Job's mind is still spinning around and around. There are times where it seems like he is content in knowing that God is God and He holds him in his palm. There are other times where he is questioning God and asking for the things he has done wrong and for reasons as to why God is torturing him.
Such is life.
That's what we all do in our lives in different ways. We (or at least I) go around in circles. We try to handle things on our own until we reach the end of our strength and we are desperate. In our desperation, we seek God because we have no other choice. We grow in the Lord but when we start getting too comfortable, we start depending on ourselves again and not submitting to the Lord. Then the cycle repeats.
But this can't be another reason for us to claim that we are human and that we can't do any better. Or for us to condemn ourselves and feel horrible about life. No, this IS life. It is a growing process. As the Lord teaches us, we learn and we must commit to following His ways and applying that teaching everyday.
I LOVE the verses in Chapter 26: 5 - 13. Basically, Job is talking about how majestic and powerful God is.
When we remember His greatness, it puts everything back into perspective.
Yesterday, my mind and my heart were worrying about something. Yesterday evening, I got to take a beaaaautiful road trip for a couple hours during the sunset. Even though this sounds cheesy, as I looked around and saw God's beauty, it kind of made me realize that I was being a moron and worrying over nothing.
And then it gets better....
26:14 - "Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?"
We can only see a glimpse of who God is.
Sometimes that is AMAZING to think about and other times it is frustrating because we want to see more.
But I am learning to embrace the mystery of God.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Job 19:1 - 25:6
19:25 - "For I know that my Redeemer lives.."
I've heard that so verse so many times but I never knew that it came out of Job's mouth. That fact makes it even more meaningful! That a man going through as much strife as Job uttered those words.
That should be our attitude, our belief, and what we cling to no matter what we are going through.
Job and his friends are still going back and forth. However, Job's words are focusing more and more on the Lord. It's kinda like as he is talking this through with his friends, he is realizing how awesome God is.
His friends constantly acknowledge the sovereignty and power of the Lord but they miss key characteristics of Him. For example, Eliphaz's accusations of Job and his description of God make it seem that we have to earn our relationship with God and that it is all based on if we do good, offer sacrifices, and don't sin.
That is not who God is. And that is not the relationship that He wants with us.
Job talks a little bit about his relationship with God....I think that it illustrates well what we should strive for...
23:10 - "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandments of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. "
Oh. my. goodness.
That is convicting but AWESOME!!! That is my prayer for my life....that it would look like that. That's all I want out of life.
Then about God he says...
23:13-15 - "But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does. For He performs what is appointed for me, and many such things are with Him. "
God is all powerful. He does whatver He wants. But we shoud be so thankful that whatever He does is out of love because He is love.
Isaiah 43:18-19 - "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.
I am reading this book, "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" with a small group and the chapter we just read talks about this verse. When we discussed it the other night, this verse made me think of Job and his circumstances.
I realized that a lot of times I look at Job and how awful he had it and I admire him for his faith. But then I thought about this verse....and how THIS should be our focus all. the. time.
Rise above the circumstances.
If I would do that on a regular basis, my life would be so much easier, haha. I think that God wants us to love Him so much that even if we ARE in a situation like Job's, we simply trust that He will do a new thing.
Definitely easier said than done.
But it is true.
I've heard that so verse so many times but I never knew that it came out of Job's mouth. That fact makes it even more meaningful! That a man going through as much strife as Job uttered those words.
That should be our attitude, our belief, and what we cling to no matter what we are going through.
Job and his friends are still going back and forth. However, Job's words are focusing more and more on the Lord. It's kinda like as he is talking this through with his friends, he is realizing how awesome God is.
His friends constantly acknowledge the sovereignty and power of the Lord but they miss key characteristics of Him. For example, Eliphaz's accusations of Job and his description of God make it seem that we have to earn our relationship with God and that it is all based on if we do good, offer sacrifices, and don't sin.
That is not who God is. And that is not the relationship that He wants with us.
Job talks a little bit about his relationship with God....I think that it illustrates well what we should strive for...
23:10 - "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandments of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. "
Oh. my. goodness.
