Musing – Is Prayer-time actually a time-saver?

Hebraic Musing – Is Prayer-time actually a time-saver?

All too often I defer my prayer-time because I don’t think I have enough time; or worse yet, I have something to do that is more important at that moment in time.  Hmmm…who gives us time anyway?

Have you ever asked God for a time warp if you are running late?  I have, and now I have amazing testimonies as a result. So an added benefit of daily prayer is that we can ask Him for a time warp if we are running late and He will often give us the extra time we need and allow us to get where we are going, on time.  Or maybe He will adjust our priorities.  What think you?

But let us not lose sight of the primary benefit of Prayer – acknowledging who He is, and asking for His Guidance and Direction in any matter.  Our loving Father God is delighted to help us and only needs to be asked.

Here are some benefits of spending time talking with Father God; and some “if” clauses:

1.      Gives us clear, timely directions eliminating confusion – if we listen and take His advice.

2.      Prevents us from making wrong decisions – if we also take the time to listen!

3.      Eliminates worry and anxiety – if we “lean not on our own understanding.”

4.      Produces sense of calmness and peacefulness and eliminates fretting.

5.      Invites God into our daily activities – if we really want Him as our partner.

6.      Gives us confidence – if we decide to work according to His plan.

7.      Sharpens our discernment and gives us spiritual intuition.

8.      Gives us God's viewpoint – if we also take the time to listen!

9.      Brings us energy into our life – best motivation comes from following a good leader.

10.  Prevents us from being distracted – if we remember to do what He told us to do.

11.  Reminds us of the necessity to act on things – if we allow the Holy Spirit to prod us.

12.  Prevents us from being discouraged – if He is on our side, how can we lose?

13.  Opens the doors of opportunity – if we recognize the Holy Spirit’s ideas as superior to ours.

14.  Enables us to discern the difference between busyness and fruitfulness – if we follow His plan.

Points to ponder

Why do I skip prayer-time because I don’t have enough time to pray?

Shalom

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                                    July 29, 2014

Author of two books “Hebraic Insights” and  “Biblical Marriage”
And weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings” 
Yosef1@cox.net  or  www.InsightsByYosef.com

    Inspired by a note from Lars Ritchie

Musing – How many times have you heard “Father knows best”?

Hebraic Musing – How many times have you heard “Father knows best”?

(No musings for the next two weeks, so enjoy this one)

My earthly father never gave me a serious ultimatum, except for the incomplete statements like “Do it or else.”   But Father God gave us an ultimatum when He said to us “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.  For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.  But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.”  NIV  Deut. 30:15-18 

Fathers hear protests from their children when they tell them they need to be home at a certain hour, or that they can’t attend a certain event. The child thinks you are just being mean and don’t want them to have any fun.  Younger children are told by their fathers “Don’t play in the street”; and what does the child try to do?  Do they understand why their father made up that ‘silly’ rule?  Later in life the grown child learns the “why” for the commands, decrees and laws.

I’ve said it before – “Everything a good father tells his child to do is for the child’s own good.”

The above quote from Deuteronomy and the agreement of the people constitutes a covenant created between God and His people at Sinai, thus called the Sinaitic or Mosaic covenant.  The people promised to obey God’s Word and His Mitzvot (commandments, decrees and laws) — all 613 of them contained in the Torah. In return for their obedience, God promises to bless and reward the Israelites and the people.  BTW, some have counted 1,050 commandments in the NT!  So which is the book of Law?  Yeshua did not make it easier; how many times did He say “Don’t even think about it”?

The Hebrew word for “commandments” is “Mitzvot” which translates as “Good Deeds.” Selah!

While 613 may seem like a lot of rules, each one was designed by our Heavenly Father for our own good, just as our parental rules are designed for our children’s benefit.  God did not give us His commands, decrees and laws to make our lives difficult, to burden us, or to punish us.  Rather, He wants to protect our relationship with Him. And He wants us, His children, to live long and blessed lives.  He knows better than we do that a life of joy will be found when we act in harmony with His will.  Disobedience causes sorrow and hurt for both the child and the father.  Thus, our Father wants us to realize that keeping His commands, decrees and laws should be pure joy, not a chore or legalism.  And doesn’t a child enjoy hearing his father say “Good job, son!”? 

In case you are wondering what’s included in the 613 Mitzvot our Loving Father has given us in the Torah, I’m attaching Insight #22 from my book Hebraic Insights – Messages Exploring the Hebrew roots of Christian Faith.  Some of you are already thinking that all the commands in the Torah are not relevant and/or cannot be performed today. That is partially true, so let’s look at the “can do and can’t do” status of Mitzvot as analyzed in the attachment.  Do you think we should be obeying those we can?  

Points to ponder

Should we hear and obey simply because “Abba says so”?

Shalom

Yosef

Musing – Why would we want to Lean on Our Own Understanding?

Hebraic Musing – Why would we want to Lean on Our Own Understanding?

What’s wrong with Leaning on Our Own Understanding? And I it all the time, or most of the time. When things go wrong, then I remember Proverb 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”.  NIV

I don’t have time or space to list all the things that I do not understand. Maybe it is okay to go through things in life that we don’t, or can’t, understand!  We don’t have to understand everything; God understands and knows everything and that’s all that matters. He is the MASTER PLANNER.  In business terms – “That’s what he gets paid the big bucks to do.”

If we could understand God’s ways, then His actions would be limited to our intellectual capabilities. I don’t know about you, but I want to serve a God who is not limited by anything!  It doesn’t make sense to pray to a God who I can understand.  I like the fact that Almighty God has ways to make things happen in my life when I don’t see a way.  My God even has ways to bless me that I don’t even anticipate.  I appreciate serving a God who can make sense out of my messy life when I can’t see a way to clean it up myself.  Bottom line – I want a God who is bigger and smarter than me!

As human beings, we want so much to understand everything that is going on in our lives. We’d like to see everything that has happened and everything that will happen in a neat box all tied up with a pretty ribbon.  However, God doesn’t work that way. That would be placing God in a box. Our God is way too big and far too great to be contained in a box we create. He works in ways that we can’t possibly comprehend, and probably shouldn’t.  I can relate to Solomon who applied all his wisdom and finally said  “…‘I am determined to be wise’– but this was beyond me” Ecclesiastes 7:23 NIV.

How often do we question the rationale behind some of the rules, guidelines and commandments in the Torah?  God’s wisdom is beyond us as to both His laws and how He is working in our lives.  Why would we regress to “Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it.” Isaiah 36:6 ESV?

In closing, let’s go forth today singing and listening to the words of that sweet refrain:
vs 1♫  What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms;
            What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms.
  ♫     Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
            Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
Vs 2♫ Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, Leaning on the everlasting arms;
            Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day, Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Vs 3♫ What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms?
            I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Points to ponder

Why do I (or we) insist on leaning on our own understanding?

Shalom

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                                    July 1, 2014

Author of two books “Hebraic Insights” and  “Biblical Marriage”
And weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings” 
Yosef1@cox.net  or  www.InsightsByYosef.com

     Inspired by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein’ Holy Land Moments – June 24,2014