Which one? The Old Testament or the New Testament?

Matthew 5
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Luke 4

16 sAnd he came to tNazareth, where he had been brought up. And uas was his custom, vhe went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up wto read. 17 And xthe scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18  y“The Spirit of the Lord zis upon me,

because he has anointed me

to aproclaim good news to the poor.

bHe has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and crecovering of sight to the blind,

dto set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19  eto proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and fsat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were gfixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today hthis Scripture ihas been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

Over the years, I have heard people say their church is a New Testament church or they follow the principles of the Old Testament or, as Jews do, only believe a few books of the Bible. Other times, it is preached that this part of a certain verse is true and the other part doesn't matter. Lastly, I have heard "our church believes everyone is equal and we should accept everyone for what they believe...What is right for them is right for them no matter what the Bible states."

As far as the New and Old Testament see concerned, Matthew 5:17 states that what was foretold in the Old Testament waa fulfilled in the New Testament. One is not more, or less, important than the other. No need to argue about which one is best, or true, or more important. If you read one, and then the next, you will see they are intertwined...each one confirming the information in the other. Luke 4:16-20 is a prime example of that. The Old Testament foretold Jesus would come (just one example would be Isaiah).  In the New Testament, Jesus has come and even quotes the Old Testament to prove He is the Messiah they have been waiting for because it was told to them in the Old Testament on many occasions with many specific details (Isaiah for one).

But what about the people who say only certain parts of the Bible are true, or we should pick the parts we want to believe, or ignore the rest of the Bible and let everyone believe what they want? Well, if any of those were correct, how do they explain that the Old Testament correctly foretold what would happen in the New Testament...in detail. If you see the connection between the Old and the New, then how can you pick out only certain verses to say they are true and should be followed, but others are not? Do you all of a sudden not believe that the Old Testament foretold the New Testament? 

If you do see that the Old Testament foretold what was in the New Testament, then how can you say that you don't need to follow the whole Bible and just do what you feel is right, or just follow the parts you agree with? If you do that, then you deny how intricately the Bible is woven together by divine inspiration from God, how the prophets of the Old Testament testified to the future and the New Testament. In fact, how can you believe any of it if you think parts of it are false or wrong? If they are all connected, then they should not they all be right or wrong?

You either accept that it all goes together as the divinely inspired Word of God or you do not. If you don't, you are telling God you don't believe that He told the writers what to say. So, you are actually putting yourself in the place of God. Do you actually not believe that God could put all these words together coherently and correctly?  Ouch! I don't think I would want to have to explain to God someday that I thought my judgment was more important and perfect than His!.

Father, please help us to understand what we read in the Bible, to know that you put those Words down so that we could understand/believe/use it as a reference point, answer questions with it, to find our way, to find Jesus. Thank you for always thinking of us and caring for us enough to give us this book of truth and wisdom. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

How do I know what to do? What is right?

Hebrews 4
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Sometimes at work, I have no clue why things are the way they are, why some people behave the way they do, why a simple comment turned into a big frustration! Why? How did that happen? What do I do now?

Those are all good questions which could take a long time to answer. However, today's scripture focuses on what to do now! 

Everything is messed up, whether caused by something I intentionally or unintentionally did/said/didn't do or because someone else was having a bad day. Now what? How do we fix this? How do we get through this? 

The Word of God. 

Read Hebrews 4:12 again. What stands out to you? For me, "living and active" and "sword," and "discerning thoughts and intentions of the heart."  The Word of God covers a lot of territory! In fact, I think it is safe to say it answers all questions! 

How does it answer all questions? If you read God's Word, pray for the Spirit to show you what you need as you read, you will receive peace. You will be able to love others whether you messed up or they did. You will be able to ask others for forgiveness. You will be able to forgive others. Eventually, God might grant you understanding of the whole situation. Usually, with understanding, I cannot be upset about anything or anyone, because I realize they made a simple mistake...just like I do all the time! All that from opening my mind and heart to what God has to say in His Word!

So, the next time things are going wrong and you don't know what to do...You will know what to do! Read God's Word. Read it to understand this life and your situation. Read it to see what God wants to say to you right then!

