A thought or two or three

So I fell off with my blogging. It was going well, I was managing to post once a week. Then summer hit. Blogging wasn't the only thing to fall to the wayside, school has been a major challenge with all of the nice days that we have had! With this beautiful weather it has been great to be able to be outside enjoying God's creation.

Anyhow.

A lot has happened in the last two months. The Israelites were sent to Babylon. Now they came back from Babylon and are rebuilding the temple. Going back through the pages, I just wanted to highlight a couple of things that struck me:

My verse:

"You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!"
Isaiah 26:1-19

A very special friend of mine (that's you kt) gave me this verse on a card a few months ago when I was struggling with worrying. Reading and praying this verse has helped me to leave my worry when I fix my eyes on the Lord. It's still a struggle, but I do feel less anxious than I did six or so months ago. I enjoyed coming across this in the reading. This part of Isaiah had a note that it belonged to a set of prophesies that didn't have a specific connection to any events. So amazing that Isaiah shared these thoughts about our restoration with the Lord. We have these words to enjoy and ponder for our own lives.

Two of my favorite Bible stories happen in the book of Daniel. Maybe Daniel is just one of my favorite books? For me this book shows, not only God's faithfulness to his people, but that through faith all things are possible including being saved from a firey furnace and the mouths of hungry lions.

The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3:1-30) tells about the faith of three men who refused to bow down to the king's statue of himself. In the end they were protected in the furnace that was to be their death. Their faith and God's saving grace helped to soften King Nebuchadnezzar's heart.

Much later, and under a different Babylonian king, Daniel is also punished for his faith (Daniel 6:1-28). Once again a law is passed that all people should worship the king only. So Daniel goes home and prays openingly in front of a window just as he has always done, he is "caught" and subsequently thrown in the lions den. In the den, the Lord sealed the mouths of the lions so that Daniel was safe. This act of faith and God's intervention to save Daniel, also caused the current king, King Darius, to have his heart softened towards God. King Darius sent out messages to his kingdom that the God of Daniel was the true living God.

Great stories. Veggie Tales also has a great version of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (which will also be the names I pick if I were ever to have triplet boys. ha.). I think how often I decide to hide my faith in little things in life, and how these four men had the opportunity to go with the crowd, hide their faith, pretend that everything was ok, but chose not to. They chose the straight and narrow path, the one that I struggle daily to remain on, and were greatly rewarded when faced with great adversity. Now we usually don't throw people in with real lions or fires, but there are definitely many metaphorical punishments for not going with the flow. We can be ostracized or made fun of or ignored. We may offend someone who is in a position of power. Or we may be surprised with what happens when we do not deny our faith and proudly claim Jesus as Savior and Lord. I know I struggle with being open about my faith, but may I know that Him who offers perfect peace, will not leave or foresake me when I step out in faith and acknowledge him before others.

Catching Up...part 1

So much for my goal of catching up and staying on top of things!!!!  I was at my sister’s one night while reading from Song of Solomon and made some remark about the blog for the week.  She responded that she couldn’t wait to read what Kristi and I had to say J  Really, what can you say?  I noticed Kristi neatly avoided saying anything at all J  I never felt all that comfortable reading this book, and now that I’m married, I think that there is a different understanding of some of what is being said…..still not that comfortable with it.  It almost seems that you stumbled upon a stash of long-lost love letters of your grandparents and in reading them find out some things are best left unknown.  It is just such an intimate book.  On the other hand, the love and desire expressed is beautiful and somewhat incomprehensible when put in the context of God’s love and desire for each one of us.  However, there are other metaphors that are much more comfortable for me to ponder.  Moving on……

Next we are repeatedly told the history of the kings of Israel and then Judah/Israel.  Most times it seemed I should be creating an actual time line of dates and names to keep my head straight.  It still amazes me how they see so many physical signs from God, or aren’t too far removed from a generation that has, and yet completely turn away from Him, adopting all the traditions and practices of worship to all the false gods.  In July I was on a trip and was discussing this challenge/blog with a lady sitting next to me on the shuttle bus (she and her sister were wonderful to talk with by the way J).  We were talk about how Kristi is so much more empathetic where as I have more of a harsh outlook on the events we’ve been reading about, especially regarding the Israelites and their constant turning from God.  The thought crossed my mind that yes, the Israelites had the privilege of witnessing many might works of God, but could it be that my/our spiritual eyes just are not open enough to see the works that God is trying to display to us?

Though I’m not building golden calves, sacrificing my child, etc., my sins are sins period.  All of our sins are the same.  As humans, we like to assign rankings to transgressions; murder, rape, etc. at the top while lies, not speaking up when we see something wrong, and anything pertaining to ourselves personally are at the bottom.  The reality is, in God’s eyes our sin is sin.  It all separates us from His presence.

I’m just going to jot down some things that have stuck out to me/thoughts that have come to me since my last blog.  Hopefully I can get them in some sort of cohesive flow.

Ecclesiastes can seem to have a very depressive tone.  The author talks about all of these things he tries to in life to achieve meaning and fulfillment but basically ends up saying it is all meaningless.  Often times I feel life is meaningless.  Maybe the real meaning of life lies in realizing everything really is meaningless without an active relationship with our creator.  Through Him we find the only lasting source of joy, peace, comfort, and satisfaction.  Ecclesiastes 6:9 tells us to enjoy what we have rather than desiring what we don’t.  Even just to dream about nice things is meaningless-like chasing the wind.  Ecclesiastes 6:10 reminds us that it is no use arguing with God about the destiny he has for us.  The author compares a lot of things to chasing the wind throughout his book.  His repetitive advice seems to be that we should eat, drink, and enjoy life.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 tells husbands that their wife is their reward.  This made me think that I’d better be a reward my husband wants, a reward worth having instead of a reward he wished he’d never claimed. 

Ecclesiastes 10:4b “a quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes” 

Amos 7:14 God seems to really like to use shepherds.  King David was a shepherd, Amos and other prophets were shepherds, Jesus is often called a shepherd. 

Isaiah 9:3 “You will enlarge the nation of Israel….in Galilee of the gentiles…..as believers are we the enlargement of Israel? 

Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron so a friend sharpens a friend.  This is a great verse and could be the cornerstone of this challenge.  Kristi and I have set out to share our thoughts with each other and others reading in hopes of  learning and seeing things in a different light.

Proverbs 27:20 Reminds us that human desire is never satisfied.  How very true!  Anybody watch Veggietales Madame Blueberry?  No?  How about Hoarders: Buried Alive?   We buy all of this stuff to cram pack our houses and feel ownership of possessions but it never fulfills us.  Once we achieve that object our desire is focused on, it doesn’t take long to fixate on the next thing we just have to have or achieve. 

