Rindy's Devotional Tidbits
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The Spiritual Cafe is pleased to share her daily facebook thoughts. It is our hope that her reflections will be a service to you on your spiritual growth journey.
Week 29 Archives
Year 5; Day 198 Sowing in Tears
I still think the word "wait" is a big part of my life...probably everyone's life. Who isn't waiting for something? Who doesn't have that one prayer that just doesn't seem to get answered? That seems to carry over from one year to the next? A perpetual heartache. A damaged relationship. A difficult situation. An ongoing circumstance. And it gets discouraging. Sometimes there is a little bit of positive. Maybe a breakthrough is coming...and then it doesn't. Yesterday I read Psalm 126 and I could relate to half of it. "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." (verses 5,6) The praying, the tears, the faith, the trust, the petitions, the hope, and even the discouragement are all part of sowing. The thing about these verses is the guarantee of a harvest. There will be results. Prayers don't go unanswered. Tears aren't unnoticed. Petitions don't go unheard. Faithfulness will bear a crop. We do not wait without hope. This summer the vegetation all around seems so much thicker and fuller and richer. The dogberry trees are going to be loaded with berries, the flowering trees were full of blossoms, lupines have taken over empty fields, and the flowers and trees seem fuller. Quite a scene of colour and beauty...and fruition. For some reason it fills me with awe...and hope. God's Word doesn't give an exact "when"...just that it "will". Weeping will turn to songs of joy. There will be a return with arms full. Today is Monday. Keep waiting with prayer and expectation. He has promised a harvest for all those tears!
I still think the word "wait" is a big part of my life...probably everyone's life. Who isn't waiting for something? Who doesn't have that one prayer that just doesn't seem to get answered? That seems to carry over from one year to the next? A perpetual heartache. A damaged relationship. A difficult situation. An ongoing circumstance. And it gets discouraging. Sometimes there is a little bit of positive. Maybe a breakthrough is coming...and then it doesn't. Yesterday I read Psalm 126 and I could relate to half of it. "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." (verses 5,6) The praying, the tears, the faith, the trust, the petitions, the hope, and even the discouragement are all part of sowing. The thing about these verses is the guarantee of a harvest. There will be results. Prayers don't go unanswered. Tears aren't unnoticed. Petitions don't go unheard. Faithfulness will bear a crop. We do not wait without hope. This summer the vegetation all around seems so much thicker and fuller and richer. The dogberry trees are going to be loaded with berries, the flowering trees were full of blossoms, lupines have taken over empty fields, and the flowers and trees seem fuller. Quite a scene of colour and beauty...and fruition. For some reason it fills me with awe...and hope. God's Word doesn't give an exact "when"...just that it "will". Weeping will turn to songs of joy. There will be a return with arms full. Today is Monday. Keep waiting with prayer and expectation. He has promised a harvest for all those tears!
Year 5; Day 199 Waiting with Hope
Yesterday's post came right from my heart. There never seems to be an end to "waiting". Even if one prayer gets answered or one situation resolved, five more seem to pop up to replace them. Psalm 121:5 says, "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." It seems to me there is a lot more "sowing in tears" than "reaping with songs of joy". At least in this life. And maybe that is how it is. Maybe there are results that we will never see or know until heaven. Maybe some of those prayers are not unanswered but the results are just unknown to us. Scripture promises a harvest. It is the timing that is a challenge. As I read on yesterday, I came to this verse, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." (Psalm 130:5) There is a difference between frustrating, toe-tapping waiting and God's waiting. And that difference is hope. As we wait, we are instructed to read and meditate and apply and internalize God's Word...His words to them of old and to us of today. His Word comforts and encourages and renews. "But I have stilled and quieted my soul;..." (131:2) That's what God's hope does through His Word. It quiets our souls. And it is something we can do. We can read and spend time in His Word and allow it to minister to our heart and soul. Today is Tuesday. "...put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore." (131:3)
Yesterday's post came right from my heart. There never seems to be an end to "waiting". Even if one prayer gets answered or one situation resolved, five more seem to pop up to replace them. Psalm 121:5 says, "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." It seems to me there is a lot more "sowing in tears" than "reaping with songs of joy". At least in this life. And maybe that is how it is. Maybe there are results that we will never see or know until heaven. Maybe some of those prayers are not unanswered but the results are just unknown to us. Scripture promises a harvest. It is the timing that is a challenge. As I read on yesterday, I came to this verse, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." (Psalm 130:5) There is a difference between frustrating, toe-tapping waiting and God's waiting. And that difference is hope. As we wait, we are instructed to read and meditate and apply and internalize God's Word...His words to them of old and to us of today. His Word comforts and encourages and renews. "But I have stilled and quieted my soul;..." (131:2) That's what God's hope does through His Word. It quiets our souls. And it is something we can do. We can read and spend time in His Word and allow it to minister to our heart and soul. Today is Tuesday. "...put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore." (131:3)
