Staying Grounded With #JesusDailyBook

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Faith Words.  I received a copy of this book to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Mommy of 2.  Wife.  Blogger.  Writer.  These are just a few of the hats that I wear on a daily basis.  By far one of the best hats that I wear is being a Christian!  For me, part of being a Christian is making time for God's word and finding a way to put that word into action.  I have admit that doing so can be challenging, especially now that we're in the thick of the Christmas holiday season.

This is where having a great devotional comes in handy.  Recently, I received a copy of Jesus Daily: 365 Interactive Devotions by Dr. Aaron Tabor from the lovely folks at Faith Words.  (Yes, he is a real MD and graduated from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.)  They also sent me an extra copy to share with a friend or family member and a Jesus Daily tee shirt.  You can find out who I'm gifting the extra copy to in the YouTube video at the end of this post.

Faith Words couldn't have reached out to me at a better time to review this devotional.  As mentioned, the Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year, making it easier to get caught up and neglect your Bible studies.  Jesus Daily is perfect for those of us who want to get in a daily word and lesson, but find that some days we are more pinched for time than others.  

Each day is broken down into three sections: key scripture, devotion (message) and Daily Interaction (Connect mission/call to action).  My favorite part of this devotional, besides the message of course, is the Connect/Daily Interaction.  I don't want to only study God's word, but I want to put what I'm learning into action and it was a challenge for me figuring out a way to do so besides what I'm already doing.  The Connect gives me a starting point.

Also, I love that this book is not littered with biblical jargon.  I've read books like that before and it was hard for me to connect to the overall message.  Dr. Tabor was definitely thinking of the everyday person when he wrote this.  I've been reading this book to Moo and JJ during bedtime and they love it, especially Moo.  Because the words are simple and easy to read as well as understand, she's been able to get a good understanding of what's being said.

I can't tell y'all how much it warms my heart that she's even more interested and inquisitive about our faith.  I think every parent desires for their children to show an interest in whatever their faith is.  As JJ continues to progress, I'm sure the message will sink in more for him too.  Lastly, I love that this book was inspired by the 27 MILLION fans of Dr. Tabor's Jesus Daily Facebook page.  

Being a Christian isn't just about inspiring non-believers, but believers as well.  I think it's absolutely awesome and amazing that Dr. Tabor was touched by either something someone wrote on his page wall or through a private message.  He then channeled the inspiration to in this book.  

I'm really looking forward to starting from the beginning of this book when January 1st rolls around in a few weeks.  And if you're looking for a devotional book for yourself, your family or a loved one try this one.  Or maybe you're just curious about the Christian faith.  You're not sure if you want to believe.  Give this book a try.

You purchase your own copy of Jesus Daily: 365 Interactive Devotions from Walmart, Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook.com.  You can also use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter my giveaway for a chance to win your copy of Jesus Daily and a Jesus Daily tee shirt.  Yes, Faith Words was nice enough to throw in a giveaway as well. (Thank you!) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bible 365: Week 29

Happy Monday y'all!!  I hope that everyone had a great weekend.  Our weekend was low key but good nevertheless.  We're enjoying the last few days of having the Mr to ourselves because he's been cleared to return to work this week.  I'm going to miss having him here during the day and getting to just go out as a family and do stuff together.  Anyways, we started the book of Isaiah in Week 28.  And in Week 29, it seems like the children of Israel still haven't gotten their acts together.

You maybe wondering why God didn't just force them to do right since they were His chosen people?  I know I've asked myself that a few times.  Isaiah 7:9 says, "Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm."  At the end of day, they had free will just like we do today.  They chose to stray from God at turn.  Even when things were going well and He was delivering their enemies into their hands, the Israelites turned their backs on Him.  They let their enemies talk them into worshiping their idols and cursing God.

A lot of us are like the Israelites.  We're so quick to waver in our faith.  But then we wonder why we're not getting blessed or our prayers aren't being answered.  The truth of the matter is that when the tough gets going, sometimes we go too.  We're quick to blame our problems on God instead of looking at our role in our dilemmas.  We have free will and often times we bring some our misfortune on ourselves by stepping outside of the commandments that God has appointed for us.

However, at the end of the day we have to remember that God is always with us.  Isaiah 8:10 says, "Call your councils of war, but they will be worthless.  Develop your strategies, but they will not succeed.  For God is with us."  So, you see even in our time of need God is by our sides.  He protects us from those weapons and people meant to harm us or break us down.

And when it comes to leadership, we have to be careful who we follow and allow to preside over us.  "For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed." (Isaiah 9:16)  The people of Samaria allowed themselves to be led astray by their leaders.  And for that they paid for their sins with their lives.  When you know better, you do better.  This is reminder that sometimes it's not wise to follow the crowd.

Also, in Week 29, we read about Lucifer being cast out of heaven.  "...But you are cast out of your grave like an abominable branch, like the garment of those who are slain, thrust through with a sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a corpse trodden underfoot." (Isaiah 14:19).   Lucifer dared to think that he was God.  In Isaiah 27, we see that God plans to restore the Israelites once He destroys the majority who have erred from His ways. 

And if you think that faithfulness is not rewarded read about Hezekiah in Isaiah 38.  He's on his death bed and the Lord has sent word to him through Isaiah letting him know that he is about to die so that he can make necessary preparations.  But Hezekiah humbly reminds that "I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." (Isaiah 38:3)  Therefore, God gives him gives him 15 more years to live.  So, you see when we walk the walk that God has called us to walk, we will be rewarded. 

If you were Hezekiah, what you have asked for?  More life, money for your children, world peace?

Week 30 Readings

7/22: Isaiah 40-48

7/23: Isaiah 49-52

7/24: Isaiah 53-55

7/25: Isaiah 56-59

7/26: Isaiah 60-66

7/27: Jeremiah 1-6

7/28: Jeremiah 7-10


Linking up for Mom's Monday Mingle 

Bible 365: Week 28

I was super thrilled about week 28 because we got to read Song of Solomon!!  If you remember, I've mentioned more than once that Song of Solomon is my favorite book of the Bible.  It's a beautiful love letter/poem/love song.  In fact, the Bible dubs it "the song of songs" (Song of Solomon 1:1).  We also finished the book of Proverbs, read Ecclesiastes and got started on the book of Isaiah.  So, here are the seven things I learned in week 28.

