How long will we wander, before returning to Him?

Posts tagged ‘obedience’

124) Ug–that dreaded “O” word

I don’t know about you, but for me today’s scripture passage was packed full and dense. There was so much to take in, but I’ll do my best at making sense of all my thoughts here.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Samuel 5:11-25; 2 Samuel 6:1-23; 1 Chronicles, chapters 13-16

Whew!

What stands out to me the most today can be summed up in one word: Obedience. Obedience isn’t a word we generally like much, but it’s critical to our successful walk with God. King David inquired of the Lord, then did as the Lord commanded him. (2 Sam. 5:19, 23, and 25; 1 Chron. 14:10, 14, and 16) Then, when there were failures, like when the Lord struck down Uzzah for touching the Ark of the Lord, they realized they had not inquired of the Lord how to go about moving the ark in the prescribed way. (1 Chron. 15:13) When we inquire of Him to direct our paths, He responds with direction. When He responds with direction, the key is obvious but sometimes so difficult for our own wills to handle: Obedience.

David tells us through the Living Word:

Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually. (1 Chron. 16:11, NASB)

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. (1 Chron. 16:23-25, NASB)

David dancing worship

Friends, I want to be brave enough and humble enough to dance and sing praises to our Lord with all of my might. No matter who is watching, and no matter how mankind might judge, because man does not determine my ultimate fate.

This is so easy to SAY and not always so easy to DO, but I firmly believe that our outward actions begin with the heart and He knows where each of our hearts are right now.

As our hearts are more and more filled with the conviction of the Spirit, even those of us who hide behind our written words will get up and get out, serving and dancing and singing praises. And I don’t care who’s watching!

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Tomorrow’s scripture passage: Psalms, chapters 1-2, 15, 22-24, 47, and 68

Category:

1 Chronicles, 2 Samuel, Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Hope, Perseverance, Praise, Rules worth LIVING by, Service

Tagged with:

93) Three things…

Wow, what a fascinating few days I’ve had. I’m tempted to refer to them as stressful but instead am considering them blessed. I hope each of you have also had blessed days.

Day 93 reading: Judges, chapters 10-12

threeThree things strike me in today’s reading above all else: 1) God’s filling Presence in our lives, 2) That there are times when our suffering is even difficult for our Lord to stand watching, and 3) That obedience to Him takes a lot of guts.

I’d like to break these three items down.

FIRST: God’s filling Presence in our lives. Several times throughout our reading up to this point have pointed to His Presence in our lives, every day, every moment, through every situation. He is there. He is here. But do you know those times when you can literally feel the Presence of the Lord in you? When His Presence comes over me, it’s almost overwhelming, almost more than my human body can handle. It’s wonderful and terrifying at the same time. But scripture tells us that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, so Jephthah was led by the Presence of the Lord in obedience (11:29, NASB). Sometimes the Spirit makes Itself known to us because of our obedience, but sometimes it is in our disobedience that the Spirit seems to have no other option but to fill us with His Presence to get us moving.

SECOND: There are times when our human suffering is even too much for God to sit back and watch. So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer (10:16, NASB). Just as lessons taught are sometimes difficult for parents to watch children struggle through, the Lord feels the same in watching our lives unfold. When the going gets tough, it effects Him, as well. I believe the key is that when the tough times come upon His children, and we are under more strain and heartache than we think we can bear, it is up to us to make it known to Him that we cannot do it alone, we cannot conquer anything without His help. The Israelites put away the foreign gods first, then the Lord helped them back out of the pit they had dug for themselves.

THIRD: Obedience to Him takes a lot of guts. I vaguely remember studying the story of Jephthah and his daughter, his only child, previously, but as I have said before, I am making every effort to read through the Bible in a Year with a completely fresh set of eyes and perspective. This piece of our history struck me so hard this time today. I pictured one of my daughters  singing and dancing with the tambourines, in celebration for Jephthah’s successes and return home from battle. I pictured the look on her face and the pain in his heart, knowing what had to happen next. And, honestly, like the die-hard romantic that I truly am, I so hoped for a happy ending. I wanted this story to be like Jacob and Isaac. I wanted the Lord to see Jephthah’s obedience and allow her to live. But, she was obedient to the Lord as well Jephthah. “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.” (11:36, NIV)

Following this life is full of joy and equally full of struggles, but these are struggles we are equipped to win through Him and in His holy name!

