--personal thoughts--
oh wow...coming back to notes, this is a challenge. (and i am soooo sorry for delay...was hoping to get to this by early february and to those who had committed to read and study with me, i am so sorry! i am reading and writing not just for me but for you and i'm sooo sorry for the delay.) soooo...here we go. :) though challenging, this is exciting!!! so i will be giving an overview of much of the old testament and will attempt to tie things up from last year's reading. (not to rush through...but i guess, keyword: overview...for this year.) i've been kind of thinking about this like television seasons kind of...because i'll be reading through again and again. (repetition is good and i am teachable...! telling myself....in a very good way) next season...each season can be different/some more thorough and what not. ;) so...i'm going to try to write daily. yes. daily. i need to commit myself to this so it will happen. and beginning today (picking up some thoughts from the draft written several weeks ago):
for these books (second samuel. kings. chronicles. etc.)...i will be brief. highlights are the epic king david and the wise solomon and the dwelling place of God on this planet for a season: the temple (scott is getting ready to teach the youth at our church about the tabernacle. i'm excited.).... hard lessons from the israelites' wavering between God and gods (satan)...and...the faithfulness of the Lord. i am reading the old testament with expectation and hope in an everlasting and never-failing Creator....
--old testament understanding--
let me start with a prayer. sweet sweet Father...please breathe life-living thoughts into our hearts as we read. move me to write, Jesus.
so, i am going to just quote the opening/the intro to a series of children's videos called the angel wars.
"in the beginning there was One. a great Maker-King who called forth all that was. the first of the Maker-King's creations was the glorious race of angels with none so bright as the Daystar. but the crown of His creation was earth where lived a race of mortal beings so like the King that it maddened the Daystar. drawing to his side a legion of angels, the rebel fought to overthrow the kingdom of heaven. his rebellion squashed by the righteous guardians, the rebel fled to earth where he found his opportunity for revenge. from that day to this, a war has raged for the hearts of mortals. one side bent on destruction. the other, redemption. these are the angel wars." (here is the video. very cool. http://youtu.be/6radydZT1Ks.) there is an epic battle that is so eternally significant. we know Christ has ultimately won the war, but first peter 5:8 says, "be of sober spirit, be on the alert. your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. but resist him, firm in your faith...."
the presence of evil in our culture and the battle for our minds and hearts has been so very evident to me lately. and this presence has existed from the beginning...for all these generations. understanding and awareness open our hearts and thoughts toward alertness, though, and can encourage affection for Jesus, our Rescue. sooo, as we read the israelites' story and understand God's laws for them and His heart for them and His connection with them, we see His character and goodness. He was always faithful and is faithful.
to be continued as we look at second samuel later today. kings on saturday. chronicles on sunday. i hope your weekend is wonderful, friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment