Scripture Readings – Versus to Verses

My To-Do List

Hi. It’s been a while. But that’s because I don’t like to write just to write. I wait for inspiration and one never knows where that might come from, or when. Yesterday my wife, humorously, told our son that I had my week planned out. She explained about our “Weekly Planner” on the refrigerator and that I had it filled with substitute teaching, tennis, and pickleball, something for each day of the week. She said, again humorously (I think), that she did not see herself on that list. Although she exaggerated just a little bit, she was not wrong.

Early this morning I went to one of my “Bible websites” to do a little reading. I saw an article titled “10 Key Bible Verses on Time” and decided to get into it. One verse was James 4:13-15:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

This verse brought my attention back to the “Weekly Planner” on our refrigerator door. I was reminded of a couple of things. First, any one of us can take verse 4:13, i.e., “today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”, and fill it with our own “to-do list,” like so: “this week I will go substitute teach a couple of days and play tennis and pickleball.” Well, that’s not all I will do, but you get the picture. Second, as the cliché goes, I am not getting any younger. Here is another key bible verse in the article: “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty…” (Psalm 90:10-12). I am 63. Need I say more? “A mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes…” (James 4:14).

Without judging anyone, what’s on your “to-do list” (written or otherwise) this week? This month? This year? Whatever it is that you have on that list, please keep James 4:15 in your heart and mind: “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” I know I need that reminder from time to time.

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December 3

Nothing wrong with the hat!

The cold weather has arrived! Time for ski hats and the like. I have this one hat that just does not seem to fit right, no matter how I wear it. I like it because it is very soft and pliable. Pliable…hmmm… I realized that the reason my hat does not look right when I put it on is not because there is anything wrong with it, but because of my hair! The hat is so soft and pliable that, depending how my hair is combed, or not, the hat will take on a different shape and will not look right.

Sometimes we as Christians feel like there is something wrong with how this aspect or that aspect of our faith fits. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul speaks of the armor of God:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
Ephesians 6:10-18

This is powerful armor! When we put on this armor, we are so much stronger. Are we invincible? If we wear it all and have faith in it, we are, spiritually speaking, as invincible as we can be in this world. Now, sometimes – for one reason or another – a piece of that armor just does not fit right. Perhaps something we’ve done or said, or something we should have done or said. My friends, just like my hat, there is nothing wrong with the armor! The armor was perfectly made, by the master blacksmith Himself. Some days this piece or that piece, or for that matter all the pieces, might not fit just right. That’s Okay…wear it we must, every piece of it! Wear it believing that our spiritual life depends on it. It does!

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September 16

My True Weight

Earlier this week I had a colonoscopy. My first one was ten years ago. One of my sisters asked me how many pounds I lost with the prep. That reminded me of a post from an old website I had and thought I would repost it here, with some minor edits.

As I walked through the wilderness of the world, I came to a place where there was a den. There I lay down to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a dream. In my dream I saw a man clothed with rags, standing by a path with a book in his hand and a great burden upon his back. His face was turned from his own house, which stood nearby. I saw him open his book and read, then begin to weep. No longer being able to control his feelings, he broke out with a mournful cry, saying, ‘What shall I do?’
[Pilgrim’s Progress – In Today’s English, John Bunyan – Retold by James H. Thomas (©1964, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago)]

Recently, I heard about a congressman tweeting that he underwent a colonoscopy. I asked myself “why would anyone want to tweet about that? Then I had my own. I know, not something you really want to hear about. But, believe it or not, I have a positive message. So, back to my story. I was getting ready for the procedure; I did all the prep work the day before and very early the next morning. It occurred to me to weigh myself. I was curious to know how much I weighed after the “cleansing.” I weighed several pounds less than my most recent weight. I went to my wife and told her that I now knew my “true weight.” 😃

In the above quote from Pilgrim’s Progress we find Christian, a character carrying a heavy burden on his back. He felt the extra weight! He felt so weighed down by the burden that he could not move as quickly as he wished towards his destination, the Celestial City. The burden was in fact a handicap. How does Christian unload this burden? When asked by Worldly Wiseman “Whither bound in this burdened manner?” Christian replies:

Burdened indeed, as much as any poor creature can be. And since you ask, I am going to that little gate yonder before me; for there, I am informed, I shall be directed in the way to be rid of my burden.
Pilgrim’s Progress, id. at 19.

