Becoming Fishers of People

Today's Reading:

• Luke 4:31 - 5:11
• Psalm 64:1 - 10

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Luke 4:31 - 5:11
Jesus told Simon Peter to cast a net out into the ocean.  Simon was skeptical, for he had fished all night with no results.  Nevertheless, he cast out his net.  Simon caught so many fish that he had to get help from a second boat.  In the end there were so many fish that both boats almost sank.  Jesus then said these words to Simon in verse 5:10:

"Don't be afraid!  From now on you'll be fishing for people!"

Fishing for people.  Jesus has commanded us to follow him and to fish for people.  For the first time in my life, by way of this blog, I finally feel like I am actively casting my net out upon the world.
 
I don't know about you, but I've always been afraid to start fishing for people.  What if people rebuke me?  What if people think me crazy?  What if people don't like me anymore because I share my faith with them?

But you know what, Jesus told us right there not to be afraid.  When Simon followed the instructions of Jesus and cast his net, it came back overflowing.  There were so many fish in that net that Simon couldn't have possibly missed the few that got away from him.

I still have a lot of work to do on my journey to fish for people.  The purpose of my blog is to cast out the Word of God among people, to tantalize them into perhaps picking up their own bible, to lure them into learning more about the Lord and learning more about what the Word says to us.  I aim to show people that studying the Word is a very intimate, individualized experience.  You could put ten people in a room and have them read the same passage, and yet it will speak differently to each person there. 

There is power in the Word.  There is beauty in the Word.  There is life in the Word.  There is inspiration in the Word.  There is comfort in the Word.  There is understanding in the Word.  There is closeness in the Word.  The Word of God speaks to your own spirit.  Your spirit longs for the Word.  My spirit longs for the Word.  I am amazed by the Word.  I am enlightened by the Word.  The Word is the second greatest gift the Lord has given to us (the first being Jesus Christ, of course!).  The Word gives me a closeness to the Lord that is otherwise unobtainable.  The Word is food for my spirit.

The Word was written just for me.  Customized to my very life, to my very spirit.  The Word was written just for you -- it has been customized to your life and customized to your spirit.  The Word is amazing.  My net unto the world is the Word of God.  May each of you who come across my blog find the light of the Word and take it into your own spirit.

Psalm 64:1 - 10
This Psalm of David foretells of the justice that will befall those who seek to do harm to others.  We are told that these people will fall victim to their own acts, and that God Himself will shoot these people down.  But for those of us who love the Lord God, who seek to do right before Him, we have peace and shelter to behold.  Praise the Lord.  Amen.

Becoming a Beautiful Woman -- Inside and Out

Today's Reading:

• Numbers 32:1 - 33:39
  
• Proverbs 11:22

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Numbers 32:1 - 33:39
Today's reading in Numbers was short and consisted primarily of tribes and the territories they conquered.  The reading ends with a list of the places Israel had stopped to camp while on their way to the promised land. 

I feel the end of Numbers is drawing near.  I can't wait to read about how the Israelites finally make their way into the promised land!

Proverbs 11:22

A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.

Eeew, that is a gross thought.  A gold ring might be beautiful, but it certainly doesn't matter if that ring is in a pig's snout!  After reading that verse, I had to look up the exact meaning of discretion.

dis·cre·tion/disˈkreSHən/

Noun:

The quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information. The freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation

I see here two definitions for the word "discretion".  The first goes along with all I've read about controlling one's tongue.  Those who are wise choose their words sparingly.  Those who are wise do not betray the confidence of others.  So what I gather here is that a beautiful woman should be dignified, control her words, and have and display wisdom.

The second definition comes down to deciding what to do in a situation.  So, deciding how to handle something.  Doing what is right, not doing what is wrong.  A beautiful woman should make the right decisions in her life.  By choosing the right path, she chooses life and dignity.  She sets an example for others.

Have you ever met someone who is beautiful on the outside, yet ugly on the inside?  How does a woman like that make you feel?  Those type of women invoke anger and dislike among others.

Now think of a beautiful, dignified woman.  A woman with a beautiful, beaming personality.  Because she is beautiful, a woman's first reaction might be to hate her or be jealous of her.  But no matter how hard I try, I cannot dislike someone who has a beautiful personality -- whether they be ugly or pretty on the outside.

Be discreet.  Be dignified.  Be wise.  Be beautiful -- inside and out. 

Those Who Reject God Bow Down Before Satan

Today's Reading:

• Luke 4:1 - 30
• Psalm 63:1 - 11

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Luke 4:1 - 30
Chapter four begins with the temptation of Christ in the wilderness for 40 days.  Jesus had just been baptized (3:21) and was filled by the Holy Spirit, which led him into the wilderness (4:1). 