Psalm 44 shows us that we are not the only ones who question where God is and what He is, or rather isn’t, doing.

I love how Isaiah 49:16 says “you have written your name on the palm of my hand”.  It made me think of the nails that were placed there due to my sins (yes, I know they were actually through the wrist). 

Isaiah 52-53 foretells Jesus’ beating, crucifixion, and death.

This verse has really stuck with me: Isaiah 64:6 “When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.”  No matter how good of a person we think we are, this verse reminds us that we are absolutely nothing without Christ.  Our human “good enough” and even perfection, is not nearly good or perfect enough.

Week 25: A Couple of Proverbs

King Hezekiah collected many of Solomon's proverbs, which we have been reading this week. I thought that I would share a couple of my favorites:

"Patience can persuade a prince,
and soft speech can break bones"
Proverbs 25:15

I like the idea that a quiet presence is effective, especially since I am a quiet person. I also was wondering if this could be a warning as well - that temptation comes in all forms...

"A loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning
will be taken as a curse!"
Proverbs 27:14

The non-morning people rejoice!

"As iron sharpens iron
so a friend sharpens a friend."
Proverbs 27:17

I really like this verse. It is a reminder that we need others to help us through life - that other people will help to make us better. I also am extremely thankful that I have my friend kt, who keeps me sharp!

Week 24: Jonah and the Whale

The story of Jonah and the whale is a favorite Sunday School story. Jonah receives directions from God, Jonah runs from God, God has Jonah swallowed by whale, Jonah is in the whale for three days, Jonah prays to God, and Jonah finally goes to Nineveh to delivery God's message to the people there.

What I found interesting was the story after the story of how the people of Nineveh turned from their evil ways and toward God. In Jonah 4:1-11 it tells of Jonah's reaction to God's decision to not destroy Nineveh (Jonah 3:10). Basically Jonah pouted, and gets angry with God because God showed compassion and mercy toward the people of Nineveh. Jonah then sits and waits to see what will happen to the city, and the Lord has a plant grow to shade Jonah. Eventually the Lord has the plant die. The Lord asks Jonah if it is right for him to be angry about the plant dying, in Jonah's anger he believes he does. And the Lord responds with (I think this is great), "...'You feel sorry for the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?'"

How often do we get angry and upset with God for his decisions? I know that I can be that pouting whining child when life doesn't happen the way I think it should go. I think that this story of Jonah is reflective of much of our experiences in not wanting to accept God's plan or a change in what we thought was the plan. This story reminded me of how I often get upset at small things without understanding or considering that there is a bigger picture at work. I pray that I may accept and humbling walk in the path the Lord has laid out for me. I'm afraid of whales.

Week 23: Elisha's Army

I like the story of Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6:8-23. In this story, Elisha has just warned the King of Israel about the King of Aram's intent to go to war. The King of Aram decides to take his frustration out on Elisha by sending an army to seize him. One morning, Elisha's servant went outside to find that they were surrounded by King Aram's army. The servant, understandably, panicked and cried out to Elisha asking him what they were to do. I imagine that Elisha calmly turned to the servant as he said, "'Don't be afraid!' Elisha told him. 'For there are more on our side than on theirs!'" (2 Kings 6:16). Then Elisha prayed and asked God to reveal to the servant God's army that surrounded them.

Can you imagine what it would be like to feel as though you were in a hopeless situation, only to find that you have the exact support and care that you needed? I know I want to be more cognizant of how God is working in my life. I want to have my eyes opened to the glory, love, safety that is surrounding me.

Week 22: Israel's Many Kings

I can't say that I've ever read first or second Kings. And both Chronicles and Kings record Israel's many kings. Buried within the revolving door of kings in both Israel and Judah is the story of Elijah. Elijah is one of the remaining faithful to God. The continual misdirection of the kings has led the people of Israel to turn their backs on the God of Jacob. Elijah listens and goes where the Lord send him in order to work in the hearts and minds of the people.

In a very dramatic fashion Elisha challenges the prophets of Baal to a contest of who's god is stronger (1 Kings 18:1-40)? The challenge is to have the true god light a sacrifice on fire. Needless to say, God demonstrated his mighty power by not only sending fire to burn up the sacrifice, but the altar that it was offered on. Baal forgot to show up that day. While God's power was made unbelievably real that day, people still did not believe and Elijah ends up fleeing.

It continues to strike me how similar we are to the people in the old testament. We are hit over and over again with God's faithfulness and we continue to choose to put our faith and trust in false gods such as money, or the security of human relationships. I know that I struggle with this misplaced faith as well. I pray that I don't need to have a column of fire come from heaven for me to see that God is in control. I pray that I give thanks even for the things that I do not understand and give my control over to God.

"...Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you."
2 Chronicles 15:2 

Week 21: More Proverbs and Wise Thoughts

I really enjoy the book of Proverbs. I like all of the nuggets of truth and directions for life. There is just so much in those short 31 chapters. Here are some of my favorites from this week's reading

"Get all the advice and instruction you can,
so you will be wise the rest of your life."
Proverbs 19:20

"You can make many plans,
but the Lord's purpose will prevail."
Proverbs 19:21

"The Lord directs our steps,
so why try to understand everything along the way."
Proverbs 20:24

"People may be right in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines the heart."
Proverbs 21:2

I find comfort in these words. My human struggle is not new that for centuries people have had to be reminded that the Lord is the one in control.

Week 20: The Wisdom of Solomon

Solomon seems to be a pretty amazing person. He was able to complete and finish the work of his father David in building the temple, and the Israelites genuinely seemed to like him. I read the stories, Psalms and Proverbs of Solomon, and there is no doubt that he was a wise man - I pray that I may have just an ounce of his discernment.

Now that we are entering summer and I'm still going to school, I felt that Psalm 127:2 might be a place I can go to find rest:

"It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones."

I think that I need to remember what I am working for - and that God will provide all that I need - even rest - if I give my burden over to him.

Week 19: Need to Slow Down

Life seems a bit crazy these days. Maybe it's spring fever, but man - am I busy lately. I love it. An interesting time to read through the Psalms. Each Psalm cries out for the reader to slow down and absorb the joy, pain, sorrow, relief, or just praise that it is offering up to God. I have not done a very good job of heeding this call to slow down - I've whizzed through line after line, mind slightly wandering. I might, just might have missed somethings.

In my rush to read and still get to sleep at a semi-reasonable hour, I managed to underline a verse or two.

"Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!"
Psalm 86:11a

Interesting, I think that I need to learn to slow down. God works through a slow build, things don't happen just because I think them or want them. The Israelites didn't walk in the desert for 40 years because it was scenic. God anointed David to be king as a young boy, and then he waited, and waited, was persecuted for a bit and then became king. There is a bigger picture and larger story that is being written all around me. Teach me your ways, O Lord. Teach me how to see the world as you do. Teach me how to love, how to forgive, how to have mercy and compassion. Teach me to slow down, to take the time to learn and understand your truth. Teach me to be up for the challenge of taking the right path, not the easy one or most convenient, but the right one. Teach me to accept the times of wandering, of waiting because you are still at work in my heart.

Week 18: I have it all

Much of the reading for the past week, and weeks to come are the Psalms. Last night when I was reading the first verse of Psalm 23 leap off the page:

"The Lord is my shepherd
I have all that I need."

Maybe it is the translation, but reading this verse last night after years and years of having it memorized, it just hit me. Do I believe that I have all that I need? Do I truly trust that God will provide for all of my needs? I know that these answers are something that I'm working on, but I think that this verse is a good reminder that I do have everything I need.

Thoughts from Streams in the Desert

The following was in my devotional from Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman, I just wanted to share these supportive words. It so easy to forget that the only way to learn and grow is to be tested. If we never encountered adversity, we would never learn how to truly be Christ-followers.

If all my days were sunny, could I say,
"In His fair land He wipes all tears away"?
If I were never weary, could I keep
Close to my heart, "He gives His loved ones sleep"?
Were no graves mine, might I not come to deem
The Life Eternal but a baseless dream?
My winter, and my tears, and weariness,
Even my graves, may be His way to bless.
***
I call them ills; yet that can surely be Nothing but love that shows my Lord to me!
--Selected
***
"The most deeply taught Christians are generally those who have been brought into the searching fires of deep soul-anguish. If you have been praying to know more of Christ, do not be surprised if He takes you aside into a desert place, or leads you into a furnace of pain."
Do not punish me, Lord, by taking my cross from me, but comfort me by submitting me to Thy will, and by making me to love the cross. Give me that by which Thou shalt be best served . . . and let me hold it for the greatest of all Thy mercies, that Thou shouldst glorify Thy name in me, according to Thy will.
--A Captive's Prayer

Shatter the Box

I've said it before, but I didn't know reading the Old Testament would be so difficult for me this time around.  I've been putting off blogging because of this internal struggle.  It is hard for me to reconcile the characteristics of God portrayed in the Old Testament with my faith.  We hear that God is a jealous God and that he is to be feared.  I've always found it hard to understand fearing a God who is so kind, loving, merciful, etc.  Maybe it's because, as humans, we enjoy focusing on what makes us feel good and tend to disregard or push to the background things that we are uncomfortable with.  If we do this with the character of God and God himself, we undermine who he truly is and the impact that knowledge can have when applied to our lives.  In fact, it can lead to misapplication of truth and cause us and others great harm. 

God is loving, kind, merciful, gracious; yet is also jealous, just, and angry.  How do these reconcile to each other? To be loving one can argue that you must also be jealous.  True love doesn't envy, but there is a place to be jealous when someone or some thing steals the focus and affection of the one you are committed to and a time to jealously guard your affection and time with the one whom you love.  To be merciful, must you also be angry?  If you are not angry, there has not been an offense, and if there is no offense there is no reason to show mercy or forgiveness.  For what is there to forgive? And what are you to be merciful about?  This is the same with justice.  How can there be justice if there has been no wrong? And how can there be mercy, grace, and forgiveness if there is no love?  How can there be love if there is no justice?  All of God's characteristics reconcile together in perfection.

I would argue that since man was originally created in the likeness of God, our emotions were also created in the likeness of God.  The differences are our emotions are corrupted by a sinful nature, therefore, making it difficult to experience the true purity of them as experienced by God and expressed in his character.  This makes it difficult for our minds to grasp these character traits of God because our experiences of jealously, anger, hatred, etc. are tainted.

One of the biggest themes I see is that even though God demonstrates his anger, jealously, and yes, even hatred over and over again to a stubborn humanity; it is not without mercy and forgiveness.  If he didn't love humanity so passionately there would be no anger, jealously, and hatred over other gods, people, or things stealing our affection and devotion.  Not only does he continually show mercy, he uses the very people we would condemn or pass over to make the biggest impact for him.  Why? Because their hearts held true repentance for their transgressions.  Moses was a murderer.  Gideon was the least of the men in his family and from the smallest tribe of Israel.  Deborah was a woman yet led Israel as a judge.  Mary was a young, unwed girl, and the list goes on and on and on.  King David was an adulterer and murderer yet it was said that he was a man after God's own heart. 

Oh that I would be a woman after my Father's heart and my life be a vessel continually emptying of self and filling with my Savior!!!!

Week 17: Running. Again.

This week we saw David on the run again, not from Saul, but from his own son, Absalom. David is such a interesting person, and he continues to do the unexpected. After having his life and throne threatened by his own son, David openly mourns Absalom's death, "The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son" (2 Samuel 18: 33). What fatherly love (and Godly love) David demonstrates in his desire to go in his wayward son's place.

One of the verses that caught my eye this week was, Psalm 3:3:

"But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high."

What great words, if you are feeling trod upon by the world. The Lord will shield you and hold up your head, even as the weight of the world bears down on it!

Week 16: No Fibbing Mephibosheth

Way back when, my church put on a little Christmas musical called, "No Fibbing Mephibosheth". The premise is that even Mephibosheth, a physically-disabled boy could and would be accepted into the presence of Jesus on the night of his birth and for the rest of his life. When we put this on, I was seriously disappointed because I had to be a shepherd - a boy - I digress, but as I ran across the name, in 2 Samuel 4:4, the main song came flooding back:

"No fibbing Mephibosheth, you are invited to Bethlehem. Don't worry you've passed the test, just by being His child. So bring all the blind, the lame, they're all precious in Jesus name..."

Now why do I remember all this - no clue. It probably has to do with the months of practice that went into this particular Sunday School Christmas pageant! (I wish I was kidding about the months part.) So what does this particular memory have to do with this week's reading about David running from Saul, and eventually becoming king? Not sure, but it is part of the story that makes that Christmas song so true. David willingness and desire to follow God, lead to the greatest gift of all for us. We see repeated the opportunities (1 Samuel 24: 1-22; 1 Samuel 26: 1-25) that David has to take Saul, but he refuses to kill God's anointed - even if that man is trying to kill him!

David shows his reliance on the Lord in his comment to Saul after he admitted to taking his spear instead of his life, "Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all of my troubles." (1 Samuel 26:24).  He is not looking for Saul's favor or acceptance, David is putting his trust in God to guide him out of this trouble with Saul. What faith David shows as he faces his persecutor.

