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I am savoring this summer, yes it’s hot, not cold except inside. But with the window open, nice 70’s outside is sort of chilly in a good way, blanket to snuggle, the blessings of a new day to appreciate. So much so that the birds (God takes care of them too) have been up a couple hours already. Savor summer, it’s short. 

I didn’t get to the beach yet, but I DID finish my beach book, started 2 summers ago, a savor of reading about our Savior – the slain lamb, the Lion, the exalted one – the ‘Name Above All Names”.  This book by Begg and Ferguson is so meaty it only could be absorbed in small 2 page chunks anyway, perfect for the beach or airport or anywhere you will have such limited time to read but a lifetime to appreciate.  I had been singing the praise song lyric when walking by the book sale… same title… WOW…  And yes, timing is God’s timing and I got the REPEAT verse in an email this morning, after finishing the book: “Name above all names” Paul wrote to the Phillipians…  WOW…  Life is too short to wonder if God is sending messages, ah yeah, HE IS. Life is too short not to receive them.

God specifically makes for me – gives me – extra morning time for just us and my processing, so I accept this time, I savor scripture after sleep, I savor sleep after the long day and His Rest forever… In this morning, it’s quiet enough to hear the train in the distance seem nearby, and that’s our future too, NEARBY. 

The summer is short, the year is short, life is short. I’m early 50’s, the mid 50’s seem forever from now. I imagine 20 years ago was so short ago yet filled with life all along, will the next 20 be filled for me too? That’s such an unknown, I would be in my 70’s if I make it. Maybe Jesus comes back sooner than later, I won’t worry either way because my rapture bag is packed. Oh yeah, there’s nothing to pack, only unpack to let Jesus carry it and leave it for me. I do and will have my life bags full because I am human, but I will and will have to let them go, leave them at the train station for heaven, let it all go… Best to stop accumulating anything but memories now. BUT I WILL LIVE TODAY LIKE I WILL LIVE FOREVER…  I will live in the WONDER of God’s Will always.

We only get about 120 years max to live. How about Noah at 900? God limited living after that time to 120 years max. And Jesus? Jesus ONLY got and took 33 years, just 3 for ministry – on earth – some of that just for prayer alone with God in His wilderness of getting away from it all – to be strengthened to DO IT ALL. He could or would have wanted longer but really He wants us all to understand forever that God has been thinking of us.

Jesus, Name above all names, got that Name from God who exalted Him after Jesus humbled Himself. Jesus: “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Jesus was humble as the most powerful, and lives within us to strengthen our weakness. Therefore, let us attempt life less brazen and more bondservant. Less reputation and more reputable. Less human and more Jesus in, under, and through our skin.

And my name? Under HIS. We need to PUT HIS ABOVE because it already IS. Our name should be “child of God” – “servant of Jesus” – “just me”,under His. For Jesus IS NAME above all names.  Every knee shall bow.

SO, DON’T WORRY ABOUT TODAY, let alone tomorrow, God’s got this. Live like you are living forever and yet just today. Don’t worry about non-humbled people getting in your way either, because our knees should already be bowed and we should only be searching for His Face.

Thank You Lord for being You. This is how we live TODAY!

Amen

—2 Philippians 1-11 NJKV, a letter from Paul:

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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