Year 5; Day 200. Nothing or Something
Yesterday was a beautiful day and I sat outside for a while. On one level it seemed as if nothing was happening...not much to look at. The sky was cloudless. The ocean was mostly calm. There wasn't much action...no breaching whales...no oil rigs being towed...no tankers, icebergs, or cargo ships in view. No eagles. Just the same old same old. How easy to take our view for granted. The colour alone was marvelous. A sky that shaded from light tourquois to intense sky blue. An immense body of water that sparkled and glistened and has always stayed within its boundaries. Gulls and terns and crows riding the thermals. Huge pale pink peonies that just opened in the yard. There was plenty to look at and plenty to be thankful for but so often we take things for granted...get used to the view...no longer see. And we end up thinking nothing is going on or we only look for big and miss the small. Like the sailboat that inched its way across. Or the beauty of two black-back gulls flying side by side with matching wing beats. A quick look may assume nothing is happening but a closer inspection shows there is activity. Sometimes we look at God and it seems like nothing is happening...no action...no change...no nothing. But if we look long enough and carefully enough we see that the surface is constantly moving, what's under sometimes comes up (like a humpback blowing) and an unexpected person or event appears. God is always at work. Sometimes it is obvious. More times it is not. But He is there, working on our behalf...even when it looks like there is nothing to see. Today is Wednesday. "...no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." (Isaiah 64:4
Yesterday was a beautiful day and I sat outside for a while. On one level it seemed as if nothing was happening...not much to look at. The sky was cloudless. The ocean was mostly calm. There wasn't much action...no breaching whales...no oil rigs being towed...no tankers, icebergs, or cargo ships in view. No eagles. Just the same old same old. How easy to take our view for granted. The colour alone was marvelous. A sky that shaded from light tourquois to intense sky blue. An immense body of water that sparkled and glistened and has always stayed within its boundaries. Gulls and terns and crows riding the thermals. Huge pale pink peonies that just opened in the yard. There was plenty to look at and plenty to be thankful for but so often we take things for granted...get used to the view...no longer see. And we end up thinking nothing is going on or we only look for big and miss the small. Like the sailboat that inched its way across. Or the beauty of two black-back gulls flying side by side with matching wing beats. A quick look may assume nothing is happening but a closer inspection shows there is activity. Sometimes we look at God and it seems like nothing is happening...no action...no change...no nothing. But if we look long enough and carefully enough we see that the surface is constantly moving, what's under sometimes comes up (like a humpback blowing) and an unexpected person or event appears. God is always at work. Sometimes it is obvious. More times it is not. But He is there, working on our behalf...even when it looks like there is nothing to see. Today is Wednesday. "...no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." (Isaiah 64:4
Year 5; Day 201 What Do You Want...?"
In chapter 10 of Mark, Jesus asked the same question twice. The circumstances were different and so were the outcomes. Two of Jesus' disciples, James and John, asked Jesus to, "...do for us whatever we ask.". (verse 35) Jesus responded with, "What do you want me to do for you?" (verse 36) What an open-ended question! What did the two brothers want? What was behind their request? "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." (verse 37) After spending months and months with Christ, being taught by Him personally, and witnessing numerous miracles (including the transfiguration), their big response concerned power and prestige...for them. I wonder what they thought they'd done to deserve such an honour. Why were they entitled to those positions any more than the other disciples...or Moses or Joseph or Samuel or David or Daniel or Mary or John the Baptist or.....? Jesus could have given them quite the dressing down for their self-centered answer. But instead He told them they didn't know what they were asking. When Jesus asked the two if they could and would suffer as Jesus would, they blithely answered they would. Little did they know that they soon would desert their Lord when they felt their lives were threatened. Jesus told James and John that those positions were not for Him to grant. The disciples had a marvelous opportunity given Christ's broad question to them. What they got is what they needed...a lesson in humility. Not given harshly, but given none-the-less. The disciples' motivation was all wrong and it needed correcting. Tomorrow's post will look at the other situation where Jesus asked the same question, "What do you want me to do for you?" Today is Thursday. How would we answer that question?