On of my favorite verses from the week (other than the Mephibosheth one...) is Psalm 56:4:

"I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?"

I think that I'm going to pray this verse this week, so that I may remember to put my trust in God and His promises and strength, and because I have a big presentation on Thursday. With my trust in God for the bigger picture of my life, why should I be afraid of such a little thing, right?

Week 15: Goliath vs. David vs. Saul

The Israelites complained and got their king. God had anointed Saul as the king of the Israelites; however, Saul did not follow God and God rejected him. Then God had instructions for Samuel to anoint another, who would be called "a man after God's own heart". David was anointed to be king after Saul's reign.

Probably one of the most well-known Bible stories is David versus Goliath (I probably have a Sunday School song about it in my head some where! ha.). David takes down the Philistine giant with one stone from his sling. A great verse from this story is "And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear." 1 Samuel 17: 47. David yells this to Goliath right before his demise, which I think foreshadows God eventual gift of is His Son who rescued us all without sword and spear.

Shortly after David saves Israel by defeating the Philistines, Saul decides to kill David (I know for sure there is not a Sunday School song from my childhood about this story...). David escapes the hands of one larger than life enemy to be delivered into the hands of another. Throughout all of the trials of running from Saul, David praises and calls out to God through various Psalms (including 57, 142, 52, 54). He keeps his focus on the one who can deliver him from all of his trials.

One of my favorite verses is when David is anointed:

"But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16: 7 (emphasis mine)

I always think of this verse when I'm feeling bad about how I perceive people to be treating (or maybe not) treating me, or when I need a self-esteem boost :)

Struggling

It has been absolutely forever since my last post it seems.  I finally decided that I'd better just start typing, and eventually I'll be caught up with Kristi :)  Some of the things that stood out to me while reading the exodus of the Israelites were as follows:

~God had to give Moses the Ten Commandments two times because the first set was smashed to pieces in anger.

~The manna from heaven is flaky and fine, life frost covered trees in the winter.  It is said to be white in Exodus 16:31 but pale yellow in color in Numbers 11:7, looks like coriander seeds, and tastes like honey wafers.  Can you imagine going out and collecting jars of this every morning? Aaron placed 2 quarts of manna in the Ark of the Covenant so that future generations could see it as a testament to what God provided for his people.

~God also provided quail in the evening for the people according to Exodus 16: 8 and 11.  Here I am confused though. In reading these passages, I assumed that God provided quail every evening just like the manna was provided every morning.  However, in Numbers 11, the Israelites start complaining that they want meat, and God gets so angry he says he'll give them so much meat they will vomit because they'll be so sick of it.  Turns out, not only did he provide a ton of quail, the complainers were struck with a terrible plague and died.  Because of this account in Numbers, I assume that the quail were not an every evening type of provision. 

~If the people were going to build an alter to God with stone, they must all be natural stones.  If the stones were shaped they became unfit for holy use.


~God loves beauty and intricacy, just in case you hadn't picked up on that from observing nature :)  His instructions regarding the tabernacle and priestly garments were incredibly detailed and specific.  Every instruction spoke of beauty.  Blue, scarlet, and gold thread; gold, silver, and brass metals; precious stones-a different and specific one to represent each tribe of Israelites (by the way, the priestly garments matched the tabernacle), acacia wood and almond blossoms.  An interesting thing about almond blossoms:  God had them crafted on various things throughout the tabernacle...the lamp stand with it's arms comes to mind immediately.  Almond blossoms look similar to cherry blossoms and symbolize hope.  Now, I don't know who decided this or how long ago it was decided, but it's pretty amazing to me.  Think about it...God filled his tabernacle with a symbol of hope.  That hope was later fulfilled in Jesus.

~Aaron had to wear a medallion of pure gold engraved like a seal with "HOLY TO THE LORD" on the front of his turban.  This allowed him to take on the Israelites guilt when they consecrated their sacred offerings and then God accepted the people. 

~Moses had quite the work out routine climbing up mount Sinai to talk with God.  In Exodus 19:20-25, God called Moses up the mountain only to tell him to go back down and get Aaron up there too.  I'm thinking my first thought would have been, "Couldn't you have told me that before I got all the way up here?!"

~What is the point of all the yeastless bread?

~Lev. 25:18 says that if the people want to live securely in the land they need to follow God's decrees and obey his regulations.  In 25:23 it states that the land must never be sold on a permanent basis because it belongs to the Lord, and the Israelites are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for him.

~So many things make me think about what is going on in Israel today.  The old testament is filled with so many things the people are supposed to do generation after generation, and I wonder how much of it is being followed today.

~Of course, the other thing that stood out to me was how incredibly stubborn and silly the Israelites were.  For instance, God tells them to collect manna in the morning but not save any for the next day.  What happens, some people save it for the next day, and it is really not good anymore.  That took one day for the people to disobey.  The only day you are to save it over night is the night before the Sabbath so that no work is done in order to honor the Sabbath.  God specifically states there will be no manna on the morning of the Sabbath so the people were to gather twice their need the day before.  Then some knuckleheads still go out on the Sabbath searching for manna wondering where it is! I know this is true in all of our lives.  God tells us not to do something but we go do whatever it is anyway.  But the Israelites had so many signs and wonders!!! All the plagues they witnessed in Egypt; the parting of the red sea, the manna, the quail; Moses' face shining so brilliantly he had to cover it; they had an every day, every minute reminder with the pillar of smoke by day and the pillar of fire by night, and the list goes on.  They even saw God and ate a covenant meal in his presence for crying out loud!!! (Exodus 24: 10-11) How could you keep complaining and doubting?  Then again, I'm sure God is wondering the same thing about me.

This is going to have to do for now so I'll leave you with one of my favorites...Numbers 6:24-26

~May the Lord bless you and protect you.  May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.  May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.~

Week 14: No King?

Wow, I've had a couple of great weekends full of energizing, fun times with friends. I'm so thankful that God knows just when to place those special people in our lives!

It was an interesting week of reading, which included the story of Naomi and Ruth (Ruth1:6-4:22). A powerful story about two women who are a part of the lineage of Jesus. But earlier in the week we were still in Judges, and I found it interesting that there were several times it was called out that Israel had no king (Judges 18:1, Judges 19:1, Judges 20:25). Those happened to be the three verses I had underlined as standing out to me this week.

Judges 20:25 says "In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." Now I know that this is referring to an actual king, but I wonder how it might tie to the coming King of Kings? Maybe it doesn't, but it was interesting to me to have a similar phrase repeated. Any ideas?

Week 13: The Battle Continues

One of the verses I underlined this week was Joshua 21:44-45;

"And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true."

