Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     What circumstances trigger a backwards look in your attitude?

2.     Is the reason to not repeat mistakes, or a wish to return to old ways?

3.     Does it affect yourself alone or does it include relationships around you?

4.     When can a memory escape refresh you?

Share: How do you stop second-guessing from interfering with your direction?

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Hebrews 11: 15, “If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had the opportunity to return.”

Have you ever wrestled through a major life decision, taken the next step of faith, and known it has been the right choice? And then weeks or months, or sometimes even years, later begin to reflect on that decision and wonder if? Or should I turn back now.

And the answer is no, so you keep going forward. But the memories tug.

Memories are a joy and a blessing, unless we turn them into a longing to escape from today. Or become an obstacle when we re-live past pain and allow its emotional paralysis to infect us now.

And the past’s grip can keep us from new guidance and new opportunities.

We can let emotions alone rule our decisions. We can get stuck in the familiar because it somehow feels safe because it is knowable—controllable. Even the heartaches and disappointments can become a soft jail. 

And the strangers and exiles on this faith journey had no long-term blueprint.

Whatever the hold on their past once was, whether good or bad, they broke it to walk towards God’s definition of freedom. Not an easy walk—maybe even more challenging than they had ever done before.

And they walked with the Lord God, Jehovah. Emmanuel—God with us.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 138: 3, 8

“On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection Questions

1.     When the prophets spoke there was no confusion that the words were from God—whether or not the listeners chose to obey. Why do we manage to confuse ourselves and argue the legitimacy of His words to us personally today?

2.     Or if we do acknowledge the authenticity, we tangle ourselves up in application.

3.     We have no difficulty accepting our personal memories. Why can we not recognize God’s truth as truth?

Share: What timeless precept helps you remember to walk with God in faith?

Faith Seeds: Prayers and Poetry

Hebrews 1:1, “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets.”

Various voices echo in our minds when we embrace memories: parents, teachers, friends, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles or grandparents. We either choose an occasion to remember and let the memory reel play out vividly as the sights and sounds flow over us, or a present incident suddenly jettisons us into instant recall. The smell of Christmas cookies, spring’s first rain, swimming at the ocean, raking fall leaves. Ordinary days, repeating seasons catch us up with sudden pause.

Some shoot jagged edges of pain into our hearts. Some bring a peace blanket of comfort. Together they form the foundation of who we are today. Why we tend to accept certain concepts and reject others. Why we try to change our past to preserve a future. Stop addictions or abuse. Shore up love, forgiveness and compassion.

Vision given through the prophets, the Law, the tabernacle to God’s people. The Lord spoke His message in various ways to establish our foundation in Him. An inheritance that is both remembered and anticipated. A declaration of who we are that ignites our memory of Him. Expands our hearing, softens our touch, clears our sight, sweetens our taste, and freshens our lives with fragrance.

Lord, please weave all of our memories into You—into Your vision.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 139

“My frame was not hidden in Thee, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”

Kingdom Manna

Hour

Matthew 13:52, And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Memories pieced from fragments: a baby’s soft nightshirt, a birthday ribbon, worn denim jeans. A snip here and a rip there. Combined with new cloth, fresh appliqués and fluffy padding. A gift quilt stitched with love to commemorate a shared past, and beginning dreams.

We gaze at the heavens, a brilliant display, breathtaking every time. Formed in ancient days. Stargazers old and new forged together under God’s canopy.

Message within God’s word. From Adam’s days stretching onward. Founded on Jesus. Language multiplied into countless translations. Old truths: justice, righteousness, mercy, love. New opportunities. Fresh formed today.

Weave Your treasures into my life Lord, as I study Your scripture. Stitch Your words into my heart and mind and will so that out of me each day will come Your love.

Psalm of Worship: Psalm 33: 5-6

He loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

and all their host by the breath of his mouth.