Patience .....
Standing in front of the microwave, complaining because it is not fast enough...
Stuck in traffic, for "hours" at a time...
Waiting for a computer to re-boot.....yet again...
Waiting for the last ones to arrive.....
Changing yet another diaper...
Sitting in a doctors office, surrounded by coughing people....
Waiting for the doctor's diagnosis.....
Each enough to wear down one's patience.....but there we are....waiting....patiently or not so patiently...some trying , others annoying, but waiting just the same....oh, how the wait seem endless.....our patience is tried .....how are we reacting....that is the bottom line....
Are we known as inpatient or patient, slow to anger or hot tempered, on time or "....always late", calm or irritable.....are we seeking or just annoyed....
Thank you for the word "patient". It is not a word that comes to mind or heart easily ...You display it, and expect us to do likewise.....we can only do it with Your divine help and intervention....thank you that you care enough to help...and are patient with me....
Nehemiah 9:30
For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples..
Job 6:11
“What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?
Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalm 40:1
[ Psalm 40 ] [ For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. ] I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
Proverbs 14:29
Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.
Proverbs 16:32
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.
Isaiah 38:13
I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me.
Habakkuk 3:16
I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.
Matthew 18:26
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.
Acts 26:3
and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
2 Corinthians 1:6
If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Hebrews 6:15
And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
James 5:7
[ Patience in Suffering ] Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
James 5:8
You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
1 Peter 3:20a
to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah ....
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Revelation 1:9
[ John’s Vision of Christ ] I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 3:10
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
Revelation 13:10
“If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
Revelation 14:12
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Boundaries....
Boundaries.....
In the Old Testament, when the Israelites came into the promised land, the tribes were given pieces of ground. The land had specific boundaries for each tribe,from this place to to this place to this place....God given directions for each unit of land...
He also set boundaries for behavior amongst the people, hence the "10 commandments" and laws that were given to the people....the complete Bible...
When we buy or sell land, there is a legal description written out with lot number or survey points and maybe some description or landmarks. Long ago, pieces of ground Were described in relation to towns, landmarks, well known markers-trees, rocks, etc., boundaries...during the gold rush days, the mining claims were so numerous, it must have been hard to get all the descriptions, now they are surveyed with GPS and very scientific methods...but old ones are still on the books from generations ago with the "primitive" descriptions...
It is good to have boundaries, it is a safety factor, both physically and emotionally...I don't want to pay for the my neighbors taxes or utilities, because of over lapping tax lot numbers...nor do I want to encroach on their property with my stuff....that goes for both physical and emotional needs....
I don't need to pick up their emotional worries and concerns, when it is not my job or responsibility....but I do....and that is where I need to draw some boundaries with people....it is hard with family....I want to be helpful, but sleepless nights, sighs, myriads of "my" solutions may not be in the best of their interests.....the need to learn the lessons that I have been taught over time,,, or I may be in the way of God's lessons....
It is hard to watch sometimes without stepping in to "help"...but is is triumphant when we see Their acknowledgment of God working in their lives....
The fine lines...we walk...in helping or hindering...tough and jubilant...sleep and not sleep...open arms or set free...parenting....befriending....seeing the consequences...the stumbles.....the catching ....the growth....
help me, Lord, to know the difference, the landmarks, the boundaries and to stay on my side of the fence, not interfering, guide when asked, not taking over...praying ....
2 Timothy 3:14-17
The Message (MSG)
14-17 But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
2 Timothy 3:14-17, NIV, But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Numbers 34:2
“Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries:
Numbers 34:12
Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. “‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”
Deuteronomy 32:8
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
Acts 17:26
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
Proverbs 22:28
[ Saying 5 ] Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.
In the Old Testament, when the Israelites came into the promised land, the tribes were given pieces of ground. The land had specific boundaries for each tribe,from this place to to this place to this place....God given directions for each unit of land...
He also set boundaries for behavior amongst the people, hence the "10 commandments" and laws that were given to the people....the complete Bible...
When we buy or sell land, there is a legal description written out with lot number or survey points and maybe some description or landmarks. Long ago, pieces of ground Were described in relation to towns, landmarks, well known markers-trees, rocks, etc., boundaries...during the gold rush days, the mining claims were so numerous, it must have been hard to get all the descriptions, now they are surveyed with GPS and very scientific methods...but old ones are still on the books from generations ago with the "primitive" descriptions...
