1:1 Can you imagine Paul, Silas, and Timothy all sitting around giving input to this letter? "Oh, and tell them . . ." kindof a fun thought!
1:6 is quite different from Jesus' turn the other cheek and "Father forgive them." How come?
I thought it was interesting - my version of 1:7 says He will come with his mighty angels. Other places it says, His holy ones. Are holy ones, then - mighty angels? Depends on your interpretation of how life ends I think! For me, using the end of 1 Thes 4 - - this description of God's 2nd coming is pretty clear too!
Do you think the man of lawlessness is one man, or an institution (say anyone or thing that comes between you and Christ and His gift of grace). I know that it's pretty vague, and lots of people have lots of theories - maybe it's vague for a reason?
You gotta love 3:3 But the Lorid is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one! Halleluia!
And then what a great prayer (this one I can see the 3 guys crafting together! in vs 5) may the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. We might have different things we need to endure - - but all of us need endurance.
O! and in vs 14-15; how are you to warn people if you stay away from them? tricky stuff
Wow! A lot of good stuff in 2Thess! 1:5 encourages the believers because they are suffering since they decided to become Christians. I was just talking with a friend whose dad believes that if you pray & have faith & believe that you'll never have problems & you will always be blessed. I agree that you'll always be blessed, but sometimes blessings come thru sorrow & suffering. Jesus suffered & yet He had the strongest faith ever! The very best relationship with His Father. And the Bible says we are given the "gift" to join Him in His suffering (Phil 1:39 MSG) just like in the sermon yesterday.
In 2 it's clear that God is holding back satan & the Antichrist from working fully, but soon the angels will let go (Rev 7) & everything is gonna break loose. Glad God is stronger than satan!
People who have refused to believe the Truth will be allowed to believe the lie. They will go with their senses instead of their faith. (2:9-12). I've always thought about this only in regards to Biblical truth. But there is the truth that God brings to me daily about His love for me & how precious I am to Him, that I am valuable & worth being loved. That is truth I need to believe as well. I don't like what listening to the delusions & lies of the enemy do to me.
I like Paul's counsel to the lazy people & talking to them as someone who cares, not just ripping them apart without love. Sometimes confrontation in love is hard & it hurts even when it's done right, but it's still necessary.
I think thought that the end of 2 is how it should end. V16-17 "May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech". Amen & amen!
Well it was nice of God to have the Jubilee year so people weren't always kept as slaves or lost their land permanently.
When I was reading what God would do if they turned their back on Him & how it got progressively worse, I saw today's news headlines. It seems like everything He described would happen as they turned their backs on God is happening today as we as a nation & world have turned our backs on God. Pretty sad.
Whew! Last day of Leviticus! But glancing ahead at Numbers . . .
Kindof cool that God gave the land a rest too! But I bet the reason He did that -- is to make sure that independent-driven man would actually slow down and not work! I know there's something to crop rotation and giving the land a rest that way - - the #7 sure seems key to God's way of thinking. I wonder if we'll learn something amazing about it when we get to heaven.
I LOVE the idea of every 50 years having a year of Jubilee -- a starting over. Makes me think about baptism; a new birth - a fresh start. What people wouldn't give for that in view of forclosures and student loans and huge debt.
And 25:17 "Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other" really good advice for so many situations. If people took all of the advice in 25; people would really be watching out for people - -
Yeah Chris -- looking at the 2 options God gave them, who wouldn't want to obey and follow to receive all the amazing gifts He had in store? (apparently mankind wouldn't want to obey:( It reminded me also of what's going on in the world today. Unfortunately - - just like in the days of Daniel, M, Sh, and A - - loyal people get caught in the results of evil leadership; but obviously God will be right beside them every step of the way if they remain loyal to Him.
Kind of a fact finding reading today. I didn't realize that Joab was David's nephew,(2:15-17) & so was Amasa. These were prominent warriors for David & they just seemed so much older. But I guess his sisters could have been a lot older than David so their kids would have been the same age or older than him.
