make it a good one (part 1)

The Word for today:
Psalm 105

[Psalms 105 and 106 read like a journal of the relationship between God and Israel. Over the next couple days, Stand in the Rain will develop the concept of the story you are writing with your life.]

Shelley writes in her journal every day.

As she follows the "Stand in the Rain" reading schedule, she opens her journal whenever she opens her Bible. She takes the journal to church on Sunday. She'll take it on vacation next week.

I don't know exactly what she writes in there. It's never occurred to me to look inside. But I have an idea, knowing her, that in those pages a relationship is developing. I'll bet you there's a love story unfolding.

Psalms 105 and 106 read like a journal of the relationship between God and Israel. There are many, many biblical passages which read the same way.

These passages tell us that the history of a relationship is important to God. Think, for a second, about what that might mean. What if God keeps not just collective journals--about his children--but individual journals about each child.

Well, there's no if about it. We find throughout scripture the mention of various books, their contents yet to be revealed, which chronicle our individual lives.

Right about here you're sensing that you're going to get a heavy dose of "So Be Good for Goodness Sake" --

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why...

He's making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice...

He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!

But no, you won't be getting that here. We're assuming you're already making that attempt.

What we urge you to do is to live out a good story, a love story for God to write in his journal. Live out a good, great, grand, sensational, sizzling, scintillating love story for God to record in his book.

I've got a feeling that's what's being recorded in Shelley's journal. It must be, because I see her living out a love story for the ages.

Lucky guy, that Jesus.

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