prayer

One of our fellow travelers, Annette, lost her father earlier this week. His funeral is at 2 today. If you get a chance, would you please take a moment to lift her family up in your prayers?


Your sun will never set;
your moon will not go down.
For the Lord will be your everlasting light.
Your days of mourning will come to an end.
Isaiah 60:20

Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5

February Reading

Can you believe the first month is finished? Are you keeping up? What did you think of Genesis and Job?

February will take us through Exodus, Leviticus and start the book of Numbers. We'll be doing a lot of journeying in the next 28 days. May God open your heart and mind to what He would have you see.


February 1 Exodus 1-4

February 2 Exodus 5-8

February 3 Exodus 9-11

February 4 Exodus 12-13

February 5 Exodus 14-15

February 6 Exodus 16-18

February 7 Exodus 19-21

February 8 Exodus 22-24

February 9 Exodus 25-27

February 10 Exodus 28-29

February 11 Exodus 30-31

February 12 Exodus 32-34

February 13 Exodus 35-36

February 14 Exodus 37-38

February 15 Exodus 39-40

February 16 Leviticus 1:1-5:13

February 17 Leviticus 5:14-7:38

February 18 Leviticus 8-10

February 19 Leviticus 11-12

February 20 Leviticus 13-14

February 21 Leviticus 15-17

February 22 Leviticus 18-20

February 23 Leviticus 21-23

February 24 Leviticus 24-25

February 25 Leviticus 26-27

February 26 Numbers 1-2

February 27 Numbers 3-4

February 28 Numbers 5-6

As a random thought, (because this post is NOT long enough!) Mary Jane asked me today if we are truly reading in chronological order and Job is the oldest book of the Bible, why we didn't read it first. I have an answer! Those of you who have (or are) read using a chronological Bible will find Job starts after the first few chapters of Genesis. Mr. Kohlenberger (whose plan we are using) decided to use a "general chronological order" to keep from bouncing from book to book so much. I think he's a big believer in continuity. He says, "...we will read Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles together; with Psalms, Proverbs, the prophets, and other texts appropriately inserted. We will also read the Gospels as one account and the letters of Paul within the framework of Acts." (p.4)

something to mull over...

Here are some thoughts on Job from the book Adventuring Through the Bible by Ray Stedman:

The third section of the Old Testament consists of five poetical books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. These books reflect the sorrow and the joy of our lives and our relationships with God. In these books you find the sigh, the exultation, the anger, the contentment, the tears, and the laughter of the human experience. These books are the music of scripture. (I love that phrase.)

Job is the cry of the human spirit, the deep cry of someone who desperately struggles to trust in God when everything in life is crumbling. When suffering reaches such a white-hot intensity that life itself seems senseless, then one's only recourse is to cling to God in faith. Humanity was made to believe in God. p239. (oh, doesn't that touch your heart?)

Genesis 46-50, Job 1-18

Okay, I have been waiting all week to ask this...did you see Jesus? Did you notice Him? I think one of the challenges for me this time around is to look for Him in the pages of Old Testament scripture. With that said, I hope you caught a glimpse of Him in Genesis 49 during Jacob's blessing.

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is His. Genesis 49:10.

I just love getting little glimpses of my Saviour. Like a breath of fresh air.

One other random thought struck me about Judah. Leah was his mother. So, even though Jacob preferred Rachel, God blessed Leah with Judah. Her bloodline was passed down through the ages to Boaz, David, Solomon, Josiah and finally to "Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." (Matthew 1:16) All I can say is "Hooray for the underdog!"

And then there's Job. Bless his heart. I am overwhelmed by him. I love the fact that in the beginning, when all these troubles came his way, "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." (1:22) I am impressed by his practicality when he utters, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (2:10) His friends touch my heart when "they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. They say on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was." (2:11,13)

But then the trouble begins. Lisa said that she was going to read Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar's words as though they were speaking with a tone of love. I found this to be a great idea and it helped me to have a slightly different perspective than when I read it last year. I also checked out several commentaries to see what they had to say. I was somewhat surprised by what I found.

