a life worthy...

of mice and men...

2009-09-03T19:41:00.003-04:00

Life seems to be very large these days. Summer came and went with the blink of an eye and now I find September knocking on my door. I've had the best of intentions but somehow I find that it's already the third of September and I haven't posted the reading list yet. Sigh. Believe it or not, by the end of September, we will be leaving the Old Testament and beginning our journey through the New. Press on!

September 1: Ezekiel 43-45

September 2: Ezekiel 46-48

September 3: Ezekiel 29:17-21; Daniel 4; Jeremiah 52:31-34; 2 Kings 25:27-30; Psalm 44

September 4: Psalms 74, 79, 80 & 89

September 5: Psalms 85, 102, 106, 123, 137

September 6: Daniel 7-8; 5

September 7: Daniel 9; 6

September 8: 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4:5

September 9: Daniel 10-12

September 10: Ezra 4:6-6:13; Haggai

September 11: Zachariah 1-6

September 12: Zachariah 7-8; Ezra 6:14-22, Psalm 78

September 13: Psalms 107, 116, 118

September 14: Psalms 125-126, 128-129, 132, 147, 149

September 15: Zachariah 9-14

September 16: Esther 1-4

September 17: Esther 5-10

September 18: Ezra 7-8

September 19: Ezra 9-10

September 20: Nehemiah 1-5

September 21: Nehemiah 6-7

September 22: Nehemiah 8-10

September 23: Nehemiah 11-13

September 24: Malachi

September 25: 1 Chronicles 1-2

September 26: 1 Chronicles 3-5

September 27: 1 Chronicles 6

September 28: 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:27

September 29: 1 Chronicles 8:28-9:44

September 30: John 1:1-18; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:1-4; 2:23-38; Matthew 1:1-17

Soon!

2009-09-02T12:10:00.000-04:00

Ezekiel 46-48

2009-09-01T06:53:00.001-04:00

Somehow the days have gotten away from me. (Now how could that happen?) Anyway, today's reading is Ezekiel 43-45. I should be able to post the entire month this evening. As long as no "adventures" come our way. Praying your September morning is a glorious one!

2009-08-12T03:34:00.001-04:00

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
Jeremiah 9:23-24

2009-08-11T16:23:00.001-04:00

This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16

2009-07-31T18:58:00.003-04:00

August Reading Schedule

August 1: Jeremiah 10-13

August 2: Jeremiah 14-16

August 3: Jeremiah 17-20

August 4: 2 Kings 22:1-23:28, 2 Chronicles 34:8-35:19

August 5: Nahum, 2 Kings 23:29-37, 2 Chronicles 35:20-36:5, Jeremiah 22:10-17

August 6: Jeremiah 26, Habakkuk

August 7: Jeremiah 46-47, 2 Kings 24:1-4,7, 2 Chronicles 36:6-7, Jeremiah 25,35

August 8: Jeremiah 36, 45, 48

August 9: Jeremiah 49:1-33, Daniel 1-2

August 10: Jeremiah 22:18-30, 2 Kings 24:5-20, 2 Chronicles 36:8-12, Jeremiah 37:1-2, 52:1-3; 24; 29

August 11: Jeremiah 27; 28; 23

August 12: Jeremiah 50-51

August 13: Jeremiah 49:34-39; 34; Ezekiel 1-3

August 14: Ezekiel 4-7

August 15: Ezekiel 8-11

August 16: Ezekiel 12-14

August 17: Ezekiel 15-17

August 18: Ezekiel 18-20

August 19: Ezekiel 21-23

August 20: 2 Kings 25:1; 2 Chronicles 36:13-16, Jeremiah 39:1; 52:4; Ezekiel 24; Jeremiah 21:1-22:9; 32

August 21: Jeremiah 30-31, 33

August 22: Ezekiel 25; 29:1-16; 30; 31

August 23: Ezekiel 26-28

August 24: Jeremiah 37:3-39:10; 52:4-30; 2 Kings 25:2-21; 2 Chronicles 36:17-21

August 25: 2 Kings 25:22; Jeremiah 39:11-40:6; Lamentations 1-3

August 26: Lamentations 4-5; Obadiah

August 27: Jeremiah 40:7-44:30; 2 Kings 25:23-26

August 28: Ezekiel 33:21-36:38

August 29: Ezekiel 37-39

August 30: Ezekiel 32:1-33:20; Daniel 3

August 31: Ezekiel 40-42

whatever is right

2009-07-05T18:48:00.003-04:00

Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. 2 Chronicles 15:17

In everything he walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. 1 Kings 22:43

At first glance, it seems like high praise. Asa's heart was fully committed to the Lord. Jehoshaphat did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Yet, something is a little off. Neither father nor son removed the "high places." And the people continued to sacrifice to their idols.

We might say that they did the best that they could. That they spent their time being obedient and that should be enough. But were they obedient? Not according to scripture. I counted ten times from Exodus to 1 Samuel that God forbids idol worship. Their failure to completely eradicate idolatry in Judah would have tragic circumstances. Jehoshaphat's son, Jehoram, "walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord." (2 Chronicles 21:6) I have to wonder if the outcome might have been different if Asa or Jehoshaphat had removed all idols from the land.

I desire to walk a life that is pleasing to God. I want to have a heart that is fully committed to the Lord. I want to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. And yet, I find myself "overlooking" certain areas in my life, assuring myself that they are too small to bother God. (impatience, irritated driving, and so forth.) However, scripture reminds me that "It only takes a minute amount of yeast, you know, to permeate an entire loaf of bread." (Galatians 5:9 MSG) If I continue to allow these "minute" sins to persist in my life, they will eventually "permeate" my entire being and my witness. From that point, who knows how it might affect future generations of my family. After all, it only took one generation for Judah's kings to go from "doing what was right" to following in the footsteps of one of the most wicked kings in Israel's history. What a sobering thought.

Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it's anything but that. Yeast, too, is a "small thing," but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. So get rid of this "yeast." Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast. So let's live out our part in the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread—simple, genuine, unpretentious. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 MSG

no turning back

2009-07-01T07:58:00.004-04:00

Several weeks ago, our pastor preached a sermon series entitled Not a Fan. It was a thought provoking, inspiring message that has lingered with me through the weeks. (I'd highly recommend it. It can be found here.) The second sermon in the series was called Committed and during that sermon, Kyle mentioned Elisha's actions when Elijah called him to service.

So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”

Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”

So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant. (1 Kings 19:19-21 NLT)

Kyle said that Elisha was obviously somewhat successful since he had 24 oxen to plow his fields. This was his livelihood. And yet, when he received the call, what did he do? He slaughtered his oxen and burned his plowing equipment and had a great big barbecue. He had no intention of coming back. And to make sure that he wasn't tempted to return to his old life, he burned all his bridges behind him. That's commitment.

I've thought a lot about that story since the sermon. And when I read it last week, I thought some more.

I tend to look before I leap.

Then I look some more.

And then I might sit down and think about it for awhile.

Ponder deep thoughts.

Second guess myself.

Think that God surely couldn't be asking me to do that.

Wait some more.

Look some more.

And if I wait long enough, sometimes the opportunity passes me by and I say, "obviously that wasn't God's will.)

But I wonder.

I wonder if there will come a day when the Lord says to me, "Karen, you missed this. Look at how much more you could have been if only you were willing to believe...commit..." It's not that I'm afraid of commitment. I think maybe I'm afraid of what commitment might lead to instead. Does that make sense? Maybe it's more that I'm comfortable where I am. With my oxen and my plow. Following a different path may take me to uncomfortable places. Put demands on me that I don't want to deal with. Require absolute trust in my God.

Yet here's the thing.

I don't want to miss it. The more I come to know Him, the closer I draw to Him, the more I want what He wants for me. So I think my prayer will change to become, "light the barbecue, Lord. Let's go."

July

2009-07-01T07:21:00.003-04:00

July 1: 2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24

July 2: 2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25, Jonah

July 3: Hosea 1-7

July 4: Hosea 8-14

July 5: 2 Kings 15:1-7, 2 Chronicles 26, Amos 1-4

July 6: Amos 5-9, 2 Kings 15:8-18

July 7: Isaiah 1-4

July 8: 2 Kings 15:19-38, 2 Chronicles 27, Isaiah 5-6

July 9: Micah

July 10: 2 Kings 16, 2 Chronicles 28, Isaiah 7-8

July 11: Isaiah 9-12

July 12: Isaiah 13-16

July 13: Isaiah 17-22

July 14: Isaiah 23-27

July 15: Isaiah 28-30

July 16: Isaiah 31-35

July 17: 2 Kings 18:1-8, 2 Chronicles 29-31

July 18: 2 Kings 17,18:9-37, 2 Chronicles 32:1-19, Isaiah 36

July 19: 2 Kings 19, 2 Chronicles 32:20-23, Isaiah 37

July 20: 2 Kings 20, 2 Chronicles 32:24-33, Isaiah 38-39

July 21: 2 Kings 21:1-18, 2 Chronicles 33:1-20, Isaiah 40

July 22: Isaiah 41-43

July 23: Isaiah 44-47

July 24: Isaiah 48-51

July 25: Isaiah 52-57

July 26: Isaiah 58-62

July 27: Isaiah 63-66

July 28: 2 Kings 21:19-26, 2 Chronicles 33:21-34:7, Zephaniah

July 29: Jeremiah 1-3

July 30: Jeremiah 4-6

July 31: Jeremiah 7-9

gratitude

2009-06-25T08:28:00.003-04:00

One area of my life that I struggle with constantly is remembering God's goodness to me. To be perfectly honest, I don't think about this much. It usually comes to light when I am working through a bible study and I'm asked to list a time that I remember that God did something wonderful. And while I know that he does many beautiful miraculous things on a daily basis, mostly I draw a blank. I've come to the conclusion that I just don't pay enough attention.