Father, thank you that you care so much about us that you divinely inspire people (plain, simple, sinful, people) to write down what you told them to write. Help us to remember to go to your Word, and pray for assistance rather than concocting our own plan without You! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Traditions

Isaiah 64:6

We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf,

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

I was reading my devotions today about how God regularly tries to show us when we are veering off in the wrong direction, but we continue until something, or someone, happens and we have to change course...change to the right course, God's course.

The example was our traditions. For instance, I love the Christmas season. I love the beautiful trees, the Christmas songs, giving gifts, cookies, visiting family, etc. It is all so cozy and warm to me. I love it!

However, because I am so focused on the warm and cozy, I no longer am focused on what God wants. I am focused on feeling warm and cozy and creating that effect for everyone else to see. That makes my focus...me...and how I want everyone else to feel! I find it surprising and scary that I do all these preparations for Christmas for what I think are the right reasons, and as it turns out my preparations are for the wrong reasons...me!

At no time do I think "this will bring others closer to God." At no time do I think, "wow, look at the beauty of decorations and family that God created!" No, I think "look at what I just put together...isn't it pretty!"

So, where is my focus when I am working through all my precious traditions? Am I doing it to share God's love? Am I doing it because I have always done it and it's pretty? I have realized that I am doing it for myself! All these beautiful decorations that should reflect God's beautiful love for us, and I have made them vein pursuits!

Why do you do your traditions? Are your Christmas decorations and festivities to show the story of Christmas? Do you even need decorations to do that? Are all the pursuits and frenzied shopping and doing and activities of this season to share God's love?

Father, please help me focus on you and the gift you gave of Jesus this season...not on my feeble attempts to dress up the holiday for my own selfish reasons. Instead, make the true meaning of Christmas real for everyone who meets me!  In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

The Real Prophet

Hebrews 1:1-2
Long ago, at many times and ain many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but bin these last days che has spoken to us by dhis Son, whom he appointed ethe heir of all things, fthrough whom also he created gthe world.

Recently we have been studying the prophets and the Psalms. The prophets brought news of what would happen if the people didn't repent and return from their ways. God gave then a choice, and time to make it. He then brought justice. Either they turned from their ways and God's wrath subsided and He was pleased with them, or they went on doing the wrong things the Prophets told them God was unhappy about and they received their promised reward (many times war, death, losses). God does not mess around when we are sinning. He is holy, does not have any sin, so sin is a big problem in our relationship with Him. He gives us a warning and a clear explanation of what will happen if we do, or don't, turn from our sins. 

The prophets brought these truths to the people whether they wanted to hear it or not. God wants them to hear the truth. Then came Jesus. Hebrews 1:1 tells us Jesus is the greatest prophet. He not only brings news of what is to come, He is God also. He is their redemption. He was here from the beginning and He will be here forever! Now that is a prophet! A prophet of all prophets!

His Good News? Turn from your sins, just like the prophets of old said. However, this prophet can forgive you of all your sins. He is God, so He has the ability and right to do that. He is our redeemer, so He takes our sins and removes them from His sight forever, so we can be with Him in eternity, because if He didn't, we couldn't be with Him as He abhors sin.

As Christmas approaches, with every gift you buy, with every tree you see, with every card you send or receive, remember why we are celebrating. Jesus, the Prophet, but more importantly the Savior, is the reason for the season!

How the middle East was originally divided...

Joshua 18

18 Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at pShiloh and set up qthe tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.

2 There remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. 3 So Joshua said to the people of Israel, r“How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? 4 Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me. 5 They shall divide it into seven portions. sJudah shall continue in his territory on the south, tand the house of Joseph shall continue in their territory on the north. 6 And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me. uAnd I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. 7 vThe Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage. wAnd Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

8 So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, “Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” 9 So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, 10 and Joshua xcast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, yto each his portion.

So, God has told the Israelites after FORTY years of wandering (which could have been much less, but was forty years due to their disobedience and unfaithfulness towards God), that they have made it to their land. Now THEY must  subdue the inhabitants and take what God wants them l to have.

Joshua looks around and sees that several tribes of Israelites have not done that.  "So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? "

Hmmmmm...I wonder why they waited. They were told that God would go before them, as long as they relied on Him and not themselves). All they had to do was do it. Yet they didn't! I think if God had given me a huge chunk of land that I had waited forty years for, I would go get it! Right? 

