Scripture Scrapbook-S and T

 

MEANS: resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.

FROM: Old English stedefæst: standing firm

BIBLE VERSE: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 NIV)

THOUGHTS: Other Bible translations of Psalm 51:10 ask for a ‘right spirit’ (KJV) or ‘loyal spirit’ (NLT). The sense of each one being that we need to have our hearts, our spirits changed. Psalm 51 is read on Ash Wednesday as a call to a holy Lent. The Psalm begins by reminding us that God is steadfast. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love…blot out my transgressions.” We, however, are in need of being re-created and made new with a relationship that is firmly fixed on God.

You may remember the story of the Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Anderson. The soldier is part of a set of soldiers created from a single spoon. He is missing one leg because the tin ran out. However, he falls in love with the ballerina doll. Through a series of adventures he gets separated from the ballerina and his home, until he is swallowed by a fish. This fish is bought in the market and brought home for dinner. Discarded and thrown into the fire, the soldier melts into a heart, still loving the ballerina, who herself blows into the fire and is consumed “except her spangle, and it was burned as black as a coal.” 

Our own lives are a series of adventures that change and renew us so that what is left at the end is a heart for God.

PRAYER: Living God, renew a steadfast, unwavering spirit in my so that my heart may be fixed on you.

MEANS: grow or develop well or vigorously, prosper; flourish.

FROM: Middle English (originally in the sense ‘grow, increase’): from Old Norse thrífask, grasp, get hold of.’

BIBLE VERSE: May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field (Psalm 72:16)

THOUGHTS: Thrive is a word that isn’t used much in the Bible. The word in this psalm citation is also translated ‘flourish’, which is one of the definitions of the word. If we read all of Psalm 72 we discover that it is a prayer for the prosperity of the king. “…So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; And let them pray for him continually; Let them bless him all day long. May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains; Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon; And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth. May his name endure forever; May his name increase as long as the sun shines; And let men bless themselves by him; Let all nations call him blessed…” (Ps. 72:15-17)

This is also a prayer for those of us who are sons and daughters of the King of Kings. We are blessed by God to Thrive. A contemporary Christian song by the group Casting Crowns is called Thrive. The artists remind us that we are “Like a tree planted by the water We never will run dry. So living water flowing through…Fill our hearts and flood our souls with one desire Just to know You and To make You known… We know we were made for so much more Than ordinary lives. It's time for us to more than just survive We were made to thrive…”  

PRAYER: Loving Lord of Life, Give us we pray that Joy Unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, and Love Unstoppable to know that Anything is possible. Help us to know You and make You known, for we know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives. We were made to thrive

SCRAPBOOK PROMPTS:

Read all of Psalm 51 and journal about ways that God’s steadfast love is changing your heart this Lent.

Find an image that illustrates what it means, to you, to THRIVE in your relationship with God. Is it the ‘tree by the water’ that the song mentions? Is it a green field? Is it a cross?

God gives us, as the song says, “Joy Unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, and Love Unstoppable”. How does that prove God’s steadfast Love to you, and help you to thrive in your relationship?

Proclaim...the Lord's Favor

Isaiah 61:1 says “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me…” God promises we are filled with the Spirit and anointed to do the work of God. How do we start? Where do we start? Isaiah says we are “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…” We might say then ‘What can we do?’ The problems of the world seem daunting.

Jesus uses this verse as his mission statement for ministry in Luke 4:18. A few chapters later, John the Baptist sends some of his followers to ask “are you the one who is to come” and Jesus “replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.’” (Luke 7:22) Those held captive by disabilities and circumstances are being freed from those disabilities and circumstances. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians refers to this, “For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2) Paul is referring to Isaiah 49:8 when God announces favor and restoration. He goes further to state that ‘NOW is the time of God’s favor’ and ‘NOW is the day of salvation’.

What is God’s ‘favor’? The definition of the word says it is an attitude of approval, support, an act of kindness beyond what is deserved. God’s favor is God’s grace seen and lived in Jesus Christ and given to us in the Spirit of the Living God. Like these birthday roses, God's favor is a beautiful and unexpected, even unmerited gift. God’s Kingdom is present in and among us and it is up to us to proclaim, tell, and demonstrate that God’s  favor has come.