Gross that Caleb married one of his father's wives after his dad died (2:18-24). And he was 60 when he did that! How old was she I wonder & she gave him a son. Just not right though - is he your step-brother or your son?!
Who needs a baby name book when you have 1 Chronicles 1-4?? Hee hee!
Nothing stand out for me, although I noticed the same fact as Chris about Joan being David's nephew.
Also -- I wonder why we never hear anything about Abraham's concubine, Keturah? I didn't know he had a concubine -- you always hear about Sarah and Hagar; apparently there was another woman in camp!
Some of those names tho Linda, yikes! And I remember reading about Keturah when we read Abraham's story in Genesis but she didn't have the same pride I guess as Hagar. Or she realized she wasn't a wife but Hagar was...I don't know. To me Sarah was the wife, all others were mistresses.
So Ps 93 has David in awe of God's power. I wonder what he was looking at or just witnessed to be in that state. Seems like he was at the ocean - and that is inspiring!
94 seems to deal with the age old question of "where is God when good people suffer" or why does He let it happen. I was reading last night that God uses us in crisis to show His glory. So that's why we have problems. The miracles of deliverance are great, but sometimes He needs us to be the miracle in the crisis to show off His power. Like v 13 says when He instructs us in His Word we provide "...a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil". Not that we enjoy it or seek it out. Unfortunately, I usually whine :(.
But since I know how the story ends, I need to trust Him more.
I like how the MSG puts the last few verses of 95 in modern context. It is like the child testing the boundaries of his parents. What can I get away with? Israel did it with God & we repeat the process unfortunately. I am amazed at His patience!
I haven't read Psalms yet (it's always a JOY to make it to Wednesday with Mon & Tues behind!!) but I have to share this sentence from another book I'm reading; it's a prayer to God.
"You gave Your life for me because You loved me. Help me to do the same for You." Man - - I just never thought of it with that twist before. I always focus on Him giving His life for me (go figure, it's self-centered little me again). I'm in awe of the second half; me giving my life for Him because I love Him - - that's possible only with Holy Spirit power, a broken spirit, and a contrite heart.
Great idea Chris that David was sitting on the shores of the ocean when he bust out with amazement about God's majesty, strength & might!
94:10 He knows everything - - doesn't He also know what your are doing? The Lord knows people's thoughts - - I wonder why I'm so hesitant to be gut honest with God? It's not like anything I tell him about comes as a surprise:)
Different spots in 94 (14,18,19) were great examples of Hind's feet! I loved 19: "When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed HOPE and CHEER! Thank you Lord!
95:1 & 2; Songs of gratitude; it's all about Him.
O and I thought 95:10 was interesting . . . for 40 years I was angry with them, etc. You always hear about letting go of your anger, but God didn't.
Hmmmmm -- this portrays a picture of God way different from Jesus and "Father, forgive them" what do you guys think?
well in a way I can see Him having good reason to be angry with them because in the following verses it says that all they did was test Him over & over again. So tho this might translate to being angry or holding onto a grudge for 40 yrs, I'm thinking He forgave (since He didn't just destroy them ALL). But then they kept provoking Him. He gave them 40 yrs to turn their lives around but they still didn't do it, they just were upset that they were still in the desert. So given another chance...not everyone will use it wisely.
Prov 16 really shows who's in charge of this world. Go ahead, make your plans, but God has the last word.
v2 "Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good." This is so true, we go for the looks pretty consistently, but God goes deeper & isn't distracted by the shiny exterior.
v6 "Guilt is banished through love and truth..." I was trying to decide if this applied to both true & false guilt. I have definitely experienced it personally with the latter. I'm leaning toward it applying to true, deserved guilt too based on John 3:16 & 8:32. Need to meditate more on it.
