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clement's bookmarks 2

my sig is getting too long, so this is my answer to that. Eg, today i added the three circles tool.


when all else fails

clement of 3/18/2009 writes to clement of the future: when all else fails, when you have no motivation, when you can't imagine that things will get any better, when you know the tools and what has worked for you in the past, but you can't bring yourself to step on the path of recovery...

wait on the lord

recall that recovery, indeed salvation, enlightenment and all spiritual growth, is something that god does to you, not something that you can do. All you can do is let it be done to you.

no matter how great your desire to save yourself, it is not possible. You are free to try, but it will not have final results. You must just wait

so if you find yourself at the bottom of a dark pit with no escape, that is the true state of the soul without god. All you can do is wait for god to hang down a rope. then you can use god's rope to climb out.

Verses:

  • but those who wait on the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. `isa 40:31
  • Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Isaiah 45:9
  • Although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are attaining the goal of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=1Pe&chapter=1
  • .I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2
  • Be still, and know that I am God Psalm 46:10

  • 13 From heaven the LORD looks down
    and sees all mankind;

    14 from his dwelling place he watches
    all who live on earth-

    15 he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.

    16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.

    17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

    despite all its great strength it cannot save.

    18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

    19 to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

    20 We wait in hope for the LORD;

    he is our help and our shield.

    21 In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.

    22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
    even as we put our hope in you.
    Psalm 33:13-22

  • Jonah 2 (New International Version)
    Jonah's Prayer
    1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 2 He said:
    "In my distress I called to the LORD,
    and he answered me.
    From the depths of the grave I called for help,

    and you listened to my cry.

    3 You hurled me into the deep,
    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
    all your waves and breakers
    swept over me.

    4 I said, 'I have been banished
    from your sight;
    yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.'

    5 The engulfing waters threatened me,
    the deep surrounded me;

    seaweed was wrapped around my head.

    6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.
    But you brought my life up from the pit,
    O LORD my God.

    7 "When my life was ebbing away,

    I remembered you, LORD,
    and my prayer rose to you,
    to your holy temple.

    8 "Those who cling to worthless idols
    forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

    9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving,

    will sacrifice to you.
    What I have vowed I will make good.
    Salvation comes from the LORD."

    10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

  • -----
  • Hear my cry, O God;

    listen to my prayer.

    From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

    Psalm 61:1-2

  • -----
  • all of Psalm 51, but especially

    7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

    8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

    9 Hide your face from my sins
    and blot out all my iniquity.

    10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

    11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.

    12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

    ...

    17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart,
    O God, you will not despise.

    18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
    build up the walls of Jerusalem.

  • -----
  • Psalm 40

    1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.

    2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
    he set my feet on a rock

    and gave me a firm place to stand.

    3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
    Many will see and fear
    and put their trust in the LORD.

    ...

    11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
    may your love and your truth always protect me.

    12 For troubles without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
    They are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails within me.

    13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
    O LORD, come quickly to help me.

    ...


when you're having a hard time starting your quiet time or pray/med time:

clement of 7/28/2009 writes to clement of the future: i dont know the answer yet, but i think it has to do with stop trying, and just let god do it to you.

  • phil 2:12-13Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=57&chapter=2&version=31
  • Gal 2:19-21 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" ... 3:3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=55&chapter=2&version=31&con...

  • in my prayer time today, i was given the clarity to ask this question: "next time, when i am reluctant to come surrender myself before you, what should i do? What should i write down in this here bookmarks to get me over the hump?" And i didnt really hear an answer. But i kinda felt like the answer might be, there's nothing you can "do" to make it happen. It has to "just happen". which is interesting. It did not feel like i had to wait on the lord for him to do it. It was more like i had to wait for some chance occurrence that would tip the spiral in the positive (godly, surrendering) direction, and then keep on that spiral. This is based on my life with the flesh, and it's like the evil creatures at fablehaven, they need to be contained thru regular meetings with god, and how that subdues those forces.

    The interesting thing here, and it's consistent with other things that have been coming to me, is that the idea of the regular quiet time, the regular meetings w/ god, are to be seen as a sign of weakness, NOT strength, as i have alway thot. I should always be thinking that if i were stronger, i would be able to surrender myself to god of my own power, but because i am weak, i need this uninterrupted influence, sort of like a spell, which needs to be refreshed all day, sort of like taking medicine, or else i'll relapse.

    i really think god wants me to never forget that strength from weakness.

  • 11/30/2009: confirmation / elaboration: recently in prayer i was given the idea: there cannot be some reliable way to always get myself back to god. There cannot be some "do xyz" and it will always work. Because if there was, then that thing would be my strength and my refuge, and not god himself. The only thing i can depend on is god himself, and not even my always being one with god, always staying with god, moving back to god, daily quiet time, bible study, prayer, church, none of it. None of it trumps god as the ultimate thing to depend on.

    1/14/2010: new idea recently: feeling miserable w/o god, or even when god withdraws, actually winds up glorifying god. If he has brought me to such a place that when he's not in my life i fall apart, then that demonstrates that i need him, depend on him. And so whether i have him in me or not, just being in that state, being that kind of person, glorifies god.

(on 14 jan 2010 i accidentally deleted these bookmarks. fortunately, google had a cached copy from jan 7 2010. the accidental deletion happened cuz i hit DELETE at the bottom of a edit page. i thot that delete meant delete the change i was making, not the whole thread. dang sad

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