Wednesday with the Word: I Have Hidden Your Word

A few weeks ago, I wrote about taking up the "whole armor of God" part of which is the “Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:16). In that post, I mentioned that a knowledge of God's word is essential. You can't use what you don't know.

The Psalmist writes it this way” I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.(Psalm 119: 11)  If we know God's word, we can use it to protect ourselves from Satan's deception, just like Jesus did (Matt 4:1-11).

So, how do we hide God's word in our heart, so that our Sword of the Spirit is ready when we need it? We must commit scripture to memory. I know. I can hear the groaning from all parts of cyberspace. Memorize scripture? Yes, memorize scripture. For some of you memorizing anything is a challenge, and for others, just the thought dredges up unpleasant memories from Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.  I understand that, but I would submit that you “can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.”(Phil 4:13) That one is a good place to start! It was the one my sister hung on to when she got clean and sober after a twenty-year meth and alcohol addiction. It still makes her kids cringe, but the up side of that is that they know it too!

Even I, who never had trouble memorizing large passages of scripture, find the older I get, the more I have to work at it. I still do though. Work at it, I mean. Ed does too. One problem we both have, and I think I have mentioned this before, is that we grew up with the King James Version, and recall many verses from that, but know them in the newer versions too. Its like growing up in a bilingual household. Sometimes, scriptures come out half  KJV and half NIV! However you say them, they have the same meaning, and the same power!

So how do you get started memorizing scriptures? I don't think there is any one way to do it. A lot depends on you. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Normally, I think people start memorizing what grabs them. One way to start is just to start reading your Bible on a daily basis, and pay attention to what speaks to you, those things that hit home. Those are the ones you want to commit to memory.  Ed and I both write what we want to memorize on 3x5 cards and keep them in our Bibles. Once we learn them, they go into a card file box and they get reviewed weekly. Writing them down also helps with the memorization process.

Maybe you already have some idea of what you want to learn first.
How about John 3:16? Genesis 1:1? Romans 3:23?

Want an easy start? Learn the shortest verse in the Bible. John 11:35 says “Jesus wept. “ Ok, so why would we want to memorize that? It shows that Jesus cares about us, and hurts when we hurt. Read it in its context, and you'll see what I mean.

A little more adventurous? How about the 23rd Psalm?

When I was 14, my grandma challenged me to memorize the 7th chapter of Acts. It is Stephen's testimony and has 60 verses. As I said, memorizing came easy for me, so it took about two weeks. I still know most of it, and with a little effort, it would all come back. My point is that once its in there, your subconscious has it. Before Jesus was crucified, he promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them to remember all things (John 14:26) I believe the same is true today. When we make the effort to commit God's word to memory, the Holy Spirit will help us remember just what we need, just when we need it.

The 119th Psalm, part of which I quoted at the beginning of this post has a lot to say about God's word. Verse 105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” Yes, I did say “verse 105”. There are 176 verses in Psalm 119, making it the longest chapter in the Bible. Talk about a memorization  challenge!

Seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, start small, memorize what speaks to you, or pick up a challenge. However you decide to go, start learning God's word, so your sword will be honed and ready when you need it!

See ya tomorrow!

Connie

Wednesday with the Word: Serving a Creative God

Genesis 1:1 says “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The rest of chapter one provides the detail of the the beginning of all living things on earth and in the heavens above us.

One of the first things that should come to mind when reading Genesis one is that we have a very creative God!

 “Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.” Genesis 1:11-13

Vegetation:

Well, I started searching the internet for a seemingly easy question. How many species of trees are there in the world. According to the answers I found, there is somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 species of trees in the world today. Here is an interesting blog on the subject. Regardless of which end of the spectrum you subscribe, that took a lot of imagination, especially when you consider it all started with “and God said, let there be... ". If there are so many trees that the experts don't even know for sure, we don't even need to look at the rest of vegetation to be overwhelmed by our creative God.

Sea creatures and birds:

"And God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.'  So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day." Genesis 1:20-23

I have a friend who lives and works in St Croix, Virgin Islands. He goes diving quite often and takes breathtaking pictures of some of the most amazing creatures I have ever seen. Octopi, eels, lion fish, crabs, sea horses, jelly fish, and curious sharks, are just a few of the wonderful creatures he has captured on film. Our own Missouri, and Little Blue rivers team with all kinds of life from crappie, to blue gill, to monster catfish, not to mention crawdads, bullfrogs, and other interesting critters.

