v.16-17
For You do not delight in sacrifice,
otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God,
You will not despise.
---
Am I focusing on doing, focusing on what I can do for God...
....than focusing on God?
---
Prayer Request:
I'm pretty sure I'm getting sick, girlies. It's not so bad, but please pray for my health. That if it's for God's glory, that it'll pass by quickly.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Swarming Thoughts
I've been studying here at Mainstacks since early evening and am still currently here as I write. Throughout my studying time though, I find my mind to have the tendency to inadvertently wander around and be intruded upon with many many thoughts that are NOT related to human anatomy (which is what my lab exam this week is on)... These thoughts are very distracting and cause me to be unable to focus and absorb the material I desperately need to learn. And it's not that I want to or intentionally think about certain things, but often times different things just trigger thoughts or memories of the past that just clutter my brain and cause me to be unable to focus and be productive, not to mention hinder me from "moving on". The Bible verse that came to my mind immediately was one that Sally gave me recently from 2 Corinthians 10:5, which reads:
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
I kept on repeating the last part to myself, asking God to please TAKE CAPTIVE MY EVERY THOUGHT and MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO YOU. This is the verse that I use these days in my defense whenever swarming thoughts preoccupy my mind.
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
I kept on repeating the last part to myself, asking God to please TAKE CAPTIVE MY EVERY THOUGHT and MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO YOU. This is the verse that I use these days in my defense whenever swarming thoughts preoccupy my mind.
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Good Shepherd
"And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God..." Micah 5:4
1. Jesus is a shepherd who stands while shepherding. That means He's ready to catch us, save us, discipline us- He's always watching out for us. I always imagined shepherds sitting on rocks and petting the sheep and playing harps, but shepherding is a dirty job that Jesus does with care.
2. Jesus shepherds in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. Like stated before, shepherds have dirty jobs. Sheep don't smell like flowers (but my apt does...hehehe) and the weather is probably really hot and dry. He probably didn't wash his hair with shampoo and conditioner in the morning and his clothes probably don't smell like Tide. He probably doesn't wear cool shades or drink vitamin water or lemon lime gatorade. It's just not that pleasant. Yet, it's done in the majesty of His name. This passage reminded me that sometimes serving God means getting down and dirty. Even going to the SLC at 7am this morning, I was grumbling already and it's nothing like being a shepherd. But it should be done in the majesty of His name. When it's about His glory, everything else just fades away.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Psalm 69, Isaiah 49:23
Psalm 69 is one of my favorite Psalms. It's been one of my heart-cry passages for a long time...for particularly difficult times when there was so much anguish, sorrow, frustration in my heart that I could barely put my thoughts into words (let alone, think) coherently.
Psalm 69:1-3
Save me, O God,
For the waters have threatened my life.
I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.
I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Reading exactly how I felt somehow always lessened the onslaught of emotion; King David put into words what I couldn't express, making an outlet for all the things that I had pent-up inside. Starting QT today with this Psalm sure did bring back some memories.
----
Isaiah 49:23
Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.
I'm not sure if I would say that I was hopeful when I was going through those hard times. Full of despair, extremely whiny, and rather self-centered would be more accurate. "My eyes are failing! F-A-I-L-I-N-G, FAILING God!!! Can you please SEE that!?!" (Clearly, my heart isn't *quite* where it's supposed to be....I'm so sorry, King David, for perverting your words. -____-) So yea...um...not very hopeful waiting. But, it's strange, right now, I don't feel too much shame either. What gives?
God's grace. Though it doesn't seem like I was particularly hopeful -- hope was there. Sure, I was complaining and whining and getting frustrated, but if I didn't have one inkling of hope...then I wouldn't have gone to God (does this make sense?). Hope isn't my feeling optimistic, sure, or happy about something, but hope is my being able to go to God and saying, "I can't get through this by myself. I'm so tired, broken, and defeated. Please. Help me. I'm failing." Hope is my being able to go to God. And I'm able to go to God because God has accepted me. Us. And God has accepted us because of the blood of Jesus, whom He sent to save us. God's grace!
----
Strangely, I think I had more hope during hard times than I do now.
