Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

I am amazed, once again, at the determination of this old clock to tell me time!

Anna Ruth’s father, Jacob, gave this clock to his wife to be in 1916.  I have it up and running!  Fun.

These old clocks were well-built, that is for sure. It is good to hear the gong of a hundred year old clock!

Why, my soul, are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 43:5

Where is my hope?  Is it in getting through some aging trial, lack of strength?  That is what I am living with now.  Through my life I hoped in physical strength.  The Psalmist urges me to hope only in God.  God has helpers, through whom He often works, but ultimately our dependency is on God alone.

I note that trials that are endured in Christ result, ultimately, in praise.  We who have placed our lives in the hand of the Lord know that.  The truth is, He is God and Savior. 

As physical strength lessens, spiritual strength comes forth to assure us of God’s love and tender mercies.  The end is praise to our Risen Lord and all the host of heaven who are concerned about my faith.  Praise God, spiritual resources are available for all phases of life, particularly in old age.  I embrace that fact and go on with confidence and hope in God.

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Luke 12:15

I think this is the only time Jesus used this expression, “Watch out!”  with an exclamation mark at that.  I needed his perspective again, today, as I worked on a tabulation of possessions we have.

I chuckled to myself when I was working on this, it seems most of life is accumulating “things” and the last thing is getting rid of all them!  That is what Anna Ruth and I are up to now.  It is not a pleasant task, but as I recall the story behind each piece I do find great consolation, not that I have these things nor that they have very little eternal value.  What gives certain things value is the context in which those things became ours.  We could go through our house and handle or touch each item and tell of our attachment to each.

God does that.  He exalts Jesus!  Things that tie us to Jesus or remind us of him are precious beyond measure.  They, I believe, will in some way enrich our lives even after we are in glory with Him. All else will pass, Jesus remains!

So, as Anna Ruth and I bid farewell to “things,” the memories stay with us, for all time.  They are our eternal possessions.

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

John 1:16

John is writing to the believers everywhere and in all times.

All of us believers are overwhelmed with the fullness that we have received, by grace, through Jesus Christ.  I seldom see this word, fullness, nor do I use it.  Yet it is at the heart of what John is sharing with us as the glory of our new life in Christ.

We are empty, Jesus’ fills us with his fullness.  We receive that fullness by grace alone, not because we earn it, but by God’s grace.  We receive that grace, not because we have earned it but it is because God loves us.

How much grace can we receive?  John says we receive God’s surprising grace again and again, always added to that already given.

As I look back over my own life, what fills my heart with joy is not what I have done for God, but what God has done for me!  I receive his grace, I do not earn or deserve it!  I have no other song, no other plea.

Anna Ruth and I often have a jig saw puzzle out on the dining table, ready to be put together.  Katya and Kevin visit us and help to find pieces.  In the Winter we usually have a puzzle on the board that we place on the table.  We slip into the dining room when we have a moment available.  Keeps us sharp.

For the past week or so Anna Ruth and have been working on a 500 piece puzzle.  Yesterday we put in the last piece.  It is quite nice.  Not too sure, however about the title.

 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?  Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?  Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?   He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:6 – 8

What offering pleases God?  Micah got it, or, rather God showed him.  We might give burnt offerings (sheep cattle, etc.) or ten thousand rivers of oil.  That is a lot, believe me.  Who could possibly give enough to please God?  Or we could bring our good works.  That is ridiculous.

What offering pleases God?  Maybe our sons and daughters, our dearest possessions?   What offering to God could come close to that?

God wants, not our possessions or precious members of our family!  No, God wants us!  What is the highest good that we can offer to God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?  Three things, do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God.  No cows, no sheep, nothing.  Just ourselves before God, with broken hearts offering eternal thanks and doing what He wants us to do.

It is Friday, our day to feed our family, those that can make it. Anna Ruth does her thing to bring the roast to perfection.  She knows exactly how to do that. Mmm.

Jane and Glenn will join us today since Paul and David can not make it.   We look forward to that.  God is good!

This morning the early morning sun landed on Poo and Rabbit, sittting on the bench Aunt Roma made for us.

I think Anna Ruth made these fellows thirty or more years ago.  They have been hugged by children and greats, still exuding kindness.  We had the Poo books in Africa and so, if I am not mistaken, that is how we got acquainted.  That fondness for Poo and his many friends was a feature in our house all these years.  We still have the worn books!

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name forever. Amen, and Amen.  

Psa.72:18,19.

The Psalmist close his hymn of praise with a single word, repeated!  Amen and Amen.  Translated it is so let it be!  Twice.

Is there a better way?  The Psalmist does not ask to be blessed, all he wants to do is to bless the Lord God.  That is the peak of praise and worship.

The King James says, Blessed be the Lord God.  Blessed be his glorious name.  The NIV says, Praise be to the Lord God, etc.  So bless and praise are close in the Hebrew.

Bless the Lord.  Praise the Lord.  In a way, they are the same.

May my heart burst its bounds today as I enter a new world in which praise to God is the overwhelming emotion.  Not what he can do for me but how I can praise Him better.  Bless God.  Praise God.  All eyes are on God.  That is precious beyond telling.