How long will we wander, before returning to Him?

Posts tagged ‘Genesis’

132) Let the Sounds of Our Praises be Heard!

I don’t know about you, but I am really enjoying reading through the Bible chronologically, so that all of these Psalms and historical accounts are put into context. This is where reading through the Bible straight through from Genesis to Revelation has always lost me.

Day 132 reading: Psalms, chapters 65-67 and 69-70

They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. (Psalms 65:8, NASB)

They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. (Psalms 65:8, NASB)

When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. (65:3, NIV)

You answered us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior. (65:5, NIV)

Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf. (66:5, NIV)

Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. (66:8-9, NIV)

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. (69:30-31, NIV)

For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise His who are prisoners. (69:33, NASB)

O God, hasten to deliver me; O Lord, hasten to my help! (70:1, NASB)

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 133 reading: 2 Samuel, chapters 11-12; 1 Chronicles, chapter 20

Dear Lord, If I regard iniquity in my heart, I know you will not hear me, but verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. (from Psalms 66:18-20, KJV) Amen.

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Faith, Forgiveness, Healing, Hope, Praise, Prayer, Psalms, Seeing God

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89) Passing the Torch of Blessings

Today we begin with the book of Judges, chapters 1-2.

It is pretty awesome to me that we’ve come so far on our journey already (Genesis, Job, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and two chapters of Psalms) and still have such a lot to learn, read, and experience in His Living Word still to come.

The Lord is so amazing in all the ways He is working through us and through this study. I love it! It makes me happy and excited and full to the brim with joy!!!

CHECK MY MEMORY: Is this the first time in our reading that the not-long-for-this-earth leader of the people did not appoint a new leader before his death? I understand that the Lord appoints each leader, but this time the Lord doesn’t appoint one until after the fact.

Abraham blessed Isaac.

Isaac blessed Jacob (Israel), accidentally, thinking he was speaking to Esau.

Israel gave final instructions to each of his sons before his own passing and Moses rose up as a leader and servant of the Lord, out of the tribe of Levi.

Moses laid hands on Joshua in his last days even though he was still strong and able-bodied.

However, Joshua died without the Lord giving him any instruction on who to appoint as a predecessor. This is odd to me and worth keeping in the back of my mind in the reading to come. God does nothing by accident. Period.

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked he Lord, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?” (1:1, NIV)

This is a thought-provoking passage of scripture, these two little intro chapters of the book of Judges. When the people have a God-appointed leader, though they sin, the return quickly to the Lord, repent and correct. But without God-appointed leaders, or when His judges passed, the people forget the Lord and return to their evil ways, and even doing worse than they had done before against Him. His anger burned against the people and their worldly attitudes took precedence over anything of the spiritual realm. It’s just as the Song of Moses foretold before he passed on. The descendants of the Lord’s chosen people would not even know of God or hear of Him or the great works He did in the lives of their ancestors, so they did not walk in His light.

Prayer path (2)It is critical that our children and our children’s children and on down the bloodline, know where we’ve been, where we come from, what we have lived through, and how we lived to tell about it all. It is critical they know He has given this life to us and all the ways He has blessed us daily in big and small ways.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Tomorrow’s scripture reading: Judges, chapters 3-5

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Children, Judges, Trust

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70) He Will Fight For You

Day 70 reading: Deuteronomy, chapters 1-2Moses scroll

The book of Deuteronomy will be a bit familiar to us by now, but in real-time, there has been the passing of 40 years as the Israelites have journeyed out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land. So, I can certainly understand the need for repetition (there are days I don’t remember something important from five minutes before). I think it will also serve as a nice refresher course for us, especially in the areas when we (I) might have glazed over at times through Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. But the critical points within the book of Deuteronomy will be lifted up to helps us all remember.

“See, I have placed the land before you; go in an possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.” (1:8, NASB)

The NIV says to go in and take possession. I love this. It’s like you and I telling one another to just own it, just do it, or dig your heels in.

Our Lord, the same Lord of the Israelites and of Moses, has given us plenty, an overabundance, all we have to do is go in and take possession. What areas of our lives do we still not truly “own” in Him? What areas have we not given up in our human, worldly ways, and therefore cannot take possession of through Him? He has given us so much, every breath, every grain of sand, every star, every raindrop, every flower and tree and blade of grass, every bite of food and the ability for our bodies to digest the food perfectly. Go in and take possession.

“Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert…In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God.” (1:29-30, 32, NIV)

It is so easy to praise God when He saves us from ourselves and from danger around us. It is so easy to pray when we need help or there is illness and evil coming at us from every angle. But even when we see His works in our own lives, first hand, time passes and we have tendencies to forget and we have tendencies to complain and want and seek satisfaction elsewhere.

But He tells us through His Word not to fear, that He is with us. Go and take what He has given to us. Own it. Don’t keep living the same pattern in your own lives as I am working on correcting in my own life. I want to go strong on God’s path for the rest of my worldly life, not waver, not get on the path then fall off the path after a few months, just to scrape my knees up and remember Him and climb back on the path over and over and over again. Let us all together stay strong in Him, grown continually through Him, and deepen our relationship with Him.

The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. (2:7, NIV)

He is here with me now. He is there with you, dwelling in you, as you read this post and study along with me. He is with the person in the office next to yours at your job, and the person in the car next to yours driving down the road. He is with us as He always has been and will continue to be. Some of us are in the middle of vast deserts in our lives, but please be aware that He is there with you. He IS there with YOU!

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 71  reading: Deuteronomy, chapters 3-4

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Deuteronomy, Faith, Perseverance, Seeing God, Trust

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63) The Roller Coaster of Trust

Today’s scripture passage cuts painfully close for me. I never realized I would see myself in the book of Numbers, but there I was this morning, right there on the pages of the Living Word of God.

Day 63 reading: Numbers, chapters 21-22

Then Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities.” The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. (21:2-3, NIV)

roller-coasterSo, once again, God saves the day in a big way. I feel like I’m on a roller coaster ride with the Israelites at the helm, but I’m sure that’s how my own life will feel in retrospect, too.

But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses (21:4-5, NIV).

Again? And again…and again…and again. Why do the Israelites keep forgetting that He’s the real deal. Why do they only call out to Him when they need His miracles and then throw Him by the wayside when they are bored?

