This is my second attempt at blogging. The first lasted about a week. Hopefully this one will last much longer. This is basically going to be a place for me to put in words what God is teaching me or some of my struggles. So maybe you will read my posts and be encouraged that you are not alone or maybe you have been in that place that I am in now and you can be an encouragement to me.
Let me explain the name of this blog first. I ran into my uncle Bob a few days ago. First,some background info on Uncle Bob. One of the greatest guys you will ever meet, hes the give you the shirt off his back kinda guy, and he is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. Not a lazy bone in his body. But one thing everyone in my family knows about Uncle Bob is that he struggles to be still. He recently just had quadruple bypass surgery on his heart, two days after the surgery he was going crazy, stuck in the hospital. He wanted a Pespi and his freedom.He always has to be on the go.
I only got to talk with him for a few minutes. He was telling me how God was teaching him so much. He was making good decisons and seeing things clearer than he ever had. And then he said something that really stuck with me. He said "Matt, I am putting on my square wheels." At first, I thought nothing of it. Unlce Bob has all kinds of one liners and witty sayings. But later that day, my mother called and told me that she had just got off the phone with Bob and he told her the same thing and she asked him where he got it from. He told her that he heard it on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. I found the episode on Youtube. I was curious what he meant by putting on his square wheels. In this episode, Aunt Bee has an admirer named Briscoe. Briscoe declares his love for Aunt Bee and tells her to pack her bags to go get married. Andy tries to talk him out of this marriage ideal. Briscoe then starts to think that he might be getting ahead of himself. So he walks over to Aunt Bee and says real soft " I'll put on ma square wheels sos things dont get to rollin too fast."
Believe it or not, that episode appeared on TV for the first time 46 years ago today. Not sure when Uncle Bob saw it or even what made him remember that one line. But regardless, God has used a line from an old TV show to remind my uncle of something we all need to be reminded of, slow down and be still. I am as bad as anyone at not being still. I am always on my phone, on the internet, watching tv, listening to music. If God wants to speak to me, His best bet is to put something on the Yahoo home page or send me a text message. Its really sad. Not only does slowing down allow us to walk in the Spirit easier, it is also a great form of worship. A great way to worship God is just to acknowledge Him. The Bible says to "Be still and know that I am God." In other words, stop and just acknowledge who I AM.
So for this next season in my life I plan to put on my square wheels and slow down. Thanks Uncle Bob. God is great, God is good.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMoses the servant of the Lord has died and Joshua has taken his place in leading the nation of Israel. The long-awaited day is finally nearing for Israel to cross over Jordan and inherit the land God had promised to them.
ReplyDeleteThink of Joshua and his awesome responsibilities. Leading a group of 2½ million people is not an easy task, and Joshua desperately needed something more than he had to accomplish what God had called him to do.
But the Lord is always faithful to give us the necessary provisions in every calling He gives us. In Joshua 1:2-9, the Lord spoke a comforting message to Joshua. He said in verse 8, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
God gave Joshua responsibility and with that, God showed him the path to success-"Meditate on my words day and night." True prosperity comes when we are completely in the will of God. And to avoid a distorted view of God's will, we must go to His words, meditating on them day and night.
What does it mean to meditate on Scripture? It's more than simply reading the Bible. It means to take what you read and think about it, rolling it around in your mind; to ponder what God's message is to you; to have a deep love and affection for God's words. This devotion is manifested by a constant attention to His words. We need times of quiet when we can muse and reflect on what God is saying, and we should also learn to meditate during the daily activities of life.
Jesus said, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" (Luke 6:45). You may not be what you think you are, but what you think-you are. It's impossible for you to hide your thought patterns from people who know you well. Every thought you choose to dwell on plays an important role in molding your character. And your character, good or evil, is on display for those around you to see.
Psalm 1 describes the blessedness of a man who is walking with God and meditating on His words:
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish."
This man does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful. He takes delight and pleasure in the Scriptures. They are His treasure, and he just can't get them off his mind for long. He reads the Bible, and then he ponders what he has read, rolling it around in his mind. He stands in awe as he beholds the beauty of the gems he has discovered. His heart thrills to think that God Almighty is speaking personally to him.
This man puts down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and takes every thought captive to the lordship of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Thoughts of lust, hate, selfishness, or any other kind of sin are not allowed to live in even one small corner of his heart. Yes! His affection is turned from sinful desires to God's message for him in the Bible, and he meditates in the law of His God all the day long! (Psalm 119:97).