Isaiah 40:27-31 from The Message ...
"Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
or, whine, Israel, saying,
"God has lost track of me.
He doesn't care what happens to me"?
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?
God doesn't come and go. God lasts.
He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch His breath.
And He knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don't get tired,
they walk and don't lag behind."
A friend of mine emailed me the other day after finding out he will need to have a couple of stents - at least - and possibly bypass surgery if the blockages are too extensive. He was one of my first Christian friends after I accepted Jesus' gift of salvation over 30 years ago. Now he lives just south of here in Florida. He admitted that, though he had emailed earlier and said how everyone's prayers had given him a sense of peace, he was actually quite frightened and upset.
I told him that it is normal to be anxious and scared when faced with our own mortality. Even though we have the promise of eternal life, there is still plenty of fear to go around when it comes down to brass tacks about death and dying - more the dying part than anything else, I think.
While I was on my morning walk today, talking to God and trying to listen for His still, small replies, I got to praying and talking with God about my friend's situation and being "ready to die." And very clearly in my head I heard, "You're ready to die, but are you ready to live?"
Most of us don't have a deathbed conversion; many of us receive salvation as teens. There's a lot of living to be done in between when we take His hand in acceptance and when He takes our hand to welcome us home. It's more than being in a club and getting jackets with our names on them. Are we ready and willing to follow Him despite what lies ahead?
When the teacup tips whatever is inside spills out. What comes out when you get tipped? Fill my cup, Lord!
Habbakuk 3:19 (HCSB) Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!
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2 comments:
That's excellent, Mike! You're certainly good at putting your thoughts into words!
"When the teacup tips whatever is inside spills out. What comes out when you get tipped? Fill my cup, Lord!"
I have to remember that one. That's good!
I'm becoming quite impressed with what you've been quoting from "The Message". I refuse to accept it as the written Word of God, but it's showing that it's excellent direct commentary and paraphrase. It reminds me of a good preacher trying to put a passage into contemporary English, which is apparently exactly what it is.
Keep up the good work, Mikey!
Gary
Thanks for the praise. I try and let the Holy Spirit do the writing and I just type what He wants.
If I tell you about Jesus and relate His story in my own words, my own understanding, does that make it less true? I maintain that there is no Bible which is not a paraphrase, even the original scrolls.
Luke wrote what he was told by Paul/Saul and by the disciples who were there with Jesus. He said so in Luke 1 NIV "just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught."
Mark (John Mark)was an interpreter for Peter and wrote the book of Mark at the request of the brothers in Rome. Peter heard, read and approved the Gospel according to Mark.
Matthew (Levi)wrote his account of Gospel in Hebrew for the believers in Judea. It is not known who translated it into Greek.
Paul/Saul was a Roman citizen but did not know Greek and took along Titus as an interpreter.
Peter used Mark (John Mark) as his interpreter.
Whatever version we hear or read, we interpret the words as they enter our brains. In a perfect world, we would all interpret them the same; this not being a perfect world, we do not. In the coming perfect world, we will have the True Word in His true form - the Word (Jesus) will need no translations or paraphrases.
As good as NASB, HCSB, RSB, NIV, NLT, KJV, ESV, NKJV, etc, etc may be, every single one of them is SOMEONE'S interpretation. I can accept them all as the written Word of God, and I can accept The Message as the written Word, as well.
If Jesus were here (physically) today, He would speak in today's language, not King James or olde English. And He would probably tell us, "It boils down to this: 'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important thing, first on any list. But there is a second thing to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two things are like pegs; everything else hangs from them."
I appreciate your comments and your steadfastness.
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