Anyhow, we recently read the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath.

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."

"As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die."

Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' "

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.(1 Kings 17:1-16)

Here's a woman who is living life with a constant miracle. She knows that no human is putting flour in the jar and oil in the jar. There still is no rain so there is no hope for a harvest. Elijah has told her that God himself said that she would have flour and oil as long as there is no rain in the land. You have to think that she is feeling pretty good about the Lord and how He's blessed her family. Except...

Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"

"Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"

The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"

Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth." 1 Kings 17:17-24

I have to tell you that I was a little bit frustrated by the widow. She's living this miracle life and yet the moment her circumstances change, she's pointing the finger and blaming Elijah (and God). The note I made in my Bible says, "do our life circumstance cause us to forget the miracles in our lives?" But I still wasn't talking about me. Yet. It wasn't til later that I realized that I was no different than the widow. If I can't remember the good things the Lord has done in my life when I'm working through a bible study, what are the chances that I'll remember them when life comes pounding on the door? To carry the thought one step further, am I truly grateful as the Lord works throughout my day? And what can I do to change it if I'm not?

One of my favorite blogs is a Holy Experience written by Ann Voskamp. I will often reread her posts over and over just to allow them to seep into my soul. She has such a way with words and everything she writes has a scriptural tie. It's a beautiful thing. Anyway, she wrote a post entitled a thousand gifts where she talks about her journal of the gifts that the Lord has given her. Over the years she has surpassed one thousand and now goes on to number the thousands. She says, "Too often I miss Him, oblivious, blind. I don't see all the good things that He is giving me, gracing me with, brushing my life with. True, He is everywhere, always. But maybe, before The Gift List, I thought of Him as further off, not so close. When I started to see all the things that I love bestowed upon me, I started to see Him as near, present, everywhere, showering me with good things. Seeing the things I love all around me gives me eyes to see that I am loved, that He loves me."

Anyway, recently I decided to begin my own list of a thousand gifts. Some days are more challenging than others and I have to look a little deeper to see how He's blessed me. Some days are simple gifts such as the bluest sky that I've seen in a long time and some days the gifts are huge. Through it all, my hope is that when I seek Him, I will find Him. (2 Chronicles 15:2) And maybe the next time difficulties come knocking on my door, I'll remember the miracles that have come before and I will rely on the Giver of life.

thoughts on Kings...

2009-06-22T09:55:00.002-04:00

A couple of verses stood out to me this weekend as I was reading.

2 Chronicles 12:14...He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

2 Chronicles 15:2...The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

2 Chronicles 15:15...They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.

2 Chronicles 16:9...For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

These verses make it very clear that we need to set our hearts on seeking the Lord. The first verse goes even further, saying that we do evil when we do not set our heart on the Lord. At first glance, that sounds incredibly harsh. We don't want to think of our actions as evil but clearly we are capable of it when we do not seek Him. Conversely, 15:15 says that when they sought Him (don't you love the word "eagerly"?), He gave them rest. Believe me, I could use some rest. And when I compare the words "evil" or "rest" as the outcome of my actions, the choice is easy to make.

One other thing that struck me this weekend was how Asa followed God with all his heart until he was older. I wonder if he grew complacent. Scripture says, "Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians." (16:12) What happened? Did he start believing his own press? Was he surrounded with people who told him how wonderful he was? I don't know. What I do know is that he is not the only person in the Bible that started out well but didn't finish strong. There's a lesson in that.

Then they bound themselves in a covenant to seek God, the God of their fathers, wholeheartedly, holding nothing back.They shouted out their promise to God, a joyful sound accompanied with blasts from trumpets and rams' horns. The whole country felt good about the covenant promise—they had given their promise joyfully from the heart. Anticipating the best, they had sought God—and he showed up, ready to be found. God gave them peace within and without—a most peaceable kingdom!
2 Chronicles 15:12,14-15 MSG

Do you ever wonder?

2009-06-17T10:23:00.002-04:00

In 1 Kings 11, Solomon has turned his heart from God. (11:4) Verse 9-12 goes on to say, "The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although He had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord's command. So the Lord said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son."

As far as I can tell, Solomon did nothing to change his ways after this Word from the Lord. Does anyone but me find this odd?

First of all, I'd like to think that if God had appeared to me twice, I'd make a little more effort to be obedient. I realize that it's a lot easier to maintain that "spiritual" feeling after a "mountain top experience." (anybody else remember camp?) However, I still think that an encounter with God Almighty would mark me forever.

Regardless, I'm fairly certain that if God came back and said, "Child, you've got an attitude that's got to go. Since I was fond of your parents, I'll wait and bring destruction on your children rather than you" I'd sit up and take notice. I'm pretty sure I'd be begging for forgiveness, changing my attitude and asking Him to punish me instead of them. As a mom, I can't even fathom allowing my children to be punished in my place. (and Solomon had to be aware that this wasn't a "time out" punishment. God is saying that He will tear the kingdom from him. That means war, bloodshed and death.)

Interestingly enough, this isn't the only time this happens in scripture. I remember reading about Hezekiah last year and Isaiah telling him the same thing. Except Hezekiah thinks, "will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?" (2 Kings 20:19)

I do not want to be that me focused. My prayer is that I will always be sensitive to God's correction (and my attitude) and that my eyes will not be so focused on myself that I am unable to see the harm that I might be doing others.

Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
Psalm 119:36-37

But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD;
in you I take refuge
Psalm 141:8

Just a thought...

2009-06-16T08:38:00.002-04:00

I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about Saul lately. He was a man chosen by God to do great things but somewhere along the way, he got sidetracked. As I've mentioned before, Saul is never the man that he might have been. Rather than rely on God and the things he knew to be true, he chose to "help God out" along the way. As a result, the Lord rejected Saul as king and chose David instead.

Then we have Solomon, son of David. He had the benefit of growing up under David's guidance. Certainly, as David was dying, he instructed Solomon on how to live. (1 Kings 2:2-3) From all appearances, Solomon followed those instructions. For awhile. (1 Kings 3:3) By all accounts, God was pleased with Solomon. Rather than ask for great wealth or a long life, he asked that the Lord would bless him with wisdom. The Lord gave him all three. (1 Kings 3:12-15) After the temple was built, the Lord appeared to him again and promised that as long as "you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David." (1 Kings 9: 4-5)

Sounds like a plan, doesn't it? After all, Solomon not only had the benefit of learning from Saul and David's lives, the LORD Himself had spoken to him and made clear His expectations. And since He had gifted Solomon with wisdom, wealth and health, Solomon knew that God would fulfill His words.

And yet, somewhere along the way, Solomon chose his own path. 1 Kings 11:4 says, "As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been." As I read those words, I sit here and shake my head. I don't get it. How could he take such a path? God HIMSELF spoke to him. He knew the benefits of obeying the Lord's statutes. So how did he go from here to here?

Ecclesiastes 2 may offer a clue. As I read the chapter last night, one thing kept coming to my mind. I thought, I said, I tried, I wanted, I undertook, I built, I made, I bought, I owned, I amassed, I acquired, I became, I denied, I refused, my heart, I surveyed, I had toiled, I turned, I saw, I came, I thought, I said, I gain, I hated, I toiled, I must, my heart... I don't know that I've ever seen so much "I" and "my" in any of our readings. Today, 24 hours later, I'm still pondering this. Wondering how much of my "self focus" keeps me from following Him...and asking God to make this the prayer of my heart today...

Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.

Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.

Psalm 119:35-37

LPM Scripture Memory Verse 12

2009-06-15T03:58:00.001-04:00

intercession

2009-06-03T08:34:00.003-04:00

There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him. --William Law

Bev will be having surgery on June 9th and then will begin chemo and radiation to fight her cancer. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases...Psalm 103:2-3

Yvonne and her husband are on sabbatical in England for the next month. (her youngest son is taking care of things at home while they are gone.) If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:9-10

Annette's friend Wendy is a full time caregiver to her husband who has COPD. They have had to adapt to some difficult changes recently. O LORD my God, I called to You for help and You healed me. Psalm 30:2, Surely God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me. Psalm 54:4

After more than a year of waiting, Katie has not one but two schools interested in hiring her. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I say this because I know what I am planning for you," says the Lord. "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future."

It's my turn to wait on biopsy results. They apparently will tell the doctor what they need to do to treat this spot on my back. (I keep hearing Lady MacBeth's voice in my head.) Exodus 15:27 says, "For I am the Lord, who heals you."

Praying for you all today...

LPM Memory Verse 11

2009-05-31T16:03:00.001-04:00

Prayer Request Wednesday

2009-05-27T11:10:00.002-04:00

These are just a few of the requests that I am aware of:

Bev is waiting on some important test results due June 3rd and will be having additional surgery on June 9th.

Jessi is waiting for some test results as well.

Bible study started for a lot of women.

Katie has an interview for a teaching position.

India had a devastating cyclone recently with hundreds dead and thousands left homeless. There are concerns about Compassion's children in this area including our compassion daughter.

Then there's the supreme court nominee, the future of our nation, and so many other things going on in our own homes. Won't you take a few minutes and pray?

