Bible in 90 Days – Day 1

Bible in 90 Days – Day 1

Genesis 1-16

See my first post about this Bible reading challenge here

For now I’m going to structure my posts like this. This is a new way for me to study so I may change it as I go along. I found that I’m easily distractible as I’m reading, because I have such a bent toward “study” in place of “reading”. This takes exponentially longer, and since there’s so much reading each day, I decided to jot notes in a separate journal as I go along, so I don’t stop. Kindof like taking sermon notes during a sermon, as I can’t very well raise my hand and ask my pastor to hang on while I go and research this or that.

Here’s my structure for today.

Words: Words that popped off the page for me

Wonders: Things I sortof wonder about, that I’d have to go and read some commentaries or study up a bit farther – if there’s even any complete explanations out there. God does love a good mystery, after all.

Principles: Maybe a little theological one-liner that one could infer from the text.

Hugs: Warm fuzzies for the romantic in me. When God’s tenderness and faithful love is especially evident to me.

Mirror: When I see myself in the characters. God’s word is like a mirror (James 1:23-25)

(Also, I’m going to be using the HCSB. I love the HCSB Notetakers Interactive Edition Bible for its huge margins, lots of study info and cross references.)

Words 

Gen 2:18 helper – 5828 One who helps; from 5826 to help, support.

Note: This is the first job description for a wife, before woman is even created.

Gen 2:24 bonds with – 1692 To cling to, to stay with

Note: Marriage rules determined as soon as marriage is established.

Gen 2:25 no shame – 954 (Not) put to shame, disconcerted, or disappointed. (Not) acting shamefully.

Note: Shame and Audacity cannot coexist.

Gen 8:21 pleasing aroma

God was well pleased with the performance, v. 21. He smelt a sweet savour, or, as it is in the Hebrew, a savour of rest, from it. As, when he had made the world at first on the seventh day, he rested and was refreshed, so, now that he had new-made it, in the sacrifice of the seventh he rested. He was well pleased with Noah's pious zeal, and these hopeful beginnings of the new world, as men are with fragrant and agreeable smells; though his offering was small it was according to his ability, and God accepted it. Having caused his anger to rest upon the world of sinners, he here caused his love to rest upon this little remnant of believers. –Matthew Henry

source

Wonders/Meditations

Genesis 12:1 This seems a little out of nowhere. Why Abram? Perhaps because God knew he would obey? Perhaps God saw Abram’s faith even before He called him, before we get the chance to see his faith recorded? God looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

Principles

Gen 4:12-22, 6:5-8, 8:18, 10:1-32 Righteousness is more important than knowledge or skill. All (or perhaps many) of the makers, music makers, thinkers, etc were washed away in the flood.

Gen 12:7-8 Abram worships. Even though he doesn’t know where he’s going, and there is no hope of fulfillment, he worships.

Hugs

Gen 13:17 “Get up and walk from one end of the land to the other, for I will give it to you.” (This reminded me of a daddy excitedly giving his child a new car, or house, or something amazing, and saying “Push all the buttons, give it a try, test drive it, look in all the doors and cabinets! It’s yours!”)

Mirror 

Gen 15:2, 16:2 Abram and Sarai are trying to figure out how God could keep His promise, and they’re trying to come up with a solution for Him, praying with this finite solution in mind. A solution born of finite understanding, when God has something better and more amazing in mind. It’s hard to believe in the supernatural when our minds are so human. See also Romans 8:26 – when we don’t know how to pray, and Eph 3:20 He is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or even imagine.

Set Free 9 – Negative Thoughts and Words

It hits you when you’re at your weakest. When you’re tired. When something rubbed you the wrong way at work. When you didn’t get that raise. When you got reprimanded- whether or not it was your fault. When your husband was late home from work. When your dress was a bit tighter than you remembered. When you got laid off. When your child didn’t obey.

Whatever happened, it did not make you feel good about yourself, or your life.

And it replays again and again in your mind with “what-if’s” and “If only I’s” punctuating the story.

And then come the lies. Ones like “You’re not good enough.” “You’re a failure.” “You are trash!”

And you believe it.

It’s the horrible downward spiral of negative thoughts and words.

But where does it come from?

