So far, so good!! I am glad that I am finally able to sit down and do my devotional! I wish I could do my devotional in the mornings, but I am NOT a morning person. Haha, yeah. I also work best at night. I am such a night owl. I kinda want to go off on a tangent for a bit. So, if you watch the news or go on the internet, you have probably heard about SOPA. I usually don't like to form opinions about something until I have researched it myself, but from what I've heard, the government is tryin to censor the internet. I just keep thinking of how, slowly, prophesy is going to be fulfilled. Jesus is coming. It is just gonna be a matter of wondering how much worse is the world going to get until Jesus decides to take up his followers. Just a thought. Man, I'm thinking about some heavy stuff right now! Maybe I will try to find a bible study on Revelation online... I don't know. I'll keep you updated though!
Prayer before reading: Lord, first I want to say thank youu for blessing me with such wonderful friends. I know in the past I have had problems with giving you certain areas in my life because I wanted to feel like I had control over something. Recently, I have learned to understand that I should be seeking your will to be done, not mine. So, my prayer for today is that I can give you all the areas of my life because I know you have wonderful things planned for my life. I know that I need to surrender my relationships, friendships, and future to you. I know that I cannot carry the stress alone at that my life will be so much easier when I give you the reigns instead of clinging to them. I know that I may get mad when I can't hangout with my friends but I have to keep in mind that everything happens for a reason. Also, that even though my parents frustrate me sometimes, they are only seeking my best interest (SO hard to write.) Please give me wisdom as I read your word and I hope that I can present it in a way that makes sense. Thank you for always looking out for me. Amen
Reading: 1 Samuel 2
Thoughts after reading: Chapter 2 is a little long and has a lot that goes on. First, Hannah says a prayer to the Lord and is so thankful in her prayer. She tells God how wonderful he is. "There is no one like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God." Right now, I wish I could be more like Hannah. There is no Rock like our God. Let's just soak that in for a second. God is as solid as a rock. He's not going anywhere and he is our foundation. He supports us. How lucky are we?!?! I am just overjoyed that our God is real and that he is the only person who will never let you down. The next half of this chapter talks about Eli's wicked sons. This just boggles my mind because Eli is the priest and his sons are going out and living it up. You think they might learn something from their dad, but I guess not. Then, at the end of the chapter, a man of God comes to Eli. Through this man, God tells Eli how awful Eli's sons are and how Eli treats his sons more highlt than God. And for this, God will punish Eli by making sure that all his descendents die in the prime of their life, both his sons will die on the same day, and God will find a faithful priest to replace Eli. Can you say harsh?? Towards the end of this chapter, one can see how God can be merciful and loving but he also has to be just. If this doesn't keep someone in line, I don't know what will. God id not to be trifled with. Sometimes I joke around with friends telling them to watch out with what they do or God will smite them!!! Now, a phenomenom like that would be so rare, yet, in the olden days, God was ever present in people and through nature. Again, blown away with how much mightier and all powerful God is than me. Fascinated.
Song that inspired me today:
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Day 1: Starting off with 1 Samuel!!!
So, to start off this spectacular journey, I have decided to begin with 1 Samuel. I chose 1 Samuel not for any particular reason but mostly because I always tend to want read Proverbs over and over. I thought I would spice things up a little by reading about how awesome Samuel was and obstacles he has to overcome (like me!). Plus I feel I need to be more knowledgable in my books of the Old Testament :)
Prayer before reading: Lord, I just pray that I can be able to follow through with what i am starting. I also pray that you open my mind to the lessons you need to teach me in your word. I pray that I am able to learn something today that I can keep in mind with me all tomorrow. Please help me to be focused as I read and that I can be quiet long enough for you to tell me what I need to hear. You rock. Amen.
