God cares about all of us

i was reading through one of the many lists of names in the bible. as i read it tough, 'why are all of these names here. these people are long gone, and nobody really remembers them or what their lives were like.' then it struck me, God remembers. He remembers each and every one of them. He listed these names as a way of saying, i care for each and every one of you. i remember you, and will remember every one of my sons and daughters. it was so encouraging and comforting. God is so good.

God loves us so much. it is so cool how much He cares for us.

my sister is going to Honduras

my sister called today. she said that she is going to Honduras to help out in an orphanage with some friends of hers in Kansas. i am so excited for her. she is so happy. she thought that it would not be possible for her to go again for a long time. i am so glad that God provided a way for her to go.

Joseph's trials

as i read through the life of Joseph i was reminded of my own life. i have had a dream for my future that i was planning on since i was young. when i graduated i planned on accomplishing this dream. the rug was pulled out from under my feet. it was very hard for me to take, but i eventually got on with my life and forgot about my dream. then God told me to embrace the dreams of my youth. i started to dream the same dream again. i was standing on the dream, and knew that God would bring it to pass. at this time it looked to me that the dream was going to happen. then, the rug was pulled out from under me again. i was devastate again. i am not back up on my feet. i do believe that God will bring the dream to pass, but this time i am standing on God and not the dream. i trust that He will make it happen, but i do not know how or the time it will happen.

God is faithful to bring his work to pass in my life.

Where is Satan in the creation story

in sunday school i was taught that Satan went to the serpent, and convinced him to talk to Eve. when i read the creation story i did not see this. it just says that the serpent went to Eve, and the serpent did not say, 'Satan told me to do it.' why is this? does it say some where else in the bible that Satan went to the serpent? i am really wonder about this.

i do know that the thing that God has shown me through this new insight to the creation story is that we give Satan far too much power. it is not always him who has caused our problems. there was a time in my life when i spent all of my time fighting Satan. John told me that i was giving him way to much power, but i could not see what he was saying, then God, 'i never asked you to fight. i only asked you to stand.' he used Eph 6:10-18where the armor of God is mentioned to tell me this. in this whole passage it never says to fight, however it says several times to stand. you can look it up if you like.

i have found that it is harder to stand than to fight. when we fight we are looking at other people. when we stand we have no one to look at bout our selves. i am so glad that when we stand God is standing right there beside us. He is the one who helps us make it through.

i love it when God takes the lessons of the past and makes the real again in my life.

The God of Abraham The Fear of Isaac

I came across an interesting description of God. Jacob repeats it several times in Gen 31:42, and several other places Jacob calls God The Fear of Isaac. Why is this?

When it says in 1 John 4:18 'There is not fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.'

My only conclusion to this is that Isaac was not able to build the relationship with God that his father had. His father was a friend of God, but Isaac feared God. I do believe that God wanted to have the same relationship with Isaac that He had with Abraham, but was not able to have it. Isaac feared the punishment of God. This is why Jesus came to this earth. He came so that we could have that relationship with God without fear. God loved us so much he wanted to have a relationship with us. He knew that there was no chance of relationship as long as there was still the fear of punishment from God. He sent Jesus to us to take that punishment. We no longer have to look at God and fear. We can now look at God as a friend. We can have the same relationship with God that Abraham had. We can be known as a friend of God.

God loves us so much that He took the fear of punishment and destroyed it. It is gone forever. Praise be to God.

Hagar

another story that i have had questions about is the story of Abram and Hagar. why didn't God tell Abraham that he was wrong to take Hagar? why did God give the same promise to Hagar that he gave to Abraham? [Gen 16:10] how many times have i taken a promise from God and tried to answer in in my own thinking? Abraham did not even think Sarah would ever give him a child, and he did wait until she suggested using Hagar.

i have been through several experiences where i have thought i knew what the promises that God had given me were. i have went forward seeking the outcome of these things only to find out that was not what God meant by his promise. when i find this out i end up crashing to the ground not knowing where to go from there. i have discovered that i need to seek God, and not the promises that he has given me. when i relax in who God is and trust him to bring things to pass i do much better. it is not an easy thing to do though. i want to be in control, and relaxing in God leaves him in control. i have come to trust his love for me, and that he will bring me through the life that he has for me. i no longer try to figure out where God is taking me. i now live each day as they come. it is not important for me to know where i am headed. it is important for me to do what he is calling me to do for today.

job

i am reading a chronological view of the bible, so after reading through the tower of Babel i went to job. i have liked job for some time. it is comforting to me. the book tells me that bad things do not always happen as a result of sin in our lives. job's friends tried to tell him that he had sinned, and that is the reason for everything that happened to him. that just is not the case. God even told them to repent of such teaching. job actually held the same teaching. he was angry at God for punishing him with out cause. the conclusion of the book is that God is God. he can do what ever he wants to do.

it is also interesting that we find the devil in heaven several times through the book. i was always taught that sin can not be in heaven, and the devil is nothing but sin. how is he in heaven then? this has often puzzled me. i have come to the conclusion that the original teaching that i have received was wrong. God can have sin in heaven, and he can look on sin. God loved me even when i was a sinner. how can he love me with out looking at me. he loved me in spite of who i was, and how bad i was. God is so good to us.

new years resolution

i have had some questions lately, well actually for quite some time, about what i believe the bible has to say about who God is. i have decided to read through the bible this year, and see what i can find out. i will reveal some of my findings here.

i will let the bible interpret itself. i am going to strive not to use other peoples interpretations of the scripture. i have been raised in the church, and have a lot of other peoples ideas about what the scripture says in my mind. it will be a good year of discovering fresh and new who God is.