Good Thursday morning! The last day of 2009, the final day of the first decade of the 21st century, and a day to review. I have included both of our devotionals from the big boys today, Pastor Robert Schuller and the late Pastor Adrian Rogers. The latter, not the former, included Hosea 6:3 from the King James version today which is this:
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
Back in the day, when the earth wasn't quite up to speed and days still ran about 27 hours, I started sending out the more recent translations to the verse used in Pastor Rogers' devotional that I was forwarding on to 40 or 50 folks at my former workplace. We look at the verse today, or at least I looked at the KJV verse today and went "Eh what?!" I want to know what the Lord would say to me, but sometimes the King James version left me in the ancient dust of Old Idiom. As you know, idiom is the way in which words and phrases are joined together in the use of a language to express thought. To put it another way, the King James version's idiom doesn't always express itself to my thought very well. So, I started including the New Living Translation verse along with Pastor Rogers' devotional.
"Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him! Then he will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring." (Hosea 6:3, NLT)
That not only helped me to understand the verse, but also led to a few comments that I felt led to write. A bit later, the earth had slowed to perhaps 26 hour days, the ancient Roman Staffordicus Maximus, once told me that he liked my comments at times better than the original devotional. At that time, the Holy Spirit led me to realise that people liked having a devotional from someone they knew, however marginally; or at least one coming from someone within smackin' range should that someone write something so far out of church doctrine that a good smackdown was called for. I fit both conditions and the devotional grew to about 90 or so e-mail addresses. Whether someone actually read the devotional at all of those addresses is any one's guess. The list is now down to 30, but still the recipients don't always read the devotional each day, as Jack confessed to me one grateful day.
Jack's excuse was that the devotional was sometimes written over his head. I write at about 5'9" (5'8 & 1/4" on the right side) and Jack reads at about 6'4", so I'm not sure that his excuse holds water. Anyhoo, the reason some people liked my devotional comments was that sometimes the big boys with theological and divinity doctorates did at times write over our heads. Probably not their fault, but all that education is going to show up in their writing no matter how hard they try to tone it down for us in the masses. As I was still working those 26 hour days, I didn't have time to look up big words and write over any one's head.
The mass of e-mails going out each morning just before work, but also from work, finally came to the attention of Big Brother, and some of you will remember when my devotional was booted out of the Big C. I didn't know it at the time, but I would follow some years later. God was preparing the way for me even as I was unaware of the currents shifting around in the stream of life. Had my writing not had to shift to my home e-mail and home computer, I might have lost all the e-mail addresses in 2008! Somewhere between the start of devotional writing and my exit from the Big C, I also competed my undergrad degree. I worried that it might show in my writing until another KJV verse showed up in Pastor Rogers' devotional that left me going "Eh? Could you translate that please?"
Along the way, (the devotional has gone out for 3-5 years now) we lost both Pastors Rogers and D. James Kennedy to old timers causes. Something that my older mates assure me will happen to all of us if Jesus doesn't come first. We get together from time to time to discuss the first pangs of these old timer's causes. I don't even feel grown up yet, how can I feel the onset of old timer's causes? How many of you have 5, 6, even 7 or more decades under your belt and still wonder when you are going to feel like a grown up? Some mornings, I feel like this devotional should be written by some old feller with a PhD on his name. Later that day the UPS lady will show up and need an adult signature for a package; I turn and look at the cat. The UPS lady says my signature will do, though I'm not sure why.
For the days that I still feel too young to be trying to dispense wisdom in a devotional, I still like to include a devotional from one of those old guys. Dr. Schuller is around 80 now and fits that description. His devotional today is a good poem for the end of a year.
A prayerful benedictionDecember 31, 2009Robert H. Schuller "Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence." – Psalm 21:6
As a great wave rises from the deepto wash away the scratches on the sand, come, O God,to dissolve forever in your sea of peacemy cares, my fears, my worries, and my anxieties.
As the blessed blackness of a quiet night comesto blanket from my sight the cluttered collection ofbillboards, buildings, and power polesuntil my eyes see only bright stars,
so come, O God, and blot out this day's drearyand weary accumulations of daily irritations, hurts, dents,and disappointments until I see only your goodnessshining in the shadows.
As an explosion of happy sunshine brings a joyful glowto dark corners, so come, O God, and explode your bright joyinto the gloomy corners of my mind.
As a great victorious general awakens his battalionswith a trumpet blast, and rallies his retreating armywith renewing power, so come, O Lord, and awaken meto "rise up, be done with lesser things, to give heart,soul, mind, and strength to serve the King of Kings."
As the spring rain gently, patiently, irresistibly fallsto soften the hard crust of frozen ground until it can receivefruit-producing seed, O God, may showers of your lovesoak in to soften the cold corners of my heart,allowing creative new life to break forth.
As a happy fountain leaps jubilantly and tumbles joyfully,come, O Holy Spirit, to transform my melancholy mooduntil my heart erupts in joy and happiness.
O Father, make my life a melody like that of a great wave,a calm night, a morning sun, a spring rain, a happy fountain!
Amen.
I wonder if Pastor Schuller feels grown up yet? Did Paul feel grown up when he wrote about putting away childish things? (1 Cor 13:11) We can and do put away our childish actions and feelings even if we never feel completely grown up. What we don't give up is the feeling of hope we get at the end of one year and the start of another. Possibilities are always easier to envision at the start of a new year on the calendar. Is there something new I can start on the devotional? I don't know, but perhaps stability is something we all treasure a bit more as a result of this recession. Say goodbye to '09, and prepare for a great new year in Christ Jesus!
Bucky
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