That is convicting but AWESOME!!! That is my prayer for my life....that it would look like that. That's all I want out of life.
Then about God he says...
23:13-15 - "But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does. For He performs what is appointed for me, and many such things are with Him. "
God is all powerful. He does whatver He wants. But we shoud be so thankful that whatever He does is out of love because He is love.
Isaiah 43:18-19 - "Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.
I am reading this book, "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" with a small group and the chapter we just read talks about this verse. When we discussed it the other night, this verse made me think of Job and his circumstances.
I realized that a lot of times I look at Job and how awful he had it and I admire him for his faith. But then I thought about this verse....and how THIS should be our focus all. the. time.
Rise above the circumstances.
If I would do that on a regular basis, my life would be so much easier, haha. I think that God wants us to love Him so much that even if we ARE in a situation like Job's, we simply trust that He will do a new thing.
Definitely easier said than done.
But it is true.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Job 15:1 - 18:21
The discussion continues between Job and his friends...
Job's tone is still hopeless. However, I think that these passages show that it is good to talk things through. God reveals Himself to us in discussion and relationships with other people.
That's about all I have to say today!!
Job's tone is still hopeless. However, I think that these passages show that it is good to talk things through. God reveals Himself to us in discussion and relationships with other people.
That's about all I have to say today!!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Job 8:1 - 14:22
It's weird to read through someone's struggles. But it's also cool to see his intimate relationship with the Lord.
Job is as low as you can get. He speaks with very little hope. Which in my eyes is understandable considering all that he lost. He is pleading with God for verses and verses trying to get just a bit of understanding of what is going on in his life.
That's how I feel right now. I would not compare my life to Job's because I have not lost anything comparable to what he lost. But in my life right now, the enemy is doing everything he can to take away all hope in my heart in all areas of my life.
Job also has these friends....that although they seem to love the Lord, their advice to him is not the greatest. They are convinced that God is punishing him for some sort of sin he has commited. They are rebuking him for pleading with God and wrestling with God. They are telling him to repent immediately.
But Job doesn't really listen to him. I'm not sure what Job thinks. He seems angry. Job questions God and basically asks Him why He would create Him if He was going to put Him through all this anguish.
But in the midst of all his pleas, he says this:
13:15 - "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
It's kind of like Job is in this place in his life where he is completely miserable and he feels as if he has nothing to hold on to. But no matter how angry or sad or depressed that makes him, at the core of his being he KNOWS God and he cannot deny that. He knows that he has no other choice but to at least try to trust God.
That is the key. God wants us to be satisfied in Him. He wants us to be completely fulfilled by Him. Everything else is an extra bonus.
When we feel like we have nothing, when we feel lonely and afraid, that's when He wants us to at least try to trust Him. And the more we do, the more He will meet us and sooner or later, we will realize that He is the only thing that truly satisfies.
There are times in my life where I believe that God truly satisfies me and there are times when I do not. Sometimes it takes circumstances like Job's to get to that place of belief. I'm not saying that we will go through circumstances such as his. But remember, God uses everything for His good.
I get so angry with God sometimes and similar to human relationships, I just wish I could run away. But in the core of my being, I know God. And I cannot deny it. So in the depths of whatever Satan throws at me or the pits that I have created out of emotions and fears, I will try to trust Him and I know He will pull me out every time.
Job is as low as you can get. He speaks with very little hope. Which in my eyes is understandable considering all that he lost. He is pleading with God for verses and verses trying to get just a bit of understanding of what is going on in his life.
That's how I feel right now. I would not compare my life to Job's because I have not lost anything comparable to what he lost. But in my life right now, the enemy is doing everything he can to take away all hope in my heart in all areas of my life.
Job also has these friends....that although they seem to love the Lord, their advice to him is not the greatest. They are convinced that God is punishing him for some sort of sin he has commited. They are rebuking him for pleading with God and wrestling with God. They are telling him to repent immediately.
But Job doesn't really listen to him. I'm not sure what Job thinks. He seems angry. Job questions God and basically asks Him why He would create Him if He was going to put Him through all this anguish.
But in the midst of all his pleas, he says this:
13:15 - "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."