It is good to have boundaries, it is a safety factor, both physically and emotionally...I don't want to pay for the my neighbors taxes or utilities, because of over lapping tax lot numbers...nor do I want to encroach on their property with my stuff....that goes for both physical and emotional needs....
I don't need to pick up their emotional worries and concerns, when it is not my job or responsibility....but I do....and that is where I need to draw some boundaries with people....it is hard with family....I want to be helpful, but sleepless nights, sighs, myriads of "my" solutions may not be in the best of their interests.....the need to learn the lessons that I have been taught over time,,, or I may be in the way of God's lessons....
It is hard to watch sometimes without stepping in to "help"...but is is triumphant when we see Their acknowledgment of God working in their lives....
The fine lines...we walk...in helping or hindering...tough and jubilant...sleep and not sleep...open arms or set free...parenting....befriending....seeing the consequences...the stumbles.....the catching ....the growth....
help me, Lord, to know the difference, the landmarks, the boundaries and to stay on my side of the fence, not interfering, guide when asked, not taking over...praying ....
2 Timothy 3:14-17
The Message (MSG)
14-17 But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
2 Timothy 3:14-17, NIV, But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Numbers 34:2
“Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries:
Numbers 34:12
Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. “‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”
Deuteronomy 32:8
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.
Acts 17:26
From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
Proverbs 22:28
[ Saying 5 ] Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.
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Sunday, January 12, 2014
Whiter than snow....
Whiter than snow....
After a two days and a night of wind, it snowed yesterday afternoon....finally a resolution to the wind...not that it stopped, the snow was coming sideways, whirling, twirling, filling in any gaps that hadn't been covered....quickly laying down 5 inches of pure white fluff and adding more....beautiful, pure white blankets everywhere around,...mounding here and there with wind driven drifts....adding chaos to the streets and sidewalks filled with drivers and pedestrians .....slipping, sliding here and there.....
Beautiful to look at from a distance...work for those who have to go into it....water for the dried up land, recreation for the enthusiasts, photo ops for the photographers....refreshing...freezing...
When looking out over the landscape, it doesn't seem that anything could be whiter....as far as I can see, it is white....but, when we are cleansed from our sins, we are whiter than snow...
There are few references to snow in the Bible....most are comparisons...I don't think of the Middle East with much snow...but they obviously had some to have written about it in the Bible...
The Proverbs 31 woman knew that it was to be prepared for...her household was...
The farmer desired it for future crops...
A trustworthy messenger was compared to it....refreshing....
The whiteness of clean washed wool was compared to it ...as well as clothing...pure white...
Pureness....whiteness, without any color or impurity....that is what we become when our sins are forgiven...what a thought... So clean.....
Thank YOU, God, for that cleansing that only comes from You...we can't do it on our own...with any amount of works....you are the Great Forgiver...cleaner of our lives...You wash away our sins so that we can be whiter than snow, wearing robes of righteousness...prepared by You....
Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Proverbs 25:13
Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.
Proverbs 31:21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
Isaiah 55:10
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater.
Daniel 7:9
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
Matthew 28:3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
Revelation 1:14
The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
After a two days and a night of wind, it snowed yesterday afternoon....finally a resolution to the wind...not that it stopped, the snow was coming sideways, whirling, twirling, filling in any gaps that hadn't been covered....quickly laying down 5 inches of pure white fluff and adding more....beautiful, pure white blankets everywhere around,...mounding here and there with wind driven drifts....adding chaos to the streets and sidewalks filled with drivers and pedestrians .....slipping, sliding here and there.....
Beautiful to look at from a distance...work for those who have to go into it....water for the dried up land, recreation for the enthusiasts, photo ops for the photographers....refreshing...freezing...
When looking out over the landscape, it doesn't seem that anything could be whiter....as far as I can see, it is white....but, when we are cleansed from our sins, we are whiter than snow...
There are few references to snow in the Bible....most are comparisons...I don't think of the Middle East with much snow...but they obviously had some to have written about it in the Bible...