1-"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:30)  The 31st Proverb is about the qualities of virtuous wife.  And it just reminds of the type of qualities I should be putting into my children.  You see the 31st Proverb isn't just for women but for men as well.  It's a guide for our sons so that they will know what to look for in a wife and for our daughters so that they will know the traits that are needed to be a good wife and mother. 

I also look at it as a call to men to show respect to all women.  How can you expect to find a virtuous wife if you're out here treating all or the majority of women like objects?  And women how can you expect to attract a virtuous husband if you don't have any standards yourself?  This Proverb goes both ways for sure.

2-"What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered." (Ecclesiastes 1:15)  I was watching Daddyless Daughters last night and this scripture goes along with what they were saying about how we often times get into relationships with men that are broken and not prepared to meet our needs as husbands and fathers.  So, they run away or we do things to cling to them.  We end up losing them anyway and breaking ourselves in the process.  You can't change people.  That's God's job.  If something is crooked recognize that and keep it moving.

3-"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)  I always try to remember that everything that happens in my life has a purpose.  I may not know what that purpose is at first, but at the end of day it usually reveals itself.

4-"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to him up." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10) I know a lot of live by the saying "I can do bad all by myself," but we have to keep in mind that it's smarter to keep a friend that we can do good with.  Someone who will be our shoulder to cry on, a voice of reason or helping hand when we fall.

5-"Also do not take to heart everything people say,.." (Ecclesiastes 7:21) People talked about Jesus like a dog.  He didn't let that deter him from his purpose. So, don't let your nay sayers distract you from your purpose, your dreams, your goals, your family, your marriage, etc.  At the end of day God's say is the only one that matters.

6-"A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry; but money answers everything." (Ecclesiastes 10:19)  Money makes the world go around.  Just make sure that you're using your money for good.  All money isn't good money and sometimes we're quick to spend our money in the wrong places.  We turn our head to the fact that some companies do some not-so-good practices and still give them our dollars.  It's easier to turn a blind eye than go out of your way to find another business to fill that need.

7-"Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame.  Many waters cannot quench love, not can the floods drown it.  If a man would give for love all wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised." (Song of Solomon 8:6-7)  It always baffles me when people who get divorced say they're divorcing because they fell out of love.  It makes me wonder if it was ever really love in the first place?  I'll be the first one to admit that there have been past boyfriends that I thought I loved on the degree you're suppose to love the person you want to marry.  And reflecting back on it now, I can see that I didn't love them to that degree at all.

Lust and butterflies got me caught up.  Clouded my mind.  I definitely believe that there are degrees to love.  Before we say I do we need to make sure that our love for our future spouse is stronger death.  Ask yourself if you're willing to give up your wealth for that other person?

Would have material things or could lose it all and still happy because you have your one true love?

Week 29 Readings

7/15: Isaiah 7-12

7/16: Isaiah 13-18

7/17: Isaiah 19-23

7/18: Isaiah 24-27

7/19: Isaiah 28-31

7/20: Isaiah 32-35

7/21: Isaiah 36-39

Bible 365: Week 27

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July holiday.  The rain threatened to ruin ours but thank goodness for covered porches.  We've had 11 days straight of off and on rain.  And one day the power even went out for three hours.  However, I still manged to get my Bible 365 reading in.  And I hope you did too.  Here are the seven things I learned in Week 27.

1-"Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house." (Proverbs 24:27)  A lot of us try to do this backwards.  We try to build our houses (obtain material things) before we've made it fit for ourselves in the field.  Material things cost money.  And there's no use in getting yourself in debt that you can't afford.  A lot of people wanted to plan the government and the banks for going bankrupt when the economy crash, but truth for some was that they were trying to live a lifestyle they really couldn't afford to sustain minus maxing out credit cards and quick money loans.  Build your bank account up first (emergency fund) and then choose your investments and purchases wisely.

2- "Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house, lest he become weary of you and hate you." (Proverbs 25:17) Don't wear out your welcome.  We all need to have places we can go when need to.  However, if you've already worn out your welcome, those doors will not be open for you in your time of need. Remember, absence makes the heart grow fonder!

3- "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him." (Proverbs 26:27)  When you try to hurt others you only succeed in hurting and destroying yourself.  I had someone try to hurt me last year. And while they did hurt me, this year they reaped the seed they sowed.  However, I'm not taking in delight in that person's current situation and have actually been praying that their eyes be opened.  I want this person to want to and work to become a better person and so that they be blessed.

4-  "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth, a stranger, and not your own lips." (Proverbs 27:2)  Nobody loves a bragger.  It's okay to tell people that you've accomplished something but let them decide for themselves if you're best or the greatest.  This is the key to staying humble.

5-  "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)  We all fall short.  We all have a past with things that we may not be proud of.  I know that I certainly do.  And I'm not afraid to admit that.  I'm not a perfect person and I don't pretend to be.  I am a good person.  And I've stumbled, lost my way and gotten caught up at times.  However, what's helped me to dust myself off and get back the path is my willingness to admit that I had fallen off it in the first place.

6-  "A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor."  (Proverbs 29:23)  I've seen pride cost people their marriages, their families, their jobs and more.  Shoot pride can even cost you your soul!  Don't be a fool and let your pride get the best of you.  Keep in mind what's really important.

7-  "Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:6)  Don't use God's word to tell a lie.  Have you ever heard the story about Satan coming to Jesus on the mountain top and he tried to use the scripture against Jesus?  Yeah, you can't use the Bible to justify your wrongdoing and evilness.  It will come back on you!

Week 28 Readings
7/8- Proverbs 31
7/9- Ecclesiastes 1-2
7/10- Ecclesiastes 3-5
7/11- Ecclesiastes 6-8
7/12- Ecclesiastes 9-12
7/13- Song of Solomon 1-8
7/14- Isaiah 1-6


How do you stay humble?