It's kind of like Job is in this place in his life where he is completely miserable and he feels as if he has nothing to hold on to. But no matter how angry or sad or depressed that makes him, at the core of his being he KNOWS God and he cannot deny that. He knows that he has no other choice but to at least try to trust God.
That is the key. God wants us to be satisfied in Him. He wants us to be completely fulfilled by Him. Everything else is an extra bonus.
When we feel like we have nothing, when we feel lonely and afraid, that's when He wants us to at least try to trust Him. And the more we do, the more He will meet us and sooner or later, we will realize that He is the only thing that truly satisfies.
There are times in my life where I believe that God truly satisfies me and there are times when I do not. Sometimes it takes circumstances like Job's to get to that place of belief. I'm not saying that we will go through circumstances such as his. But remember, God uses everything for His good.
I get so angry with God sometimes and similar to human relationships, I just wish I could run away. But in the core of my being, I know God. And I cannot deny it. So in the depths of whatever Satan throws at me or the pits that I have created out of emotions and fears, I will try to trust Him and I know He will pull me out every time.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Job 1:1 - 7:21
Oh Job. What a guy, what a guy. So Job is basically this guy that God loves. He calls him "righteous". One day, all the angels come before God and Satan comes as well. The Lord asks him, where do you come from...
1:7 - "So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it'"
Satan is our enemy. He is constantly watching us and finding ways to destroy us.
God gives Satan permission to test Job.
This shows several things. First, it shows that God is sovereign and ultimately has all control. Secondly, it shows that God sometimes allows Satan to test us.
Why?
I would think that it is because God knows what good can come out of our faith being tested. He never intends evil for us and He never gives us more than we can handle. So by allowing us to be "sifted", He is allowing our faith and joy and hope to be strengthened.
Job loses everything: his family, his property, his posessions, and then ultimately his health.
It's not often that we lose as much as Job lost but I know that there are seasons when everyone feels like Job felt. Completely hopeless...like they've lost everything.
How would I react if I were Job? I would think that I would have no choice but to depend on the Lord if I wanted to save my life. There is no other way out.
I think about the seasons when I have felt hopeless (this season in my life being one of them), and I realize that these are the times when I am closest with the Lord, walking side by side with Him and learning from Him. Why? Because, in my eyes, I have no other choice.
Job's friends come to comfort him and try to give him advice. The first guy, Eliphaz, basically says that all of this trouble must be happening because Job must have sinned and he deserves it.
I think that this is often our attitude as Christians...We are inherently judgmental and when we see calamity in other's lives, sometimes we just assume that they deserve it and are filthy sinners.
Jesus doesn't look at us that way. He is gracious. He forgives.
This story proves that. Job didn't necessarily do anything to "deserve" what happened to him. God allowed it to happen but I don't think that it is punishment. And I am certain that the Lord worked it all out for good.
Although Eliphaz's theory isn't completely accurate, some of the ways He describes God and the benefit of being tested are awesome.
5:18 - "Therefore, do not despise the chastening of the Almighty, for He bruises but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. "
He. is. good.
In 7:17-21, Job is honest about his desperation and hopelessness. When we feel like this, it is so hard to have faith that God will intervene and bring us through. But we have stories like this to prove to us that He will.
1:7 - "So Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it'"
Satan is our enemy. He is constantly watching us and finding ways to destroy us.
God gives Satan permission to test Job.
This shows several things. First, it shows that God is sovereign and ultimately has all control. Secondly, it shows that God sometimes allows Satan to test us.
Why?
I would think that it is because God knows what good can come out of our faith being tested. He never intends evil for us and He never gives us more than we can handle. So by allowing us to be "sifted", He is allowing our faith and joy and hope to be strengthened.
Job loses everything: his family, his property, his posessions, and then ultimately his health.
It's not often that we lose as much as Job lost but I know that there are seasons when everyone feels like Job felt. Completely hopeless...like they've lost everything.
How would I react if I were Job? I would think that I would have no choice but to depend on the Lord if I wanted to save my life. There is no other way out.