The Holman Old Testament Commentary on Job says, "Although well meaning, Eliphaz was dangerous in what he spoke. In reality he was a tool of the devil, one sent to erode and weaken Job's faith in God. His arguments were well crafted, but they missed the mark with Job. All Eliphaz could think was, What had Job done to bring such crisis upon himself?
Yet, in reality, Eliphaz knew nothing about the battle between God and Satan recorded in the opening chapters. Rather than being a friend who brightened Job's world, Eliphaz darkened it. Although he could not have known about the cosmic contest transpiring in heaven, he should have been a source of encouragement to Job's broken heart, not and agent of discouragement." (p56) I found these words to be a harsh reminder to be careful of what type of comfort I offer to someone who is suffering. I need to remember that I very seldom see the "big picture." My words should be an encouragement, not divisive or depressing. (Sort of like, "Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. 4:3-4" )

I have to say, I have notes on every page of scripture that we read this week. If I relayed all of them here, this post would take forever to read. It's difficult to pick and choose the best of the best because when it comes to the Word, it's all the best! I could not help but feel for Job as he spoke. I felt his overwhelming grief as he cried out in despair. I think when I read previously, I thought he was a little arrogant, but now I just think he's heartbroken. Just as I would be. (Only I think he handles it better.) As I read through chapters 6 and 7 I came to the conclusion that sometimes we just need to grieve. Sometimes a loss is no one's fault. And whether the author meant it this way or not, I saw a glimpse of an answer in Job's longing of "If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both."9:33 (Did you think Jesus?)

Last May, our family was dealing with some difficult circumstances. My heart was heavy. Dragged the ground, pushed into the mud and stomped on heavy. I was checking out Ang's blog one day and she had posted a video to a song called, We are Hungry by Brian Sites. As the song began to play, a verse came up on the screen. It was Job 12:10: In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

My breath caught in my throat and my heart began to pound. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that God meant for me to see this. This was His reassurance that all would be okay. I am in His Hand. My life cradled in His palm. What more did I need? Oh, and the song? Brian is one of the worship ministers at my church. As far as I know, this is the only song by him on youtube. Ang just happened to pick the very song that I needed to minister to me at that moment. (and no, I don't believe that she just happened to do anything. I am so grateful for her obedience.)



You will call, and I will answer you;
you will desire the creature your hands have made.
Then you will count my steps,
but you will not keep track of my sin.
My wrongs will be closed up in a bag,
and you will cover up my sin.
Job 14:15-17

Job

Is everybody ready for Job? I must confess that I have issues with Job sometimes. Two of my favorite verses are found in Job:

God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. (37:5)

and

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. (19:25)

However, there is an awful lot of accusation, complaining and just general bad advice to go along with all the tragedy and drama and sometimes it's a little hard to take.

My little book of wisdom says this about Job: The book wrestles with the age-old question; If God is a God of love and mercy, why do the righteous suffer? In answer, Job clearly teaches the sovereignty of God and the need for man to acknowledge that sovereignty. Job's three friends gave essentially the same answer to the problem of pain: All suffering is due to sin. Elihu, however, declared that suffering is often the means of purifying the righteous. God's purpose, therefore, was to strip away all of Job's self-righteousness, and to bring him to the place of complete trust in Him.

Though we do not know who wrote the book or when it was written, the book of Job appears to be set in the days of the patriarchs-though not in the land of Israel.

There are two keys to reading this book. One is recognizing that it is 'wisdom literature'; the other is noticing the uses of the names of God. As wisdom literature, the book of Job tells us in proverb form about the order of the world God has created. That account can be summarized in proverbs because God is a God of order. There are exceptions, however, to many proverbs because sin has marred the perfection of God's creation.

When Job's friends discover he is destitute and diseased, they immediately confront him with wisdom based on common sense. God judges the wicked and prospers the righteous, so confess your wickedness and be restored. Job, however, maintains his righteousness in spite of their seemingly well reasoned but misapplied statements.

This is where noticing the names of God becomes important. We, the readers, have information the biblical characters did not have--the heavenly scenes presented in chapters 1 and 2. We know that Job's condition is a result of a battle between God and Satan. Our special insight is underlined by the use of the name Yahweh, whereas Job and his friends, who do not have the whole picture, use various names of God to refer to Him. When God finally reveals Himself in chapters 38-42, the name Yahweh again dominates the text.

