Yes, a good man’s way is guided by the Lord.  But even then there may be things that grab his attention unexpectedly – seemingly at random.  I saw such a thing today.  It was a photo of a baby shoe that had been bronzed (to keep for “posterity,” a sort of retro way of preserving memories of our little children.  The shoe looked very pretty, and it was positioned on some type of base along with the ashtry. 

The ashtray!  The ashtray??!

Yes, an ashtray.  This baby memento was mounted on a base next to an ashtray.  Not that the maker of the piece should not sell such an item; that is their business.  But I could not help but be struck by the incongruous message seen by my glance there:  A memory of a new or young life; a picture of potential death through smoke.  It took me by surprise.

Yes, in our world, even when our steps are ordered by God, we run into rather odd combinations in life.  Of course, we just keep on walking when the odd combination is of little real importance, such as this ashtray thing.  But maybe we need to pray that these arrangements made by human beings are really the lesser things that they are, and also we could pray that babies being birthed soon will never pick up a cigarette or other form of tobacco.  We certainly don’t want a little one’s baby shoe mounted by their own smoking-gun killer.

Lord, this is a small instance of human indiosyncracy.  But there is no idiosyncracy in Your plans for every baby being carried in the womb today.  We just pray that you will help us humans limit our deadly dealings with illness and human-caused death so that every baby can live their potential life until the very end you have planned, without the attendant problems that can come from smoking and other habits. 
 
Topics:  Pray for healthy habits for all babies, throughout their lifetimes.
Our nation’s governors

When digging around in this scripture for meaning, there is a study in opposites.  It’s not the first one in this passage.  We know that God’s mighty arm brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt.  This is huge and great.  We also know that he took them to Himself, tenderly, to protect them.  This is smaller, more tender.  But now, look at another contrast.  He mentions to them that he has brought them to Himself, and in the same sentence, he says that He owns them as His special people, and then, “for all the earth is mine.”

They were His.  The world is His.  There is contrast.  He seems to go from close/personal on to the outreach of his arm over the entire Earth.  He speaks of drawing them close and that they are His above all others.  They can be His, in part, because the entire entity of the Planet Earth is His to own.  Personal, intimate God:  God who orchestrates the big picture.

It is the same for us.  He desires very greatly to draw us close.  When He is rescuing us from our trespasses, this drawing-close can mean something most special.  We as the failures that we often are in His sight, know how this feels on our end of things:  Most wonderful, to be taken back and held close.  And to be included in the same thought as the entire Earth being His – well, we just want to praise Him and say, “Thank You, Lord.”  We want this huge inclusion!

Lord, we can’t really understand all about this, and because that is a sign of your greatness, we really don’t ask to understand it here on this Earth.  Some day in Heaven, we’ll understand.  But for now, dear Lord, we just praise You that you think so much of us to claim us as Yours, as part of everything you own – which is everything.  We are so privileged, Lord, to know you in this way and to be thought of at all.  Please let women who are making choices about pregnancy know that you feel this way about us and want to include them in Your plans for Planet Earth and Your ownership of it.

Topics:  Pray for God to reveal through pro-life efforts how much He loves this world and wants to pull all of us into His endless love.
Community leaders

Perhaps we should take a closer look at the last sentence in this scripture, this word from God from Mt. Sinai.  God has already told Moses to tell the Israelites camped up close to the mountain that he has brought them out of Egypt and to Himself.  In this last sentence of scripture, he tells them they must hear his voice and keep His covenant, and they will be his “peculiar” possession above all people.  This might be thought of as special or distinctive. 

But first they have to listen.  “Oh.”  “Ok.”  Now that’s not such a demanding activity to meet.  All we have to do is listen to the voice of God.  Not so difficult.

But there’s more.  They are also, in God’s words, to “keep My covenant.” Now that is a bit more demanding.  Oh, yes, the keeping of covenants is entirely more demanding.  But here it is commanded that this one must be kept.

Why do we sometimes rail against being told to keep faithful to something, to a covenant?  What is it about us that doesn’t want to be tied down to something, to have something required of us?  We all know that it is our stubborn self-will.  Not that our wills are of no value – it is our wills that allow us to do the “things we will,” to accomplish things, to choose a pathway and walk it.  But when we get stubborn, especially against God, our wills can definitely get in the way.  In a big way.

God knows this.  He knew it about the Israelites before they ever set out on their journey to the Promised Land.  He knew they would run hot and cold toward Him, repenting and then sliding away from Him over and over.  And here, when He first speaks to them from Sinai, this subject is brought up, right in front.

What He says is great, though.  He is just telling his children (and Christians are His children also) that they will be His in a wonderfully unique and special way.  But they must listen and follow His ways. 

We, too, although not under the law of Moses, must do the same.  There is no greater happiness than when Christians are following their Lord’s directives and walking through life as cherished special persons.  It is a thing of joy.

And so, Lord, we ask you to help us keep your covenant with us, your law of love.  Help us to play it out as we serve those in pro-life work and in the lives of those who need help with LIFE issues.  Although we know that You forgive us when we stray, help us to be faithful children who enjoy Your presence in special ways because we have been willing to keep Your law and will.

Topics:  Pray for wisdom to keep God’s covenants and to thus remain very close to Him because we are keeping our lives in line with His will.
Community Impact teams in churches

In this Douay-Rheims older translation of the Bible, I like the wording about where the Children of Israel camped when they came to Mt. Sinai.  Other versions say they camped before, or in front of, the mountain.  But this translation words it, “over against the mountain.”

Why do I like this particular wording?  Here’s what it might be:  Israel “snuggled up” to God.

Oh, I know this seems a bit poeticized, but in a real sense, it may also be at least a bit accurate.  Why?  Mount Sinai was used by God greatly to speak to the Israelites, through Moses and in a show of fiery smoke, thunder and lightning, along with a trumpet blast, to the people watching the mountain when God spoke to Moses.  Of course, when the people were pitching their tents for camping, they didn’t know all of what would go on from this mountain.  But still, perhaps the mountain in some way afforded protection in the way they were over against it.  Picture it as up against it. 

God made mountains; he used this particular mountain to further His plans for Planet Earth; he allows us to have a mountain of protection in our lives:  Him.  Try to envision it:  God, our Mountain of strength, waiting for us to come and come up against it (Him) for all types of interactions and protections.  Envision us as camping close, over against Him, close-up.  We can feel the solidity of the mountain’s foundation.  We can look up to the towering thing that is the mountain.  We can know that in our lives, God’s mountain of love transcends all earthly means of protection or stability. 

Lord, we so often do not want to nestle up to you, our Strength.  We want to camp a bit farther out, in the far-out foothills or on the plains.  But the Israelites found themselves camped right on your doorstep, so to speak; and then they received messages from You, close-up.  Help us to camp close to you and so be effective in sending out your messages to all who seek to know your will, especially in pro-life issues.

Topics:  Pray for the willingness to camp up close and personal to God, so that He can protect and bless greatly.
Our nation’s churches – God knows their existence and will bless.