I think about the seasons when I have felt hopeless (this season in my life being one of them), and I realize that these are the times when I am closest with the Lord, walking side by side with Him and learning from Him. Why? Because, in my eyes, I have no other choice.
Job's friends come to comfort him and try to give him advice. The first guy, Eliphaz, basically says that all of this trouble must be happening because Job must have sinned and he deserves it.
I think that this is often our attitude as Christians...We are inherently judgmental and when we see calamity in other's lives, sometimes we just assume that they deserve it and are filthy sinners.
Jesus doesn't look at us that way. He is gracious. He forgives.
This story proves that. Job didn't necessarily do anything to "deserve" what happened to him. God allowed it to happen but I don't think that it is punishment. And I am certain that the Lord worked it all out for good.
Although Eliphaz's theory isn't completely accurate, some of the ways He describes God and the benefit of being tested are awesome.
5:18 - "Therefore, do not despise the chastening of the Almighty, for He bruises but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. "
He. is. good.
In 7:17-21, Job is honest about his desperation and hopelessness. When we feel like this, it is so hard to have faith that God will intervene and bring us through. But we have stories like this to prove to us that He will.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Genesis 47:28 - 50:26
The end of Genesis. What a beginning to the story of God's redemption and love.
The story between Jacob and Joseph is really emotional to me. Jacob LOVED Joseph more than anyone else and loses him tragically only to be reunited with him years later unexpectedly. I can't imagine the grief that he went through and then the inexplainable joy.
I think that its a small glimpse of Jesus' love for us. He cares for us so deeply and yearns unconditionally for us.
I love how Jacob describes God...
48:15 - "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil..."
This is who God is. For all of us.
This is the beginning of a long long journey. The twelve tribes of Israel originate here with Jacob's sons. So much history comes after this. Each event leads to another and the sons live their lives. Some for the Lord and some not.
But the Lord makes all things work together for our good. For His people's good.
I have never found so much peace in that truth as I do now. And its not a peace with selfish intentions hoping that I get what I want. That's not what it means for God to work all things together for my good. His idea of good is much much different from mine. And I want His.
When we are at places in our lives where we truly want God's good for us, He can revolutionize our lives. And that's what I want....everyday for Him to completely revolutionalize my life and for me to be a revolutionary for His kingdom. Help me to be that Lord.
50:19 - "Joseph said to his brothers, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now do not be afraid"
Grace.
I think of all these guys in Genesis as like the big guys of faith. They are the frontrunners, the fathers of faith. I think if I were alive back then, I would have placed dependence in them as leaders. But then I realize that we are the frontrunners. We all are.....the poor, the weak, the broken, the sick, the useless. We are His hands and feet.
The story between Jacob and Joseph is really emotional to me. Jacob LOVED Joseph more than anyone else and loses him tragically only to be reunited with him years later unexpectedly. I can't imagine the grief that he went through and then the inexplainable joy.
I think that its a small glimpse of Jesus' love for us. He cares for us so deeply and yearns unconditionally for us.
I love how Jacob describes God...
48:15 - "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, the Angel who has redeemed me from all evil..."
This is who God is. For all of us.
This is the beginning of a long long journey. The twelve tribes of Israel originate here with Jacob's sons. So much history comes after this. Each event leads to another and the sons live their lives. Some for the Lord and some not.
But the Lord makes all things work together for our good. For His people's good.
I have never found so much peace in that truth as I do now. And its not a peace with selfish intentions hoping that I get what I want. That's not what it means for God to work all things together for my good. His idea of good is much much different from mine. And I want His.
When we are at places in our lives where we truly want God's good for us, He can revolutionize our lives. And that's what I want....everyday for Him to completely revolutionalize my life and for me to be a revolutionary for His kingdom. Help me to be that Lord.
50:19 - "Joseph said to his brothers, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now do not be afraid"
Grace.
I think of all these guys in Genesis as like the big guys of faith. They are the frontrunners, the fathers of faith. I think if I were alive back then, I would have placed dependence in them as leaders. But then I realize that we are the frontrunners. We all are.....the poor, the weak, the broken, the sick, the useless. We are His hands and feet.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Genesis 42:1 - 45:15
Gosh, what an emotional time for Joseph and his brothers. This a great story of reconciliation and the love of a family.
