Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Jeremiah 1-2; John 10

Brain dump following read at your own risk....

Dara’s going to S Africa and most days I am OK…others I can get a bit freaky about it.

Phil. 4: 6-7 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

I can do that…..Wanting a vacation, is it ok to pray for time away…..time away…..

The introduction to Jeremiah says this book/Jeremiah is a….’ God revealing companion for the worst of time.’…..a light in the darkness…salt in a flavorless world….Sometimes that’s what it feels like…surrounded by so much pain and darkness and turmoil…you just want to offer something…..

Jeremiah 2 : 11 But my people have traded my Glory for empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes.

A life of darkness, so immersed in what I want…my silly god schemes…thinking I was doing anything other than something for my own immediate self…’hell, I better do it before someone else does’…..that was, can be my thoughts….how to live as light…as salt……as…..

Jeremiah 2: 13…."My people have committed a compound sin: they've walked out on me, the fountainOf fresh flowing waters, and then dug cisterns— cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than sieves.

How quickly I go to my own well…even now, having tasted Yours…and yet I yearn to be salt and light, satisfied and complete in and at YOURS…..

Jeremiah 2: 32 Day after day after day they never give me a thought.

Reminding….being reminded….living in the reminding….living in the looking myself at myself and simply pointing to You, being pointed to You….praying to BE REMINDED…and in THAT living a softness, a dependence would be, could be born…living in reflective repentance and in the repentance~ forgiveness and in the forgiveness ~ forgiving and in the forgiving~softness and light and flavor…..in the softness is following, not having to lead….

John 10: 6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

WILL be cared for….
In the repentance is forgiveness……

Reponsively obedient to the call to repent….
In the repentance IS forgiveness…why so slow to obey????

Reading Hinds Feet on High Places an old book, an allegory with much wisdom and many ‘aha’ moments…From bitter experience she knew that pictures thrown on the screen of her imagination could seem much more unnerving and terrible than the actual facts…..

A life no longer in darkness…
A life no longer in fear…..

Step once again into the freedom
Step once again into the light

It ain’t rocket science, but it’s sure not easy either.
If it were easy……

Thank you Abba Father for:
The Shepherd
Jesus
A journey of learning to CHOOSE to live in and under HIS protection,
when nothing is safe or good…….
This call to live as salt and light, so more and more can come in and out
of the darkness……

You know….Lori told me a long time ago………BE THE SHEEP!!!

2 comments:

Jada's Gigi said...

Ahh to be the sheep! to be led by the Good Shepherd...that is what we are, you know. We don't have to try really hard...we already are..if we were goats He would weed us out...His sheep hear...we hear...we have ears on the inside...
I don't see how Jeremiah is a companion for the worst of times...:) He's too depressing and condemning...all BC you know...Now Christ is a much better companion...He is the Gate...the Way...salt and light...yeah, I like that better...:)

Bruce said...

Why is Dara going to S Africa? She isn't moving is she?

B~