We oftentimes go around carrying burdens, some heavier than others, weighing us down. We all bear them in different ways. We meet people along the way, much like Christian does in Pilgrim’s Progress, who either give us additional burdens to carry or who help us carry or ease our loads. But do we ever find anyone who actually relieves us completely of our burdens?

In Jesus Christ we find that extremely rare opportunity:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus wants to unburden each of us and free us from whatever it is that weighs us down, the stuff that keeps us stuck in the mire:

Now, I saw in my dream that just as they ended this conversation they came near a miry slough that was in the middle of the plain. Being careless, they both fell into the bog, which was called the Slough of Despond. Here they floundered for a time in the mud. Soon Christian, because of his burden, began to sink.
Pilgrim’s Progress, id. at 17.

What burdens are you carrying that are causing you to sink in the mire? Jesus Christ can show you “the way to be rid of [your] burden.” He can help you find your true weight.

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August 27

Abracadabra!

This morning I opened my YouVersion app and the verse of the day was Matthew 7:8: “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” There was a short video chat on the verse and one comment caught my attention. The presenter stated that we cannot get everything we seek or ask for because then prayer would be like a magic trick. I know about magic tricks; I’ve been doing magic tricks since I was a kid. While it is true that prayer is not like a magic trick, there are some similarities worth noting, I think. I know, for example, that I need to practice a particular trick over and over before I perform it for anyone. If I don’t, chances are it will not come out right and, more importantly, it will not be convincing. In the same way, we need to practice our faith and our prayer life. That way, when we “present” our prayers to God, and our faith to others, we are more convincing. On the other hand, when I perform a magic trick, it must come off perfectly. If not, again, not convincing! God, on the other hand, does not seek perfection from us. True, in Matthew 5:48 we read: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Thankfully, I believe, that is an aspiration and not a requirement. One final comparison. The magic tricks I perform are primarily for children: “If we all could see the world through the eyes of a child we would see the magic in everything.” (Chee Vai Tang). In Matthew 18:1-5, we read: “Truly I say, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” So, we need to ask, seek, and knock as a child…that is when we truly see how wonderfully we are made. Psalm 139:14. Wow, I feel so inspired, I think I will go practice my magic tricks! Hey, here is the link to one of my tricks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF8LOK3rTdU&list=PLZ18io62pV0Udx0kkj0d7cUe7ocMo_PJR&index=8&t=42s, Check it out! Hope you like it. 😊

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May 15

Closing the Door

I was at Home Depot recently. I bought some two-by-fours, mulch and a few other things. I loaded up the SUV, but the liftgate would not close. It would slowly go down but start back up once it hit bottom. I figured it was the two-by-fours, so I pushed them in, which was a bit challenging with the mulch on top. I pressed the liftgate button, but, again, the liftgate did not close. I moved the driver’s seat up a bit and pushed the two-by-fours, but same result. I moved around the mulch bags, same result. Anyhow, I realized that what was preventing the liftgate from closing was my granddaughter’s stroller that is usually there by itself, but that I had to move in order to get the other stuff in. I moved the stroller a bit and, wham!, the liftgate closed.

This little experience made me think of times in our lives when we want to “shut the door” and it does not close. We want to shut the door on a bad memory, a bad habit, an unwanted attitude, or a bad relationship. We shift things around in our minds, our lives, in order to accomplish that, but the door does not close. We try moving other things around, but the door still does not close. If we keep working at it, eventually we move the right pieces, in our minds or in our lives, and get the door to close. Wham! Done! We have closed the door on that bad memory, bad habit, unwanted attitude, or bad relationship. Just one thing…if that thing, whatever it is, comes knocking, do not open the door!

As Christians, we pray for God to help us close certain doors, doors representing pain, loss, grief. We also pray that God opens doors for us. Revelations 3:7-8 speaks on this very subject. It is so powerful! Meditate on it.

