2 Thess.3:1-5
...pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread quickly
and be held in honor, just as it was with you.
2And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men;
for not everyone holds to the faith.
3But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you
and guard you from the evil one.a
4And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing
and will continue to do what we command.
5May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
***
Day breaks; responsibility rouses mankind from slumber’s cot...
I began this poem last Saturday, as I juggled demands
where 'cares (and duties) of this world tug and weigh'...
On Monday I stayed with my (ever-growing-frailer) mother-in-law as she listened
to the funeral message as another of her dear friends
was laid to rest; a 93 yr. old mother of 13!
(side note; my mother-in-law will turn 93, if the Lord wills, on Aug.2)
During the funeral service
one of the ministers shared a story he read about a farmer
who was building a new milk house.
When the building inspector asked to see his permit he confessed that he forgot to get one.
The Inspector asked him if he remembered to order gravel. 'yes' said the farmer.
And cement? again, the farmer answered yes. And did you remember to
line up help for this project, the inspector pressed.
Yes, said the farmer once more.
Then the inspector said to him,
Now I know, you did not forget to get a building permit.
You just didn't deem it important!
The minister was seeking to impress on the listener
the importance of recognizing what is truly important and preparing for it;
preparing the Soul to meet God is life's most dire urgency
for no one knows when 'dust-to-dust’s mandate will appease'
all earthly priorities.
What is important to us we remember!
What is important to us takes its place in our order of priorities!
Below, a few beautiful paragraphs from the book
George Muller of Bristol
The order of priorities is sometimes hard to reconcile
So many tasks of ‘me first, please’, where weeds abound and flowers smile
Where happiness and heartache meet and mingle in the human breast
Where weariness and work compete and put will power to the test
Where souls to tend and bills to pay keep us on our knees and toes
Where cares of this world tug and weigh and what yet waits God only knows
The order of priorities reveals the hierarchy within
Where a most sacred diocese exists beneath our cloak of skin
No matter who or where we are, God sees the hearts of you and me
Where who we worship sets the bar for what will take priority
And, holy is the consequence of what is just as it appears
As precedence yields evidence by what Priority reveres
Day breaks; responsibility rouses mankind from slumber’s cot
Where instantly Priority beckons in the throne-room of Thought
Oh Lord, how great Thou art; oh, guard us from the evil one today
Let Thy word in our minds and hearts equip us to trust and obey
Before this boon of beckoning, dust-to-dust’s mandate will appease
And then will be the reckoning for order of priorities
© Janet Martin
2 Pet.1:3-9
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness
through the knowledge of Him who called us by His owna glory and excellence.
4Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises,
so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue, knowledge;
6and to knowledge, self-control;
and to self-control, perseverance;
and to perseverance, godliness;
7and to godliness, brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness, love.
8For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them,
they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive
in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness,
having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Yesterday I spent a while tackling
'where weeds were abounding!
No comments:
Post a Comment
I hope you enjoyed your pause on this porch and thank-you for your visit!