God of details

Reading Exodus over the past days has been incredibly challenging because of the amount of details it contains. At first I felt like I was getting lost -- all the measurements, the colors of the threads, the type of fabric, a description of the spices and on and on and on.... Then, it came to me -- He is a God of the details -- a God of the little things -- ALL things are important to him. So instead of getting lost I became comforted - he loves me and cares about all the details of my life--he wants me to see him -- not just in the big things but in the small too - he wants me to pray and take my cares to him -- not just my big ones but my small ones too -- he already knows what they are though by bringing them to him he knows that I know "who he is" the God of ALL things!

verse 21

Did you know that in Matthew 17 there is no verse 21? Check out your January 26th reading and look at the footnotes! So amazing that some manuscripts contain it and some don't. What do you think about the missing verse?

day 5,6,7,8

So how is everyone doing? Anyone else completely blown away by some of the stuff they are reading? little details/big concepts!

• Matthew 5:19b ...but anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a tall order for me -- what about for you? I am trying to remember that I don't need to try harder each day -- I need to ask God for his help more everyday!!!!
• Psalm 5:3 -- Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. Well another tall order -- I barely roll out of bed to get my son breakfast and ready for school -- this is definitely a pattern that could use changing. I said I wanted to read books that would grow me this year -- what was I thinking -- I was already choosing to do this -- boy I am feeling stretched right now and it is only the beginning. So is it read the bible in a year and then take a year off to consider all that was brought up? Kind of like a 2 year plan??
• Genesis 13:8-9 Lord may I have the desire to be more like Abram in the way he handles Lot by offering him his choice of land and taking what was left! How can I not know that God will bless me immensly if I follow this principle -- he will give me more (figuratively) than what I would have if I chose first and gave others the leftovers. This is definitely NOT what the world teaches!!!!!
• Matthew 5:47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. God totally got right in the middle of me while I was in a conflict yesterday! My kids were with me and it was with a medical professional. All I have to say is wow I am thankful for Jesus because without him I would have screamed, yelled, used a few nasty words and probably slammed the door -- and later would have wrote a letter about the incident and sent it to the governing board. However -- due to Jesus and the Holy Spirit's screams in my head and heart -- I kept smiling and spoke overly nice and continued to try to clarify the issue. When we left I explained to the kids we would not be returning and that we would be choosing another "place" to go. I also asked if I spoke in a mean voice -- they said "no", I asked if I called him mean names - first they laughed and then said "no", I asked if I kicked the desk and slammed the door -- again they giggled and said "no" . I kindly explained that I - me, me me, wanted to do all those things however God did not want me to! So I had this great conversation with him in my head the whole time and it went like this -- Oh please help me to be kind -- am I smiling? O Lord just help me to make it through the next 5 minutes, Okay I get it-- you don't want us to come back here, I am sorry I didn't listen in October I thought I was just being nice and giving him a second chance. Lord help me not to lose my cool in front of the kids! Wow it felt like I was dealing with an enemy -- and yes I know he is not my enemy but boy it felt like it -- and it took every ounce of everything God has ever wanted to do in me for me to do it his way! And you know what I got from it all ( from obedience)-- NO REGRETS! What some of you may or may not know is that my mouth has, in the past, gotten me into trouble - o really some of you say in jest -- however what I have learned is that since I began a relationship with Christ it is not necessarily my mouth that gets me into trouble -- it is the way satan uses my mouth to condemn me -- I end up giving him such a strong foothold in this area and I get paralyzed by it -- I review and review and review conversations -- I regret things I have said and I stew over them and satan keeps bringing them back for me to revisit. Honestly I don't believe my mouth is that much of a problem since I gave my heart over to God -- but because I actively chose God - in the moment not as an afterthought -- I was blessed with the peace that comes from HIM and him alone. What an awesome feeling and though it feels strange I know it is supposed to be the norm when I am living according to his purpose. Can I do it again? I am not certain -- however I know that God can!
• Proverbs 1:33 Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear and harm. CONFIRMATON :)
• Genesis 18:14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? Why oh why do I continually think I can handle it without consulting him?? Do you?
• Genesis 18:27 - 33 Where did I get the idea that we are not supposed to ask detailed, fact finding questions ever? I was so suprised by the fact that Abraham asked over and over again each time getting more detailed and God never said -- "alright already - give it up and trust me"
• Matthew 6:34 - So don't worry about tomoorow for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. Never has there been a truer statement or a better way to look at each day . I need this verse committed to memory!
• Matthew 6:25 - 7:14 -- There is so so so so so much in this I could barely digest it all!
• Proverbs 2:7? He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
  

day 2,3,4

• day 2 -- wow have I been getting into this -- I can't read very far without saying to my husband - "hey did you know....?" So much information and detail - it is incredible to me. So I read in Gen 3:16 Then he said to women, "I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. ----- I knew that but read on.... "And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you" whoa hold the phone -- I did not know this -- I have heard all about being a submissive wife and that it is what God wants and my husband actually makes it fairly easy for me to be submissive due to his respectful and loving and kind attitude towards me. But I had no idea this all came about with Eve eating that apple and getting Adam to do it too! Then in verse 3:22 he says they have become like us - does anyone find that intriguing?

• day 3 --Did you know that Enoch disappeared because God took him!! -- plus it says that when God was sorry he made us and put us on earth it also says "it broke his heart" now that is something to think about! And wow Noah did EVERYTHING the Lord asked him too! No wonder he was the only blameless man at that time -- he did everything - I don't feel like I am at 50% most of the time :( And as a gentle reminder Jesus' time in the dessert and how he handled it continually reinforces how I need to get into scripture so I can use it effectively as my weapon against satan when he comes knocking on my door.

• day 4 - this got me thinking Gen 9:6 -- if anyone takes a human life, that person's life will also be taken by human hands. So how do you take this? What do you think?

day 1

It has finally arrived - the first day of this great journey to read through the bible -- I have been looking forward to it with great anticipation. As with any new venture it can be exciting at the start - at this point I pray for all of us stepping out on this journey that we would continue even when the feelings of newness wear off and that we would realize that God's word in an of itself is exciting and can reach us right where we are at -- even when we don't feel like taking the time out to read!

Gen 1:1-2:25 Matt 1:1-2:12 Psalm 1:1-6 Proverbs 1:1-6

• As I was reading I couldn't help but be stuck by Gen 2:21 -- when God created a helper just right for man. Am I just right for my husband? I believe we were chosen by God to be together and be married - however do I continue to be just right for him? I know that my choices with my mouth and my actions have a direct impact on the quality of our marriage and family! I pray that God continues to make us "just right" for our husbands - that we would be a "helper" at the truest definition of the word!
• Then Matthew 1:17 where it talks about the 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus -- my goodness I can't even imagine the impact my choices will make on one generation never mind 42!
• Psalm 1:2,3 -- wow what a desire of my heart -- to delight in God's law - meditate on it day and night - to bear fruit - have my leaves never wither and prosper in all I do! That is incredible!
• And finally just to remember the purpose of proverbs - to teach us wisdom and discipline - to help us to do what is right, just and fair!

I am excited to take this journey and humbled that I have not done so this far in my walk - I am not doing it out of duty I am doing it out of desire -- a desire to take my next step toward Jesus!