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 94 reading: Judges, chapters 13-15

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Children, Faith, Judges, Perseverance, Rules worth LIVING by, Trust

Tagged with:

84) Taking our Provisions from the Lord

Day 84 reading: Joshua, chapters 9-11

When there is good around, there is sure to be evil lurking in the midst. Everyone wants a piece of the good stuff, and some will deceive just to get it, as was the case with the Hivites in our reading today.

They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the Lord your God.” (9:9, NASB)

This was an untruth, but when people find out about the incredible works the Lord does in each of our lives, they want a taste of the goodness. Who can blame them? I want that joy of the Lord in my own life, too! But there is work to be done, first.

And, as followers and servants of the Lord our God, we no longer act on our own, with our own human brains that are only here for this life, but we choose to consult the Lord in decisions, such as who to allow into our lives, who to trust, where to journey, and how far to travel down this or that path to lead to Him.

So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. (9:14, NASB)

I know I’m guilty of acting without first seeking. And isn’t it true that, whether major or minor decisions, that’s when I fall flat on my face. The Lord stresses again and again through His Inspired Word the importance of communication and relationship with Him.

sunThen Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Oh son, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.”

So the sun stood still and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.

Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. (10:12-14, NASB)

Joshua was so blessed by the Lord that He acted as Joshua spoke.

I may be reading into this too much or putting my own slant in here, but I believe that Joshua was so filled with the Spirit that his words were truly the Lord’s, so God was acting through Joshua and not necessarily because of Joshua. I would enjoy reading your thoughts on this, as well.

Then, after the defeat of nations and kings, Joshua spoke to his leaders with further strength and proof of the Lord’s Presence under his belt:

When they brought these kings out to Joshua, Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near, put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came near and put their feet on their necks.

Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.” (10:24-25, NASB)

I find it interesting that after these Israelites defeated the powerful kings and nations, Joshua is telling them to stand firm and not be afraid in the sight of these defeated kings, who were actually awaiting their death. But it strikes a familiar note with me that in the face of storms or wars, I find that I act without fear, charging ahead to protect and defend. Then, it’s only after the fact, after the dust has settled, that all that I have been through seems to set in and the fear also sets heavy on me. That’s when the tears and fears come. It seems the same was happening among the chiefs of Israel. But Joshua tells them to “Be strong and courageous” as we should be, as well. He is with us in defeat of our enemies, and in defeat of the evil one who is constantly at war in (and for) our lives. We are to be strong and courageous in preparation, in action, and in retrospect!

Thus Joshua struck all the land, the hill country and the Negev and the lowland and the slopes and all their kings. He left no survivor, but he utterly destroyed all who breathed, just as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded. (10:40, NASB)

Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone that the Lord had commanded Moses. (11:15, NASB)

So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. (11:23, NASB)

Acting in obedience has to be first on our hearts and minds in our walk with Him.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 85  reading: Joshua, chapters 12-15

Category:

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

Tagged with:

62) When we GIVE our best, we RECEIVE His best

Day 62 reading: Numbers, chapters 18-20

“Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.’” (18:30, NIV)

When we give our best, we receive His best.

Friends, it’s no wonder that the Lord got frustrated with the Israelites and I’m sure gets frustrated with me, daily, as well. Isn’t it maddening to even read the account of the Israelite’s refusal to follow His instructions? But don’t we do the same? Unfortunately so.

Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!” (20:2-3, NIV)

Really?

Again?

Not only are you complaining AGAIN after all you have seen and LIVED THROUGH, but you’re going to keep COMPLAINING?!?!!?

Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. (20:6, NIV)

So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”

Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. (20:9-11, NIV)

As obvious as this point is, I must make it: This is the Word of God. This is our guidebook. He dwells in each of us and speaks to each of us in His own way, but we must listen and obey. Listen AND obey.

Marilyn Horton headshotMake it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 63  reading: Numbers, 21-22

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Numbers, Perseverance, Rules worth LIVING by, Seeing God, Trust

Tagged with:

58) Blueprint for life

blueprintDon’t you just ever step back from some mistake you’ve just made and wish like crazy that you had a blueprint for your life? Well, you do! It’s here! We’re studying it…together…daily. So, let’s keep up the good work and not let set-backs or schedules or life or missed deadlines hold us back from The Plan. God’s Plan.