I appreciate the verses that deal with being right or at peace with God & poor in this world is far better than hobnobing with the rich or even having a ton of money but being very empty inside. Sherrie & I were just talking last night about how weird it is that people make money a basis of whether you're good enough to be in their presence. People are so insecure!
v13 pretty much kicks the "yes" men/women out on the street. If it's the truth, we need to speak it when we're asked for our counsel & if our superiors/friends don't want to hear it, it's on them, but you're conscience is clear. I appreciate when my friends tell me the truth, even though sometimes it's been down right painful or embarrassing. Those are my true friends.
v32 "Moderation is better than muscle, self-control better than political power." Sometimes I can be like a bull in a china shop to get something done, When if I had some patience, it would have ended up a lot better in the end. Still growing. It brings to mind that song "Don't give on me" by Amy Grant. An oldie but a goody!
Interesting thought Chris about deserved guilt - - I think it's only as you realize someone else is willing to forgive you, that you can take steps to forgive yourself; but it's a process. It'd be way harder to forgive yourself if someone was always bringing it up in your face. Hmmmm; guess that's really how the great controversy is played out; Satan throws our guilt into our face, God forgives us out of love.
16:1 says that the Lord gives us the right answer; but how can He "answer" unless we "ask" - - so we need to be open to receive His "answer"
2 says, the Lord examines their motives -- you can run but you can't hide -- there's no masking what really makes us tick, good or bad; God knows the deep down reason we do what we do.
Lot of anti-proud texts today. People don't often classify pride as a deadly sin - - but it is, I think, in God's eyes. It's the pinpoint of so much open sin and tragedy.
22 Discretion is a life-giving fountain! Really true; I love being around people that a tactfully gracious!
28 Who of us has not experienced this? a troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. We need to avoid gossip like the plague - - watch out for those little undercurrent suggestions that people often plant; stay focused on looking for the best in people (I'm talking to me here!!)
31 YEAH! Gray hari is a crown of glory; (I know -- I hide my crown every 3 months!!)
Yayyyyy----I'm back! Gonna see if I can type some commentary and not lose the stuff before I post it. Thanx Chris for the great fellowship and computer fix.
Psalms 16:1---We can make plans but the final outcome is in God's hands. Simple statement---but has a lot of oooph and truth in it. I get up in the mornings and think----I'm gonna do this and gotta do that and on and on. And then at the end of the day, I hear God say---Well now,---How did all those plans work out for ya? And then I'm reminded that next time, I need to include God in my planning if I want a better outcome.
It took me a lot of years to learn the teaching from Psalm 16:2. I can be very opinionated and strong willed. I know what I believe and I can always prove why I'm right. But I didn't do very well when I used to try and match wits with the Lord. I couldn't convince Him that I was right and that He wasn't performing very well as my God. (okay-- so I was a bit arrogant also) The Lord had to take me through some tough stuff to knock me off my perch.
And I know firsthand about vs.3 where it says "Proud men will be punished"----I've caught some of that punishment because of my pride and it isn't fun being disciplined.
"Many favors are are showered on those who please the king" (vs 15) There's that teaching on favor again that I'm learning about from the Lord.
I fell in love with vs 31. "White hair is a crown of glory and is seen most among the godly." My natural hair color is pure white. My natural hair is so pure white, it makes my white refrigerator look dirty. But I think it makes me look really really old---not godly. (Is that me arguing with the Lord again?)
I was blessed by your comments ladies! Thanks for sharing. I was looking ahead to Sabbath & I'm gonna miss one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible - Jesus & the woman at the well. The other is John 8. I just love seeing/listening to Him interacting with people who are dealing with shame & things that are looked down on in society. It was/is so encouraging to me!
The story of the effect of the 4 Hebrews in a foreign country shows what God's hope was for the nation of Israel. Both Neb and Darius witnessed God's power and care; and they ended up being the ones to proclaim to everyone on earth the message of an eternal, all powerful God. If Israel had been as faithful as Daniel +3, then the whole world would have been blessed. Not so different from today -- he hopes to use us as His faithful followers, making a difference for the people around us!
1:17 "God gave these 4 young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom and God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams." Pretty amazing! What an all powerful creator!
