Receiving July 5, 2008, worship scriptures

Scriptures for July 5, 2008
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-59
Psalm 45:10-17
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

One way to benefit from this post is to simply read it and ponder in mind and heart what it says. There is an even better way to benefit from this post. You can first go to http://charistis.blogspot.com/2008/03/receiving-word-as-spirit-and-life.html and use the suggestions there to help you receive these scriptures for yourself. Then compare notes by reading this post.

June 28 prayer for receiving
You give spirit and life in Your word.
One thing more, please God, give me the heart to receive well and fully.

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-59
"'And I bowed my head and worshipped the LORD...'" (vs. 48)
Stay with this. As you do, become increasingly aware of what went into that worship. Ponder how the heart of Abraham's servant, and the heart of Abraham, and the heart of Abraham's family all contributed. Consider how the mingling of God's direct and indirect presence and guidance led to this worship. This worship was more than a huge sigh of relief that things were working out well. It was a trusted (imagine the size of that trust!) servant who tracked with God's leading in Abraham's life (vs. 35 and more) seeing the glory of God in and beyond the immediate happening.

Consider also how this worship was followed by more of the mingling of God's direct and indirect presence and guidance. For example, consider how the parenting she received, and Rebekah's repeated childhood choices prepared the way for her to say, "I will go."

Psalm 45:10-17
"Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations..." (vss. 16-17a)
Consider how this also applied to Rebekah! If she had not done what vs. 10 invites, would we be remembering and reflecting on Rebekah?

Romans 7:15-25a
"For what I am doing, I do not understand." (vs. 15)
Realize how this and the following verses continue to apply.
It's a daily journey from 7:15 on to 8:1.
Daily we surrender and receive.
We don't discover the "how to" and do it (how to perform what is good I do not find). Instead we discover that we don't and we can't achieve. We have to receive what we can't achieve.
Daily we surrender and become receivers again.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Don't want to dance
Don't want to lament
Nothing satisfies
Don't like John's way
Don't like Jesus' way.
Impossible to please.
Dissatisfied; utterly restless.

"You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes." (vs. 25)
What does it take to shift from being wise and prudent to being a babe?
What does it take to shift from being impossible to please and utterly restless, to being satisfied and at rest?

"...you will find rest for your souls." (vs. 29)
Come...take...and learn...
Come to Jesus, take His yoke, learn from Him.
See how the surrender-and-receive movement (Romans 7:15 to Romans 8:1) is worked out here.

"For I am gentle and lowly in heart" (vs. 29)
In a gentle and lowly heart there is rest.