So....I was sitting in a meeting for the Navigators (a religious group a USC) and heard the pastor mention the book of Joel, and I realized that I didn't remember ever hearing/reading from that book. So I thought about it and went through the list of the books of the Bible in my head and realized that there were a ton that I've never even read a single verse from. Then I thought, "wow, there is that much that I don't know about God!". Now, the Bible does not tell me every single detail about God, but it teaches me what I need to know and brings me closer to him.
This brings me to another thing. A lot of people I know who are definitely Christians, often struggle with knowing what God's plans are for them or knowing what to do in certain difficult situations. And it occurs to me, that these are the same people who don't read the Bible unless they need some sort of answer from God and think "oh, I'll just ask God a question, then let the Bible fall open and the first verse I see will be my answer!" (I am not going to lie, I've done that before....fyi it didn't work for me). The problem with this method is, hypothetically of course, lets say I asked God whether I should kill myself (not that Im going to, this is just a hypothetical situation remember, but thank you for your concern). So if I asked that, then the Bible flipped to a page about Judas killing himself, does that mean I should? Is that God's answer? I don't think so.
I think that if you need an answer from God, you should probably pray about it. And if you are coming to him just when your life is going rough and not following Him otherwise, you probably haven't been studying the word, and how can you expect an answer when you haven't been speaking or learning about him. That's like calling up a friend that you haven't spoken to in months and expecting them to solve all your problems, granted that God does know all the answers, but how are you supposed to know what He wants if you haven't even been listening until you are in trouble?
I, in the past, would pull out my Bible and read whenever I was depressed or just needed something to make me feel better. Then it occurred to me the other day, that after I read my Bible and talk to God I always feel better. So if I read the Bible and spent time with Him everyday, I would feel better every day. Makes sense right?
Now, Im not saying that if you spend time with God everyday and read the Bible that your life is going to be perfect, you will have all the answers, you wont experience pain/suffering/agony/heartbreak/depression/sadness/confusion/loss, or that everything will be wonderful all the time; but I know that I feel much better about my roller coaster, often crazy, never normal or easy life, knowing that God is watching out for me and that each day I am learning more and more about Him as well as more and more about myself and my status as His child, rather than a follower of the world.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
the beach
The beach is pretty much the best place in the world (in my opinion of course, you are entitled to your own as long as it isn't pathetic and stupid...or wrong). I love the feeling of the sand between my toes, and the cool salt water lapping agianst my feet. Its even a wonderful feeling to stand alone on the shore, gaze out into the vast blue/green ocean and realize that i am a teeny tiny speck on the enormous globe that is my home planet. Also, realizing that creatures so much more interesting than me exist, such as dolphins and crabs.
I learned the past year that if you go walking on the beach after the sun goes down, it is better if you cant see the hundreds of scurrying little crustaceans that may or may not be adventurous and attempt to take a bite out of you. This is one of the instances when ignorance keeps you from sheer panic if you have an irrational fear of anything with more than four legs.
The beach is a place where you can escape and feel free, insignificant, and amazing all at once. Everytime I visit the beach I am reminded that I am not important,except that I am important to God. I am insignificant, unless God choses to make me matter. I love to just sit and listen to the ocean which I imagine is crying out with all its crashing might, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty!" just as all creation is doing incessantly and will continue to do as long as it exists. Just as we should do with all the might within our small, insignificant beings.
Sometimes I just stand on the empty beach at night, close my eyes, and listen as the waves beat against the shore and the wind storms against me and I imagine that each wave is praising God with each time it crashes on the shore. There is an amazing song by Philips, Craig and Dean called "Revelation Song" these are the lyrics:
This is one of my favorite worship songs, because it simply proclaims the glory, holiness, and greatness of God. Galatians 6:14 says "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" and this entire song boasts of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the greatest power ever to create or exist.
I learned the past year that if you go walking on the beach after the sun goes down, it is better if you cant see the hundreds of scurrying little crustaceans that may or may not be adventurous and attempt to take a bite out of you. This is one of the instances when ignorance keeps you from sheer panic if you have an irrational fear of anything with more than four legs.
The beach is a place where you can escape and feel free, insignificant, and amazing all at once. Everytime I visit the beach I am reminded that I am not important,except that I am important to God. I am insignificant, unless God choses to make me matter. I love to just sit and listen to the ocean which I imagine is crying out with all its crashing might, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty!" just as all creation is doing incessantly and will continue to do as long as it exists. Just as we should do with all the might within our small, insignificant beings.
Sometimes I just stand on the empty beach at night, close my eyes, and listen as the waves beat against the shore and the wind storms against me and I imagine that each wave is praising God with each time it crashes on the shore. There is an amazing song by Philips, Craig and Dean called "Revelation Song" these are the lyrics:
Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You…!
Yeah!
Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King,
Yeah
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come, yeah
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And – I - will - adore You!
Yeah!
Filled with wonder,
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery
Yeah...
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come, yeah
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And – I - will - adore You!
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come,
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And – I - will - adore YOU…
Come up lift up His Name
To the King of Kings…
We will adore YOU Lord…
King of heaven and earth
King Jesus, King Jesus
Aleluya, aleluya, aleluya!
Majesty, awestruck Honor
And Power and Strength and Dominion
To You Lord,
To the King, to King
To the King of Glory
This is one of my favorite worship songs, because it simply proclaims the glory, holiness, and greatness of God. Galatians 6:14 says "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" and this entire song boasts of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the greatest power ever to create or exist.
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