Well, then I look around and I realize that I do the things I want to do...without asking Him about them and waiting for His answer. I do everything on MY plan and my decisions all day long, every day. No wonder things get so messed up!

God is asking me the same question today.  How long will you put off doing what I have told you I want you to do? How long will you do what you want instead of what I, your loving Father, want for you?

Father, I know you have a plan. Please make it clear to me, so that I know what you want me to do. Don't let me wander for forty years because I am too stubborn and impatient to listen and choose to do I what you want instead. I just want to do what you want me to do...to be a part of the plan YOU have for me. In Jesus Christ's name I pray. Amen.

Sheep

John 10
14“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Sheep. According to everything I have heard, sheep are not smart. They do the same things over and over again with the same bad results. They walk right into harm, because they are not smart enough to choose differently.

Sheep. Sheep represent us in this scripture. We make mistakes over and over again. We recklessly try things we know we would be better off not doing. Then we try it again thinking that somehow there will be a different outcome. Then we pity ourselves for our "bad luck!" 

In John 10, Jesus is telling us that if we follow Him, we well be blessed. Our lives may not be perfect because we are at our core still sinners on this sinful earth, but He can fix that for us. No need for luck, He will remove our sins. He will put us the right path. He will guide us even if we don't/can't see where we are going. If we let Jesus lead us like sheep, we will be safe in him.

Is everything a mess for you? Look to Jesus and don't stop. Is everything going great for you? Look to Jesus and don't stop! You don't know what tomorrow brings.

Father, thank you for sending Jesus to remove our sins. Thank you for always leading us in the right direction. Please help us to follow your leading and focus on your leading. This will bring us peace. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

What God will do for you

Joshua 2
9Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. 11See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” 14So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Joshua and the Israelites begin their mission to take the land God wants them to have. The first thing God does is tell them what to do, so they can get it done the right way and glorify God, not themselves. He tells them EXACTLY what to do...all they have to do is do it.

Then He shows them, in a big way, what He will do to help them and assures them that if they follow His command, they will succeed. So, He stops a huge river to let them pass...and this isn't the first time He has done this for them! Wow! How awesome is God's power and how awesome how He uses it to help us as we do what we are supposed to do! Things we would never dream we could do!

There are more stories here about the great things God does to help the Israelites conquer the land He wants them to have. He shows them He knows they have to have "some skin in the game" by conquering it. However, He makes sure they will get it done if they follow His commands.

So, what is God doing for you right now? How is He working in your life? What is He requiring you to do in order for you to have "some skin in the game" ? Are you doing it? Are you trusting God will provide?

I currently have several different things God is doing for me right now. All of them are requiring me to trust that God will provide and lead. I like to have a plan and follow it, but God has a different plan, and He wants me to trust Him. So, I will. I may falter from day to day, but I will continue to try. I will continue to look to God for my guidance and give Him the glory for my victories.


Father in heaven, please help me to focus on what you want in order for me to receive the blessings you want to give me! Please help me to focus on you only! In Jesus awesome name I pray! Amen.

Be strong and courageous

Joshua 1
6Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

In the passage above, Joshua is being put in charge by God and told to move into the territory God has promised the nation of Israel. They have wandered in the wilderness for forty years and have finally been allowed to go into the promised land.  Isn't that exciting?

Well, I think that would be exciting!  Finally getting to where you have wanted to go for forty years even when you had given up in despair (forty years!) and made lots of mistakes along the way. Still, you had seen miracles by God regularly and had been protected by God along the way.

So, you finally get what God says you deserve. Only one problem...He isn't giving it to you so easily. You have to conquer the people who are in that land first. WHAT??????  I came all this way. I made it. It took forty years! Now I have to fight to get what God says I deserve?

Be strong and courageous. That is what God tells Joshua and His people over and over again in the passage above. He tells them He will be with them. He will protect them. However, He also tells them that they have to do their part too. The Israelites must fight for what God has given them. 

God knows us. He knows that if He just gave us things easily, we wouldn't appreciate them. We would quickly start sinning again, even though we would know that God brought us to where we are. If He makes us work for what He wants to give us, He knows we will keep our focus on Him and then He can keep us on the right path.