In chapter 10 of Mark, Jesus asked the same question twice. The circumstances were different and so were the outcomes. Two of Jesus' disciples, James and John, asked Jesus to, "...do for us whatever we ask.". (verse 35) Jesus responded with, "What do you want me to do for you?" (verse 36) What an open-ended question! What did the two brothers want? What was behind their request? "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." (verse 37) After spending months and months with Christ, being taught by Him personally, and witnessing numerous miracles (including the transfiguration), their big response concerned power and prestige...for them. I wonder what they thought they'd done to deserve such an honour. Why were they entitled to those positions any more than the other disciples...or Moses or Joseph or Samuel or David or Daniel or Mary or John the Baptist or.....? Jesus could have given them quite the dressing down for their self-centered answer. But instead He told them they didn't know what they were asking. When Jesus asked the two if they could and would suffer as Jesus would, they blithely answered they would. Little did they know that they soon would desert their Lord when they felt their lives were threatened. Jesus told James and John that those positions were not for Him to grant. The disciples had a marvelous opportunity given Christ's broad question to them. What they got is what they needed...a lesson in humility. Not given harshly, but given none-the-less. The disciples' motivation was all wrong and it needed correcting. Tomorrow's post will look at the other situation where Jesus asked the same question, "What do you want me to do for you?" Today is Thursday. How would we answer that question?
Year 5; Day 202 What Do You Want ... Pt. 2
Jesus asked the same question twice in Mark chapter 10. "What do you want me to do for you?". Yesterday's post dealt with the two disciples who asked to sit on the right and left side of Jesus in heaven. As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jericho, there was a blind man who spent his days begging along the route Jesus was travelling. When he heard Jesus was coming, he began to shout for Jesus to have mercy on him. His cries were heard despite the people trying to hush him up. When he came to Jesus, Bartimaeus was asked the same question as James and John were asked earlier in the day. "What do you want me to do for you?..." (verse 51) Bartimaeus answered with, "...Rabbi, I want to see." (verse 51) Bartimaeus' request was not motivated by a selfish desire for power or prestige as was the disciples' request. Bartimaeus' blindness prevented him from being a productive member of society. He was a burden to his family and could only earn money by begging. He also had the faith to believe that Jesus could give him his sight. Jesus' response was quite different from the one to James and John. "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." (verse 52) Bartimaeus was motivated by faith and a desire to live a better life. And he showed his gratitude by following Jesus. I have been thinking about how I might respond if Jesus asked me that question. It will take another post. Today is Friday. Honestly...what do we really want Jesus to do for us?
Jesus asked the same question twice in Mark chapter 10. "What do you want me to do for you?". Yesterday's post dealt with the two disciples who asked to sit on the right and left side of Jesus in heaven. As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jericho, there was a blind man who spent his days begging along the route Jesus was travelling. When he heard Jesus was coming, he began to shout for Jesus to have mercy on him. His cries were heard despite the people trying to hush him up. When he came to Jesus, Bartimaeus was asked the same question as James and John were asked earlier in the day. "What do you want me to do for you?..." (verse 51) Bartimaeus answered with, "...Rabbi, I want to see." (verse 51) Bartimaeus' request was not motivated by a selfish desire for power or prestige as was the disciples' request. Bartimaeus' blindness prevented him from being a productive member of society. He was a burden to his family and could only earn money by begging. He also had the faith to believe that Jesus could give him his sight. Jesus' response was quite different from the one to James and John. "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road." (verse 52) Bartimaeus was motivated by faith and a desire to live a better life. And he showed his gratitude by following Jesus. I have been thinking about how I might respond if Jesus asked me that question. It will take another post. Today is Friday. Honestly...what do we really want Jesus to do for us?
