Eeyore & Tigger

Psalm 148 - 150

　
　
We live in a world of positives and negatives. In chemistry you have protons and electrons. In golf you have over par and under par. In "Winnie the Pooh" you have Eeyore and Tigger. Eeyore with his sad and monotone voice always seems depressed. Tigger on the other hand, is always positive, bouncing around on his tail, smiling and very self-confident.
In math, my wife tells me, there is a teaching tool called a "number line". With zero at the center, there are increasing negative numbers to the left and increasing positive numbers to the right. Eeyore would fall at the far end of the negative side and Tigger on the positive. You probably know real people that are very positive and others that are very negative. Truth be known, we all fit somewhere on this line. In these Psalms we are not being called to be happy, but to praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done.

Psalm 148 emphasizes His creation. The beauty of God’s creation brings praise to our heart. For me, a sunset on Lake Michigan, the northern lights in the Upper Peninsula, the white sand beaches of Punta Cana, the power of Niagara Falls and the beauty of the Grand Tetons top my list. What’s on your list?

I’m not the most creative guy in the world. What I have created are mostly inanimate objects, except for my daughter. She turned 33 this year, and although she has a family of her own, I would still do anything for her. In Psalm 149 we see God who is our creator. He would do anything for us, and really He has. Therefore, let us "sing to the Lord a new song, rejoice in our Maker and be glad in our King and He will delight in His people".

And finally, think of the Buckeyes in the Shoe as you read Psalm 150. The only difference is the sanctuary is the Shoe, acts of power are the Buckeyes slamming into their opponents and the musical instruments are TBDBITL marching and proudly playing praises to the Buckeyes. Buckeye fans are passionate! How much more should we be when we serve and worship the Living God?

No matter where you think you fall on the number line, no matter whether you are more like Eeyore or Tigger - praise the Lord today in all you say and do.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20148-150&version=NIV;MSG
http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Ps.148-Ps.150

Single Mindedness Ezekiel 11:19-20

To be a Buckeye football player requires year-round single-mindedness. There is winter weight training, spring drills, the dreaded late summer two-a-day drills followed by fall weekly practice. Then if you are good enough, you get to play in 12 games or more. But it takes single-mindedness.

Are you single-minded in your faith? James talks about this. "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double minded and unstable in all they do."

James is talking about perseverance in trials. "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". The context of Ezekiel is that the Israelites have been in exile. They have been in constant trials and temptations. They have lived in a country that worships different gods and has different values. For Christians, that doesn’t sound all that different from our world today.

What are the gods of our culture? The list is endless: career, material possessions, status, and relationships just to mention a few. There are so many distractions in our world. There are so many ways for us to not be single-minded. What can we do to keep on track?

The first thing is to remember the promises of the Sovereign Lord. In Ezekiel He promised the Israelites, "I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered. I will give you back the land of Israel. I will give you an undivided heart". Are there not promises as life-changing as these for those who follow Jesus today?

Then what do you need to do? Ezekiel wrote, "They will return and remove all its vile images and idols". Our sinful nature makes it hard for us to do that – to remove the idols from our heart. James says to ask the Lord, "who gives generously to all without finding fault".

God doesn’t judge us. God wants to give us good gifts generously. In fact in Ezekiel, God promises, "Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God". Isn’t that what we need and want?

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