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"Cause us to hear Your lovingkindness for on You do we lean and in You do we trust. Cause us to know the way wherein we should walk, for we lift up our inner self to You." Psalm 143:8
"Cause us to hear Your lovingkindness for on You do we lean and in You do we trust. Cause us to know the way wherein we should walk, for we lift up our inner self to You." Psalm 143:8
4 comments:
The Matthew passage was so what I needed tonight. "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary...Do it while you are still with him on the way..." So I've been having problems with my parents for a long time, but amazingly, God has removed a lot of hurt and bitterness/resentment in me against them over break. This passage was really convicting because even if I have forgiven them in my heart, or am currently working on that, I really need to vocalize this to them, and to also ask forgiveness from them because I wronged them a lot too. Would you guys pray that I would be able to do this, not by my own goodness, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, and also do this according to His timing. Thankss.
In Acts I was struck by how the Israelites did not wait for God but instead quickly replaced him with idols. verse 40 "'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt--we don't know what has happened to him!'" Also from today's reading in Oswald Chambers' My Utmost For His Highest, the theme of waiting for God was mentioned. "When God gives you a vision and darkness follows, wait. God will bring the vision He has given you to reality in your life if you will wait on His timing. Never try to help God fulfill His word." Then it goes on to say how the darkness is God's discipline, making sure that we are trusting in Him alone. It also mentions how people, books, prayers, etc. can become idols. But yea so it's so easy to try to replace God during the silence when he just wants us to wait on him. I feel like God has given me a lot of visions recently and I'm just really tempted to act on them right away instead of being still before the Lord.
Also verse 41 "They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made." I think this is one of my biggest temptations-making idols out of my work.
Also, verse 51 "'You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears!...You always resist the Holy Spirit!'" That is so piercing...
Also, I was really encouraged by Stephen's faith...being able to confront the pharisees so boldly to the point of them stoning him and also to ask God to forgive them before he dies. Before he dies he has a vision of God...and that struck me too, how God was all that mattered to him, God was all that he was thinking about.
Psalm 12:3-4 "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, 'We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips--who is our master?'" Also piercing, related to what stuff I've mentioned...
In Genesis, I was encouraged by Jacob's persistence, pressing onward to win the prize (Rachel), in a sense. Also, waiting for God kinda ties in this reading too, but God is faithful and doesn't keep us waiting forever (He alternates between giving children to Leah and Rachel.) Also in verses 31-35, what Leah said encouraged me--"'The Lord has seen my misery...the Lord heard that I am not loved...'"
In Genesis, Abraham's promise from God is fulfilled, and Jacob is father to many, albeit through ways we find unacceptable in today's world. I found Stephen's purity and bravery encouraging as well, and I am looking forward to praying and waiting on God as well versus the hedonistic life that I have envisioned for myself here. Pray that I choose a church quickly and get settled down, at the moment, I will be sampling different churches and seeing further the differences between them in Paris and US!
Gloria--> will pray for your parents and you, and I think it is incredibly mature of you to recognize that vocalization is needed, and not just a resolution in your own heart.
Gloria, that bit about waiting through the darkness that comes after a vision and seeking God alone really strikes me as well. I know God is calling me to make drastic changes this semester, but I often feel like God has left me in the darkness and without enough strength to follow through. It's contributed to a lot of fears and reluctance going into this semester, but I guess it means I need to learn to rely on God more. Thanks, I think I really needed to hear that. :] Also, I second LynNi's comment. I'll be praying for your family (Gloria), and LynNi, I'll pray that you find a church quickly and that God uses you in a great way during your semester there, whether you realize it or not. :D
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