Orange Cravings

My wife came home yesterday with a big sack of small "cutie" oranges. They are about the size of a golf ball. They are good!! No, they are dynamite!! Small things come in good packages.

All this talk about these oranges is making me want them. Anyway, Erica during her pregnancy with Elijah had such strong cravings for oranges. She wanted anything that was even associated with oranges. She was working at the time, and so when she would get home from work at night she would ask me to either go buy oranges or orange juice. And this wasn't a one time deal. It was probably about once a week. So our house smelled nice and citrusy for about 5 to 6 months.

When the psalmist writes the words, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God," he is talking about a craving so strong that the next words are "when can I go and meet with God?" He is craving the presence of God, that he is looking for ways to meet with Him. His cravings aren't for oranges. He isn't thinking about the next time he can see his girlfriend. He is wanting so desperately to meet with God.

We, as God's children, should be desperately seeking to meet with our Dad. A deer pants to get a drink of water. When we go without a day of food, we are hungry. When we go a day without talking and meeting with God, we should crave Him. We should have hunger or thirst pains for God.

As you go about your daily stuff over the holidays (opening presents, eating good food, watching football, etc) ask yourself these words everyday: Where can I go and meet with God?

"Come near to God and He will come near to you." James 4:8

Power Tools

Feel the power beneath your hands!

I love to just go into Home Depot or Lowes and walk down the power tool aisle. For some reason it makes me feel more at ease when I am able to hold one of these power tools (see pic). I walk down the aisle and under my breath I let out a huge MAN ROAR!! (For those of you who do not know what I am talking about, go watch Home Improvement!)

These power tools can do a lot of good. If you need a 4 inch screw drilled through a two boards to join them together, this is your tool. Or if you need to cut through a piece of ply wood, you probably want to get a circular saw instead of just a handheld saw. It saves a lot of time and effort. There is power behind those tools. These tools usually make loud noise to let everyone know that you are using them. (And to make men feel more macho!!)

The Apostle Paul in writing to Corinth in his second letter states "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" in chapter 12 verse 9.

WHAT??? God's power is made perfect in weakness!! God showed His power in the Old Testament when He parted the Red Sea or caused the walls to fall in Jericho with Joshua. Those are powerful moments in the Old Testament. Those events definitely are not signs of weakness. So what else does God's power need to be made complete?

Paul was talking in 2 Corinthians about his "thorn in the flesh". His thorn made him humble. It made him rely on God. He said to keep him from being conceited or selfish. Paul was able to do miracles and evangelize to all parts of the Asia Minor because of the power he had? No!! Paul was able to do anything because of GOD'S power. Joshua was able to defeat Jericho because of God. Moses parted the Red Sea because of God. We are able to walk and live on this earth because of God. When you go to the weightroom to lift a certain amount of weight, it is because of God. And when we believe in that and live our life that way, there is POWER!! Power that no drill or saw or Tim the Toolman can match. Power we recieve from God, is when we have humble, servant hearts. If we want God's power in our lives, we must be willing to confess our weakness. "For when [we] are weak [we] are strong."

Live it,

BB