I decided to stay a little longer at church service this morning than I usually do. More often than not I grab my stuff and go before the benediction song is done. I used to stay and seek the Lord at the altar after church but something happened to us at a different church about eight years ago and I just can’t bring myself to connect again with others on that level it truly freaks me out. I want to but I am not ready to put myself out there like that again. But that is not what this post is about.
So after the benediction prayer the worship team sings about four or five songs to bless the altar time and finish the service. As I was standing at my seat worshipping I envisioned myself walking up this path and I was weary, not necessarily physically but emotionally, mentally etc. The odd thing is instead of being in color the vision I had was in a brown hue. The land was dusty and parched void of any living plant.
I stopped walking. It wasn’t really a resting place. There was a big rock but no place for me to sit, there was nothing for me to drink yet I could not go another step. I was weary from my journey. I had a big over-stuffed back-pack I took off my back and put down onto the ground. I was sick of it and of carrying its weight. It had worn me down. So I quit.
Even though the things in the pack were once things of the utmost importance to me it no longer mattered to me if I got them to the place they needed to go. I had drained every ounce of my being trying to make those things function and to get them where they needed to be.
Immediately Jesus was there. He picked the pack up and slung it over his right shoulder and grabbed my right hand with His left and we started walking together.
I just thought I’d share.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Incense
We as a church body have been reading through the Bible this year. I have chosen to read out loud to my kids and because of one reason or another I am quite behind where I should be but am making steady progress to get finished. I am somewhere between a steam roller and a freight train in my focus.
Earlier this past week I started reading the book of Revelation. I have always been fascinated by Rev. 5:8 “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” I am fascinated by the fact that God values the prayers of His people; He keeps them, they are savored, and they are a pleasing aroma to Him.
Last night I was reading Revelation 8 “ 1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” I so was overcome with emotion I had to stop reading. There was something so poignant about the prolonged silenced coupled with the preciousness of our prayers –my prayers- the tears just flowed. It was deeply personal.
This flood of realization came over my mind ~ the prayers aren’t segregated. One person’s prayer isn’t more important or more special than the others. Our prayers, my prayers, aren’t graded and they aren’t scaled. They are all precious and mixed together for the Purpose of the Almighty; and I am.in.awe.
(Scripture quotes from NIV)
Earlier this past week I started reading the book of Revelation. I have always been fascinated by Rev. 5:8 “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” I am fascinated by the fact that God values the prayers of His people; He keeps them, they are savored, and they are a pleasing aroma to Him.
Last night I was reading Revelation 8 “ 1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” I so was overcome with emotion I had to stop reading. There was something so poignant about the prolonged silenced coupled with the preciousness of our prayers –my prayers- the tears just flowed. It was deeply personal.
This flood of realization came over my mind ~ the prayers aren’t segregated. One person’s prayer isn’t more important or more special than the others. Our prayers, my prayers, aren’t graded and they aren’t scaled. They are all precious and mixed together for the Purpose of the Almighty; and I am.in.awe.
(Scripture quotes from NIV)
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