Aren’t we just as bad about that? I hope none of you reading this can relate to this, but I know my own walk tends to vacillate at times, too. You know, one minute you’re praising God and high as a kite on Him alone, then the next moment your child walks in the door with a bad report card and all of your praising goes out the window. Or you have a car wreck and although you are thankful to still be alive, you’re cursing the woman who broadsided you because she was talking on the phone, putting on lipstick and had a dog in her lap…all while attempting to drive.

Things happen in our very human lives that render very human responses; and I believe that God understands that completely. He knows what is in our hearts. He knows that He is in our hearts. So having very human moments in our day to days will not tear us from our Lord, but speaking out against Him over and over again as the Israelites are doing obviously took it’s toll on the relationship between the two.

Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. (21:6, NIV)

So Moses prayed for the people.

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” (21:8, NIV)

Again, the Lord gives His people an “out.” Just think of the  scripture passages from just the past few days when the Israelites watched as the earth opened up and swallowed so many of their people whole, then were consumed by Holy fire, then a plague wiped out a number of them. So many watched their fellow comrades die on the spot because of their attitudes toward the Lord, yet here they were again, speaking out against Him; And here He is again saving them and proving His Presence with them.

And is it just me or was Moses almost as forgiving as the Lord Himself? Always praying for the people even after they rebuke him and speak against him? He has a supernatural tolerance for the people, because of what God had done in his life.

The Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.” (21:16, NIV)

He always provides for our needs. Always.

Then the people when on and won another battle and occupied more land, just as the Lord always said they would. And even in their fear, the Lord spoke to Moses to cover them.

The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of [Og king of Bashan and his whole army], for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land.” (21:34, NIV)

When God is for us, when God is leading us, when we take God by the hand and follow Him and the path He has laid out for our lives, who can possibly stand against us? Hear this: NO ONE.

“A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.” (22:5, NIV)

Recall this passage from Day 16 of our journey:

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” (Genesis 12: 1-3, NIV)

Then, we meet Balaam (and myself face-to-face in the mirror of the Living Word of God):

But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.” (22:12, NIV)

But Balaam answered [Balek and the other princes], “Even if Balek gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.” (22:18, NIV)

Are those ever words to live your life by. Only God gives me strength to do all that I do.

That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”

Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him.

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field.

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it.

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with a staff.

Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”( 22:20-22, 23, 25, 27-28, NIV)

I have a confession to make. I uses to write my blog postings at night. It’s my most creative time and the juices are flowing. The problem with this is that then I stay up far later than I should and don’t end up getting enough rest at night. How many of you know that alarm clock or children pounding down the hallway come at the same time every morning no matter how much or how little sleep you get? So, my answer to this issue was that I would start going to bed earlier and waking up earlier, too. But at least by studying and writing early in the morning, I have a set time and a set schedule to keep me on track. The key there is that I can’t sleep through my alarm clock…

At night I pray that the Lord wake me up as early as I need to be woken up in order to read and write on the next day’s scripture passage, and this morning as I was set to get up and read, my alarm was set for 5:00 a.m., but my Lord work me up at 4:21 the first time. Note: the first time. Some mornings, I can’t seem to help having mental bargaining going on in my head with God. Me bargaining with God. Really? I’m as bad as the Israelites! So, this morning I slept through His 5:21 wake-up call, then His 4:28 wake-up call, then His 4:33 wake-up call, and on they went until I finally responded.

Friends, I don’t know if that makes me more like Balaam or more like the donkey in today’s passage, but let me tell you that when I finally got out of bed and into the Word, I was struck down by this last portion of scripture.

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. (22:31, NIV)

Doesn’t life go smoother (at 4:21 a.m. or any other time of the day or night) when we follow the path He sets for us. When we ask for His Mighty Hand to save the day (or wake us up), doesn’t it work out better when we follow His path, step-for-step? Friends, I have to tell you, I don’t want to be like the Israelites on their roller coaster ride. I want to live a life of smooth sailing, following God close on His heels, never distracted from the world, but always facing Him for guidance, then actually DOING WHAT HE SAYS TO DO.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 64 reading: Numbers, chapters 23-25

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Forgiveness, Numbers, Perseverance, Quiet time, Rules worth LIVING by, Seeing God, Trust

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54) The 12 Tribes & God’s Promises

Day 54 reading: Numbers, chapters 1-2

I found some beautiful artwork based on the twelve tribes of Israel that I wanted to share with you, also. First, some stained glass that is based on the glass paintings by Marc Chagall, called “The Twelve Tribes of Israel.” I thought these were absolutely stunning!

stained-glass-windows-based-on-marc-chagalls-glass-paintings-the-twelve-tribes-of-israel

Wouldn’t you love to see these in person? I am an artist by nature and an art lover by design, and these pieces stir something in me. They are moving. I hope you feel the same delight in looking at them, even on this small scale. But can you just imagine with me, standing in the midst of all of these incredible works of art, all while studying the twelve tribes right now through our daily readings? Wow! What an experience that would be.

Today’s scripture reading has me thinking about my own family lines. I was tempted to get all nostalgic and go through decades of family pics to share, but that really doesn’t have anything to do with the Bible lesson, so I resisted the urge. But, I did do quite a bit of internet research for images and renderings depicting the 12 tribes; the most beautiful I found were the stained glass windows. I also found these praise banners, which I liked and thought I would share.

Jacob had twelve sons:

The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali.

The sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. (Genesis 35:23-26, NIV)

I wanted to look back and see where each of the tribes of Israel had begun and how far they have come up to this point in our reading. I believe these kinds of connections are paramount to our foundation work in the Word.

And God said to [Jacob], “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” (Genesis 35:11-12, NIV)

reubenTRIBE OF REUBEN

Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” (Genesis 29:32, NIV) **”Reuben” sounds like the Hebrew for “he has seen my misery”

Numbers 46,500

The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. (2:10, NIV)

“Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.” (Genesis 49:3-4, NIV)

TRIBE OF SIMEONsimeon1

[Leah] conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. (Genesis 29:33, NIV) **”Simeon” probably means “one who hears”

Numbers 59,300

The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. (2:12, NIV)

All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. (Genesis 34:24-26, NIV)

“Simeon and Levi are brothers–their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, as their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:5-7, NIV)

leviTRIBE OF LEVI

Again [Leah] conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. (Genesis 29:34, NIV) **“Levi” sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for “attached.”

