February 17, 2014 Genesis 40-42, Military Monday, Memory Review, Peace in the Proimse

It is hard to believe it’s been two weeks since I’ve sat down and read and written. I’ve been writing and reading, but I have missed the methodical reading and letting the Lord speak as He wants instead of looking something specific up for my purpose. There is just something incredibly amazing about hearing the Lord whisper His heart. You know?

PRAYER

Military Monday. One of my favorite days. J

Lord,

I ask special protection over our military in active hotspots today. I ask that your presence would be obvious to them. I ask that prayers of their loved ones would come before you as a beautiful aroma and you would honor them. I ask you to give wisdom to the leaders, divine revelation concerning danger zones and strongholds. I ask you to open their eyes to see he enemy even before physical contact is made.

I ask you to give them peace, and, Lord, make their aim true. May the bullets that leave their firearms hit the target for which it is intended, and may your hand guide them in the day of war. Be the perfect marksmen in them and through them.

Confuse the plans of the enemy. May their intelligence be mixed up and contorted. May they find chaos instead of clarity. Be the judge who judges against them and wreaks vengeance upon those who stand against you and your purpose.

Release the Spirit of holy revelation among our troops for the purpose of the salvation of their souls. I ask you to build unity of heart and purpose for I know you bless unity of hearts committed to you and your purpose.

I ask you to empower the chaplains with words of wisdom and courage. Give them insight from your word to speak directly to the hearts and minds of these men and women serving to protect our country’s people. I ask you to embolden them with truth and give them words of healing when comfort is needed.

Accomplish your purpose among those serving in the military. Be glorified in them that they would be an army serving you for your purpose to protect, defend, take ground, and exact judgment. Be their rearguard and the one who goes before them. Encompass them round about with your power and your presence. May they know their victories are not their own but handed to them by the hand of an Almighty God.

Thank you, Father, for being a warrior who fights for His own.

To you be all glory and honor.

In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen

 

BIBLE READING

Genesis 40—Anybody else in the room ever feel forgotten? Yeah. Me either. <insert eye roll> Okay, the truth is I want to make this some major comfort thing. You know. One of those “you’re in good company” rah rah speeches, but the truth is, if you’ve ever been forgotten, you know there is no comforting bright side. It’s just miserable, and you can know God’s timing is perfect, and you can know logically you are fine, but emotionally, it hurts horribly. And if you are feeling forgotten, I’m so sorry. I know it is hard.

Genesis 41—“He has made me forget all my household.” Except Joseph obviously had not forgotten. When his brothers came, Joseph clearly remembered. So obviously he hadn’t mentally forgotten. I haven’t done a word study on this because we’re just reading through, but I’m wondering if Joseph meant God had filled the hole left because of his family. It is a hard thing having no family, having no place to belong. Perhaps this son fills the longing for family and the longing for the family he lost. Not saying it is, just thinking maybe.

Genesis 42—So much goes through my mind with this chapter. I cannot fathom how Joseph felt looking on his brothers and watching them bow down to him. Sure he’d had the dreams, but to see these people—HIS BROTHERS—who had treated him so cruelly bowing to him. I cannot imagine.

 As for his brothers, shame and guilt are heavy burdens to bear.

 And Israel, what unbelievable grief and fear he must have had.

 Talk about a family steeped and overflowing in dysfunction, but even in this mess, God was paving the road for the Messiah. Amazing.

 

MEMORIZATION

I’ve done very little memorizing the last two weeks, so today I am reviewing what I’ve learned, making sure it is still with me.

 
A noble man makes noble plans and by noble plans he stands. Isaiah 32:8

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind,

a refuge from the storm;
Like streams of water in the desert
And like a great rock in a thirsty land. Isaiah 32:2

Be still and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be glorified throughout the earth.
Psalm 46:10
Gotta check this one. It doesn’t feel right.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

OH! So close. You would think I could remember the exalted thing twice, right? Gonna run this through my head a few times and move on.

Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid.
Do not be discouraged.
For the Lord your God is with you wherever you may go.
Joshua 1:9

My mind has gone blank on the beginning of Jeremiah 29.

“When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart. You will seek me and…I will bring you back to this place from which banished you….”

Gotta refresh myself on this one.

¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

 BIBLE STUDY/JOURNAL

 Daddy, I don’t even know what to say. I am trying to find something deep in this that isn’t cliché, and really, it all just sounds…it sounds like what has been said over and over and over. The truth is I don’t feel like I’m in a dungeon or a slave. I feel okay with where I am, but sometimes it is hard to figure out how to live in right now when I am waiting for the promise. How do I live in the truth of what is this moment without letting it negate the truth of the promise that seems utterly impossible from here?

That is where I am right now. I know one of the promises you’ve given me, and I’m struggling with it. Right now, it seems a million miles away, or maybe the more accurate thing to say is I feel a million miles away from it.

 I know you tell me not to fear or be discouraged. You say to be bold and courageous, but I confess, I feel neither bold nor courageous. I feel…like hiding in my closet. And right now, I am trying to summon everything I know about taking down giants and vast armies and city walls that fall because people have the faith to keep walking, but none of it is really helping me. So, this is what I am going to do. Instead of trying to make me be what I think I need to be, I’m going to take a deep breath and focus on all I know you are.

 You are my Daddy who loves me.

You are faithful.
You are kind.
You are gentle.
You are loving.
You are fulfilling.
You are tender.
You give blessings without regret.
You are good.
You tend me with gentleness.
Your thoughts are for how you can walk me through this path.
You are my peace.
The way you love me is my peace.
Your whole devotion to me is my peace.
You are my peace.
You are my peace.
You are my peace.
You are my peace.
I will be still and know…you are my peace.
I will be still and know…you are.
I will be still and know…you.

January 30, 2014 Genesis 34-36, Family Friday, Do Not Fear But Trust God's Favor

PRAYER

Father God,

I am trying to find a place to start. There are so many friends and family I know who are in need. ICU, hospital, facing surgery, sick kids, flu, financial problems, and more. Lord, they all need peace. They all need to be delivered from fear and anxiety. I ask that you would supernaturally invade their situations and give them peace. I know we have to choose peace, and they probably don’t know how. I don’t always know how, but, Lord, they need you to invade where they are so they can breathe and rest. You do so many things that I have no clue how you do them. I am asking you to do this even when I have no idea how you can.

And I ask that you would be present and obvious in these needs. I ask for those who need favor that you would work in their hearts so they would act in such a way that favor can be given to them. I ask for those praying for healing in their relationships that you would work in their hearts so they are not part of the wound.

Father, for those with relationships that rip open their hearts, give them wisdom to know when to fight and how to fight and when to walk away and trust you for a new beginning. Show them how they are part of the problem, and thus, part of the solution. For those who are keeping you from healing because they keep enabling by not letting go and letting you deal with things, I ask you to show them the truth and give them strength and courage to let you dole out the necessary consequences to get the necessary attention to offer healing.

Holy God, for the ones with babies on the way, give health and rest.

For those preparing to let go, oh, God, give comfort and strength.

For those in transition, I pray you give them vision so they can move forward.

For every need, you are the answer. I ask you to do what you need to do to answer all the needs I know and even the ones I don’t.

Thank you for your faithfulness, love, and mercy to my friends and family.

To you be all glory.

Amen

BIBLE READING

 Genesis 34— A bit of an extreme response? Maybe, but I like their passion. “Should they have treated our sister like she was nothing?” I would hope their reaction would demonstrate to her at least they knew she was valuable.

 Genesis 35—Aren’t you glad God still changes names?

 Genesis 36—Got to love lineage chapters, don’t you?

 MEMORIZATION

Genesis 33

¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.”

Today I remember…

For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.

BIBLE STUDY/JOURNAL

Today we had to close a savings account for one of my children. My husband set it up when our daughter was born, and he did not put my name on it, only his and hers. Because she is a minor, she still does not have power over it, and because my name is not on it, I have no power of it. I have dealt with this particular financial institution before concerning some of my husband’s financial issues, and it was horrible. It was as though they were determined to make life as hard as possible and be as disagreeable as possible. It was as though they had set themselves against us.

On the drive over, I was fighting dread and anxiety, and once again, the Spirit reminded me:

Have I not commanded you?

Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid.
Do not be discouraged.
The Lord your God will be with you where you go.

So I prayed. “Lord, give us favor, and help my attitude and countenance be one that allows you to work favorably toward.”

The woman who helped us was delightful. When she said my husband would have to close the account, I handed her the death certificate and explained that he has been dead nearly three years. Forty-five minutes later, we walked out of the bank with a check in hand, and the account was closed.

“For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.”

Holy God, thank you for letting us see your face today. Amen.