Wow, those are some powerful words - and "everything he had spoken came true." God fulfilled all of his promises to the Israelites, and continued to fulfill his promises to his people since then. He has never let us down. We might imagine that because we are not getting what we want God is failing us in some way, but it really the opposite. It's amazing how so much of our being is about trust and developing relationships to have that net of trust and faith for when there is nothing else to hold on to. I think that this goes for both our relationship with God and with other people. Trust is not easy, but if it was it wouldn't have the life-changing powers it does.

I have a slight fear of dependency. I guess I don't want to seem weak, or maybe it's because I'm super stubborn and need to figure out things on my own, but I have been learning of late just how important it is to trust and have faith when all I want are to figure out the answers on my own. The story of Gideon reflects some of this attitude (Judges 6-8).

As in all the stories in the cycle of the Judges, the people misbehaved, were punished, called out to God, repented, were saved, and after a time misbehaved again kicking off the cycle once more. Gideon was called by God while Israel was under Midianite control. Gideon had some trust issues, he asks for not only one sign, but two that God will be with him and save the Israelites from the Midianites (Judges 6:1-40). God stretches Gideon's faith by having him whittle down his army of 32,000 men to just 300. These 300 men followed God's plans and succeeded in defeating the Midianties (Judges 7:1-25). What a victory because Gideon decided to trust in God's plan. 

I pray this week that we may have the faith to fully trust in God's plans for our lives.

Week 12: The walls came a tumbling down

I've always enjoyed the story of the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27). I think that as a kid it was pretty amazing to think that the people yelled and the "walls came a tumbling down". There was also a song we sang about it. In fact, I think the song had actions to it. Maybe that is the real reason I remember enjoying the story?

Having read "The Fall of Jericho" again as an adult, I appreciate the faith and trust of Joshua and the Israelites. I can only imagine hearing the Lord's instructions to walk around the city once a day for six days and then march around it seven times on the seventh day with a really loud shout at the end - a magic formula for wall busting. Ha! The faith and hope that the Israelites had in the Lord in this story is astounding, and because they walked in the Lord's path they were delivered the city as promised.

I often feel like I'm walking and walking around Jericho, but maybe my heart is wavering too much to hear the call to shout out for my victory. Or maybe I'm looking in the wrong direction and missed the horn blast. I need to trust like the Israelites that the Lord's path and instructions are the right way, even if they seem too hard, too strange or way too far out of my comfort zone.

My favorite verse from the week was Joshua 1:9,

"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

I know that I needed to hear this and be reminded to be strong and courageous in the Lord. I've felt so discouraged and run-down by life and school (research prospectus - yikes!), but I need to remember that I should draw my hope and strength from the Lord - He will lead me, even if it is to circle the city a few more times.

Week 11: A Lesson in Review

One thing that interests me about the Bible is that certain stories are repeated; for example, in the Gospels the story of Jesus is told from four different points of view. A similar retelling in currently happening in Deuteronomy, or so it seems to me.

In preparation for entering the promised land, the Israelites have much of the Lord's law repeated to them with warnings about what will happen if they fail to keep God's commands. We even have a reminder of the Ten Commandants in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Why would stories, laws, commandments, etc be repeated in the Bible? A couple of thoughts came to my mind: a) The Israelites needed a refresher after wandering in the desert for 40 years; b) We need a reminder; and c) It's a sort of proof of the authenticity of the story. If more than one person is writing similar events and stories there is some credibility to it. Now I know there is more to repeating something to making it true, but I gotta believe that some of this repetition is happening for a reason. I'm not entirely sure what reason (not a Bible scholar), but I think that my couple of hunches are not entirely off-base. If they are, please some one correct me.

The section of verses that most struck me this week is Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

"Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God will all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

We are called to be people of the Lord at all times, not when it's convenient, not when it's easy, but always. I pray that we may have the passion to love the Lord with all our souls, hearts and strength - especially when life is working on an everyday basis to distract us.

Week 10: Stuck a little

So not feeling especially inspired this week, maybe it's all of the other reading and writing I've had to do (and still need to do...). If you are wondering what happened in the reading this week, basically the people of Israel have finally made it to the promised land, and then there was a recap of what happened up until that point.

I did underline Deuteronomy 1: 42, "But the Lord told me to tell you, 'Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies."  The Lord was commanding the Israelites to wait on his timing for them as then were readying to attack their enemies on the way to the promised land. This verse got me thinking - how often do I strike forward on my own, thinking that I know best? More than I want to admit to that's for sure. Waiting is hard, and trust me - I know all about waiting. But somehow if I remember to let God's strength work through me, it's not so bad some days. It's a challenge to let go (hello! control freak here!), but the rewards are much sweeter, and there is less crushing by those enemies - especially those spiritual ones.

I pray that we may seek God's strength even when we are feeling strong, and that we lean on his might as we face each day.

Week 9: On the move

The people of Israel are on the move, they have left Mount Sinai in pursuit of the promised land. One small problem, the people of Israel are not very happy with the desert menu. They complain, they forget that they have not gone hungry for a moment since leaving Egypt, but they long for the food they used to have in Egypt (Numbers 11:1-15).

I think that it's easy to read these chapters about the Israelites complaining and rebelling, and think "how silly are you" when really we are reading a story that is not so different from our individual journeys. We have been freed in Jesus, but we don't obey him at every turn.

I see myself in the Israelites. My life is blessed, but I want more. I want the things that I want, not necessarily the things that I have or that are good for me.I know that I struggle with complaining about my current situation and longing for a life that I'm not currently living. Hmm...that story sounds strangely familiar. While I'm not physically in the desert, my soul does do quite a bit of wandering in deserts of its own. I think that the lesson that I am learning in reading about the Israelites is that patience and obedience are hard, but worth the effort.

My favorite verses for the week are the priestly blessing in Numbers 6: 24-26:

May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.

The verses go on to say that when the priests used this blessing in God's name he also blessed them. We sing a song at church that is directly from these verses, and I think that I tear-up every time I hear it. There is just something about these verses that are so deeply personal. Who am I that the Lord thinks of me? Right? I pray that we all feel the effects of this powerful blessing.

Mountains

I heard this quote yesterday in a video we watched in class, and I wanted to share: "If the mountain is smooth, you can't climb it."

Something, I know, I needed to hear and remember. If our lives didn't have bumps, we would never get any where.