Bible 365: Week 26

I did it y'all!  I made it to the halfway mark of this Bible 365 Challenge.  I'm so proud of myself for not throwing in the towel.  I really feel like I've grown in my faith.  On a daily basis, I find myself just doing simple things that are making me a better person.  For example, I'm taking more deep breaths when I get frustrated with the kids or the Mr.  I don't just fly off the handle all the time.

I even find myself speaking and smiling more at strangers when I'm out and about.  You never know what people are going through.  That little smile or hello could be the first good thing that's happened to them in months, weeks or days besides waking up each morning.  Now without further ado, here are the seven things I learned in Week 26 below.

1-  "Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife." (Proverbs 17:1)  The Mr and I hit on this subject the other night.  We talked about how you have to be careful of who you let in your house.  Some times having a house full of people of all the time means you stay knee deep in drama.  Like the saying goes sometimes less is more.

2-  "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment." (Proverbs 18:1)  I know people say that all we need is Jesus and I agree that ultimately that is true.  However, I often wonder if the reason the person saying it is saying it because they have a hard time getting along with others?  You see being a good Christian is all about being good with and to others.  You can't learn wisdom if you're never around wise people because you always want everything YOUR way.

3-  "Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction." (Proverbs 19:18)  Let's face it, all parents aren't good parents.  Yeah, I said it.  I've been around some ratchetness that were of the mindset that was 'my child is bad and he/she ain't never gonna be nothing.'  That kind of parenting just burns me up.  I want to shake that person and ask him/her why they didn't just give their child up for adoption? Kids don't come out knowing right from wrong.  We have to teach them and encourage them and help them when they stumble.

4-  "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise." (Proverbs 20:1)  I'm not knocking anybody who drinks because I sip a few times a year.  However, I just want to say that everybody doesn't have to be in the club or at home getting tipsy.  Ain't nothing cute about that.  It turns me off when I see person always posting on FB or Twitter about how tipsy or 'turnt up' they get.  Like why is that something to brag about?  I'm proud to say that I've never been drunk or hung over!

5-  "He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness and honor." (Proverbs 21:21)  Being around goody two shoes isn't always a bad thing!

6-  "Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul." (Proverbs 22:24-25)  Let go of those friends who are always behaving like an enemy in disguise.  I apply this to some family members too.  You can never be too careful of the company you keep.

7-  "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord." (Proverbs 18:22)  Remember in Genesis, God said that it was not good for man to be alone.  So thankful that my husband found me and now has added favor in the sight of God!

Week 27 Readings

7/1: Proverbs 24

7/2: Proverbs 25

7/3: Proverbs 26

7/4: Proverbs 27

7/5: Proverbs 28

7/6: Proverbs 29

7/7: Proverbs 30

Bible 365: Week 20

Almost to the halfway mark!  We're still in the book of Psalms. In week 20, we read Psalms about fellowship, praise and mercy.  I'm telling you, if you ever need to be lifted up, this is the book in the Bible to come to.  There's a Psalm for almost everything.  

"O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water," says Psalm 63:1.  This couldn't be more true for me.  Lately, I've been making the effort to get up early before the kiddies awake to do my Bible study.  I can focus better on what I'm reading and understand the word better also.

Never forget that God is awesome.  Psalm 66:5 reads, "Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men."   Many times we're so busy dwelling on the negative things that we forget just how wonderful God truly is.  I mean think about it.  He is pretty awesome.  He's the giver and creator of life.

He made the Earth in seven days.  Seriously, we give ourselves as humans too much credit.  The truth of the matter is that without God nothing would be possible.  We wouldn't even be alive!  And if that isn't enough, Psalm 68:5 tells us that "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation."

And when we are in trouble He know our "foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You" (Psalm 69:5).  Despite our faults and transgressions, He will still be there for us like He was for the Israelites.

Again, thank you to everyone who continues to support and read these Bible 365 posts!

Week 21 Readings

5/20: Psalms 85-89

5/21: Psalms 90-92

5/22: Psalms 93-95

5/23: Psalms 96-98

5/24: Psalms 99-101

5/25: Psalms 102-104

5/26: Psalms 105-106

Bible 365: Week 19

Happy belated Mother's Day and sorry for the late Bible 365 Week 19 recap.  However, I've been a little down because I received some horrible news this past weekend.  Miss J died last Friday.  While I'm sad and heartbroken, I know that she's in better place now.

Most of the Psalms from week 19 had to due with suffering and keeping the faith during troubled times.  So, I truly believe it was a sign all things considered.  And what I learned is that God is always there for us even when it seems like to us, He has hung us out to dry.  Psalm 37:7-8 tells us to "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way.  Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret--it only causes harm."

These verses couldn't have spoken to me more.  Whether it's dealing with death or people who seek to cause drama in our lives, we often don't get the positive outcome we seek because we haven't given God a chance to act on our behalf.  We're too busy letting our frustration and anger get the best of us.  So, in the end we end up causing more harm than good and digging the our pit of torment a little deeper.  I've had a lot of hurt in my life and I'm finally at a place where I'm making the wiser choice to not react negatively or in my anger to bad situations.

I pray the answer and wait for God to guide me and resolve issue.  And because of that I'm not putting myself through unnecessary stress, jeopardizing my character/reputation and I genuinely feel happier.  "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined me, and heard my cry.  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps," says King David in Psalm 40:1-2. There's your proof that if you just hold out and give God time to do what He does, things will be okay.

If don't remember anything else, remember that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling" (Psalm 46:1-3).

Week 20 Readings

5/13: Psalms 63-65

5/14: Psalms 66- 68

5/15: Psalms 69-72

5/16: Psalms 73-75

5/17: Psalms 76-78

5/18: Psalms 79-81

5/19: Psalms 82-84

Bible 365: Week 18

 Week 18 was all about the book of Psalms.  This is one of my all time favorite books of the Bible.  Psalms is a collection of songs mostly written by David.  Think of it as a greatest hits album.  There are Psalms about thanksgiving, anger, joy and more.  Most importantly there are lessons and truths to be found throughout the book of Psalms.

For example, Psalm 9:1 says, "I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works."  Many times we forget to and like we are too cool to testify when God has moved in our lives.  It's really sad though considering the fact we aren't scared or too cool to call on Him in our times of trouble.  I'm not saying you have to shove God down their throats but it's ok to brag on Him every so often.