I love how Daniel always turns the glory back to God -- he could have taken the credit/glory for his dream interpretting & handwriting interpretation - - but he turned it to God. and I am also inspired by Daniel's protection of the other wise men; like in 2:27 "there are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the kings secrets" 2:30 "it's not because Iam wiser than anyone else . . "
10 days isn't very long for a diet test - - another amazement!
I have to wonder what my reaction would be to the fire, to the lions - - both centered around worship. Would I have the courage that Neb talked about in 3:28? "The defied the king's command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own god."
I had similar thoughts Linda, as I read. I was also struck by how the rulers then decreed that God was to be worshiped. As humans, we always take a good thing & then go to the extreme it seems like. Forcing people's conscience when it comes to religion & worship. It's not too far distant when I believe this will happen in our own country, just as the Bible predicts.
I was also wondering how loyal I would be to God. But what I'm constantly reminded of is the little things. They wouldn't have stood the big test if they hadn't stayed faithful even in the little things...such as diet. Or Daniel, in praying faithfully to God out his open window. That enabled God to bless them in the big things. I also like their response in 3 when they say God is able, but if He chooses not to, we still won't bow down. Either way, it shows total surrender to God & His will for them. Great lessons in here!
Man Chris -- you are so right on! Thanks for sharing the "little things" - - so easy to pass them over, but total surrender to God is total surrender! All your heart, soul, mind -- not just the big tasks or tests!
and yes - - their implicit faith in His ability to be in control however that control ended for them - - abandonment at it's core.
O man Sher -- that's a bummer! I hope it isn't an ongoing problem - - but it looks like you were able to post something:) Anyway, great Daniel story -- what a faith example!!!
Nic was already for more book learning -- "God has sent you to teach us" more rules - you bet, bring em on -- I can do it. Jesus totally pulled the rug out with unless you are born again! It's all about the Holy Spirit power that changes us; it's all about Him - - and very cool that later on in 4:23 & 24 that the Holy Spirit not only changes us, but He's part of our worship too; We worship in His power.
Did you notice the similarities in Jesus response to Nic and John's response to his disciples? in 3:13 it says "the Son of Man has come down from heaven. John repeats that in 3:31. Jesus said in 3:15 everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. John repeats that in 3:36. There message was the same. I was thinking about how bold and assured John was here -- and how uncertain he was while in jail. He must have been so very discouraged.
I'm also in awe of John's gratitude and JOY! about Jesus success -- what a humble and abandoned person.
O! also -- did you notice in 3:11, Jesus says "we" I think He is talking about himself and the Holy Spirit here.
in 4:23 it says the "Father it looking for those" He's hoping to find those that love Him and worship Him out of love, not duty. Beautiful pic that He is actively looking.
in 4:10 Jesus talks about a gift for the woman. I wonder how long it had been since anyone had given her a gift -- probably never; and the thought of a fresh bubbling spring with her - - I bet her life was so rotten, that she was desparate for that kind of joy.
Jesus was charged up by doing the will of God (4:34) and I also like it that we don't have to plant and harvest. We can just sew seeds wherever we go -- and leave the results to God - - we don't have to worry about moving people into a relationship with Him -- we just have to plant those seeds of His love, forgiveness, and joy.
Really must have been a time of JOY in that Samaritan village! they BEGGED him to stay! We believe they said because we have heard him ourselves.We KNOW that he is indeed the Savior of the world! (4:40-42) That's a different picture from 3:32.
And I like it that the official in 4:49 answered Jesus question. He didn't see the miraculous sing and wonder. He was only told that it had happened -- and "(50) he believed. When his belief in Jesus word was confirmed, his entire household believed (since he was a government official -- that was probably a very large household with family, servants, relatives etc)
1:1 Can you imagine Paul, Silas, and Timothy all sitting around giving input to this letter? "Oh, and tell them . . ." kindof a fun thought!
ReplyDelete1:6 is quite different from Jesus' turn the other cheek and "Father forgive them." How come?