The Proverbs 31 woman knew that it was to be prepared for...her household was...
The farmer desired it for future crops...
A trustworthy messenger was compared to it....refreshing....
The whiteness of clean washed wool was compared to it ...as well as clothing...pure white...
Pureness....whiteness, without any color or impurity....that is what we become when our sins are forgiven...what a thought... So clean.....
Thank YOU, God, for that cleansing that only comes from You...we can't do it on our own...with any amount of works....you are the Great Forgiver...cleaner of our lives...You wash away our sins so that we can be whiter than snow, wearing robes of righteousness...prepared by You....
Psalm 51:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Proverbs 25:13
Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.
Proverbs 31:21
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
Isaiah 55:10
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater.
Daniel 7:9
“As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
Matthew 28:3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
Revelation 1:14
The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Windy days and nights,,,relentless words,....flattery ....
Windy days and nights....flattery words....wordiness....
Last night the wind blew all night long....the roof vents rattled on and on...I finally put ear plugs in....but the wind went on and the noise was still there.....the roaring of the wind hitting the house....relentless.....
It reminded me of myself....am I too wordy, flattery.....do I talk too much...not enough...are my words building up....tearing down....relentless.....making others want earplugs...even as I continue to speak...on and on.....are my words true...or pure flattery...of no real use...
So I pulled up the few Bible verses on flattery....wow, that was convicting....
Blustering...Partiality, deception, boastful, not seeing sin, ruin,useless, snares, seeking advantage, greed, empty.....
Job 8:2
“How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind.
Job 32:21
I will show no partiality, nor will I flatter anyone;
Job 32:22
for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away.
Psalm 12:2
Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.
Psalm 12:3
May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue..
Psalm 36:2
In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.
Psalm 78:36
But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues;
Proverbs 26:28
A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Proverbs 28:23
Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue.
Proverbs 29:5
Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet.
Daniel 11:32
With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
1 Thessalonians 2:5
You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
Jude 1:16
These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
When I found "words", I found words that I wanted to hear or speak....enduring, uplifting, right, pleasant, truthful, honest, pure, kind, understanding, timely, healing, gracious, wise, gentle, encouraging, worthy.....
Psalm 19:14
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Proverbs 12:18
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:23
A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!
Proverbs 15:26
The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight.
Lord, help me to speak the right words, not blowing in the wind....relentlessly, but building, edifying, honest, pure, truthful....all the good ways to speak...that others would be built up, brought to YOU....
Ecclesiastes 6:11
The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?
Last night the wind blew all night long....the roof vents rattled on and on...I finally put ear plugs in....but the wind went on and the noise was still there.....the roaring of the wind hitting the house....relentless.....
It reminded me of myself....am I too wordy, flattery.....do I talk too much...not enough...are my words building up....tearing down....relentless.....making others want earplugs...even as I continue to speak...on and on.....are my words true...or pure flattery...of no real use...
So I pulled up the few Bible verses on flattery....wow, that was convicting....
Blustering...Partiality, deception, boastful, not seeing sin, ruin,useless, snares, seeking advantage, greed, empty.....
Job 8:2
“How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind.
Job 32:21
I will show no partiality, nor will I flatter anyone;
Job 32:22
for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away.
Psalm 12:2
Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.
Psalm 12:3
May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue..
Psalm 36:2
In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.
Psalm 78:36
But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues;
Proverbs 26:28
A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Proverbs 28:23
Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue.
Proverbs 29:5
Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet.
Daniel 11:32
With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
1 Thessalonians 2:5
You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
Jude 1:16
These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
When I found "words", I found words that I wanted to hear or speak....enduring, uplifting, right, pleasant, truthful, honest, pure, kind, understanding, timely, healing, gracious, wise, gentle, encouraging, worthy.....
Psalm 19:14
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Proverbs 12:18
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:23
A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!
Proverbs 15:26
The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight.
Lord, help me to speak the right words, not blowing in the wind....relentlessly, but building, edifying, honest, pure, truthful....all the good ways to speak...that others would be built up, brought to YOU....
Ecclesiastes 6:11
The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?
Friday, January 10, 2014
Connecting the dots....
