Living in the Psalms

Today I finished up my reading of the Psalms. Last weekend when my forty days finished we were actually at my parents house on a marriage retreat weekend with the entire Exodus Community (all of the 4 families - minus Micah). It was a wonderful, enriching time of thinking about our marriages, and thinking of Courtney as a gift that I've been given.

But, in that, I ran out of time to either talk to You through the blog and to read the rest of the texts I had planned on. I had wanted to get through the Psalms in the last forty days, but I got stopped 6 psalms short of that goal. Not a real big deal.

But today I decided to pick that reading up and get through the rest of the psalms. Each of the psalms that I came across were lavishing praise upon the Lord. For being unfathomable, for Your glorious splendor, for Your awesome works, for building up Jerusalem, all things that have breath praise the LORD.

This weekend, when I wasn't reading, my heart was restored to me. My passion for both my marriage and for this life that we're living was renewed. My will to live for You was rebuilt. It seems in the rest and relaxation, in the letting go, in the living I found my praise. I found reasons to praise. Now in coming back from that I have found the appropriate texts for this praise.

You seem to speak through Scripture to me at exactly the right time. Even as today unfolds, I am finding reason upon reason to praise. And it was placed on me early this morning, in my path through psalms.

Maybe this is where the focus upon Your will starts. In the praise. In where we've been and hope for where we're going. Help me to live in this praise, in this place of hope, in these psalms of hallelujahs. For within this life You provide the simple way of praise.

After a Day of Contemplation...

A verse that really hit me this morning was this, Ezekiel 44:23, "They (priests) are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common..." The difference between the holy and the common. Lord, this verse has sat upon my mind all day long. Here I am at the end of the day with nothing.

It's a very poetic idea to me, the holy and the common. Like I've said in my rolling thoughts, I've been struck lately by paradoxes, by comparisons and contrasts. This one is interesting. Holy means to be set apart. Israel is God's holy people, they are set apart. Common has come to mean normal, but the root of the word is shared. Things that we have in common are things that are shared. So "teach my people the difference between the things that are set apart for me and the things that can be shared among them." I wonder how Eugene translates this verse. Never mind, looked it up and he wrote it exactly the same, almost word for word.

So what's the context, and why is this so intriguing for me? Okay, let's go with the second question first. I guess, I believe that everything is really both holy and common. Everything. My thoughts on this blog for example Lord. They are holy, set apart for You because it is You that I am forming them for. And yet, when I post, there is a sense in which they become shared. Or we could take the example of my home. I want my home to be a holy sanctuary for You, and yet, I want it to be a common meeting place for my friends.

Maybe the difference is in the timing. If I am offering thoughts to You, then this time is holy. It is set apart. I had better not be thinking about what other people reading are going to think. As I leave that holy, set apart time, then perhaps it is okay for the thoughts to become common.

It all goes back to a question that we've had in Exodus then. Was the ground that the burning bush is on, the ground that God declares as holy, always holy or just at that time. I guess, this is really interesting to me, that You come in, take over the common, and declare it holy. Then when You have accomplished Your purpose, things return to their common state. But then they are often sacred reminders of the things that You have done, things that inspire praise.

Maybe this is all crazy. Maybe I already knew this stuff. Maybe its all wrong. Maybe I'm raising pointless questions. Maybe...

I love this.

Self Focus Equals Unfocused

Texts:
- Psalms 9-12
- Matthew 5-6
- Ezekiel 44-45

Lord, I read today the Sermon on the Mount. I just, well, it's hard to put the same effort into engaging this enormous book every day. Today, tired as I am, my thoughts wander I can't bring myself to really focus in. It's amazing, Lord, how cyclical life is. Learning, reading, grasping, teaching and then tired, unfocused, worried, fearful. How do these ever get sorted out?

Oftentimes, I feel like it is when I become to self-focused that I lose interest in the Word. Well, and honestly, when I get too self-focused is when I often feel like everything is boring. The truth is that a life lived only for myself and my gain becomes pretty pointless pretty quickly. That's why I love to be in relationship, with others and with You.

So what's going on with us Lord? I guess I'll have to let this day play out a little bit before I come back and answer that. However, I do want to bow myself before You today. I do want to recognize that You are teh one who holds my head up. You are the one who has been so energizing for my life this week and You are the one who will fill me today. I praise you for it.

May I be able to be filled with Your spirit today. May I dwell on the words of Your mouth, and silently seek the throne of God. May I walk away with sound and song of praise for my Savior, my Redeemer. Blessed are You, Lord God of all energy, who fills us with life, breathes into us purpose, and moves our spirit with joy. Amen.