Bookmarks

The other night I was looking through one of my Bibles that I don't use particularly often (it's one from high school and a little beat up!) and I was checking out all the places where I'd left a bookmark. Years ago I'd concocted a little ribbon device since I thought that the one ribbon that came in the Bible was simply not sufficient for marking the important stuff, which means that I might as well not have any ribbons at all! But anyway, I was reading through the passages I'd flagged, and noticed that the book spine is actually a little bit cracked at one spot, so I wondered what passage was so important over the years that literally the Bible falls open to it. (Building the suspense here...)

Like I said, I've been using a different Bible lately, so when I discovered where this one opened to, it made me smile. It also gave me a bit of a chill down my spine (funny how that happens sometimes, huh?) because at that moment in time, it was exactly the verses I needed to be reading. Here I had curled up in my bed with the Word, knowing I needed something, but not sure where to look, or even what I needed... just knowing that I needed to be with God. And he led me to the page that contains the second half of Matthew 6 through the first half of chapter 8. I encourage you to check it out sometime, but here are my thoughts on the subject. :)

Anyone that knows me well knows that I am someone who worries. I've gotten better about it over the last few years; maybe my faith has grown, who knows. But I've always loved Matthew 6... "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (vs 27)... "For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." (32-34) This passage has gotten me through some rough times over the years, and when I look at it now, I realize that all the stuff I used to worry about isn't a source of concern anymore, because He took care of it. Now if only I could seek first his kingdom and his righteousness more diligently!

As I look at these pages open in front of me, it occurs to me how incredibly dense these passages are. No way can I address everything on my mind... this blog would go on forever! :) But let me highlight 2 more little nuggets that I can't stop thinking about.

I love the first part of Matthew 7. The illustration of a plank in the eye has always really resonated with me, and I have always wished more people would take the words to heart. We as Christians can be really judgemental, sometimes even more so than nonbelievers (in my opinion). And yet we are all humans, and have all sinned, and none of us are worthy of God's forgiveness. We can really be blind to the plank in our own eye sometimes, and instead of working towards removing it, we would rather focus on the speck in someone else's. We ignore our own struggle with sin, because it is easier to point the finger at our brother's than to confess our sin. And yet Jesus is very clear: "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." I could go on forever on this subject, but let me just say that I pray that God will help remove my planks. Sometimes it feels like there is a whole sawmill in there! OK enough of the wood analogy. :)

Last little nugget that I've been thinking a lot about lately is a verse that I memorized many years ago at LBC. I remember sitting in my bunk trying to memorize it to get that badge, and now I'm really glad I did! "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. " (Matthew 7: 13-14) I keep thinking how easy it is to find yourself taking the broad path. It's like sometimes I'm motoring along through life and realize that I am not anywhere near the narrow road I meant to be taking. Sometimes it can really be hard to stay off that wide road.

Well, I could discuss these verses all day (I didn't even get to 7:7-12 or the wise builder or Jesus calming the storm!), but I gotta go to work. Perhaps in another blog, another day.