“You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony–over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it.” (1:49-50, NIV)

TRIBE OF GADgad

Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named his Gad. (Genesis 30:10-11, NIV) **“Gad” can mean “good fortune” or “a troop”

Numbers 45, 650

The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel. (2:14, NIV)

“Gad will be attached by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.” (Genesis 49:19, NIV)

judahTRIBE OF JUDAH

[Leah] conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. (Genesis 29:35, NIV) **“Judah” sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for “praise”

Numbers 74,600

The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab. (2:3, NIV)

“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness–who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.” (Genesis 49:8-12, NIV)

TRIBE OF ISSACHARissachar

God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. (Genesis 30:17-18, NIV) **”Issachar” sounds like the Hebrew for “reward”

Numbers 54, 400

The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar. (2:5, NIV)

“Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor.” (Genesis 49:14-15, NIV)

zebulunTRIBE OF ZEBULUN

Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun. (Genesis 30:19-20, NIV) **”Zebulun” probably means “honor”

Numbers 57,400

The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon. (2:7, NIV)

“Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.” (Genesis 49:13, NIV)

TRIBE OF EPHRAIM (descendants of Joseph)ephraim

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” She named him Joseph, and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.” (Genesis 30:22-24, NIV) **”Joseph” means “may he add”

Numbers 40,500

The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. (2:19, NIV)

“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attcked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of  the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.” (Genesis 49:22-26, NIV)

manassehTRIBE OF MANASSEH (descendants of Joseph)

In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. (Genesis 46:20, NIV)

Numbers 32, 200

The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. (2:20, NIV)

Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children to.” (Genesis 48:11, NIV)

TRIBE OF BENJAMINbenjamin

While [Jacob and his family] were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have another son.” As she breathed her last–for she was dying–she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin. (Genesis 35:16-18, NIV) **”Ben-Oni” means “son of my trouble,” “Benjamin” means “son of my right hand”

Numbers 35, 400

The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. (2:22, NIV)

“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.” (Genesis 49: 27, NIV)

danTRIBE OF DAN

So [Rachel] gave [Jacob] her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, and she became pregnant and bore him a son. Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan. (Genesis 30:4-6, NIV) **“Dan” here means “he has vindicated”

Numbers 62,700

The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. (2:25, NIV)

“Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward.” (Genesis 49:16-17, NIV)

TRIBE OF ASHERasher

Leah’s servant Zilpah bore jacob a second son. Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher. (Genesis 30:12-13, NIV) **”Asher” means “happy”

Numbers 41, 500

The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran. (2:27, NIV)

“Asher’s food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.” (Genesis 49:20, NIV)

naphtaliTRIBE OF NAPHTALI

Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali. (Genesis 30:7-8, NIV) **“Naphtali” means “my struggle”

Numbers 53, 400

The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. (2:29, NIV)

“Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.” (Genesis 49:21, NIV)

These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s arm were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550. (1:44-46, NIV)

Isn’t that amazing?! God certainly keeps His promises. 603,550 MALE descendants aged 20 years old or older. These numbers do not include males under the age of 20 or any females.

Recall with me, if you will, this passage from day 17 of our journey:

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” (Genesis 17: 1-7, NIV)

Friends, He keeps His promises, and His love is everlasting. Praise His Holy Name!

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Tomorrow’s scripture reading: Numbers 3-4

**Notes came from my Experiencing God Study Bible

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Children, Genesis, Gifts & Talents, Numbers, Seeing God, Trust

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29) Beginnings & the End of Genesis

Today is our last day in the book of Genesis. For me, this has been a great “beginning.” This journey through through the Bible is only going to get better, more moving, more powerful, and more empowering as the year continues!

Day 29 reading: Genesis, chapters 48-50

Wow, today’s scripture passage makes pretty quick work of two main characters we’ve been studying in the previous days, Israel and Joseph. It’s interesting to me how some details in the Bible are so thorough and they’ll be followed by a few paragraphs that span decades.

The first piece of scripture that really grabbed me in today’s reading was from Joseph’s visit with his father, on Israel’s death bed,

Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.” (48:11, NIV)

Newborn CharlotteThis one sentence makes a lump form in my throat so large I can hardly swallow. I lost my dear maternal grandparents before they were able to see our youngest daughter, and oh how I know they would be so tickled by her. But I console myself with the knowledge that they do see her, and all the children, every single day. I know they guard my children, my mother, and myself all the time and I know they see and care for everything we do. I miss them terribly, but I know they are smiling down on us and giggling every time one of the kids do something silly, are proud of their every accomplishment, and watch eagerly for us to right our wrongs.

When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew up his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. (49:33, NIV)

So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them: They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. (50:12-13, NIV)

Then, after all that had been done for them, and all that Joseph had provided, and all the years together in Egypt, the brothers start to worry once again. Once their father had passed, they figured Joseph’s true feelings of hatred would come spilling out, so once again they tricked him, or attempted to.

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of  God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (50:19-21, NIV)

And before we know it, Joseph is speaking his dying words to his brothers.

“God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” (50:25, NIV)

Even in death Joseph remained true to the path of the Lord. His concern was for his brothers, to reassure them that they would be provided for. Joseph’s life mirrored so well the life that a Christian should lead: one of grace and forgiveness even when human nature would return hate with hate. Joseph loved as we are each called to love, unconditionally.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

In Day 30, we’ll dive into the book of Exodus, chapters 1-3

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Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Children, Genesis, Prayer, Trust

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28) Resolutions & Life Themes

Click to visit MyOneWord.org

Click to visit MyOneWord.org

As 2013 quickly approaches, I am hearing all about New Year’s resolutions, theme scripture verses, theme songs, or even choosing a single word to help define the coming year. And, although I am usually quite against setting resolutions, per se, the inspiring power behind setting a theme all your own for 2013 is awesome to me! So, let me encourage you all to choose an empowering theme scripture to guide your own way in the coming year, or, at the very least, choose One Word to encompass your hopes and dreams for 2013.

My word for 2013: PUSH ~~PUSH forward, PUSH beyond, PUSH yourself, PUSH (and encourge) others, PUSH through. PUSH!

Day 28 reading: Genesis, chapters 46-47

Have you ever had a dear friend that you haven’t seen in ages, and when you finally see them the joy is just uncontrollable? You run together, like something out of a romantic comedy, and hug and cry and are just so filled with excitement and happiness? That’s such fun and such a special reunion. Now, imagine if that person were your own father, with whom you had a close bond.

As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time.” (46:29, NIV)

Isn’t it a beautiful scene? Doesn’t it just make you smile to just read of Israel and Joseph’s heartfelt reunion?

I wonder how Joseph’s brothers were able to accept his high position in Egypt? They were jealous of him before for being their father’s favorite son. But now they were also dealing with Joseph being a national hero and savior for the Egyptians through seven years of hard drought. I’m sure everywhere they turned, they heard, “Joseph this…” and “Joseph that…” Hopefully their hearts were changed by this point in history and they found their way around the jealousy to see that God had worked through them all the entire time and that this was their end result.

Friends, I want to be better at seeing the end result, big picture, before I make costly mistakes. I want to be able to see the good in people before I have the opportunity to first see the bad and stick my foot in my mouth. I want to do the will of the Lord in my life, no matter the cost, and I want to have the forgiveness and foresight of Joseph to see that even the pain is all in God’s plan for the big picture. Every day of our chronological journey through the Bible, I can feel my footing getting stronger and more supportive. I can feel God smiling down on us as we read His Word, sometimes scratching our heads, but nose in the book, working through and working for that foundation in Him! Now is a great time to PUSH forward!

Make it a great day,

Day 29 Reading: Genesis, chapters 48-50 (the last day in Genesis)

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Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Genesis, Health & Well Being, Trust

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27) Our Christian History

Have you, like me, ever messed something up so many times that you knew no one would ever put that duty in your hands again or ever trust you with another important task ever again, just to end up HAVING to do that task–or one similar–again and really have to beg and plead to be allowed to do what you KNOW you HAVE to do? That was one long, rambling sentence, but sufficed to say, I can relate to Joseph’s brother, Judah, when he is begging his father to allow Benjamin to go along to Egypt so that they will be allowed to buy food and not starve.

Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.” (43:8-10, NIV)

This is a day of relating to the Word!

Day 27 Reading: Genesis, chapters 43-45

Then Israel (earlier known as Jacob) said to them, “may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your brother and Benjamin come back with you” (43:14, NIV).

Don’t I know the feeling. In these times when I’ve had to absolutely beg for one more chance to do something the right way, and am granted that opportunity, don’t I know that those who grant it are just praying that this time, please God, let it work!

Remember, Simeon was still back in Egypt, imprisoned, as ransom. No one knew what ever came of Joseph (boy, are they about to find out!). And Israel”s next favorite son is the meal ticket necessary to keep the entire family from starvation.

Israel did send them on their way, but before they left him, he felt such pain that all he could say was, “As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” (43:14, NIV) Sometimes don’t you want to throw your hands up, when you’re in such pain that you really don’t know how you’re going to get through it. Sometimes, even if just for a moment, don’t you just want to say, ‘It is what it is.’ or, as Israel, “if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

Oh, but friends, who needs the movies when you have stories like these! This is the exciting climax I was so eager to continue reading from yesterday. After Joseph had fed his brothers and manipulated some things, still unknown to them, he finally couldn’t contain his secret any longer. I love this! The entire 45th chapter of Genesis is just so beautiful and touching; can’t you just feel the joy they felt?!

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!”

So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?”

But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. (45:1-3, NIV)

Joseph: “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not your who sent me here, but God.” (45:5 & 7-8, NIV)

Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him. (45:14-15, NIV)

So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”

Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

And Israel said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” (45:25-28, NIV)

Kelsey archeryIsn’t that such a touching piece of our history? My daughter, Kelsey, told me recently that she thinks it’s sad that girls don’t generally like the subject of history (before you female history buffs out there–and I know some of you by name–start on your comments, remember, she’s a pre-teen…’nuff said ;-) ). Her solution is pretty cool, though: that she wants to write a history book that would teach the girls the history in a way that would interest them. She was specifically talking about various wars. Her class is studying the Civil War now, and the Korean War also came up in discussion, so the subject of war is fresh on her brain. I thought it was a genius plan! I have never been very interested in the study of history and it is only now that I really see how much I missed out on by only memorizing enough for the test and letting so much interesting stuff fall by the way side.

This journey through the Bible chronologically is also our history, it is our Christian history, and the part that is no longer taught in public schools. I remember when I was my daughter’s age, we prayed every day (in public school) and said the Pledge of Allegiance every day (“under God” and all!). Now, God is taboo in public, but that means that we have to be even stronger in our foundation and our convictions!

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 28 Reading: Genesis, 46-47

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Children, Faith, Genesis, Healing, Trust

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25) What Dreams May Come

Day 25 reading: Genesis, chapters 38-40

Today we begin with one of Jacob’s 12 sons, Judah. Many times I feel a lot like Judah, as I go about life, not seeking God’s guidance and direction, but making my own human judgments. Judah did not seek His wisdom in any areas of his life and paid dearly, and all of this while his own father was mourning the loss of his son, Joseph.

Meanwhile, The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master (39:2, NIV). And, as a result of the Lord being with Joseph, The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian (39:5, NIV).

But the portion of today’s reading that is particularly interesting to me is the part about the dream interpretations the Lord works through Joseph, while Joseph, the cup bearer and the baker were imprisoned. I have been a student of dream interpretation for decades. My earliest memory of journaling about my dreams was in the fifth grade or so, and I only remember that because I remember the computer I was using at the time.

tandy1000ex-ad(The Tandy 1000, my first “real” computer–it’s particularly funny to see, now, with the iPhones and tablets and hand-held gadgets  even my five year old has these days, but back in the day I thought this giant computer was awesome!!! By the way, this is the exact computer I had, complete with the stand you see in this old ad. It was HUGE. It took up my entire desk…plus there’s the printer and the joysticks and the diskettes….ahhh, those were the days.)

I have filled pages and diaries and journals with my own dreams and the interpretations that these books have taught me, but no matter what these dreams that flow so freely while I sleep have never made sense in their interpretations. The explanations of what driving or eating or a grandparent sighting or a child’s birth meant never seem to coincide with the explanations of any other aspect of the dream. Finally, I gave up trying to interpret my dreams, I tossed out all of the books that teetered on the side of non-Christian, and I stopped scribbling notes in the darkness of night with keywords or catch phrases to keep handy for the next morning when I could attempt to make sense of it all.