June

2009-05-26T01:30:00.000-04:00

June 1: 1 Kings 9:1-10:13, 2 Chronicles 7:11-9:12

June 2: 1 Kings 4, 10:14-29, 2 Chronicles 1:14-17, 9:13-28, Psalm 72

June 3: Proverbs 1-3

June 4: Proverbs 4-6

June 5: Proverbs 7-9

June 6: Proverbs 10-12

June 7: Proverbs 13-15

June 8: Proverbs 16-18

June 9: Proverbs 19-21

June 10: Proverbs 22-24

June 11: Proverbs 25-27

June 12: Proverbs 28-29

June 13: Proverbs 30-31, Psalm 127

June 14: Song of Songs

June 15: 1 Kings 11:1-40, Eccles. 1-2

June 16: Eccles 3-7

June 17: Eccles. 8-12, 1 Kings 11-41-43, 2 Chronicles 9:29-31

June 18: 1 Kings 12, 2 Chronicles 10:1-11:17

June 19: 1 Kings 13-14, 2 Chronicles 11:18-12:16

June 20: 1 Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13-16

June 21: 1 Kings 15:25-16:34, 2 Chronicles 17, 1 Kings 17

June 22: 1 Kings 18-19

June 23: 1 Kings 20-21

June 24: 1 Kings 22:1-40, 2 Chronicles 18

June 25: 1 Kings 22:41-53, 2 Kings 1, 2 Chronicles 19:1-21:3

June 26: 2 Kings 2-4

June 27: 2 Kings 5-7

June 28: 2 Kings 8-9, 2 Chronicles 21:4-22:9

June 29: 2 Kings 10-11, 2 Chronicles 22:10-23:21

June 30: Joel

Psalm 119

2009-05-25T06:41:00.002-04:00

It may come as a shock to you, but I am not always a big fan of rules. I think I've mentioned before that I tend to drive a little too fast (because I know how fast I should go) and more often than not, I look for "gray" areas in the rules as an excuse to do whatever I want. (I once had a boss tell me that "rules were guidelines that we want people to follow." I think I took it to heart!) That's why I used to struggle with Psalms like 119 that tent to wax poetic about their love of the law. How on earth could anyone "delight" in the law?

Then I read a book.

And I looked at "the law" a little differently.

The book is called "Sitting at the feet of Rabbi Jesus." The statement that caught my attention was this: "For them (the Jewish people) the Torah was not an onerous rulebook or a vast catalog of laws as we might think, but a gift from God that taught them how to live." (25)

A gift from God? Yeah, I can totally get that. So, with that in mind, it came as no surprise to me last week that these were some of my favorite verses:

Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. (3-4)

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (10-11)

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. (15-16)

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. (18)

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. (35)

Turn my eyes away from worthless things, preserve my life according to your word. (37)

My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. (50)

You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words. I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. (57-58)

May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. (74)

My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. (81)

Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. (166)

May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. (173)

Gathering...

2009-05-20T08:29:00.004-04:00

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. --Brother Lawrence

I am so grateful that I can bring life's troubles to my God at any time, anywhere. And I am even more grateful that He already knows, that He is never surprised, and in all things He is working for the good of those who love Him.

Bev found out yesterday that she has cancer in some of her lymph nodes and will be needing more surgery. She is meeting with her surgeon and oncologist today. Please pray for strength, wisdom, peace and healing. And if you have a moment, please drop by and leave her an encouraging word.

My daughter has a doctor's appointment today to try and get some answers about a health issue she has been having. Jessi struggles with anxiety and sometimes trips to the doctor can trigger a panic attack. We have some strong concerns about what might be affecting her health so I'm asking that you would pray for an anxiety free visit, wisdom, answers, and healing.

Annette's friend Cathy began chemo yesterday for stage IV cancer. Please lift her up as she walks this difficult road. We know that words like "stage IV" do not keep our God from healing. He not only promises to guide us always but to strengthen our frames. (I love that scripture!)

Annette's daughter is also struggling with some school issues. She asks that we would pray for confidence, strength and "a hug from God since her mom is so far away." Nothing weighs heavier on a mom's heart than when one of her children is struggling. No matter how old they are.

Beth and her family are trying to adopt a princess and there are so many obstacles in their path that they seem insurmountable. Please pray that God will move mountains, that Maria will get the care that she needs and will be able to join the family she has fallen in love with.

Ang's nephew had a couple of seizures and his family are trying to decide what needs to be done. Please pray for wisdom and the mighty presence of the LORD as they figure out the details.

There are many families dealing with job situations right now. Some have lost jobs, some have had wages cut, some have had their jobs changed. Please be in prayer for the different families you know who are dealing with job uncertainties.

While I try to avoid politics on my blogs, I have to say that I have deep concerns about where our nation is headed. I'm not talking about leadership in this instance, I am talking about how easily is seems that our nation is turning away from God. Replacing God with anything and everything. My heart is so burdened about this. (and frightened. Because I remember what God said about nations who turn their backs on Him.) I think we need to pray daily that our nation will seek His face and return to Him.

Father, there is such a need for healing today. Whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual. Lord, I would ask that You move in each of these situations, that You would bring Your healing touch to each one. You are our strength, our salvation in times of distress. Help us to lean fully upon You.

Psalms

2009-05-17T22:07:00.002-04:00

It's very easy for my emotions to be swayed by difficulty. I tend to be empathetic in nature so my feelings often control my outlook. Because of these things, I have been a little blue lately. It's hard to listen to the news, have a conversation, read a paper, or even look around my community without feeling fear, sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, disgust, outrage and a host of other emotions.

Then there's the Psalms.

like Psalm 16...
I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (8)

Psalm 9...
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. (9-10)

Psalm 33...
We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. (20-21)

Psalm 37...
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. If the LORD delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand. (7,23-24)

Psalm 40...
I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust. (1,3,4)

Psalm 112...
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in His commands. He will have no fear of bad news, his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. (1,7)

Psalm 121...
I lift my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. The LORD watches over you...The LORD will keep you from all harm--He will watch over your life. (1,2,5,7)

Psalm 143...
O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy. In Your faithfulness and righteousness, come to my relief. Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go for to you I lift up my soul. (1,8)

Psalm 73...
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (25,26)

I suppose it's no coincidence that my last two memory verses have come from these Psalms. And I also know it's no coincidence that these were the verses set down in September of 2008 for me to read this particular week.

God knew exactly where I'd be and what I'd need to claim this week.

How can I not adore Him? Give thanks to Him?

And while I am human (and swayed too often by emotion), hopefully in the days ahead, I will remember what I've read and what I've hidden in my heart. And they will bring comfort once again.

2009-05-13T04:38:00.000-04:00

Grant that I may not pray alone with my mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart. -- Martin Luther

Here are just a few of the needs/praises that I am aware of:

The Freemans as they mourn the loss of their daughter and yet rejoice that she is completely whole now.

Bev's cancer surgery is Thursday the 14th. Please pray that she will have peaceful days leading up to the surgery. Pray for the surgeons as they operate and pray for Bev's healing and rapid recovery.

Noah is in the hospital and continues to baffle his doctors. (Is there nothing sadder than an ill toddler who does not understand why everybody keeps poking and hurting him?) Please pray for wisdom, healing and patience.

I am actually in Nashville today (posting on Tuesday) for an awards/anniversary chapel. I am celebrating my 21st year with LifeWay. Anyway, we are traveling home Wednesday and would appreciate your prayers for safe travel.

There are a lot of moms in transition at the moment. Graduations, Proms, Weddings, Jobs, Moving and so forth. Speaking for myself, being a mom is what has defined me for 21 years. While I will still be a mom, it will be different. I struggle with who I am supposed to be now. Please pray that God will guide our steps for the days ahead (and that we might be alert/sensitive enough to see where He is leading.) And that we might savor everyday that we have with our children.

Lastly, I would ask that you pray that each one of us would have such a hunger for God. For His Word. For a true relationship with Him. That He would be our center. It's so easy to lose focus these days. I want my eyes fixed on Him and nothing else. And I want this for you as well.

Praying for each one of you...

this weeks recap...

2009-05-10T18:12:00.002-04:00

A Psalm...

In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation. (5:3)

But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. (5:11)

My steps have held to Your paths, my feet have not slipped. (17:5)

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings. (17:8)

When I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness. (17:15)

for Your love is ever before me; and I walk continually in Your truth. (26:3)

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. (28:7)

O LORD my God, I called to You for help and You healed me. (30:2)

...but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night but rejoicing comes in the morning. (30:5)

God is our refuge and strength; an ever-resent help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. (46:1-2)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. (51:1-2)

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (51:10)

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (62:1-2)

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. (62:5-8)

O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (63:1)

Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. (71:12)

but as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more. My mouth will tell of Your righteousness, of Your salvation all day long, though I know not it's measure. (71:14-15)

You are the God who performs miracles; (77:14)

In the day of my trouble I will call to You for You will answer me. (86:7)

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, I will glorify Your Name forever. (86:12)

last weeks recap...

2009-05-10T17:27:00.002-04:00

So, here's the deal. I have never not believed God. I have never doubted that He was real or questioned my faith. I know that I don't have all the answers and I don't believe anyone else does either. Questions about how dinosaurs and cro-magnon man fit into creation don't bother me. I have never felt that God doesn't care for me or doesn't love me. Maybe I just don't think deep enough but I mostly feel that whatever distance there is between God and myself comes from me and my disobedience rather than from Him. The point I'm trying to make is that so far in my life, I have not "struggled" with my faith. It just is. And I'm okay with that.

However.

Sometimes, I read verses that I just don't get. Not because I don't understand what they are saying (although that happens too) but because I don't understand the intent behind them. And I am a big believer in intent. A for instance would be the plagues in Egypt. Every time it appeared that the Pharaoh wanted to relent, God hardened his heart. Well, for some one like me, I find that puzzling. After all, didn't God want Pharaoh to let the Israelites go? If so, then why harden his heart. Well, after much study and thought, I've come to the conclusion that God hardened Pharaoh's heart because He had something He wanted to reveal to the world. And I'm okay with that. (and don't get me started on Judas. Maybe we'll discuss him when we read the gospels.)

So.

I'm slap happily reading along last week when I came upon 2 Samuel 24. The part where it says "Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah." Joab is hesitant but he obeys his king. Then, "David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD,"I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg of you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." Of course, God gives him three choices for his punishment and ultimately 70,000 Israelites died. And I don't get it. My basic understanding of the verbiage used was that God Himself incited (to stir, encourage, or urge on; stimulate or prompt to action) David to this action so why was He punishing him?