The story of Job teaches the limitation of wisdom. Regardless of how much theology we know--or think we know--we never have the complete picture. We must use compassion rather than condemnation when dealing with others, both believers and non-believers. And when we seem to be on the short end of God's promises, we must wait on God and trust in Him rather than question His character. (pg. 10-11)

With that last sentence, I think now would be a good time for me to remind myself of my new memory verse: I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion, therefore, I will wait on Him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him; to the one who seeks Him; (Lamentations 3:24-25)

May you see God in the pages ahead...

Week 3:Genesis 29-45

Wow! What a week! We have romance, confusion, jealousy, intrigue, mystery, anger, sorrow, compassion...the whole gamut of emotions. I don't know about you, but this week was somewhat like riding on a roller coaster.

I thought we had one of the most romantic verses in the Bible this week.

So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. Genesis 29:20

Doesn't that just make your heart sigh? Oh, the beauty and poetry of those words. Of course, the very next verse had me shaking my head and thinking, "what a man" when it says, "Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her.' (29:21) (Note to men: sometimes it's better to just keep your mouth shut.)

And here's where my confusion sets in. I honestly don't get why Jacob didn't know that it was Leah in that tent. Especially if he loved Rachel so much. I'm guessing that it never occurred to him that it would be anybody but Rachel. Instead, the deceiver is deceived. How ironic. Of course, we know how the story goes.

Jacob loved Rachel.

Poor Leah was second best.

At best.

So, she kept giving Jacob sons, each time hoping this would be the time that he noticed her. Still looking for love in all the wrong places. I was delighted to see that she finally determined, "This time I will praise the LORD." (29:35) It serves as a reminder that I too often look for approval in people rather than my Heavenly Father. (and honestly, during chapters 29 & 30, did anybody else think that Jacob was a very busy man? Or wonder if he ever just wanted to retire to his own tent some nights, one without wives or maidservants?)

Another thing that caught my eye and generated much discussion this week was Jacob calling God "the Fear of Isaac" (31:42&53) I checked every commentary and study note that I could find and finally came up with the answer that basically this is another name for God. While I don't find this answer totally satisfactory, most explanations tend to speculate as to the reason why so I suppose I'll be marking this down in my notebook of questions to ask in heaven.

I love the fact that God continues to meet with imperfect people. Jacob is portrayed in such a negative light sometimes and yet, God still had use for him. I see this as a great hope for one such as myself. One who fails. One who sins. One who is a slow learner. And yet, I rejoice in Jacob's words, "...God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone." (35:3)

Then, there is Joseph. I love Joseph. I love the example that he sets forth. Here is a boy/man who faces such difficult circumstances yet he is faithful to God. Never does he blame God for his trials. Honestly, it doesn't even appear that he sat around, moping and complaining about his brothers either. (While there is no scripture to state that, scripture does state that Joseph was responsible, hard working and trustworthy. I'm pretty sure if I had been in his sandals, I would have spent so much time wallowing in my circumstances that I wouldn't have had time to take care of my own household, let alone anyone else's.) Even after Potiphar's wife lies about him and he is thrown into prison, he is still faithful. And when he is brought before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams, who does he give the credit? (I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires. 41:16) I'm afraid that I would have wanted to do whatever I could to gain Pharaoh's favor and get out of that prison, even if it meant elevating myself in some one's eyes and taking credit that was not due me. (Scripture sometimes shows us the ugly side of ourselves, doesn't it?)

As the story moves on, Joseph marries and has sons. He names one Manasseh because "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household" and the other, Ephraim because "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering." I'm afraid I'd be thinking up names like "revenge" and "avenger". Yet Joseph accepted his difficult circumstances and he was content. (and I believe this was pleasing to God.) Ultimately, Joseph was smart enough to know that "it was not you who sent me here, but God." (45:8) One of my favorite passages is this: Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid. Do I act for God? Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people." (50:19-20 The Message) And once again I am reminded that rarely do I see the entire picture...honestly, I may never see the entire picture. But it doesn't really matter. What matters is that God knows what the picture is supposed to look like. And that's good enough for me.

I pray that the Word has worked in your heart this week. Please let me know what the LORD is showing you. I'm praying for you all!

week 2: Genesis 12-28

My mind has hopped all over the place this week. (Those of you who know me well will not be surprised by this.) I just love reading scripture that is so familiar and finding things that I hadn't considered before. (For the word of God is living and active...Hebrews 4:12)

The first thing that caught my eye was how many times the Lord either appeared to Abraham or spoke to him. (12:1.4,15:1, 17:1,18:1 and so on.) Do you think Abraham ever took these appearances as "normal" or "everyday"? Something he deserved? I hope that no matter where I am on my journey with Him, that I am always delighted, amazed and surprised by whatever He chooses to reveal to me.

