The other day Tessa asked if God lives in our bodies or if we live in His. I told her that God doesn’t have a body because He is a pure spirit. She answered that He must live in all of us then.
Yesterday Tessa was visiting at a friend’s house. The mom asked her if she wanted to watch Toy Story. Tessa’s reply was, “Um, that is kind of BOYISH.”
This category has sat unused too long. I am going to try to give up reading the newspaper over breakfast and read the daily readings instead. Then if I have some thoughts, maybe I will post them, maybe not. Celebrity Gossip and the comic page are great, just like sugar cereal, but it is time for me to move on to something a little more stick-to-your-ribs, like oatmeal. I am sure the daily reading will stick to my heart better than the comics too.
So anyway, today the first reading is most of chapter 13 of Daniel, the story of Susanna, one of my favorites: Daniel 13
The verse that really struck me today was about the attitude of the men that accused Susanna:
vs. 8-9 When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk, they began to lust for her. They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments.
They not only started to feel things that could lead them to sin, but they encouraged those feelings in themselves. Now lust is not what I am dealing with but I know that I have done this myself.
I remember once when my younger sister was about two. My mom told her not to play with something; I don’t remember what it was. But my sister took that toy and went and sat behind a folding chair and started to do just what my mom had told her not to do. The folding chair was blocking my sister’s view of my mom, but of course we could still see everything that she was doing. My mom pointed out to me that she thought we couldn’t see her because she couldn’t see us. Many toddlers behave this way. If you play hide and seek with a very young child, sometimes they will just lose their eyes and think they are hiding. Only because they can’t see you.
I think we can be like this with God. The verse said “They would not allow their eyes to look to Heaven” Since these men were no longer looking to God (and couldn’t see Him) they behaved in a manner as if He couldn’t see them either. God is not the Celestial policeman, but He is looking out for us because he has better things in mind for us.
Lord, help me to keep my eyes on you and not direct them at other things intentionally or accidentally. Oh, and please help Paisley find my camera. Amen.