Isaiah 55:11
New International Version (NIV)
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Our family was privileged to attend a dedication of a Kodiak plane to my husband of 43 plus years...it is scheduled to go to Papua New Guinea soon to be flown there for missionary service...
At the ceremony, we were shown the display of a plane frame of the plane flown by Nate Saint to a native tribe in South America where they lost their lives...the family stayed there and ministered and now the tribesman who was part of the killing group is now the god father to the grandchildren...and a Christian leader in the tribe...
MAF presented us with a new copy of a new painting of the plane....and if you look down in the left-hand corner, there is a shadow of the that first fateful plane....moving, to say the least....
So we have lived in the era when they flew, died, the ministry grew, and now there are planes all over the globe .....connecting the dots....through time....
The other dots for us.....we supported a pilot and his family all of their serving years until, he, the pilot...took off one day with a passenger in bad weather and never returned...in. Papua New Guinea ......at the ceremony was the young family who are going to working with this plane...who visas had been delayed....and hadn't planned on being there ....timing....connecting the dots.....blessings...
It is a blessing when you can look back and see dots/events connecting over time....other times, we see no connecting , but God does....It feels like a glimpse of purpose....just like all the prophecies telling of the Saviour coming to earth ....we are part of that same picture and that is so overwhelming that God loves us so much to be part of the overall plan.....and shows us a tiny glimpse of the connections.....
Thank you, God, for big blessings of seeing history....of being a part of that history....seeing your Word going to all the nations.....help me to consider and see the connecting dots...there are sooooo very many.....and take time to praise You for all of those connections.....
Isaiah 28:10
New King James Version (NKJV)
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.”
Hebrews 13:7-9a
New International Version (NIV)
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, .....
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Gold ...."in them thar hills"...
Gold....".in them thar hills"...
During All of my married life, my husband searched for gold....as well as other minerals, but gold was his primary interest. But he also found barite, silver, tungsten, molybdenum, gravel, and some other minerals along the way...but the gold shown the brightest in his career...he was the prospector....through and through....
But,as he was searching for gold in the mountains, whatever terrain, he also searched for the gold in life, ....in his family...church....people...in the Word of God...
He used the gold from the mountains to enrich the body of believers ....through the time he had....Just as we all are told to use the gifts we are freely given to enrich others....
Gold is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible, from the very beginning to the very end....
It was used as overlay, the tabernacle, the temple, idols, people adornment, building adornment, coins, trade...gifts...worshiped....
It was the goal of kings to amass it, the kings to take it, thieves to steal it, streets to be paved with it, and comparisons....
But, the most important is that wisdom, God, is to be our "gold" , our treasure...there is, ultimately, nothing that compares...we are to seek Him, search for His treasures for our life, and find them in Him....our gold...all the other will be added as needed....He provides...a good name, His word are far more precious than all the gold....
I don't want to be said of as Gideon, caught in a snare of worshipping the gold rather than the true gold of God....
Thank YOU for gold in life, the usefulness it has been and is, But far more, help me to keep my life and eyes on the True riches of You, God...the all provider, the true treasure...
Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Genesis 2:12
(The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.)
Judges 8:27
Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
1 Kings 10:10
And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
1 Kings 10:11
(Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones...
1 Kings 10:22
The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.
1 Kings 22:48
Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail—they were wrecked at Ezion Geber.
1 Chronicles 29:3
Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:
Job 22:23-25
New International Version (NIV)
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
If you remove wickedness far from your tent
24 and assign your nuggets to the dust,
your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,
the choicest silver for you.
Job 23:10
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
Job 28:1
[ Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found ] There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
Job 28:6
lapis lazuli comes from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
Job 28:15
It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
Job 28:16
It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli
Job 28:17
Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
Job 28:19
The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.
Job 31:24
“If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’
Psalm 19:9-11
New International Version (NIV)
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Proverbs 8:10
Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
Proverbs 8:19
My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.
Proverbs 16:16
How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!
Proverbs 17:3
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.
Proverbs 20:15
Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.
Proverbs 22:1
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Revelation 21
New International Version (NIV)
A New Heaven and a New Earth
21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
During All of my married life, my husband searched for gold....as well as other minerals, but gold was his primary interest. But he also found barite, silver, tungsten, molybdenum, gravel, and some other minerals along the way...but the gold shown the brightest in his career...he was the prospector....through and through....