Week 8: Community Rules and Celebrations

At the end of this week's reading Moses was commanded to conduct Israel's first census (Numbers 1:1-54 - how appropriate that it was the first act in Numbers! ha.). I added up the "number of men twenty years or older who were able to go to war" (Numbers 1:20-21), and that count came to 603,550. That is 316,400 more people than the current population of St. Paul, Minnesota - and that is just the count of the men 20 or older in Israel. Moses was probably leading about 1 million people through the desert! I had no idea. Every time they moved, it was as though the entire Twin Cities metro area was relocating - plus all of their animals! Can you imagine moving that many people and animals repeatedly over 40 years? I wonder how large the area needed to be for them to set up camp? The need for the commands in Leviticus is so plain - this was an entire metro area that was trying to create a new nation while on the move.

In this week's and previous week's passages, The Lord was creating a new culture for the Israelites to identify with and to call their own. There were new celebrations, customs and rituals (Leviticus 23:1-44) for the Israelites to be able to proclaim who was their Lord. These customs were a definable way for the Israelites to see that they were different from other people, that they were truly God's chosen.

My verses for the week are Leviticus 22:31-33:
"You must faithfully keep all of my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord. Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who makes you holy. It was I who rescued you from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. I am the Lord."

The Lord called the Israelites to be his. He set forth rules, and celebrations for them to remember who had saved them from Egypt, who had promised them redemption. As Christ followers we are also the Lord's and he is ours - while our culture has evolved throughout time we are still called to be accountable to his commandments and to show others the love that we have experienced in him.

Week 7: More Instructions

I struggled this week being excited and interested in the text. The reading from this week covered text from Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, and focused on the Israelites receiving and putting into practice commandments from the Lord for what to eat (Leviticus 11:1-47), how to request forgiveness for different sins (Leviticus 4:1-35; 5:1-13), how to offer up different types of offerings (Leviticus 6:8-30), and how to prepare the priests to serve (Leviticus 8:1-36).

So I started to think about all of these detailed instructions and two thoughts occurred to me:
1) The Israelites were a people, who while with a common heritage, had lived far away from the home of their ancestors for a long time. They had for hundreds of years been under Egyptian rule, and probably did not have group government or rules. The Lord provided them with both so that the would become a powerful people.
2) Since the fall, I think, God was pursuing his people and by offering up specific ways people could come before him it was a way to create connection between Him and His people. The idea of animal sacrifice is strange for us "modern day", but for the Israelites and their era, I guessing, it wasn't an unusual practice and would have truly been a sacrifice because animals were the lifeblood of the nomadic person.

One of the verses that I had marked this week has to do with instructions about sin, "When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin." Leviticus 5:5. An instruction from God that has stood the test of time. We still need to be aware of our thoughts and actions, and be ready to confess our sins.

Week 6: So many instructions

I made a Tabernacle. I still have it, it's somewhere at my parents - maybe under my bed? It's pretty cool. When I was in fifth or sixth grade we had an amazing Vacation Bible School (thanks Rudy and Nancy!) that took us through Exodus. We escaped the Egyptians, crossed the Red Sea, danced as we were given the 10 Commandments, held passover in our tents, and built a small Tabernacle to take home at the end of the week. After reading the detailed instructions that God gave for this traveling holy place, I now see how short my not-so scale model falls against what must have been an amazing sight to behold.

In reading the chapters this week, I realized how interesting Moses' relationship was with God. Moses interceded for the Israelites, gaining God's mercy, when they built and worshiped the golden calf.  Later Moses questions God about his promise to go with them into the Promised Land (Exodus 33:12-33), and in response God allows Moses to gaze on Him in passing. Moses keeps questioning and God keeps offering reassurances. I think that this not only shows God's love for us, but his desire for us to trust in him. He is constantly seeking our hearts to save us from this fallen world.

My verse for the week is connected to the building Tabernacle, "Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God." Exodus 29:45-46. I am so grateful that God sent his son in fulfillment of his covenant so that we were set free, and that God gave us the Holy Spirit to have God's presence among us all the time. We no longer have to carry about the burden of the Tabernacle to know God is with us.

Week 5: Pharaoh, Pharaoh. Oh, baby, let my people go free...

As I was reading the Exodus story this week, I thought about all of the childhood memories I have learning the story. Most of the memories are happy childhood Sunday School times studying how God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, how Moses repeatly when back to Pharaoh to ask for freedom and repeatly opened the door for God to demonstrate his power, and then who can forget the dramatic Red Sea crossing?

In thinking about the story about the plagues and the Red Sea crossing, it amazing to me how deliberate God is in his plan. God promises to deliver his people "...I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgement. I will claim you as my own people, and I will your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord you God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt" (Exodus 6:6-7). God's plan is to show his might to the Eygptians before he will lead the Hebrews to freedom. We see how Pharaoh's heart remains hardened and stubborn (Exodus 7:13, 8:15, 8:19, 8:32, 9:7, 9:12, 9:35, 10:20, 10:27, 14:8), while God works displaying his dominion over all things. Tied to God's strength and power is the verse that stuck out to me this week, "The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm" (Exodus 14:14). I needed to hear these words, I tend to want to solve everything on my own, and I tend to be very anxious about, well just about everyting. What a great reminder - and command - for me.

God's pursuit to demonstrate that he is Lord to the Egyptians (and Hebrews, I think), made we wonder how often do we play Pharaoh and harden our own hearts to God's call out to us? God may not be sending 10 plagues, and opening up the sea for us to cross, but, I do believe that he is continually revealing himself and his presence in our lives. It's just up to us to have open eyes, hearts, and minds. God will stop at nothing to have us with him, and his ultimate demonstration: He sent is own begotten Son to be the sacrifice to take away our sins (1 John 4:9-10). I pray that because we know God is powerful and that he loves in ways we cannot understand as humans, we may trust God to work through us in his time to reveal to us the amazing things he has planned for us.

Who is this God?

Well, I need to write about Job eventually so it might as well start now. Right away Job's story disturbs me because you have satan just hanging out with the heavenly court when they presented themselves to God. God and satan  have a little conversation in which God is basically bragging about this guy Job who is "blameless-a man of complete integrity." Satan says it's because of all his wealth, if God were to take everything away from him than Job would surely curse God to his face. So God tells satan to go ahead and do whatever he wanted to test Job except cause him physical harm. This starts Jobs first test where all his cattle were stolen, all the sheep and shepherds were burned up in a fire that fell from heaven, all the camels were stolen, the servants were killed, and all his children were killed. What is Job's response to this? He tears his rob in grief, shaves his head, and falls to the ground in worship to God. I don't know about you, but around this time most of us would be asking "why me?" not worshiping. This is Job's first lesson for us. Then what happens?

The heavenly court go to present themselves before God again and who just happens to be with them? Satan. He and God have another conversation where God brags up what a blameless man Job is. Satan says this is because he still has his health so God tells satan to go ahead and do whatever he wants to Job as long as his life is spared. Anybody else disturbed by this?! Who is this God? Is this the same God I have surrendered my life to? Is this the same God who I strive to honor and love with all my heart, mind, and soul?

