Day 13 Bible Reading

Genesis 27 & 28, Matthew 10: 32-42, Psalm 9: 1-6

I do not have a specific verse for today to reflect upon, but instead I want to reflect on what happened in Genesis 27. God has a plan for each of our lives. He had a plan for Esau and Jacob, where Esau would bow down to Jacob. What happens in Genesis 27 shows us that no matter what we try to do, God’s plan will not be thwarted. He will figure out a way for his plan to be fulfilled. Isaac wanted to bless Esau and instead, ended up blessing Jacob by the deceit of Jacob on instructions from his mother Rebekah. Why Rebekah did this is unclear, but she did it anyway. I know if I look back on my own life there are things that I wanted that I didn’t get, and I was unhappy at the time thinking that God wasn’t granting me my desires. It was only in hindsight where I realized that what happened had put me on the best path towards getting the thing I wanted, but in a roundabout way. And when I explored it further, it turned out that the roundabout way gave me abundance of what I wanted. One good example is when I moved to the state where I live today. I had a five-year plan, and it ended getting delayed by a year. When the delay happened, I was really bummed out. But what ended up happening is in that year delay, my company did really well and I ended up receiving a large financial bonus before my move. I had more than money that I needed to move, and that extra money made my move very comfortable and left me in a great financial situation. So God has his own plan for my move and his way ended up benefitting me greatly, more than my own plan would have done. I wish I had had more faith at the time in God, and not been so unhappy and railing against God for the delay in my plan. But perhaps that was the lesson for me. Don’t look at delays in what I want as an unhappy event. Instead, I need to have more faith in God that there was a very good reason for the delay and that God is always going to give me what I want but only in a way that will benefit me the most.

Day 12 Bible Reading

Genesis 25 & 26, Matthew 10: 1-31 Proverbs 1: 20-33

Genesis 25: 23 (ESV)

“And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you[c] shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.””

I was listening to a Bible commentary on verse 23 of Genesis 25, and I was struck by the fact that even before Esau and Isaac were born God knew about each of them and had a plan for them. It makes me wonder what God planned for my life when I was in my mother’s womb. Did he have my whole life mapped out and planned? Did he know exactly where I would be at any moment from the time I was born until now? My pastor told us today we need to give to God our every worry today to be stress free in life, “to pray about everything.” And on inspiration from the Holy Spirit, I decided to say out loud all my worries to Christ, the good, the bad, the petty, the crazy, the small and the larger worries. I’m not one of those who pray out loud to God. I silently pray and I love to write everything what I’m thinking to God in a journal. The act of speaking was pretty scary to me, to hear in my own voice what I was worried to God and why, and to ask God help for all my worries. I cried the whole time, and at the end I felt like a great weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. Was that in God’s plan while I was in utero? To hear me speak out loud today so he can take my worries from me, and be so happy that I did so? I think so because I felt God smiling down on me for my simple act of trust.

Day 11 Bible Reading

Genesis 23 & 24, Matthew 9, Psalm 8

Matthew 9: 20-22 (ESV)

“And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

I love the faith of the woman who thought if she only touched a piece of Christ’s clothing she would get well. Her faith was so strong for someone who had had an illness for 12 years. Instant healing seems so rare to me. I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone who’s had an instant healing that I know. I know many, many people who have healed when they should have died. But their healing wasn’t instant. Still, the faith of this woman is so inspiring to me. I have a health issue that’s not painful, but more annoying than anything else. I pray about it daily and while it doesn’t seem to be getting any worse, it’s also not getting better. When I went to a healer, they told me this health issue would take time to heal. I’ve definitely made progress on it, but I would love an instant healing. I think I would have to ask myself “what would I need to believe to have an instant healing and what is blocking my instant healing?” Holy Spirit has been asking me to write about forgiveness, so I started doing that. People I thought I had forgiven years ago are coming up. I think Holy Spirit is telling me before I can be healed, I need to forgive because God wants me to come to him without the sin of pride and self-righteousness in my heart.

Day 10 Bible Reading

Genesis 21 & 22; Matthew 8: 23-24, Psalm 7: 10-17

Genesis 22: 1-3 (ESV)

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac.”

I love these verses from Genesis 22. Abraham was so obedient to God. His relationship with God was so clear and there was nothing hidden between them. When God called his name, Abraham did not hide and said “Here I am.” In contrast, I was reminded of Adam who hid from God after he ate the apple because of his shame. When God told Adam he was to sacrifice his only son Isaac, Abraham didn’t hesitate. He was automatic “Yes” and he left early the next to fulfill the task. I want to take inspiration from Abraham’s obedience. I am not an automatic “Yes” to life and certain not to Christ. I have to think, I have to analyze, I have to ponder, and I need to sleep on any decision I make. And sometimes depending on what Christ is asking, I have to ask for signs. The apostle I identify the most with, and have done so since I was a child, was Doubting Thomas. I’m the one who has to have proof to believe. I would like to change that this year. I don’t know what Biblical character I want to identify with, but I’m going to take on Abraham for a bit to see what it would be like to be that obedient to God. I want to say “I am here”, when God calls me name and be an automatic “Yes” to requests. I don’t know what my life will be like, but I’m looking forward to seeing how my life will change.