But,as he was searching for gold in the mountains, whatever terrain, he also searched for the gold in life, ....in his family...church....people...in the Word of God...
He used the gold from the mountains to enrich the body of believers ....through the time he had....Just as we all are told to use the gifts we are freely given to enrich others....
Gold is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible, from the very beginning to the very end....
It was used as overlay, the tabernacle, the temple, idols, people adornment, building adornment, coins, trade...gifts...worshiped....
It was the goal of kings to amass it, the kings to take it, thieves to steal it, streets to be paved with it, and comparisons....
But, the most important is that wisdom, God, is to be our "gold" , our treasure...there is, ultimately, nothing that compares...we are to seek Him, search for His treasures for our life, and find them in Him....our gold...all the other will be added as needed....He provides...a good name, His word are far more precious than all the gold....
I don't want to be said of as Gideon, caught in a snare of worshipping the gold rather than the true gold of God....
Thank YOU for gold in life, the usefulness it has been and is, But far more, help me to keep my life and eyes on the True riches of You, God...the all provider, the true treasure...
Genesis 2:11
The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.
Genesis 2:12
(The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.)
Judges 8:27
Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
1 Kings 10:10
And she gave the king 120 talents of gold, large quantities of spices, and precious stones. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
1 Kings 10:11
(Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones...
1 Kings 10:22
The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.
1 Kings 22:48
Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail—they were wrecked at Ezion Geber.
1 Chronicles 29:3
Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:
Job 22:23-25
New International Version (NIV)
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
If you remove wickedness far from your tent
24 and assign your nuggets to the dust,
your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,
the choicest silver for you.
Job 23:10
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
Job 28:1
[ Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found ] There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined.
Job 28:6
lapis lazuli comes from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets of gold.
Job 28:15
It cannot be bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed out in silver.
Job 28:16
It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli
Job 28:17
Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
Job 28:19
The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold.
Job 31:24
“If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’
Psalm 19:9-11
New International Version (NIV)
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Proverbs 8:10
Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
Proverbs 8:19
My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.
Proverbs 16:16
How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!
Proverbs 17:3
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.
Proverbs 20:15
Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.
Proverbs 22:1
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Revelation 21
New International Version (NIV)
A New Heaven and a New Earth
21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Through the thick and thin.....
Through the thick and the thin.....
Through time, we gather people along the way, some are acquaintances- on the fringe, others are friends....those who, no matter what, you an call in distress or jubilation, Prayer or praise.....they are there through the thick and thin, the rich or poor, the laughter or the tears....friends.....the ones you call to sit with during heart-stopping surgery, emergency anything, the greatest joys, the lowest lows...weddings, funerals, births...rich or poor, they are there for you...sometimes in person or sometimes in spirit.... They care no matter the distance or the subject....
I so appreciate those friends.....through life....thank you...one and all....
Thank YOU, God, for the friends you have given me...help me to be that friend to others...through the thick and thin.....
1 Samuel 20:42
Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
Job 2:11
When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.
Job 42:10
After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
Proverbs 12:26a
The righteous choose their friends carefully, ....
Daniel 2:17
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Luke 15:6
....Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
Luke 15:9
And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Acts 10:24
The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
Acts 13:38
“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
Through time, we gather people along the way, some are acquaintances- on the fringe, others are friends....those who, no matter what, you an call in distress or jubilation, Prayer or praise.....they are there through the thick and thin, the rich or poor, the laughter or the tears....friends.....the ones you call to sit with during heart-stopping surgery, emergency anything, the greatest joys, the lowest lows...weddings, funerals, births...rich or poor, they are there for you...sometimes in person or sometimes in spirit.... They care no matter the distance or the subject....
I so appreciate those friends.....through life....thank you...one and all....
Thank YOU, God, for the friends you have given me...help me to be that friend to others...through the thick and thin.....
1 Samuel 20:42
Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
Job 2:11
When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.
Job 42:10
After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.
Proverbs 12:26a
The righteous choose their friends carefully, ....
Daniel 2:17
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
Luke 15:6
....Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
Luke 15:9
And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Acts 10:24
The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
Acts 13:38
“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
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