Post Scriptum (Inheritance Part II)

Here is another way the Old Testament Scriptures describe the Levites' inheritance which, I read yesterday, consisted simply of "the Offerings made by fire unto the Lord"... You might think they had nothing but ashes to show for. Dear reader, as Dear Abby would say, oh, but read on:

"But to the tribe of Levi the Lord God gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as He said." 

Joshua 13:33

The consummately human Apostle Peter brings it to us in the New Testament. I thank God for His choice of vessels to tell us this: if the man who denied Jesus three times, who cut off a man's ear and rebuked the Lord Himself says it, came to believe it after all of that, then, as the old KJV would say, verily, verily, it is for all of us:

"but you are ... a royal priesthood..." 2Peter 2:9

God lead us and help us to walk with You...

Inheritance...

In my daily reading, I just came across this gem: when came time to divide the Land of Promise among the tribes of Israel, the Priestly tribe of Levi did not get an allotment.  Cities to live in and land to cultivate yes, but not to own.  I love the reason given:

"To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance..." Joshua 13:14 

Food for thought. 

...they could never build an estate, let alone an empire; offerings by fire to the Lord was the Priests' inheritance 

I'll be chewing on that. 

Mysteries...

"Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones." 

Proverbs 3:7-8

God's ways amaze me. He says, don't be impressed with yourself. Really? So how am I to ever have a sense of accomplishment? Ah. You won't. What?? Yep, it's all an offering because how were you even able to accomplish whatever it is to begin with? (remember 1 Corinthians 4:7).

But that's not even the point. Not only does God fly in the face of the advice of this world, He says if you give up trying to be in awe of yourself, if you focus rather on being in awe of  Him and staying away from wrong, He'll give you a lot more than that, He'll heal you from the inside out. 

I suspect that being made whole by God from my bones on out, is incomparably better than being impressed with myself. Sign me up. 

Relationship...

We're stuck. It's all about love! Relationships in our lives are the terrain upon which God works out our all the big stuff, the stuff of the heart:

"Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life"  Proverbs 4:23

We need relationships not just to not be lonely but we need them in order to grow. 

The author (Timothy Keller) got all this insight from the fact that our God is a triune God, eternally in relationship within Himself - He is never ever alone, always in relationship. Think about it, no way out, that's just amazing for this here introvert. Now a quote from Timothy Keller's The Reason for God:

"If you favor money, power, and accomplishment over human relationships, you will dash yourself on the rocks of reality" 

Never thought of it that way... Remember that sad Beatles' song, She's Leaving Home? In the song, 'she' got material things from her folks but no real relationship (truly listening and responding, pictured above)... it just wasn't real enough for her, it didn't address or feed her heart... there's more:

"...unless you are willing to experience the loss of options and the individual limitation that comes from being in committed relationships, you will remain out of touch with your own nature and the nature of things..."

I just love this stuff - totally hits the mark, ok, one more humdinger:

"Self-centeredness destroys the fabric of what God has made"

Amen. 

Secret Place...

As a child I loved, even craved, secret gardens. Any hedge by a wall could make a hidden place. I didn't do anything there, just wanted to be there, out of reach of anyone. Sky and greenery were my silent guardians. A little neighbor friend and I buried a treasure box in the most remote corner of his garden... yet I took note, even then, that it never truly satisfied.   

I still love secret gardens as a visual delight but there's a better place. Miraculously, anyone can go there anytime and be equally hidden, equally loved... This one satisfies the deepest longing, the greatest need. There, hidden from view, we are protected, safe and never alone... 

Alone with God - oil painted boxtop. 

"He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."

...weakness...

I always thought of weakness as a bad thing that needed fixing.Today I saw it entirely differently.  

I saw weakness as a crack in our wall and that crack, like an open door, became His point of entry into our lives.

I can liken it to the rain that seeps through a crack in the cement to water the seed below... a tree can then grow to its fullness... be perfected as a tree.

But without that crack, without that weakness, there would be no tree... no fullness, no perfecting... 

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness...."

2 Corinthians 12:9

I love how it says, "He said unto me..." not unto us, or you or them, unto ME.  His grace for my weakness and watch new life grow... Deal. 

 

It's not a lily..

but it too, neither spins nor toils

and again

Solomon, in all his glory

is not arrayed like one of 

these...

"...do not be anxious about tomorrow"...

Matthew 6:34

Risk...

"As the Deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God... " 

Psalm 42:1

This deer doesn't seemed scared in my back yard, yet she is attentive. Since I've sprayed deer repellent (predator urine) she no longer stops by.  In the wild, deer are so flighty, ever vigilant and gone at the least scent of a predator... 

 But they need water... It's life or death... So risks have to be taken... Her predators will not give her a pass. 



For that matter neither will ours. There is risk involved in pursuing God's water but we need it so we take the risk...

God let it be that way.

What a thought.  

Trust...

Sunset for one is sunrise for another

First day of Summer is beginning of shorter days

First day of Winter is beginning of longer days

Amazing how each transition holds within it the promise of the future. 

Change is unsettling but seems to me God has made of point of telling us

He is faithful. He will see us through. 

"...If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my convenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; then may also my covenant be broken...." Jeremiah 33:19.

Phew. 

Rain...

Apparently Rain carries an ionic charge that gets grounded when it reaches the plants (or the earth) and must be beneficial somehow from the look of plants after rain (as opposed to hand watering). I do get it that ALL the plants benefit from this, weeds and rare specimens alike...

Kills me in some ways.. Good thing, that attitude needs to die apparently.  

"... But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward have you?"

Matthew 5:45

Protection...

This scripture was made real for me today:  earlier I had asked the Lord for wisdom to help me through  a seemingly impossible situation and that He did not moments later! Afterwards, I *happened* to read this verse. Yes! yes! yes!!! So of course I just had to share it: 

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song I will praise him." Psalm 28:7

ps: I am no soloist, but I do love to sing. 

Praying Together

I believe this with all my heart, quoting Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

"When a people prays, there is the church, and where the church is, there is never loneliness."



I guess the key is real prayer - opening your heart to God in all sincerity, and in concert and company with another... Never fails to transport me away, lift me up.