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you
an open door that no one can shut.
Revelations 3:7-8

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August 1

Anxious Moments

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ . . . Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time. . . until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. John 8:3-11

When I read this passage, I sense several anxious moments. A crowd gathered with the purpose of judging a woman and to have her stoned for committing adultery. I sense the woman’s anxiety. I sense the crowd’s anxiety. Amid that anxiety, Jesus simply bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. That act probably baffled the crowd; not what they were expecting. Whatever Jesus wrote has remained a mystery. What we do know is that everyone but the woman – and of course Jesus – left.

In his book Scribbling in the Sand, author and musician Michael Card describes this scene. Card writes:

What Jesus did that morning created a space in time that allowed the angry mob to first cool down, then to hear his word, and finally to think about it, be convicted by it and respond — or not. It made time stand still. It was original. It was unexpected. It was a response to the noise and confusion and busyness all around him, yet it was not in the least tainted by the noise. Instead, Jesus’ action created a frame around the silence — the kind of silence in which God speaks to the heart. In short, it was a supreme act of creativity. It was art. (Scribbling in the Sand, InterVarsity Press, copyright 2002, at p. 16).

We live in extremely anxious times. COVID-19, economic stress, and racial strife are all around us. Responses amid these anxious times vary. T .S. Elliot is quoted as saying, “anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity.” I know this to be true because some of my own poems were born out of anxious moments. Throughout history, God has spoken to us through art. As Card puts it, “This is art through which God is seen and heard, in which he is incarnate, is ‘fleshed out’ in paint and ink, in stone, in creative movement.” (Scribbling in the Sand, at p. 17).

How do you respond to anxiety? How do you handle all the “noise and confusion”? Perhaps you find yourself writing, painting, composing or dancing! These are indeed anxious times. Perhaps it is that “space in time” that fosters the best creative moments. I would add that when creativity is used to honor God, it is indeed worship of the highest order.

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April 25

Just Visiting

I'm a visitor, this is not my home
My stay is but a whisper
In the expanse of space and time
My body is but a vessel, a channel
To carry out God's work
To love and to serve Him
To say here I am, send me
I do not live for the today and the now
My tomorrows come and go
My SOUL purpose is eternal
My time on earth will one day pass
This flesh and blood is but a tent
At times weathered and beaten
Tattered and leaking
But that's OK, for it is only temporary
From dust it came and to dust it shall return
For I'm just visiting, this is not my home

“Here today and gone tomorrow,” a cliché, but nevertheless true. A funeral brings this home; natural disasters brings this home; soldiers dying in battle brings this home; COVID-19 brings this home. Here today and gone tomorrow, not just a cliché.

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.

2 Corinthians 5:1-2

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March 17

A Pocketful of Scripture

I remember the things I used to keep
When I was a child, a long time ago
I kept baseball cards and I kept marbles
Stuffed in the pockets of my favorite blue jeans

I remember the matchbox cars and the toy soldiers too
There was the toy pistol and my neat magic tricks
And I remember the pennies, the nickels and dimes
All stuffed in the pockets of my favorite blue jeans

As I grew a little older, there were other things I kept
Stuffed in the pockets of my favorite blue jeans
Some of those things were real cool, my friends kept them too
But I'm ashamed to admit, some of them were not good

As I grew a little older still, I heard a voice from above say
"Empty out those pockets, and make room for my words"
And then what I saw, I could hardly believe
A hand from above reached way down to me

All I could see in the hand was a page from a book
I reached out and snatched it, as the hand let it go
I saw words on the page, the most amazing words they were
God's very own words, words I had never read or heard

Excitedly, I took out all the junk that I kept in my pockets
And filled them with the words God gave to me
Words that transformed me, words that healed and saved me
Words I now keep in the pockets of my favorite blue jeans

Luke 11:28 – 1 Timothy 4:4-5 – Hebrews 4:12-13

My Reflection: There are pockets in our lives that are crammed with the most useless things and sometimes the most destructive. God can fill those pockets with some wonderful and extraordinary things, if we only let Him.

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