Friday, January 20, 2012

Cave of Machpelah; Answered Prayers

    Today’s Reading:
  • Genesis 23:1-24:51
  • Proverbs 3:1-6
Read Bible Passages Online

Genesis 23:1-24:51
At the beginning of chapter 23 we are informed of Sarah’s death and burial. Because the cave Abraham bought was so well described, I wondered if it had ever been found, so I did some research and found out about the Cave of Machpelah. I didn’t do a whole lot of research into it, but it appears as though this finding was recent, and that it is fairly well accepted as the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah. I love it when events and places listed in the bible can be found in present times. Follow the link above for more information.

Abraham’s servant finds a wife for Isaac. I think it’s so awesome how the servant prayed for specific sign and it shows up before he can even finish praying. Has that ever happened to you? I’m not sure it’s happened to me instantaneously, but it sure has happened to me. That’s one of the reasons I have so much faith in prayer, because I know God listens to me. I just try to remember that no matter how much I want (or think I want) something, God knows best and I have to leave it up to his judgment as to whether or not he will answer me. 

Proverbs 3:1-6
These verses tell us to hold dear to God’s commandments and always be kind and loyal. Following these instructions will give us a long life characterized with a good reputation and favor from God. Such simple commandments – follow God’s word and be kind and loyal. It sounds so easy, but these things can be really hard to follow because of our sinful nature.

I’d also like to comment on verses 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
This hits exactly with what I was talking about earlier (written before I even read this passage) about Abraham’s servant and his quest for a wife for Isaac. There I remarked on how prayer works, I know it does, and how I just have to trust the Lord to decide for me his will because He knows best, not I. I just like how I received the same message twice in one day.  

Conclusion
I think this has been a very productive and thoughtful reading. Each day I read, I want to know more! I’m so glad I did this. I’ve attempted to read through the bible many times, but this time I feel so much more productive about it. Writing really helps me catalog and examine my own thoughts and feelings about this. I also think it helps greatly helps retention. I’m very excited to continue forward from here.

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