Well, here we are, a week later and I'm not sure that I am really any closer to understanding. However, I did find a couple of commentaries that shed a little light on some things. The New American Commentary focuses on the fact that God was already angry with Israel. (Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel and He incited David...) This writer says, "In order to bring judgment against Israel, the Lord "incited David" to take a census of Israel and Judah". Yahweh is Lord of the universe, exercising dominion over all powers and authorities, whether in heaven or on earth. From this position of utmost strength the Lord apportions power to lesser beings to be used in enforcing the moral aspects of the created order. (This addresses the apparent contridiction found in 1 Chronicles 21:1 where the writer credits Satan for inciting David to conduct the census.) He goes on to say, "Since the Lord explicitly permitted censuses to be taken and even ordered their undertaking in the Torah, David's sin does not seem to lie in the mere fact that he conducted one. It was either David's motivation for the census or the manner in which it was carried out. Perhaps it was undertaken for purposes of self-aggrandizement----David may have wanted to know how many Israelite males above the age of 20 there were in Israel in order to be able to boast more accurately. Alternatively, it may be that David did not require all enrolled males to pay the half-shekel ransom required by the Torah, an oversight guaranteed to bring a plague against Israel." Ray Stedman has this view in Adventuring through the Bible, "A plague came upon the people of Israel when David, in his pride, began to rely on his own resources and upon apparent military might, instead of relying upon the power of God. What does this teach us? That our old nature is always there, ready to spring into action the moment we cease to rely upon the Spirit of God. Sin never dies of old age. No matter how long you walk with God, it is still possible to fall. The only thing that maintains the spiritual life is the quiet, day-by-day, moment-by-moment walk of faith." p172.

Okay.

That's probably good enough for me. I don't have to understand everything. What's important for me to understand is that my old nature is always there. Waiting. Discouraging. Or encouraging. You don't have to read tonight. Give yourself a break. You're not smart enough to understand what the Word says. You're too old to memorize anything. Come on, take a break. What will a few days hurt? The question is...how will I respond? Who will I listen to? Who wins the battle today?

Prayer Request Wednesday

2009-05-06T09:15:00.003-04:00

We need to figure out a catchy title. Anyway, here goes: (as always, if you know of a request or need, please feel free to let me know.)

Bev's surgery is scheduled for May 14th. (which seems a long way off to her.) She is also scheduled to see a neurologist because her cardiologist thinks she may be having small seizures. She also is having difficulty sleeping. Please pray for healing, peace, strength and comfort for her in the days ahead.

Katie is headed off to Disney World today. Pray for safe travel and a most wonderful, happy time.
Michelle and her family are dealing with a major family crisis right now. Pray for wisdom, patience, strength and faith for her and her family.

While Stellan is home and doing well, his mama put up a post asking for prayer requests. As of this morning, there were 536 requests on it. That's a lot of hurting people. If you have an opportunity, please stop by and pray for a few that were mentioned.

It's Mother's Day this weekend. Oddly enough, this can be a very difficult or complicated day for a lot of people. While last week was National Infertility Awareness week, please pray for the women who are longing to become mothers and for one reason or another are unable to do so. Also, please pray for those who have lost their mothers and those who have "difficult" relationships with their mothers.

National Day of Prayer is tomorrow. Beth Moore will be the honorary spokesperson for the event. The website has so many ways that we can pray for our nation, military, media, businesses, education, churches and our families. I encourage you to stop by there and see how you can pray. Also, please lift Beth up tomorrow as she participates in the event.

The Freeman's are hoping to bring Kayleigh home so she can spend her last days this side of heaven in her earthly home. Pray that everything would fall into place so that this might occur.

Annette is (hopefully) enjoying wedding planning for her daughter Lindsay. Pray that it will go smoothly and that she will enjoy this time with her daughter.

My daughter is having some health issues and we are unable to see the doctor until the 20th. Please pray for healing, patience, and a simple, easy resolution to her problem.

My heart has been moved by the work that Compassion does around the world. Whether you sponsor a child or not, would you commit to pray for them and their work?

Father, there are so many needs all around us in these days. But Lord, we know that You are enough to satisfy our needs. We thank You for the blessings that You have given us and we ask that we might have not only Your eyes to see the needs around us but also Your heart to react to those needs. We are so grateful that You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. You truly are not only our strength but our song. We love You so, dear Lord.

Weekly recap

2009-05-06T09:09:00.002-04:00

I am hoping to write a recap of this past week's readings some time this week. I am still pondering 2 Samuel 24 and looking through some commentaries to maybe answer some questions that I have about that particular chapter. If you have any thoughts, please let me know.

Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are."But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

LPM Scripture Memory Verse 9

2009-05-01T06:24:00.002-04:00

May

2009-04-30T06:41:00.006-04:00

Updated: Thanks Sheryl for pointing out that the 10th and the 11th were the same. I think it's fixed now.

May 1: 2 Samuel 20-21, 23:8-23, 1 Chronicles 20:4-8, 11:10-25

May 2: 2 Samuel 23:24-24:25, 1 Chronicles 11:26-47, 21:1-30

May 3: 1 Chronicles 22-24

May 4: Psalm 30, 1 Chronicles 25-26

May 5: 1 Chronicles 27-29

May 6: Psalms 5-7, 10, 11, 13, 17

May 7: Psalms 23, 26, 28, 31, 35

May 8: Psalms 41, 43, 46, 55, 61, 62, 64

May 9: Psalms 69-71, 77

May 10: Psalms 83, 86, 88, 91, 98

May 11: Psalms 108-109, 120-121, 140, 143-144

May 12: Psalms 1, 14-15, 36-37, 39

May 13: Psalms 40, 49-50, 73

May 14: Psalms 73, 82, 84, 90, 92, 112, 115

May 15: Psalms 8-9, 16, 19, 21, 24-29

May 16: Psalms 33, 65-68

May 17: Psalms 75, 93-94, 97-100

May 18: Psalms 103-104, 113-114, 117

May 19: Psalm 119:1-88

May 20: Psalm 119:89-176

May 21: Psalms 122, 124, 133-136

May 22: Psalms 138-139, 145, 148, 150

May 23: Psalms 4, 12, 20, 25, 32, 38

May 24: Psalms 42, 53, 58, 81, 101, 111, 130-131, 141, 146

May 25: Psalms 2, 22, 27

May 26: Psalms 45, 47-48, 87, 110

May 27: 1 Kings 1:1-2:12, 2 Samuel 23:1-7

May 28: 1 Kings 2:13-3:28, 2 Chronicles 1:1-13

May 29: 1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3

May 30: 1 Kings 7, 2 Chronicles 4

May 31: 1 Kings 8, 2 Chronicles 5:1-7:10

Prayer requests

2009-04-29T00:41:00.000-04:00

One way that we continue to build on our relationship with God is through prayer. I am honored and blessed to have the opportunity to pray for you all. I hope that as you have time, you will continue to pray for one another as well. These are the needs that I am aware of this week. As always, if you have a request that isn't mentioned here, please leave it in the comments or send me an email.

Bev--she has three doctors appointments today (Wednesday) as she begins her battle with cancer. Please continue to pray for healing, strength, comfort, patience, and contentment. She also mentioned a praise that her son proposed to his girlfriend so they have a wedding in their future!

Both Annette and Annette are apparently battling torrential rains in their area of the nation and Annette has some flooding in her house. Oh, Annette's got a wedding in her future as well.

Continue to remember Sheryl and her family as her husband is still looking for work. She has a beautiful post here about being thankful in all things. Ahead of time.

Ang is asking for some peace and comfort from our Father (and maybe a little reassurance as well.)

Yvonne is still in Washington with an abundance of eighth grade girls (and boys.) They should be heading back in the next few days. Pray for safe travel, sanity, and spiritual growth as they finish up their trip.

The Freemans are grieving and making very difficult decisions right now.

The Compassion Bloggers have so much to say. You can see their thoughts and requests here, here, and here.

Stellan is home! Praise Jesus!

My boy is headed to the windy city on Friday for a "field trip." (Does anybody remember when field trips consisted of the zoo or McDonald's? Yes, I really did take a field trip to McDonald's when I was in kindergarten. First hamburger I ever ate. Probably the best tasting hamburger I ever ate as well. But I digress.) Anyhoo, he will be gone about 36 hours and I'm asking for safe travel and just a general good time for him. (I'd ask for memorable but I'm afraid of what might happen. Ask me whose child set off the metal detectors in Washington DC and got pulled out of line by the homeland security people? Not my child. No sirree. Oh, and the metal? It was a dime. Seems he didn't think they really meant it when they told him to empty his pockets.)

I'm praying for each of you this day. Blessings!

true beauty

2009-04-26T19:12:00.003-04:00

I am reminded this week of the beauty of chronological reading. There's just something totally cool about putting the pieces of the Word together in the way they were written. I love reading the "story" and then reading the emotion (Psalm) that goes with it. I can feel David's fear in Psalm 57, his longing in Psalm 63, and his love and trust in his God in Psalm 18. Reading this way completes the picture for me. I hope you are finding this to be true for you as well.

We began this week with the ending of Saul's life. While Saul is not a particular favorite of mine, I find myself mourning the loss of who he might have been. I think there's a powerful lesson in his life. He allowed his weaknesses to keep him from reaching his full potential as God's chosen king. He relied on himself and others rather than relying on the Lord. And maybe most telling, he knew how and what he should be doing. He just seemed to prefer his way over God's. (1 Samuel 15) Perhaps one reason that Saul is not one of my favorites is that I see myself reflected in his actions. A consistent prayer of mine recently has been that I will become who He intends me to be, not who I think I would like to be.

