Thursday, February 4, 2010

God's got this bucket, see . . .

Getting a late start on here because I was working on something else. Something involving the word "may". Not the month, in case you're wondering.
Tomorrow night I'll be speaking at a women's retreat and the verse I'm speaking about begins with the word, May. I'm covering the first part of Romans 15:13
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace." is my part. Here's the whole verse - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
The word "May" implies permission being granted, and yet everything I know and believe about God is that he has plenty of joy and peace to give us and desires to give it to us. So does that mean the permission to be granted is from us, from me? God wants to fill me, but is waiting on me giving the go?
I'm picturing God walking around behind me with a bucket, brimming to the top. Waiting for me to stop long enough to let him pour it in and over me. Or waiting on me to take the time to empty myself of bitterness, anger, worry so there's room for all that joy and peace in his bucket. Or waiting for me to realize it's his bucket and he gets to pour it like he wants to, not how I think he should pour it. Or, or, or . . .
I just know there is a bunch of folks wandering around who are not filled with "All Joy and Peace" and we've got our reasons for not granting permission for a good dose of it.
Wow, doesn't seem too smart, does it?

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