireflies and stars.
Praising You for Your Word….reading it this morning brought me such JOY and yes.. comfort….You know us….You know each of us individually….You have laid out the RACE for each person!
Hosea 10: Sow righteousness, reap love.It's time to till the ready earth, it's time to dig in with God, Until he arrives with righteousness ripe for harvest.
Sow righteousness
…..to me that means point people to Him…..He’s the only answer. Lived my whole life trying to FIX PEOPLE….manipulating them into doing what I deemed would help, was right.…..and here… ‘sow righteousness’… righteousness is in Christ right and a seeking heart He never denies…so .... the pressures off (like YOU put the pressure on us anyway..duh)
Just simply and completely point them to Christ…to a personal journey…….
’dig in with God’…..YOU sent Christ…..YOU sent the answer….…dig in with You and point to YOUR Son….

ahh simplicity…(see tongue planted firmly in cheek)... you see I still want to fix and help and manipulate so the simplicity is lost in my method of operation……
but …..(dang there it is again, the proverbial BUT)…….dig in with God…with God…..WITH GOD……

sow righteousness (point people to Christ) God will handle the rest….see…. Joy and COMFORT…


Hosea 11: 10-12 "The people will end up following God. I will roar like a lion—Oh, how I'll roar! My frightened children will come running from the west.Like frightened birds they'll come from Egypt, from Assyria like scared doves.I'll move them back into their homes." God's Word!

WE will won’t we…end up following God…..I take these verses and pick and choose, is that OK?
I am no theology master….no biblical scholar…..but they speak to me and I hear…I listen……
CS Lewis listened, to write a childrens book, the Chronicles of Narnia and use the lion character……to reach so many children with the gospel before they even know there is a gospel…talk about sowing righteousness!!

Hosea 12: 6 What are you waiting for? Return to your God! Commit yourself in love, in justice!Wait for your God, and don't give up on him—ever!
The U-turn…humbly turning back…no matter how far you ‘think’ you are.
And then the whole of Psalm 73!!
1-5 No doubt about it! God is good—
good to good people,
good to the good-hearted. (
those with seeking hearts)
But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness. I was looking the other way, looking up to the people (
affirmation and approval) At the top, envying the wicked who have it made, (no God to be obedient to….wicked = lost…..lost = separated from God….those who won’t make the u-turn, that won’t say Your will be done so YOU allow them their will..another CS Lewis insight/quote) Who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world. 6-10 Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence, Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness. They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words. They're full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace.
11-14 What's going on here? Is God out to lunch? Nobody's tending the store. The wicked get by with everything; they have it made, piling up riches. I've been stupid to play by the rules; what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that's what— a slap in the face every time I walk out the door. 15-20 If I'd have given in and talked like this, I would have betrayed your dear children. Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache . . .
(management to mystery) Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture: (eyes to see) The slippery road you've put them on, with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.
(sow righteousness- point them to Christ…love them to Jesus…..HOW??) In the blink of an eye, disaster! A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare! We wake up and rub our eyes....Nothing. There's nothing to them. And there never was. 21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. I'm still in your presence, but you've taken my hand. ( made the u-turn) You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me.
25-28 You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth!
(the point of the journey is to want what God wants MORE than anything) When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, (declaring their will over YOURS) they'll never be heard from again. But I'm in the very presence of God— oh, how refreshing it is! (sow righteousness reap LOVE) I've made Lord God my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do! (sow righteousness reap LOVE)

Hebrews 4: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear . . .
U-TURN……no matter where you are …humbly make that U-TURN
Hebrews 4: 14-16 Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.


Now I’m freaked and tearful…worrrying about LOST people....putting the pressure on myself……where did I lose the JOY and COMFORT…….back to Hosea 10: It's time to till the ready earth, it's time to dig in with God,

the ready earth.....You are in CHARGE not me……
Your Holy Spirit is still here, will be here…You prepare the soil, the hearts….all we do is sow righteousness/Point to Christ…….love in Christ……u-turn…….Wow Praising You for Your word…….

5 comments:

Melissa said...

God let it be, I humbly ask for a U-turn in my life!

Wendy Lou said...

Thanks for the note on my blog... and thanks for your note today... needed them. Right time.

Curious Servant said...

: )

Susannah said...

A meaty, thoughtful post. Let's all keep wrestling in the Lord!

Danielle said...

Hey Becky, been a while since I've read...catching up on some of your posts. I also pick out verses that speak to me...but I think that's okay...I think Proverbs and Psalms actually teach us to do that.

Margaritas mmmmm. Summertime is most welcome!