TRYING TO FIT IN BUT FAILING

TRYING TO FIT IN BUT FAILING

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Matthew 6:7-15 [Jesus taught] But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Deuteronomy 7:9-11 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

  While educating myself in couch repose after lunching on stuffed green peppers I read a STEM article telling of the new electro-magnetic propulsion systems our USN has begun using to launch planes and projectiles. I confess to feeling repulsed.

  No apologies here, but the above is the best I can do in trying to be a member of the maddening offended crowd. The reason being that since initially agreeing with God at age 27 I’ve become grounded in the sound doctrine of His Word (Logos). This didn’t happen all it once, it is the result of His faithfulness to me and others (Mt.6:15); deliverance from myself is typically an ongoing work in progress.

  I pray the Lord’s Prayer often, for I need to. The highlighted portions above speak to my old nature often. Without reminding of my purpose in service by His authority (Jn.1:12; 2Cor.5:14-21), I may easily regress to childish thought (1Cor.13:11), conceiving offense and companion feeling of rejection. By His grace I no longer journey stumbling over these hindering emotions.

  God is good, if we let Him be to us.

EBB4

PS. Some say we should not pray the Lord’s Prayer often. Did Jesus teach this? Responding to this misbegotten idea, I share Matthew 6:7 in several translations: ESV  "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.; GW "When you pray, don't ramble like heathens who think they'll be heard if they talk a lot.; ISV "When you are praying, don't say meaningless things like the gentiles do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy.; LITV But when you pray, do not be babbling vain words, as the nations; for they think that they shall be heard in their much speaking.; MKJV But when you pray, do not babble vain words, as the nations. For they think that in their much speaking they shall be heard.; CEV When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers.