Tuesday: Psalm 63:1-8 (UMH 788)
Wednesday: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Thursday: Luke 13:1-5
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare...
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
During "The Great Flood of 2009," back in September, I had a fascinating experience in our local Kroger.
Well, the whole morning and several days afterward were filled with fascinating events for all of us, come to think of it.
I woke up to a text from a neighbor saying that school had been called off. That made absolutely no sense.
Once we watched some news and had a feel for the severity of what had taken place (27" of rain in 24 hours...which has been called a "500 year rain event" by the weather folks...what climate change?), we realized that it was going to be an interesting day.
Still, I was naive. I sallied forth to the Kroger near our house. I the main east-west road from our subdivision was underwater. I took an alternate route. Still, I wasn't prepared.
A grocery store, crawling with folks who were beyond the panic of a get-milk-and-bread-now-or-you-shall-surely-die impending snowstorm.
This was just crazy. Folks were cleaning off shelves and they were 20 or 30 deep at every register.
Then the lights went out.
I heard a manager on a megaphone say, "our computers are down, and we cannot checkout any more customers."
What? What about a pencil and paper? What about a calculator?
All the registers had locked. Inventory is tied to sales by computer. No items have prices on them...everything is UPC code. No way to sell anything.
Even if they would sell...the "money" in my pocket was an electronic card tied to my bank account. No cash, of course.
I went home, back through the craziness.
When the chips are down in life, money isn't going to make a difference.
I know this seems impossible. But it's true. The invitation from Isaiah 55 is so important for each of us. It is an invitation to what is real and lasting. It is the spiritual invitation to wine and milk and bread that can't be bought with money.
God will provide.
His love is sufficient.
As flood recovery began to unfold, I saw that love first-hand. Two other churches partnered with SOTH and helped us help other people. Without their money, time, and talent, we could never have accomplished so much. But all of that, even the money, was milk and wine from the Father, that we didn't obtain with our own "purchasing power."
There is a greater power. Let's plug into that account.
Grace & Peace,
Adam
Find your headphones, kick back, take a 6 minute vacation, and groove on some "higher love," 80's style.
"Higher Love" Steve Winwood
Think about it, there must be higher love Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above Without it, life is a wasted time Look inside your heart, I'll look inside mine Things look so bad everywhere In this whole world, what is fair? We walk blind and we try to see Falling behind in what could be Bring me a higher love Where's that higher love I keep thinking of? Worlds are turning and we're just hanging on Facing our fear and standing out there alone A yearning, and it's real to me There must be someone who's feeling for me Things look so bad everywhere In this whole world, what is fair? We walk blind and we try to see Falling behind in what could be Bring me a higher love Where's that higher love I keep thinking of? Bring me a higher love I could rise above on a higher love I will wait for it I'm not too late for it Until then, I'll sing my song To cheer the night along I could light the night up with my soul on fireI could make the sun shine from pure desire Let me feel that love come over me Let me feel how strong it could be Bring me a higher love Where's that higher love I keep thinking of?
1 comment:
Can't add much to this. Very straight forward. You buy you're peace, happiness and fulfillment not with money or material but by opening up and accepting his grace. As you receive use that to grow, share and help others and in doing so you will be continually rewarded with riches.
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