God Is In Charge

Reading 27: Joshua 6

This is the verse that stands out to me today:

Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.


Jericho was tightly shut up, but the next thing God says is "See! I have delivered Jericho into your hands." It's just like God to see the bigger picture. Sometimes I look at a problem that's all "shut up" no way in, no way out...but God is there and He sees the whole picture. He knows the whole story, and He says "See, I have already taken care of everything". All I have to do is trust His lead.


New blogging plan (if anyone is reading): Blogging about the reading every day was getting entirely tedious and was sucking the "joy" out of my 180 days....so I decided to cut back to just a few times a week, and continue to read on the off blogging days from my physical Bible.

Final Exam

Reading 9: Genesis 22

Both times that the Lord called to Abraham there was an immediate response of "Here I am." Both times. Even at the point when he had the knife in the air and was prepared to do as God had commanded him earlier, he paused to respond to God's call.

When God calls into my life is there an immediate response? Am I quick to say 'Here I am', or "Just a minute..." "Let me finish this one last thing..."

These past two readings have contained two very different responses to God when He speaks into your life. Lot hesitated and bargained. Abraham responded, obeyed, and was blessed.

May I always remember to obey and be blessed...so I may fulfill God's covenant with Abraham and bless others;

"I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

The Catastrophe Sent By God

Reading 8: Genesis 19

Lot hesitated twice. Twice. And he still ended up in the mountains. He lost a wife, 2 son-in-laws, and who knows how many friends and colleagues.

What a tough moment. Once again, God has become so fed up with a portion of His creation that His choice is to do away with it. To utterly destroy it.

I don't find Lot (or his family) to be the most positive of role models. Lot offered his daughters to be violated, his wife clearly disobeyed the angels, Lot's son in laws don't take the threat seriously, Lot argued with the angels (who argues with angels???), and his daughters decided to empregnate themselves through trickery. Interesting bunch, aren't they?

Yet the poinangt part, for me, is the fact that God kept to His promise. He promised Abraham that He would not destroy Lot, that Lot would be spared this catastrophe of raining sulfur. (Unfortunately, Lot created his own personal catastrophe, even as the angels personally escorted his family to safety)

How often do I hesitate to heed God's protecting command? How often to I shamefully beg for a different decision? Really, am I any better than Lot and his family? Sadly, usually not. But the magnificent part is that God is always the same!

The Crash

Reading 3: Genesis 3

I was just thinking today that one of Satan's most powerful tools against the children of God is: doubt.

The serpent simply suggested to Eve (which wasn't even her name yet...) that perhaps she misunderstood or misheard God. Doubt. "Does God really want to keep you away from that tree?" Doubt. "Do you think God is just trying to keep something really good away from you?" Doubt.

Perhaps part of the lesson of the mere existence of a tree that was to be untouched is the need we have to trust God's plan. We won't know all the reasons, but we know God.

This is a true lesson in my own life currently. It seems as we begin to embark on a new ministry, a chance to gain more ground for the Kingdom, the enemy begins his attack of doubt. "Is this really what you should be doing?" "What if no one comes?" "What if, what if, what if" Doubt.

Trusting God's guidance contains a lot more possibility than the results of taking things into my own hands.