OzThoughts Wednesday 14th January 2009

OzThoughts Wednesday 14th January 2009

Sometimes people will ask where is the humor in the Bible? Maybe, there is some in the first incident in today’s reading. Simon and Andrew bring home Jesus and James and John. However, Simon’s mother-in-law is sick in bed. So Jesus heals her and she is able to go to the kitchen and prepare a meal for them. Well, it seems Jesus saved the guys from having to cook.

Had Jesus planned a night of relaxation with his friends? If he had, it was to be interrupted as we read: “they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door!” So much for a quiet evening with friends!

I wonder if Jesus thought “How can I dodge these interruptions?” We read that he got up well before dawn and found a quiet and private place to pray. Even then was that his quiet time is interrupted by his new friends including Simon. He reveals to them they all must get on with their work by going to the other villages to preach. In those village meeting places, he not only preached but threw out demons.

In these few verses we see that Jesus remains focused on his preaching and teaching and continues to heal those who are brought to him. However, the new thing we see is that Jesus seizes the opportunity for prayer. He gives it priority over sleep. The day will be filled with the busy-ness of preaching and calls for healing, so he makes time when he can find a quiet place to talk to his Heavenly Father.

PRAYER: (Using the Song Book as a Prayer Book)

`Mid all the traffic of the ways,
Turmoils without, within,
Make in my heart a quiet place,
And come and dwell therein:

A little shrine of quietness,
All sacred to thyself,
Where thou shalt all my soul possess,
And I may find myself:

A little place of mystic grace,
Of self and sin swept bare,
Where I may look into thy face,
And talk with thee in prayer.

Come, occupy my silent place,
And make thy dwelling there!
More grace is wrought in quietness
Than any is aware.
Author: John Oxenham (1852-1941)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 615

Mark 1:29-39 (The Message)
29-31 Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up. No sooner had the fever left than she was up fixing dinner for them.
32-34 That evening, after the sun was down, they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door! He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits. Because the demons knew his true identity, he didn't let them say a word.

35-37 While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, "Everybody's looking for you."
38-39Jesus said, "Let's go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I've come." He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Thank you for your prayers and support for OzThoughts Internet Ministry.

To unsubscribe send an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au

If you invite friends to subscribe they do it by sending an email (without a message) to :
OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au (Tell them to check their junk box for the reply if it does not seem to come).


`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
You can also receive OzThoughts from the following groups (which you are welcome to join):

SalvationArmy3: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/salvationarmy3/

Poems from the Lord by Ailsa Yates: http://groups.msn.com/PoemsfromtheLordbyAilsaYates



Subscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au

Unsubscribe: OzThoughtsInternetMinistry-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.au

OzThoughts
Writer (Only): OzThoughts@yahoo.com.au