Ann Voskamp challenges us to be People of the Word who are “for the voiceless, to stand with the silenced, to never make pain out to be invisible, as injustice is intolerable…so the hope of the Gospel can be of use anywhere it goes.” We are “People of the Cross…witnesses for the suffering, and responders to the victims, and testifiers of Truth, no matter the cost, no matter the risk, because Christ is The Truth — and where there isn’t Truth, there isn’t Christ. Why ever hide or cover-up the Truth?” That seems like a big challenge, but Voskamp reminds us “the mercies of God never fail and His mercy envelopes your every thrumming thought and begging pulse… Mercy is God making Himself your all encompassing safe place — so you can grow...Mercy is what begs us to be mercifully safe places for the suffering and victimized and abused and all the broken in our families, our communities, our churches, in our aching, breaking world, — so every soul can enlarge and grow strong.” When we stand up for those who cannot defend themselves we ” proclaim liberty to the captives… [and] the year of the Lord’s favor.” Further, as Voskamp notes, “The Gospel always releases any need of covering up and makes a place for standing up and opening up…The Gospel always cups your face in the midst of your worst suffering — and offers you the cup of communion through your worst suffering.”

God’s Kingdom comes when we LIVE our faith. And we do this little by little, day by day. The song Thrive* by Casting Crowns says that “in this worn and weary land… we're reaching out To show them who You are” so that all can know the “Joy Unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, Love Unstoppable, Anything is possible” found in the Good News of “living water flowing through… and flood our souls With one desire…” We are, as Voskamp says, People of the Word. We have met the Holy One and must desire to share the Love we found.

What can you do today to stand in the strength of God as People of the Word and proclaim freedom? How can you show the Joy, Faith, and Love of our God to someone who is lonely, hurting, broken? When can you offer God’s favor and grace to a hurting soul? Where can you help someone learn to ‘Thrive’ in God’s grace?

*Thrive by Casting Crowns 

Here in this worn and weary land
Where many a dream has died
Like a tree planted by the water
We never will run dry

So living water flowing through
God we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls
With one desire

Just to know You and
To make You known
We lift Your name on High
Shine like the sun make darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more
Than ordinary lives
It's time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive

Into Your word we're digging deep
To know our Father's heart
Into the world we're reaching out
To show them who You are

So living water flowing through
God we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls
With one desire

Joy Unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, Love Unstoppable, Anything is possible
Joy Unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, Love Unstoppable, Anything is possible
Joy Unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, Love Unstoppable, Anything is possible
Joy Unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, Love Unstoppable, Anything is possible 

Hey! We were made to Thrive

Advent, week 1

This first week of Advent has been predictably busy. Taking time to find an image to match the word of the day has helped me pause slightly and think about the word and what it means to me. I wonder if it did the same for you, if you are doing this challenge.

On Sunday, the word was “Look” and as I shared, the image that I thought of was the hawk that recently visited the church garden, because if we are not taking time to Look Up we miss the little surprises God sends. If I had not looked up at just that moment, I’d have missed my visitor.

On Dec. 1, the word was “Remember” and I was drawn to recall my teen age solo of Panis Angelicus not long after I joined the church. It seems a lifetime ago (well maybe it has been). That solo was one of the first times I felt affirmed by a church family.

The image on Dec. 2 is of Canyonlands. It occurred to me that it would be interesting to “Imagine” all the ages that have rolled past that formation. How many animals, storms, people, and changes has that plateau seen?

I asked myself how do we “Thrive” on Dec. 3. The answer is we are planted in the good soil of God’s love and thrive. That’s related to the ducks on Dec. 4, who, like us “Abide” in God’s presence while paddling on the crystal pond. And sometimes like the ducks, we do a lot of paddling below the surface while looking placid on top!

The words for Friday and Saturday: “Notice” and “Watch” are similar. When we watch we notice things and when we notice things, we are apt to watch more closely. However a radiant sunrise always helps me Notice the Glory of God and Watching what is around you can bring surprises like the moose and calf.

Next week the list continues and there will be more images and thoughts about these words. Remember, you can subscribe to the feed or participate by posting photos to the national site.