It took less than a day of reading to get a deeper understanding of why one can study the bible for a lifetime and still glean new things. In truth a lifetime is not enough. As Saint Augustine said, "The bible is shallow enough for a child not to drown, yet deep enough for an elephant to swim. Each verse opens up a new thought, a new question, a new understanding of what God has done and sometimes a confusion of why He is doing it. In moments of questions research is good but there are times where I need to submit to His authority remembering what A.W. Tozer said in his book Pursuit of God, "God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination, and the divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "O Lord, Thou knowest." Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God's omniscience. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints."
Yes, this is week 4 of our year, but week 3 brought the first real snow to Oxford in the last four years along with two extra days because of ice so, while reading happened, summarization did not! But late than never though, and since that this desire of ours was started knowing our imperfections, then it's a good example to have!
Genesis 16-22
In these 7 chapters, we see Sarai try to create God's promise on her own, cities being destroyed, Sarah become pregnant and give birth to Isaac, Ishmael be forced to leave his family, and Isaac almost become sacrificed to God. 11 long years had passed since God promised countless offspring to Abraham. While that's a blink to our creator, for Sarai, it must have inched by painstakingly slow. I often wish that God would just tell me exactly what was going to happen in my life and that it would make me more patient. This story is an example of the opposite being true. Sarai tried to create the promise on her own, and caused a lot of heartbreak for herself and another in the process. Hagar, after having run away is seen by God and given comfort and promise. She names the Lord El-roi, the God who sees me. I am in love with the name for Him. He Sees Me. In my deepest affliction, when I think I am unknown and invisible, He, the creator of the entire world, sees me.
The most significant thing I have learned so far during this challenge happened within these chapters because of the stories of Lot. Lot was going to hand over his virgin daughters over to an angry mob to do with what they will. Then later, after they had escaped the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, his daughters became fearful that they would never marry and bear children so two nights in a row they got their father drunk, and took turns sleeping with him so that they could conceive. I was more than a little shocked out how messed up this was. Why on earth was that story in the bible. It took a little bit before I realized, why wouldn't it be in the bible? We are not reading a book of perfect people, but of straight up evil sinners that God, in his mercy, looked upon with compassion. If I was to write down my full story as well as the ones in my family, you would see a bunch of "messed up" stuff. He has done for me time and time again just what he did for Lot. Because of his compassion for me, he brought me out.
Matthew 15-21
Matthew continues to be an overwhelming read. Not because of the difficulty, but because of the sheer volume of information. Jesus' ministry was jam packed and keeping up with the amount of work and stories is challenging. No wonder there are four gospels, no wonder at the end of John he finally just gives up and says "you know what he did a lot more things but fitting them all in a book is impossible."
So the short story for this week was Jesus making the pharisees mad (again), the faith of a mother healing her child, feeding 4,000 (after he just fed 5,000), Peter understanding Jesus was the messiah, the first prediction of Jesus' death, the transfiguration, another prediction of his death, parables, how to confront your brother in an argument, thoughts on divorce, thoughts on possessions, more parables, His entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the temple, and a few more parables.
Thousands upon thousands of sermons have been preached on just one of these topics, summarizing them in a brief paragraph is not going to happen. So instead I'm sharing the biggest new things that made an impact on my heart.
1) There is a needed perspective given in Matthew 16:24-28. It's easy to get lost in what we think is important, but bottom line, whoever wants to save his life will lose it (by living for themselves) and whoever loses his life (by giving it over to the Lord) will find it. There is one filter we need to sieve life through, and when we do our life will always be found.
2) If your brother sins against you go and rebuke him IN PRIVATE says 18:15. We love a stage to lay our our grievances and we love an audience cheering us on so that we feel validated, but in the process we destroy relationship with others and we destroy the ability for Jesus to be seen in our actions.
3) Be a servant. Jesus came to serve, not to be elevated and lord over us as the tyrants do He came to serve. To follow him, we must serve as well.
Nehemiah 5-11
Even without the attacks and plans of their enemies, the wall was completed in fifty-two days and then began a period of exiles returning to Jerusalem. public readings of the law where the people cried out in joy and excitement and celebrated as the words were read and they understood what the words meant. In great celebration and repentance of past history against God they vowed their faithfulness to Him and to not neglect His house and resettled Jerusalem.
I love in 10:31 that they planned a sabbath for their farm land every seven years to give it time to rest and planned to cancel all debt that year as well. Planned rest, planned forgiveness. Hope to look forward to.
Acts 15-21
Paul starts his second missionary journey, this time with Silas. Even though he and Barnabas quarreled and separated, really what happened was that more people would end up hearing the gospel as both went to different places spreading the word.
Their story in prison never fails to amaze me, after everything that had just happened in the previous paragraph, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns. There was no bitterness towards God, no thoughts that he had abandoned them and that's why they were in this position. Every situation was an opportunity to not just praise Him but to do it in front of others, and because of that, others began to believe.
Years go by of them visiting places in Asia until all the people had heard the word of the Lord, but now sensing the end of his life, he says goodbye, but not in an ordinary way, but in warning that times will be hard, and people will try to sway them, but to be alert and to know that while he is not there the inheritance of grace through God and his word will always remain. And then they all wept together. Fellowship brings relationship and fellowship over the word of the Lord brings a deep long lasting relationship that is like no other.
I am loving fellowshipping with you all through His word as well!bib
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