I thought it was interesting - my version of 1:7 says He will come with his mighty angels. Other places it says, His holy ones. Are holy ones, then - mighty angels? Depends on your interpretation of how life ends I think! For me, using the end of 1 Thes 4 - - this description of God's 2nd coming is pretty clear too!
Do you think the man of lawlessness is one man, or an institution (say anyone or thing that comes between you and Christ and His gift of grace). I know that it's pretty vague, and lots of people have lots of theories - maybe it's vague for a reason?
You gotta love 3:3 But the Lorid is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one! Halleluia!
And then what a great prayer (this one I can see the 3 guys crafting together! in vs 5) may the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. We might have different things we need to endure - - but all of us need endurance.
O! and in vs 14-15; how are you to warn people if you stay away from them? tricky stuff
Wow! A lot of good stuff in 2Thess!
ReplyDelete1:5 encourages the believers because they are suffering since they decided to become Christians. I was just talking with a friend whose dad believes that if you pray & have faith & believe that you'll never have problems & you will always be blessed. I agree that you'll always be blessed, but sometimes blessings come thru sorrow & suffering. Jesus suffered & yet He had the strongest faith ever! The very best relationship with His Father. And the Bible says we are given the "gift" to join Him in His suffering (Phil 1:39 MSG) just like in the sermon yesterday.
In 2 it's clear that God is holding back satan & the Antichrist from working fully, but soon the angels will let go (Rev 7) & everything is gonna break loose. Glad God is stronger than satan!
People who have refused to believe the Truth will be allowed to believe the lie. They will go with their senses instead of their faith. (2:9-12). I've always thought about this only in regards to Biblical truth. But there is the truth that God brings to me daily about His love for me & how precious I am to Him, that I am valuable & worth being loved. That is truth I need to believe as well. I don't like what listening to the delusions & lies of the enemy do to me.
I like Paul's counsel to the lazy people & talking to them as someone who cares, not just ripping them apart without love. Sometimes confrontation in love is hard & it hurts even when it's done right, but it's still necessary.
I think thought that the end of 2 is how it should end. V16-17 "May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech". Amen & amen!
Ooo! so much of what you said at the first part of your blog reminds me of the Hinds Feet:)
ReplyDeleteWell it was nice of God to have the Jubilee year so people weren't always kept as slaves or lost their land permanently.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading what God would do if they turned their back on Him & how it got progressively worse, I saw today's news headlines. It seems like everything He described would happen as they turned their backs on God is happening today as we as a nation & world have turned our backs on God. Pretty sad.
Whew! Last day of Leviticus! But glancing ahead at Numbers . . .
ReplyDeleteKindof cool that God gave the land a rest too! But I bet the reason He did that -- is to make sure that independent-driven man would actually slow down and not work! I know there's something to crop rotation and giving the land a rest that way - - the #7 sure seems key to God's way of thinking. I wonder if we'll learn something amazing about it when we get to heaven.
I LOVE the idea of every 50 years having a year of Jubilee -- a starting over. Makes me think about baptism; a new birth - a fresh start. What people wouldn't give for that in view of forclosures and student loans and huge debt.
And 25:17 "Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other" really good advice for so many situations. If people took all of the advice in 25; people would really be watching out for people - -
Yeah Chris -- looking at the 2 options God gave them, who wouldn't want to obey and follow to receive all the amazing gifts He had in store? (apparently mankind wouldn't want to obey:( It reminded me also of what's going on in the world today. Unfortunately - - just like in the days of Daniel, M, Sh, and A - - loyal people get caught in the results of evil leadership; but obviously God will be right beside them every step of the way if they remain loyal to Him.
Kind of a fact finding reading today. I didn't realize that Joab was David's nephew,(2:15-17) & so was Amasa. These were prominent warriors for David & they just seemed so much older. But I guess his sisters could have been a lot older than David so their kids would have been the same age or older than him.