Nothing is ever easy, but if we are strong and courageous in God, we will be able to do anything!

Father, please help us to keep our focus on you all through every day. Help us to be strong and courageous in doing what you want us to do. Help us to be strong and courageous in praying without ceasing for your assistance. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

God's mercy

Hosea 2
14“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. 15There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor[a] a door of hope. There she will respond[b] as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. 16“In that day,” declares the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.[c] ’ 17I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked. 18In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety. 19I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in[d] righteousness and justice, in[e] love and compassion. 20I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord. 21“In that day I will respond,” declares the Lord— “I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; 22and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, and they will respond to Jezreel.[f] 23I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.[g] ’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,[h] ’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ ”

In Hosea 2, we see God forgiving Israel for going after false gods (fake gods, money, sex, fame, power, self satisfaction, greed). After everything God has done for them by freeing them from their captivity in Egypt, parting the waters for them to cross over, making water from a rock, defeating their enemies, always going ahead of them to protect them...after all this, the Israelites still wandered from God. 

Yet God says in Hosea 2, He will forgive them. He does allow them to wallow in their sin first, to realize what they are missing by not staying in God's grace and mercy. He then forgives them unconditionally, and grants them mercy...and the cycle starts all over again! In fact, it continues today. Jesus had to die on the cross to forgive our sins, because we keep sinning just like the Israelites! We beg for forgiveness, are given it freely, then mess up all over again, ask for forgiveness, receive it, and start all over again.

We are not any different from those pathetic Israelites that God loved so much that He forgave them over and over again. Not only did He forgive them, but He promised them a Messiah! 

I regularly make the same mistakes over and over and over! I think I have learned from them, and I think I will do better. Then, I make a similar mistake or lapse in judgment. Call it what you want! 

I always have something to say about everything, and many times I say it before I think it through! Then I am in the same situation I was in before regretting my words, paying for my mistake as people are now mad at me. I deserve that. I made the mistake. Yet, even if these people hold on to their anger over what I said after I ask then for forgiveness, God tells me I am forgiven if I ask Him for forgiveness! GOD FORGIVES ME! Everything is right with this crazy mixed up world when I fully realize that I am forgiven of my mistakes! 

My Lord and Savior, thank you for always forgiving, always pursuing, always setting out a plan to bring me back! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Hungry for love

Hosea 3
1THE LORD SAID TO ME, “GO, SHOW YOUR LOVE TO YOUR WIFE AGAIN, THOUGH SHE IS LOVED BY ANOTHER MAN AND IS AN ADULTERESS. LOVE HER AS THE Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” 2So I bought her for fifteen shekels[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek[b] of barley. 3Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.” 4For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. 5AFTERWARD THE ISRAELITES WILL RETURN AND SEEK THE LORD THEIR GOD AND DAVID THEIR KING. THEY WILL COME TREMBLING TO THE Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

Hungry for love! Homer, Hosea's adultress wife, was looking for love. She had it already with Hosea, but she ignored that and went looking everywhere else.

This is, according to Hosea, just like the Israelites. They had been rescued from Egypt miraculously, sustained in the wilderness for 40 years, and then given land already developed by other people. All from God. All a free gift.

What did the Israelites do? They took it all for granted and went looking for more love, more power, more money. You're thinking...that was pretty stupid! Right?

Yet, everyday, I do the same thing. I have God's love already. I should be happy. I should choose to be happy. Am I? No! I worry about a difficult relationship...I shouldn't because God is already working on a plan...It will all work out. I worry about relationships at work. Should I? No! Again, I forgot that God has a plan for me, for everyone, for everything.  So, daily, what should I worry about...what should be my goal? Pleasing God should be my goal!

Father forgive me for focusing on things other than you. Please help me to remember your love every second of every hour of every day. Please help me to treat others with your never ending, unjustified love and grace. In Jesus name I pray! Amen.

Are you keeping yourself from God?

Hoses 5
1“Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, you Israelites! Listen, royal house! This judgment is against you: You have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor. 2The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter. I will discipline all of them. 3I know all about Ephraim; Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution; Israel is corrupt. 4“Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God.