Then I find myself envious of David. He is a man who certainly seems to have it all together. He seems (at this time in his life) to never take a misstep. Even when he has been marked for death and hunted down, he makes right choices (1 Samuel 24,26) and has complete and utter faith that God will rescue him. Again and again I saw the words, "David inquired of the Lord." I find myself longing for that relationship with God and I try to make it so complicated. I think, "well, David was obviously God's favorite." I justify why God might prefer him over me and how wonderful David must of been. However, you know what? I am the obstacle in way of a "David-like" relationship with God. Do I inquire with the belief that He will show me the way? Do I praise Him at every opportunity? Do I pour my heart out to Him? Do I expect Him to be there?

The real, honest answer is that while I am better at these things than I used to be, I am still a far cry from where I ought to be. I think, though, that I am finally at a point in my life where I will be satisfied with nothing less. And maybe that's the beginning after all. At the end of the day, I want it said that "she found strength in the Lord her God" (1 Sam. 30:6) , that "in her distress she called to the LORD; She called out to her God. From His temple He heard her voice; her cry came to His ears" (2 Sam. 22:7), that "the Lord was her support. He brought her out into a spacious place; He rescued her because He delighted in her" (Psalm 18:18,19) that "He turned her darkness into light." (Psalm 18:28)

How about you?

It's Wednesday

2009-04-22T07:29:00.003-04:00

I've pondered the idea of having a regular day for prayer requests on this blog. Since I normally work late on Wednesdays, it seems like it might be the best day for something like this. If you have any additional requests, please feel free to put them in the comments or send me an email.

Here are the things that I am aware of at this very moment:

Yvonne will be herding a group of eighth graders to Washington DC on the school's annual pilgrimage. Please pray for patience and safety for them as they leave on the 25th.

Bev had a PET scan last week to determine where the cancer is and so forth. I'm not sure what results she's had but I know that she needs the healing and comforting touch of our Heavenly Father.

Sheryl and her family as her husband continues to look for work.

The Compassion Bloggers will be headed to India on Friday.

Stellan had his heart surgery yesterday. The surgeon put it like this: "a good play with an awful hand." The hope is that the surgery was successful enough to last until Stellan is big enough to have some better options. Either way, it went well and he is recovering. (and so is his mama.)

Kayleigh and her family have a desperate need right now.

Today is Junior Ring Ceremony. I have known most of these kids since they were itty bitty and it boggles my mind to think that they are now one short year away from graduation.

We will be consulting with Jessi's back surgeon in the next few weeks as we try to determine what the best course of action is for Jonathan. Pray that we might have the wisdom to make the best decision for him. (that involves the least amount of pain.)

I also encourage you to pray for one another, that we will stay the course with our readings and that our hearts would be sensitive to whatever God would have us see.

Enjoy the week!

Monday part 2

2009-04-20T22:09:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the delay in posting. For more details about that, you can check it out here. Last year, when we read through this section, I came across a verse that became one of Jonathan's favorites. Seeing it again brought a smile and a laugh. It's from 1 Samuel 21 as David is pretending to be insane so that he might be able to stay with Achish. Achish responds by saying, "Do I have such a shortage of crazy people that you brought this one to act crazy around me? Is this one going to come into my house?" (1 Samuel 21:15)

Life has been a bit crazy for us lately. I found a great deal of comfort in Psalm 34 this week. As you go about your week, remember to Whom you belong. (in God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:11)

I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

I will boast only in the Lord;

let all who are helpless take heart.

Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;

let us exalt his name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;

he saved me from all my troubles.

For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Fear the Lord, you his godly people,

for those who fear him will have all they need.

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,

but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;

his ears are open to their cries for help.

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.

He rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;

he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The righteous person faces many troubles,

but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

Psalm 34:1-10,15,17-19

LPM Verse 8

2009-04-15T01:16:00.000-04:00

2009-04-13T19:15:00.003-04:00

While I have things to say about this past week's readings, I feel compelled to take this post in a different direction today. My heart has been burdened for several of ya'll recently and I just wanted to take a moment to ask that you pray for one another. Because we are family. So, if you have an extra moment or two, please lift these sisters up in prayer.

This past week, Bev received news that she has breast cancer. While this would be a struggle in and of itself, Bev and her husband moved to a new city last fall. I think to some degree they are still settling in and figuring out who, what and where. She is asking that we pray for the right team of doctors and that she would be able to rest at night.

Sheryl mentioned recently that her husband lost his job. As far as I know, he is still looking for work. Would you lift Sheryl and her family up as they wait upon the Lord?

I know that Yvonne is finishing up a school year (with students who want to be anywhere but in school!), Annette has been dealing with family illness and injury, Annette has taken on the role of encourager in some difficult situations, Mary Jane will soon be taking a much anticipated vacation, and I'm sure that there are many other situations that I am not aware of or forgot to mention. (Please feel free to email me if you have a prayer request. And if you don't want it broadcast to the entire Internet, let me know that as well.) Anyway, I know nothing brings me more comfort in difficult times than knowing that I am being covered in prayer so please lift these sisters up as you have time.

You are a blessing!

this gift of love...

2009-04-12T03:59:00.000-04:00

Blessed Easter!

words fail me...

2009-04-11T07:03:00.000-04:00

were you there?

2009-04-10T06:59:00.000-04:00

Joshua 20 - Judges 16

2009-04-05T19:45:00.004-04:00

I'm going to go about this backwards this week because it's what I found in the beginning of the week that continues to stick in my heart. (Plus I'm just goofy like that.)

Judges is full of fascinating people. Some I liked, some I wanted to know more about and some I did not care for at all. (I am not a big Samson fan.) My heart ached for Jephthah as his little daughter ran out to greet him (Judges 11:34). And yet, they were both faithful to his promise to the Lord. I wonder if God became frustrated with Gideon as he continued to request proof of His Will. (and I might have seen myself a time or two asking, "are you sure? really sure?") One other thing that caught my eye was the story of Gideon's ephod and how "it became a snare to Gideon and his family." (Judges 8:27) I'm not entirely sure why Gideon had the ephod made. Maybe as a remembrance for what he'd accomplished? Regardless, something that he intended as harmless became a stumbling block. Huh. Makes me want to examine some of the things in my life a little more closely. I wonder if he knew it was a snare, and yet like I often do, rationalized hanging on to it. (This old thing? It's harmless.)

I found Barak's refusal to go to war without Deborah interesting. He said, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." (Judges 4:8) How many times do I put my faith in a leader rather than my God?

I was continually amazed that the Israelites made such poor, harmful choices. "They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways." (Judges 2:19) "another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel." (Judges 2:10) I found myself wondering how they could be...to put it bluntly...so stupid. Ray Stedman in Adventuring through the Bible has an answer of sorts for me. He says, "We read this story and we think, How foolish these Israelites were not to obey the commandment of God? But don't we do exactly the same? Don't we settle for less than complete victory over our sins and bad habits? don't we say, "well, yes, I do have a problem with anger (or gossip , or swearing, or impure thoughts, or alcohol, or tobacco), but it's just one little bad habit! I mean, we all need one small vise, don't we? No! God says that it is these little things that we accommodate ourselves to and compromise with that eventually defeat us and destroy us! We cannot afford to settle for anything less than complete victory!" (p144) Huh. It reminds me of the illustration about yeast. A small amount of yeast added in the mix will permeate (or taint) the entire batch of dough, so much so that you can no longer tell what part started out "yeast-less."

All of which brings me back to the beginning of the week. I saw these words repeated twice and they spoke to my heart. Checking back, the same phrase is used four times in Deuteronomy. The phrase? Hold fast to Him. Kind of sums it all up doesn't it? If we hold fast to Him, we will have complete victory. It's hard to hold fast to Him while dragging our ephods (and sins) along with us. The phrase "hold fast" conjures up a picture in my mind of a child's hands clinging so tightly to a parent that there is no doubt that they won't be separated. That's what I need to remember in the days ahead. Whether my day is calm and peaceful or harried and hurtful. May you "love the LORD your God, walk in all His ways, obey His commands, hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and all your soul" this upcoming Easter week. (Joshua 22:5)

April

2009-03-31T20:18:00.003-04:00

April 1: Judges 2-5

April 2: Judges 6-8

April 3: Judges 9

April 4: Judges 10-12

April 5: Judges 13-16

April 6: Judges 17-19

April 7: Judges 20-21

April 8: Ruth

April 9: 1 Samuel 1-3

April 10: 1 Samuel 4-7

April 11: 1 Samuel 8-10

April 12: 1 Samuel 11-13

April 13: 1 Samuel 14-15

April 14: 1 Samuel 16-17

April 15: 1 Samuel 18-19, Psalm 59

April 16: 1 Samuel 20-21, Psalm 56,34

April 17: 1 Samuel 22-23, 1 Chronicles 12:8-18, Psalm 54,63,142

April 18: 1 Samuel 24, Psalm 57, 1 Samuel 25

April 19: 1 Samuel 26-29, 1 Chronicles 12:1-7,19-22

April 20: 1 Samuel 30-31, 1 Chronicles 10, 2 Samuel 1

April 21: 2 Samuel 2-4

April 22: 2 Samuel 5:1-6:11, 1 Chronicles 11:1-9, 12:23-40, 13-14

April 23: 2 Samuel 22, Psalm 18

April 24: 1 Chronicles 15-16, 2 Samuel 6:12-23, Psalm 96

April 25: Psalm 105, 2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17

April 26: 2 Samuel 8-10, 1 Chronicles 18-19, Psalm 60

April 27: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20:1-3, Psalm 51

April 28: 2 Samuel 13-14

April 29: 2 Samuel 15-17

April 30: Psalm 3, 2 Samuel 18-19

Deuteronomy 31 - Joshua 19

2009-03-30T06:43:00.003-04:00

Rahab. The crossing of the Jordan. Jericho. The defeat at Ai. The deception of the Gibeonites. The day the sun stood still. The book of Joshua reads like the script of an action movie. So much going on. (The first time I read about the crossing of the Jordan, I wondered why it didn't get as much attention as the crossing of the red sea. I always thought Joshua got cheated out of a major story line.)