And with all the talk of "haters" and enemies, Psalm 10:8-9 reminds us that our enemies "are secretly fixed on the helpless.  He lies in wait secretly as a lion in his den; he lies in wait to catch the poor; he catches the poor when he draws him into his net."  So, you have to be on guard.

And is it me or does it seem like sometimes the most worldly or evil people appear to have it all?  They're rich, sport the latest designer clothes and live in big houses.  But what we have to keep in mind is that one day they will get their just reward (punishment).  "But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand" (Psalm 10:14).

They think (and we think) that just because they have it all they are untouchable.  But not so because God sees and keeps record of their evil doings.  And for all their unkindness Psalm 11:6 says that their punishment is to be a rain of "coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind..."

At the end of the day we have to remember that "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" according to Psalm 23:1.  Despite what we may go through in life He will continue to "prepare a table before me" (Psalm 23:5 and that "goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;" (Psalm 23:6).  We have tasted and saw that the Lord was good (Psalm 34).

Hope to see ya next week!

Week 19 Readings

5/6: Psalms  37-41

5/7: Psalms 42-45

5/8: Psalms 46-49

5/9: Psalms 50-53

5/10: Psalms 54-56

5/11: Psalms 57- 59

5/12: Psalms 60-62

Bible 365: Week 17

Yay, 17 weeks down!  We're closer that halfway mark.  I already feel like I've learned so much thus far.  Thank you again to everyone who stops by and supports my Bible 365 posts!   I greatly appreciate it.

In week 17, we finished reading about Job.  Last week we read how, God had asked Satan if he'd tried his servant Job.  Then Job lost all of his riches, his children and good health.  Hid friends tried to talk him into cursing and forsaking God, but Job wasn't having any of that.

Anyways, I guess since he refused to forsake God, his friends decided that Job had caused this terrible fortune on himself.  They accused him of not being a good Christian, but having turned his back on those in need, being a thief and more.  Of course, Job (and God) knew this all to be lies.  Job defended himself saying, "My foots has held fast to the His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside.  I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:11-12).

I know it sounds like Job was tooting his own horn, but he really wasn't.  Job was indeed more righteous or obedient than the average man during his time.  Somehow, Job knew that this was test of his faithfulness because he told his friends, "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

Don't know of many of you have heard the gospel song goes "have you been tried in the fire/did you come through as pure gold," but that verse made me think of it.  We all go through fires (trials) in our lives.  And we all have the ability to come through them as pure gold and not faltering in our faith in God and His word.

We live in a time where evil is no longer confined to the dark.  Job 24:14 says, "The murderer rises with the light; he kills the poor and needy; and in the night is life a thief."  After the Boston bombing and all the recent murders I have heard about, I couldn't agree with this verse more.  Crooks aren't scared of getting caught anymore.  They boldly attack and destroy in broad daylight where they can be easily recognized.

It's almost like they're taunting us and daring us to take a stand against them.  "The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight saying, 'No eye will see me,' and disguises his face," reads Job 24:15.  You all already know that adultery is something that has affected my life.  Needless to say, I wondered if my father had this same thought of logic when he stepped outside of his marriage with my mom?

I wonder if he even cared if would get caught.  We lived in a very small town where everyone knew us because both my mother's and father's family had good reputations.  He had to have known that the truth would come out at some point, right?  I digress.  That's another post for another day.

In the end, God sat the record straight and told Job that he was indeed a righteous and faithful man.  He also told Job that his friends were pretty much haters who had no clue what they were talking about.  If you think about it they weren't really good friends at all.  God restored everything Job had lost twice over.

He had more children, got his health back and his possessions plus extra.  I'm definitely striving to have faith like Job.  I'm not saying that I want God to test me in the same way He did Job, but when hard times strike I want my faith to be unwavering and not falter.  I don't want to doubt God for even a millisecond.

If you were Job, how would have reacted if your friends started accusing you of being bad Christian/person?

Week 18 Readings

4/29: Psalms 9-12

4/30: Psalms 13-16

5/01: Psalms 17-20

5/02: Psalms 21-24

5/03: Psalms 25-28

5/04: Psalms 29-32

5/05: Psalms 33-36

Bible 365: Week 16

16 weeks deep in this Bible 365 challenge!  Still learning new things and growing stronger in my faith and understanding of the word.  In week 16, we finished up the book of Nehemiah.  The Israelites have decided to once get on board with God's commandments.  So, they rebuilt the cities and reaffirmed the covenant that God made with Abraham.

They willingly confessed and finally admitted that they strayed from God's will on purpose.  "And because of all this, we make a sure covenant and write it; our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it" (Nehemiah 9:38).  We'll see if they actually uphold the covenant this time around as we continue to read on.

Now, the book Esther is very much like a crime thriller.  Esther becomes queen after winning a beauty pageant.  The only problem is that Esther, whose real name was Hadassah, is a Jew and Haman, her husband's right hand man, didn't like Jews.  Thinking Haman is trustworthy, King Ahasuerus gives him his signet ring.  Well, Haman sends out a decree that says "to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions" (Esther 3:13).

Of course, Esther agrees to help save the Jews and herself by going to her husband to ask for mercy.  So, she invites him and Haman to dinner and tells him that she heard that all Jews are to be killed and destroyed. This is news to her husband since he wasn't the one who made the decree.  Esther spills the beans about Haman misusing the signet ring to get his way (Esther 7).

And King Ahasuerus orders Haman to be hanged and the Jews and Esther are saved!  You just don't mess with a man's family.  And we've all head of the story of Job.  God tells Satan that to test Job because he is "a blameless and upright man, one fears God and shuns evil" (Job 1:8).  So, in one day Job loses everything-his children, possessions and health.

But through it all he remains faithful.  His friends try to get him to curse God, but Job doesn't.  He knows that everything happened for a reason and that God will restore everything that was taken in due time.  Now how many of us are this faithful?  I'm telling you it's my goal to obtain the faith and spiritual strength of Job.

What would you do if you lost everything and everyone you loved and held dear in one day?

