Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Psalm 73 (The Message)

Psalm 73

An Asaph Psalm
1-5 No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted.
But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness.
I was looking the other way, looking up to the people at the top,
envying the wicked who have it made, who have nothing to worry about,
not a care in the whole wide world.

6-10 Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence,
Pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness.
They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words.
They're full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace.
People actually listen to them—can you believe it?
Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.

11-14 What's going on here? Is God out to lunch?
Nobody's tending the store. The wicked get by with everything;
they have it made, piling up riches. I've been stupid to play by the rules;
what has it gotten me? A long run of bad luck, that's what—
a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.

15-20 If I'd have given in and talked like this, I would have betrayed your dear children.
Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache . . .
Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture:
The slippery road you've put them on, with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.
In the blink of an eye, disaster! A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!
We wake up and rub our eyes....Nothing. There's nothing to them. And there never was.

21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy,
I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence.
I'm still in your presence, but you've taken my hand.
You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me.

25-28 You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.
But I'm in the very presence of God— oh, how refreshing it is!
I've made Lord God my home. God, I'm telling the world what you do!

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Have a break!

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so were the working conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.

His boss gave him an Axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to fell the trees.

The first day, the woodcutter brought fifteen (15) trees.

"Congratulations," the boss said, "Carry on with your work!"

Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring ten (10) trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring seven (7) trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees.

"I must be losing my strength." The woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.

"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.

"Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."


The moral of the story is:

We need to take time off that we'll be able to achieve more things in life. Even when Jesus was walking on this earth, during his ministry, He needed a time off, He knew He had to spend time with the Father God, because He knew and realized that the source of His strength is from God in heaven and nobody else.

If Jesus needed to take time off, how much more do we need to do the same. When was the last time you prayed? When was the last time you read your Bible? You may say: "I'm too busy, I don't have time to pray." but I heard this somewhere that Martin Luther said: "I'm too busy, I need to pray first before anything else."