Joseph said to [the cup bearer and baker], “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (40:8, NIV)

In all of those years of documenting and researching the meaning of my countless dreams, I cannot remember one time consulting with God. I have always felt dreams were such powerful things, and even through my Christian walk, I have still left interpretation to human minds.

Now, though I am still curious when I have a particularly off-beat dream what it’s supposed to be telling me, I obsess about it much less. I figure that if God is trying to tell me something or give me a special task, He will make it clear enough that I won’t misunderstand. Friends, I know there are areas of my own life where I need to let go and let God (I don’t remember where that phrase originated, but I think it’s about as old as the Tandy 1000 ;-) ). Seeking Him and trusting Him in all of life’s moments will bring us eternal prosperity, no matter where our worldly circumstances take us.

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 26 reading: Genesis, chapters 41-42

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Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Genesis, Seeing God, Trust

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24) Prides comes before the fall

As I began today’s reading, I had just finished my Bible study lesson on the pride of King Uzziah, and how pride can be our ultimate downfall when we allow it to take hold. Pride says that we are in charge, which puts us in the place of God. It’s a slippery slope.

Bible study toolsFor instance, this chronological study has gained some attention, and some readers have even chosen to subscribe to this blog because of what you’ve read here. That excites me to no end but not because that makes me anything special, it means that there are people out there who are also interested in strengthening their foundation through the Word and that this blog was at the right place at the right time. I’m not pretending here that my words are Spirit led or inspired but I promise you, friends, that I pray constantly that the words I write herein and the understanding I gain from each days scripture reading bring glory to God. Subscribing means you’re along for the ride and that is very exciting!

So, all that to say that I’ve got pride on the brain and it still seems fitting with our 24th day of reading, too.

Day 24 reading: Genesis, chapters 35-37

Right off the bat let me reference the verse that points to foreign gods still being a part of Jacob’s family’s life. With all that God, the Lord of all, has done and spoken to Jacob I am absolutely blown away by this.

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” (35:2-3, NIV)

I guess that answers the question of what happened to Laban’s gods that Rachel hidden in chapter 31 (day 22), but how tragic that even after all of God’s provisions for Jacob and his family, that they were still holding on to those no-good, crummy gods.

Don’t we do that, too? I know that I have a tendency to take hold of Him and His Word but still want to cling to some (or even most) of my old ways. Is there more comfort in the old ways that have landed us where we are today, or more comfort in the God that is with us always, knowing all and being all? My heart says the latter but my human nature still clings to the things of this world. How to overcome? I would love to know anyone’s thoughts on this that feel compelled to share.

The second portion of today’s reading is the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors; a story we have heard since we were young ones in Sunday School and VBS, then as we age and were introduced to the musical rendition. We’ve heard this story from every angle, and today I am looking at it with pride in mind.

Joseph’s brothers were so proud and so jealous of him that they sold him into slavery. I do think it is a sad telling of the nature of man that even with all that Jacob went through to overcome his own parents favoritism, Jacob played favorites with his own.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons. (37:3, NIV)

Maybe it is natural for parents to favor some children over others. In a house like ours, the immediate needs are the ones that consume our time, as parents, so sometimes my husband and I find that we need to reset. We realize that the better behaved children have not gotten the attention they deserve because we have been so busy dealing with the issues. Jacob played favorites with Joseph and made a clear difference between he and his other sons. And in their anger and pride, the lesser sons took Josephs life in their own hands.

Pride makes us to terrible things, think terrible thoughts, and take the focus off of God, our Creator, our Source, and our Provider of all. Pride makes me talk when I really should listen. It makes me act when I know I should be still. It makes me think thoughts that are unhealthy and knock me off of His path.

In this journey through the Bible chronologically, I know we will study example after example of one’s pride coming before their fall. I hope having a stronger foundation in the Word will help each of us battle pride with scripture and win our sin natures for our Lord.

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 25 reading: Genesis, chapters 38-40

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Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Children, Genesis

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23) Still Struggling to do His Will

Day 23 reading: Genesis, chapters 32-34

We have two important stories in today’s reading. First, Jacob seemingly making amends with his brother, Esau, whom he once tricked out of his birthright then out of his blessing.  The passage begins with mention of Jacob being met by an unknown number of angels of God; we don’t know what the circumstances were or what was told to Jacob in that meeting, but we know that next Jacob begins to pursue a renewed relationship with his brother, so I am of a mind to think that Jacob was instructed in that meeting to make amends with Esau.

Jacob went above and beyond in this pursuing of Esau; taking part defensive and protective measures (by breaking up his flock of livestock as well as people) and proactive (by sending gifts ahead for Esau). All of these measures either worked beautifully or they weren’t necessary in the first place, as when Jacob met up with Esau, he asked,

“What do you mean by all these droves I met?”

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” Jacob said.

But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.” (33:8-9, NIV)

Esau met Jacob with love and welcomed him with open arms. Yet, at the first opportunity, Jacob took his clan away, again, from Esau.

So that day Esau started on his wy back to Seir. Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. (33:16, NIV).

The second well-known story from today’s reading is the story of Dinah, Jacob’s daughter by Leah, and her defilement by Shechem.

I begin to question Jacob’s thought processes here. He has wrestled with God. He has prayed. And, yet, he seems to be doing something that was not in God’s plan for his human life. Instead of reuniting with his twin brother, Esau, Jacob went elsewhere and, there, his family was discraced by sexual impurity, and the reaction of his sons against that impurity. They departed from God, tricking the people of Hamor and Shechem.

earth_1_apollo17Is it just me or does Jacob’s human sin nature make you feel a little bit better about our own faults? Jacob “saw God face to face, and yet [his] life was spared” (32:30, NIV). Jacob, grandson of Abraham, who walked with God, received direct instruction from God and was often in direct contact with God and His angels, and yet he still goes his own way so often. This is half relief and half additional stressor. Jacob saw God and still disobeys. This makes me in all of my humanness feel a little better about the constant battles I have between what is right by God and that I know will not bring Him favor. It makes me a little stressed, because I figure if even someone who hears directly from God can do wrong…what about me?

Obviously, this is one of those days when this awesome trip through the Bible is doing more tripping me up than making my path clearer.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 24′s reading: Genesis, chapters 35-37

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Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Genesis, Seeing God

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21) Giving God an Ultimatum?

