Update

OK, so I have been absent. This year in January, I dreaded the beginning of the legislative session, then as it started and in the weeks following I thought, see it isn't so bad. Now I remember why I felt dread - April is awful. Pray for me.

The good news - I am being consistent on my reading. Yeah! Youversion (OT in 2 yr) has me on Day 87 in the last quarter of Exodus and Isaiah. I have been awed by God's interaction with Moses, tremble at Hezekiah giving away the Kingdom for 15 years more of life, and filled with wonder at the beauty of Isaiah 40-43. How grateful I am for the Word of God! How wretched I have been to have neglected it!

The not-so-good news - I have been less consistent in working out, and even less in blogging. I know I have chosen the best to be consistent in, but long to be doing all three.

I am exhausted - wish I could share the battles, but prob not best to post and I certainly don't have the energy to. I will walk tomorrow AM, but God's grace.

Day 14

Woke at 4:30 AM

Exodus 29

18 “You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

I think we really skim over how offensive our sin is to God. This whole chapter is about the job of the priests to offer sacrifices for sin for Israel. In Romans Paul talks about how God was able to overlook the sins of the past, partially because of the sacrifices of sin that forestalled God's judgment. What really captures it for me is the soothing nature of the smell of burning flesh to God. To me, that is a graphical description of the odiousness of sin. Once again, Exodus helps us to understand the extent that sin is to be avoided and rejected. It just smells to high heaven. Today, we claim the forgiveness of Christ, and that is true. But as we talked about on Good Friday, oh the cost! Let us not forget, and may we be pleasing in His sight by our obedience and commitment to His glory, and not put God in the place of having to remember the crucification of His Son so that our sins may be covered over.

10 minute run.

Day 13

4:00 AM wakeup

Exodus 28

While the very exact instructions God gave to Moses for the tabernacle and ark is interesting, I find his instruction about the priests to be more fascinating. Here He designates Aaron and his boys as priests "before Me". He gives clear instruction for their cloths, but asks Moses to "speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me." If He is giving explicit directions for making the garments, why do they need to be skillful persons with a spirit of wisdom? It gives me pause, and cause to tremble. I think of the Renaissance and 19th century picture of God as the watchmaker - setting things in order, winding the clock, and then things are on their own. That's not the God of Exodus 28. Even though He certainly has set all in order, He is engaged in the process throughout. Is it because He doesn't trust us? Certainly we do have an infinite capacity for mistakes, but I don't think this is the primary reason. I think God likes us doing things with Him. He wants to be engaged in our life. He doesn't ask us to serve in tasks while He goes about the rest of His business - He wants us to do with with Him - to be skillful, but with His Spirit of wisdom. May we all have His Spirit of wisdom as we go about His work as priests - marketplace ministers.

224#

Cold and rainy this morning. Will run tomorrow. I probably ought to be more hardened.

Day 11

6:00 AM wake-up

Read Exodus 25

I am always struck with the detailed design instruction God gave Israel for the tabernacle. Measurements, material, how to fasten it together, everything. This was very important, as its very design provided a symbol of God and His relationship with man. I am sure I have not plumbed the depths of what He is communicating. When I read commentaries, I think they haven't either. One thing, though, is clear. God cares about where He meets with us. The tabernacle (Hebrew: משכן‎, mishkan, "residence" or "dwelling place"), while named from the perspective of man as the place God dwells, is in fact the intersection of the discrete presence of God and presence of His people. God dwells everywhere - thus the tabernacle is our meeting place with Him. May we remember this as we approach our quiet times.

221#

Ran a bit short - had to take the daughter to a track meet.

Day 10

8:40 AM wake-up

Colossians 2:13-15
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

On this Good Friday, we are praying for the battle in the spiritual realm around the lives and hearts of those who have not yet had their certificate of debt canceled. I am reminded that He is the One that has nailed mine to the cross. In the cross he disarmed the spiritual realm arrayed against us and Him. And He has done it publicly. The enemy tries to change the story, but the record is straight for all to see. I rest in that truth. It is finished.

Day 8

5:43 AM wake-up

Exodus 22

Repentance and restitution: I am sure the theologians will have some refinement to my assessment here, but it seems to me that repentance is getting right with God, and restitution is at least part of getting right with people. This chapter gave a number of cases of how to make restitution to people that have been wronged. Seems like we focus on forgiveness in relationships and apologizing - admitting to them we were wrong. I struggle to think of how we 'make it right' when the damages are emotional and so deep. Very different than killing one's ox or a fender-bender. With apologies to the ox, these are actually fairly easy to restore. Hhhmmm - thinking about sins like adultery, the OT says the penalty is death. I guess that is a recognition that restitution is fairly impossible. I was watching a documentary on Napoleon last night - he adored his wife, but once he found out she was unfaithful to him, he seemed shattered. He still adored her, but his life was very different. Like fixing a shattered piece of pottery, some wounds are. Thank God for the Valley of Dry Bones - Ezekiel 37:1-14. God can restore anything He chooses.

220#

Same run pattern, except I actually ran about .2 miles in the last half. I am working to keep my expectations low, but am encouraged by progress.