"As they passed the rows of houses they saw through the open doors that men were sweeping and dusting and washing dishes, while the women sat around in groups, gossiping and laughing.
"What has happened?" the Scarecrow asked a sad-looking man with a bushy beard, who wore an apron and was wheeling a baby-carriage along the sidewalk.
"Why, we've had a revolution, your Majesty -- as you ought to know very well," replied the man; "and since you went away the women have been running things to suit themselves. I'm glad you have decided to come back and restore order, for doing housework and minding the children is wearing out the strength of every man in the Emerald City."
"Hm!" said the Scarecrow, thoughtfully. "If it is such hard work as you say, how did the women manage it so easily?"
"I really do not know," replied the man, with a deep sigh. "Perhaps the women are made of cast-iron.""
- L. Frank Baum, "The Land of Oz"
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Are there any scripture passages at the moment that are specifically impacting your life, offering you much-needed encouragement, or challenging you? I'd love to hear about them - feel free to quote them in the comments thread and tell us a little bit about why these passages are rocking your face off (ok, I couldn't think of another action verb to use here that said it just the way I wanted to say it).
I'll start.
(You can read the other posts in this series by clicking here).
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Comments on "Tell Me Something Good #5 - Scripture":
2. Doug
- 07/27/2008 8:49 pm CDT
2 Corinthians 1, specifically 8-11.
"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again."
It's been encouraging lately, because so many of the things in my life feel really dead. In alot of ways, I'm at the end of myself. So it's encouraging that God raises the dead.
It's also encouraging that Paul had to go through some nastiness to make him rely on God. I can tend to kick myself for struggling with God when things go badly. If I believe God is sovereign, why would I even question? But there's grace here for me-Paul had to be brought to despair to "make" him rely on God. It's comforting.
It's comforting that God is at work, even on things I think are dead.
Thanks Bill for a post that made me think about my circumstances in light of scripture, rather than the other way around.
3. Bill
- 07/27/2008 9:42 pm CDT
Hey Doug - I hope things get better for you.
"But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."
I LOVE that passage. Yes. Our God doesn't just make things better. He makes dead things live again!
4. Manders
- 07/27/2008 9:59 pm CDT
Joshua 6 kind of blindsided me the other day--you know how we have this picture of the Israelites being taunted by the Jericho folks while they're walking around the wall? And how we also think of Israel going, "This is stupid. This is crazy. Why'd God ask us to do this, anyway? This isn't gonna work."
Nothing like that happens in the text. In fact, 6:1 tells us that "Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in." They're holed up inside the city so Israel won't get them, because they're freaked out. And the writer doesn't tell us that the people grumbled or had any doubts; they just said, "Okay, let's do this," and marched around the wall, because they believed in the promise of God that He'd give them the land.
Now, the disturbing question: Why'd we overlay that story with all that doubt and fear, when the writer doesn't? What's that say about us?
5. Bird
- 07/28/2008 6:53 am CDT
"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us" (2 Corinthians 1:20).
This was a great post idea, Bill.
6. Bill
- 07/28/2008 7:16 am CDT
Now, the disturbing question: Why'd we overlay that story with all that doubt and fear, when the writer doesn't? What's that say about us?
I think it illustrates our frightening tendency to always project the way we would react upon those we read about in scripture, who lived in a completely different world and often weren't as vapid and unserious as our generation is.
That, and veggie tales :-)
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Acts 1-5. Because I love reading about the early church. We truly stand on the shoulders of giants.
Emphasis mine. I think this passage compliments well the record of the early church in Acts. I am not worthy of the early apostles, church fathers, and faithful believers, men and women who suffered so much and watered the ground the church grew in with their blood.We're studying this in our singles/college class, and have gotten through the first five chapters thus far. Much more Acts-goodness to come.
Hebrews 11-12. These passages go together. Read them. Drink them in. They blow me away, and make me want to be more than I am.
A taste, from the end of Hebrews 11: