Daily Butter: Outspoken

Outspoken

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/30/2013):

But his servants approached and said to him, “My father,
if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would
you not have done it? How much more should you do it
when he tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”
(2 King 5:13)

Today's ODB author, David C. McCasland, pointed out the role of the Jewish servant girl in this "I remember that from Sunday School" Old Testament story. Her suggestion led to the healing (both physical and spiritual if I read the story correctly) of her master. The input of the servants that traveled with the Naaman quoted above struck me especially as I read today. It was not a comment to their master in the course of their normal service like the girl's seemed to be (v3), but verse twelve ends "So he turned and left in a rage." These servants faced an angry military leader to point out the foolishness of his thinking. What boldness!

As I look at my current employment situation, I am very frustrated that my attempts to speak up about the situation get lost. Just as the girl's simple "He should see God's prophet in Samaria" became a mess involving kings, tribute offerings, official diplomatic papers, and a delegation sent to the capital rather than Samaria and they nearly cause a war in their misinterpretation save that the Lord's man heard about the situation and calmed the king. It just feels as though the people doing the work are not even listened to when we speak up about how things are (or are not) working in day-to-day operations. It makes me wonder after six years if it is time to look for a different employer.

But yet the lesson from Sunday School those decades ago has not changed: God's solutions are often not in the shape we are looking for them to take. Naaman's transformation and commitment not to "sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh" (v17) did not preempt him from doing what his employer demanded in his duties, but rather to ask forgiveness for it (v18). Maybe I need to

The "You would have done a difficult thing, so why not try the easy thing?" message of the servants is echoing in my mind with the Matthew 11:28-30 that was the undercurrent of the book I just finished -10 Things Jesus NEVER Said (And Why You Should STOP Believing Them) by Will Davis Jr.. While changing jobs is not an easy thing, leaving the organization to be fixed by those in charge of it would be less stressful than trying to ride out these rough waters.

Finishing up my last couple days of vacation, I have some time to be in prayerful search as to my path and I would appreciate your prayers for me and my family as well.

All scripture quoted from the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Daily Butter: Renew

Renew

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/10/13):

God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory.
(Colossians 1:27 HCSB)

It seems that when I really need to re-learn something, God tag-teams me from many sources. Today is no exception.

While my budget can't keep me very near the "cutting edge" of technology, I am trying to make sure I'm not TOTALLY out of touch. I am getting closer to catching up with the right decade now that I got a used "nook" e-reader (not quite up-to-date as it's a "1st edition" rather than the  newer Color or HD versions). Since my wife is an avid reader, I thought she would enjoy it, but she has given it to me. So after finally getting it securely connected with my home wi-fi, I set odb.org as the home page of the web browser.  For a while I've using my library card to get MP3 audiobooks through Tennessee R.E.A.D.S (Regional E-book and Audiobook Download System) and had added one e-book to my "wish list" because the title caught my eye: "10 Things Jesus NEVER Said (And Why You Should STOP Believing Them)." So, needing to test my "new" tech toy is a good reason to "pick up and open" the book. No, I didn't read the whole 142 page book in one sitting, but Will Davis, Jr. (the author) did surprise me with "Part One: "The Most Important Thing Jesus Ever Said." He wrote "To a group of road-weary spiritual seekers, Jesus said 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light' (Matt, 11:28-30 [NIV]). Have you ever heard more beautiful or inviting words?" As one getting close to burnout due to my current employment situation, I must agree that nothing sounds more inviting. when a couple of pages later he points out something I had not seen before: a parallel to Exodus 33:14 as the Lord answers Moses plea by saying, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (NIV). If the Presence of God brought rest to Moses (even while leading His people in the wilderness) an Jesus invites us to come to him and find rest, the conclusion is simply that His presence is restful.

This "mystery" the Paul wrote about, that Christ is in me, that His presence follows me everywhere I go has got me wondering, "If  Will Davis Jr.'s conclusion is close, why am I having trouble finding rest?" I'm still working toward that answer - perhaps I have my eyes to the ground focused on pushing so hard into the "yoke" that I'm putting more of a burden on myself than is my lot if I would "fix my eyes on Jesus" or perhaps I'm straining on the "yoke" because He is trying to take our team in a different direction.

Not sure what the answer is, but my wife is thankful that the "new to me" (re-new?) tech toy is leading me back to reading and I am thankful that the reading I have chosen so far is drawing me to Him. (And I'm thankful that the translators/publishers of the HCSB have allowed the whole Bible translation to be available at no cost for my Nook.)

in His Service
Andy

Daily Butter: Consider the Source

Consider the Source

 

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/2/13):

He causes grass to grow for the livestock
and provides crops for man to cultivate,
producing food from the earth,
(Psalm 104:14 HCSB)

Taking advantage of a wonderfully mild July day here in Tennessee where the "scattered showers" had scattered elsewhere, we enjoyed spending the evening in our back yard. As our son played, my wife and I were in our vegetable garden. While I never much liked the chore of weeding and caring the garden as a child, I have a different view now that I understand a bit more about the food budget. This is only our second summer in our home so the garden is still largely experimental - with the gardening knowledge passed down to me coming from a different climate up in Ohio and my wife and in-laws primarily flower gardeners. She commented that the weeding was more difficult this year (probably because we almost doubled the area cultivated over last year), but has also enjoyed eating some of the first tomatoes and cucumbers.

 

As I put in many hours at work paying back my debts and "providing for my family," yet struggling to train my son to understand why we stop to thank the Lord for his provision when we eat, this verse stood out today. While sheep and goats and cattle just have to lower their head and chew the grass He has provided, God's provision for man is the opportunity to cultivate food. While Genesis tells us that sin made the toil difficult (3:17-19), it clearly shows God tasked man to care for the garden that provided sustenance before the "fall" (2:15). God does not provide for us in the same way as the rest of His creation because He did not make us mindless but made us in His image so that we could, would, and should change the things around us for the better. While I need to do my part in providing for my family, I cannot do that apart from Him.

 

in His service,
Andy Jentes

Daily Butter: In Practice

In Practice

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/1/13) 

If we say, "We have fellowship with Him," yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are

not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have

fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

(1 John 1:6-7 HCSB)

How can darkness and light be in the same place? Only at different times. While the truism that "no one's perfect" reminds us as verse five says only God has "absolutely no darkness in Him." Verse six reminds us that were we actually walking closely with Him, we could not be walking in darkness. All stumble into the darkness, but those in relationship with Him do not willingly stay.

I enjoy exploring the nuances of the English language, and since most of the English translations I referenced (NASB, NLT, NKJV are a few) used a form of the verb "practice" I wanted to look at it carefully.  Perhaps it's just me, but the word most often conjures memories of tedious, repetitive drills or exercises on an athletic field or upon a musical instrument. Yet as my sister-in-law completes her training, she is eager to start her chiropractic practice - Neither of those noun uses really apply to the verb form of the word. While a great word and properly applied, the word practice might confuse the issue. Perhaps the KJV avoids this best with the straight forward "we lie, and do not the truth."

Practice is not just something we do, our practice is EVERYTHING we do. My sister-in-law will have a great practice because helping people find wellness is what she does; it IS her practice and the chiropractic skills she's gained only give her new ways to touch lives. Truth should be our very nature and therefore it MUST be lived out. I cannot shrug off a stumble into darkness that I know has disappointed my Heavenly Father because of the truth that is in me. Integrity is letting the new nature He has placed within me be the outward appearance and the actions demonstrated as I put my faith in practice.

in His Service

Andy Jentes