Catch Up Reading

Scripture Reading:
Exodus 25-32

As You can see, and already knew, I got a little bit behind in my discipline this weekend, even as I taught on it for Exodus. Certainly, there were some other things we were doing together Lord (like preparing the sermon), but still I fell behind in the reading. Which simply means I have to read a lot today to catch up.

Problem with catch up reading is that I don't ever read as carefully. That was true in school too, You know. You miss a couple days assignments and all the sudden you are 183 pages behind where the professor wants you to be. So you read really fast, catch up, but you have no idea what you just read. Then you do poorly on the quizzes anyways.

That's my problem this morning. I want to take the text seriously, but I had about 10 minutes to read 8 chapters. That's a lot. Plus, the text for today was all about the ark and the tabernacles and the priestly garments. It's not exactly a grab your attention thriller.

Still, I'm back on track and there's some type of good feeling in that. I haven't failed, I've rescued my cause. I didn't let myself fall 15 chapters behind (at which point I'd probably have quit). So, I guess there is something to be said for my discipline.

The other thing I'll add before I head to work. I enjoyed our time together this weekend putting together the sermon. Thoughts that were not mine flowed out of me and I ended up with a teaching that I was proud of. And You know, that was all You, bringing thoughts to focus, giving me Scriptural metaphors, even causing some good (and unplanned) humor and discussion from the rest of Exodus. So I really want to point to You on this, thank You for meeting with me for such an extended amount of time to help teach.

Now, help me and others take this seriously. I am rising today to take part in "daily baptism." Right now I have taken time in silence and sacrifice to say, "No. I will not serve myself today." May You be with me as my next steps are, "Yes. I will follow You."

Not Always Finding

Lord, everyday as I sit to read the Scriptures I hope that You jump out of them straight into an application, something that moves my everyday life. It's happened so often, or You've connected ideas right in front of my eyes, or You've helped me see a situation in a new way. Well...

It doesn't always happen. There I said it. It's a frustrating reality, and I'm not sure how it fits in to faith. We had a great discussion at Sparky last night about our new ideas in forming a biblical community, our Exodus Community. I'm really excited about getting things about and moving. I'm excited to begin new relationships, meet people with different viewpoints but who mostly want to move in the same direction, towards You. I'm exciting about making my pillow (though I must think of a creative design).

This morning I really wanted to find some overarching theme that would just continue to build these thoughts and dreams and instead I read about Lazarus being raised from the dead. It seems strange to complain about reading a story of a resurrection, but it just felt, well, still dead. Even if it had captured me, I'm not sure it would have led me to immediately see how You are working in my life right now.

I have really appreciated the focus that I've already found in eleven days of searching. I've been proud to take the time to focus on You early in the morning. Maybe the times where I don't find immediate focus are to challenge me to think about You throughout the day, maybe they are because I'm doing something wrong in seeking You, maybe because You don't immediately want me to find You. I don't know. I just kwow that there are times when I am not always finding.