Today's Readings: Genesis 16-17 & Matthew 5:27-48
Key Verses: Genesis 17:17 & ALL of Matthew 5:27-48
Yoda: "I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience."
Obi-Wan: "He will learn patience."
We do not like to wait, and we think we always know best...and those two things rarely work out well for us. My son is extremely impatient (gee I wonder where he got that from). The only good thing about his impatience is the fact I get to quote Star Wars and say "Patience my young padawan."
In Genesis, God had promised Abram (soon to be Abraham) that he would be the father of a great nation. That his descendants would be "so many that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!". Yet, he was nearly 100 years old, and his wife wasn't much younger. So in Genesis 16 they thought they might just hurry God's timing along...and without getting into too much politics right now, the results of their impatience hasn't really worked out well for anyone. It's been causing problems for a long time.
That's what happens when we take matters into or own hands, fail to trust God and his timing, and go off on our own. We mess everything up. And the effects of our actions are far greater than we can ever know.
God was going to give Abraham his son. God was going to cause Sarah to get pregnant...all they had to do was wait.
Easier said than done. You know, I work with middle school students and I created this mostly for them. I remember middle school, high school, and college. Asking kids to wait on certain things seems like an impossible task. They want to be grown ups now so they rush the clock...and things usually happen...things no one wants to happen...and lives are forever changed.
It is difficult to wait for the things God has promised. Heck, there are things God never promised, but we want those things, and so we just go off on our own...
"Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."
- Psalm 27:14
To live in faith means to wait patiently in recognition of the Lord’s goodness. Such a life is not always pleasant for the godly but our future is secure. God does promise good things for those who have faith and "wait" upon Him and Him alone. What God has planned for our lives both now and for all eternity is far beyond what we can comprehend as we live today.
So grab a seat upon this bench with me my friends...and let's do a little waiting together. Who knows, it might just be more fun than we know.
P.S. Please read Matthew 5:27-48...it is life altering and mind blowing!!!!!
Tomorrow's Readings: Matthew 6:1-18 & Genesis 18-19
AMEN! haha I have so many comments I can make...But, I don't want to bore you. It is amazing how clear God makes it on what he wants you to do, when you just take the time to really think about it and then act apon it. At the same time the path a head is so unclear. It's like he gives us enough information on what is needed to survive, but even still we can only survive with his guidance. In Matthew 5:28, I believe... It states that if your eye causes you to sin, then to cut it out, if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. I do not really think it is necessary to cut a limb off but for example if the music you listen to is causing you to behave differently, or if the people you hang out with cause you to treat others badly. Then maybe you should "cut them out". I do not know if this made sense. but that is what my heart was telling me when I was reading that verse. :) Erin thank you so much for starting this year of a journey! It is going to be an adventure!
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