Hey Everyone! Thanks to Juli Ferguson -- I now know how to make daily blogs! Yeah! no more scrolling down!
We had a GREAT discussion today on Job 3 & 4 during the Thurs am Bible study! Looking forward to hearing from all of you on tomorrow's blog! (I'll have to get up mighty early to post before Chris:):)
I could wait until after work but I'd forget some of the points unfortunately!
ReplyDeleteSo this is for Is 7-11.
The Message listed for the name "Prince of Peace" as "Prince of Wholeness" I love that! He came to restore. And I like how in Chapter 10 the bragging of the then conquering kings & how they get what's coming to them. Very applicable to today & how different nations are posturing about like they're all that. God will take care of them.
Chapter 8 - Don't get sucked into people's conspiracy theories about how God's gonna come again & what's happening in the church/nation/politics etc. There's always some "new" theories that happens when a different president takes office & they are NEVER true because they're not based on the Word of God, just people's thoughts. We just need to focus on God & His plan for us individually - surrendering to that.
I am a little behind, so this about Job 3-4. Like Linda and Chris I am glad this is in the Bible. I can relate to Job more because he is going through this suffering. I feel it might be harder for someone to who has been richly blessed to fall so low in a way. They don't always have the coping methods as someone who has never felt blessed. What I found interesting and maybe I am reading this wrong is how while Job wishes for death, he does not come out and curse God. But I got to thinking... Isn't wishing for your life to never have happened a form of doubt. Doesn't that in a way say to God " you're wrong to have created me?". It was a thought I had. I read this book n November and its still pretty fresh, so this review should allow me to see more. Oh and Eliphaz all but accuses Job of having some "secret", some reason for God to punish him. With judgemental friends like that who needs enemies.
ReplyDeleteIs 7-11: I think what struck me about this the most was the number of times Isaiah talks about the coming of Jesus and what he will do for us/ the Jews. I highlighted most of them I think. But couldn't highlight it all cause then that section would be mostly yellow :). Isaiah is so clear here for the most part too. I loved 7:14, 9:1-7, and all of 11. What promises made and kept and what promises to come! Thank you Lord!
ReplyDeleteLike Chris I like in ch 8 where we are reminded to look to the Lord. 8:20 was pretty clear "Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark." (NLT) LOL no questions there! No ambiguity! In Ps David asked to be given a clear path ( a prayer we all have), Isaiah answered this for us... Look to the Word, read the instruction... Again thank you Lord for showing us the way. I am making connections in bible texts that I never have before due to this reading plan. Thanks Linda for finding it :)
Juli, your comment about Job cursing his day of birth, etc. & if that was doubt or not I agree with you. It does sound like doubt. On the other hand, if I'm not honest with God & put it out there, then I can't deal with it. Once it's in the open, it's easier for me to talk to God about it. Maybe that's why God answered him the way that He did in the closing chapters, He was dealing with that "why" factor & doubt.
ReplyDeleteMatt 3 & 4. In order for satan to take Jesus to the top of the temple & the high peak Jesus had to let satan touch Him. So the very sin that repulsed Him, He had to TRUST His Father that it was ok to be in that close contact with. I don't know if you've ever had someone that utterly repulsed & disgusted you touch you in any way but to be in that close of contact....YUCK & YUCK! But He TRUSTED His Father. I am totally amazed!
ReplyDeleteJust read it in The Message & I like how it puts God's voice, telling the world gathered there what He thought of His Son... "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life."
ReplyDeleteAs His daughters, we too are His delight. Just makes me smile!
Update on my BLOG skills! From here out -- we'll list the new BLOG titles as: Week 3 / Week 4 etc -- that way, it'll be easier for people to figure out where exactly we are, and you won't have to scroll through 100s of blogs to get to the current week.
ReplyDeleteMatt 3 I enjoyed chewing on John's comments to the Pharisees about God's view of spirituality - - vs 2 says 1) Repent and 2) Turn to God - - then vs 8 says: 3) prove by the way you live that you have repented.
I guess this helps me with the faith/works. It's by FAITH that we are saved -- the gift. But it doesn't stop their -- the journey of the Christian walk after that act of faith on our part and the gift of salvation on His part is steps 1, 2, & 3! Otherwise -- we're the pack of snakes -- just saying it, but not living it.
I had fun thinking about why Jesus used the texts He did to answer Satan's demands. I flipped back to the OT to read the context. for me temptation 1 is all about trust (if you're living in God's leading), temptation 2 is all about not manipulating God (either with our complaining, or tweaking our circumstances) and temptation 3 is about complete loyalty to God -- even if it means taking the hard road.
I LOVE how the angels came and took care of Jesus after his test -- wonder what they said to him - I'm sure they fed Him (maybe with manna!) A great picture of God's involvement on what goes on here - when we walk through our tests (as small or big as they might be)
Maybe Jesus didn't feel God's presence in the middle of the test (maybe we don't either), but I have to believe, based on His answers, that He trusted God through Satan's repulsive touch (as Chris talked about) - - yeah - Amazing