WATCHWORD:
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
Meditation:
This is the two-hundred-second (202) edition of Watchwords, over the past eight months. The first (March 20) was just an e-mail sent to most of the men in the Bible Study group at the start of the Pandemic as a way of keeping in contact and encouraging one another. The next day, a Sunday, we coined the word ‘Watchword’ and the Meditation was short and to the point: “Here it is Sunday morning and I am at home, my church is dark, and maybe yours, too, but not our hearts for we learned long ago that church is within us.”
Gradually, over the weeks and months we have added others who find Watchwords devotional helpful and part of their time with the Lord. From time to time, you, the readers, have shared your own writings, your humor, and readings you found special. Of course, prayer requests. Our numbers are growing and now that Watchword is out on the web, others join in.
For my part, I add my two cents, most every issue. Sometimes the thoughts and inspirations come freely, and the meditation seems to write itself. Other times, not so much, and that is where contributions from you is so helpful.
Have you wondered, where inspiration comes from? Have you been inspired? What caused it? What was the trigger that set off your inspiration, that led to you to accomplish something, maybe something you had no idea you could accomplish and yet, you did. What started that sequence toward creativity? Elizabeth Gilbert defines creativity as the relationship between a human being and the mysteries of inspiration.
The mysteries of inspiration. I am convinced that inspiration flows from God. The text of Isaiah 55 is a powerful reminder of one of the most important elements of our relationship with God – the element of mystery. We can’t schedule inspiration. We can’t take a pill to create inspiration. We can’t manufacture inspiration of our own free will. There is only one way that leads to inspiration and that is by deepening our relationship with God.
We sometimes make the mistake of trying to fit God into our schedule, into some kind of understandable package. If we give it some thought we would realize that any god who can be so reduced to fit our convenience, is not the God of the Bible. Our God is an awesome God. Our God is too great, vast, and incomprehensible to be minimized or neatly packaged. He tells us in no uncertain terms, “My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine… my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Shortly after tying the knot, a young married couple started arguing over who should make the coffee. Being a good Christian woman, the wife went to the scriptures for her answer. She said that the Bible specifically stated that men should be the ones to make the coffee. Puzzled, the husband asked her where in the Bible it said that. Very confidently, the wife opened up her Bible and said: “It’s right here—HEBREWS.”
Have you heard the one about the mother who advised her young adult son to invite his new girlfriend over to his apartment for a home-cooked meal? As the man tells his mother the next day, the date didn’t go so well, because the girl refused to cook!
Help! Anyone know any good, clean jokes? Irish jokes? Shaggy Dogs? Anything?
Closing Prayer:
Lord, we don’t know what lays before us today, but we commit it all to You. Please give us strength and courage to get through the joys, the challenges and the happenings of this day. We thank You for our lives and all that they hold; we commit this day to You. No matter what happens, we know You have us in the palm of Your hand. And it’s in Jesus name that we offer these prayers. Amen
