Bible in 90 Days: Day 6 - 9

Oh boy!  The end of Exodus and Leviticus are difficult reads for me. I seem to get bogged down in all the laws. I can’t even imagine how the Israelites felt as Moses explained it all to them. I felt as though, as I read them, that I would have been doomed before I even started. But, as I continued to read through them, I began to see them not so much as laws but as ways that God was helping them to be healthy and stay safe.

I mean, who doesn’t want God to keep them healthy? I never realized how totally involved God was with His people. Of course, it’s easy to believe that He’s interested in the state of our soul.  But, well…what about our house?  Is there mildew in our house?  What about mildew on our clothing?  Is He interested in that?  Yep!!  He is!! In Leviticus 13:47-59, He gives guidelines on mildew in clothing and then in Lev. 14:33-53 He speaks about mildew in a home.  WOW!!  God cared about the Israelites.  He cared about their health.  He cared about the details in their life.

So…that means He cares about not just my soul but the details of my life too. Yes!!!  "A personal relationship with Christ"…what a catch phrase.  One that people don’t really think about sometimes.  These chapters that I’ve been reading have given me new insight into God and how He is interested in ME, all of me and everything that has to do with me.  Maybe even some mildew!

Praying that everyone digs deep into God’s Word today and finds something new!

Return to Day 3: Jacob and his limp

Yes, I know. We’re actually on Day 9 but I just have to stop for a moment and re-visit Day 3.

Back to Jacob. Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32:24. What would be the consequences for wrestling with God? What would be the benefits for wrestling with God? Well, Jacob got a new name…Israel “because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome”. Gen. 32:28 But, that is not all he got. Jacob, or Israel, went away from that night with a limp.

Do I want to wrestle with God? Off the top of my head, I would have to say No! I want a joyful, peaceful, uplifting time with my Lord. But, is that all God has for me? I don’t think so. For me to only desire a “joyful, peaceful, uplifting” time with God, that is like saying to God…I only want a piece of You…a piece of a relationship with You. I don’t really want to know You or understand You, not really. I only want to know the pretty part of You.

It is scary to want to wrestle with God. It is scary to want to really know God. Because I might walk away with a limp…different…not quite whole, by worldly standards. I am afraid. Oh, it’s easy to say “I want to know God and I want a personal relationship with Him”. But, I know that our relationship takes on a truly new dimension when I walk through those valleys.  It is the valleys that give my relationship with Him a deeper understanding, a deeper commitment. But, valleys are HARD!!!  They are scary!!

Sometimes I think about my worst fear and I wonder if God would have me walk in that valley…the loss of a child. Oh Lord, how I pray not.  Or the loss of my husband or a parent. Lord, please no.  There are SO many other women to whom this valley is so very real.  I have witnessed the Lord’s grace in their life. They walk with a horrible limp but I wonder if they realize how very beautiful they are to others? To me? How God’s very own light shines so beautifully from their soul, do they realize?

I want to want to wrestle with God. I feel unworthy. I feel insecure. But, I do know one thing. I am delving into God’s Word.  “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God” (Psa. 42:1) is the perfect verse that represents how I feel. God’s Word is the stream from which I drink and the Bible in 90 Days is helping to fulfill this need.

The Bible in 90 Days has helped me to literally walk around all day with my Bible in immediate reach. Even though I love reading the Bible, I am surprised that I don’t want to stop reading when that day’s reading is complete. I can’t seem to put it down. God is amazing!!!!!

Will I one day walk with some sort of limp? I don’t know.  But, God knows.  I do know that He will see me through whatever valleys are in my path. He will carry me when I cannot walk. He will always be there with me.

Bible in 90 Days

I have joined a group at Mom’s Toolbox.  It is a group of around 900 people that have joined and committed to read the whole Bible in 90 days.  I got The Bible In 90 Days from Zondervan (NIV) and it’s already set up for each day.  If you are interested, check out http://www.momstoolbox.com/ and http://www.biblein90days.org/ for more infomation.  I am going to try to blog here often with thoughts on my reading and how it’s going.  

And, yes…I really will try and keep caught up with this blogging thing.  It is really hard though, life is SO busy!  LOL!!

Bible in 90 Days: Day 5

Scripture: Exdous Ch. 1 -15

Moses…his is such a well-loved story. One that most every Sunday School child knows by heart, has colored pretty pictures of, and has seen the story images placed on a felt board.

But, this isn’t an easy “story”. The historical transcript from God’s Word is fraught with disparaging images and truths. Moses is someone to whom most of us can relate. No, obviously not his birth and trip down the river in his tar covered basket. No, definitely not his early life in the Pharaoh’s household. No, not even his life as he fled to Midian, leaving everything and everyone he has ever known. No, certainly NOT when God spoke to him from the burning bush. WOW!! No, it is hard to relate to these histories. But, we CAN relate to Moses as God called him to serve Him. God calls each of us individually and personally to serve Him!!!!!!!  How many of us, as Moses did, ask “Who am I” to do _____???  I do not think that God calls us for something easy.  No, I know we aren’t called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt but I think that we each have our own insecurities to overcome in order to fulfill God’s calling.  How often have I thought, “Oh NO not me, I can’t/don’t want to do that!”  How easy is it to sit in the pew and let someone else sing in the choir, be an usher, teach Sunday School or teach Awanas, be on the visiting committee, or fulfill some other area of need at the church/in the community?  I can tell you IT IS EASY to watch others fulfill those needs.  It is NOT easy to stand up and fill those needs myself.

Answering God’s call for our life…  It takes a listening heart.  It takes commitment.  Dedication.  Time. Skill. More commitment. More dedication. More time. More skill. It takes MORE than I have!!!!!!!!! It takes MORE than you have!!!!!!!!! I CANNOT do it!!!!!!!! That’s what Moses thought. That’s what I think. That’s what Moses knew. That’s what I know….

But, God told Moses, “I will be with you…” Exodus 3:12 (NIV)  I’ve seen church signs with a thought that I think is true.  God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.  I think many times that God calls us to serve in areas that leave us feeling insecure. God wants an humble servant. One that looks to Him for strength and security, not within ourselves or through our own knowledge or strength.   If He called us to service only in areas or things that we are “good” at, then would we really rely on Him completely? Probably not.

Beth Moore has said before that she doesn’t like to speak in front of large crowds.  It makes her nervous and she just doesn’t like it. What??????  She teaches millions of women every year, huge crowds of women all the time.  Wow!!  I never would have thought that she didn’t like it!  She seems so secure.  Oh but wait…it’s security through God and dependence on Him that allows her to do what she has been called to do.  Of course I don’t think that God has called us all to be like Beth Moore. LOL!
But, He HAS called each of us!!!  Am I following God’s will for my life?  Am I using His strength to serve Him in the area he has called me to?  Am I sitting in the pew thinking that “I can’t do that” or that God has called OTHERS with more talent to serve in those areas?   No, I hope not.  No, I pray that isn’t the case.
I pray that, like Moses, I am serving God in the way He intends even if I feel as Moses did…”Who am I…” to do this!!!!  I feel unworthy.  I feel like He could do so much better.  But, I trust Him and want His will for my life!!!!!

Moses was amazing only because he allowed God to use him so wonderfully.  God is true and good and faithful!!!!!!!!!

I am really enjoying my time in the Word each day.  Thanking the Lord for Mom’s Toolbox and The Bible in 90 Days.  I pray that each of you are finding time for Him daily, maybe even moment to moment!!!    May God bless you today as you do His will!!!!!!