JEEPERS!

I checked my large outdoor thermometer through the back facing windows this morning before Fiver and I headed out for our usual morning walk to the neighborhood playground and pond.  It was a little before ten and the arrow pointed to the mid-fifties range, while the dramatic sway on my bushes demonstrated a fairly strong wind to go with it!  Since the wind was blowing from the south, I figured that I’d be okay with my shorts and heavy San Francisco Giants hoodie… Well, I guessed wrong!  It was pretty cool on the porch but I figured once I was in the sun all would be fine.  And all was hunky-dory until I got out from the coverage of the houses and walked into the wind tunnel along the perimeter of the golf course!

JEEPERS!  I found out real fast that I should have worn something under the hoodie as the wind seemed to go right through the thick material and beat on my chest!  But I sucked it up and told the dog that we needed to quicken our pace! It definitely was an awakening event.  The return trip was much better, as I had warmed up by then and the wind on my back didn’t seem to bother me as much! 

And then again, it was worth getting out in the cold, for as I was about to unlock my front door to go in, my neighbor and her two kids came walking by.  We’ve gotten to be good friends over the summer.  Benaiah, her five-year-old son likes to come over and show me his favorite toys and discuss what new things he is learning in homeschool.  This time though, they had made chocolate chip cookies and wanted to share a couple with me!  SCORE!  Yes… they are some of the kindest people I know!

And while we’re talking about good SCORES… I scored some interesting revelations when I awoke this morning with 1 Peter 5:5-7 on my mind.  It was one of those times when I kept repeating the verses in my head while contemplating many of the meanings behind the words, as-well-as the general thoughts behind the statements.  Peter is discussing some of the benefits of our humility and faith and teaches how we should “be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (KJV)

After getting up, throwing on some clothes (I’ve never been a pajamas/bathrobe kinda guy…) and brewing some coffee, I went into the study and dove back into those verses.  The first thing that had caught my attention was the word “therefore” in verse six, and mostly likely just like you would, I put on my Sherlock Holmes cap and began to investigate what the word was there-for!  Well, come to find out, Peter is pointing us back to his previous statement talking about how God “…giveth grace to the humble.”

That definitely stirred up my intellect and I I immediately referenced back to Ephesian 1:8 where Paul is also talking about the grace of God.  He declared that “this superabundant grace is already powerfully working in us, releasing within us all forms of wisdom and practical understanding.” (The Passion Translation)

So… that gives us a deeper understanding of the power of a humble heart for it is one that God is enhancing with His grace… which fortifies us with not just only “wisdom” but with “ALL FORMS of WISDOM” and the “PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING” to apply it in our daily lives!  I would think that if you’re anything like me, then you would want to posses as much wisdom and practical understanding as is possible… every time you walk out your front door and face the ever-increasing craziness out in the world today!

I was walking through my house the other day and suddenly found myself overwhelmed in thanking God for all the little and big miracles that He provided for me (and Piper) during the last 14 years or so.  I am amazed when I think about all of the totally-out-of-my-comfort-zone activities that He helped me to understand and accomplish when it came to all the financial and medical decisions, research, emergency situations, major moves across the country and the harsh persecutions we endured along the way.  And I can say without one ounce of doubt, that there is NO-WAY that I could have done any of it without His grace that power-packed me with “all forms of (Godly) wisdom and practical understanding.”

Needless to say, that same abundance of His grace with its accompanying, limitless measures of wisdom and practical understanding, is available to anyone who “humbles themselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God!”  There are a few more exciting revelations left in these verses that I’ll tell you about next week.  But until then, I encourage you to take some time this weekend and meditate on these verses.  Pray over them and then keep repeating them throughout the next two days… and I guarantee that you’ll begin to gain all kinds of revelations and find many opportunities to use all the wisdom and practical understanding that you’ll be receiving for your daily activities!

I always admired Piper for the special and unique ability that she possessed to practically apply and/or integrate the Word of God into her daily life… and NOW, I’ve got an idea of how she did it! 

I hope that you all have a spectacular weekend, have some fun along the way… and when you think about it… Thank God and give Him all the glory for it!