Week 17 Readings

4/22: Job 15-21

4/23: Job 22-31

4/24: Job 32-35

4/25: Job 36-38

4/26: Job 39-42

4/27: Psalms 1-4

4/28: Psalms 5-8

Bible 365: Week 15

We've made it to week 15 people!!  Thanks again to those of you who are still hanging in here with me.  And before I get into our recap, I just want to ask that you keep the people of Boston in your prayers and thoughts tonight and in the coming days as they try to move on and rebuild from the bombing tragedy that occurred earlier today.  It's truly evil times that we are living in.  Don't take anything or anyone for granted because you never know what's going to happen.

Now, for our recap.  What a mighty and awesome God we serve.  I'm telling you all that the Israelites were truly blessed.  Even after generations of the Israelities proving that they couldn't stay faithful to Him or obey His commandments, God still frees them yet again from enslavement (Ezra 1).  As Ezra 3:11 reads, "...For He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel."  So, the Israelites set out to rebuild, but the people of Persia did everything in their power to stop them claiming that "this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces.." (Ezra 4:15).  However, God was with them and moved their mountains.

Just the fact that God delivered them again proves how forgiving and loving He is.  Many times we sound like Nehemiah 1:11, "O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray,..."  Little do we know and did these people know, God is always attentive to our prayers despite our disobedience.  No matter how hardheaded we are (with the exception of blasphemy), our God never stops loving us or looking out for us like He did the Israelites.

And sometimes, we are blessed not due in part to anything that we are doing but because of someone else standing in the gap on our behalf.  Think about it.  God saved the entire generations of Israelites time and time again usually because one person showed fear and righteous so strong that it moved Him to mercy.

Nehemiah 4:14 really stands out today with all that's happened with this Boston Marathon bombing.  It's a reminder that "...the Lord, great and awesome,.." will "fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses."  Our times are getting more and more evil as bombings, school shootings and civil uproar become more common place not only in the United States but around the world.  It's comforting to know that God still has our back in these troubled times.

Week 16 Readings

4/15: Nehemiah 8-10

4/16: Nehemiah 11-13

4/17: Esther 1-4

4/18:  Esther 4-6

4/19: Esther 7-10

4/20: Job 1-7

4/21: Job 8-14

Bible 365: Week 14

Well, we're making our way on through this Bible 365 and I'm still loving it.  The scriptures for Week 14 couldn't have come at better time.  As I continue to work my plan for The YUMMommy Project, I'm reminded of 2 Chronicles 19:11b.  It reads, "Behave courageously and the Lord will be with the good."

Starting this project is scary because it's hard to get others to believe in your cause as passionately as you do.  And while you'd think that it would be easy to get people to give, volunteer and more it's not.  We live in a somewhat selfish and self-centered world.  However, I will not be deterred.  I'm going to behave courageously and push forward.  I've seen a need and I don't want to be a bystander any longer.

"[F]or the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:15).  I know that I'm not the only who tries to fight battles that are beyond what I am capable of handling alone.  No matter how strong we think we are, there is always going to be an issue that requires a little supernatural help or miracle.  I've had to turn over a battle that I was trying to fight alone to God that has to do with an aspect of my personal life.

Worrying and frustration are not things that I'm convinced God wants us to feel.  If we let Him, He will work out our issues one way or another.  It may not always work out the way we want it to but it will always work out for our good!

When was the last time you did something bold or courageous?

Week 15 Readings

4/8:  Ezra 1-2

4/9:  Ezra 3-6

4/10:  Ezra 7-8

4/11:  Ezra 9-10

4/12:  Nehemiah 1-2

4/13:  Nehemiah 3-5

4/14:  Nehemiah 6-7

Bible 365: Week 13

I'm sure that by now many of you are wondering if you are experiencing deja vu.  1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles "present the same story line as First and Second Kings but from a different perspective and by a different storyteller."  So, we're pretty getting a different point of view about the reign of Kind David and King Solomon.  Remember, there's always more than one side to every story!  Here are a few of the verses that stuck out to me in Week 13.

"Do not touch My anointed ones and do My prophets no harm, " reads 1 Chronicles 16:22.   I've heard this verse a million times.  I like it for the simple fact that it helps me to be mindful of how I treat people.  (Kinda like the 'Golden Rule.")  In today's society not every minister, anointed one or prophet wears a special collar, robe or name tag identifying themselves as such.  And while we should treat all with love and respect, we often times don't.  But when you do wrong or evil to God's 'chosen' people, He is especially not pleased.

You never know if that person you flipped the bird for accidentally cutting you off on the highway a minister or what.  Therefore, strive to treat all people with respect and kindness as you go throughout your day.  Also, in 1 Chronicles 16, David points out what God has been trying to get through to the Israelites since He freed them from the Egyptians.  Verse 25 says, "For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods."

The Israelites just couldn't grasp this concept for some reason.  No matter how many signs and miracles God showed them, they always doubted His greatness.  Despite showing them the consequences of their serving idols and disobeying His commands, they didn't fully fear Him.  Instead, they chose to fear each other and their gods made of gold or silver that they could see with their eyes.  And I get why.

I know people argue that Christians are crazy for believing in a God we can't see and for really thinking He performed acts like parting the Red Sea or making food appear out of thin air.  But what's the difference from putting your faith in a man made god of gold or silver if you really think about it?  If I drop it or hit hard enough, I can break it.  Thus, I could never see myself as an idol worshiper because in my eyes I'd always be more powerful.  However, with God because I can't see Him there's always an added pressure to follow His commands because He could be watching (and is watching).

We see on the news everyday what happens when people don't fear God.  They disobey His commandments-killing, stealing and committing fraud.  Others are cheating on their spouses, engaging in acts of lust at the strip clubs and giving in to greed.  I am by no means perfect or sinless but my fear of God and appreciation of His greatness keeps me striving to cleanse myself of the bad habits that I do have.

And I know many of us believe that Jesus was the only son of God, but 1 Chronicles 28:6 claims, "It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father."  I don't recall having read too many scriptures in the Bible where God specifically says that somebody is His son.  Yes, we are all His children, but Solomon was called by name to be God's son and that was a great honor to have.