I don't know about you but I have always pictured Sarah looking like Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies. (probably because she was as old or older than Granny when she gave birth to Isaac.) Scripture clearly states that she was a beautiful woman though. (12:14) So, no more "granny" pictures for me.

While Hagar is in the desert with Ishmael, the angel of the Lord speaks to her about Ishmael and says,"He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." (16:12) My immediate thought was that Ishmael was going to have a miserable existance because of the declaration of the Lord. It amazes me that she (Hagar) was so accepting of this proclamation. I would have been arguing and pleading for a better life for my child. And yet, she did not. I wonder if it was because she was so grateful that God was going to spare their lives. I'm not sure. But I do love her response. You are the God who sees me. (16:13) What a precious statement. We have a God who sees us.

Other verses that tugged at me in this section were:

Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. Gen. 15:1

Is anything to hard for the LORD? Gen. 18:14

God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering, my son. Gen. 22:8 (I can feel myself getting ready to sing over this. Do you see my Jesus?)

Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. Gen. 25:8

Then we come to Jacob. It's easy to dislike Jacob sometimes. But I suspect that I have more Jacob in me than I would care to admit. I have always disliked him for tricking Esau out of his birthright and his blessing but this reading brought a fresh thought. "So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob." Gen.25:33 It appears to me that Esau did not particularly value his birthright. While he might have been famished, I'm fairly certain that he was not going to truly die of hunger at that very moment. I think he wanted what he wanted when he wanted it, regardless of the cost. (what good is the birthright to me?) I also suspect that Jacob already knew this about Esau's character. Regardless, it makes me wonder if I truly value the things that I should hold dear. Are my priorities in the right place?

I found it both interesting and somewhat amusing that Isaac repeats the same lie to Abimelech as his father did and that Abimelech fell for it both times. (Gen 26). Then we also have the first reporting of "mother-in-law trouble" in Genesis 26:34-35.

I guess the last big thing that caught my heart was when Jacob took Esau's blessing from Isaac. Not so much the deed itself but the story behind it. Esau appeared to be Isaac's favorite and Jacob was clearly Rebekah's favorite. Rebekah encouraged her son to deceive his father and steal from his brother. It makes me wonder if we as parents promote division or harmony between our children.

I just love delving into His Word. I love discovering whatever it is that He wants me to see. I hope you are just as excited about this journey. May the Lord bless you and keep you this upcoming week. Be sure and check out the blogs at my sidebar and see what great stuff everybody else has to say. Also, if you leave a comment telling me that you posted, that would be wonderful!

A burning question...

Why did God choose Abram?

I understand the deal with Noah. (But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:8) And I can see why He chose Enoch. (Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Genesis 5:24) But what was the deal with Abram? What made him special?

Mary Jane and I talked about this a little today. I finally wondered if maybe that was the point. Maybe there wasn't anything special about Abram. Maybe that's what grace and mercy are all about. I don't know.

What do you think?

A New Beginning...

I kept thinking I was missing something this week. The chapters seemed so short and it seemed like there really hadn't been enough time to gather my thoughts. Then I realized that it was short. We began four days ago. (count it as a blonde moment and move on.) Regardless, several things caught my eye and my heart this week.

And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done. Genesis 2:3

I ponder the concept of "sabbath" a lot. All last year as we read, God instructed His people time and time again that the Sabbath was a day to be honored. To be kept holy. I still struggle with what that actually means. While I would love the idea of an enforced "day of rest", I tell myself that it is not practical or perhaps even impossible. There are too many demands in today's time. God surely understands. The thing is, I'm not sure He does. Most of the actual demands on my time on the Sabbath are caused by my laziness or inattention during the week rather than an actual need. Things like laundry and ironing. Things that don't get done during the week because I'd rather read, watch t.v. or blog. Things that eventually have to be done and often find themselves being finished late on Sunday because I was not a good steward of my time during the week. I still ponder the sabbath. I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:6

As I read this verse, the thing that immediately struck my heart was how attractive sin appeared. It was good for food and pleasing to the eye. Sin often looks attractive in the beginning. Honestly, if sin looked like the little green Mucinex guy on the commercials, it would be so much easier to resist. God gave Adam and Eve a direct command. He also provided them with everything they could ever want. Yet, it wasn't enough. And while it is easy for me to be condemning and self righteous, if I stop and think about it, God has given me direct instructions...and He has anticipated my every need. Yet, it isn't enough. Sin still looks pleasing to my eye.

