Day 15 - Job 2:11-4:21
Job 4:8 “As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.”
Doesn't this seem like common sense? It also sounds like karma a little. "What goes around, comes around." "Reap what you sow." Using a farm reference makes sense for the Bible. Back then people lived off the land and understood the plow and sow concept. The before mentioned sayings are used today, but I wonder what reference the verse would have if it had been written today, hmm.... It would have to have something to do with texting and Facebook no doubt! Seriously though, was there ever a time in your life where there was evil, even the slightest bit, in your heart? How well did that work out for you? I remember a time in my life where just a seed of evil had been planted in my life. For me this evil was like the weeds people hate to have in their yards because it doesn't take much to keep it alive and it spreads like wild fire taking over everything. This evil took over my life. I didn't know how to control it. I became a hateful person, a judgmental person, selfish, and because of it an unhappy person. In this situation, God had to be my weed killer first to remove the evil and then the Miracle Grow to make me a better and stronger person because I know longer had the evil keeping me down. If we are not careful, even the smallest seed of evil will grow into a big weed that will suffocate all the beautiful and strong things we are as Christians. I challenge myself daily to ensure I keep the weeds out of my life and out of my heart. It is not always the easiest thing to do, but I know it is the best.
What do you think the saying for the texting and Facebook generation should be?
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Good, Never Challenge
Day 14 - Job 1:16-2:10
Job 2:10 “He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not
trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”
Sometimes we believe that the only way God provides to us is through good. Isn't there a saying "God won't give us more than we can handle"? Why would that saying even be around if we only got good from God. Job is really sick because God is testing his dedication to Him to prove to Satan Job's belief in Him and more importantly Job's unwillingness to curse God. God tests people all the time, but back then people knew it as such and would handle it as a test from God. However today we hit a rough patch and instead of asking for God's guidance and help through it, the majority of us blame Him and curse His name and so on. I wonder why our attitudes towards His tests for us have changed over the years. I wonder who the first person was to curse God because of a test. Is it just because it is easy to blame and curse Him? Is it because we believe He won't "get all in our face" like someone might if we blamed and cursed them out? I am challenging myself to recognize challenges in my life as tests from God and pray for His guidance during these times rather than look to blame someone. More than likely, the challenge will be there because of something I had done.
Job 2:10 “He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not
trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”
Sometimes we believe that the only way God provides to us is through good. Isn't there a saying "God won't give us more than we can handle"? Why would that saying even be around if we only got good from God. Job is really sick because God is testing his dedication to Him to prove to Satan Job's belief in Him and more importantly Job's unwillingness to curse God. God tests people all the time, but back then people knew it as such and would handle it as a test from God. However today we hit a rough patch and instead of asking for God's guidance and help through it, the majority of us blame Him and curse His name and so on. I wonder why our attitudes towards His tests for us have changed over the years. I wonder who the first person was to curse God because of a test. Is it just because it is easy to blame and curse Him? Is it because we believe He won't "get all in our face" like someone might if we blamed and cursed them out? I am challenging myself to recognize challenges in my life as tests from God and pray for His guidance during these times rather than look to blame someone. More than likely, the challenge will be there because of something I had done.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Intended Harm
Day 13 - Genesis 50:15-26 & Job 1:1-15
Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Joseph, through God’s grace, was able to see past the evil in his brothers’ hearts when they sold him to the Egyptians and see the good God made happen. This is a hard thing to do and only with God’s help are we able to do this. When evil things happen to us, it is hard to know why or see any possible good being able to come from it. However, with God and time positive things can happen from the negative. When I was in college, something I held very dear to my heart was taken from my body. This evil event took a toll on me and I did not handle it with the best decisions or with God. I stepped away from every root and belief I had and blamed God. It took many bad decisions and lots of time for me to realize that God was still working on my heart and doing all He could and I would allow to turn this negative into a positive. He used many people in my life and many signs. Finally, I was AWAKEN and I was able to see the positive from the negative. It was only when I looked through God’s eyes I saw all the positive in myself that may not have been there without the negative. I do not believe God made the negative happen, but I believe God made the negative into a positive. A very important distinction! What positives have come from negatives in your life? Look closely with the eyes of God, you will see it!
