And it got me to thinking. About myself. How sometimes I may look and act and sound like I am really up close to God when, actually, I may have slipped away from where I should be. I may still look all right on the outside but may be all stinky and sour inside. I may even be able to hide the real condition of my heart from you... but never from God! "..for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." I Samuel 16: 7
I don't want people to look at me and think that I'm something I'm not. Sometimes I feel very close to God. Sometimes I feel very far away. Sometimes the words that Jesus applied to "scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites" also apply to me! "Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Matthew 23: 28 But when I feel far away, it's not God's fault but mine.
In this new year of 2009 I want to do more for the Lord than I have done in the past. I want more of my days to be days of obedience and honor to Him and less of my days to be filled with my own selfish greediness.
May God bless you as you, too, strive to be all you can be this year for Jesus!
Happy New Year!
Marilyn
12 comments:
AMEN, Marilyn! When I was teaching on Zechariah and Elizabeth last month I discovered that the word translated UPRIGHT (Luke 1:6)and used to describe them means: "to be wholly committed to the will of God in your THINKING, FEELING, AND ACTING." God has powerfully used that definition to speak to me and outline my goals for the coming year.
Happy New Year to you too!
P.S. After not posting to my blog since Oct, I posted twice yesterday - lots of Christmas photos - and this morning. I'm going to try to be more consistent with posting this year. You are a wonderful example and encourager to me!
Marilyn,
This was just like I was writing about myself and how vulnerable we really can become once we get come out from behind our computer screens or from out of our homes. Lord, may I be found in 2009 more like You and much less of me.
Blessings,
Yolanda
I am with you!! I so want to be bolder and more passionate about My Jesus!! Thanks for a great post. I hope ya'll had a great New Year!!
Don't ya just hate it when you get a rotten in the middle onion? I opened a new carton of half and half at my New Year's Day luncheon today and it was spoiled. Didn't find out until someone poured it in their coffee!! EEEEEWWWWW!!
I just ask the Lord daily to show me the rotten spots in my heart.
Leah
Hi Marilyn--found your blog via Wendy's. Loved your posts--onions and shoes!!
Nice to meet you!
Timely. Let me tell you why. By adding "video" of me to my blog, I've opened up a side of myself that (up to this point) has remained protected and safe in blogland. It's easy to hide behind our words, but when we put our physical presence behind them, it can be scary.
I don't ever want to "seem" something I'm not. In fact, I wrestled with putting any video of self on the blog. I'm far from polish and never want to speak/live fake before God and man.
Thus, I want the inner cup to be clean more than the outer. You've hit me hard today. Thanks.
peace~elaine
What an excellent example and visual illustration! Love that you had the camera right there and ready to snap the pic and relate it to our spiritual condition. Oh, that we/I would not be a stench, but rather a sweet, delicious fragrance, enhancing everything with which we/I come into contact!
Great post! Thank you, friend.
I'm with you, Marilyn, and anyone who isn't asking those questions has missed what the Bible says from beginning to end. Paul was lamenting his issues all the way to the end of his life.
I believe we are to come to the mirror: The Bible and look for anything that isn't Christ like.
I love your onion illustration. I have found that my forgiveness seems to be like layers of an onion. I forgive all I see; and then months later there is another layer. The Bible showed us it is a process of working out our salvation.
Thanks for this good way to start the New Year.
Happy New Year.
It's so amazing how God brings such teachable moments into our day if we're looking and listening. Imagine...an onion being a teaching tool.
I don't want to dress in Christian camouflage, but be the real deal, inside and out. (I wrote a post about that almost a year ago...maybe I'll republish it again.)
Desiring authenticity,
Joy
Hi Ms. Marilyn, I continue to be blessed by your insight and gentle spirit about so many things. I LOVE to read your blog. I did nominate you for a blog award. I had never received one myself. Feel free to go to my blog and check it out. I wanted to honor you because you speak truth and I greatly appreciate that. Blessings ~ Cathryn
Hey Marilyn,
This was great and so true. What a great post and reminder for us all.
Thanks for stopping by, Happy New Year to you and your family!!!
Blessings♥
Oh Marilyn, this was a powerful post! I have had to deal with some rotten places on my inside in the past couple of weeks.
I so desire to be real and not white-washed on the outside.
Thanks for your words of truth.
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