Today I am thankful for: my son's helpful heart, air conditioning, a fairly quiet dinner at Chick-fil-A, popcorn (& kiddos to share it with!), indoor plumbing, our Leading Little Ones to God book, prayer!
HOW/WHO: Not sure I really succeeded at this one today. Still looking for lightening bolts? We got a magazine and snack to add to a care package for Mr. P. at taekwondo. Bought it yesterday...does that count?
Read through Ezra today and had the thought that it all keeps coming back to the temple. Even after the people were in the Promised Land, God wouldn't allow the temple to be built until the reign of Solomon. This poor temple was defiled and restored a number of times, then after the Israelites were taken out of captivity in Babylon, King Cyrus sent them back to Jerusalem to rebuild again. The process was thwarted for a while until the decree of King Darius. All of this had me thinking ahead to the New Testament when Jesus talks about the temple being destroyed and rebuilt in 3 days. While the structure was ultimately destroyed, we now know that Jesus was referring to Himself. So, yes, it all comes back to the temple!
I even think about the state of Jerusalem today--Muslims occupying the City of David and it seems there's no way a new temple will be erected, yet we know from Revelation that a new structure will eventually stand. Have we learned nothing? The temple was to be the very dwellingplace of God among His people. Of course there would be opposition to that! Hello, spiritual warfare! But once Jesus came and gave His body to be broken for US, then when He was resurrected on the 3rd day...wow! THERE'S your temple! Jesus is alive, and God's Holy Spirit dwells in US if we just believe! And, you know, people are still trying to tear the temple down! We defile ourselves with worldly nonsense, junk food, laziness, SIN of all kinds. We are selfish, unkind, greedy, hateful people. Who am I that our God should want to dwell in ME? And yet, He does. He is always waiting to welcome me back and receive my repentance. And He does so with mercy and grace! Just like the temple of old, my Lord is waiting to restore ME to beauty, to "code" according to HIS design. Who am I to stand in the way of that? I wish I wasn't so lazy!
Oh Lord, please help me! Give me the strength to do some spiritual gardening. I need to remove these weeds of sin from my heart! Please help restore this body to something that is worthy of You. Give me rest and good health so that I might better serve You and my family. Like Ezra, I want to seek You always and teach my family to walk in Your ways. Help me, Father, to be a reflection of You! Praise You, Lord, for Your faithfulness! And as Your children often sang at the temple: Praise You for You are Good! Your mercy endures forever!
HOW/WHO: Not sure I really succeeded at this one today. Still looking for lightening bolts? We got a magazine and snack to add to a care package for Mr. P. at taekwondo. Bought it yesterday...does that count?
Read through Ezra today and had the thought that it all keeps coming back to the temple. Even after the people were in the Promised Land, God wouldn't allow the temple to be built until the reign of Solomon. This poor temple was defiled and restored a number of times, then after the Israelites were taken out of captivity in Babylon, King Cyrus sent them back to Jerusalem to rebuild again. The process was thwarted for a while until the decree of King Darius. All of this had me thinking ahead to the New Testament when Jesus talks about the temple being destroyed and rebuilt in 3 days. While the structure was ultimately destroyed, we now know that Jesus was referring to Himself. So, yes, it all comes back to the temple!
I even think about the state of Jerusalem today--Muslims occupying the City of David and it seems there's no way a new temple will be erected, yet we know from Revelation that a new structure will eventually stand. Have we learned nothing? The temple was to be the very dwellingplace of God among His people. Of course there would be opposition to that! Hello, spiritual warfare! But once Jesus came and gave His body to be broken for US, then when He was resurrected on the 3rd day...wow! THERE'S your temple! Jesus is alive, and God's Holy Spirit dwells in US if we just believe! And, you know, people are still trying to tear the temple down! We defile ourselves with worldly nonsense, junk food, laziness, SIN of all kinds. We are selfish, unkind, greedy, hateful people. Who am I that our God should want to dwell in ME? And yet, He does. He is always waiting to welcome me back and receive my repentance. And He does so with mercy and grace! Just like the temple of old, my Lord is waiting to restore ME to beauty, to "code" according to HIS design. Who am I to stand in the way of that? I wish I wasn't so lazy!
Oh Lord, please help me! Give me the strength to do some spiritual gardening. I need to remove these weeds of sin from my heart! Please help restore this body to something that is worthy of You. Give me rest and good health so that I might better serve You and my family. Like Ezra, I want to seek You always and teach my family to walk in Your ways. Help me, Father, to be a reflection of You! Praise You, Lord, for Your faithfulness! And as Your children often sang at the temple: Praise You for You are Good! Your mercy endures forever!
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