Honestly, I think that as a son, Solomon would have been pretty close being perfect if he hadn't let his wives lead him astray as we read about in Kings.  God gave him the wisdom and knowledge to judge and rule over the Israelites (2 Chronicles 1:1-12).  However, it seems that Solomon's shortfall was being unable to apply that wisdom and knowledge to himself.

I'm sure we all know people like King Solomon.  They're great at giving other's advice that helps others improve, but can't seem to live by their own advice better their own lives.

What keeps you anchored in your walk with God?

Week 14 Readings

4/1:   2 Chronicles 15-17

4/2:  2 Chronicles 18-21

4/3:  2 Chronicles 22-24

4/4:  2 Chronicles 25-28

4/5:  2 Chronicles 29-32

4/6:  2 Chronicles 33-34

4/7:  2 Chronicles 35-36

Bible 365: Week 11

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Today has been such a busy day for me that I almost forgot to post the recap for Week 11.  But at last I have found a moment to finally sit down and blog.  I'm looking forward to being more present here on the blog this week and getting up some posts that I've been tossing around in my mind for a few days now.  I've also been working updating the URL.  This whole domain name changing business can be tricky, but I think that by the end of the week we'll be YUMMommy.com!  Super excited!!

If you recall last week, we read a little bit about David's son, Solomon.  Well, in this week's reading we get to really meet Solomon and see what he is all about after he is appointed king by David. Before he dies his father instructs him to "...be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.  And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in  His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandment, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do.." (1 Kings 2:2-3).   I loved how David was really trying to stress the importance of walking right in the sight of God.  I truly believe that David's indiscretion with Bathsheba was probably his biggest disappointment in himself because he knew that he was called  by God and he was supposed to be a righteous leader and role model for the Israelites.

So, I definitely don't think he wanted to Solomon to stray from God like he had.  But of course, before Solomon was appointed and crowned king, his half brother, Adonijah had already tried to claim the thrown for himself.  Therefore, it shouldn't have come as a shocker that after David died, he tried once again to reclaim what he thought was his right to rule over the Israelites by trying to get Bathsheba to convince Solomon to give him Abishag.  Solomon was wise enough to look see that this was his half brother's way of starting to lay claim to what had been King David's and the throne was sure to be the next thing he came after.

Therefore, Solomon had him executed.  I'm pretty sure that this was hard task for Solomon because Adonijah was his brother, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that if he didn't strike first Adonijah's greed and jealously over the throne would have caused him to kill Solomon eventually.  I couldn't imagine battling with one of my siblings over ruling a nation and having to kill them before they killed me.  However, we know that power sometimes brings out the worst in people.  

One of the things I admire most about Solomon is that when God told him to ask for anything, Solomon didn't ask all the money in the world, the finest woman or the best clothing riches could buy.  Instead, he said, "..give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between god and evil.  For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9).   According to Solomon's own admission in 1 Kings 3:7, he was a child and had no clue about any of the ruling over a nation business.  I don't know too many teenagers in these times that if put in a high position of power and then given the opportunity to have been able to pick anything this is world to have would have picked wisdom to make them a better ruler.

Reading this makes me wonder if I'm doing a good job at raising my children to not be materialistic.  I would like to hope that my children would be like Solomon and ask for a trait or skill that would help them to better serve the purpose that God has intended for their lives.  Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with having or wanting material things but when you're able to choose something such as wisdom over riches, that's when you really know that you've grown and that you're serious about your purpose in life.

But I wish I could say that Solomon's wisdom kept him on the straight and narrow all the time, but it didn't.  You see Solomon had the same weakness as his father and Sampson- beautiful women.  "...he had seven hundred wives, princesses and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart.  For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was  not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David" (1 Kings 11:3-4).  Talk about sister wives! I can't imagine sharing my husband 699 other women!

Secondly, this is just proof of we let the people closest to us like our spouses lead us down the wrong paths. It's sad that your spouse would do such things but for some the desire for control overrules our judgment of right and wrong.

How do handle pressure from your spouse to do things that you're not comfortable with? 

Week 12 Readings

3/18- 2 Kings 7-10

3/19- 2 Kings 11-13

3/20- 2 Kings 14-17

3/21- 2 Kings 18-21

3/22- 2 Kings 22-25

3/23- 1 Chronicles 1-6

3/24- 1 Chronicles 7-12

Bible 365: Week 10

Sorry for the late posting.  I'm still visiting with family.  Things are way more chaotic and hectic here than when I'm back at my house.  Every night this week it's been a real struggle for me to keep my eyes open after I put the kiddies to bed.  Thank goodness for audio bibles!

So, in Week 10, David is finally given thrown to rule over the Israelites.  He continues to lead them in battle to conquer their neighboring enemies.  Up until this point David hasn't really strayed too far from God's commandments.

However, one evening he was feeling restless and decided to go for a little walk on his roof.  "And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold" (2 Samuel 11:2).  And thus David let his lust get the best of him.

The woman he was watching bathe was Bathsheba.  And he was fully aware that she was married to Uriah, one of his men.  However, this did not stop David from sending some of his other men to fetch her so that he could sleep with her. (Power tripping!)  She ends up pregnant and to cover up his sin or to stop Uriah from confronting him, David has him sent to the frontline knowing he'll get killed in battle.

This is the kind of stuff you'd see on a soap opera for sure!  Uriah dies of course and David takes Bathsheba on as one of his wives.  Now, we know from our previous readings that God doesn't put up with foolishness and direct disobedience from leaders He has chosen and anointed to be more righteous than the rest of the Israelites.  So, God tells David that his punishment will be the death of his love child with Bathsheba.

David thought that he could get God to change his mind and show him some mercy by fasting and praying.  However, God follows through and seven days after Bathsheba gave birth their son died (2 Samuel 12:18).  Soon afterwards David sleeps with Bathsheba and she gets pregnant again.  This time their son lives and they name him Solomon.

We get to meet Solomon again later on in the Bible.  He has own book which is one of my favorites.  It's a cross between his personal diary and one of the best love letters ever written in my opinion.  Can't wait to get to it.

Trouble didn't end for David with the death of his newborn son either.  His older son, Amnon, rapes his daughter Tamar (Amnon's half-sister).  Then Amnon's half-brother Absalom gets even with Amnon for raping his sister by killing him (2 Samuel 13).  Absalom then flees from their father thinking David is going to be furious with him.  

