Writing Through the Bible in a Year

Today’s Reading: Genesis 39:11-42:17

I’m on an Olympics kick this week, anybody else there with me? It’s so exciting to see these athletes represent our country by doing something that most of us would never even dream of being able to do. I mean, I was in gymnastics when I was in elementary school, but I could never do a back handspring on the balance beam or fly from one uneven bar to another. Yet here we’re watching these girls almost half my age, do just that and much more!

Earlier this week I watched the women’s gymnastics team win the gold medal; which was very exciting. I watched as the last Russian gymnast missed an element in her tumbling pass. The weight of that possible gold medal for her team and her country was so heavy on her shoulders that her poor little feet couldn’t hold it all up. So while the Russian team held back their disappointed sobs the American team was holding back their grins. The Americans then went on to do something I pray that I never forget. Because the pressure of needing to be perfect broke the Russians chances at gold, that same pressure was now off the American shoulders as well. They no longer had to be perfect in their routines, so those girls went out there and just had FUN; which resulted in nearly perfect performances.

Yesterday I talked about how looking to Jesus made shaking the “cling-ons” off my shoulders so much easier. This story is the perfect example of how that works. You see, Jesus has already won the gold medal for us. He was the perfect sacrifice so that we don’t have to be. Because He went through every day perfectly sinless, we don’t have to. All we have to do is go out there and have fun. Now, I need to make sure that you understand here that “fun” doesn’t include murder, or adultery or anything crazy like that. I’m simply saying that we don’t need to concern ourselves with being perfect. There is no way that we can be perfectly sinless, believe me I’ve almost killed myself trying. But that’s OK because we don’t have to be. There are going to be times when we fall short of the glory of God, like every day, and that’s OK, because we have been justified by His grace as a GIFT. The Enemy wants us to focus on the falling short part and make us completely miss the FACT that we HAVE BEEN justified. (Not are being, have been justified.) He wants us to forget that we’ve already won the gold and that all we have to do is go out and have fun in the performance of a lifetime.

The weight of your sins (past present and future) was taken off your shoulders and placed on Jesus at the cross. You no longer bear even a hint of that sin, so go out there and dance like you’ve already won the gold medal… because He has already won it for you.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 36:9-39:10

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been watching the Olympics in the evenings before bed this week. And I’ve been so touched by the roar of the crowds. Every time I hear those crowds cheering for the athletes they are supporting I can’t help but think about Hebrews 11 &12. In chapter eleven the author of Hebrews recounts the stories of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Moses, and many many others expounding on the fact that the reason each of their stories is important is because they acted “by faith” in each of their circumstances. Then at the end of this chapter long list of historic figureheads of faith Hebrews chapter twelve begins with “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame , and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

This is the verse that I just can’t help but think of every time I hear those crowds cheering; once upon a time I was meditating on this very verse when God showed me the reality of what it means.

I was running on a standard running track, with lane markings for other competitors, though there were none. And above me the stands were FILLED with each of those people listed in Hebrews chapter eleven along with so many countless more that are not listed in any catalogs of history, but rather listed in that ever precious book in heaven, the Lamb’s book of Life. And as I ran and looked around at each of those faces watching me run this race of life, hopefully with perseverance, they were cheering as loudly as they could… all for me. My grandmother, my great-grandmother, my uncle and others that have passed on before me, some I recognized and some I didn’t but all were cheering for me. As I turned my head back to the track I could see the finish line and there was Jesus, crouched down as though I were a small child running towards Him, with His arms open wide just waiting to receive me into them and embrace me in a big bear hug. But then as I ran, these little black creatures began jumping onto my hands and shoulders trying to slow me down from reaching Jesus. At first it was hard to shake them off, they just wouldn’t budge. The more I looked at them and feared that I might never get them off, because they were slowing me down, the less I was able to effectively remove them. However, when I turned and looked into Jesus’ eyes, His loving pose of waiting to embrace and the creatures simply fell off with a simple flick of my arm, and they were gone. With nothing hindering me I ran with a speed I didn’t have before and as I strode across the finish line I collapsed into the arms of the lover of my soul. His arms wrapped completely around me squeezing me with a strength that I was all too familiar with… it was the strength that I had been running with.

These Olympians have been training for this event their entire lives, as Christians we look forward to that moment of embrace our entire lives; the moment we cross the line between this world and the next and fall into the arms of Jesus, the lover of our soul. But the beauty of it all is that we don’t have to wait until that moment to fall into His arms. Because He is always with us, His arms are always wrapped around us. He is always there to scare away the demons, to shine the light of His perfect love into the darkness of our fears and make our doubts and hesitations flee. To run the rat race of life most effectively, we focus on the author and perfecter of our faith… and everything that hinders just melts away in the heat of the mid day Son.

Keep running my friends, we’re not in this alone we are surrounded by a GREAT cloud of witnesses, both in heavenly realms and right here before our very eyes. Can you hear us? We’re cheering for you right now. Listen for the crowd, sometimes distant in the rain on the roof or leaves in a summer breeze. Sometimes the crowd roars in the wind of a raging storm, the Father’s clap of approval in the thunder, the flash of His lightning as He throws His fists up in a shout of victory. “You did it!!!!!”

Keep running my friend. Keep running.