Year 5; Day 203 What Do You Want...?" Pt. 3
The last few days I have been thinking about the question that Jesus asked in two different situations in Mark chapter 10. "What do you want me to do for you?" (verses 36,51) James and John wanted assurance they would be given power and position in heaven by sitting on the right and left hand of Christ. Blind Bartimaeus wanted to see. Both wanted something from Jesus but their motivations were quite different. The two brothers wanted prestige and recognition for themselves. Bartimaeus just wanted to be whole. What would we say if Jesus asked us that question...especially if there were no immediate situation that required an obvious answer? World peace? Eliminate poverty? Clean water for all? I am ashamed to say, my first thoughts were not very noble. My very first thought was to make me slim and svelte and able to eat all the Bits and Bites and chocolate I want without ever gaining an ounce. Then my thoughts skittered from a healthy bank account to being debt free, pain free, and worry free. As I contemplated, I tried to imagine what I would/should really say. Shouldn't my first thoughts have been ways to be more Christ-like? More forgiving? More merciful? More compassionate? More faithful? I couldn't settle on one thing until just a few minutes ago as I was writing this. Maybe I should be like the father of the demon-possessed son, "...I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) I will need another post to ponder that answer. Today is Saturday. I can feel myself being instructed.
The last few days I have been thinking about the question that Jesus asked in two different situations in Mark chapter 10. "What do you want me to do for you?" (verses 36,51) James and John wanted assurance they would be given power and position in heaven by sitting on the right and left hand of Christ. Blind Bartimaeus wanted to see. Both wanted something from Jesus but their motivations were quite different. The two brothers wanted prestige and recognition for themselves. Bartimaeus just wanted to be whole. What would we say if Jesus asked us that question...especially if there were no immediate situation that required an obvious answer? World peace? Eliminate poverty? Clean water for all? I am ashamed to say, my first thoughts were not very noble. My very first thought was to make me slim and svelte and able to eat all the Bits and Bites and chocolate I want without ever gaining an ounce. Then my thoughts skittered from a healthy bank account to being debt free, pain free, and worry free. As I contemplated, I tried to imagine what I would/should really say. Shouldn't my first thoughts have been ways to be more Christ-like? More forgiving? More merciful? More compassionate? More faithful? I couldn't settle on one thing until just a few minutes ago as I was writing this. Maybe I should be like the father of the demon-possessed son, "...I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) I will need another post to ponder that answer. Today is Saturday. I can feel myself being instructed.
Year 5; Day 204 What Do You Want...?" Pt. 4
"What do you want me to do for you?" was a question Jesus asked twice in Mark 10:36,51. While contemplating my response, I thought about the father with the demon-possessed son. In wondering if Jesus could help them, he was told, "...Everything is possible for him who believes." (Mark 9:23) Everything is possible. Everything. All you have to do is believe. It doesn't really sound that hard or complicated. Just believe. Possible doesn't mean it will be...but it can be. What do we need to believe? That God is sovereign over all. That His ways are not ours or His thoughts...they are better and higher. That He is worthy of our love and respect and obedience and commitment and trust. That His Word is for our benefit, our instruction, our growth. That He truly can work all things for our good. That He already knows our past, our present, and our future. That His love for us is unfailing and so we have free will to choose to believe...or not. That His character is unchanging, incorruptible, just, and love to the core. If we truly believed that, what kind of life would we have? I am not even sure but I want it. To be so grounded in Him that I am not phased by whatever this life dishes out. True peace and contentment because I know who holds me in the palm of His hand no matter the circumstances. That is my desire. But my reality and my answer to that question of Christ's is echoed in the heart felt response of the father. "...I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (9:24) Today is Sunday. And I do believe He will...day by day and step by step.
"What do you want me to do for you?" was a question Jesus asked twice in Mark 10:36,51. While contemplating my response, I thought about the father with the demon-possessed son. In wondering if Jesus could help them, he was told, "...Everything is possible for him who believes." (Mark 9:23) Everything is possible. Everything. All you have to do is believe. It doesn't really sound that hard or complicated. Just believe. Possible doesn't mean it will be...but it can be. What do we need to believe? That God is sovereign over all. That His ways are not ours or His thoughts...they are better and higher. That He is worthy of our love and respect and obedience and commitment and trust. That His Word is for our benefit, our instruction, our growth. That He truly can work all things for our good. That He already knows our past, our present, and our future. That His love for us is unfailing and so we have free will to choose to believe...or not. That His character is unchanging, incorruptible, just, and love to the core. If we truly believed that, what kind of life would we have? I am not even sure but I want it. To be so grounded in Him that I am not phased by whatever this life dishes out. True peace and contentment because I know who holds me in the palm of His hand no matter the circumstances. That is my desire. But my reality and my answer to that question of Christ's is echoed in the heart felt response of the father. "...I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (9:24) Today is Sunday. And I do believe He will...day by day and step by step.