While all the goings on fascinated me this week, there was one section in particular that caught my attention. I've turned this over and over in my mind all week and can't seem to get away from it. At the very beginning of the book, Joshua is speaking with the Israelites, instructing them to get their supplies ready, that they would be crossing over into "the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own." He's reminding the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh that they are to help their brothers until "the LORD gives them rest."

And this is how they respond. "Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. (Joshua 1:12) My first reaction to this statement was surprise, then amazement and finally disbelief as I wondered who on earth they thought they were talking about. Fully obeyed Moses? When? Where was I when scripture was mentioning this phenomenon? I was sitting on my bed, scribbling notes in the margin, feeling rather smug and superior (uh oh...you know what's coming when you start to feel smug and superior), when a thought popped into my mind. And how, exactly, do I see myself? How many times do I sit and extol my obedience when I should be face down on the floor, pleading for forgiveness and mercy? Or how many times do I think I've gotten it right (and everybody else has obviously gotten it wrong) when I am so far off from where I should be that it's not even funny. Granted, there are days when I am my own harshest critic, but I wonder if how I see myself is anywhere near how God sees me. Or the non-christian sees God through me. I guess I not only need God's eyes to see others but also to see myself. Something more to ponder along the journey.

I pray that your week be blessed...

Deuteronomy 8-31

2009-03-23T06:43:00.003-04:00

I hope by now that you are beginning to be captivated by the Word. I remember the first time I actually studied the Old Testament for any length of time and how amazed and humbled I was by the depth of love that God has for us. I mean, the New Testament offers us such a beautiful picture of sacrificial love and I get that, but the Old Testament shows His pursuit of His people on most every page. Prior to that, I thought the OT was a dry, dusty book full of rules, laws and anger. Oh, how sadly mistaken I was. Last year, when we finished reading the OT, I remembering being in tears as I was trying to explain to God how much I was going to miss Him. (makes me sound like a dork, huh?) Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg have a new book called Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus that is totally fascinating. This statement about the OT caught my eye last week: "For them the Torah was not an onerous rulebook or a vast catalog of laws as we might think, but a gift from God that taught them how to live. (p25) A gift from God. I'm going to try and remember that the next time I get caught up in cubits and warriors.

Oh, as a side note, one thing our amazing little book of wonders apparently missed was Psalm 90. Moses apparently wrote this at the end of his life and for some reason it was not included with our readings. I would encourage you to read it sometime this week as we finish up Deuteronomy and say goodbye to him.

Now, onto the good stuff. Here are a collection of scriptures that leaped off the pages at me this week:

And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, so serve the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? 10:22 Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we could/would just obey?

...is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end. 11:11-12 This verse speaks to the poet in me. (I know she's in there somewhere.) I also love the idea that the eyes of the Lord are on me continually.

...to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to hold fast to Him...11:22 Why is it that I only want to cling to Him when troubles come or when I'm feeling sentimental or poetic?

Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession. 14:2 Oh, let me tell you, this is a word that I need to hear. Over and over again. It soothes those parts of my soul that have been trampled over too many times. Chosen. Me. Treasured Possession.

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. No, the Word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 30:11,14

My prayer for each of us this week is that we will remember Whose we are...and that we will strive to live, knowing that we are chosen, His treasured possession.

And, um, here's two additional random thoughts that I couldn't pass up.

If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity. 25:11-12 I honestly cannot think of any circumstance where I might be tempted to do this. Can you?

Also, Halleys Bible Handbook has this note about Moses. "In medieval and Renaissance art, Moses was often represented with horns on his head, due to a mistake in the Latin translation of Exodus 34:29. (horns instead of was radiant.)p174

And on that note, I hope you have a wonderful week!

Finally, a post!

2009-03-18T06:42:00.002-04:00

I like Moses. I love the relationship that he had with God. That he had intimate, personal conversations with Him. That he knew Him. That God chose him. And, to be honest, I like the fact that Moses had flaws. That he wasn't perfect. It reminds me that God isn't looking for flawless people. In fact, He takes our flaws and uses them for His good.

One of the reasons that I can relate to Moses is that he has a temper. And on more than one occasion, that temper has gotten him in a heap of trouble. (Remember forty year old Moses murdering the Egyptian for beating the Hebrew slave?) And yet, God had a plan. One that didn't involve Moses living as the adopted son of Pharaoh, but as a humbled man tending flocks for his father-in-law. I wonder sometimes how receptive Moses would have been to a burning bush if he had still been living the high and mighty life. Was he more willing and able to see God because his "future" was damaged beyond repair? Did he ever realize that this was the future God had for him all along?

This past week, in our readings, Moses has begun preparing the Israelites for his death. As I read, one thing caught my eye repeatedly. At least three times Moses said this: "Because of you, the Lord became angry with me..."(Deut. 1:37) "But because of you the Lord was angry with me..."(3:26) "The Lord was angry with me because of you..." (4:21) However, if we look back in Numbers, we get a different picture of what happened. "The Lord said to Moses, 'Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water....So Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence, just as He commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, 'Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock?' Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff....But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.' " (Numbers 20:7-12) So, whose fault was it?

It's easy for me to lose my temper. As a matter of fact, there are times when I purposefully loosen the reigns and behave poorly. I justify it to myself in many ways, but the bottom line is that I am responsible for my actions. And often the consequences for my choosing to lose my temper are not worth the momentary satisfaction I receive from "blowing a gasket." Others are hurt by my choosing to behave badly. (Just as Aaron paid for Moses' choice.) And once the words leave my mouth, they cannot be "taken back." (Moses apparently pleaded with God to change His mind but God chose not to relent. Check out Deut. 3:21-29.)

So, three things linger with me this week. One---Stop whining, grumbling and complaining. (which I have done my share of this past week with our inventory.) My bad attitude can push someone else's bad attitude to the point of anger. Two---Hang onto my temper. Things said in the heat of anger cannot be taken back and may have far reaching consequences. Three--- Accept responsibility for my actions. Don't blame others for my bad attitude. I control my temper (or, as my mother used to say, my temper controls me.)

Is it just me?

2009-03-09T15:38:00.003-04:00

Surprisingly enough, I found this weeks readings to be rich in content. (Why does that surprise me? I guess I have these preconceived notions of how dry certain sections of the Bible must be. Silly me.) I found irony, humor, hope, encouragement, inspiration and JESUS this week. I just the Word!

We'll start with the irony. Did anyone see anything...um...ironic about this?

We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. Numbers 11:5

Never mind that we had to make bricks without straw, that we had no land of our own, that Pharaoh wanted to kill our babies...by golly, at least we had cucumbers. My soul is shouting, "at no cost?!? Where have you been living?" Then a gentle voice reminds me of how I cling to my sin, to things that aren't the best for me, things that I'm sure no one could replace with anything better. And I'm humbled.

Then there's Balaam and his donkey. Balaam beats his donkey until finally the donkey looks at him and says, "what's up with this?" Then...Balaam answered the donkey. (Numbers 22:29) So tell me, if you had a donkey and you were whopping him upside the head and he turns around and talks to you...are you going to answer him? 'Cause believe me, if that were to happen to me, after I recovered from my fainting spell, I'd be hustling that donkey off to Disney studios or the National Enquirer. I certainly would not be saying, "You have made a fool of me." (I'd be more likely saying, "You have made me rich!"

I also got tickled at the whole quail thing. I realize that God is angry and rightfully so. But honestly, there is some humor in his response. "You will not eat it for just one day or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month--until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it--because you have rejected the LORD who is among you, and have wailed before him saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" (Numbers 11:20) Doesn't that just sound like a parent? An exasperated one at that? (which brings to mind a story of my childhood that I will NOT share here.)

Then there's the whole, "Gee, I'm sorry. And since I'm sorry, that should be enough, let's head off to the promised land now" thing. I don't know that I caught the phrase "Nevertheless, in their presumption" (14:44) before. And doesn't that sound like me? After all, I've apologized. Of course there's no need for consequences. I'll just head off now and go do what I think you might want. Now that it's convenient for me. I have to say, every time I get aggravated with the Israelites and their whining pigheadedness, I see myself. Sigh. Which may very well be one of the reasons that the Lord has me reading these verses.

In spite of all of the complaining, anger, disappointment and turmoil, there were some reassuring verses as well. Last month, one of my memory verses was Joel 2:13. I was delighted to see a portion of it here. The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. (Numbers 14:18) Oh, how I love those words!

I love His description of Caleb as well: But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly...(Numbers 14:24). What a confirmation of his character. It's also a reminder to me that even though the inhabitants of the promised land seemed invincible, Caleb knew his God. He knew that if this was the land that the LORD wanted them to have, then He would make it happen. I need to remember that. The LORD also reminds Aaron that even though he will not have land, "I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites." (Numbers 18:20) Sitting here, in front of my Bible, reading this verse, my heart is shouting that it's enough. But is it really? Do I act like it is or do I want more? More things, more stuff? Something to ponder.

I'll close this weeks reading with my JESUS. Balaam's fourth oracle says, "A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel."(24:17) Once again, in the midst of turmoil, there's hope. His promise. What a blessing. To me, there's nothing sweeter than reading along and finding Him. May your week be filled with glimpses of Him as well.

2009-03-08T17:32:00.001-04:00

Our weekly recap may be delayed a bit this evening due to severe weather. It's hard to post when you are huddled in the "tornado closet." (I suspect that most of the weather is just "bluster" but it is tornado season in Kentucky. Hooray for spring!)

