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I noticed something interesting in the NIV Study Bible today.
I ended up at Psalm 23, and was reading the notes on it. Probably most of the Christians here will know the line "Surely goodness and love will follow me all of my life' (even if it's just in the song form 'Goodness and mercy all my life / shall surely follow me'). It said in the notes that the word that's translated 'follow' here actually means 'pursue', literally. And I just felt that meant a lot more to be, because I've often been preoccupied with the Manic Street Preachers line: 'Here chewing your tail is joy', which I always interpreted as 'joy is here chewing at your tail, if you'd only acknowledge it you could have it'. And I do often feel that goodness and (love/mercy) do *pursue* me; the only reason that I don't always seem to have them around is that I don't always let them catch up.
It was good, because I've been reading Revelation (because that's the book the first set of Bible notes I've found that don't make me want to go and have a good argument with the authors has been concentrating on), and feeling a bit 'well that's all very nice, but doesn't it sound rather tedious, and I don't like the thought of 'the former things will not be recalled, nor will they be brought to mind' and all this mindless stuff?', and having something like this come out of it that really caught me where I am just encouraged me that bit more that I needed to be encouraged; that God knows *me*, as well as everyone else, and He knows what I'll be looking for in Heaven as well as what everyone else is. Because, you know, I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd like that kind of endless-carefree-happiness Heaven, I just happen to be awkward. It appears from this that God knows that I'm an awkward little soul, though, and is quite prepared to leave stuff lying around for me, too.
Anyway. I thought it was interesting.
I ended up at Psalm 23, and was reading the notes on it. Probably most of the Christians here will know the line "Surely goodness and love will follow me all of my life' (even if it's just in the song form 'Goodness and mercy all my life / shall surely follow me'). It said in the notes that the word that's translated 'follow' here actually means 'pursue', literally. And I just felt that meant a lot more to be, because I've often been preoccupied with the Manic Street Preachers line: 'Here chewing your tail is joy', which I always interpreted as 'joy is here chewing at your tail, if you'd only acknowledge it you could have it'. And I do often feel that goodness and (love/mercy) do *pursue* me; the only reason that I don't always seem to have them around is that I don't always let them catch up.
It was good, because I've been reading Revelation (because that's the book the first set of Bible notes I've found that don't make me want to go and have a good argument with the authors has been concentrating on), and feeling a bit 'well that's all very nice, but doesn't it sound rather tedious, and I don't like the thought of 'the former things will not be recalled, nor will they be brought to mind' and all this mindless stuff?', and having something like this come out of it that really caught me where I am just encouraged me that bit more that I needed to be encouraged; that God knows *me*, as well as everyone else, and He knows what I'll be looking for in Heaven as well as what everyone else is. Because, you know, I'm sure there's plenty of people who'd like that kind of endless-carefree-happiness Heaven, I just happen to be awkward. It appears from this that God knows that I'm an awkward little soul, though, and is quite prepared to leave stuff lying around for me, too.
Anyway. I thought it was interesting.
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no subject
Date: 2003-03-13 11:10 am (UTC)From:(probably)
a measure of wheat and a measure of (uh, insert foodstuff I think) but see that thou touch not the oil or the wine.
Happens to be the nearest that I can get to actually quoting from the bible...
but I allways thoght that 'follow' meant follow and try to catch up with in that song... I mean, it's not like goodness and mercy were going to be following you arround maliceously is it? (unless there's anthropormorphic personifications of goodness and mercy. nooooooooooooooooooo the BUNNIES!)
no subject
Date: 2003-03-13 11:27 am (UTC)From: