How long will we wander, before returning to Him?

Posts tagged ‘teaching’

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

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74) Our Children Deserve to be Taught

Today’s scripture reading: Deuteronomy, chapters 11-13

Morgan, Kelsey & Charlotte

Morgan, Kelsey & Charlotte

Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm. (11:2, NIV)

Our children neither know nor comprehend the power of the Lord; it is our job to hand down the accounts of the ways God has moved in our lives personally, and in the lives of those around us. It is our job, as parents, to share the Word so that they can know it and walk with Him.

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as a symbol to your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking with them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (11:18-19, NIV)

Our children deserve the best God has to offer them, and that introduction comes through us. They learn as much from the positive things we teach them and show them and that they observe in us, as they do from the negative, hurtful things that we do not do, the ways we do not act and the things we keep from saying against someone else or some situation.

Whatever I command you, be watchful to do it; you shall not add to it or diminish it. (12:32, Amplified)

As humans we often feel we are greater than; greater than other people, other nations, other cultures, other sexes, other businesses, other churches, other families, other members of our own family. But we are to be watchful that we don’t get too big for our own britches, and neither add to or take away from the Word of God to fit our human desires and worldly wants.

Let us strive, as fellow believers in Him and fellow sojourners through the
Word, to raise up our children in the way they should go, so they will not turn from it as they grow older (paraphrased from scripture), for I believe the children are our future (paraphrased from Whitney Houston). ;-)

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 75 reading: Deuteronomy, chapters  14-16

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Children, Deuteronomy, Rules worth LIVING by

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31) Covered By His Blessings

Day 32 reading: Exodus, chapters 4-6

I’m just going to jump right into today’s scripture passage because I am excited and really feeling this. A recurring theme today is Moses’ own insecurity about speaking the words of God.

Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, I am slow of speech and tongue.”

The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him his sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (4:10-12, NIV)

Marilyn teaching Salt Light studyI am there! Friends, let me admit now that I am not eloquent in my speech, either. When I write, I feel like the words absolutely flow out of me. My fingers dance across the keyboard in a lovely little rhythm. Everything flows and all is well in the world.

However, when I try to speak, even simple every-day conversation, even with my own family and friends, I feel like I am tripping and falling on my face at every turn. Can anyone relate?

There was a time in my life when the words didn’t flow as easily onto the page or computer, but I was much more self-assured in my speech. It’s as if I have traded one for the other; like I can’t have them both at the same time. Very interesting dynamic, I think. (frustrating, at times…but interesting just the same)

But here’s the cool part: when it’s truly crunch time, when what I am saying aloud is serious and sound and uplifting to Him, the words flow exactly as they should. When everything is clicking, I couldn’t write the words better and they take no thought, no obsessing, no processing, the words just flow from my mouth. The difference is that when the Lord is guiding my words and those words are falling on ears prepared by Him to truly hear, it’s not me speaking, but Him speaking through me.

The Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth?”

Amen, my Father, amen! Message received!

Yet even Moses, who had been directly called by the Lord, who had spoken to the Lord on several occasions, was still not sure of his abilities to speak and pass along the Word of God.

Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent…I am slow of speech and tongue.” (4:10)

But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?” (6:12, NIV)

But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?” (6:30, NIV)

But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” (4:13, NIV)

Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on  his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.” (4:14-16, NIV)

Again and again so far in our journey, and in our current days, God makes amendments in the plan to account for our very human shortfalls. It doesn’t effect the end result, but sometimes the twists and turns our humanness put into His mighty plan for our lives have to be frustrating to Him.

How many times in my own doubts and fears have I put a wrench in God’s plans for my own life? Too many for ME to count, I’m sure! The joy in this is that as long as we are seeking to please Him with our steps, as long as we are praying for His guidance, even our slips will only cause stumbles, but not falls. He’s got YOU, have no fear!

My friends, I am so glad to be covered by His blessings.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 32 reading: Exodus, chapters 7-9

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Exodus, Faith, Gifts & Talents, Prayer, Seeing God, Trust

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8) Believing what we think we know

We are waist deep in Job, now, and as I study today’s scripture passage and prepare to write, I am struck by how glad I am to be studying just this thing today. Right now, I am facing some challenges that are rocking me a bit. Nothing earth-shattering. Nothing compared to Job and the devastation that faced him. And, nothing compared to what so many of you reading with me are likely going through. But for me, today is a challenge. It’s wonderful at times like this to have scripture to go to for direction and assurance, though, isn’t it? Just as Job said, “My eyes have grown dim with grief; my whole frame is but a shadow” (17:7),when we go through particularly difficult times, we tend to see only the worst in the world around us. But there is hope for the hopeless: our God!

Today’s scripture reading: Job, chapters 17-20

As I read today’s passage, I actually began to see the point of view from Job’s friend’s side. What it boils down to, is that they knew only one way: bad people are punished, and good people are rewarded. Instead of seeing roadblocks or hiccups in their plans as challenges, they saw them as slaps on the wrist. They spoke what they knew.

I can certainly relate to that. We all do that. Even when we are dead wrong, if we don’t know we are wrong and only know the wrong information, we are still going to argue vehemently…but still be dead wrong. Job’s friends are convinced that Job must have really been a horrible, sinful man under the facade, which has finally caught up with him. Zophar spoke of this directly, but they all have in their own lengthy lectures:

“Surely you know how it has been from old, ever since man was placed on the earth, that the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment. Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found, banished like a vision of he night.” (20:4-8)

As much as reading all of the lessons they gave Job in his grief, and being angered and effected by their words much like Job was, it is only today that I am finally seeing their point. They only spoke what they know.

This is one of my concerns with this collection of chronological Bible study posts, as well. I am reading my prescribed passages every day and writing about them, journalling about them, really. I am not researching every passage or reading complimentary study guides to further enhance my reading and understanding. That would be nice, but even this project takes a couple of precious hours a day, and this is exactly as I meant it to be. Me, my Bible, my thoughts, and a computer in my lap. I want my own understanding–at least this time around–to be as unfiltered as possible. Sometimes, my ramblings may be just that as I type my steady stream of conscious thought on the given subject. Some days (hopefully), my thoughts on the day’s scripture reading will be cohesive and flow. But all days, I will just be writing from my own knowledge base and my own thoughts. I am no Biblical scholar. I attended a wonderful Christian university, Abilene Christian University, long enough to go through two years of biblical studies (these are considered fundamental classes there), so I actually have studied the entire Bible at least once (in theory)…or at least I’ve been tested on it. But, then I read a passage that I could swear I’ve never even seen before. I never slept through class, but I was probably doodling a lot. (Let me just say that if I had those few years to do over again, I would. I took that time and that incredible university for granted so badly…but that’s a whole other soap box) I have taught Sunday School and mentored and even did a summer stint as a Director of Children’s Ministries at my church, but I’ll be the first to admit that I feel that my Biblical foundation is still pretty sandy. And that is why I am here today. Reading. Studying. Soaking it all it, one inspired Word at a time. Writing. This time around, I am wasting nothing of His precious teaching.

Tomorrow’s reading: Job, chapters 21-23

Make it a great day, Marilyn

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Gifts & Talents, Job, Seeing God

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Romans 12:1-8

Lately, I have found myself in a bit of a rut. A good rut, but a rut just the same. I have found that I spend much of my study time reading works by pastors and wonderful Bible scholars, listening to lectures or watching videos or television broadcasts of sermons or lessons, but actually spending very little time one-on-one in the Word of God. I may read a passage or two in the Bible on my own, and I certainly flip to the verses as directed by the teachers I am studying, but quiet, personal time in His Word seems to have lessened for me in the last few weeks. As soon as I realized that I was studying other people’s commentaries on the Bible, rather than the Bible itself, I stood up and took notice!

Let me just say, so there is no misunderstanding, that I believe there is so much insight to be gleaned from studying what other’s before us have studied, and allowing trusted teachers to pass on their wisdom to us. There are countless amazing Bible scholars, ministers and teachers to study under, from the least to the greatest, they all have unique insight and I learn something new every time I study with them. However, what I am saying here is that sometimes I study them rather than Him.

