Days 19-22

Job 1-14

First, to correct my last post.   It has been about 3700 years since the time of Genesis.  I have no idea where I got to the number 2600.  Anyway…

I have held onto the book of Job in the last year.  Kyle Idleman did a sermon series on Job last year.  In my opinion it was the best sermons I have ever heard.  I’m sure that I hold that opinion because it was really speaking to what was going on in and around my life at the time. The sermons are available as podcasts. It’s the “Seeing God” series from July & August if you are interested.

I’ve been in Job’s shoes (well, hardly, but we’ve all felt a bit of it before) and, unfortunately, I’ve acted like Job’s friends before.   We’ve all given bad advice, but there’s something a little more dangerous about Christians giving bad advice.  Sometimes we live by various “Christianity-isms” that are heard so much but hold either no truth or twists the truth.

The one phrase that has made me grit my teeth over and over in the last few years is “God will provide”.  Don’t get me wrong.  I admittedly have never gone hungry, I’ve always had a warm place to sleep, my kids are very well clothed and fed.  I have never truly been in want.  But I have seen God take away the homes, jobs, incomes, and general happiness out of very faithful people in the last few years. 

The truth is that God doesn’t always provide what we think is enough money, food, health, clothes… etc.  Why do I think it should always be provided to me when even Paul says…

¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Does God provide miraculously sometimes?  Absolutely.   Phillip and I have had quite a few times where God miraculously provided.  Does God bless people with much more than we even need?  Yes!  I certainly have MUCH more than I need. Is it wrong to ask God to provide?  Nope.  What I’ve learned is that too many of us think that we are owed a good job, a nice house, and no problem paying our bills.  After all, God will provide. Right?

I don’t know why God provides sometimes and why He seemingly leaves us out in the cold for a period of time.  But even Job said “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? (2:10).  I do know that God KNOWS and CARES and today is another day in His plan for my life.  I’m thankful for that. 

January 11-18

Genesis 30-50

I think it’s interesting, and a little mind blowing, that the book of Genesis covers approximately 2300 years.  Only 2600 years has passed since then.  Stonehenge, in England, was created during the time of Genesis.  Just think of how little we know about that first half of our worlds history. 

On another note…  One thing I learned is that men will always be men.  After Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, was ‘defiled’ by another man her brothers convinced the whole tribe of those men to become circumcised so they could live peacefully with one another.  Then, “while they were still in pain” Simeon and Levi (Dinah’s brothers) killed every male in the clan.  Poor guys. 

 

Next is Job…

Days 5-10

Genesis 15:1-30:24

Yikes!  Time flew by! I have some catching up to do!

How drunk do you have to be to not realize your 2 daughters are having sex with you?  Just saying.

I hadn’t realized before that Isaac and Rebekah were married for 20 years before they had Jacob and Esau.  That’s a long time!

I am again reminded why I’m glad that I will not have a bunch of daughters-in-law.  Rebekah wished that she didn’t have the ones she had (Gen 26:34-35).  Rebekah said “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women”.  That’s pretty strong!  So, Esau realized he married idiots and what does he do?  Goes and gets yet ANOTHER wife.   When does a 3rd wife solve the problem?

Jacob’s first reaction when he met Rachel was to kiss her and weep aloud (29:11).  That would have freaked me out!

How in the world did Jacob sleep with Leah and not realize it was the wrong person?  Again, how drunk did these people get?

Can you imagine Jacob’s life?  He married 2 sisters who, it appears, argued plenty of times about sleeping with Jacob.  And when it wasn’t going well, they just gave Jacob their servants to sleep with.    Why don’t these men ever seem to have a problem with their wives telling them to go sleep with someone else?  I don’t know if the men or the women are more stupid.

 

That’s it for now… all caught up!

Days 3 & 4

Genesis 7-14 & I Chronicles 1:5-27

No, I didn’t skip a day.  I just didn’t have much to say about yesterdays passage.  I did wonder why Noah didn’t just look outside the ark for himself before he did, but there must have been some reason, right?

Today’s passage (Gen 11-14) starts one of my favorite parts of the Bible.  I love the patriarchs.  They seem so human and had such amazing faith.  When God shows up to Abram He says “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” (12:1) The response… “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him”… (12:4) 

My first response would probably have been “Go where exactly?… no, seriously, EXACTLY”.  I like to have things planned out, especially if I’m leaving home.  Abram had some faith!  Maybe I should work on that…

Then comes another of my favorites… Melchizedek.  He was a king and a priest, and Abram thought a lot of him (he gave him 10% of all that he had), but in Hebrews we find out more.  Turns out he had no father & mother and no beginning of days or end of life (See Hebrews 7 for more).  It leaves so many unanswered questions.  He could be a character on LOST (maybe he is :-)

Day 2

Genesis 4-6 & I Chronicles 1:1-4

- I can’t imagine living to see Annie, Amelia, and Evie turn 800. Would we keep in touch for 800 years? Would I know my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren… Seems like a lot to keep up with.

I love the story of Enoch (5:21-24). "...Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." I wonder if his family knew that God had taken him away or if they filed a “missing persons” report of the time. His poor wife :-) Hopefully she knew! God better let me know if he plans to “take” Phillip away. Or I’ll be furious.

Day 1

Genesis 1:1-3:24

Based on 1:2 & 1:6 it appears that there was water before the creation.  Where did all this water come from?

It bothers me a bit that Adam got to name his wife (3:20).  Just doesn’t seem right.  I wonder what Phillip would name me.  Ha. 

Have you ever thought of what Adam and Eve looked like?  I always picture 2 tall, tan, dark, beautiful people.  I went online to find a painting of Adam and Eve to post on here, but all I found was a bunch of links to porn sites and really racy (& disturbing) paintings from the 17th century.  Wonder what Adam and Eve would have thought about that!?!?  This one gave me a chuckle. 

 

Phillip got me these.  I really like them.  They are super for marking in your Bible.  You can pick them up at Lifeway.