Congratulations to us for reaching the 21-day mark. We have officially made God a habit! Making God a priority in our lives begins with having a strong foundation in the Word. After all, if we don’t know what God said, how are we going to truly know how to behave or what to believe when the world seems to be attacking from all angels? Stick with this, friends, and we will all learn that lesson together!

Day 21 reading: Genesis, chapters 27-29

In today’s passage, we get into the stories of Isaac and his sons Esau the skillful hunter and man of the open country, and Jacob who was a quiet man, staying among the tents (25:27, NIV).

First of all, let me just say that in my very shallow understanding of the culture in which we read, I think today’s reading is a bit odd. It confuses me. I mean, Isaac and Rebekah obviously played favorites with their children, and so Rebekah made sure that Jacob, her favorite, was blessed instead of Esau, Isaac’s favorite? And, Isaac only had one true blessing to give out? And, the remaining blessing wasn’t really much of a blessing at all, but more of a curse, it seems. I’m so lost. It’s days like these when I wish I were reading some studied commentator to help me through these rough spots. But, like I have said again and again, I am not because I want to know what the Word says…then I will build on that.

When my eyes are so tired at the end of a long day of staring at details on a computer screen, and everything is so blurry, I am struck by the way old Isaac ended his days; so blind that he couldn’t even decipher one son from the other. When you can’t tell goatskins from hairy man, you’re pretty far gone.

And Rebekah, Isaac’s scheming wife, when she butts in, she really butts in! I’m curious what the future readings will reveal about the remainder of Rebekah’s life, as she spoke to Jacob (her favorite), “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get [the elements of trickery] for me.” Whether she paid for the way she handled things in this situation while still on earth or whether she began her stay in heaven with a pretty hefty stay in time-out would be interesting to know.

I have a very distinct picture of Rebekah and Jacob in my minds-eye, and it’s not a terribly flattering picture. When Isaac asked Jacob (though he thought he was speaking to Esau) how we got everything together so quickly, Jacob’s response bothers me: “The Lord your God gave me success.” (27:20, NIV) Not anything about the Lord being Jacob’s God, Jacob’s belief, but his father’s God.

Then, later, once Jacob journeyed to the land that he called Bethel (or house of God), he says something that strikes me as a #1 no-no in dealings with God: testing Him.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” (28:20-22, NIV)

Cross Overlook (1)IF God will do all of these things. THEN Jacob will consider the Lord his God. And after all of that, THEN Jacob will give back a tenth. Let me just say that IF I told God in prayer that IF He did this thing and that thing for me THEN I would praise Him forevermore, I would NOT expect my instructions to be fulfilled. Rather, I would be running for my life and expecting lightning to strike my self-consumed world! IF-THEN…

But you know what, I think Jacob gets his lesson pretty quickly in the Leah/Rachel saga. I believe the Lord worked through Laban to make sure Jacob paid dearly, in years of labor, payment, wives, and children, for testing God with all of his IF’s and THEN’s. We walk on shaky ground when we start telling our Creator how He needs to do things. I can’t speak for you, but there are certainly ways in my life that I have tried to tell God how to run my life…though I wouldn’t have seen it from that slant at the time.

Although I have been really trying to avoid referencing any scripture passages outside of our daily passages, today the following passage was lifted up to me and it was too beautiful not to share with you.

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
(Jeremiah 1:4-8, NIV)

This passage struck a chord with me as I read and write on this journey. I am still very young; I am only 34 with many years and experiences yet to come. But I know one thing is certain: I feel a calling on my heart to do what I’m doing, and to share with you as I go along. My spiritual maturity may still be in its youth, but when the Lord leads me to His Book and urges me to read and share, that’s what I am going to do. I am not intending to tell you, the readers, anything new and profound, but I am uncovering a new understanding as I read and share, and I hope you are looking at our Christian history in a fresh light, as well.

Friends, I am thankful for all of you on this journey with me. I think of you often and you are in my prayers. Although I am here and you are there, and I know nothing of the journey you are on personally, or the place you are in your own life, and you know only as much as I choose to write herein, we are connected. God has drawn us together and I am excited for the day that we are united in heaven and can realize we knew each other now but in our human lack, couldn’t even comprehend the connection. Glory to God in all of His Majesty!

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 22 reading: Genesis, chapters 30-31

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Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Genesis, Jeremiah, Seeing God

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18) His Presence Known

Carrying over the thought from Day 17 about “The God Who Sees Me,” I am struck by how often God appears in some tangible form in our readings. He appeared to Adam and Eve in some form in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8); He spoke directly with Cain (Genesis 4:6 & 10); He spoke to Noah and directed the building of the ark and the repopulating the earth (Genesis 6-9); the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building in Babylon (Genesis 11:5, NIV); He spoke to Job out of the storm (Job 38-42); and now He is speaking and appearing in various forms to Abraham and his family (Genesis 12+). God sees us, God lives in us, and God appears among us. What a wonderful truth!

Without further adieu, today’s reading: Genesis, chapters 19-21

Two angels appear to Lot in Sodom, to warn him and help him escape destruction. Have you ever felt as if you were in the presence of an angel of God? I have and it gives me chills to even think of it. (FYI–this is one of the matters I will question when I get the opportunity to ask Father God all the questions I want in Heaven) Whether angels live and walk among us is a matter only for God to know and Hollywood to aggrandize, but I do know that there are people and circumstances that are absolutely bursting with the loving grace that can only be from the Lord, our God.

God appeared to Abimelech in a dream, as He appears many times throughout the Bible. My human mind tends to wonder to the question: if God appears to me in a dream, how do I know that it is Him and not just some really unique dream? The answer comes even before I really have time to attempt to process the question: if it’s Him, YOU’LL KNOW. God doesn’t do anything half-way and you can be sure that if He chooses to reach out to you through a dream or a vision, you will know it is from Him.

Have you heard God’s voice, speaking to you so clearly that it’s as if He is right there standing next to you? Although I won’t know for certain about my encounter with an angel, and I can’t ever recall having a God-inspired dream, I have heard Him speak to me and when He does, let me tell you, I stop everything else I am doing and listen up! I can tell you this, friends, even in my limited understanding of God and His ways, I know that if He wants you to hear Him you better listen! In a previous post, entitled Thumbprints, I wrote about just such an encounter with the audibility of God.

