Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars closed upon me for ever; yet hast Thou brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.” Jonah 2:6, KJV

Jonah was a goner. Down, down, down he sank, down through the seaweed, down to the moorings of the mountains. Down to The Deep, literally, the abyss. Let’s turn our attention from Jonah for the moment and explore ‘The Deep,’ the moorings of the mountains. (We already know God is taking care of Jonah.)
Many ancient civilizations looked upon the earth, seas and the heavens above quite differently than our modern cosmology. We have the advantage of centuries of science and exploration to shape our view of the universe around us. The Bible seems to us to be using figurative language when it speaks of ‘The Deep’ in Jonah, Psalms, or Genesis. Just another way of expressing the thought of God’s domain from ocean depths to starry heaven. However, they had something entirely different in mind when they looked upon the oceans, land and sky. Some cultures thought that the dry land floated upon the ocean , ‘The Deep’ - thus, if you went deep enough, you would reach the roots, the moorings, the underside of the mountains. Jonah feels he is headed to that watery underworld beneath the mountains.
The creation story in Genesis begins with darkness upon the face of the deep. God created the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament (Gen 1:7) and called the firmament heaven. Dry land did not appear until the third day of creation. The sun, moon, and stars were created and set in place in the already existing firmament on the fourth day. Think about this for a moment: waters above and waters beneath the firmament. We can see the waters in the seas and oceans beneath the firmament, no question there. But, tell me this: where does rain come from? To their mind, there had to be a reservoir of water above the vast space called the firmament, or heavens.
The earth was flooded in the days of Noah when the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of heaven were opened. (Gen. 7:11, NIV) Waters under the firmament and waters above the firmament!
The waters are mentioned several times in the Book of Job, especially in chapter 38, where God questions Job. God speaks of laying the foundations of the earth, and shutting in the sea with doors (38:8) when it burst forth as if it had issued out of the womb.
The Psalmist in Psalm 42 expresses the suffering he endured away from God and the temple as if “all your waves and billows have gone over me.” Notable is the use of “deep calls unto deep” in vs. 7.
Jonah is not just drowning in the sea. Note Jonah 2:4, where he laments that he has been banished from God’s sight, confined to that nebulous netherworld of isolation from the Lord God. It is not death that Jonah fears, but separation from God.
Yet, even from the deepest moment of his life, Jonah finds; " Thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.”
Think upon these things when trouble and sorrows wash over you, even isolation as of The Deep. What God did for the Psalmist and for Jonah, God can do for all those who call upon Him.

Seeds for Thinking (©) 1996 - 2011 by Leland Hubbell

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Rich or Poor?
* Scripture: Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . . Matthew 6:19-20a, NKJV.

Some of the most interesting words in the English language are spelled with only four letters. The words love and hate convey emotion. Rich and poor typically defines wealth or the absense thereof, but someone could also be in poor health, or rich in blessings.
What do you have? What do you need? If you could have anything you wish, what would you want? Now there are some four letter words to think about!
People who consider themselves to be rich in blessings are probably very much aware of what they have. Wealth and health are nice, but are they the ultimate blessings? Let's get down to the nitty-gritty about things we have, what we truly need, and stuff we want.
Consider the bottom line: Put to the test, what would you, what could you be willing to part with? I have read many commentaries about survivors of disasters stating that they have lost all wordly goods but rejoice that they still have their lives. Survivors count blessings!
Likewise, some who suffer a debilitating accident or illness live to the fullest of their ability. Some, but not all. Who among us are the survivors, and who will sink and go under? We truly do not know until put to the test.
Here are some tests you can try that may help you focus on what you have by giving up some physical attribute for a period of time.
Vision is a blessing, but not all are so endowed. Try doing familiar things with your eyes closed. Can you eat an entire meal, for example, without opening those eyes even once? Take a pair of old or cheap eyeglasses, and mark a black dot in the center of each lens to simulate macular degeneration. Some people have tunnel vision, so curl your fingers to your thumbs, and hold your hands in front of your face like a pair of binoculars. Caution: walking around during these simulations could be hazardous!
Walking. Oh, yes! Plan to spend some time in a wheelchair, using a walker or hobbling about on crutches.
Try doing the simplest of tasks - like buttoning a button or writing - without using your thumb, or while wearing mittens.
Get the picture? If you really, really had to, what could you part with and still be a blessing-counting survivor?
Do you count a loving relationship among your blessings? Someone with whom you can share your blessings, joys and sorrows? Unmeasurable riches!
Now think about the difference between things that you really, truly need, and stuff that you only wish you had!

Count your blessings,
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings,
See what God hath done. - Oatman
June 25, 2006