Wondorous Things
Blogging for me generally only happens when my heart feels a little on fire and of course the children are sleeping.
The psalmist declares in Psalm 119:
"Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes!
With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law."
(Psalm 119:12-18 ESV)
I am not so much like the psalmist as I'd like to be in this passage, but friends, there really are WONDROUS things in His Word that delight. I have been listening to the Bible and having it taught to me since infancy and I have been reading it on my own since childhood (not as much or as often or as consistently as I would like to my shame and my own hindrance I'm sure) and still the Lord is so kind to show me marvel after marvel about Himself and His ways (Ephesians 1:18). Surely He has dealt bountifully.
The girls and I are reading through The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski in the mornings and the things the Lord has revealed to MY heart have been so satisfying and joy filling. No doubt sometimes hard (like God's response to the complainers of Israel), but beautiful and true and freeing.
Amazingly (because we are still in the Old Testament, or in the earlier books that are in the Bible), I will read something to them, and then in my own personal study read something from the New Testament that directly correlates and it is unreal.
Recently I read to the kids about the Tabernacle (also interesting is that they were talking about this same story in Anna's Sunday morning class at Church - love you Crossroads!). The story told how God told Moses to build a tent for Him to live in among His people. The tent and everything inside was designed to be a foreshadowing of all Jesus (Immanuel, which means God with us), would be. One of the pieces in the tent was the "ark of the covenant", sort of a chest or box, that would house God's presence. Moses was to have it made with two golden angels facing eachother with wings spread out over the "mercy seat".
That may be old news for seasoned Church attenders, but would you believe that later that afternoon as I was doing a Beth Moore Bible study called Jesus, the One and Only she pointed out that when Mary took some of the followers of Jesus back to the tomb Jesus had been buried in because Jesus' body was no longer there, "[Mary] saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet." (John 20:12).
Beautiful. Not only is Jesus our mercy seat, but God's design of the ark of the covenant even included the angels guarding over Jesus probably just bursting to tell the world He wasn't dead anymore?! I love it. Beautiful story writing God. Masterfully, lovely, intricate...I love that after 30 years of being in Your Word there are things You show me that make me cry, laugh, repent, be amazed, be silent, etc. It was so fun to share this with the girlies. So much praying they will see the beauty of the Lord.
There have been so many other cool things (to me), but I'm sure you're all already glazed over, so I'll conclude. Friends, let's read this book more. So good. And if you're not convinced, here's 5 reasons you should....
5 Promises for Your Bible Reading and Prayer
The psalmist declares in Psalm 119:
"Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes!
With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word.
Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law."
(Psalm 119:12-18 ESV)
I am not so much like the psalmist as I'd like to be in this passage, but friends, there really are WONDROUS things in His Word that delight. I have been listening to the Bible and having it taught to me since infancy and I have been reading it on my own since childhood (not as much or as often or as consistently as I would like to my shame and my own hindrance I'm sure) and still the Lord is so kind to show me marvel after marvel about Himself and His ways (Ephesians 1:18). Surely He has dealt bountifully.
Amazingly (because we are still in the Old Testament, or in the earlier books that are in the Bible), I will read something to them, and then in my own personal study read something from the New Testament that directly correlates and it is unreal.
Recently I read to the kids about the Tabernacle (also interesting is that they were talking about this same story in Anna's Sunday morning class at Church - love you Crossroads!). The story told how God told Moses to build a tent for Him to live in among His people. The tent and everything inside was designed to be a foreshadowing of all Jesus (Immanuel, which means God with us), would be. One of the pieces in the tent was the "ark of the covenant", sort of a chest or box, that would house God's presence. Moses was to have it made with two golden angels facing eachother with wings spread out over the "mercy seat".
That may be old news for seasoned Church attenders, but would you believe that later that afternoon as I was doing a Beth Moore Bible study called Jesus, the One and Only she pointed out that when Mary took some of the followers of Jesus back to the tomb Jesus had been buried in because Jesus' body was no longer there, "[Mary] saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet." (John 20:12).
Beautiful. Not only is Jesus our mercy seat, but God's design of the ark of the covenant even included the angels guarding over Jesus probably just bursting to tell the world He wasn't dead anymore?! I love it. Beautiful story writing God. Masterfully, lovely, intricate...I love that after 30 years of being in Your Word there are things You show me that make me cry, laugh, repent, be amazed, be silent, etc. It was so fun to share this with the girlies. So much praying they will see the beauty of the Lord.
There have been so many other cool things (to me), but I'm sure you're all already glazed over, so I'll conclude. Friends, let's read this book more. So good. And if you're not convinced, here's 5 reasons you should....
5 Promises for Your Bible Reading and Prayer
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