“What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely” (Galatians 5:22, 23, The Message).
Thank you Evan—it’s so true!!
Oh my! What a totally beautiful interpretation of this verse from Galatians.I’m sure it will invoke some very meaningful comments on SV today. I will just keep coming back . Thank you so much Evan.
My contribution for today
If our loving God is the song…..we are the choir, singing …pitch and word perfect❣️
Thanks Evan
Thank you Barbara UK For your poetic and loving statement! I will copy in my special book!
Such an important gem of a message. Thank you.
The picture reminded me of the following Bible citation::
For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye…. … (Deuteronomy 32:9)
We also qualify as “the apple of His eye” and He nourishes us, protects and guides us and delights in us as His beloved children, showering us with spiritual gifts. What more can be need!
The phease “the apple of the eye” comes from a Hebrew expression that literally means ‘little man of the eye.’ It refers to the tiny reflection of yourself that you can see in other people’s pupils. To be the apple of someone’s eye clearly means that you are being focused on and watched closely by that person. Your very image is central in the eyes of that person! You, too, are looking at their eyes to read their thoughts and feelings. Our right relationship with God is spiritually as reflection and humanly as lovingly focused on each other in love.
“The apple of the eye” refers to the pupil or colored center of our eyeball. We protect our eyes and eyesight. We enjoy how our eyes can keep us safe, enjoying beauty, seeing those we love, having the clarity of vision to discern wisely to make informed decisions to follow through and doing our tasks well to best bless all.
Thank you Evan for a different way of focusing and one of my favorite scriptures. Tonight I will bring that to a pastor who focuses each month on one of the fruits of the spirit, and then cycles back again and again.. That is all he preaches about, and all they study, and every problem that they face is within that context and intention. Tomorrow night he and his team will present to the county commissioners why they should be permitted to provide a shelter for the homeless after years of providing free meals and clothing and instruction on how to become good tenants, and be successful in their applications for rental housing.. I plan to study the scripture more with the various interpretations and translations, and how it can guide my decisions.
Thank you Evan, and everyone that contributed this morning. I especially like your post, Maggie, thank you!:)
I was just thinking this morning, when I awoke, that coming to SpiritView is like
Christmas – each day wonderful gifts to share throughout the day and night.
Thank you dear Evan and all for giving us the opportunity to share these delightful
gifts. ( : and this makes sense doesn’t it…the joys of spiritual giving:
“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples, then
you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an
idea, and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have Two ideas”.
– George Bernard Shaw
Well said, Angel, coming to each day with gifts to share, coupled with gifts to give as we exchange our gifts with all ready to give. George Bernard Shaw’s quote was an excellent reminder of why ideas are freely given, as well as freely received. Using the gifts we receive will free us for the opportunity to expand on what we are freely given. And on and on it goes. There’s an infinite supply.
This translation of the verse makes it clear that these fruits of the Spirit come to us without struggle or burdensome mortal seeking, when we “live God’s way.” It uses phrases like, “He brings…”, “We find ourselves…”, “Not needing to force our way in life…” I think that to live God’s way means to keep Him first in All our thinking and doing, and to remember that “I and my father (-mother) are One.” To lay everything, all my burdens (mortal beliefs) at His feet.
Sorry Angel, I meant this as a general comment, not directly to you. But I do very much appreciate and agree with your lovely thoughts about the sharing of ideas and the gifts we receive here on SV.
Thank u Angel! The good Lord has plenty of apples and ideas in His her Kingfom, ready to receive at any moment!
Thank Evan , I was listening 2 days ago one of your lecture
And you reminded the audience: “We. LIVE in SPIRIT “
And for me it’s all that count and without a doubt all I need!
Blessings to all st SV for all your love and vibration.
Thank you dear chilesands, Rose and Pp, -all for your kind words.
We truly do have lovely gifts of sharing here and definitely an
infinite supply.
Thanks, J, so much for the link to the lecture “Christian Science: The Way of Dominion Over Limitations” by Gordon V. Comer, CSB. which you shared with us yesterday. And thanks for all of the links
you have shared. Your research is greatly appreciated!
Yes Lori I second that. Thank you dear J, I left a thank you about this later in the day yesterday. The lecture was a real uplift to me, and also through some of the references contained in it I went off on a few side journeys that were very helpful Loved the note at the end which stated that the transcript was “Published in The Evening Star-News of Culver City, California, Oct. 14, 1944.”
Dear Lori & Rose, thank you so much for your comments, which are very thoughtful, loving and kind. I’m glad you found the lecture helpful. Me too, Rose, on it being from 1944…the truth is true and timeless, even from 80 years ago. 🙂
May I also just add my sincere thanks for your research and providing such inspiring additional thoughts on each topic. I have found them so very helpful.
I’m so glad you’ve found them helpful katherine! 🙂
Dear J, and also to the many others who provide links to relevant articles. I so look forward to these each day, and often save them for further study. It’s like coming to a banquet each morning and helping yourself to so many wonderful ideas, that never run out. Also thank you Evan for coming up with new and fresh inspiration for us each day.
You’re welcome Helen. My sentiments also… so appreciative of Evan and all the thoughts/articles/poems shared at SV.
I love the phrase
`basic holiness permeates things and people `
Just……Thank You
I agree with BarbaraUK that this interpretation of Galatians 5 from the Message is so beautiful, – describing the true gifts of the Spirit,- faith, equanimity, compassion and wisdom. These are the “gifts that keep on giving”.
Mary Baker Eddy expounds on the expediency of these gifts on page 99 of Science and Health, -“The calm, strong currents of true spirituality, the manifestations of which are health, purity, and self-immolation, must deepen human experience, until the beliefs of material existence are seen to be a bald imposition, and sin, disease, and death give everlasting place to the scientific demonstration of divine Spirit and to God’s spiritual, perfect man.”
The comments shared today are such a blessing. In running errands today, everyone
was so kind and loving. Love shared is a fruit that is always in season and within reach
of all of us. It ripens in the sun (God’s sun: the symbol of Soul governing man, – of
Truth, Life and Love – Mrs. Eddy’s definition). We need only to reach out our spiritual
hand to another and share. God created In Genesis 1, the core of our being and He also
created the fruit tree after His kind and saw that “it was good”. We are created in God’s
likeness – Perfection and spiritually, that is all we see in each other, as God’s children..