04.26
“I don’t know how I ever lived without these applications!” Those were the words of a fellow iPhone user. We were talking about how iPhone applications have become an integral part of our lives.
I’m like this iPhone user, I depend on my apps, but let me tell you about my favorite one… RunPee. It’s especially designed for small bladder-ed people like me. (I know… TMI!) I always have trouble in movies because I go to the bathroom at the most inopportune times. I have a knack for choosing critical scenes and missing important developments in the plot. But that issue is gone with RunPee. I open the app, choose a movie, tell my phone when the movie starts, and the app cues me when I can head to the bathroom without missing important information. (It even tells me how long I have.) Amazing!
Now jump to today’s reading. As I SOAP the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), I notice how important these verses are to my life. Every verse is counter cultural and God uses words like, “blessed are the meek… the merciful… the pure in heart,” to reset my thinking. They keep me from missing the life that God has designed for me. In fact, they’re like my own little app. I could call them, RunToGod. They help me get in sync with God’s design for our world.
I read the Beatitudes – my RunToGod app – often. I even memorized the verses several years ago. And even though RunPee app occasionally gets it wrong. (The timing’s off or the movie information isn’t quite right.) Not so with God. He’s right on the mark every time.
I’d love to hear about the Bible verse(s) that God uses to reset your thinking. Join the discussion and share them with the rest of us…
I didn’t really know what a Beatitude was – so I googled and learned. I even learned more stuff!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatitudes
There are so many things that you feel you should do. Sometimes it’s hard to even remember them much less do them. My touch stone is this..Matthew 22:36-40 (New Living Translation)
36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.” It seems like all of my life is organized correctly if I keep loving God at the center. Somehow despite all of my failings, I never fail at this one thing.
When it seems that my world is crashing around me or it seems that everything I touch breaks… I lean on Luke 22:31-32
31-32″Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.”
Jesus prayed specifically for Peter and it gives me great comfort that he intercedes on my behalf as well. I also love the command that Jesus gives after this because it reminds me that I can and should use my life situations to help others (something that I really need to be better at).