Mourning Now v Mourning Then
Day 12 - Genesis 47-50:14
Genesis 50:3 “…And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.”
Genesis 50:3 “…And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.”
When Jacob died the family and Egyptians mourned for 70 days. Now I am not certain if that was standard back then or not, but it seemed expected and okay. Today if someone were to openly mourn for 70 days it would be “weird”. The mourner would be advised to “see” someone about it. Our places of work would surely frown at it. Where I work, we don’t even get bereavement days. Our PTO is suppose to cover deaths. Personally, I feel that is bull honky, but that is the accepted standard. Why are we expected to get over a major loss in a day or two? I don’t think a day or two is reasonable, however, I do feel there comes a point in time where looking at what has happened in the past should stop and forward movement should continue. When my grandpa died a few years ago, I thought I would never stop hurting, that my tear ducts would never dry, that I would never be happy doing the things I used to do with him. Well, that lasted for about a week or two then grandpa appeared in a dream, he was as I remember him as a child. Active, healthy, black rimmed glasses, work pants, and white shirt. He was happy, smiling, without diabetes and pain. He looked at me and said, “remember your smile is sunshine!” Something he use to say to me when I was a little girl before I would throw a tantrum or cry. I knew then that grandpa didn’t want me to cry for him anymore and I began to look forward. Now jump ahead about eleven months and grandpa came back to us. Let me explain. Grandpa donated his body to the University of Iowa, so the day after he died he was taken to Iowa City to the university. Side note: we saw grandpa the day he died and because the funeral home wasn’t expecting us, he didn’t have make up on or wasn’t “done up”. He was the least scary most real looking dead man I have ever seen. If he had his glasses on, he would have looked like he was napping. They put WAY too much make up on dead people. So when the university was done with grandpa, he was cremated and sent back to grandma. Just after I had truly begun to look forward and be at peace with grandpa not being on Earth anymore, it was like he died all over again. Although I will never forget that day, two things stand out in my mind that helped me get through it all. Grandma announced before we left the house to put the ashes in the ground “All I have to say is, he is not in there (pointing to the urn). He has been wherever he is going to be since last December.” The other moment was when my family was leaving the cemetery and I remember looking back at my sister. It was like we knew what each other were thinking and we both mouthed “I love you”. We love and miss you grandpa!
The Family Tree
Day 11 - Genesis 44-46
Genesis 46:8-25 “These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: …”
Genesis 46:8-25 “These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: …”
Throughout Genesis we have read the “family trees” of each male from Adam to Jacob. Why don’t we all take as much pride in our family trees? Why don’t we document it all for those to come after us? Back then, they not only documented the whos, but they documented the wheres. I mean it is great that we know our immediate relatives and sometimes two or three branches out, but what about beyond that? Have we become so focused on ourselves and those surrounding us that we don’t think to ask? Are we so busy look towards our own futures and where we are going that we don’t want to find out where we came from? I think next time I am with family I might ask a few questions, maybe start a family tree project sometime soon.
Men and Crying
Day 10 - Genesis 42-43
Genesis 43:30 “Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.”
Genesis 43:30 “Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.”
So Joseph wept. A man…wept! Why is it today so many feel that a man is not a man if he shows such emotion? Now in this verse Joseph left the room, but it was more because his brothers didn’t know it was him, than because he was embarrassed. So why was it okay for a man to show emotion and cry way back when, but today men are practically shunned if they cry. What happened over the years? When was the first man made to feel less of a man because he shed a tear? As a woman, I do not understand this. First, we women cry because of a Hallmark commercial, but that aside most women I know prefer a man unafraid to show emotion then a man who hides it all away. Why do men say to their sons “be a man, stop crying” when they are boys and they are hurting (physically or emotionally). I challenge any man reading this to embrace your emotions. Don’t feel less of a man because of your emotions. Tears do not make you less of a man; they make you a stronger man.
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