31

I'm thinking of the number 31 today.  Proverbs 31 hails the ideal married woman (who had servants to help her, I might add).  Judges 5:31 says, "Those who love Him are like the sun when it shines in its strength."  May 31 is the anniversary of a certain couple.

"What marriage offers - and what fidelity is meant to protect - is the possibility of moments when what we have chosen and what we desire are the same.  Such a convergence obviously cannot be continuous.  No relationship can continue very long at its highest pitch.  But fidelity prepares us for the return of these moments, which give us the highest joy we can know; that of union, communion, atonement (in the root sense of at-one-ment)... "                                         Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essay

TV~
 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.            [I Peter 4:8]

Persist

Christ becomes more real to the one who persists in the cultivation of his presence. (Streams in the Desert)

TV~
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. [James 4:8]

Ever-present Presence

When we walk with God, we can be confident of his continued presence with us.  Psalm 139 assures us of this:

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
  Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
  If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
  If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
  And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

Yet there were two people who lived apart from the presence of God.   

"And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD..."  (Gen. 4:16) 
For Cain, it was a direct personal choice after God placed consequences upon him for murdering his brother.

"But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul..." (I Samuel 16:14)  For Saul, it was a direct choice of God, after Saul repeatedly ignored the instructions given him. 

Either way, the life of each man seemed desperate and desolate as they continued from day to day in a spiritual void.

TV~
...In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
[Psalm 16:11]

Fatima's Feet

Flip-flops have become a daily standard of footwear, along with having pretty feet to slide into those flip flops.  Nail salons on every corner provide affordable pedicures thus making them a regular standard among the mainstream population.  The scriptures talk about beautiful feet. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him... that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!" (Is. 52:7)

I was told recently of a Christian woman named Fatima who, upon meeting new people, will ask them directly if they believe in Jesus.   The scriptures say that people like Fatima have beautiful feet.  And it has nothing to do with the date of her last pedicure.

TV~
...he that winneth souls is wise.  [Proverbs 11:30]

Dierdre

Yesterday, we spoke of St. Patrick's prayer, known as the Lorica (St. Patrick's Breastplate).  St. Patrick lived in the 5th century and although the words of his prayer were recited for centuries, it appears that it did not become a hymn until around the late 1800's .  There is a bridge, an interlude before the last stanza of the hymn, sung to a tune called Dierdre.  The words are precious....


Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

TV~
For to me to live is Christ... [Philippians 1:21]

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

 

St. Patrick's Breastplate

St. Patrick's day is two months past, yet I found myself singing his words this morning....

Poor St. Patrick.  His legacy has been reduced to a March holiday filled with rowdy celebrations attended by those intent upon drinking green beer.  Nobody seems to realize that this apostle to the Irish was actually from Wales, nor that he used the clover leaf to help explain the mystery of the Trinity. Only recently have I found this most beautiful prayer penned by St. Patrick, showing the true spirit of the man, entitled I Bind Unto Myself Today.  Here is the fourth stanza:

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, his might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need,
The wisdom of my god to teach,
His hand to guide, his shield to ward,
The Word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

This prayer is called "St. Patrick's Breastplate" because of those parts of it that seek God's protection. It is also known as "The Deer's Cry" or "The Lorica."  It is said that Celtic monks chose to memorize and pray this prayer in the morning, upon awakening.  (www.prayerfoundation.org)  

TV~
"...and having on the breastplate of righteousness..." [Ephesians 6:14b]

  

Learning the Hard Way

For some reason, most of us learn the hard way.  We tend not to ask for advice or to listen to those more experienced voices.  We think that we know what's best for our own situation, and then, we proceed to make a mess of that very situation. 

Once we are stuck and struggling to get free, than we just might begin to seek wisdom.  The scriptures are full of it, ready for our tear-filled eyes.  As we listen and learn, God creates a path through the current wilderness.  If we refuse to listen, we continue to wander in circles.

TV~
"It is good for me that I have been in trouble, that I may learn thy statutes." [Psalm 119:71]