PATHS OF LIFE!

Few paths in life are straight. The direction or length of the path can be an age-related choice based on one's physical attributes.

Though beautiful, many paths are even rocky.....both physical and mental.

So............how does one recognize the path or paths that are just right for him/her? 

Warning---My paths became so curvy, you will be confused.

Recent bedtime reading, Bathed in Prayer by Jan Karon, I came across an excerpt from her 2005 book Light from Heaven, prayer of the vicar's as he, Father Tim, sat and dog, Barnabas leaned against his shoulder. 'I am Thine, O Lord. Show me Thy ways, teach me Thy paths, lead me in Thy truths and teach me.'

(Psalm 25:4-5a)

My ESV Bible had Psalm 25 listed as Teach Me Your Paths 

OF DAVID

The first 2 verses "had" me for a few days. A great starting point for my path. I sat and went nowhere.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in you I trust.

The next curve in my path took me to an on-line devotional book. Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller. I sat in my prayer chair. February 13 was location for Psalm 25:1-7. He emphasized David's convictions were "a man must live by the help of God, not by his wits." Keller's concluding prayer began, "Lord, I want to live according to your Word--"your ways, your truth"....

Obviously, somedays one can follow the path God has for them without ever standing up or leaving the house. 

PITHY PONDERINGS!

How doe one survive the storms of life?

(Tim Keller faith in Christ reminder to "rest in Him."

Hope in the One whose name is majestic in all the earth. (Psalm 8:1, 9)

He is "our" God.

In short, to survive the storms of life, stay in the boat with Him!

CHOOSE: RELATIONSHIP

It might be February but I'm still mulling truths from Tim Keller's Hidden Christmas---in particular the name Immanuel. Immanuel is the person of the incarnation.

He is God. He is human. He is with us. He is God with us! (p.53)

Christ chose twelve that they might be "with Him." (Mark 3:14)

What does "with Him" mean contextually as Matthew and the other gospels describe this relationship as well? Being in their Rabbi's presence. Sitting at His feet. Close enough to Him to be "sitting in His dust." (John Ortberg)

Being with Him is all about relationship. 

Being in Jesus' presence, for us, is also about that intimate relationship with Him---conversing with Him, (prayerful conversation is two-way and involves both listening and speaking) learning from Him and having His comfort moment by moment.

The purpose of the Incarnation was to have that relationsship with Him.

To be able to choose relationship, one must know a relational God and desire to be with Him!

DANCE OF GOD

10/6/11 "Dance of God," the final chapter in Timothy Keller's book, The REASON for GOD: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, caught my eye for a very obvious reason----Dance. Having begun my "dance with the Lord" in new ways with my '09 cancer diagnosis, I was drawn to read what a scholar had to say about what has been "my" way of experiencing trust and intimacy with the Almighty God as He leads me in "our" dance---the one chosen just for me.

Keller sums up God's dance in several steps. Step one included understanding God's own personal dance, "The Divine Dance" as he explains the doctrine of the Trinity. Starting with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit glorifying one another, he stresses that such a "divine dance creates a dynamic, pulsating dance of joy and love." Perichoresis is the Greek word for this (think choreography) "meaning literally to dance or flow around." (Keller, p. 215)

Whereas self-centeredness is static and demands that others orbit around us, the inner life of the triune God is utterly different as it is characterized by self-giving love. (Keller, p. 214) The first few pages had so much food for THOT, I'm still digesting it.

But God....has me realizing that the "dance" starts and ends with God and when I join Him in the dance, He can teach me to delight and serve others and center on their desires and interests. I know that I'll have to stay in the "closed" dance position with Him in order for Him to have complete access to my ear so that He can continue to teach me these truths.