November 2, 2011

11-2-11 Wednesday, 7:00 am Springfield, 50 degrees.

Our life group was a good experience last night. Having arisen at 4:45, run 3 miles, and worked all day, I was not necessarily looking forward to going. Audrey got sick in the afternoon and was not able to attend. There were ten of us, mostly in our 40s and 50s at various places along life's journey. We caught up on each other’s lives and finished the six-part study on Weird. We will begin an Advent study next week.

Today will be a fairly normal Wednesday, with the addition of my attending the 8:30 pm college student worship service downtown. I have not yet attended this service which began the end of August. We have our church conference next week, and I am thankful that we have a strong pastoral and staff team to prepare for this. Lonely were the days when it was all on my shoulders to prepare for the annual church conference as the solo pastor of a couple of small churches, or as the lead pastor of a new church start (SunRise in O’Fallon).

Hebrews 4

The great theme of this chapter is “entering His rest”. And this rest is great and different from the rest that Joshua led the Israelites into when they occupied the Promised Land. The first verse says: “Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.” This rest is multifaceted, and the heart of it appears to be resting from our striving earn or do, and accepting the provision that God has offered. The last verse of the chapter says: “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” What a balanced chapter! Beginning with words such as fear, promise, coming short; it ends with the words grace, mercy, help in time of need. This is the longing of the human heart, the desire of the human condition.

Verse 12 is a great statement and reminder about the characteristics of the word of God. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” I have found this to be accurate and true about the Bible, the word of God. I need the thoughts and intentions of my heart exposed regularly by the living and active word. Every day I open myself to God by reading His word, and gain confidence to draw near to the throne of grace.

Guide me today, holy Word made flesh that my thoughts and intentions, my soul and spirit laid open before You may be shaped, molded, fashioned, and applied to building Your kingdom, furthering Your cause in this short finite time of my earthly existence. This world seems so secure, with sturdy houses and all our needs met – food, clothing, shelter, security. And I realize how temporal this all is in light of Your coming kingdom and reign over all things. Help me live today for eternity.