my mom used to say, "God is seldom early but never late." *sigh*...of course, this is just a vangie coleson quote...i don't know where she heard it, and it's certainly not "gospel truth"...could be very much just her view of His activity in our lives...but...food for thought. *lol*...no one could ever say this of me. she and my dad also used to say that there are people in this life and some are the waiters and some are the waitees...and i was definitely in that latter category. i'm trying soooo hard to improve in this area of my life as i mature...however i'm not quite there yet...i can tend to run late. (you have found this out less than a month into this study...soooo sorry we are falling behind the daily readings...but, i am hopeful as we enter into this new week to catch things up without sacrificing everything i want to put into this....)
friends, i'm so sorry...has been a part of my last several posts because with the life interruptions and sickness in our home, i have been really concerned about not staying on top of this. but, i have to apologize one more time as we are still in this first month...my intent was to write about the three chapters in my old testament survey book dedicated to pentateuch history and genesis and to give a solid introduction to exodus along with adequate summary and notes about these first 15-18 chapters over the weekend...and i failed to meet my expectation and the expectations that i communicated to you. with that said, i will do my best (as i am feeling much better physically and much more energetic)...to walk us back up to the pace of covering everything in 365 days. :)
with all that said, let's get started. :) i still have an hour this morning bfr the kids wake up. :)
i want to be careful. as i read, i find myself wondering so much. with every passage, multiple times in a chapter...i have these theological questions...or maybe just one underlying question ...under everything...what was God thinking about this? i'm sooooo interested in how He interacts with people in the bible because deep inside me, i desire His closeness. i want to trust Him. but...as i'm typing, my heart is being moved to another question...who do i think i am? to question Almighty God? some of it (my questioning) is truly just because i want to know Him more...but i really think He's examining my motives/my heart this morning and oh...a scripture came to mind that i had to find...it's isaiah 66:2, "thus says the Lord, 'heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. where then is a house you could build for Me? and where is a place that I may rest? for My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,' declares the Lord. 'but to this one i will look. to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.'" (italics mine). in our culture of humanism (exaltation of man/self-sufficiency...), it seems that pride can dictate many of our questions. ugh! this makes me mad at myself for being subject...and part of...a culture of questioning God. (oh...forgive us, God. Jesus, i'm so sorry.) i want to read with faith...deep, consistent, abiding, hopeful TRUST and unshakable understanding of His trustworthy character underlying all of my reading rather than limitless questions. and as i read, i want to be one to whom he looks as in the isaiah 66:2 psg....
so...related to the title and thoughts of the opening paragraph...instead of asking...if God knew the pharoah who knew jacob and his sons would die and that joseph's family...the israelites...His people...would end up in slavery, why did He move them all to goshen/egypt? was He late? was He unfaithful to them? ...it feels so wrong to even type that!....but, another question/let me dare to ask...what about those generations in that 400 yrs of slavery that only knew slavery? what about them?...instead of spending my emotional energy with those kinds of questions...oh, God, let me live and THINK and breathe in a place of TRUST that...You ARE faithful...and i don't have to understand everything....
isaiah 55:8-9, "'for My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord. 'for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"
i want to be overwhelmed with His faithfulness to deliver them through moses. i want to be patient in the waiting even as i think of how the israelites waited for deliverance. another scripture comes to mind (for when questions do come...) phil. 4:6-7, "be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." i want to completely trust Him/resting in the knowledge that He is never late (even though, as my mom thought...it can seem that He is seldom early in reference to our timing. lol )...and read in this context the history that would/will eventually tell of His plan to redeem/save/express His enduring love and faithfulness....
let me conclude today's post with a passage that shouts out His faithfulness!
from psalm 103...note His great faithfulness to the israelites/as we are reading/verses 6-7...
bless the Lord, o my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. the Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to moses, His acts to the sons of israel. the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. for He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. as for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. when the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. but the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them. the Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. bless the Lord, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. bless the Lord, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; bless the Lord, O my soul!
sooooo beautiful...accidentally typed out the whole chapter...praise the Lord. praise Him for His neverending faithfulness....
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