However, since it was already commanded under Moses that the sin for sexual sins committed against close relatives was death, David forgives Absalom.  I guess he felt it was better that Amnon die by the hand of a loved one than a stranger.

I personally don't know how I would have handled or felt about the situation.  I imagine that David felt embarrassed and a great deal of pain having had one child rape another and then yet another one of his children killed the offending child.  That is beyond being a dysfunctional family.

As if David hadn't been through enough, Absalom turns his back on his father when David welcomes him back to Jerusalem.  Thus, David goes on the run from his own son!  In the end Absalom gets his due and is killed by Joab and his men (2 Samuel 18:12-18).

One of my favorite passages from Week 10 was 2 Samuel 22.  It's David's song of praise to God for delivering him from his many enemies.  It's definitely one of those passages to bookmark to read during times when you need reassurance or to remember why God is totally awesome!

Week 11 Readings

3/11- 1 Kings 1-4

3/12- 1 Kings 5-8

3/13- 1 Kings 9-11

3/14- 1 Kings 12-16

3/15- 1 Kings 17-19

3/16- 1 Kings 20-22

3/17 2 Kings 1-6

Bible 365: Week 9

Week 9 starts off with the ark of the covenant being stolen by the Philistines after they defeated Israelites.  Among the 30,000 foot soldiers killed in the battle between the Israelites and the Philistines were two of the sons of Eli.  Remember, that in week 8 God had vowed to punish them and Eli because of their wickedness. What happened to Eli?

"Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy" (1 Samuel 4:18).  The Philistines end up returning the ark to the Israelites because God cursed them with the plague of tumors.  Twenty years after the ark is returned Samuel tells the Israelites to  "return to the Lord with all you hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among youn, and prepare your heart for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines" (1 Samuel 7:3).  And just like that the Israelites are once again delivered from their enemies.

You'd think that by now the Israelites would stop complaining and be grateful for all that God has done for them, but they start to demanding that a king be appointed to rule over them like other nations have.  Samuel tries to forewarn them that having a king is not going to be all that they think it is, but as usual the Israelites don't listen and Saul is appointed king.  However, Saul's reign as king is short lived because he too turns his back on God claiming that "I have sinned for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people of and obeyed their voice" (1 Samuel 15:24).

One of my favorite verses from the Bible is 1 Samuel 16:7 which says, "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  This is verse is very true.  Whether it's friends or a spouse, so many of us are quick to write others off just based on their looks.  And often times when we do that we are passing up on the very people God has sent to us in exchange for people  that the Devil has placed in our way to get us off track.  I definitely try to look more at people's attitudes, actions and listen to their words when it comes to letting them in my circle and establishing relationships.

We also got to read about the story of David and Goliath.  Since, God rejected Saul as king, He appoints David to be the next king over the Israelites and His spirit with him.  So, when the Philistines decide to that they want to war against the Israelites to reclaim their land, David's father sends him to take supplies and food to his brothers.  Well, when he gets to the battle he finds the Israelites pretty much hiding out like chickens because they are scared of the Philistines, who are known to be giants or unusually tall stature. 

David tells Saul that he will fight because he's not afraid of the giants.  He tells them how as a shepherd he's had to battle lions with his bare hands to save the flock.  So, going up against men should be a piece of cake.  Talk about faith and courage!  I know that I wouldn't have the courage to fight off lions with my bare hands. I think I would have let them just have the sheep they were cornering and move the rest of the heard.  And I would have definitely been worried about going up against giants like the Philistines, but since God had already delivered them from the Philistines once before I wouldn't have doubted Him to do it again.

And after David kills the Philistine with just his sling shot and wins the battle for the Israelites, you'd think Saul, who was still king, would have been appreciative.  Instead he gets jealous of David because he sees that God's spirit is now with David instead of him and the Israelites all love David now.  So, Saul sets out on a mission to kill David, but David flees.  Saul's jealousy is so red hot that he even kills priests because they did not tell him that David had fled the city (1 Samuel 22:16-25).

In the end, it's David who ends up sparing Saul's life after David and his men surround Saul in a cave. It's the perfect opportunity for David to kill Saul but he doesn't.  Instead, he calls out to Saul and tells him that he could have killed him but didn't.  It's then that Saul realizes just how righteous David really is and calls off the hunt for David.  Or so he claimed. 

David sends out spies and finds out that Saul has not called off the bounty on David's head but instead has doubled back to follow David into the wilderness.  I'm sorry but if I was Saul and I knew that God was with David, I would have just stepped down from the thrown and left David alone.  In the end, Saul ends up taking his own life after he is fatally wounded in yet another battle against the Philistines.  He doesn't want to die from wounds and asked one of his soldiers to kill him.

The soldier declines and Saul is forced to kill himself by falling on his own sword.  His sons are also killed in battle.  Thus, no heirs from Saul's household are left to battle David for the thrown.

Week 10 Readings

3/4- 2 Samuel 1-4

3/5- 2 Samuel 5-7

3/6- 2 Samuel 8-10

3/7- 2 Samuel 11-12

3/8- 2 Samuel 13-15

3/9- 2 Samuel 16-20

3/10- 2 Samuel 21-24

Bible 365: Week 8

8 weeks down and 44 more to go!  Yes, I'm still pushing forward with my Bible 365 challenge.  If you recall, last week we ended the book of Joshua with the death of Joshua and the Israelites not having fully conquered Canaan.  The Israelites were suppose to drive out the people, their idols and follow the commands that God had laid out for them under Moses and Joshua.

Now, we know the Israelites instinctive nature back then was to give up on God as soon as they were faced with hard times.  So, with Joshua being dead and them not having a leader the Israelites tried to complete the takeover of Canaan but sadly as God had predicted to Moses and Joshua, the Israelites rebelled against God and didn't follow His instructions.  Judges 2:1-2 say, "...I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you.  And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?"

I've often asked myself why it was so hard for the Israelites to follow God's instructions too?  I mean if you God were tell me that all I had to do to get a land following with milk and honey, abundance and easy living was to not make covenants with the enemy or take up any of their practices and that He was going to drive them out of the land before me, I would totally jump on that deal and not think twice.  After all the miracles and curses they've seen God perform you would also think they would have a healthy dose of fear to keep them on the straight and narrow but alas "...the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.  So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,..." (Judges 6:1).

