I like books for the adventure of reading, for the stories they tell, not for advice or wisdom.
I hate reading books to change my life. I prefer learning by experience. And while I know from other people that this is the hardest and most dangerous way to learn stuff, I learn it best by screwing up a couple times before getting it right. I've been lucky enough to figure a few things out before they got too far, but who knows what will happen next?
I feel a little detatched right now. I think its just my mood of the day. Tomorrow, I'll probably feel like life is amazing! and be happy.
Blah.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Jesus Wept
Sometimes God's Word makes my heart feel so heavy.
This week's study was about Lazarus dying, and being raised from the dead by Jesus. But the point wasn't his amazing power to do miracles for us (although that is pretty cool). The point was that he didn't fix the problem before it happened. The point was that Jesus allowed so many people to go through so much pain before he decided to do anything about the situation. He waited, because he knew that this was the best way to bring glory to where it needed to go: to God Himself.
Jesus' top priority isn't us. Its not our feelings. Its not our wants or needs. He values them, certainly, but it is God's will and God's Glory that are most important to him. The reason he came to Earth wasn't ultimately for us. It was for God.
A friend was talking about the song "Above All" on a hike here at Glorieta, and how one line in that song really turns the meaning around if you look at it a certain way. "You took the fall... and thought of me... above all." She was saying that if you look at it as a human singing, then the song is false, but if you look at it as God singing, the song is true. He thought of God above all, not me.
That being said, another point is brought up. One thing that really confused me aboutthis passage was that Jesus wept. I always wondered how he could cry, when he knew that he was about to make all things right again. He knew it would be a happy ending!
But the ending isn't why he is crying. God designed the world to be perfect. But since it isn't, pain and suffering abound on Earth. Jesus wept because of the pain that his people had to go through to see God's glory. He wept because he was angry, because it didn't have to be this way. The pain we feel is also felt by Jesus, by God. He weeps when we weep. Its pretty incredible. Its difficult to wrap my head around.
I feel like there are a lot of loose ends I want to tie up in this. But my brain hurts. I need to talk about it more.
This week's study was about Lazarus dying, and being raised from the dead by Jesus. But the point wasn't his amazing power to do miracles for us (although that is pretty cool). The point was that he didn't fix the problem before it happened. The point was that Jesus allowed so many people to go through so much pain before he decided to do anything about the situation. He waited, because he knew that this was the best way to bring glory to where it needed to go: to God Himself.
Jesus' top priority isn't us. Its not our feelings. Its not our wants or needs. He values them, certainly, but it is God's will and God's Glory that are most important to him. The reason he came to Earth wasn't ultimately for us. It was for God.
A friend was talking about the song "Above All" on a hike here at Glorieta, and how one line in that song really turns the meaning around if you look at it a certain way. "You took the fall... and thought of me... above all." She was saying that if you look at it as a human singing, then the song is false, but if you look at it as God singing, the song is true. He thought of God above all, not me.
That being said, another point is brought up. One thing that really confused me aboutthis passage was that Jesus wept. I always wondered how he could cry, when he knew that he was about to make all things right again. He knew it would be a happy ending!
But the ending isn't why he is crying. God designed the world to be perfect. But since it isn't, pain and suffering abound on Earth. Jesus wept because of the pain that his people had to go through to see God's glory. He wept because he was angry, because it didn't have to be this way. The pain we feel is also felt by Jesus, by God. He weeps when we weep. Its pretty incredible. Its difficult to wrap my head around.
I feel like there are a lot of loose ends I want to tie up in this. But my brain hurts. I need to talk about it more.
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