Q: What is the primary source of negativity in your life? It may be your thoughts, it may be a person, or a media source, some combination of all of these. It may be something else entirely. Please write down your answer after careful thought. You may share if you keep your answer vague. Please remember this is not a gripe-fest. This is for healing.

Please read our text: Philippians 4:8-9 and Psalm 103:2-4

Fix your thoughts on what is true!

John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” NLT

Q: I would like for you to prayerfully consider this: When you have negative thoughts, do you believe they are an attack from Satan, or do you believe that it is your sin nature of doubt and pride showing up?

(it may be a combination of the two)

Knowing the source of the negativity help you tackle it.

If it is a lie from Satan, remind yourself of these precious words from Scripture:

Psalm 103:2-4 “Bless the Lord, O my soul,And forget not all His benefits:Who forgives all your iniquities,Who heals all your diseases,Who redeems your life from destruction,Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies” NKJV emphasis mine

When you think a thought such as “I’m not good enough,” or someone criticizes you, “You keep messing up!”, take heart. God doesn’t see you that way. He has already lovingly carried a heavy cross on a back rubbed raw, just for you! A heavy wooden cross built from all the shame, guilt, and ugly across time. Child of God, that’s where your ‘not-enough’ went to. You don’t hold that any more. Your not-enough was crucified with Christ on the cross. It’s dead. It’s gone. The Christ-in-you is what remains. Just Christ. And with Christ in you, you most certainly are enough.

Don’t you see?

Romans 8:10 “And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.” NLT

But Satan knows our weakness, and will do his best to remind us of where we failed. He will try to convince us to turn back, ‘because it’s not worth it anyway. You’re not worth it.’.

Satan is wrong.

Read our next passage, Genesis 18:22-33, looking carefully for God’s heart- because, Sister, God’s heart is the same today as it was yesterday, and the same as it was 4500 years ago back in Abraham’s time.

I believe if Abraham had continued asking for smaller numbers all the way down to one, God would have still agreed.

So if Satan is trying to get you down with guilt over something you’ve done, either recently or before your walk with Christ, remember whose you are. Remember Who cleansed you from all of it. All of it.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” NKJV emphasis mine

So if you are cleansed from that, and freed from the guilt, power and punishment from sin, you are truly truly free. It bears repeating. You are free. No matter how often or how cruelly Satan tries to re-chain you to your sin, to your sin’s punishment, to the shame and poor image carried by the old you that Christ freed you from, he cannot. Because you are free.

John 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” NKJV

If it is not a direct attack from Satan to get you cycling down the negative way, then is it pride taking you there?

Consider this. Pride is a form of self-focus, correct? So, if we’re looking at a situation, accepting blame or fault when it’s not ours to accept, could that be a form of pride?

Q: Why or why not? Please share.

I believe it can be. If you are so focused on yourself in a situation that you feel like if only you were better, you would’ve done this better, or that sooner; if you feel like you are to blame for your poor circumstance, lack of acceptance, or missed promotion; if you perform better, your husband would come home from work sooner; if you this or that…. maybe we need to adjust your lens.

It’s not all about you! It’s not all about me! Are you following me?

Maybe, just maybe God’s working on someone else in this situation, and you are a civilian this time. What do you think about that?

Isaiah 55:8 ““My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”” NLT

Romans 11:33 “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” NLT

As good as we think we are at reading God by now, He may just have a plan we can’t see this side of Heaven. No need throwing a pity-party when our situation isn’t ideal, as long as another soul comes to know Jesus, amen?

We just never know what God’s plan is. If our situation didn’t work out, it doesn’t mean that there’s something the matter with us- it may mean that God’s got a scenario lined up to reach another child, or to bring another child into the molding and shaping they need to be like Christ. If you get a little bent out of shape (or molded and shaped too) in the meantime, then so be it. It doesn’t mean that you’re all that bad to have deserved it.

Make sense?

God thinks highly of you, no matter what He allows across your path. No need fretting, looking at yourself in self-pity, or berating yourself for who you aren’t or what you did wrong. Look at yourself the way God does; as a child of God, imperfect and saved by grace; on this earth to bring Him glory. If we’re wrapped up in what ifs, we are not glorifying our Savior. He saved you from the what-ifs.