Day 58 reading: Numbers, chapters 8-10

The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses. (8:4, NIV)

The Lord gave the Israelites a blueprint to their lives, an extremely detailed plan to live by, and He gives the same to each of us every time we open up His Word and reveal His truths for our lives.

At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. (9:23, NIV)

Are there times when God’s Plan is telling me to move, act, react, and I don’t listen? Are there times when all of us are so afraid of that next step that we just can’t seem to move one foot, one step? What stops us from moving forward with Him? What keeps us from our time with Him? What in this world could possibly be more important, more critical, than our future in the eternal world? We feel inadequate. We feel distracted. We feel unworthy.

But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people because he did not present the Lord’s offering at the appointed time. (9:13, NIV)

Friends, let me tell you that this is my greatest fear: that I am able-bodied and able-minded to do the will of God to the letter, but I don’t. When we are able to act on His calling for our earthly lives but do not offer ourselves up to Him. When we don’t take that step in faith toward Him.

“Rise up, O Lord! May your enemies be scattered; may you foes flee before you.” (10:35, NIV)

I think that sometimes we all feel alone. We are surrounded by people every day but are all alone. We are better connected today than we or any previous generation ever has been, yet we are still alone. Let me tell you, this, though: YOU are NOT alone. I am here. There are others here that are sharing this journey. Maybe friends are joining in this chronological reading as I write it, or maybe it’s years down the road. But we are not alone on this journey.

Humor me if you will. In the comments section below, please respond to this post. Please include

  • your name (first, last, a username, or nickname–whatever you feel comfortable sharing)
  • your age range (i.e.: 20′s, 30′s, 40′s, 50′s, etc.)
  • and the region in which you live (you can be specific with the city, or general with the state, etc.)

I want each of us to realize that we are not alone. I am NOT alone. YOU are NOT alone.

Thank you, friends.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 59 reading: Numbers, chapters 11-13

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Blessings, Faith, Numbers, Perseverance, Rules worth LIVING by, Seeing God

Tagged with:

33) Ancestral Heritage

Today we continue with God’s wrath on the Egyptians for not releasing His people from captivity.

Day 33 reading: Exodus, chapters 10-12

The the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.” (10:1-2, NIV)

My parents, 3/5ths of the kids, and I, Christmas 2012 (Steve was behind the camera!)

My parents, 3/5ths of the kids, and I, Christmas 2012 (Steve was behind the camera!)

The Lord cares about ancestry, blood lines, family, and heritage. I don’t know about you, but I get stressed just over the doctor asking about my family medical history back through my grandparents. There are genealogist-types in my family that keep track of all the records and documentation of who crossed what ocean on what boat and when, but I am not one of them. However, reading just this small passage makes me want to learn more and hear more of the stories my parents and grandparents have shared over the years. In the times we are reading through now, people also lived longer than they do today. We get excited to get a picture with four, maybe even five, generations together, but imagine how many generations you could live to see and tell stories to if you lived to be 137 years old like Levi (Exodus 6:16), 110 years like Joseph (Genesis 50: 26), or 140 years like Job (Job 42:16).

Yesterday, I shared with you about The History Channel program my husband and I had watched, The Exodus Decoded. Today, as the plagues continue, I can’t help but think it interesting that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart over and over again so that everything in the land of the Egyptians would be destroyed, even the people themselves, before the Israelites would be allowed to leave Egypt. Through bloody water, frogs, gnats, flies, disease, and hail in yesterday’s scripture passage, then today’s locusts, darkness, and even the deaths of every Egyptian first-born son (human and animals), Pharaoh and the Egyptian peoples lost everything.

Stepping Up Beth MooreIn Beth Moore’s Bible study, entitled Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent, she demonstrated how the Israelites would have painted their door posts with lamb’s blood for the Passover that we are studying today. It was interesting for me to see her take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs (12:7, NIV), as she brushed the blood onto the wood with hyssop.

Another time I have encountered delving into the Passover was when I read A.J. Jacob’s Year of Living Biblically, where he devoted a year to living as closely as he could to the laws as outlined in the Bible. Sometimes he passed, sometimes he failed, but his adventures (and mis-adventures) always made for entertaining reading. And, I must say, that although A. J. Jacobs considers himself a Jewish-born agnostic, his book proved enlightening into some of the history and facts behind hundreds of Biblical laws, like the Passover that we are reading about in today’s passage.

Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for generations to come. (12:40-42, NIV)

Family. Generations. Blood lines. Divisions. We are important to our Lord, the one and only God. He keeps His promises to us and is ever faithful to us, His children. Just as He brought His chosen people out of Egyptian slavery, He will also bring you and I out of the slavery and sin we have gotten ourselves tangled up in. The Lord said, “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants.” (12:24, NIV)

Where do we learn our habits, customs, history from these days? How are we ensuring that these same stories are continuing down the line to our children and our children’s children? He performs miraculous signs in our lives every day, so that we may tell our children and grandchildren how He dealt harshly with those who keep us captive, and how He performs His signs among us, so that we may know that He is the Lord (10:1-2). Amen!

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 34 reading: Exodus, chapters 13-15

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Children, Exodus, Perseverance

Tagged with:

22) When He Speaks

Day 22 reading: Genesis, chapters 30-31

Horton Family 2009Again, the cultural differences between the time period we’re reading through and the time period we are living in are so vastly different, yet the lessons are universal. Although many men joke about having more than one wife, and mistresses, concubines, etc…all my logical mind can think is, “How did they afford all of those kids?” Steve and I have five kids, two of which are now grown and on their own (his, mine, and ours, in case you’re doing the math), and it’s still a stretch to pay for them all! Jacob had at least six sons with Leah alone, not to mention all of the other children. Good grief. That would just stress my husband out!

Today, though, what really interests me is how God sometimes takes us in a completely different direction than we initially planned. Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” (31:3, NIV)

And I return, also, to a question I posed yesterday about the IF’s and the THEN’s and the Lord God of Jacob’s father, Isaac, rather than claiming Him as his own. Jacob responds here to God’s calling back to his homeland, “the God of my father has been with me” (31:5, NIV), and my reaction is completely different. Today–and maybe it’s a difference in the way it is used–I see the God of my father reference more as a reverence for all that his father, Isaac, and his father before him, Abraham, had done and promised, and that Jacob was being protected because of those promises. The way I read today’s scripture, Jacob believes that God is protecting him and his family because of his forefather’s obedient lives.

Then, God speaks to Jacob in a dream, and reminds him of the vow Jacob made to God (or the “test,” whichever way you want to look at it): “I am the god of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.” (31:13, NIV)

As Jacob is sharing this dream with his wives, I love that for the first time recorded, the sisters actually agree. “Do whatever God has told you” (31:16, NIV). So many women take issue with submission to a husband, male-figure, or even any other authority figure in their lives. I know, I used to be one of them. But then I realized that if you are following the direction of someone who is faithful to God and is putting godly direction above all else, then submitting to that is nothing negative and can only have positive outcomes.

I find the stealing of Laban’s gods (statues, I suppose?) an interesting twist of events. Yet, even once God came to Laban in a dream, telling him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either god or bad,” Laban still obsesses and hunts for his gods among Jacob’s things (31:24, NIV). I have said this before and I will most likely say it a hundred times more, but if God spoke directly to me, in a dream or otherwise…I WOULD LISTEN. (I hope) But certainly, if God spoke directly to me, I would no longer doubt (if I doubted before) the existence and omnipresence of the Lord our God. And, I would absolutely, without a doubt, STOP looking for the other gods. I truly don’t understand this part of the history.

Today, as I was going about my daily thinks, I recalled a memory of a babysitter I once had. Penny was a kind, Christian woman with bright red hair and a love for God. Penny loved to watch soap operas, but once she became a Christian, she traded in her Guiding Light and As The World Turns for a Christian soap opera (which, I still think is a complete contradiction). I always thought it absurd that a Christian soap (“stories”) even existed, and especially since I was never around soap operas (thank you, Mom) I really didn’t see the thrill of any of them, Christian-based or not. But now I see. Soap operas began in the beginning! We have read Job and much of Genesis and we’ve already got enough material for some pretty juicy stories. Drama has always been around; it didn’t begin with the Valley Girls of the 80′s; it began with a piece of fruit in a garden that was too tempting for human will to resist. Friends, we can’t always escape the drama, but we can control the ways we allow the drama to effect our lives, and how we respond. Hopefully, by rebuilding our foundation on the Lord, we will approach the stories of life in the healthiest way possible, and always trust in the Lord, our Provider, to bring us home to safety.