If God tells you to build an ark, build it! If He tells you to eat this, not that, listen! If God says He will bless you with descendants too numerous to count, you don’t have to knock up your maidservant to make it happen. When he speaks to us, in whatever form He chooses, we must listen.

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. (21:1-2, NIV)

God isn’t human! I hate to be Captain Obvious here, but so often our human selves seem to think all of the promises God has made to us since Creation have been mere words. As humans, we have a knack for promising ourselves into the ground. We’ll promise to get this chore done or that task checked off. We promise to read the Bible in a Year or lose 20 pounds by summer beach weather. But, as humans, our promises are often only partial-promises. So often, we fall painfully short of the mark. Not God! God keeps His promises every time. EVERY TIME. God speaks to us, tells us “do not be so distressed” (21:12, NIV), gives us direction, gives us comfort, He opens our eyes (21:19). He is an honest and faithful Creator God and He will be ever-faithful to us, no matter how many times we have messed up in the past or will surely mess up in the future.

Help me watch for the promises to come as we continue our chronological journey through the Bible. We are 2 1/2 weeks in and there is so much more in store for us along this journey than we can even begin to comprehend this early in the game.

Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis, chapters 22-24

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

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Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Genesis, Seeing God

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16) He is our Reward

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ROADSIGNSTOHIM.com

Today, we return to Genesis; back to the beginning. We are strengthening our foundation more every day, as we continue to read, study, and pray the inspired Word. As we continue to read through the Bible chronologically, we are back in Genesis, studying Father Abraham and his many sons.

Today’s reading: Genesis, chapters 12-15

What first strikes me today, as it has many times already over the course of the first two weeks of our journey, is the obedience of select people. Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…and did everything just as God commanded him (6:8 & 22, NIV).

As much as I attempt to do everything exactly as I know the Lord wants me to do them, my human sin nature gets in the way A LOT! For example, I have been working on my potty mouth for years. I’ve gone through phases in my life that have placed four-letter words on the tip of my tongue, and in most conversations. I have to give myself a little pat on the back, as I have really reigned my tongue in, but the truth is there are still slips. And even when I don’t let the ugliness come out of my mouth, there are still plenty of times I think them but don’t say them. As much as I want to congratulate myself for that achievement, it’s really no achievement at all! God knows my thoughts so even though the rest of the human race doesn’t have to hear those things come out of my mouth, the most critical being of all still knows they’re there. It excites me to even consider how blessed life would feel to know that I found favor in the eyes of the Lord BECAUSE I did everything just as He commands me.

Abram is one of those wonderful role models for our Christian walk of faith.

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (12:1, NIV)

As I have written previously (and will likely mention again and again because it’s just that important to me), I believe in giving 10% of our time back to God, as well as 10% of our money. (See previous post, 10% of me) That said, the obedience factor comes into play in my life a lot. I love to do a little celebration dance in my head when I know I am doing something in obedience to God, that will please Him; and I hate the gut knot I get when I know I have made the disappointing choice but am too lazy to undo what I’ve done. I would compare giving 10% of my time back to God to doing housework or some nasty chore that I don’t enjoy, but that’s not fair to Him. I actually enjoy the time I give back to Him more than any other time in my day. I don’t look at it as something I will be punished for not doing, but I do feel so rewarded when I do give that time back.

There are still times, however, that I end up on the couch watching TV with my husband, just chillaxin’ and being completely mindless…when I could/should be using that time more dutifully but don’t. There are times when I feel the urge to pray for some special need that has just come into my heart, but I allow myself to get distracted and don’t end up praying at all, much less for this special need that was apparently very important. Thankfully, God knows that I am only human. He knows that my first reaction is one of selfishness, and He still doesn’t hold that against me…I like to think He does still appreciate my efforts to do “good.”

In my heart, God is not an angry God looking to punish us at every wrong move. He is a loving and very gracious Creator who has already put up with so much from me, yet still loves me and gives me every breath, every moment. I know there are times when He steps in and corrects me, which my human nature may not always enjoy, but just like when a disrespectful child is straightened up by loving parents, I turn out better in the end for the lessons.

All that to say: Abram/Abraham was obedient in all he did and he was blessed as a direct result of his obedient heart and action.

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (12:3, NIV)

So, what did Abram do? He left, as the Lord had told him. (12:4, NIV)

There have been times in my life when the Spirit has whispered to me to do something specific and I complied. But, I cannot imagine the human struggle that would go on if I got a word to, literally, drop everything and everyone and just follow. Now, that takes some trust! About half the time that I feel that specific pull on my heart like He is whispering to me, I doubt that it’s not just my human sin nature trying to trip me up on my walk with Him. I tend to second-guess and doubt more often than I drop everything in dutiful obedience. But when I pray, I pray specifically that God not allow me in all of my stubborn glory to miss the signs He has put out for me. I ask Him to make them big, obvious, flashing neon if necessary, just so I don’t miss a turn or a split in the road (hence the “Road Signs to Him”). My greatest fear is that I am not going to live up to the potential of what the Lord has in store for my life. So, I pray in faith and trust Him to make it all obvious to me where He wants me.

Much of the story of Abraham and Sarah we will continue to reference in the days ahead. So much of it interests me, especially in relation to the way the story reveals itself on down the line. But, also, so much of it has been so over-stated in church, Sunday school and other Bible lessons that I don’t want to go into overkill over some of these passages. Just as I was determined to do, I have enjoyed reading these familiar stories with fresh eyes. I have picked something up each day that I truly had never noticed before or that had never struck me in the same way as it strikes me now. The Bible truly is the Living Word of God, as it continuously applies to our current situation, it always has the lessons we most need to learn, and it always teaches us something new with each turn of the page.

The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” (15:1, NIV)

He is our shield, as well. In fact I want to re-read that passage, inserting our own names into those words from the Lord, substituting ours for Abram’s. Ready?

The word of the Lord says to you, “Do not be afraid, _________________. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Friends, God wants to be our reward! In Him there is no fear. Even living among the evil as we do, we will be strong in the Lord and not be afraid. He is our reward. HE IS OUR REWARD!

Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis, chapters 16-18

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Faith, Genesis, Prayer, Quiet time, Seeing God, Trust

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1) The Beginning of All New Beginnings

It’s been said that anyone who has ever set out to study the Bible is always a pro at Genesis. I suppose it is inevitable that with all of the things we start and never finish, that we’re going to read In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… more times than The grace of the Lord Jesus will be with God’s people. Amen. (Note: I was able to rattle the Genesis scripture off the top of my head, but had to look the Revelation scripture up–which is the whole stinking problem, isn’t it?!) However, one can’t very well set out to read the entire Bible chronologically and not begin at the beginning, so here we are.