After years and years of anguish, Joseph is reunited with his brothers. He tries to be hard on them, he tests their character, but he cannot hold back his love for his brothers and his father no matter what they did to him.
This is how we love our family. I heard a message recently talking about how we should love our brothers and sisters in Christ the same way that we love our blood family. It is so much harder to do...but that is truth.
This is also a great example of God being glorified through everything. Joseph understands that the Lord is in control of his life. He trusts him with everything. I wonder how long it took him to get to that place...But he is there at this moment. I think that these verses sum everything up:
45:4 "...'I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. .....And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your live by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God."
I really like this. Now a good question is...does God put us through hardship to mold us into the people He wants us to be? Some might say that putting someone through hardship is not good and so God wouldn't do that. Others may say that He ALLOWS us to go through tough times (tough times that we have created ourselves)so that He can mold us. But the argument to that is that Joseph was thrown into his affliction by his brothers.
No matter what the analysis, we have to remember that He has a purpose in everything, He can redeem any situation, His plan is perfect, and He works all things together for our good. Praise Jesus.
After years and years of anguish, Joseph is reunited with his brothers. He tries to be hard on them, he tests their character, but he cannot hold back his love for his brothers and his father no matter what they did to him.
This is how we love our family. I heard a message recently talking about how we should love our brothers and sisters in Christ the same way that we love our blood family. It is so much harder to do...but that is truth.
This is also a great example of God being glorified through everything. Joseph understands that the Lord is in control of his life. He trusts him with everything. I wonder how long it took him to get to that place...But he is there at this moment. I think that these verses sum everything up:
45:4 "...'I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. .....And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your live by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God."
I really like this. Now a good question is...does God put us through hardship to mold us into the people He wants us to be? Some might say that putting someone through hardship is not good and so God wouldn't do that. Others may say that He ALLOWS us to go through tough times (tough times that we have created ourselves)so that He can mold us. But the argument to that is that Joseph was thrown into his affliction by his brothers.
No matter what the analysis, we have to remember that He has a purpose in everything, He can redeem any situation, His plan is perfect, and He works all things together for our good. Praise Jesus.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Genesis 36:1 - 41:57, 1 Chronicles 1 - 2:8
And the story of Joseph begins.
We don't know a whole lot about Joseph....all we know is that Jacob loved him more than all of his brothers and his brothers hated him for it. Honestly, if I were Jacob's brother, I probably would have been pretty jealous as well, haha.
Now, I'm learning more and more that this was one dysfunctional family....First, we have the brothers who killed all the men in Shechem, then Reuben slept with one of his father's women, now Jacob loves Joseph the best, and his brothers plot to kill him.
Instead of killing Joseph, they end up selling him to Ishmaelites who take him to Egypt. (This is mostly due to Reuben)
39:2 - "The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand."
This is pretty much the story of Joseph's life. He goes through a lot of tough times and affliction....but the Lord was with Him and He ALWAYS blessed Joseph.
TRUST. We have to have trust!
So after Joseph has been faithfully serving his Egyptian master, he ends up being falsely accused and sent to JAIL. So here is Joseph, probably praying everyday for his deliverance...having to go through all of this hardship and now he goes to jail. I would be ticked.
But then, two of the PHAROAH's workers end up in jail with him and Joseph interprets dreams for them.
TWO YEARS LATER....the Pharoah needs a dream interpreted, his worker remembers Joseph and Pharoah has Joseph interpret his dream. Joseph does, finds favor in Pharoah's sight so Pharoah appoints him over all of the land.
All that I could think of while reading this story was that He makes all things work together for our good. He makes all things work together for our good.
God is FAITHFUL!!! This story is rediculous. I am sure while Joseph was going through all this stuff that life sucked....I mean really!! It did! But he trusted in the Lord, followed Him, and the Lord guided him and made his life better than it was before.
The truth is that He does this for us too. He always will.
What really touched me when was Joseph was naming his children...
