I had a thought during my scripture study today. Right now I am doing a topical study on "light" or "Light" as it is used in the scriptures. It is slow going because I am looking up all the scriptures and going through the TG links found in the footnotes. I have been studying John 1: 1-11 today. Well, actually, just the foot notes for verse 3. I started going through all the scriptures in the Topical Guide topic "Jesus Christ, Power of" which lead me to Colossians 1:11 where Paul is telling the Colossians what he is asking for them in his prayers.
"That ye might walk ..., being ... Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;"
Now there's a thought "longsuffering with joyfulness". That's what I need. It acknowledges the fact that there is suffering involved and it has been long, but there can still be joyfulness and it needs to be prayed for.
I think I will make it my new theme for the year, make it a matter of daily prayer and find ways to remind myself of it, often. Any suggestions on how to remind myself of it often would be appreciated. I won't wait until January 2008, I shall start now, today, November 7, 2007.
Those of you who are my friends, which includes all you who help me at night, are invited to gently remind me to remember my theme when you see me obviously suffering, and not doing it with "longsuffering with joyfulness".
One has to be willing to let the pain not matter. Once I've done everything I can and the pain is still there I need to let go of trying to fix it and go on and ask the Lord to make me "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;" It will be a daily, even hourly effort until the end or whenever joyfulness becomes part of who I am. It will be like learning to knit a complicated pattern. But that's another discussion.
Okay, now I'm done with my scripture study for today, not much reading today but a lot of thinking and writing.
I love studying the scriptures this way. It takes me all over the scriptures in a single study period and I frequently see old familiar scriptures in a totally different light.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Great post, Linda. We would all do well to pause and ponder this joyfulness in the midst of or in spite of the suffering.
I have been trying to write a whole page of things I am grateful for each morning after I read my scriptures. It sure helps put me in a better frame of mind for the day. Usually I write them about the previous day and try to list things that are different instead of repeats. Some repeats show up because I just really am grateful for them.
Thanks for sharing. I posted a reply the next day but it didn't show up. Hope this will.
Danielle
Miranda taught us a FHE lesson on gratitude and we made gratitude journals. I will definitely remember to write in mine!
For anyone who is interested, Linda passed away on May 28, 2009.
May God grant her peace and rest.
Jack Petersen
I love you Linda. May you rest in peace.
Love,
Shannon
Post a Comment