Reading: 1 Samuel 1
Thoughts after reading: WOW. The major thing that pops out to me from this passage would be of how faithful and awesome Hannah was. I mean, I don't know if I could give my son up to the Lord if he was my only child. What a sacrifice. Peninnah was quite awful to Hannah, which of course makes me feel for Hannah even more. The poor dear was Elkanah's favorite and could not bear a child. Yet, I would probably be jealous too if I was in Pen's situation. Which brings me to another point! One thing that drives me crazy about Jesus time is how men had more than one wife! That really bothers me... Ahh back too what I got from this passage. Basically, I got that even when you are troubled about something, God is always there and sometimes he can give you what you want and he will always give you what you need. But most importantly, I was shown how God can give and take away. Although, Hannah promised the Lord that she would "give him to the Lord for all the days of his life" and that tells me so much about her character. Hannah was so selfless when asking God for a child and I can see why. Not only was Hannah so selfless in her request but she also followed through with her promises. As much as I find it weird to have a child only to give him up to God, I find it even stranger to promise never to use a razor on his head. Of all the promises she could have made! But God used her promise to make Samuel known. Right now, I am in awe of Hannah's sacrifice and amazed at how wonderful/amazing/caring/ingenius God is with how he can make any situation into something to glorify Him. Just amazing.
Song that inspired me today: Forever Reign by Hillsong United
Prayer before reading: Lord, I just pray that I can be able to follow through with what i am starting. I also pray that you open my mind to the lessons you need to teach me in your word. I pray that I am able to learn something today that I can keep in mind with me all tomorrow. Please help me to be focused as I read and that I can be quiet long enough for you to tell me what I need to hear. You rock. Amen.
Reading: 1 Samuel 1
Thoughts after reading: WOW. The major thing that pops out to me from this passage would be of how faithful and awesome Hannah was. I mean, I don't know if I could give my son up to the Lord if he was my only child. What a sacrifice. Peninnah was quite awful to Hannah, which of course makes me feel for Hannah even more. The poor dear was Elkanah's favorite and could not bear a child. Yet, I would probably be jealous too if I was in Pen's situation. Which brings me to another point! One thing that drives me crazy about Jesus time is how men had more than one wife! That really bothers me... Ahh back too what I got from this passage. Basically, I got that even when you are troubled about something, God is always there and sometimes he can give you what you want and he will always give you what you need. But most importantly, I was shown how God can give and take away. Although, Hannah promised the Lord that she would "give him to the Lord for all the days of his life" and that tells me so much about her character. Hannah was so selfless when asking God for a child and I can see why. Not only was Hannah so selfless in her request but she also followed through with her promises. As much as I find it weird to have a child only to give him up to God, I find it even stranger to promise never to use a razor on his head. Of all the promises she could have made! But God used her promise to make Samuel known. Right now, I am in awe of Hannah's sacrifice and amazed at how wonderful/amazing/caring/ingenius God is with how he can make any situation into something to glorify Him. Just amazing.
Song that inspired me today: Forever Reign by Hillsong United
Where to begin!
I recently started this blog but I had the wrong intentions. I had hoped to express my feelings of anger and frustration at my parents on my blog so as to just let it out. Yet, I have have done some soul searching (so cliche) and my view of life has changed since then. It's amazing how you can get so distracted with the things of this world!! All Satan has to do is just sit back and watch as people slowly get addicted to the world. Facebook. Youtube. Tumblr. TV. Hanging with friends. Homework.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I became distracted and slowly began to not read my Bible as much until I ran out of excuses. It's so easy to lie to yourself that you don't have enough time for God. But really, God should always be number one in everything I do. I usually go through phases of being so on fire for God and then slowly I get consumed with the things mentioned above. I don't even know how I was able to get of my funk. All I can say that we have such an awesome God who loves us more than we can ever fathom and that he is so forgiving when he shouldn't be.
As sort of a late New Years resolution, I have decided to take on the challenge of posting everyday of what I am learning in God's word. I want to be authentic and be able see how I have grown everyday with God's grace. And since this is my blog, I promise to never be fake and to be as honest as I can with what I go through. So, here I go! I only hope, wish, and pray that I can be the woman that God would be proud to call his daughter as I go on this journey.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I became distracted and slowly began to not read my Bible as much until I ran out of excuses. It's so easy to lie to yourself that you don't have enough time for God. But really, God should always be number one in everything I do. I usually go through phases of being so on fire for God and then slowly I get consumed with the things mentioned above. I don't even know how I was able to get of my funk. All I can say that we have such an awesome God who loves us more than we can ever fathom and that he is so forgiving when he shouldn't be.
As sort of a late New Years resolution, I have decided to take on the challenge of posting everyday of what I am learning in God's word. I want to be authentic and be able see how I have grown everyday with God's grace. And since this is my blog, I promise to never be fake and to be as honest as I can with what I go through. So, here I go! I only hope, wish, and pray that I can be the woman that God would be proud to call his daughter as I go on this journey.
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