Yahweh is the reference for time

I'm reading the Bible in chronological order this year.

I've been contemplating the six days of creation.  I previously subscribed to the "young earth" perspective (i.e., that the earth was formed in six literal 24-hr days), but a number of years ago, I relaxed that position because the Hebrew word for "day" in Genesis 1 could also mean "age".  I think it is much more important to focus on the fact that Yahweh is the creator than exactly how much time it took based on Gen 1.

It occured to me over the past couple of days that the tricky point about 24-hr day versus "age" is that Yahweh created light on the first day, and He documented evening and morning in that first day.  But He did not create the sun until the fourth day.

So, what was the source of light on days 1 through 3? How could there be evening and morning on the first three days without the rising and setting of the sun?

After a week and a half of pondering, I eventually concluded that Yahweh is the reference for time.  He determines what a day is.

Father, you are the keeper of time.  You are eternal.  From my perspective within time, you are infinite in both directions of time; but actually, you are outside of time.  Timeless.  Teach me to number my days.  Jesus only had three years of ministry.  May my life be lived to the fullest.  I love you.

Intimacy with God - Knowledge of the Holy

Yahweh wants us to know Him.  He has wanted closeness with humans since he created us in the beginning.  He created Adam and Eve for relationship and intimate fellowship.  He created us with a spirit that is compatible with His Spirit.

I am impressed with the multiple layers of intimacy in John 14.  It is a hyper-dimensional relationship with Yahweh because of our relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit and also because we are in each, and each is in us.  Below, I emphasized relational words/phrases in bold, and I underlined references to or pronouns of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

John 14 NIV
15 "If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Practically, what it comes down to is spending time together. Especially, unstructured time.  

So, how do I convince myself to spend time with the most valuable person in the universe?  The one who created me and everything else and wants to spend time with me so much that He sacrificed is own Son. 

Father, I want to value time with you.  My heart and mind are distracted by many things.  I want to dedicate time daily to spend with you, like Jesus did.  Holy Spirit, how do I do that?  Please guide me.  I want to grow in closeness with you.  Not just knowledge about you.  I want to really know you.  I love you.

Increasing the knowledge of His glory

Rev 4 (NIV)
6b In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
"'Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,'
who was, and is, and is to come."
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being."

Presumably, the living creatures covered in eyes would have an acute awareness of God's presence on the throne, and it amazes me that they so are overwhelmed by the holiness, sovereignty, deity, omnipotence, and eternality that they repeat it over and over.  (Like an optical signal so bright that it saturates the detector of a spectrophotometer.)  In so doing, they are giving glory to God.  (In Heaven, I hope I get to learn how glory is measured.)  The 24 elders give glory to God, as well.

The creatures' recitation echoes from the scene in Isaiah 6:

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is [Yahweh] Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory."

The whole earth is already full of His glory.  It is everywhere.  But what needs to increase is the knowledge of His glory:

Hab. 2:14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of [Yahweh]
    as the waters cover the sea.

I want my life to be constantly increasing the knowledge of the glory of God.

Father, too much of my life is interfering and distracting from the knowledge of your glory.  Holy Spirit, please purify me so that I can be more effective in showing your glory to people around me.  Jesus, I want to live like you.  I love you.

signs of progress

Last week, I received positive feedback about my application for tenure; there are still several steps in the approval process.  Also, we were able to register our environmental engineering program for a global academic ranking, so that was very encouraging, as well.

Father, thank you for the kindness and favor that you have shown me in this professional transition.  I love you.

father-brother-friend

When our kids were little, I felt a sobering responsibility to accurately represent the Father to them.  I wish I had started working on knowing the Father earlier in my life so that I could have been a better father to my kids.  The Father is so good, and I have misrepresented Him so many times.

When our two oldest boys were baptized, I realized that our children are not actually our own.  As a father, I am actually a big brother in the faith, a steward to lead them to know the Father and the Son (the only Begotten Brother).  I feel a responsibility to disciple them to know Jesus, love Him, and pursue Him.

Now that our two oldest boys are both in middle school, I'm realizing that I don't have as much time as I thought I did.  They want to spend time with their friends.  I want to develop a friendship with each of them.

My relationship with Yahweh is mysteriously multifaceted: I'm a son-brother-friend. I am a son of the Father.  I am a brother of Christ.  I am a friend of Holy Spirit. Three-in-one. In my relationship with each of our children, I am a father-brother-friend.

Father, please help me be a good father to our children.  I want to represent you well.  Jesus, please help me be a good big brother to these younger ones in the faith.  I want to be a good example for them to follow.  Holy Spirit, please help me be a good friend to these friends of God.  I want it to be a good friendship for eternity, overflowing with your eternal  love. I love you.

Stewardship

It was a whirlwind of a summer.  I went to interview at Tech in early May, we worked a lot preparing the house to show, I had a couple of work trips in June, we moved to Lubbock in mid July, and then we took a quick vacation. Father provided a buyer at the end of July, we started school mid August, and we closed on the sale of our house last week.  I am so thankful for Him providing a buyer.  He was so faithful to care for us through this transition into our new chapter.

Luke 16 NIV

10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?

Stewardship in the physical domain is practice for stewardship in the spiritual domain.

Father, thank you providing for us and leading us into this next chapter of our lives in Lubbock.  I want to be faithful to leverage physical resources to advance your Kingdom.  I want to live a king/priest example in my family and in my new leadership role at work; I want to take care of my wife and kids and the people in our research team.  Holy Spirit, I need you every moment.  I love you.

(in)complete grace

I've always thought it would be a great privilege to be a professor at Texas Tech, my alma mater.

During the winter break, Danny asked me if I would consider it.  Then in February, he said that he had confirmed that the department chair and dean were supportive and asked me if I would consider being the Director of the Water Resources Center - another amazing opportunity!  In April, around Easter, he informed me that he had secured approval from the Provost and the VP of Research for a direct hire, and I went to interview in early May.

Brandi applied for a first grade teacher position on a Saturday evening, got an invitation on Sunday morning for a virtual interview the following day, and they offered her the job at the end of the interview!

I believe that Father is calling us back to Lubbock.  I am taking a step of faith through this open door.  I am also choosing to sow seeds of generosity by leaving significant funding for my team at UTEP instead of taking it all with me like most professors do when they move.

We found a rental house in Lubbock for a year, and we moved last week.  

All we need now is for our house in El Paso to sell.  I trust that Father's goodness towards us will be fulfilled because we are in His hands, and He loves us abundantly.  Yet, my heart feels the tension of wanting the house to sell quickly.

Father, I know that you are kind and full of grace towards your children.  Thank you for your provision and timing.  I trust you, and I love you.