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Day 23′s reading: Genesis, chapters 32-34

Category:

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

Tagged with:

19) The Lord our Provider

Today’s theme (rather, the theme of our life): The Lord Will Provide.

Today’s reading: Genesis, chapters 22-24

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
(22:1-8, NIV)

LIFE IS GOODThe Lord DID provide for that burnt offering. The Lord DOES provide all we truly need now. And, the Lord will CONTINUE to provide for us in the future. By testing us, God is able to prove again and again that He will forever provide for our needs. After we pass these tests, large and small, God blesses us with greater responsibility.

I love the quote from Mother Teresa, “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”

God blessed Abraham for his faith, and He blesses you and I, as well.

The Lord rewarded Abraham for passing the ultimate test:
I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (22:17-18, NIV)

God blesses us all the more because you have obeyed me.

I want to pose an open-ended question. Don’t panic, it won’t be too deep…it’s more a Sunday school question, but hopefully over time we can add some depth to our answers.

The question is two-fold:

1) How do we, in our daily lives, obey God? How do we, REALLY, obey Him daily? Not, what should we doing, but what do we do?

2) What proof have we experienced in the past that when we obey God, we truly are blessed in cause and effect kind of responsiveness?

My answers, #1) In my daily life, I have to have my “God time.” And most of the time that need to have quiet time alone with Him is because I feel so lonely without it. Whether I spend the time on this chronological journey, reading and writing, or it’s time spent in prayer or some other form of time with Him, I know I must have it in order to remain full and focused.

Through this year’s reading journey, I am purposely avoiding commentaries and teachings that pertain to the passages we are reading together. This is not to suggest that I don’t love to hear my pastor preach, or get so deeply involved with my latest ladies Bible study, but I have not gone out of my way to research the daily scripture reading passages more in-depth. If it’s not in the Book, itself, it can wait. This year for me is about knowing what the Bible actually says, without spin or outside interpretation. There are so many great thinkers and students of the Bible that have incredible insight, but I first want to strengthen my own biblical foundation in the Word so that I can make out right from wrong, skewed from biblical, in the teachings and readings I come across in the future. In fact, I am already thinking about next year’s self-assignment (I know, I know…we’re not even out of the teens and I’m already planning for the next 365 day stretch), and I think it will involve commentary. Right now, I am just enjoying the living, breathing, Word of God. Aren’t you?

My answers, #2) Even as I posed the second question my mind went blank. Isn’t it frustrating when you know there’s so much to say, so many exciting stories, and you just lose it? I would say that 90% of my prayers also include pleas to God to make the pathways He wants me to follow as obvious as possible; I’m always afraid I may miss a turn and completely miss the awesome life God has in store for me. That being said, I have had countless wonderful experiences with God, when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was being greatly blessed because I was faithful and trusting in Him. Cause & effect.

Steve Marilyn Christmas 2011The summer of 2009 was a difficult one in my family. Anyone who is or ever has been married knows there are hills and there are valleys. Let’s just say, the summer of 2009 was a rocky valley; it was a test that my husband and I barely made it through. It was a summer that I knew would make me stronger if I persevered or weaken me to a shell of the person I once was if I didn’t hold strong. I say with unwavering certainty that that rocky valley, that test of strength, was the best thing that could have ever happened in my family.

Sometimes, we have to hit rock bottom, to completely lose sight of the light, so that we can crave it so much that we finally seek after it. And, friends, when we regain our sight, it is a beautiful thing! I don’t ever want to return to that dark hole. I don’t want my feet to ever touch that rocky place again. Steve and I are blessed today because we passed a very difficult test. We are closer to one another; we are happier parents; and, best of all, we are closer to God and feel more secure in our relationship with Him, than we ever were before the rocky valley. Glory to God!

I look forward to hearing each of your insights into the cause and effects of God’s blessings. I want to live out His daily Word through my life in this world. It’s a tricky balancing act, as you all know, but together and with His Word and His Spirit, we will pull through the tests and our foundation of sand will be strengthened into the Rock!

Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis, chapters 25-26

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Genesis, Trust

Tagged with:

16) He is our Reward

www.ROADSIGNSTOHIM.com

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

Tagged with:

Tag Cloud

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 144 other followers