According to Hosea, people who are going the wrong direction, doing bad things, etc. are running from God. God let's them be in their sin. He turns His back on them. ..."Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God."  Does that mean they are forever lost then? Is God turning His back on them as if He is keeping them from changing. That is kind of scary, don't you think? Their deeds do NOT PERMIT them to return to God. That sounds...final, doesn't it? 

But then, we have to remember 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  God is a merciful God and He will forgive us if we acknowledge our sins and ask Him to forgive us. After all, He sent His only Son as a sacrifice for all sin. So, He keeps pursuing us. He might let us have our way in our sins, as in Hosea, so that we can come to realize how messed up we are and turn back towards Him, but He really doesn't want us to spend eternity in Hell. 

So, Hosea 5:4 isn't stating that we can NOT get back to God. It is stating that God is giving us over to our sin in order for us to realize we are sinning, because until we realize we are sinning and ask for forgiveness, we have shut ourselves off from God...we cannot commune with a sinless God. God wants us to be with Him. He doesn't turn us over to our sins as if He is giving up on us. He turns us over to our sins, so that we will eventually seek Him instead of our sinful desires. 

So, are you keeping yourself from God? Is there something you know you shouldn't do but stubbornly keep doing it? Has God let you sit in your stubbornness? Are you ready, yet, to stop sinning and look to God instead? 

Father, please help us see our sin. We are so used to sinning that we don't even see it most of the time. In fact, we don't even see You most of the time. Please, Holy Spirit, don't stop convicting us of our sins. Father, forgive us of our sins. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Where is God?

Isaiah 63
11Then his people recalled [a]the days of old, the days of Moses and his people— where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, 12who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses’ right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, 13who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; 14like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.

Families are messy. Brothers and sisters don't get along. One wants to be more important than the other. One thinks they really are more important than the others. Another thinks you have offended them, but you don't know how. People feel they need to protect themselves. People don't communicate so no one knows what is really going on and feel hurt.

Friendships are messy. One day everything is fine, the next you don't know what happened. Unless the friend communicates, you won't know. You don't think you did anything, but how will know if they don't talk to you?

Work is messy. Today, these are the rules. Tomorrow decisions are based on rules you didn't even know existed! Groups have their own cliques and leave others out intentionally because they want to protect their clique...thinking that is a good thing! Gossip! Wow! Work is a hot bed for gossip, but it is always done "just to keep you informed!"

Churches are messy. You walk in and see people you think you know are not living for God. People have their feelings hurt over something said by someone else or what the pastor preached on last Sunday or last month or last year. Someone is hurt because no one spoke to them today. We feel isolated because everyone has their own "Christian friends" and we are not included in that group. 

Messy! Messy! Messy! Messy!

Where is God in all of this? Exactly where He was for the Israelites, for our families, for our work place relationships, for our friendships, for our church. Right here! In Isaiah 63, it starts with the Israelites asking where is the God who did all these great things for us. Where is He? Look at the great things He has done for them and you will see where He was. He parted the sea to rescue them. He gave them the Holy Spirit so they would know what to do at all times if they followed Him. He gave Moses wisdom to guide them. He protected them. He gave them rest. 

He did all that to show them His glory...His love for them. He was there the whole time! He was there when they rebelled and made the golden calf. He was there for them when they were whining and complaining about being rescued from being slaves to the Egyptians because the way back home wasn't easy. He was there!

So, where is God in your family, your friends, your work relationships, your church relationships? He is there! He has always been there! You just have to seek Him. You have to view others through His eyes instead of yours. Then you will see He has been there protecting you, pursuing you, pursuing others, too, protecting others, too.

Instead of seeing the whining, see the hurt...see them through God's eyes. Instead of seeing the selfishness, see the insecurity. Instead of seeing the rude behavior, see their history. Instead of waiting for someone to talk to you, to do something for you, talk to them, do something for them. The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself...we must do that. However, the first greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. If we practice that, how can we not put into practice the second greatest commandment which God Himself demonstrates for us every single day?

Fractured families

Hosea 11
1“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. 2But the more they were called, the more they went away from me.[a] They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. 3It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. 4I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them. 5“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?