ReplyDeleteGross that Caleb married one of his father's wives after his dad died (2:18-24). And he was 60 when he did that! How old was she I wonder & she gave him a son. Just not right though - is he your step-brother or your son?!
Who needs a baby name book when you have 1 Chronicles 1-4?? Hee hee!
ReplyDeleteNothing stand out for me, although I noticed the same fact as Chris about Joan being David's nephew.
Also -- I wonder why we never hear anything about Abraham's concubine, Keturah? I didn't know he had a concubine -- you always hear about Sarah and Hagar; apparently there was another woman in camp!
Some of those names tho Linda, yikes! And I remember reading about Keturah when we read Abraham's story in Genesis but she didn't have the same pride I guess as Hagar. Or she realized she wasn't a wife but Hagar was...I don't know. To me Sarah was the wife, all others were mistresses.
ReplyDeleteSo Ps 93 has David in awe of God's power. I wonder what he was looking at or just witnessed to be in that state. Seems like he was at the ocean - and that is inspiring!
94 seems to deal with the age old question of "where is God when good people suffer" or why does He let it happen. I was reading last night that God uses us in crisis to show His glory. So that's why we have problems. The miracles of deliverance are great, but sometimes He needs us to be the miracle in the crisis to show off His power. Like v 13 says when He instructs us in His Word we provide "...a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil". Not that we enjoy it or seek it out. Unfortunately, I usually whine :(.
But since I know how the story ends, I need to trust Him more.
I like how the MSG puts the last few verses of 95 in modern context. It is like the child testing the boundaries of his parents. What can I get away with? Israel did it with God & we repeat the process unfortunately. I am amazed at His patience!
I haven't read Psalms yet (it's always a JOY to make it to Wednesday with Mon & Tues behind!!) but I have to share this sentence from another book I'm reading; it's a prayer to God.
ReplyDelete"You gave Your life for me because You loved me. Help me to do the same for You." Man - - I just never thought of it with that twist before. I always focus on Him giving His life for me (go figure, it's self-centered little me again). I'm in awe of the second half; me giving my life for Him because I love Him - - that's possible only with Holy Spirit power, a broken spirit, and a contrite heart.
OK -- on to Psalms -- be back in a few!
Great idea Chris that David was sitting on the shores of the ocean when he bust out with amazement about God's majesty, strength & might!
ReplyDelete94:10 He knows everything - - doesn't He also know what your are doing? The Lord knows people's thoughts - - I wonder why I'm so hesitant to be gut honest with God? It's not like anything I tell him about comes as a surprise:)
Different spots in 94 (14,18,19) were great examples of Hind's feet! I loved 19: "When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed HOPE and CHEER! Thank you Lord!
95:1 & 2; Songs of gratitude; it's all about Him.
O and I thought 95:10 was interesting . . . for 40 years I was angry with them, etc. You always hear about letting go of your anger, but God didn't.
Hmmmmm -- this portrays a picture of God way different from Jesus and "Father, forgive them" what do you guys think?
well in a way I can see Him having good reason to be angry with them because in the following verses it says that all they did was test Him over & over again. So tho this might translate to being angry or holding onto a grudge for 40 yrs, I'm thinking He forgave (since He didn't just destroy them ALL). But then they kept provoking Him. He gave them 40 yrs to turn their lives around but they still didn't do it, they just were upset that they were still in the desert. So given another chance...not everyone will use it wisely.
ReplyDeleteProv 16 really shows who's in charge of this world. Go ahead, make your plans, but God has the last word.
ReplyDeletev2 "Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good." This is so true, we go for the looks pretty consistently, but God goes deeper & isn't distracted by the shiny exterior.
v6 "Guilt is banished through love and truth..." I was trying to decide if this applied to both true & false guilt. I have definitely experienced it personally with the latter. I'm leaning toward it applying to true, deserved guilt too based on John 3:16 & 8:32. Need to meditate more on it.
I appreciate the verses that deal with being right or at peace with God & poor in this world is far better than hobnobing with the rich or even having a ton of money but being very empty inside. Sherrie & I were just talking last night about how weird it is that people make money a basis of whether you're good enough to be in their presence. People are so insecure!
v13 pretty much kicks the "yes" men/women out on the street. If it's the truth, we need to speak it when we're asked for our counsel & if our superiors/friends don't want to hear it, it's on them, but you're conscience is clear. I appreciate when my friends tell me the truth, even though sometimes it's been down right painful or embarrassing. Those are my true friends.
v32 "Moderation is better than muscle, self-control better than political power." Sometimes I can be like a bull in a china shop to get something done, When if I had some patience, it would have ended up a lot better in the end. Still growing. It brings to mind that song "Don't give on me" by Amy Grant. An oldie but a goody!
Interesting thought Chris about deserved guilt - - I think it's only as you realize someone else is willing to forgive you, that you can take steps to forgive yourself; but it's a process. It'd be way harder to forgive yourself if someone was always bringing it up in your face. Hmmmm; guess that's really how the great controversy is played out; Satan throws our guilt into our face, God forgives us out of love.
ReplyDelete16:1 says that the Lord gives us the right answer; but how can He "answer" unless we "ask" - - so we need to be open to receive His "answer"
2 says, the Lord examines their motives -- you can run but you can't hide -- there's no masking what really makes us tick, good or bad; God knows the deep down reason we do what we do.
Lot of anti-proud texts today. People don't often classify pride as a deadly sin - - but it is, I think, in God's eyes. It's the pinpoint of so much open sin and tragedy.
22 Discretion is a life-giving fountain! Really true; I love being around people that a tactfully gracious!
28 Who of us has not experienced this? a troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. We need to avoid gossip like the plague - - watch out for those little undercurrent suggestions that people often plant; stay focused on looking for the best in people (I'm talking to me here!!)
31 YEAH! Gray hari is a crown of glory; (I know -- I hide my crown every 3 months!!)
Yayyyyy----I'm back! Gonna see if I can type some commentary and not lose the stuff before I post it. Thanx Chris for the great fellowship and computer fix.
ReplyDeletePsalms 16:1---We can make plans but the final outcome is in God's hands. Simple statement---but has a lot of oooph and truth in it. I get up in the mornings and think----I'm gonna do this and gotta do that and on and on. And then at the end of the day, I hear God say---Well now,---How did all those plans work out for ya?
And then I'm reminded that next time, I need to include God in my planning if I want a better outcome.
It took me a lot of years to learn the teaching from Psalm 16:2. I can be very opinionated and strong willed. I know what I believe and I can always prove why I'm right. But I didn't do very well when I used to try and match wits with the Lord. I couldn't convince Him that I was right and that He wasn't performing very well as my God. (okay-- so I was a bit arrogant also) The Lord had to take me through some tough stuff to knock me off my perch.
And I know firsthand about vs.3 where it says "Proud men will be punished"----I've caught some of that punishment because of my pride and it isn't fun being disciplined.
"Many favors are are showered on those who please the king" (vs 15) There's that teaching on favor again that I'm learning about from the Lord.
I fell in love with vs 31. "White hair is a crown of glory and is seen most among the godly." My natural hair color is pure white. My natural hair is so pure white, it makes my white refrigerator look dirty. But I think it makes me look really really old---not godly. (Is that me arguing with the Lord again?)
I was blessed by your comments ladies! Thanks for sharing. I was looking ahead to Sabbath & I'm gonna miss one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible - Jesus & the woman at the well. The other is John 8. I just love seeing/listening to Him interacting with people who are dealing with shame & things that are looked down on in society. It was/is so encouraging to me!
ReplyDeleteThe story of the effect of the 4 Hebrews in a foreign country shows what God's hope was for the nation of Israel. Both Neb and Darius witnessed God's power and care; and they ended up being the ones to proclaim to everyone on earth the message of an eternal, all powerful God. If Israel had been as faithful as Daniel +3, then the whole world would have been blessed. Not so different from today -- he hopes to use us as His faithful followers, making a difference for the people around us!
