go

Mark 16:15 And then (Jesus) told them, "Go into all the world & preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere."

The operative word in that sentence for me this morning is "go".

I don't know what that means for me in the walking out of it.

I also figure that "go" is pretty much the operative word for all of us in that sentence.

"Go" indicates taking action, moving off square one, doing "some thing", getting going.

I wonder what the "go" in this sentence means for you?

I wonder what the "go" in this sentence means for me?

figuring

Proverbs 3:5 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice, everywhere you go, in everything you do;
He's the One who will keep you on track.

Anybody out there besides me always trying to figure everything out?

And anybody out there besides me try to make things happen that we think we've figured out?

Anybody out there besides me tired of doing this?

Maybe we should just take one day at a time? (I feel a song coming on...)

Maybe we should just trust Him & instead of trying to make things happen, we just let Him make things happen?

This isn't just some scripture I'm spewing today. This is where I'm trying to live these days.

walk by faith

Psalm 73:24 You will keep on guiding me with Your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
I desire You more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
He is mine forever.

27 Those who desert Him will perish,
for You destroy those who abandon You.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.

I read this on May 6, 2003. That was the morning AFTER I said yes to God the night before about leaving 30 of music ministry behind & starting to be a part of House of Grace.

I'd started to read Psalm 73 after months of God making me restless (or "stirred") & talking to me every day in my Bible reading.

So I get up after an evening of saying the BIG yes, & there's nothing in the Psalm I'm reading that speaks to me. I was so pouty. I thought after all those months He'd have something to say to me the day after saying yes.

Then I got to verse 24.

I cried when I read it.

Tears came to my eyes as I wrote this this morning.

The past 7 years have been, all in all, glorious.


Jeremy Camp wrote a song, Walk by Faith, during his 1st marriage, which was to a woman he knew was dying of cancer.

I held on to in 2003. It's still true today.

You can hear him sing it on youtube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEkh_KxKao0


Will I believe You when You say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day

Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Help me to RID my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With the one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do

yeah, yeah , yeah, yeah, ya

well i will walk by faith
even when i cannot see
because this broken road
prepares Your will for me

Well I'm broken- but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken- pouring Your words of grace

Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
(Repeat)
Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Hallelujah, hallelu


I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith,
I will walk by faith
I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith,
I will walk by faith
I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith,
I will walk by faith
I will walk by faith
I will walk,I will walk
Faith
I will walk, I will walk by faith

an invitation

Isaiah 55:1 "Is anyone thirsty?
Come and drink —
even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk —
it's all free!
2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.

3 "Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
4 See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
I made him a leader among the nations.
5 You also will command nations you do not know,
and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious."

6 Seek the LORD while you can find him.
Call on him now while he is near.
7 Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

8 "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD.
"And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

10 "The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
11 It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
12 You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow.
Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up.
These events will bring great honor to the LORD's name;
they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love."

2 scriptures

Psalm 71:5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I've trusted you, O LORD, from childhood.
6 Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother's womb you have cared for me.
No wonder I am always praising you!

********

Mark 12:28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29 Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. 30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' 31 The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."

Iow, to boil it all down: Love God, love people

I wish someone would design a tattoo using that

;-)

have faith in God

Mark 11:22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.

25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

opposites

Mark 10:31 many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

Mark 10:43b Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

This was so radical a thought process when Jesus first spoke it. The Roman/Hebrew world didn't operate that way.

Neither does ours, today, in 21st century America.