John 6
  35Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

A fractured family is painful and difficult to understand. Israel was God's chosen people, and yet they continually chose other Gods no matter how many miracles God performed to show His love for them. So, God let them dwell in their sin hoping they would return to Him when things got too tough for them. They usually did, but not before some pretty painful events.

Our lives here are so imperfect, just like the Israelites. We are just like the Israelites, turning from God and doing what we want. They could have beeb so much more if they had done everything through God's love, but they did not. Today, we are no different. We could be so much more if we did everything through God's love, but we are not able to do that because of the sin in our hearts. We can only keep trying and keep asking for forgiveness from Him.

Then there is our family. How fractured it is. Some days it seems like I can see the love. Some days, I wonder how anything will ever be okay between us. Family is difficult, but we are God's family, too. We are difficult to Him. Fortunately, John 6 shows, God loves us so much, He keeps trying. Sometimes, He tries by letting us get into trouble and reap the punishment so we will turn to Him. He keeps pursuing as it shows in Hosea 11, but sometimes He has to let us have our own sad, hurtful, even dangerous way, so we can see His way is better. He does the same for our family members, and we should do the same also.

Our family...the sleepless night's I have spent worrying, fuming, praying, crying over the hurtful things said and done and over the loved ones who still have not accepted Christ as their Savior. The good news is God is pursuing them, and me, also. He wants us all to come to Him...to wait on His guidance so we can stop hurting each other, and ourselves...or at least less often!

I need to ask for forgiveness and my family members need God to forgive them. That is so hard when the heartache comes from their words and behavior, but our reaction and actions speak volumes in return. My fractured family hurts, but I know God is always pursuing all of us. I pray He continues to pursue until my whole family is His. I pray all my family members open their hearts to Him. I pray for healing.

Following the culture

Hosea 8
4They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction. 5Samaria, throw out your calf-idol! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity? 6They are from Israel! This calf—a metalworker has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria. 7“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up. 8Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like something no one wants.

12I wrote for them the many things of my law, but they regarded them as something foreign. 13Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to me, and though they eat the meat, the Lord is not pleased with them. Now he will remember their wickedness and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt. 14Israel has forgotten their Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire on their cities that will consume their fortresses.”

1John 3
1See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

In Hosea 8, Isreal is trying really hard to fit in with the rest of the culture/society. 

That culture knows Israel is God's chosen people. They have seen the miracles: the Red Sea parting, water from a rock, Isreal conquering mighty nations and cities with but a few hundred men over and over again. The people in that day KNEW the Israelites were God's chosen people.

Knowing the Israelites were chosen, that society expected great things from them since God had done great things for them. Instead, the Israelites chose to emulate society: golden calves, kings, palaces. They did this over and over again. God brought them back through some sort of severity and then they recommitted themselves  to God. Then they fall apart again and emulated society, sinned against God, and God gave them over to their sin so they could see it. They repented, God took them back (1John 3). The cycle starts again.

You are thinking, as am I, "really"? How do they not see what they are doing? Why does God have to allow them to wallow in their sin before they figure this out? Then I stop and think about my days. I start off with a devotion and feel real good about things. I hit my day running and run right into a problem. Do I stop and pray for God's divine guidance or do I take charge and solve it myself. I solve it myself...my first mistake.  Then I move on and hit another problem. Do I follow the culture and solve it myself or seek God's guidance? I follow culture...I solve it myself. Another mistake. By the end of the day, I wonder why other people are so crazy and why I am so frustrated and why I am so tired. 

I am just like the Israelites. I started out with God. Then I followed the culture and solved my own problems. God knows I am weak. He knows I need His strength and guidance. He offers it all the time. He withdraws it when when I ignore Him so I will turn back to Him. I realize what I have done and ask forgiveness. I start all over again.

Father, I thank you for your persistence. For always pursuing me (us). Please forgive me when I go astray and trust this world's judgment, or mine, instead of yours. Help me to seek you all the time in everything I do. I can't do that through my own will. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

God loves us no matter what we do...or don't do!

Hosea 7
I long to redeem them but they speak about me falsely. 14They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail on their beds. They slash themselves,[a] appealing to their gods for grain and new wine, but they turn away from me. 15I trained them and strengthened their arms, but they plot evil against me. 16They do not turn to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of their insolent words. For this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.