Yep, back to slavery and servitude they went.  After that God decided to deliver them from the Midianites and appointed Gideon to help them defeat the Midianites.  And for that short time, the Israelites did ok, but as soon as Gideon died and they were again without a leader they turned their backs on God yet again.  "Thus the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; nor did they show kindness to the house of Gideon in accordance with the good he done for Israel" (Judges 8:34-35).

Also, in the book of Judges we learn about Samson and how he came delivered Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.   Samson was like almost like Conan the Barbarian.  What do I mean by that?  Well, this man tore a lion to pieces using his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6) and killed a 1,000 men using a donkey jawbone (Judges 15:15-17).

I imagine that Samson was the kind of man who made all the ladies weak in the knees.  However, he was definitely not someone you wanted to cross or get on his bad side.  But he did have a heroic downfall-women.  And his attraction/fascination with beautiful women caused him to get captured by his enemies.

Yep, his woman Delilah turned on him for a boatload of silver.  She got Samson to tell her the secret to his supernatural strength- his hair and then she had it shaved off in his sleep.  Then the Philistines captured him, gauged his eyes out and kept him as their entertainment slave.  Well, once Samson's hair started to grow back, he called on God to help get vengeance on the Philistines. 

So, one day the Philistines decided have a party and bring Samson up to be their entertainment.  They chained him between two pillars.  God heard Samson's request and gave him his strength back.  Samson toppled the temple by crushing the pillars thus killing the Philistines and himself (Judges 16).

The book of Ruth is about the best daughter in-law who ever lived.  Her husband and brother in-laws die and when her mother in-laws announces to her and her other sister in-law that since she has no more sons for them marry and nothing to offer them that they can go back home to their families and move on, Ruth makes the brave choice to stay with her mother in-law.  How many of us can say that we bonds like that with our in-laws?

Most of us would have been like Orpah, chucked up the deuces and went back home to our family, inheritance and another chance at true love.  But I think that Ruth felt compassion for Naomi and didn't want her to be alone.  And for that God blessed her and led her to Boaz.  This love story is short, but sweet and just shows that when you let do what is right you will get rewarded.

In 1 Samuel chapters 1-3, we meet Samuel's mother Hannah, who is barren, but prays to the Lord to give her son and she will dedicate him to the Lord.  God answers her prayer and Hannah keeps her end of the bargain and dedicates Samuel to God.  And Samuel becomes the first child minister and receives his first prophecy from God regarding the punishment of the house of Eli. 

Why were they being punished? Well, Eli's sons were wicked.  They were laying "with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting" (1 Samuel 2:22) and Eli did nothing to really stop his sons from doing these bad things.  Looks like another case of people not taking God's commands seriously.  Overall, week 8 had some action packed reading.  Definitely not dull moments.

Week 9 Reading

2/25- 1 Samuel 4-7

2/26- 1 Samuel 8-12

2/27- 1 Samuel 13-15

2/28- 1 Samuel 16-18

3/1- 1 Samuel 19-22

3/2- 1 Samuel 23-26

3/3- 1 Samuel 27-31

Bible 365: Week 7

This week we finished up the book of Deuteronomy.  Picking up from where we left off in in Week 6, we already talked about how Moses wasn't going to live in the Promise Land.  So, God gave Moses some instructions to pass down to the new generation of elders and leaders.  One of those was that once the Israelites had passed "over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime.  You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, 'a land flowing with milk and honey', just as the Lord God of your fathers promised you" (Deuteronomy 27:2-3).

In Deuteronomy 31, Joshua is appointed as the new leader of the Israelites. One of the key verses that stood out to me was Deuteronomy 31:8, "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."  Often times, storms and challenges will arise in our lives and we will feel like throwing in the towel.  However, as this verse says we are not alone and we should be dismayed.  I'm definitely committing this verse to memory because this past week has been one full of more downs than ups.

God also predicted to Moses that the Israelites would rebel against Him one final time and thus forfeit their inheritance of the Promise Land.  So, He told Moses to write a song which was to be taught to the Israelites to explain why they would forfeit the Promise Land.  After Moses dies on Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34), Joshua then begins the task of rounding up troops to cross the Jordan and conquer all the lands that God has promised to the Israelites forefathers.  

And you would think that at this point the Israelites would know to take heed to whatever God tells them to do.  However, Achan decided to disobey God and took silver, clothing and gold from the land of Ai after God had commanded all the silver and gold to be put in a treasury and everything else was to be burned to the ground in the city.  That bad decision cost Achan his life.  He was stoned to death and then they burned his body and covered him with stones (Joshua 7:10-26).  This just goes to show us that our sins do indeed have consequences.

Although, bad things happen to good and faithful people, bad things can also be going in our lives because we have failed to do as God has commanded us to do.  For the most part, the book of Joshua details the conquering of all the different lands and how it was equally divided up among the 12 tribes.   You also notice that there is a difference between Joshua and Moses as leaders.  Moses allowed the Israelites to pull at his heartstrings and whenever they did wrong, he would also go to God to get Him to not bring wrath down on them.  Whereas, if God told Joshua that His wrath was about to come down on a particular person or tribe, Joshua just said ok and followed whatever God told him to do with the guilty party.

I definitely think that this was in part due to Joshua having witnessed the stubbornness and rebellion of the Israelites under Moses' leadership.  I'm sure he also saw how God punished Moses and probably didn't want to end  the same.  However, Joshua dies at the age of 110 and Eleazar, the son of Aaron (Moses' brother), dies too at the end of the book of Joshua.  

The the Israelites haven't fully conquered the Promise Land, but the lands around it  and in Week 9 we'll find out whether not God's prediction to Moses will come true and see if the Israelites will forfeit their inheritance.  What do you all think?

Week 8 Readings

2/18 Judges 1-3

2/19 Judges 4-8

2/20 Judges 9-12

2/21 Judges 13-16

2/22 Judges 17-21

2/23 Ruth 1-4

2/24 1 Samuel 1-3