First of all, it would be awesome if God was bragging up what a blameless woman I was and how I feared him. Not so awesome that because of that satan would be allowed to cause whatever harm he pleases as long as I'm not killed. To me it feels like a little game where Job is the pawn. Also, what in the heck is satan doing allowed to wander into heaven mingling with the court? He got his hinney kicked out of there! And let me just insert this little thought, I would much rather be suffering physical harm than watch my son or any other loved one killed. However, extended periods of dealing with physical ailments can cause a person great mental distress and induce severe depression. Job no doubt was struggling with this and didn't have much to fight for. Even his wife told him to give up and die!

Then what happens to Job? Well, his three good friends come to stay with him and after 7 days of silence, start accusing him of committing some sort of sin or sins to have caused all this suffering. Hence most of the rest of Job: his friends trying to comfort him by accusing him of wrong doing with Job steadfastly defending himself. Those friends should have kept silent! Reminds me of how if you are praying for healing and you don't see an immediate physical manifestation, some people will tell you it's because you have some sort of "hidden sin" that you need to be forgiven for. When you pray for forgiveness of your sins, they are forgiven by God "as far as the east is from the west," they are no more, you are forgiven, period. If there is a sin that you committed that you didn't know was a sin, it's still forgiven!

Even though I struggle with Job's story because of the portrait of God it depicts, there are some neat things that really stand out to me:

•  Job has a personal relationship with God. "Yet my friends laugh at me, for I call on God and expect an answer." Job 12:4 (emphasis mine)

• We have an assurance of what happens when we die, unlike those before Christ. "Can the dead live again? If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death." Job 12:14
• But.....perhaps Job did know. "And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God." Job 24:26
• Look at how truths of the earth are revealed through scripture long before science.
• "God stretches the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing. He wraps the rain in his thick clouds, and the clouds don't burst with the weight." Job 26:7 and 8  (emphasis mine). Job reveals right here, the earth is suspended in space. It is not some pizza resting on the back of a turtle or a great boulder resting on the shoulders of a mythical god. He also notes that the rain is in the clouds (evaporation is mentioned early in Job too). 
• We also see in Job that the earths core is liquid, "Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire." Job 26: 5 (emphasis mine).
• "For the water turns to ice as hard as rock, and the surface of the water freezes." Job 38:30. This is God talking now, but I can't imagine that a whole lot of people in the middle east knew this. Especially considering there are still people here in the states that can't believe the lakes freeze over enough for us northerners to drive out on it, put up little houses, and hang out and fish.

Here are a couple of verses that stood out to me:
25

"Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind?" Job 30:36

The last two chapters of Job give God's challenges to Job. God pretty much calls out Job, "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them." Job 38:2 & 3 and 40: 7 Job's answer is pretty much how I think I would answer....basically, I'll shut up. This kind of bothers me too, the fact that God calls out Job. God is the one who was bragging him up to satan and letting satan do pretty much as he pleased with Job. I think Job had every right to take up his case before God. Also, in God's second challenge, two creatures are described the Behemoth and Leviathan. Footnotes indicate that the identification of these creatures is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature. I find it hard to understand why God would describe a mythical creature as one of His own (...which I made, just as I made you. Job 40:15) if He truly didn't create it. To me these two beasts sound an awful lot like some ancient, massive beasts, oh I don't know, something like dinosaurs?
Job concludes with God calling out the three friends (and here is where Job gets some credit) by telling them they haven't spoken accurately of God as Job has. Because of this, God commands they take 7 bulls and rams to Job and offer a burnt offering for themselves and have Job pray for them. Once Job prayed for his friends, all that had been taken from him was restored to him twofold. He was even blessed with 7 more sons and 3 more daughters of great beauty. The only thing that strikes me about this is, even though Job was blessed with the exact number of sons and daughters as he lost, how could they possibly replace the ones that died? I wonder if there was a small piece of Job that was never fully restored.

So there you have it, my ridiculously long mental wanderings through Job. Though much was said, much remains unsaid. May we never fear bringing our case before the mighty Creator who loves us inexplicably, so long as or hearts are humbled and God is not our scapegoat.

Week 4: Grumble, Grumble

I, admittedly, struggled with the continued reading of Job this week. The back and forth between him and his friends was a bit lost on me most days. What I did think about was: "Am I a grumbler?" Am I grumbling about my circumstance when I should be offering up praise instead? I know that I have a tendency to continue to think and process situations in my life, and then offer up prayers of, "why?" and "why not such and such". Some days its hard to remember that the plan is bigger than just me, and that my time is not God's time. Job and his friends had a lot to say about God, His love, His power and His plan. A couple of the verses that stuck out to me over the week included:

• "Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to his instructions, and store them in your heart." Job 22:21-22. Advice that I know I have to remind myself of every morning.
• "...Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power?" Job 26:14. I liked the phrase, "...the thunder of his power". Two things I don't really understand, and fear, thunder and the power of God. Beautiful imagery.
• "For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it." Job 33:14. We are being sought after, we just have to be willing to listen with more than just our ears.

There is so much I don't understand why it happens, but I need to trust that God is bigger than any earthly struggles I (we) face. My hope for the week: "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself." Job 19: 25-27. (As a side note, it never occurred to me that these words came in the Old Testament. What promises we are given! And when we least expect it.)

The Dream Whisperer

Not going to lie, I'm not enjoying reading about Job. So let's not talk about that right now :)

While reading about Joseph's life, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat kept floating through my mind. (Donny Osmond was a good Joseph in his little loincloth). Wouldn't it be nice to interpret dreams? Of course, then you'd also have to interpret the not so pleasant ones also. While Joseph was in prison he explained to Pharaoh's chief baker and chief cup holder what their dreams meant. The chief cup holder was restored to his position, but the chief baker had a really bad day. Can you imagine being told your body was going to be impaled on a pole? And in three days nonetheless!(Gen 40:19).

One of the things that stood out to me in Joseph's story was when his brothers were eating with him before they knew his true identity. Specific mention was made that the brothers were sitting at a separate table because Egyptians wouldn't eat with Hebrews because they despised them. Yet here is Joseph, a Hebrew man with more power than any man in Egypt aside from Pharaoh himself. In fact, once Pharaoh found out Joseph's brothers were in town, he instructed Joseph to invite them and their households to move to Egypt. Not only that, they were offered their pick of  the best land in Egypt! God's hand in these events become very clear with this knowledge.