Job 41 speaks of a magnificent sea creature, which has caused no small debate. Some scholars would have us believe this is a crocodile, but I think it is something much larger. This description would surely explain the many seaman's stories of sea monsters. This is God speaking to Job:

“I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,
    its strength and its graceful fsorm.
 Who can strip off its outer coat?
    Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?
Who dares open the doors of its mouth,
    ringed about with fearsome teeth?
Its back has rows of shields
    tightly sealed together;
each is so close to the next
    that no air can pass between.
They are joined fast to one another;
    they cling together and cannot be parted.
Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
Flames stream from its mouth;
    sparks of fire shoot out.
Smoke pours from its nostrils
    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
Its breath sets coals ablaze,
    and flames dart from its mouth.
Strength resides in its neck;
    dismay goes before it.
The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
    they are firm and immovable.
Its chest is hard as rock,
    hard as a lower millstone.
When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;
    they retreat before its thrashing.
The sword that reaches it has no effect,
    nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
Iron it treats like straw
    and bronze like rotten wood.
Arrows do not make it flee;
    sling stones are like chaff to it.
A club seems to it but a piece of straw;
    it laughs at the rattling of the lance.
Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
    leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron
    and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.
It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
    one would think the deep had white hair.
Nothing on earth is its equal—
    a creature without fear.
It looks down on all that are haughty;
    it is king over all that are proud.” Job 41:12-38

My daughter is convinced that this passage refers to what we now call a “fire-breathing dragon”!

As for birds, we have plenty right here. I have had the pleasure of seeing a humming bird fluttering right outside my front door. Of course, there are robins, blue birds, blue jays, cardinals, and a host of finches. There are buzzard nests on the cliffs behind our house. Sometimes, on our way to church we count the hawks we see in trees and on telephone poles. Its always a special treat to me to see an owl. I see two or three a year. That is just here. I don't imagine anyone knows for sure how many species of birds there really are. God knows though. He created them. All of them! How cool is that!

“And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:24-25

“Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!”

Dogs, cats, pigs, goats, sheep, gorillas, and the Behemoth!

Again this is God speaking to Job.
“Look at Behemoth,
    which I made along with you
    and which feeds on grass like an ox.
What strength it has in its loins,
    what power in the muscles of its belly!
Its tail sways like a cedar;
    the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.
Its bones are tubes of bronze,
    its limbs like rods of iron.
It ranks first among the works of God,
    yet its Maker can approach it with his sword.
The hills bring it their produce,
    and all the wild animals play nearby.
Under the lotus plants it lies,
    hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
    the poplars by the stream surround it.
 A raging river does not alarm it;
    it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth.
Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
    or trap it and pierce its nose? “ Job: 40:15-24

Massive, awe-inspiring creatures, as well as tiny microbes invisible to the human eye. All created by our very creative God, but he wasn't finished.

“Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'” Genesis 1:26

Then God created his masterpiece. He created human beings in his own image. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Well, one thing it means is that he made us to be creative too. Of course, our creativity is nothing compared to his, but think about musicians, artists, dancers, builders, inventors, writers, and a host of other types of human creativity.

“Then the Lord said to Moses,  'See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,  and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—  to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you.”'Exodus 31:1-6

God made us to be creative with the idea that it all points back to him. Everything we do should bring glory and honor to our creator.

“Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.” Psalm 150:1-6

Have a blessed day!

See ya tomorrow!

Connie

Wednesday with the Word: Taming the Tongue

Every January, the Christian radio station, KLove, offers a 30-challenge for listeners to listen to only Christian music for 30 days. I've been listening to KLove for the last three years or so, and know what a difference listening to Christian music can make in hearts and attitudes. So, every January, on facebook, I offer my own challenge to my facebook friends. Every day in January, to encourage them to listen, I choose a song currently playing on KLove, find a YouTube video for that song, and post the link. I usually post a corresponding thought or scripture for the song too.

This morning, when I was looking for a song to post, “Speak Life” by Toby Mac jumped out at me. You can listen here.The Bible has a ton to say about what comes out of our mouths. The first scripture that came to mind was this one: (probably because I have been trying to memorize it)

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 NIV

I really love the book of Ephesians. We'll have to spend some more time there. Oh, all my scripture references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless I indicate otherwise. Let's look at this verse. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths...” So, what is “unwholesome talk”? The King James version, says “Corrupt communication”, but that doesn't help much either. Well, lets see what else the Bible says about it.