Today’s reading: Genesis 32:22-36:8
Today has been a day filled with blessings! It started with a dream of Jesus and I hanging out on the beach drinking the Holy Spirit together until we were as drunk as skunks. Followed by a much needed meeting of the minds at the local park, I love my sisters in Christ! Lunch at a PACKED Chick-fil-a and then finishing the day with our booth at the local Farmer’s Market. Where we sold several cards, a copy of The Pink Polka dot Kitty and gave away FIVE BIBLES!!!!!!! Then to cap off the day, for dinner we had pepperoni mostacholi that I didn’t even have to make or pay for! But honestly, none of that was the best part of the day. The best part was that while I was doing all those things I knew with out a shadow of a doubt that I was doing it all with God. There is such tremendous peace in that.
In today’s reading God tells Jacob to go back to that spot where he saw the angels going up and down from heaven. And what is it that Jacob tells his family that they’re going? “Let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”
My friend, no matter where your feet have taken you today, God was with you. No matter where your feet take you tomorrow, God will be with you. If it’s a day of distress, God will be with you and He will answer you. If it is a day of joy, God will be with you.
He is faithful, and He will do it.

Today’s reading: Genesis 31:14-32:21
In today’s reading,  Genesis 31:42, we read that God saw Jacob’s affliction and the labor of his hands.
Have you felt lately like you have been laboring for something in vain? Like you’ve been believing for something and pouring yourself out for God and He hasn’t seen it. Fear not my friend, like Jacob, you may have crossed the Jordan with only a staff in your hand, but you will return to it with two camps! (Genesis 32:10) God is not blind. He has witnessed your efforts, He has seen your faith, He has been with you and will be with you always. He is your refuge and strength, an EVER PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE. His arm is not too short to save nor His ear too dull to hear.
Keep the faith my friend, help is on the way. Sooner than you think.

Today’s reading: Genesis 27:18-30:13
The timing of today’s reading couldn’t be more perfect! Today we find Jacob seeing into the unseen realm of angels ascending and descending and then commemorating that event by erecting a stone monument. And while I was not made privy to the unseen world today, I am erecting a monument stone of my own. Yesterday I taught my first Devotional Journaling class! This was a huge day for me, getting to share my stories and my passion for devotional writing with 5 lovely ladies, it was amazing! I was only disappointed that I didn’t have more time with them to really sink our pens in and write. But that’s largely my own fault for taking too much time to talk…imagine that right!?! She with many words has much folly. Someday I’ll learn. But until then…. I’ll remain Miss talks a lot.
Getting to this point in my ministry was huge for me, the day when I would be allowed to stand in front of people and talk about my best friend and what He has done in my life in the hopes that those stories would encourage others to keep fighting the good fight. Life is HARD, but God is good and He loves us and is for us and not against us. And if God, creator of that mountain that we can’t climb, is for us, then who, or what, or how can anything, including that mountain, be against us?
What are you believing God for today; health, prosperity, love, perseverance, strength? Sure, you believe in Him, but are you believing Him? Are you believing that His word to you in the Bible is truth, or just a good story? Are you believing that He can do what He says He can do? Or even father then that, are you believing that He WILL do what He has said He would do?
You see, that’s always been my struggle. Sure I’ve believed that He CAN do miraculous things, but is He willing to do them for me? I’m not worthy of miracles, I haven’t done anything to deserve them… and that’s just it. Abraham and Sarah hadn’t done anything to deserve a miracle child, yet God still gave them one. Jonah certainly wasn’t worthy of a second chance at doing the right thing, yet God still gave him one. Peter after denying even knowing Christ three times certainly wasn’t worthy of being trusted with followers, yet afterwards Jesus told him three times, “feed my sheep”. If anything, God is someone who is willing to put His own reputation on the line in order to let us become part of his plan! I may never understand why he does it, but He does! He WANTS us to be in on the action, to be on the inside of what’s happening in the world around us.
What did Abraham do to receive the miraculous child? He believed God when He said He would do it. How did Jonah receive that second chance? He asked for one. How did Peter become the most famous of apostles? He declared his love for Jesus. Ask. Believe. Declare. Ask for that second chance. Believe that you’ve received that miracle. Declare your love for Jesus. But don’t focus on your love for Him. Rather focus on HIS LOVE FOR YOU, because that is where the real power lies. We can’t focus on our love for him, because just like Peter proved, it is unreliable at best. However. Jesus’ love for you is undeniable and more reliable than anything else on the face of the planet! And when we trust on His love above everything else that may be going on around us, well, that’s exactly when miracles happen. Maybe not immediately, maybe not even after years of waiting, but when we least expect it. When we are old and gray and the baby making plumbing had stopped working, that is when God steps in and says “Now is the time for a miracle”!
Don’t stop believing. Hold on to that dream. It really can come true when the timing is perfect for a miracle.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 24:45-27:17

So, God says to me last night that I’m stifling my creativity by forcing myself to use words all the time and that I need to focus more on my photography and let the pictures He gives me do the talking. Who am I to argue with that?!? Then this morning after I had done my reading and packed up my husband for work this morning I sat in the window waving goodbye to him when I saw a dove in a break in the clouds!!!!! How could I not jump up and capture that quickly shifting shape? An early morning barefooted walk around the property ensued and this is what God told me today:

Today’s Reading: