Friday, December 28, 2012

The Message

We are getting ready to wrap up another year, and quite frankly, I am ready to close 2012.  

It has been a wild and rocky one for me personally.  Lots of growth, but with that, comes the growing pains.  And for me, this year was marked with loss.  So I will be the first to celebrate the beginning of a new year.

This morning in my quite time, my Bible was in my bedroom, and since I was up earlier than anyone else, I quietly came down stairs.  I have this little copy of The Message.  So I decided to read in it this morning (it was either that or the Spanish Bible, and since I am not being taught Spanish in the King James language, I went with the Message)

It was a beautiful message to a familiar passage, I had to share:

Psalm 40
I waited and waited and waited for God.
At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch, pulled me from deep mud
He stod me up on a solid rock
to make sure I wouldn't slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this;
they enter the mystery,
abandoning themselves to God.

Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
turn your backs on the World's "sure thing",
ignore what the world worships;
The world's a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God thoughts.
Nothing and no one comes close to You!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words account for you.

Doing something for you, bringing something to you-
that's not what you're after,
Being religious, acting pious-
that's not what you're asking for.
You've opened my ears so I can listen.

So I answered, "I'm coming.  I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I'm coming to the party you're throwing for me."
That's when God's Word entered my life,
became part of my very being.

I've preached you to the whole congregation,
I've kept back noting, God-you know that.
I didn't keep the news of your ways
a secret, didn't keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone.  I told it all
let the congregation know the whole story.

Now God don't hold out on me, don't hold back your passion 
Your love and truth are all that keeps me together.

When troubles ganged up on me,
a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt that my heart gave out. . . .

But all who are hunting for you-
oh let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you're all about
tell the world you're great and not quitting.
And me? I'm a mess.  I'm nothing and have nothing.
Make something of me. . .
But God, don't put it off.


I love this, and I hope you do to.  
            He made sure I wouldn't slip
                    turn your back on the world's sure thing
                              I quickly ran out of words
                                        I read in your letter what you wrote about me
                                                 your love and truth are all that keeps me together
                                                       and me? I'm a mess

                                                            make something of me!









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