Musings From A Rolling Eyed Turtle

Sometimes, when I come across a verse that really grabs my attention, I like to look at it in different translations of the Bible.  In some cases, I break it down phrase by phrase and compare words that the different translators used to convey the meaning of the verse. Take, for example, a verse from Micah:  “He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”  (Micah 7:19 - ESV) Below each phrase I’ve copied the wording used in other translations: He will again have compassion on us :   He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us He will once again have compassion on us You will be merciful to us once again. He will again show us compassion He will again take pity on us Once again you will show loving concern for us. He will again have loving-pity on us     He will tread our iniquities underfoot : He will subdue our iniquities He will subdue...

Many of us cherish Jeremiah 29:11 - “ I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord . They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.” It’s so encouraging to know that God has plans for us.  I would also fold the word “purposes” into that, as in that God has purposes for our lives. But what I’d like to look at in this post, regardless of whether we are considering God’s plans or God’s purposes, is the question of if we can mess up bad enough that we don’t enter into them?  Or to put it another way, can we be out of alignment with His plans and purposes for us? In a way, it would be easy to avoid the question entirely and just highlight examples of people who live out God’s plans in obvious and impactful ways.  For example, I could look at David:  “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed” (Acts 13:36).   But o...

“To infinity and beyond”, to borrow a famous line… Did you know that God gives us a little glimpse of what infinity is like?  He does and it’s found in Psalm 103:  “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”  (v. 12) East is in one direction, and west is in the other. But east and west never meet.  No matter how far you continue traveling east, you would never come to a place where you start traveling west.  In fact, as long as you continue traveling east, you would be doing so forever and without end.  I think those are aspects of infinity! Of course, that verse in the Psalm is not a lesson in direction nor is it likely intended to be an explanation of what infinity is.  It is, however, a wonderful reassurance that when God deals with our sins, He really deals with them. He removes them as far as the east is from the west. Another glimpse of something we really can’t measure is also found in Psalm 1...

In a recent post, I wrote about seeking the Lord’s presence.  In another post I wrote that Jesus welcomed sinners into His presence. A related word to presence is “present”.  And that word is what I want to focus on in this post.  So, as I consider His presence, I’d really like His presence to be present in the present.  Let me explain! The word “present” has many meanings including existing or occurring now and being in view or at hand .  But the definition is so inadequate when it when it has something about God.  Some examples: “It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”  (Rom 3:26)  In contrast to what occurred in previous times, Jesus, at a specific point in time, showed His righteousness so that we might be justified by His work on the cross.  And while that event occurred at a particular time in history, it stands for all time and any one ...

They got it right!  It was an observation that was accurate and true in every respect.  And yet, the supposed damning indictment that followed actually turned out to be the best news ever.  But more on that in a moment… For context, in my last blog post, I wrote about seeking the Lord’s presence.  I also noted some compelling reasons, from the Word of God, to do so.  His presence: ·          Gives rest; ·          Is where I experience absolute joy; ·          Is really all that I need; ·          Is where I find safety; ·          Provides the refreshing I need. Given all that, who wouldn’t want to be in the Lord’s presence?   Well, among those who were part of the observation described above, some did and some didn’t.   Here’s what led to t...

  Last week, I wrote about a Psalmist who yearned for and even fainted for the courts of the Lord (Ps 84).   One commentator suggested that the wording indicates that the Psalmist’s desire was deep and insatiable and that the very soul of the man was yearning for his God.   So it’s very   likely that his deep and insatiable desire was not just for the courts of the Lord but for the Lord Himself. Another Psalm starts off this way:   “See the Lord and the strength; seek His presence continually!”   (Ps 105:4) An inquisitive part of me wants to know why I should seek His presence before I give the “continually” a whole lot of consideration.   The investigative part of me found these verses that point to the reasons: And the Lord said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”   (Ex 33:14) You lead me in the path of life. I experience absolute joy in your presence ; you always give me sheer delight.   (Ps 16:11 ) But a...

Sometimes we can inadvertently gloss over the intensity of what an author might be experiencing and is writing about. Recently, I was reading in Psalm 84 where the Psalmist wrote that his soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord (v. 2). Wait, yearning and fainting, now that’s looking a bit intense! To yearn for is to have an intense feeling of longing for something or a very eager desire. To faint for is yearning for something that might result in becoming weak, lightheaded or even giddy. The Amplified Version uses some additional words that might help provide some possible insights into the intensity of what the Psalmist was feeling:   “My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord;” The meaning of “pines” is probably not very familiar to most.   It means to yearn intensely and persistently and even to feel very sad because one wants (something) or because one is not with (someone). That’s not just looking a bit intense,...