41:52 - "And the name of the second be called Ephraim: 'For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction'"
How powerful. This is so true in our walks with Christ. Most of the time, the most fruitful, powerful, transformational times of our lives are when we are going through affliction.
When we are BROKEN, the Lord can mold us. And when we are broken, we learn to believe that the most important thing in life is falling in love with Jesus and walking with Him.
I went to a retreat this weekend and heard a man speak all weekend with so much passion for Jesus that basically every time He spoke about Christ, he was almost in tears. We came to learn that he has gone through, lived in, struggled through darkness. Real darkness. But through that, he came out with a deeper love and dependence on Jesus than he ever had before.
I want to be IN LOVE with Jesus. Really in love with Him. The deep down stuff. I want to be so dependent on Him that His love propels every step that I take.
That is life. That is truly living.
We don't know a whole lot about Joseph....all we know is that Jacob loved him more than all of his brothers and his brothers hated him for it. Honestly, if I were Jacob's brother, I probably would have been pretty jealous as well, haha.
Now, I'm learning more and more that this was one dysfunctional family....First, we have the brothers who killed all the men in Shechem, then Reuben slept with one of his father's women, now Jacob loves Joseph the best, and his brothers plot to kill him.
Instead of killing Joseph, they end up selling him to Ishmaelites who take him to Egypt. (This is mostly due to Reuben)
39:2 - "The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand."
This is pretty much the story of Joseph's life. He goes through a lot of tough times and affliction....but the Lord was with Him and He ALWAYS blessed Joseph.
TRUST. We have to have trust!
So after Joseph has been faithfully serving his Egyptian master, he ends up being falsely accused and sent to JAIL. So here is Joseph, probably praying everyday for his deliverance...having to go through all of this hardship and now he goes to jail. I would be ticked.
But then, two of the PHAROAH's workers end up in jail with him and Joseph interprets dreams for them.
TWO YEARS LATER....the Pharoah needs a dream interpreted, his worker remembers Joseph and Pharoah has Joseph interpret his dream. Joseph does, finds favor in Pharoah's sight so Pharoah appoints him over all of the land.
All that I could think of while reading this story was that He makes all things work together for our good. He makes all things work together for our good.
God is FAITHFUL!!! This story is rediculous. I am sure while Joseph was going through all this stuff that life sucked....I mean really!! It did! But he trusted in the Lord, followed Him, and the Lord guided him and made his life better than it was before.
The truth is that He does this for us too. He always will.
What really touched me when was Joseph was naming his children...
41:52 - "And the name of the second be called Ephraim: 'For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction'"
How powerful. This is so true in our walks with Christ. Most of the time, the most fruitful, powerful, transformational times of our lives are when we are going through affliction.
When we are BROKEN, the Lord can mold us. And when we are broken, we learn to believe that the most important thing in life is falling in love with Jesus and walking with Him.
I went to a retreat this weekend and heard a man speak all weekend with so much passion for Jesus that basically every time He spoke about Christ, he was almost in tears. We came to learn that he has gone through, lived in, struggled through darkness. Real darkness. But through that, he came out with a deeper love and dependence on Jesus than he ever had before.
I want to be IN LOVE with Jesus. Really in love with Him. The deep down stuff. I want to be so dependent on Him that His love propels every step that I take.
That is life. That is truly living.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Genesis 32:1 - 35:27
I really like Jacob, haha. I will keep saying that. I'm not exactly sure why but I LOVE his relationship with God. I love it.
Jacob wrestled with God.
In my last post, I talked about how much Jacob had struggled throughout his whole life. Ya know, you would think that someone who has struggled so much would be angry, confused, upset at God. And I think this shows that he was BUT the awesome part of it is...
That's not a bad thing.
I think this applies to us nowadays. I think that we often miss what it means to have a relationship with Christ. This is to be expected since we so often screw up human relationships....how much harder is it to be in a healthy relationship with someone you can't see. Anyhow, being in a relationship is about going through good times, hard times, joy, heartache, love, and conflict with each other. I truly believe and have learned so much recently, that it is okay to "wrestle" with God a little bit and be HONEST with Him. That is what He wants from us. The thing that we need to be careful of is not letting any anger or frustration with God turn into long term bitterness.