Galatians 6
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Romans 9
22What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Hosea 7 talks about how we all do what we want whether it is what God wants us to do or not...and don't do what we should. Galatians 6 is stating the same thing and adding that we get what we deserve. 

If we continue to sin, God let's us stay in our sin and suffer the repercussions. Not because He enjoys seeing us suffer. It is the opposite. He suffers watching us, so He lets us suffer from our sin in order to cause us to change...to want to change. He wants us to turn back to Him and the good things He has in store for us.

I had a bad day yesterday. I said some things I shouldn't have and hurt someone's feelings.  I could choose to be prideful and pretend like nothing happened yesterday. I could go on and on like that and be a poor example of a Christian. Or I could apologize and acknowledge that I had done wrong by what I said (and skip the part about how the other person brought it all on). Then I will feel the weight of the burden of doing wrong being lifted off of me. I will be able to move on confidently, but not prideful. If the other person forgives me, great! If not, I will be okay because I apologized honestly. I will try not to say things impulsively again in order to prevent this situation from happening and being a stumbling block to others.

So, when things seem all messed up, turn to God. Tell Him what is going on. Ask Him to help you. As it states in Romans 9, He is waiting for an opportunity to be merciful to us, to let us change. We just have to take it! 

Father, thank you for never changing. Thank you for waiting for us to change. Thank you for allowing us to suffer the consequences of our sins in order for us to realize we are wrong and need to change. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. In Jesus Christ's name I pray. Amen.

I did everything like I should. Why is everything going wrong?

Mark 2
1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7“Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11“I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” 13Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

In this passage, two things are happening. First, Jesus is healing people; physically and spiritually. Miracles are occurring all around and He is the reason! 

But, the people who are jealous of Him, who are suspicious of Him, who don't want to change, who ignore what the scripture said about Jesus, these people are mad! Jesus angers them more and more with every good thing He does and the truth that he speaks. So the second thing happening is His opposition, because of the good works He is doing, because He is proclaiming Himself to be God, because He is healing people spiritually and physically. The current leaders are angry!

The religious leaders are doing everything in their power to make Him look bad, to make people doubt Him. Eventually they find a way to kill Him, although that was a part of God's plan!

Do you ever feel like you have done everything like you should only to be faced with people growling and hissing at you?  Well, Jesus already knows how you feel. Granted, Jesus was perfect, and I, we, are not, but if we are doing what is right, what is God's will, we will see and receive opposition. We will feel the hate of the devil through other people.

Yesterday, I looked around me and wondered what was going on, there was so much hate. I didn't understand it, and it hurt my feelings. At first, I started to lash out verbally. I then realized that was wrong, so I backed off and started asking questions. I don't believe they were really any nicer, but I was. 

In these situations, I need to remember that although Satan is currently reigning on earth, Jesus has already won the battle and will return to restore the earth to goodness and love. For now though, I need to trust God will see me through these hateful situations. It isn't easy, and I failed at first yesterday, for which I need to apologize today. That doesn't mean these people will be any nicer, but I need to be, because I have a hope that they probably do not have!

Father, please help me be strong for your message of love to be passed on. In Jesus name I pray! Amen.

How great is our God????

Mark 5
1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” 9Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. 11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. 14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. 18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[b] how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

I have read this passage many many times. Today what really stood out was the onlookers. The crowd. Can you imagine being there. Seeing this demon possessed man? Hearing the demons ask Jesus for mercy? Hearing Jesus give then permission to enter in the pigs from the man? Hearing that even the demons acknowledge Jesus's rule over everything by their request? Then seeing a herd of pigs, thousands, run into the water only to drown?

Wow! If I were the town's people I would have been afraid also. There was no doubt who is in charge of the universe or how powerful He really is. I would have been stunned! Speechless! Scared! Bewildered! In awe!

What about you? Do you understand the awesome power of God? Are you stunned by it? Do you see his care for the man afterwards? He didn't just perform a miracle, He then took time to tell the man to go back to his people and tell them what happened. He commissioned him to tell the Gospel...Jesus saves! Jesus saves eternally!

Father, you always amaze me! I think I know the stories, but then you show me more depth of understanding about you and your love and protection for all of us. Thank you! Love, your daughter!