Another verse that stood out to me was Gen. 49:10 "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor." This popped off the page because it is our first prophetic verse regarding the coming of Christ. Even this early in history, God's plan of redemption was in place and slowly being revealed to man.

Week 3: Blessings and Adversity

This was an interesting week of reading. The week started with the conclusion to the story of Joseph and the incredible blessings poured out on him and his family as they were reconnected, and the week ended with the start of the story of Job and his many trials he faced. It seems to be telling of life, in that, there are ups and downs, but through it all we can rely on God and his plan that he has for us. There were several verses that jumped out at me over the week, here is a quick run down of what they are, and why I think they spoke to me:

• "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good." Genesis 50: 20. I liked this verse because it shows Joseph's faith in God, and it reminded me that God's plan is bigger than my plan, or your plan, or the other guy's plan.
• "...The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!" Job 1:21. This is part of Job's cry after he learns that he has lost everything, and in spite of his great loss he lifts a word of praise to the Lord. I think about all of the times I grumble and complain over the littlest things, and this verse is a good reminder that everything is God's and I should praise him for what he has given me because I am really very blessed. If Job can lose everything and in response praise the Lord, I can definitely try harder to offer up more praise in my daily life.
• "What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? For you examine us every morning and test us every moment." Job 7:17. This verse made me think of God's amazing love for us and what a gift it is that He thinks of us, and loves us enough to examine us and test us so that we may grow in His love. This love He has for us constantly boggles my mind, but I know I would be nothing without it.

As we go through this new week, I pray that we may experience God's love in ways we didn't expect.

Week 2: A Great Nation Begins

The genealogies in the Old Testament baffle me, long lists of sons of sons with the occasional daughter, and almost all with names I cannot pronounce. Why all the lists? I have been thinking about this and googling the topic a bit. What I found is that the lists are a written down version of an oral tradition, and that they tie into the genealogy of Jesus. I thought about this and it seems that maybe God wanted to show a definitive path from Eve, one of the first humans he made to his begotten son, Jesus. This path shows us that God uses the unexpected people (this week we read about Tamar and Judah and how he failed to keep his promise to her, so she tricked him into getting her pregnant  - Genesis 38:1-30), to be part of his grand plan for our salvation. For me this is reminder that God's plan might not make sense to us in the moment, but in the big picture it fits in beautifully to the ballet of life around us.

This week was also included reminders of God's promises and his fulfillment of them. In Genesis 28:10-22, God promises Jacob that he is with him and will bring him back to his land. Verse 15 says this, "What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you." Later Jacob does return with his family to his homeland and is forgiven by his brother, Esau.

The verse that stuck out to me this week comes from the story of Joseph. Genesis 39:23 says this, "...The Lord was with his and caused everything he did to succeed." I liked this verse in the context of the story of Joseph.  Joseph's brothers were jealous of him so they sold him into slavery, then he was thrown into prison; only to eventually become the ruler of Egypt under the Pharaoh. I guessing his brothers did not think that Joseph's elevation to a position of power was possible when they sold him into slavery. Even though Joseph encountered a series of unfortunate events, God was with him and used him at the right time in God's plan. I pray that I have the patience and strength to wait on God's plans for my life.

God created, regretted, forgave.....

I've made attempts through the years to read THE BOOK from cover to cover armed with my trusty pocket schedule from church. More time was probably spent flipping through the pages to read chronologically then understanding what was truly being said.
The Old Testament has always been difficult for me with all of the genealogies and what not, not to mention the modern day application to our lives. The New Testament, now that's a different story :)
What surprised me the most in beginning this challenge with my dear friend, was how analytical/scrutinizing my thoughts were. Over the years I've grown to love theology and apologetics. A dream of mine is to one day go to seminary just for the pure fun of it:)
The main problem for me was all of these men of God who took multiple wives who, in turn, gave their servants to their husbands in order to assure children. Not to mention the concubines. In doing slight research on this topic it is interesting and slightly humorous that men are doing most of the talking. One good point I read was that in this particular era, women were completely dependent on the men, whether it be their father, brother, brother-in-law, or husband. The point made was, is it possible that God tolerated polygamy (much like he tolerates divorce)in order to make sure women were protected and taken care of? However, in the beginning God created Adam and saw fit to give him A help mate, Eve. One man, one woman. Did you notice that in creating Eve God was the very first anesthesiologist and performed the first surgery, donor surgery at that!
While we're talking about Adam and Eve, here's a thought on that "shrewd serpent" (my description would not be so nice): Evolutionists point to the fact that snakes have hip bones to prove their position. The Bible states that because of the serpent's deception, God's punishment was, "You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live." Genesis 3:14 Hmmm, seems to me snakes have hip bones because God took away their legs. If evolution were correct, because snakes no longer have a need for hip bones why do they still have them?
Another recurring event that drew my attention was that even after the Garden, God walked among humanity. Can you imagine looking up and there's God waiting to have dinner with you?! That's what happened to Abraham in Genesis 18. Wonder why that doesn't happen any more? In Genesis 6, God regretted creating humanity and decided to destroy not only humanity but every living creature. Did you catch that it also said the extent of human wickedness, not just deeds but thoughts and things imagined, broke God's heart?! Luckily Noah found favor with God and saved our behinds! After the flood God continued to pay visits to man (as mentioned above with Abraham and various other places)but at some point he stopped. If God's heart was broken back in early creation due to our wickedness in deed, thought, and imagination; can you imagine his heart looking at his beloved creation now? How lucky we are that God made a covenant with Noah to never again destroy all living things (Gen. 8:21).
Which of course speaks to God's amazing love for us, just like Kristi talked about. The very same verse that caught her attention caught mine: "you are the God that sees me." Hagar wasn't even Abraham's wife, just Sarah's servant that she gave to him in order to bear children. I'm so thankful that we have a God that sees us, regardless of our situation or lot in life! My hope in this challenge is to discover my creator anew and get to know him more intimately, just as he knows me.

Week 1 - In the beginning...

In re-reading the creation story and then to story of Noah in the flood, it God's mercy and compassion for the humans amazed me. He could have (and still could) started over. When Adam and Eve sinned, God punished them by turning them out of the garden, but he was still with them. Then later God decided that humanity had become too wicked, instead of wiping us all out he saved Noah and his family. He entrusted them to give us another chance. God's love is just amazing.

The verse that stood out to me the most this week was Genesis 16:13, "Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, "You are the God who sees me." She also said, "Have I truly seen the One who sees me?"
What I liked about this verse was her name for God, "You are the God who sees me". I know many times I feel very alone and wonder if anyone, even God, remembers or sees me, and this reminds me that he does - that each one of us is dear and important to him. He is the God who sees me - even when I cannot seem to "see" him.