ReplyDelete1:17 "God gave these 4 young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom and God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams." Pretty amazing! What an all powerful creator!
I love how Daniel always turns the glory back to God -- he could have taken the credit/glory for his dream interpretting & handwriting interpretation - - but he turned it to God. and I am also inspired by Daniel's protection of the other wise men; like in 2:27 "there are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the kings secrets" 2:30 "it's not because Iam wiser than anyone else . . "
10 days isn't very long for a diet test - - another amazement!
I have to wonder what my reaction would be to the fire, to the lions - - both centered around worship. Would I have the courage that Neb talked about in 3:28? "The defied the king's command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own god."
I had similar thoughts Linda, as I read. I was also struck by how the rulers then decreed that God was to be worshiped. As humans, we always take a good thing & then go to the extreme it seems like. Forcing people's conscience when it comes to religion & worship. It's not too far distant when I believe this will happen in our own country, just as the Bible predicts.
ReplyDeleteI was also wondering how loyal I would be to God. But what I'm constantly reminded of is the little things. They wouldn't have stood the big test if they hadn't stayed faithful even in the little things...such as diet. Or Daniel, in praying faithfully to God out his open window. That enabled God to bless them in the big things.
I also like their response in 3 when they say God is able, but if He chooses not to, we still won't bow down. Either way, it shows total surrender to God & His will for them. Great lessons in here!
Man Chris -- you are so right on! Thanks for sharing the "little things" - - so easy to pass them over, but total surrender to God is total surrender! All your heart, soul, mind -- not just the big tasks or tests!
ReplyDeleteand yes - - their implicit faith in His ability to be in control however that control ended for them - - abandonment at it's core.
computer crashed again today--sorry for lack of commentary
ReplyDeleteO man Sher -- that's a bummer! I hope it isn't an ongoing problem - - but it looks like you were able to post something:) Anyway, great Daniel story -- what a faith example!!!
ReplyDeleteNic was already for more book learning -- "God has sent you to teach us" more rules - you bet, bring em on -- I can do it. Jesus totally pulled the rug out with unless you are born again! It's all about the Holy Spirit power that changes us; it's all about Him - - and very cool that later on in 4:23 & 24 that the Holy Spirit not only changes us, but He's part of our worship too; We worship in His power.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice the similarities in Jesus response to Nic and John's response to his disciples? in 3:13 it says "the Son of Man has come down from heaven. John repeats that in 3:31. Jesus said in 3:15 everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. John repeats that in 3:36. There message was the same. I was thinking about how bold and assured John was here -- and how uncertain he was while in jail. He must have been so very discouraged.
I'm also in awe of John's gratitude and JOY! about Jesus success -- what a humble and abandoned person.
O! also -- did you notice in 3:11, Jesus says "we" I think He is talking about himself and the Holy Spirit here.
in 4:23 it says the "Father it looking for those" He's hoping to find those that love Him and worship Him out of love, not duty. Beautiful pic that He is actively looking.
in 4:10 Jesus talks about a gift for the woman. I wonder how long it had been since anyone had given her a gift -- probably never; and the thought of a fresh bubbling spring with her - - I bet her life was so rotten, that she was desparate for that kind of joy.
Jesus was charged up by doing the will of God (4:34) and I also like it that we don't have to plant and harvest. We can just sew seeds wherever we go -- and leave the results to God - - we don't have to worry about moving people into a relationship with Him -- we just have to plant those seeds of His love, forgiveness, and joy.
Really must have been a time of JOY in that Samaritan village! they BEGGED him to stay! We believe they said because we have heard him ourselves.We KNOW that he is indeed the Savior of the world! (4:40-42) That's a different picture from 3:32.
And I like it that the official in 4:49 answered Jesus question. He didn't see the miraculous sing and wonder. He was only told that it had happened -- and "(50) he believed. When his belief in Jesus word was confirmed, his entire household believed (since he was a government official -- that was probably a very large household with family, servants, relatives etc)