Leviticus 21 through Numbers 7

2009-03-01T16:39:00.004-05:00

One thing I enjoy about Leviticus is the description of the appointed feasts. I've wondered about these and the purpose behind each one for several years. I found a wonderful book that gives a great deal of information about them called The Feasts of the Lord by Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal. Mr. Rosenthal begins the book by saying, "The Hebrew word translated 'feasts' means appointed times. The idea is that the sequence and timing of each of these feasts have been carefully orchestrated by God himself. Each is part of a comprehensive whole. Collectively, they tell a story. These feasts are also called 'holy convocations'; that is, they are intended to be times of meeting between God and man for 'holy purposes.' Since these seven feasts of the Lord are 'appointed times' for 'holy purposes,' they carry with them great sacredness and solemnity." (p.13)

He goes on to say that the first four feasts have been fulfilled in God's prophetic calendar. "Passover speaks of redemption. Messiah, the Passover Lamb, has been slain for us.

Unleavened Bread speaks of sanctification. He was set apart. His body would not decay in the grave.

First fruits speak of resurrection. Death could not hold her Foe. On the third day, Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave. (The Lord's acceptance of the first fruits is an 'earnest' or pledge, on His part of a full harvest. When God accepted the first fruits, they became the guarantee that the rest of the crop would be harvested. p20-21.) We are the rest of the crop, praise God.

The Feast of Weeks speaks of origination. The coming of the Holy Spirit inaugurated the New Covenant and Church Age which the Messiah instituted in the Upper Room. The middle wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down. From the two, the Lord is calling out the Church, which is His Body.

Each major event of the Messiah's first coming occurred on the precise date of the appropriate Jewish holiday." (p.23)

I have come to a place of peace about the Sabbath. For the moment. I will continue to pray and seek His will over it but for now, I believe that we are called to treat the Sabbath as a holy day. One that isn't like all the others. One that is "set apart." It is my desire and goal to use the Sabbath to worship, pray, and study the Word. I realize that life will continue to intrude and each Sunday may not be the perfect example of living a Sabbath life but I am committed to trying. "Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary, I am the Lord. Lev.26:2"

As we entered the book of Numbers, I was fascinated by how God wants to be a part of everything, even down to telling which tribe where to set up each camp. (Numbers 2) By doing this, in my eyes anyway, it shows their importance to Him. Each one had a specific, special place. None were forgotten. And that makes my heart glad.

Ray Stedman, in his book Adventuring through the Bible, says that "Trust is the theme of the book of Numbers. In this book, God dramatically sets forth what is perhaps the hardest lesson any of us has to learn: our need to trust God rather than our own reason. The issue of trust is a major struggle for many Christians. The hardest struggle we have is the same struggle that the Israelites had--the struggle to believe and trust that God is in control, He knows what He is doing and what He's talking about, and He doesn't make mistakes. We struggle to believe that everything that He tells us in His Word is true and that it is for our good. (96)" Oh my, that smacks me upside the head. My issue is often who knows what's best for me. Not that I don't believe that God doesn't know what's best for me, it's just that some of that other stuff looks...appealing. Attractive. Fun. You know, if sin didn't look attractive in the beginning, Satan would have a lot more trouble getting people to fall into those pits. So while I will probably find it easy to sit in judgement of our whiny band of travelers over the next few weeks, I need to remember that I'm really not so different from them.

I want to offer this blessing for each of you as I close out this week's post. I love these scriptures and am happy to run across them in our reading this week. After a difficult few weeks lately, I can think of nothing better than being blessed by the Lord's peace.

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn His face toward you

and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

shalom!

LPM Scripture Memory Verse 5

2009-03-01T11:41:00.000-05:00

March Readings

2009-02-28T18:48:00.003-05:00

March 1: Numbers 7

March 2: Numbers 8-10

March 3: Numbers 11-13

March 4: Numbers 14-15

March 5: Numbers 16-18

March 6: Numbers 19-21

March 7: Numbers 22-24

March 8: Numbers 25-26

March 9: Numbers 27-29

March 10: Numbers 30-31

March 11: Numbers 32-33

March 12: Numbers 34-36

March 13: Deuteronomy 1-2

March 14: Deuteronomy 3-4

March 15: Deuteronomy 5-7

March 16: Deuteronomy 8-10

March 17: Deuteronomy 11-13

March 18: Deuteronomy 14-17

March 19: Deuteronomy 18-21

March 20: Deuteronomy 22-25

March 21: Deuteronomy 26-28

March 22: Deuteronomy 29:1-31:29

March 23: Deuteronomy 31:30-34:12

March 24: Joshua 1-4

March 25: Joshua 5-8

March 26: Joshua 9-11

March 27: Joshua 12-14

March 28: Joshua 15-17

March 29: Joshua 18-19

March 30: Joshua 20-22

March 31: Joshua 23-Judges 1

living holy

2009-02-22T16:57:00.003-05:00

This is one of those weeks where you wonder what on earth you might get out of the scriptures. And yet, if you continue to seek...there are gems here.

First, you have to understand that I have a unique sense of humor. So I was tickled to read that "All the fat is the Lord's" in Lev 3:16. Makes me feel a little better about storing fat for the winter.

Then there was the whole "scapegoat" thing. (The goat will carry on itself all their sins...The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat... Lev 16:20,26) I don't know if that's where the origin of the word came from but I felt kind of bad for the poor goat.

I also found it interesting that not only did Moses set up the entire Tabernacle (Ex 40) but that he was responsible for anointing the Tabernacle and everything in it and then Aaron and his sons too. (Lev. 8) When I first read the passages I considered it as a burden...but after thinking about it for a while, I've decided that it was an honor. A visible example of the relationship between Moses and God. Can you imagine God entrusting us with a task like that? My mind chants "I'm not worthy" over and over. And of course, I am not. Nor was Moses. Yet God didn't just use him, He chose him. Just as He continues to choose and use us today.

As I read through the remaining chapters, I was thinking about all the work that went into being God's people. It seemed to me that there were rules for everything. (and tell me honestly, did you wonder like I did if anyone was ever "clean"?) Then, I had a mini-epiphany. I realized that I was probably a lot more comfortable accepting all the rules and requirements that God put forth in order for me to be cleansed from my sin than I might be accepting the free gift of His Son. Does that make any sense? After all these years I still feel so unworthy of His grace and mercy. And of course I am. So I find myself trying to "pay" for it. Or feeling so unworthy that I am ashamed to call upon Him or turn to Him. Sigh. I wonder if that's what reading these chapters is really about. For me, anyway. Maybe He's trying to get me to look at Him in a different light.

The remaining verses serve as reminders to me. Too many times I forget whose I am and what I am supposed to be doing. My desire for this year is to be more focused on Him, to see His Word in new and marvelous ways, and to apply it to my life.

I am the Lord your God. Keep yourselves holy for me because I am holy. Leviticus 11:44

I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt to be your God; you must be holy because I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

Press on...

wondering...

2009-02-19T09:55:00.004-05:00

As I read our chapters yesterday, I came across this set of verses:

Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Moses also brought Aaron's sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the altar on all sides. Leviticus 8:23-24

After reading them, I couldn't help but wonder why on earth Moses would do such a thing. So I checked it out and this is what I found.

This act emphasized the role of the priestly office, with the blood stressing the ties to the sacrificial system. The priest's basic function was mediation between God and his people. To do this effectively, he needed ears that could hear the words of God and the needs of his people, hands ready to do God's bidding, and feet ready to take him where he was needed. (p207, NLT Study Bible.)

Curiosity satisfied.

This time.

Leviticus

2009-02-17T18:44:00.002-05:00

Can you believe we've finished three books already? (Of course, we could consider that we have 63 to go. But we won't.)

Here's some of the background information I have on Leviticus:

The NLT Study Bible says " Leviticus enabled ancient Israel to live in relationship with a holy God. But what do laws governing ancient Israel's system of worship, with its priests and animal sacrifices, have to do with us? Jesus Christ became our High Priest and ultimate sacrifice, thereby fulfilling many of these requirements. Yet Leviticus is important to us today because it increases our understanding of God's holiness. God's demand for those who know Him remains the same: 'I am the LORD your God...You must be holy because I am holy' (11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:15-16) " p192

My little book of fabulous information says: The key concept in Leviticus is holiness--being set apart for God's service and being different from the world by obeying God's commands.
When reading Leviticus, we should marvel at the intimacy of the use of God's names. Yahweh appears 311 times and all 52 occurrences of Elohim show the personal covenant relationship of God to His people: "your God" is used 40 times, "his God" is used 8 times, and "their God" is used 4 times.
Finally, Leviticus may be viewed as a book about atonement--the provision of access to God for sinful man. (14-15)

Can I get an amen on that? I have not thought of this book as a book of atonement. Hopefully, carrying this view in my head will help me with the more repetitive parts or the icky parts. (Like the "rip the head off the bird but not all the way" parts.)

irrelevant?

2009-02-15T17:57:00.002-05:00

Calling all theological minds...anyone who has any scriptural background. There's something I need to know. Seriously...

He said to them, "This is what the Lord commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Ex 16:23

Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out. So the people rested on the seventh day. Ex 16:29-30

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Ex 20:8-11

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. " 'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'" Ex 31:12-17

For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death.
Ex 35:2

Are these scriptures irrelevant? Are we allowed to pick and choose scriptures that we prefer? Do we get to choose the ones that seem like they are easy or don't interfere with our lifestyles? (although after completing Kelly Minter's No Other Gods study last summer, it would seem that keeping the Sabbath might be one of the easier commandments to keep.)

Does anybody have anything to offer on this subject? I can promise you that these are not the only scriptures we will read concerning the Sabbath this year.

Glory

2009-02-14T08:46:00.003-05:00

When you make the offering, I, the Lord, will meet you there and speak to you. I will meet with the people of Israel there, and that place will be holy because of my glory. Exodus 29:42-43 NCV

For years I have pondered the concept of God's glory. Through scripture and song, I have puzzled over it's meaning. Recently I came across an article in the NLT Study Bible that put things into a better perspective. Here's an excerpt:

Glory has a rather different connotation in the Old Testament than it does in the English usage. The English word suggests something thin and passing--the glory of a sunset, the glory of last year's winning team. The root idea of the Hebrew word for glory is "heaviness" or "solidity." It connotes "significance" or "worth," the absolute opposite of "vanity" or "nothingness." When God's glory appears, it is not merely a bright light or a glittering cloud, but a visible expression of His absolute reality.

