Living and Active

I struggle a lot with motivation. (Maybe because I want to do more than I actually can... Maybe because I'm much better at time management games, than I am at time management in real life!) So I have this cycle of full-throttle activity, all-out laziness, repeat. I have been working on it, but I'm kind of in the summer slump. We've been busy, and our activities are over until school begins. But school will be starting sooner than I'd prefer. ;) So today I reread one of my early blogs, Motiviation.The first Scripture really encouraged me!

Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
Psalms 90:16-17

I love that the verse begins with God. "Let YOUR work be shown to your servants." It is His work that sets the standard, His work that gives us our example, His work in which we get to participate! I was also struck but the link between the Lord's favor and the soundness of our work. This brought a couple other passages to mind.

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Psalms 127:1-2
 
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.
Psalms 37:23-24

I think one of the best things I have done in the last two years has been to make Scripture memory a priority in my personal devotions. I don't practice every day (or even every week), but it has made my time in the Word so much richer! I see more of the big themes of Scripture threaded throughout. And the Spirit is faithful to pierce through my pretensions and deceptions to show me more about myself, and about Christ.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12