Unless the Lord builds the house... we labor in vain

Nov 4, 2007

Lord, I pray that Your Spirit will be on the church service this morning – on all of us and especially those You have appointed to lead. Please help us honor and support them – but oh, Lord, most of all, help us to honor and worship and obey and love You with all our beings – thoughts, attitudes, actions, all! Please also be with Sunday Soup today – may it be all about You – and please bring the people You want to be there!

Reading today in Hosea – oh dear God, please forgive us for being so much like Israel. Please pour out Your Spirit and draw us to You. Please soften our hearts, that we may be repentant (truly!) before You!

Thank You for “calling Your Son out of Egypt!”

Nov 5/07

You know I got another email from ___ – heading off for 6 weeks at Esperanza, to sit in the big room by the wood stove and do art and talk to people… Of course, it makes me wish I was there… but You have placed me and will place me where You have prepared – and I should be just sitting back and getting joy out of life every moment, right here and now! And the thing is, I am getting much joy – only all these people come along and tell about their great adventures in Israel or wherever… kind of reminds me of when I was a kid and the people with “real” testimonies that everyone wanted to hear and cheer were the ones who’d been especially bad – and it made me want to be bad, too – to get that recognition and acceptance! And that was not a good thing as we all well know! So it seems that maybe it’s becoming about me again… maybe I want a story to tell! Oh Lord, please help me change my focus (ouch! Change hurts… but it’s worth it… eternally… so yes, prune away..) so it’s all about You…

Oh… a solemn reminder: Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” That’s why we need to pray about our church, families, jobs, ministries FIRST – not just jump into them with our own enthusiasm, “skills,” plans, etc!

And Lord, I don’t want to “eat the bread of anxious toil” – but rather receive the sleep that You give to Your beloved! (Psa 127:2)