God's glory is the manifestation of His person, His power, and His majesty. God's glory may be revealed in nature, such as in a thunderstorm or in the plagues sent on the Egyptians. God's glory can also be a unique manifestation, such as the revelation on Mount Sinai. At the dedication of the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple, God's glory filled those structures indicating His approval of them and that His presence would now reside there.

To give glory to God means to speak or act in a manner that acknowledges who God is. (167)

I have given a lot of thought lately about whether or not my life reflects what I purport to believe, particularly in this day and age. It would be terribly easy to walk through each day paralyzed with a spirit of fear. However, if I truly believe that God is sovereign, my life needs to reflect that. I suspect that my days would be better served learning to give glory to God in all my circumstances.

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 1 Thess 5:16-18

Treasured...

2009-02-12T06:27:00.003-05:00

I appreciate each one of your prayers on our behalf as we once again battle some ridiculous illness. (one of the questions I'll have on my list when I arrive in heaven will be what purpose viruses serve. Because surely they must serve a purpose.)

One thing that I am trying to do differently this year as I read through my bible is to check more background and reference material. I want to try and see things from every angle. I don't want to miss a thing. (working in a christian book store makes it a lot easier to get my hands on all kinds of material. Woo hoo!) I recently checked out the Holman Old Testament Commentaries and I am absolutely thrilled with the material that they provide. They are set up like a Sunday school lesson with illustrations, breakdowns of the text, summaries and so forth. I think I'll be adding them to my list of "must haves."

Max Anders says that Exodus is a redemption story. Not just the story of the Israelites making an "exodus" from Egypt, but a picture of a loving God hastening to save His chosen people. This appeals to me on so many levels. As a person with "issues", nothing thrills my heart more than when scripture uses words like "treasured possession, delighted, chosen." Words like these add balm to a heart that has been hurt more times than I would care to count. I hold scripture like Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left it's place in front of the people (13:22) and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself...if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession (19:4) close to me. It brings me such comfort on difficult, complicated days. (and it brings a smile to my face on the rather ordinary days as well.)

I hope you know how God sees you. I pray that you realize that you too are His treasured possession. How He loves each one of us! I encourage you to keep reading. I know that we have some...um...interesting passages ahead of us as we listen to descriptions of cubits, curtains, and rings.

***

I am taking a few days off work to a) begin planning my daughter's wedding (we are wedding dress shopping today) and b) celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day. I am planning on catching up on your posts these next few days as well. If you have a moment or two to spare, please remember our city in your prayers. We finally got every one's power back on from the ice storm only to have a wind storm sweep through and bring down more trees and power lines. Sigh. We like the dark. It encourages napping.

what happened?

2009-02-11T06:40:00.002-05:00

I apologize for not having my recap post up. Um...and this is not it either. I'll give you a hint as to why. One verse that caught my eye (and my head) this week was "for I am the Lord, who heals you." (Ex 15:26) I am grateful that He is. (I also wish He would allow people with germs and contagious illnesses to glow a particular color so we would know them when we see them. And as an added bonus, it would be nice if the germs that they leave behind when they touch phones, TV remotes, door knobs, etc, would glow as well. So that some poor unsuspecting person wouldn't pick up the aforementioned germs and spread them all around to his or her family.)

As you might have guessed, three out of four of us have been dealing with some form of the dreaded "stomach virus." And while we are recovering from this inconvenience, the effects of it are not particularly conducive to deep thoughts about the Word. With that said, I am planning on posting my recap tonight or tomorrow.

I hope all is well (and healthy) with you. (don't forget to wash your hands!)

Job 20-42, Exodus 1-4

2009-02-01T20:33:00.003-05:00

Each week, as I read, I mark different verses in my Bible and then stick a sticky note on the page so that when I do the recap, they are easier to find. By weeks end, I look like I have a little rainbow along the edges of my Bible. I like the reminder that I am delving into the Word and that these pages spoke to me in some way.

This week I have the same number of sticky notes that I usually do. But I'm not sure what to do with them. I don't want this to become the "endless" post, with so much information that it becomes distracting. So, I am going to choose the one section that has been lingering in my mind for the past few days. I may go back and touch on a few other things this week but this particular section of scripture has captured my imagination.

Five weeks ago we started our reading with "in the beginning." We saw God create light, darkness, earth, sky, the seas, dry land and so forth. And to be perfectly honest, while the wording was concise and not terribly detailed, it was enough.

Because it was what I expected. The creation story was, is and always will be this way.

Until this week.

Until God spoke.

And let me tell you, His words spoke to the poet in my soul. Did you see the creation story in Job 38?

Where were you when I made the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off how big it should be? Surely you know!
Who stretched a ruler across it?
What were the earth's foundations set on,
or who put its cornerstone in place
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted with joy?

"Who shut the doors to keep the sea in
when it broke through and was born,
when I made the clouds like a coat for the sea
and wrapped it in dark clouds,
when I put limits on the sea
and put its doors and bars in place,
when I said to the sea, 'You may come this far, but no farther;
this is where your proud waves must stop'?

"Have you ever ordered the morning to begin,
or shown the dawn where its place was
in order to take hold of the earth by its edges
and shake evil people out of it?
At dawn the earth changes like clay being pressed by a seal;
the hills and valleys stand out like folds in a coat.
Job 38:4-14

For someone like me, someone who absorbs the printed word like it's her very lifeblood, someone who thinks in word pictures, this passage is a beautifully crafted story of "in the beginning." And I am delighted to find it here. The morning stars sang, the angels shouted for joy, clouds like a coat for the sea...I am so in awe of my God. He delights me. Once again, I found treasure in a place that I least expected it. Although, after all that I have learned of my God, I should not be surprised.

So tell me, how has God delighted you this week?

Exodus

2009-02-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

My wonderful little book of knowledge gives us this information about the book of Exodus:

The theme of Exodus is the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, in fulfillment of the promise made by God in Genesis 15:13-14. The book records the birth of the nation of Israel, the giving of the law, and the origin of ritual worship.

Exodus begins where Genesis left off; with the relocation of Jacob and his descendants to Egypt, in fulfillment of Genesis 15:13a. But in fulfillment of Genesis 15:13b, the Israelites are soon enslaved and oppressed by the Egyptians. The rest of the book begins to fulfill Genesis 15:14, 16--the exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. The majority of Exodus concentrates on the eighty-one years between the birth of Moses and the setting up of the tabernacle.

The name Yahweh first appears in chapter 3. God proclaims that He has "come down"--that He is specially present on Earth to deliver His people from bondage and lead them into the bountiful land of promise.

Israel breaks the first two commandments when the people build the golden calf and worship it as their god. Though God responds with judgement, He still reveals His character as Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God who forgives the repentant but judges the unrepentant. This compassion is one of the most important revelations about the character of Yahweh, and is repeated throughout scripture until it culminates the the coming of Jesus in John 1:14. (p.13-14)

This is one of the reasons that I love reading the Bible chronologically. As we read, we see how God has "progressively revealed Himself in word and action" throughout history. Good stuff!

prayer

2009-01-31T07:36:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-30T12:57:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-01-27T17:58:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-25T14:11:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-20T21:25:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-18T19:06:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-11T17:02:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-01-05T21:20:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-01-04T18:09:00.005-05:00

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

2009-01-04T08:46:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-01T07:53:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-12-24T11:29:00.000-05:00

Christmas Blessings...

January

2008-12-21T19:18:00.003-05:00

There are many choices when looking to begin reading the Bible chronologically. There are one year chronological Bibles, the new chronological study Bible and countless lists of specific readings. I am using Read Through the Bible in a Year by John R. Kohlenberger III for 2009. This way I will be able to use my own Bible all year long and keep the notes in it for future reference.

So here we go:

January 1: Genesis 1-3

January 2: Genesis 4:1-6:8

January 3: Genesis 6:9-9:29

January 4: Genesis 10-11

January 5: Genesis 12-14

January 6: Genesis 15-17

January 7: Genesis 18-19

January 8: Genesis 20-22

January 9: Genesis 23-24

January 10: Genesis 25-26

January 11: Genesis 27-28

January 12: Genesis 29-30

January 13: Genesis 31-32

January 14: Genesis 33-35

January 15: Genesis 36-37

January 16: Genesis 38-40

January 17: Genesis 41-42

January 18: Genesis 43-45

January 19: Genesis 46-47

January 20: Genesis 48-50

January 21: Job 1-3

January 22: Job 4-7

January 23: Job 8-11

January 24: Job 12-15

January 25: Job 16-19

January 26: Job 20-22

January 27: Job 23-28

January 28: Job 29-31

January 29: Job 32-34

January 30: Job 35-37

January 31: Job 38-42

Why am I here?

2008-12-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

Well, it's a year long story.

In November of 2007, I had surgery. While the surgery itself was successful, I had a little issue afterwards with internal bleeding. This little issue kept me off my feet for much longer than I had intended. I originally wanted to take a winter bible study at my church but since I was having difficulty working more than four or five hours a day, I didn't see any way that I could add anything else to my schedule. Then, one of the blogs that I read mentioned two different online bible studies that were going to be starting in January of 2008. One of the studies was a chronological reading through the Bible. I decided that this was something I could handle and purchased a chronological Bible. And God moved. In mighty and miraculous ways.

Now we are at the end of 2008 and I feel led to do it again in 2009. I can't wait to see what He wants me to see this upcoming year. (I know I missed so much and yet I know I learned to much!)

And so, a new blog is born. Basically, at this point and time, this blog will have the month's readings listed and I suppose it might contain any other thoughts that we might have on the journey. (I'm hoping that others join me. Mary Jane, now would be a really good time for you to start posting regularly.)