If you think about it...when you are angry with someone, it is more likely that you will resolve the conflict if you communicate with that person and try to work through it. If you keep all your anger to yourself, it grows and grows until it turns into a root of bitterness. I think its the same thing with our relationship with the Lord.
32:28 - "And He said, 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed"
This makes me really like God.
So in short, Jacob and Esau are reunited and Jacob is making his way with his whole crew to Esau's land. Meanwhile, he is staying in the city of Shechem. This guy, Shechem, violates one of Jacob's daughters, Dinah. In response to this all of Jacob's sons (Dinah's brothers) are FURIOUS. And long story short, some of the brothers end up killing ALL of the men in the city and taking all of their possessions, women, and children captive.
In response to this, Jacob rebuked his sons.
35:1 "Then God said to Jacob, 'Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother"
In the middle of all this turmoil, what does God do? He sends Jacob to the place where He first appeared to him. And what does he do there? He reminds Jacob of His blessings and His promises. (This is a small tangent but this also applies to us today....when we are in turmoil, hard times, struggling with something, feel trapped by sin, so often what we need to do is return to our first love. I think that God was showing Jacob this here)
This brought a lot of questions to my mind. It made me wonder why God blessed this group of people. Why didn't he bless everyone? Why just Abraham and his descendants?
And then...his "blessed" people do something horrible like killing a whole city of people, and it seems as if there are no ramifications. Instead, God reconfirms His promises to Jacob.
On the one hand, I see God's mercy in this. His forgiveness.
On the other hand, part of me really wonders....is this fair? It just doesn't seem right.
However, then I thought....I'm sure that there were consequences to Jacob's sons for what they did which I will find sooner or later. Also, JACOB did not partake in this and rebuked his sons for what they did. So why should God forsake Jacob because of what his sons did?
I think these are good things to think about. I am certain that I will never fully understand God. I am absolutely certain that nobody will fully understand God. However, I think that asking these questions is healthy and that when we do, God will reveal more of Himself and His purposes. We just have to be open to it.
I know that He is perfect. I know that whatever He does is good. Asking questions does not change that.
His mystery is a good thing.
Jacob wrestled with God.
In my last post, I talked about how much Jacob had struggled throughout his whole life. Ya know, you would think that someone who has struggled so much would be angry, confused, upset at God. And I think this shows that he was BUT the awesome part of it is...
That's not a bad thing.
I think this applies to us nowadays. I think that we often miss what it means to have a relationship with Christ. This is to be expected since we so often screw up human relationships....how much harder is it to be in a healthy relationship with someone you can't see. Anyhow, being in a relationship is about going through good times, hard times, joy, heartache, love, and conflict with each other. I truly believe and have learned so much recently, that it is okay to "wrestle" with God a little bit and be HONEST with Him. That is what He wants from us. The thing that we need to be careful of is not letting any anger or frustration with God turn into long term bitterness.
If you think about it...when you are angry with someone, it is more likely that you will resolve the conflict if you communicate with that person and try to work through it. If you keep all your anger to yourself, it grows and grows until it turns into a root of bitterness. I think its the same thing with our relationship with the Lord.
32:28 - "And He said, 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed"
This makes me really like God.
So in short, Jacob and Esau are reunited and Jacob is making his way with his whole crew to Esau's land. Meanwhile, he is staying in the city of Shechem. This guy, Shechem, violates one of Jacob's daughters, Dinah. In response to this all of Jacob's sons (Dinah's brothers) are FURIOUS. And long story short, some of the brothers end up killing ALL of the men in the city and taking all of their possessions, women, and children captive.
In response to this, Jacob rebuked his sons.
35:1 "Then God said to Jacob, 'Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother"
In the middle of all this turmoil, what does God do? He sends Jacob to the place where He first appeared to him. And what does he do there? He reminds Jacob of His blessings and His promises. (This is a small tangent but this also applies to us today....when we are in turmoil, hard times, struggling with something, feel trapped by sin, so often what we need to do is return to our first love. I think that God was showing Jacob this here)
This brought a lot of questions to my mind. It made me wonder why God blessed this group of people. Why didn't he bless everyone? Why just Abraham and his descendants?