So, this week I have taken action and instead of listening to a certain sermon or lesson, I have been listening to the Word read in audio form (one terrific free resource for this is: faithcomesbyhearing.com). And, instead of spending all of my personal study time reading works and studies by other authors, I am reading The Author. As simple as this all sounds, it is so easy to get inspired and excited about a certain teacher or lesson series that we actually forget to spend quality time just reading our Bibles and allowing His inspired Word to speak to us and through us.

Today, my personal focus is on Romans 12:1-8. Oftentimes, when I study, I enjoy reading several translations of the same passage so that I can be sure to grasp the full meaning of it, in language that I can truly understand. In doing so, I come up with my own translation, of sorts, what seems more a blending of them all. The following is my personal translation of this brief passage of scripture:

(1) You are called by God to worship Him at all times. Live every day, doing what is pleasing to God and what will bring honor to Him. (2) When you truly humble yourself before God, He will transform your mind and your thoughts so you will not be changed and brought down to the level of the world around you, but you will be a good example for others and lift the world up to honor Him. (3) As a messenger of God, I must warn you to remember that it is not you who does anything, but it is only through Him that we can have eternal success. (4) Just like all of the various parts of the same human body has different purposes and uses, they all come together to form the whole body. (5) Likewise, we make up the body of Christ and depend on one another to function properly. (6) God has given each of us special gifts, so let each of us make the most of the gifts He has given us so freely and not wish we had the gifts of other people. If God has given you a message of divine truth which will reveal God’s will, speak out when your faith in Him leads you to do so. (7) If God has given you a heart for serving others, serve with all the love and compassion that He has given you. If God has given you a gift for teaching, apply all of your energy to teaching well. (8) If God has given you the gift of advising others, do so in a way that comforts and encourages them. If God has given you a heart to give to others, give freely and without regret. If God has called you to leadership, lead diligently and in line with His own leadership. If God has called you to be merciful, show mercy to others with a happy heart and a smile on your face.

I want to encourage you, sisters, to do the same self-translating in your own study time. It helps me to better soak in what I am reading and studying to make it my own so that I can more readily relate to 2000+ year old wisdom. Even if you only have one translation to read from, look up definitions to the words you read–even if you use those words every day, looking it up can sometimes reveal something about the meaning of the passage as a whole that you had not seen before. And pray! Pray that God opens up the Word to you in a new way every time you go to Him to study. Pray that He reveals something fresh to you, even if you have studied the same passage for 30 years. As it is written in Lamentations: “Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” (3:23, New Living Translation)

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Category:

Lamentations, Romans

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Our Names Are Written In Heaven!

I have been concentrating my reading on the New Testament lately, and a passage struck me the other night, while everyone else in my home was sound asleep. I was reading about the seventy-two additional disciples that Jesus chose to go out in pairs, healing and teaching in His name (Luke 10). These disciples reported back to Jesus after doing great things, so pleased and rejoicing at all they had been able to accomplish, and Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven” (Luke 10:17, The Everyday Bible). I love the mental picture of Satan falling that quickly and with that much power, just like a lighting strike.

Then I read on and my chest swelled as I was almost overrun with emotion as this passage finished with Jesus reminding these disciples, “But you should not be happy because the spirits obey you but because your names are written in Heaven” (Luke 10:20, The Everyday Bible).

My name is written in Heaven! YOUR name is written in Heaven! Jesus tells those who love Him that is the number one joy of our lives, that through God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice, our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and that joy supersedes even Satan being overcome in our daily battles against evil. Wow!

What’s powerful, also, is that between that first passage in verse 17, and the second passage I lifted up in verse 20, Jesus is sure to keep those disciples focused on the fact that they were doing great things in the name of Jesus Christ, not by their own human powers but by the powers of the Holy Spirit working through their human hands.

Those of us who feel so led by God to go out into the world, teaching and praying and using opportunities to bring people to Him (or back to Him, as the case may be), must remember that it’s not for our glory, it is for His alone.

The words I use to reinforce His kingdom are not my own, but His words spoken (or typed) through my humanity. The successes I have are not my own wins or losses, but wins for Him and temporary losses until a greater time. All honor and glory is His, forever and ever!  Amen!!!

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Category:

Eternity, Luke

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