Ross & Leslie Hall Emerald Rally woke me up early this morning on my new Clock CD Alarm that I got over the break – it was nice to have the humor to start the day.
Read ~15 minutes (one chapter) of Richest Man in Babylon. It continued with the parable (though it started out otherwise) talking about luck, and that chance favors the prepared mind – AKA, the non-procrastinator. Luck finds the man who takes the opportunity. But still this is tempered with the reality that not all opportunities are stacked in your direction (such as gambling events – they’re in business to take your money…)
Genesis 8-10 was about Noah after the flood – coming out of the arc, and then having his family repopulate the earth (lineage fun.)
Matthew 4 first talks of Satan tempting Jesus in the desert, and how Jesus was able to respond with poise and grace (not judging even) by quoting scripture. After that tempting, Jesus went about ministering to people, healing many, many people. [thought: if Jesus was able to heal wrongs of that day through his touch and presence, I wonder how many people are healed miraculously today!?] As he was ministering, he called four fisherman to follow Him – and they just came, no debate, no discussion. Would I have the strength and confidence to do that?
Travelling Light used the parable of attending a cookie potluck (you bring a plate, you can leave with the same number of cookies you brought) to illustrate how even if you don’t know how to cook, you’ll be allowed into the party by the grace of another. God does this for us in the great party of eternity. We just have to be willing to accept it.
Now the chapter was named, A Heavenly Exchange: The Burden of Guilt, so I can only assume that the intended purpose is to reveal that our guilt of life need not be carried with us through life and on to eternity. Perhaps it was just to share the importance of trusting in God as “he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
The Purpose Driven Life shared that we people are only here in this life for but a moment in comparison with the reality of eternity (where we’ll all go next). I liked the chapter to be able to take the time to help put things in perspective, even if only for the moment of reading.
Some of the phrases from the chapter were quite poingnant:
* “When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you will begin to live differently. You will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task, and circumstance.”
* “The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears.”
* “Every act of our lives strikes some chord that will vibrate in eternity.” (<-- this one can be both scary and exciting... I best get choosing the exciting things!) Verse to remember: “This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.” (1 John 2:17 NLT)