And then...his "blessed" people do something horrible like killing a whole city of people, and it seems as if there are no ramifications. Instead, God reconfirms His promises to Jacob.
On the one hand, I see God's mercy in this. His forgiveness.
On the other hand, part of me really wonders....is this fair? It just doesn't seem right.
However, then I thought....I'm sure that there were consequences to Jacob's sons for what they did which I will find sooner or later. Also, JACOB did not partake in this and rebuked his sons for what they did. So why should God forsake Jacob because of what his sons did?
I think these are good things to think about. I am certain that I will never fully understand God. I am absolutely certain that nobody will fully understand God. However, I think that asking these questions is healthy and that when we do, God will reveal more of Himself and His purposes. We just have to be open to it.
I know that He is perfect. I know that whatever He does is good. Asking questions does not change that.
His mystery is a good thing.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Genesis 28:6 - 31:55
Wow. Talk about some d-r-a-m-a. Some days I think that I have crap going on in my life...haha it is nothing compared to what these people went through.
So, because Isaac blessed Jacob....he is now on his way fulfilling the promises of the Lord. And as He always does, the Lord continually reminds Jacob of who He is and His perfect plan that He will see out to its completion.
I like Jacob. Jacob seems to have a different sense of awe than Isaac and maybe even Abraham. When I read about Jacob and the things he did, I can sense his fear of God. He really understood the majesty of the Lord and submitted to it.
Jacob marries Rachel (who he wanted to marry) and Leah (not so much). Basically Laban, Rachel and Leah's father tricked Jacob into marrying Leah and then forced him to put in 7 more years of time to get Rachel as well. So you see, the drama has already begun...
29:31 - "When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb..."
God always hears our cry. There is a REALLY good book called "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" by Rob Bell. The whole first chapter talks about how God ALWAYS hears our cry. And not only that, but He ALWAYS does something about it.
Incredible.
So after Jacob's father-in-law has basically made him slave for him for years and years and changed his pay 10 times, he still won't allow Jacob to leave.
But the Lord never leaves Jacob and continues to bless him. This is crucial. But it honestly makes me worry a bit. I wonder if my faith would be strong enough to go through affliction for years and years and still trust and serve the Lord.
Eventually, Jacob flees and Laban chases after him and finally, they come to some sort of truce but I mean COME ON....I can't believe Jacob had to live through that.
What I also like about Jacob is that he seems like an honest and straightforward guy. I don't know him personally (haha), but I would take a guess and say that he started to understand how to have a relationship with God.
So, because Isaac blessed Jacob....he is now on his way fulfilling the promises of the Lord. And as He always does, the Lord continually reminds Jacob of who He is and His perfect plan that He will see out to its completion.
I like Jacob. Jacob seems to have a different sense of awe than Isaac and maybe even Abraham. When I read about Jacob and the things he did, I can sense his fear of God. He really understood the majesty of the Lord and submitted to it.
Jacob marries Rachel (who he wanted to marry) and Leah (not so much). Basically Laban, Rachel and Leah's father tricked Jacob into marrying Leah and then forced him to put in 7 more years of time to get Rachel as well. So you see, the drama has already begun...
29:31 - "When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb..."
God always hears our cry. There is a REALLY good book called "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" by Rob Bell. The whole first chapter talks about how God ALWAYS hears our cry. And not only that, but He ALWAYS does something about it.
Incredible.
So after Jacob's father-in-law has basically made him slave for him for years and years and changed his pay 10 times, he still won't allow Jacob to leave.
But the Lord never leaves Jacob and continues to bless him. This is crucial. But it honestly makes me worry a bit. I wonder if my faith would be strong enough to go through affliction for years and years and still trust and serve the Lord.
Eventually, Jacob flees and Laban chases after him and finally, they come to some sort of truce but I mean COME ON....I can't believe Jacob had to live through that.
What I also like about Jacob is that he seems like an honest and straightforward guy. I don't know him personally (haha), but I would take a guess and say that he started to understand how to have a relationship with God.
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