I can't remember the last time I cried out to God about *all* my troubles.
Psalm 69:13
But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time;
O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with Your saving truth.
God wants my cries, wants me to tell Him what's lacking in my life. He wants me to go to Him for everything, even if I'm not so good at waiting. And then, at an acceptable time, He will answer me with His saving truth.
God, you are so good to me.
Psalm 69:1-3
Save me, O God,
For the waters have threatened my life.
I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.
I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Reading exactly how I felt somehow always lessened the onslaught of emotion; King David put into words what I couldn't express, making an outlet for all the things that I had pent-up inside. Starting QT today with this Psalm sure did bring back some memories.
----
Isaiah 49:23
Those who hopefully wait for Me will not be put to shame.
I'm not sure if I would say that I was hopeful when I was going through those hard times. Full of despair, extremely whiny, and rather self-centered would be more accurate. "My eyes are failing! F-A-I-L-I-N-G, FAILING God!!! Can you please SEE that!?!" (Clearly, my heart isn't *quite* where it's supposed to be....I'm so sorry, King David, for perverting your words. -____-) So yea...um...not very hopeful waiting. But, it's strange, right now, I don't feel too much shame either. What gives?
God's grace. Though it doesn't seem like I was particularly hopeful -- hope was there. Sure, I was complaining and whining and getting frustrated, but if I didn't have one inkling of hope...then I wouldn't have gone to God (does this make sense?). Hope isn't my feeling optimistic, sure, or happy about something, but hope is my being able to go to God and saying, "I can't get through this by myself. I'm so tired, broken, and defeated. Please. Help me. I'm failing." Hope is my being able to go to God. And I'm able to go to God because God has accepted me. Us. And God has accepted us because of the blood of Jesus, whom He sent to save us. God's grace!
----
Strangely, I think I had more hope during hard times than I do now.
I can't remember the last time I cried out to God about *all* my troubles.
Psalm 69:13
But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time;
O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with Your saving truth.
God wants my cries, wants me to tell Him what's lacking in my life. He wants me to go to Him for everything, even if I'm not so good at waiting. And then, at an acceptable time, He will answer me with His saving truth.
God, you are so good to me.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Isaiah 46:3-11
Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;
Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.
To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They bow down, indeed they worship it.
They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.
Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.
Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, 'My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;
Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.
To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They bow down, indeed they worship it.
They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.
Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.
Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, 'My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Isaiah 43:4
I read Isaiah 43 today and this phrase in verse 4 just popped out and made a thump in my heart. What was this phrase?
::drum rrroooollllll:: t-t-t-t-t-t-t-b-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-ump-t-t-t-t-t-t-t......
"I love you". :-O What?!? For REALZ?!?! SRSLY!?!? ........ :) It's not that I don't believe it; He's demonstrated His love to me in so many ways. So many ways. But the straightfoward, uncluttered, direct "I love you" just really hit home. No rhyme nor reason, no logical explanation -- God loves me. GOD loves me. God LOVES me.
!!1!*GOD*!!11! loves ........ me.
Is it possible to believe it, but still be in disbelief? It's so much more than I deserve.
GOD loves YOU.
::drum rrroooollllll:: t-t-t-t-t-t-t-b-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-ump-t-t-t-t-t-t-t......
"I love you". :-O What?!? For REALZ?!?! SRSLY!?!? ........ :) It's not that I don't believe it; He's demonstrated His love to me in so many ways. So many ways. But the straightfoward, uncluttered, direct "I love you" just really hit home. No rhyme nor reason, no logical explanation -- God loves me. GOD loves me. God LOVES me.
!!1!*GOD*!!11! loves ........ me.
Is it possible to believe it, but still be in disbelief? It's so much more than I deserve.
GOD loves YOU.
Yay Quiet Time Sharing =)
Dear ICA sisters,
As some of us in Berkeley have been meeting up daily this week for morning prayer and devos, it has been so encouraging to hear how God is transforming us, disciplining us, and loving us. Please use this blog as a way to glorify Christ and encourage one another. I know He will do amazing things as we spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Love,
Vicky
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