As we entered chapter five, we started reading one of the things that often gets me sidetracked. I struggle with names of who begat who and who lived in unpronounceable lands and so forth. So sometimes my mind wanders. (I know that's a shock to you.) However, I love how God inserts something so sweet and fascinating in this chapter. We're reading about Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel (I practiced saying that one out loud.), and Jared. Then, we find Enoch. Enoch walked with God 300 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Genesis 5:24. I love stuff like that. It thrills my heart to know that Enoch was so loved by God that He took him away. He (Enoch) walked with Him for 300 years! I have no desire to live 300 years, but I long to have someone say at the end of my days, that I walked with God. (and having Him take me away might not be such a bad deal either.)

The final thing that caught my eye was a portion of a sentence inserted in the middle of a story as old as time. Genesis 11 finds man deciding to build a tower to the heavens. (Obviously they needed a hobby.) It was their reason that caught my attention. They were building this thing so that we may make a name for ourselves...(v4) Why do we do things? I have to be very careful to do things with the proper motive. Too often I do things because I want to be liked. I find myself agreeing to things or getting involved in things because I want to make people happy. To make a name for myself. I guess it reminds me that even the best of things can be spoiled with the wrong motive. (not that building the tower was the best of things.)

Well, hopefully all this made sense to you. (The basketball game is on in the background and my team is playing poorly. Not that I'm listening. Okay, so they are not playing poorly. They lost.) Anyway, I'd love to hear what caught your heart this week.

***argh. I can't seem to get the silly sidebar thingy to work at the moment. That said, Michelle has a post here. and Annette's is here.

Housekeeping

I put a list of everyone who has a blog and is reading through the Bible this year on my sidebar. If you have a blog and I missed it, please forgive me. And remind me. Or let me know the secret magical code to your blog. I'll be happy to list you for the whole world to see.

That said, I know that everyone who is reading will not be doing a weekly recap. And that's fine. Really. No pressure here. I just wanted everybody to get a chance to know each other. (although I suspect that most of you know each other already.) I would encourage you to encourage each other on this journey. I know from experience that nothing agitates satan more than believers drawing closer to God. And while the journey is long and there will be obstacles along the way, the end result is definitely worth it.

It is my intention to post a recap of the week's readings this evening. (yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes James 4:14) Monday morning doesn't work so well for me because I should be getting ready for work, getting kid(s) up for school and so forth. I know that everyone will not be doing a weekly recap but if you do, please drop by and let me know.

I am praying that God will reveal Himself to each one of you this year. Blessings!

Genesis

What better way to start the new year? My little book of inside information says this about Genesis:

Genesis is a real-life history of individual people, a fact that is emphasized by the ten sections within it that usually begin, "These are the records of the generations of..." (NASB). This thrust provides a natural unity to the book. Genesis is a book about the beginning of many things: the world, man, sin, civilization, the nations, and Israel. Genesis also contains important theological themes, including the doctrine of the living, personal, God; the doctrine of man made in the image of God, the of sinful man; the anticipation of a Redeemer; and the covenant promises made to the nation of Israel.

Genesis takes us from creation to the settling of Jacob's descendants in Egypt; although three-fourths of the book concentrates on the four generations from the call of Abraham to the death of Joseph.

The names of God vary in Genesis. God is called "the Mighty One" when He creates the universe, but it is Yahweh who personally forms Adam and Eve, enjoys fellowship with them in the garden, and even provides for them after their sin. (Genesis 2-3). Note, too, that Melchizedek worships God Most High (El Elyon), but that Abram, who has a special covenant relationship with God, knows Him more intimately as Yahweh God Most High (14:18-24).

Several such compound names or titles give us additional insight into God's attributes and actions. Besides El Elyon, the most famous is El Shaddai, "God Almighty," although this name occurs only 48 times in the Bible. Read through the Bible in a Year, John R. Kohlenberger III, pg10.

in the beginning, God created...

May you have a most blessed beginning!