Sunday, June 17, 2012

June 18-24


Monday: Genesis 24
Tuesday: Judges 20
Wednesday: Psalm 49
Thursday: Isaiah 53
Friday: Zechariah 4
Saturday: Acts 17
Sunday Titus 2

8 comments:

Unknown said...

more on absolute surrender. Gen 24 notes: v 6 Abraham wanted to obey God in the WHO as well as the WHERE. Make your obedience full and complete.

v12 Abraham's servant asked God for guidance in this very important task. What are your family members, friends, and associates learning about God from watching you? Be like Abraham, setting an example of dependent faith and be like Eliezer, asking God for guidance before any venture.

Unknown said...

judges 20. the thing I took away from this chapter is that even when righteousness and justice are on your side, even when God is behind you and before you, it doesn't mean that you are not going to take a beating. I have some friends who truly believe that God wanting your best means nothing negative in your life. No hard knocks, no, illness, no financial struggles. That all of those things originate from and are the weapons of the enemy. I totally don't agree. God didn't hand this battle over perfectly to the Israelites because their cause was just and He didn't wipe out the Benjamites without a struggle. Struggle tests our faith, builds our muscle, pulls us closer to God. And when that is what He desires, our closeness to Him, struggle is something to be embraced.

Annette said...

So true, PC. I also found the theme of absolute surrender surfacing once more. The Israelites were enraged, and wanted justice. They rushed in, even asked God about who should go first, and God answered them. After being beat soundly, they asked God on the second day, should we attack? and got whipped again. I found it interesting that after that second defeat they fasted until evening and offered sacrifices. Then they asked of God, should we march against Benjamin again, or should we call it quits? It seemed that now they realized that their victory would not come in their own strength.

Unknown said...

>>It seemed that now they realized that their victory would not come in their own strength<<

sooooo good. I needed this word today.

Unknown said...

"yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough to liver forever and never see the grave." Psalm 49 7-9

what redemption costs, is life itself. but not just that, it costs a blameless life. something not one of us can ever boast. and so redemption is completely out of our grasp and can only be found in the one perfect sacrifice. everything else is as filthy rags. this is the savior we worship. this is the only One worthy of all of our love, worship, devotion and attention. and yet we digress. every. single. day. We lose sight of what our lives are all about. Living, breathing, serving vessels of redemption, created to proclaim the glorious riches of the One who has called us out of darkness into His glorious light.

Unknown said...

Isa 53:12 "he interceded for rebels."

God has been showing me lately what a stubborn and rebellious heart I have. When He tries to reveal something to me and I deflect and twist and turn every which way to justify... ugh. It was a real wrestling match this week. I was rebellious to face to my OWN ugliness in a relationship with someone. I would only focus on THEIR ugliness. But the thing is, when I recognize MY ugliness, their ugliness fades. Taking offense is only an excuse on my part to harbor ugliness of my own. It was so good to finally have a breakthrough in this battle, recognize my ugliness, confess it, repent and be freed from those shackles. Because really it was like a huge series of heavy chain links I was packing around. I think there is nothing uglier than a stubborn and rebellious spirit. Why is it we are so blind to our own rebellion?

Unknown said...

Zech 4 "the key words are by my spirit". It is ONLY through God's spirit that anything of lasting value is accomplished. It's God's work, we are invited to come alongside, be part of the miracle, but it's His miracle. It's His work.

Lois said...

Thanks for your good example,PC!