In Ephesians 4:5, it says , “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving”.

Ok, that gives us a little better idea. Cuss words and dirty jokes should have no place in our conversations. That has been a problem for me in the past. I've been known to say things that, to quote Ed, “would peel paint off a wall.” Its something I've had to consciously work on. I do a little better now, but those words still slip out on occasion, especially if I'm startled or surprised by something, so I'll keep working on it.

What else?

“For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.'“ 1Pet 3:10

Keeping your tongue from evil covers all kinds of things. Taking badly about people. Saying mean or hateful things, etc. Then there is lying. God is big on telling the truth.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:19 This is number nine of the ten commandments.

Lying is one of those things that everyone does, but pretends they don't . Like all other sin, we have a tendency to downplay our own duplicity. God calls sin what it is: sin. Lying comes from Satan himself. In John, chapter 8, verse 44, Jesus says,

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Sadly, he was talking about the religious leaders of his day.

“A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.”  Proverbs 20:14

and

“Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”  I Tim 5:13.

No gossip or spreading rumors. Oh that might be a little more difficult.  I grew up in an environment where someone was always talking about who did what to whom, how they did it, why they did it, and what was going to happen because they did it. Riding home from church with my Grandparents, I got to hear about every little thing that was going on with everyone else in their congregation, and then I got to hear their opinion of said people  It took me until just recently to realize that all that was nothing more than gossip, along with some self-righteous passing of judgment, and it is displeasing to God.

God and I have spoken about this, and I have asked him to help me know when what I am about to say is necessary, or if it is merely gossip. If it is the latter, I don't want to say it.  Kind of sounds like “if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.” but God never gives us a “don't” without giving us a “do”.

So if we're aren't supposed to curse, lie, brag, gossip, tell dirty jokes, say mean or hateful things, or spread rumors, what are we supposed to do instead? Lets go back to that verse in Ephesians.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 NIV

The things that come out of our mouths should lift people up and provide good advice.

“The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.” Psalm 37:30

and

“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4

 Our words should offer sound advice and provide comfort and encouragement to those who need it. That would be just about everybody.

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Eph 4:15

 So, instead of lying, we speak the truth, in love! I know a lot of people who are really good at speaking the truth, but they leave the “in love” part out. They cause a lot of pain and damage with their “honesty”.

“My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.”Psalm 35:28 Offering worship and praise to God is the best possible thing we can do with our voices.

The book of James is also one of my favorites. James offers practical advice for every day Christian living, and has a lot to say about what comes out of our mouths. First he says,

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” James 1:26

The Common English Bible (CEB) says it this way: “If those who claim devotion to God don’t control what they say, they mislead themselves. Their devotion is worthless.”

Pretty harsh, huh? No, just important! When we get to chapter three, James has a whole lot more to say about the condition of the human tongue. This again is from the Common English Bible.

We all make mistakes often, but those who don’t make mistakes 

with their words have reached full maturity. Like a bridled horse,

 they can control themselves entirely. When we bridle horses 

and put bits in their mouths to lead them wherever we want,

 we can control their whole bodies. Consider ships: They are so

 large that strong winds are needed to drive them. But pilots direct

 their ships wherever they want with a little rudder. In the same way, 

even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts wildly. 

Think about this: A small flame can set a whole forest on fire. 

The tongue is a small flame of fire, a world of evil at work in us. 

It contaminates our entire lives. Because of it, the circle of life is set on

 fire. The tongue itself is set on fire by the flames of hell. People can 

tame and already have tamed every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish.

 No one can tame the tongue, though. It is a restless evil, full of deadly 

poison.  With it we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human 

beings made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come from 

the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way! 

Both fresh water and salt water don’t come from the same spring, 

do they? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? 

Can a grapevine produce figs? Of course not, and fresh water doesn’t

 flow from a saltwater spring either. James 3: 2-12

You can't get much plainer than that, can you? If you can control everything that comes out of your mouth, you have reached full maturity. I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen in this life, but I'm going to keep on working on it, as long as I'm here.

See ya tomorrow,

Connie