For this week, July 3 – 9 :: Mark (yes, the whole book), all 16 chapters, and Psalms 47-58
I love the Word. I really needed to do this for the summer, or the busy-ness of life and family and Heaven Fest would swallow up my commitment. I look at it like a date: I have been invited to spend time in the Word, with the Word!
In the Psalms this week, you will read,
“You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in Your ledger, each ache written in your book…”
Of course it will sound a bit different in your translation (the above is from The Message). But watch for it. Find it. He sees.
FACTOIDS about the Book of Mark: He was a youngster and a straight-to-the-point kind of guy. Mark gets it: Jesus has changed everything and Eugene Peterson notes that Mark communicates an “air of breathless excitement in nearly every sentence he writes.” Mark just believes it: Jesus came! God is here and He is for us! Yeah!! Mark, in a hurry to tell the story, will remind us, too, that God is zealous in His desire to be with us, to SAVE us!
Ready? Set. READ!
Looking back at 1 & 2 Corinthians and this past week’s Psalms 35-46
There are actually times I would like to argue with Paul. Ha-ha.
But overall-I would L O V E to be like Paul. He is absolutely one of my major Biblical heroes. I remember a song from the 70’s: “I wanna dance like David, preach like Paul…” and that is true. LOVE his strong words. Also the fact that he knows his written word is strong. He is a tough guy who writes – letters! Before the end, I hope to have re-written all of his letters for my family, to just shamelessly rip off his stuff in long letters to my family.
Here is what I am deeply pondering from the Corinthian letters (1 Cor. 7) about how to live in light of the time being short. “From now on…those who buy something [should live as if it were not theirs to keep….I want you to be free from concern…” I don’t know why that hit me so pointedly. Just made me realize that everything we buy comes with a pricetag of time and space and maintenance. Just pondering…
Psalm 37 was soooooo good
The whole thing basically says this: Don’t worry, don’t fret, don’t take stuff into your own hands. God has got you covered. A great Psalm to meditate on!
I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed. Ps 37.25-26