Where you at?

Our Daily Bread
I don't watch TV that much, but I remember some commercials here and there.  I remember a cell phone carrier commercial where one character calls a friend asking the question "Where you at?".  It took a slang question and made it part of our everyday language sort of like "Can you hear me now?".  ;-)

We often ask these questions of God.  "Where you at, God?  Can you hear me now, God?"  OK, I admit that I ask these questions of God more times that I care to admit.  Lord, help me believe.  Forgive my unbelief!  We know without a shadow of doubt that God is always with us.  He love and knowledge is more accurate locating us than any GPS system discussed in the devotional!  A love GPS is coming your way!

Lord, thank you for being "above the circle of the earth" and always knowing "where we are".  We love you!

Simply Saturday
Diminished
I have been thinking all week about the Bible study lesson for this week.  It was the Jacob saga.  It was an important section of Genesis, which describes the lives of the five patriarchs of Israel.  Jacob was renamed to  "Israel" after his struggle with God.  The Bible study guide says that Jacob diminished became the man named Israel that God was able to use.  It also noted that when Jacob (or us) try to accomplish God's will with our own plans and schemes that it shows a lack of faith and lack of belief in God's promises.  I hadn't read this scripture passage or a study guide that explained the story with insight.

What do these insights mean to my life?  Whew...  I have been thinking and praying and practicing all week.  What does "Duane Diminished" mean?  What doesn't it mean?  First, it means that I need to focus more on diminishing the flaky parts of my personality, which can be problematic at times.  It is bad enough that my flaky behavior can make me look bad or odd, but I never wanted to admit that it made my Heavenly Father look bad as well.  That cannot be any longer.  Second, it means that I need to focus and be more vigilant about acting in a Godly manner in all areas of my life, especially at work.  Frankly, I get lazy since I suck at day to day discipline.  Writing this blog entry every day is a daily discipline lesson that God asked me to do over two years ago.  I struggle with it at times, but it has taught me that making time for the things that God asks me to do is my top priority.  Period.  Lastly, it means that I will stop my schemes and plans.  It may sound crazy, but I know stuff before it happens sometimes.  I need to "hold these things in my heart" like so many Biblical characters instead of starting my own plans and schemes to make them happen.  God already has it under control!

What doesn't "diminished" mean?  When you diminish self, it does not mean that your needs are not important!  God knows our needs and the desires of our heart better than we do.  He will make us whole if we ask and believe and follow his leading as best we can.  The ultimate "wholeness" is to be like Christ.  We can never achieve this goal in this world, but we can continue to move closer to God as we continue to grow.  What a life!  No ordinary life!  From what I have learned, a diminished life is one that leads through servanthood.  We read about that kind of thing a lot in the New Testament.  I think the New Testament scriptures fulfill the passages from the Old Testament!

Please pray for me as I pray for all people -- to find God and find the "diminished" life God has for you.

I want to end this entry with the lyrics to a song I love by MercyMe -- So Long Self  I hate awkward breakups!

"So Long Self"

Well if I come across a little bit distant
It's just because I am
Things just seem to feel a little bit different
You understand
Believe it or not but life is not apparently
About me anyways
But I have met the One who really is worthy
So let me say

So long, self
Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long, self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long, self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me, farewell
Oh well, goodbye, don't cry
So long, self

Stop right there because I know what you're thinking
But no we can't be friends
And even though I know your heart is breaking
This has to end
And come to think of it the blame for all of this
Simply falls on me
For wanting something more in life than all of this
Can't you see

Don't feel so bad (don't feel so bad)
There'll be better days (there'll be better days)
Don't go away mad (but by all means)
Just go away, go away


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We too can know this God and be assured of His presence. He has revealed Himself in His creation and in His Word. As we ask Him to make Himself known to us, we’ll learn that He is even more than the owner and creator of everything! - Our Daily Bread web site