Satan tempted Jesus for 40 days in the wilderness.  We are told that the devil took Jesus up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, offering all of them to Jesus if only Jesus would worship him (4:5-7).  Jesus refused the offer.

Two things strike me about that passage.  The first is that it says the devil "took him up" (4:5) to show Jesus the kingdoms of the world.  So in my mind I'm picturing an experience like one would see in the movies -- being lifted above the clouds by a powerful force, being shown the entire world.  It must have been a very powerful experience.

The other thing that strikes me is that the world is Satan's to give to Jesus -- or to whomever he wishes to give it to.  Quite simply, Satan has complete power over this world.  This world -- this place of sin and suffering and pain -- we don't belong here.  We Christians are not home here. 

Right now, this world is Satan's domain.  That will soon be changed, but for now that's the situation we live in.  When one chooses the world instead of the Lord, they are truly choosing Satan over God.  They are not choosing to simply not believe in God -- they are choosing the world.  They are choosing Satan. 

How often do you hear someone say that they don't believe in anything?  They don't believe in God, don't believe in Satan, don't believe in a higher power at all.  Most people who don't believe in God don't consider themselves Satan worshipers.  But in the end, those who reject the Lord are instead embracing Satan and letting him rule them.

That's exactly the kind of worship Satan wants, right?  He wants to turn as many people from the Lord to him as he possibly can.  And if the person is clueless that they're literally following Satan, that's even better because Satan loves to deceive.  Don't choose Satan.  Don't choose the world.  Don't choose yourself, for that is choosing the world.  Choosing the world choosing Satan.

Jesus has complete power over Satan and through Him so do we.  I am so thankful that in this dark world we live in, we have a light that shines constantly and guides our every step.  This light protects us, it heals us, it carries us when we need it.  This light shines even when we turn away from it and into the darkness that is the world.  This light has authority over Satan.  This light is breathtaking.  This light is Jesus Christ.  Thank you, Lord, for leading me out of the darkness.

Psalm 63:1 - 11 
This Psalm is filled with rich praise and longing for the Lord:

1  Oh God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you.

5  You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  I will praise you with songs of joy.

These verses above utterly convey the satisfaction that comes from knowing the Lord.  They convey the feeling that stirs your soul when you discover that -- not only do you feel the Lord inside you -- you want to know the Lord so much more!  Your soul longs and thirsts for this closeness.  Nothing else can can satisfy these cravings -- not even the richest feast.  This is such a glorious psalm.

Israelites Battle the Midianites; Why Does God Order the Deaths of Children in Battle?

Today's Reading:

• Numbers 30:1 - 31:54
  
• Proverbs 11:20 - 21

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Numbers 30:1 - 31:54
Chapter 31 tells the story of Israel's conquest of the Midianites.  The Lord was angry with the Midiantes because they had led many Israelite men into worshiping Baal of Peor.

Israel went into battle with only 12,000 men.  It doesn't say (as far as I can tell here) how many they fought against.  What it does say is that all five of the Midian Kings (Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba) were killed in battle.  All the men, boys, and non-virgin women were killed either in battle or shortly afterwards. 

The Israelites captured 675,000 sheep and goats, 72,000 cattle and 61,000 virgins.  So while we do not know how many Midianites were killed, we do know that the amount of animals and virgins was quite large.  Virgin women would not account for a large percentage of the population, yet there were 61,000 of them.

Now before someone reads this and gets the wrong impression about the taking of the virgin women -- they were not kept because the men wanted just the virgins.  Originally the Israelites did not kill the women and children, but when the captives were led to Moses, he was angry.  The way the Midianites led Israel to worship Baal was by luring the men into the beds of the women.  Therefore only women that were virgins could live because they did not participate in that scheme. All others were ordered to be killed.

I was surprised when 31:8 mentioned that the Israelites killed Balaam.  I found the story of Balaam to be quite interesting, and remarked about it in two separate posts.  When we first met Balaam, he was sent for by the king of the Moabites to curse the Israelites.  The Lord told Balaam these people were not cursed -- they were blessed. 

The Moabite king sent for Balaam a couple times before Balaam finally agreed to go.  Along the way, an angel of the Lord blocked the road and Balaam's donkey would not pass.  Balaam beat his donkey three times before the donkey turned around and spoke to him, warning him to say only what the Lord told him to say.  Balaam agreed, and despite much anger from the king, he did not curse the Israelites.  He went on his way.

I thought that was where the story ended, until the Israelites killed Balaam.  No information was given in that verse as to why, but later in verse 31:16, we are told that it was Balaam's advice that gave birth to the scheme. 

