Whatcha Reading These Days?

 IN our Tuesday email two weeks ago I shared how I’d recently acquired two new Bibles: The Jesus Storybook Bible and a new leather ESV Study Bible. I’m up to page 92 in the first one... or Exodus 14 in the Bible. Since today is the first day of March I’m wondering if I’m truly going to make it through the Bible in a year... even this child sized Bible, but alas grace abounds. I’m counting every paragraph, story, chapter, book a big step towards my final goal of digging back through those “Sunday School Bible Stories”. It’s been refreshing to once again go back to the familiar stories with fresh eyes. It’s not too late for you to get an itch to dig into something new... or old... where does He have you studying in His Word currently? Are you reading through a specific book of the Bible? Are you studying something with a small group or your church? If so, great! Stay there, dig deep! If not, why not consider going back to the beginning? Read on for an excerpt... I dare you!

 

From The Jesus Storybook Bible

“The Heavens are singing about how great God is; and the skies are shouting it out, “See what God has made!” Day after day... Night after night... They are speaking to us.” Psalm 19:1-2 (paraphrase)

 

God wrote, “I love you” – he wrote it in the sky, and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere! Because God created everything in his world to reflect him like a mirror – to show us what he is like, to help us know him, to make our hearts sing. 

 

The way a kitten chases her tail. The way red poppies grow wild. The way a dolphin swims.

 

And God put it into words, too, and wrote it in a book called “the Bible.”

 

Now, some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn’t mainly about you and what you should be doing. It’s about God and what he has done.

 

Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you’ll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren’t heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose). They get afraid and run away. At times they are downright mean.

 

No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne – everything – to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

 

You see, the best thing about this Story is – it’s true.

 

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

 

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle – the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

 

And this is no ordinary baby. This is the Child upon whom everything would depend. This is the Child who would one day – but wait. Our Story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning...”

*Taken from LIFT weekly email.

From 56 to 110 In One Verse

IN the last couple months I’ve received two new Bibles. Whohoo! One I bought with a gift card that I received from The Harbor for being on staff for five years with LIFT! It’s a really nice leather ESV Study Bible. And another one I asked for for Christmas. I wanted to get back to the basics and read through the Jesus Storybook Bible alongside my new study Bible – the simple, childlike and the more detailed. 

It’s been a great journey through Genesis so far. Joseph just told his brothers: “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” in chapter 50 and then he died at the age of 110. I’ve been trying to figure out what happened in those years of his life that weren’t recorded there. He went from 56 years old to 110 in a sentence! 

And truly as I look at my life I’m afraid I’ve gone from 5-52 in a sentence... and recently I’ve been exploring things in my life that maybe were meant for evil, but God has definitely used for good. And I have to admit I am lacking something Joseph possessed. And when I figure it out – I’ll let you know. What about you? What have you been studying in His Word? What characters have you been studying? What characteristics are you working on? Is it time for a new Bible? Or time to dust off the one you have and start devouring His Word (Jeremiah 15:16)?

Proverb of the day: Chapter 15: here are some verses that stuck out to me:

Verse 1: A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Verse 7: The lips of the wise spread knowledge, not so the hearts of fools.

Verse 15: All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

Verse 22: Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. 

Verse 28: The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

*Taken from LIFT weekly email.

Handprints

 Sunday I brought our youngest grandson, home from church for the day. We had so much fun together. He’s a pure delight. He was amazed when he realized he had full reign of the house. He could play with any toy without any conflict from any of his siblings and have my full attention. He had so much fun chasing the hover ufo around the house and being in “full control” of it. (Best $15 we spent at Christmas!) 

But, at some point I had to start dinner. So, he decided to stay near me and to write with chalk on the pantry door (which is made for that... covered in chalkboard paint) beside the stove. As I was chopping all the veggies for the cabbage soup, he would ask me to look at what he was drawing every once in a while. He was making masterpiece after masterpiece. I almost forgot he was even there... he was having such a great time. And then he started cackling and pointed to the fridge, “look Nana – handdddprintttts bahahahahaha!” and then... on the dark brown recliner and on and on... He was delighting in leaving a little trail of his precious handprints and I didn't mind a bit. 
Recently in the Ladies Group I find myself praying for us that He would show Himself to us throughout the week in big and small ways. It was in our sweet soon-to-be-3-years-old grandson’s CACKLE that I was reminded that He is indeed near and finds delight in giving us glimpses of Himself at least as much as we delight in realizing He is God. If you need a glimpse of His goodness today– just look around- He's leaving His handprints for us to find in big and small ways - and look at our sweet grandson's cackle, I mean face... that I’m holding in this picture and go ahead and read Psalm 19! (Sorry - couldn't find the photo!)

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat. 

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.
Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19

*Taken from LIFT weekly email.