Today’s reading: Genesis, chapters 1-3

The creation of the world, the creation of mankind, and the fall of mankind

From nothing God created all. When I read the first few lines of scripture of this great Living Word, I picture a sort of infinite black hole, like something out of a movie, with no beginning, no end, and no signs as to what is up, down, right, left, north, south, etc. True nothingness is so beyond our limited imaginations that we are forced to relate it to something we have seen in order to wrap our heads around the concept at all; I choose a black hole, you may choose to envision a pitch black room without a shred or trickle of light. Out of this nothingness, the Holy Trinity imagined if you will, created, and put to work animals, humans, planets, galaxies, universes, eternity. This one thought never ceases to amaze me. God in His infinite awesomeness!

An example comes to mind from one of my favorite free-thinkers. Picture a whole square mile full of trash and rubble and various parts and fabric and steel and buttons and lights and all kind of just junk lying on the ground, all piled up in this mile by mile square piece of land. Now, imagine in your mind’s eye a huge gust of wind, like a tornado, coming along and sweeping every bit of that mess and trash up into the air, all swirling around and flying through the air. When the wind settles back down, you notice the trash is no longer trash; there are no longer a square mile stretch of junk lying on the ground. In its place is now a Boeing 747 airplane. This author that first told of this analogy told it in comparison to the creation of the human eyeball with all its parts and atoms and the amazing detail that had to go into God’s creation of just one human eyeball. We think nothing of getting on an airplane and flying on business trips, or to visit friends or family members, but even this giant ball of steel, fabric, parts and junk does amazing things when all put together into a Boeing 747. Our bodies are unbelievably more intricate than a Boeing 747, and our human bodies are just one example of God’s power to create something from nothing.

My goal in this blogging journey is not to rehash each chapter and verse of what we are reading together. My goal is to dig deeper, look with a fresh set of eyes (those amazing creations!), and express the awe and occassional confusion over this book we have before us. A friend of mine once said, “Some people read tons of books and know nothing, and others read just one book and know everything.” Everything you need to know begins with Genesis: God created the heavens and the earth. The rest is just our own human need for the details.

Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis 4-7

Until tomorrow

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Genesis, Seeing God, Trust

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Healing Rain

I was driving home from work last week, on a day like many others. The rain was falling, I was feeling like I had a lot to do and too little time, and I was listening to the radio. A song came on that I know and love but on that day it struck me in a way it never had before.

Healing Rain, one of the many moving songs by Michael W. Smith, played and I felt all of my worldly worries wash away, right then and there. It was as if time had ceased to exist as I watched individual raindrops roll in slow motion down my windshield and the words he sang went straight to my heart. Tears of joy, and tears of shame are washed forever in Jesus’ name.

These words pierced through me and I was overcome by the times in my own life and in the lives of countless friends and family in Christ have been hit by such a force that only heaven’s healing rain could truly fix the problem. Sometimes life take a miracle, yet we see them everyday when we look through God’s eyes.

When pains and sorrows seem to suck the life out of our days and we have no words to speak, the Holy Spirit is there with us, guiding us, promising and comforting us. The sun of righteousness will rise with healing (Malachi 4:2). Isn’t that a beautiful image? A breathtaking sunrise that will wash away the pains after the rain has fallen in our lives. Glory!

The face of the matter is that things happen in each of our lives that we don’t want to happen, we have to deal with stuff we would rather not, and sometimes life can be overwhelming, at best. But friends, even in these times when all our natural instincts tell us to run away from the pain, God is speaking softly in our ears, reminding us that we can run into His arms.

David wrote in Psalms 62:8, Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. He is there, He knows our best, our worst, our weakness, and our strength, and like a patient grandparent, God is waiting with open arms for you to come and gather at His feet for protection, guidance, and healing.

Oh Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you (Psalms 41:4). It is no secret that human nature is more inclined to evil than to good. We see the painful evidence everywhere we turn. Some faces hide the pain better than others, but it is still there, just below the surface. The perfect news is this: that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24).

Isn’t that wonderful?! Isn’t that marvelous news?! Isn’t it such a relief to know that all of our sins, all of our cruel deeds, all of our hurts and pains, all of our natural imperfections are not tallied up against us? I am constantly amazed and blessed by this realization as I go through my daily life, sometimes letting my worldly nature get the better of me.

By faith in God, through Jesus Christ, His son, you and I can put down our pain and allow the healing rains pour down on us like a fountain from heaven and wash us clean. God made a covenant with Noah after the great flood that Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy life. (Genesis 9:14-15) Although God was referring to actual floods destroying the earth, through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are also protected from the storms of life destroying us.

We have trials and seasons that test us, mind and body, but we are never given an undertaking that we are not also given the strength to overcome. I believe it was Mother Teresa who said,I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much. Isn’t that the truth, friends? But when the storm clouds gather, as they will, respond with prayer.

Pray, have faith in Him, and know that you are loved and that no one, least of all God, wants to watch you be destroyed by the floods in your life. When we have faith, even in the midst of life’s storms, all can see and feel it, just as the crippled man in the book of Acts. Paul was teaching and could see just by looking into the face of this crippled man across a crowded roomthat he had faith to be healed (Acts 14:9) and was healed by his faith.

Our faith outshines the storms and even as we are walking through our darkest hours, if we do so with faith in God on our side our hearts will, indeed, be washed in the healing rains and we will emerge singing His praises.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5: 2-5)

Friends, are the tears falling in your world right now or do you have some old wounds that cut so deep they just don’t seem to be healing? There is healing in God. God is like the kindest of parents, He loves us whether we acknowledge Him or not, but when we do, He rejoices! When we have been battered or have fallen, all we have to do is go to Him, pray to Him, show Him our pain and watch as He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds (Psalms 147:3).

Healing through Him is available to all, no matter the circumstances. Whether you were raised knowing Him or were raised to loathe Him, He has loved you since the beginning of time and rejoices when you allow Him into your heart. Call out and feel the healing rains fall.

Category:

1 Peter, Acts, Books of the Bible, Genesis, Healing, James, Malachi, Psalms, Romans

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