His positive thinking is more than the Dr. Phil variety. It’s Kingdom thinking. It’s thinking about God’s bigger picture, resisting the enemy, and shining His light.

Let’s unwind from the negative spiral and focus our thoughts on Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” NLT

Set Free 2 - Breaking Bondage to Fear

Text: Psalm 27, 1 John 4

Fear. Oh what a powerful bond fear can present. It can strip us of options, joy, and even our health.

There is such a thing as a healthy fear – even fear of heights or spiders is in a way healthy, as there is a measure of danger involved in these objects of fear. While we are discussing fears, however, these types of healthy fears are not what I’m talking about today.

Let me start by saying you don’t have to look far to know God’s opinion on the matter. He does not want His children to be afraid. There are over a hundred passages in the Bible where God says not to fear. Many of them are coupled with a reason, such as “I am with you” or “I have heard you”.

Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you.    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” NLT

Genesis 21:17 b “…Fear not, for God has heard…” NKJV

He doesn’t want you to be afraid any more than a normal father or mother wants their child to fear.

Fear is not right. Fear doesn’t feel good. Fear is not good.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” NKJV emphasis mine

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” NKJV emphasis mine

Look at this – if God is good, and God is love (1 John 4:8, Psalm 100:5) and fear is not good, and there is no fear in love (1 John 4:18) then fear is the opposite of God.

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” NKJV

Satan would like nothing better than for us to be fearful.

Why?

Really give this some thought. Please write your answers in your journal. Please also share your insights in the comments section.

There are any number of reasons, but here’s a few I thought of.

1-      It cripples us.

2-      It makes us make poor decisions

3-      It makes us irrational

4-      It makes us doubt God.

Number four is the big one. For when we are looking to, and trusting our God, there is no fear.

So, if Satan has you bound in the chain of fear, what are some ways we can break free?

Please write down your answers.

There is no fear with God; the number one answer ought to be to look to God. Keep a laser focus on Him and you shouldn’t have any more fear problem.

Another related answer is truth.

John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” NLT

What are you fearful of? Speak truth to it. God’s words are truth. John 17:17.

I have been fearful sometimes about a dangerous influence on some of my loved ones, whom I really have no way of helping to re-direct. It hurts to watch and it has caused me to be fearful of the outcome.

But then God, (and shouldn’t that always be the answer? ‘But then God…’) at one time when this fear was particularly strong, told me, as He often does, “I’ve got this.” He brought me to a passage of Scripture fitting for the situation. I did not have to search for it; He directed me to it. (For my particular situation, that Scripture passage was Ezekiel 34:11-16)

And that was just for me and my situation, but He always has something; His word is alive and applicable, and when you don’t know where to look, He will show you.

These were ongoing fears. Ongoing worries, and places I hadn’t let go of. I had foolishly, even if subconsciously, took/kept “control” over it by fearing. Here’s what I mean – when we fear, we are essentially telling God “This is out of Your hands.”

What a lie Satan would have us believe. Childlike faith goes away when we see more and more of this big, bad world.

As children, we are already practiced in trust – trusting our parents for everything. Meals, shelter, bedtime, loving arms. Those of you with rambunctious little ones know this to be true: trusting those loving arms to catch us when we wander too close to the edge.

But as we grow older, and either more influenced by Satan’s lies, or by Satan’s people, we put up guards and choose not to trust. We get hurt, and it’s harder to trust. We sometimes have to wait for God’s plan to show through, and trust is so hard.

Psalm 56:3 “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” NLT

But that is really really the key to beating fear. If you haven’t already, please read our text, Psalm 27.

See in it the different scenarios that might cause fear.

Not, prayerfully, read through it again slowly, and ask the Spirit to give you an open mind to recognize fear in your own life. Allow your mind to paraphrase some of David’s situations to something in your own life. Write them down.

If God brings to mind something that isn’t in the text, write that down, too.

Now, write a big “Pray!” beside it on the left. And on the right, write a reminder that God’s in control; “God’s got this!” Use words that are most familiar to you (you might write something like “God’s in control over this” or something like that), and remind yourself of it throughout the day.

God bless. I am praying for you.

Can’t wait to meet up next time.

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