Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Keep Worry Far

I've been spending time in Brian Simmon's passion translations and have really been blessed by them. Brian's heart is to bring out the real passion and fire that sometimes gets buried beneath inculcated religious tradition and concepts. He's eventually going to translate the whole Bible but has already done a good bit. You can get more information at http://passiontranslation.com/. It really is great for bringing a new, fresh perspective to the Word of God while maintaining the integrity of scripture.

I was going through Brian's translation of Psalm 37 this morning and was struck by the wording in much of it, but in particular, Psalm 37:8: "Stay away from anger and revenge. Keep worry from you, for it only leads you into lies." The usual translation of the end of this passage is evil or evildoing, but the phrase here "into lies" brings a little extra light on the subject. Worry and fear are liars that poison the soul. Worry and fear also pervert our actions and can lead us to make foolish, rash and unwise decisions. Moving into lies would be the case when we move into disagreement with the Word of God.

In John 8:32, Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free." If the truth makes us free then lies will bring us into bondage, It doesn't matter how sincere we are or even how nice we are. Living in a lie is living on shaky ground and will catch up to us. That's why we need to keep worry far from us. Jesus commanded us not to worry, but it can be a difficult thing to do sometimes. It is vitally important that we pay attention to our walk with the Lord and do those things that edify. We need time with Him. We need time in the Word. We need to pray and worship and to bring our requests before God! He is the antidote, but it does require something of us. Too many times what we call fellowship with God is basically just a series of whine sessions. Take your eyes off your problems, your weakness, your failures, your frustrations and put them on Jesus. It'll take some work and some discipline, particularly when you are just starting out, but the end result will be worth it. It will end in a deeper walk, a deeper trust and a deeper faith!


"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

Friday, October 25, 2013

What is Love?

"Arms Wide Open" by Misty Edwards. What a powerful song. Enjoy.