This really surprised me, since Balaam seemed to follow God's command and left without cursing the Israelites.  So I wonder why he would plan to cause the Israelites to worship another god?  Obviously Balaam knew the Lord, he received visions and he knew it was the Lord who warned him against cursing the Israelites.  

So what motive might Balaam have had to try to make the Israelites fall out of favor with God?  Was it money?  He was offered an awful lot to curse them, but since he couldn't I doubt he got paid.  Maybe I'll run across more information later.  If not, it's all speculation for me.  Anyone else have thoughts on the matter?

Proverbs 11:20 - 21

20  The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity.

21  Evil people will surely be punished, but the children of the godly will go free.

Verse 21 really speaks to me today, especially since I read about all the deaths of the Midianites -- and that included the male children.  I also recall reading other excerpts where the children were ordered to be killed after a battle.  I always wonder about that.  

The bible says in more than one place that a good crop yields good fruit and a bad crop yields bad fruit.  I guess the same could be said for children.  I don't condone the deaths of the children by any means, but these passages at least help me to reconcile my feelings when I read stories like the one above. 

God knew the hearts of these children and he knew the hearts of the parents. If He deemed any of them worth saving, then He would have saved them.  It's still sad, but at least it helps me understand better why the Lord would command that those children be killed.

A short note on integrity -- doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.  Sometimes it might feel like there's no reward to doing the right thing, but right here we are told that God knows.  God knows and he values it of us.  And if we do the wrong thing because no one is looking, he knows that too, and that he detests.  I know which choice I choose to take. 

Are We All Descendants of Seth, Son of Adam?

Today's Reading:

• Luke 3:23 - 38
• Psalm 62:1 - 12

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Luke 3:23 - 38
Today's reading contains the entire lineage of Jesus Christ.  What I find interesting is that this lineage starts with "Jesus was known as the son of Joseph" (3:23).  So this lineage was the line of Joseph, even though Joseph and Jesus did not share a blood lineage like Jesus and Mary did.  I do suspect that Mary and Joseph were related, though I haven't read anything (or at least I don't remember reading anything) to back that up.  I just know that marriages were often kept within the extended family.

Regardless, the lineage line given is very interesting.  I don't know how many names are there, but it is overwhelming to follow it all!  The line starts with Jesus, and ends with Adam.  The verse (3:38) ends with "Adam was the son of God".  I never really thought of Adam as being the son of God, but I guess he was -- he was created in His image from the dust of the ground.  This makes me wonder what precisely "begotten" means (from my favorite verse, John 3:16).  Since Jesus was God's only begotten son, how does that differ from Adam, who was simply "the son of God"? 

While I was looking back in Genesis for my next topic (coming up below), I came across a verse in Genesis.  I remember reading this verse before, and thinking about giants and heroes, but I don't recall a significant line in it.  I am referring to Genesis 6:4:

In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.

The phrase I am talking about here are the "sons of God".  Sons of God!  What is meant by this phrase?  Obviously these aren't the sons of Adam, since they children are distinguished by size.  These "sons of God" gave birth to giants, to warriors, to ancient heroes.  So who were they?  Jesus is the only begotten son of God, Adam was a son of a God because he was created by God ... so who are these other sons of God?  There is so much yet to be learned from the bible!  I can't wait to learn more on the subject.

One other thing caught my eye on this lineage list.  Adam's son Seth is where the lineage line for Jesus started.  We follow the line from Adam all the way through to Noah from Seth.  So I have to wonder -- I know that we are all descendants of Adam, but are we all descendents of Seth also?  Since only Noah's family went onto the boat, and everyone else was wiped out?

I looked back in Genesis 7:7 to see who Noah brought with him on the ark.  It says that Noah brought his wife, as well as his sons and their wives.  It doesn't say anything about Noah bringing daughters, and if he didn't bring daughters, then they didn't bring husbands -- and therefore the entire male line in the ark would have been of Noah.  If all the males from the ark were descendants of Noah, and Noah was a descendant of Seth, then aren't we all (who are alive today) descendents of Adam's son Seth? 

I could have faulty logic here, so if I do please let me know!  Regardless, I must say I've never had such an interesting lineage line read.  And to think, I used to abhor the lineage lines!

Psalm 62:1 - 12  
Psalm 62 is a beautiful Psalm regarding trust in the Lord.  I'd quote the entire Psalm here if I could (if the battery weren't about to die on my laptop!).  Instead, I will quote 61:5 - 8, and leave it at that:

5  Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.

6  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

7  My victory and honor come from God alone.  He is my refuse, a rock where no enemy can  reach me.

8  Oh my people, trust in him at all times.  Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

God is our refuge, our rock, our salvation, our hope, our fortress.  Such a great psalm, one of my favorites so far!