Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
--Acts 17:11--

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

January 29, 2014 Genesis 28-30, More Mama Drama, Verse Review, Love isn't Easy

PRAYER

Lord,

Encourage me.  Our nation is so far from you. Our leaders have no fear of you, and the public calls what is holy profane and what is profane glorious, and how can you be anything but sickened? And the refusal of so many in the church to take a stand because they do not want to offend so they declare “everyone has the right to be happy”even if it means You have no right to expect us to be holy…oh, God, I am overwhelmed by how far from you we have fallen. Encourage my faith because, Lord, I don’t know how to even begin to pray.

And even as I search for words, I hear your words in my mind, “Am I not mighty to save? Am I not the ALL mighty God? Is America too difficult for me?”

No, Lord, not even America is too difficult for you. There is nothing too difficult for you. So I lay America at your feet and ask you to be all mighty in this nation. I ask you to do what has to be done to turn the hearts of this nation to you. I do not ask for superficial blessings but blessings of your presence, of your holiness, of hearts turning to you.

Lord, do above all I think or imagine. We are in desperate need. America is blind and grasping for straws when what we need is a Savior, not of human mind or wisdom but of heavenly decent. We don’t need a human leader. We need heaven’s Lamb. Lord, we have embraced sinful lifestyles and called it love. We have forgotten that you love us too much to leave us in sin. But then, maybe we’ve never repented of our own sin, so how can we see anything wrong with anyone else’s?

Lord, destroy anything in your body that is not of you. Convict us where we have accepted false philosophies or called “redeemed” that which is wholly unrighteous. Oh, God, we don’t know. We just don’t know. Have mercy on us and tear back the blankets we lie under and show us the ways we prostitute ourselves to all other gods but you. Show us our idols whether they be things or traditions or comfort zones or the latest answer.

Lord, you are the only answer. You are the only answer.

Hear my cry, Lord. Hear my cry.

Amen.

BIBLE READING

Genesis 28—Generation number three, and the promise is still being fulfilled. By the way, did you notice what God said? “I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Translation: Haven’t seen the promise fulfilled yet? Then I’m still here. Still working on it. Still being faithful.

Genesis 29—Every time I read this I feel such compassion for Leah. She was part of the promise, and from her came the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but my lands, what a hard part to play.

Genesis 30—And the baby mama drama continues, but there is more than that. Did you notice that Jacob did his work with excellence, and even though he was in a foreign country, the excellence of his work blessed him and increased him?

MEMORIZATION

As I mentioned in an earlier post today, my brain is fuzzy, but I’m still plodding on. One of the great things about having verses already memorized is when your brain is fuzzy, the Word isn’t. I lay in my bed today feeling too nauseous to sit up and let the verses roll through my mind. Even in my sickness, His promises are solid. THAT is something we can’t afford to forget.

 BIBLE STUDY/JOURNAL

 
Today I still pondering the concept of excellence even in a less than excellent circumstance. I wonder about Christians we have the idea that life will be easy. Jesus never promised that. Yet, people seem to think a promise of blessings means the hard road will suddenly become easy and the trials and tests will suddenly disappear.

The truth is if we truly believe the promise, we know the promise takes us to places we could never go on our own. The promise alone will stretch us to the point of breaking because it is only in our weakest point that His great strength can show. We have to be broken to be blessed.

If we can make things happen, if things come easily, if life is a comfort zone, we’ll never realize the sacrifice of Christ leaving His comfort zone to invade our death march. Until we die with Him, we will never understand the power of His death. We will never understand the love that gives us life until we understand what it means to love Him enough to die.

 

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