How to Eat an Elephant

Do you know how to eat an elephant?  Well, you eat it just one bite at a time!  I know you must have at least smiled at that if not giggled to yourself, but it's true!  I look at reading the Bible just that way.  All my life I have thought I would be able to read through the Bible in a year and have yet to accomplish it.  However, every year, at some point, I begin to read and I always read, at some point, the first chapter of Genesis.  Well, this year I read it and realized some new things!  Hard to believe that I would come up with something new out of "God created this and God created that", huh?  Well, first let me ask you, did you ever really think about the fact that God created light and darkness on one day without having created the sun, moon and stars?  He named them day and night and that was all He did that day. Let's go back one more step.  vs1 " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."  So earth existed at this point with nothing on it but water - and deep water at that!  The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters - for what reason?  Was He waiting for something to rise up out of the waters?  Perhaps he was hovering because it was such utter and complete darkness that He had to hover to try and see!  Of course, it could be that He was hovering because He was pondering what He was going to do first with this heavens and earth stuff He had begun.  I imagine He wasn't all to impressed with everything as of yet because it is not stated that He looked at the heavens and earth and saw that they were good like He did with all the other things he created later on.
After there had been enough hovering, "God said, "Let there be light" and there was light.  GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD, and he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light "day", and the darkness he called "night". And there was evening and there was morning - the first day." vs. 3-5   That's it.  No big pomp and circumstance or multitude of things created, just "Let there be light" and there was so we now have day and night and that's enough for today!  Kind of funny.  Did he make the sun and moon that day?  No, he saved that for another time. So this was also the creation of "time" in a sense for at this point we still have no idea how long a "day" was in God's time frame, as it could have been anything - hours, days, weeks.  Who knows!
The next day God separated water from water, which is interesting from a scientific perspective in that the water being referred to was in the sky and on the earth.  So perhaps this is where he created gravity, too!  Because land is not created on this day but only the separation of sky from the water body which was earth at this point.  And that was all he did on the second day (envision God stretching now).
The third day arrives with light and now God decides that perhaps the water should somehow be separated in and of itself so He says, ""Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let the dry ground appear." And it was so.  God called the dry ground "land", and the gathered waters he called "seas". And God saw that it was good."  The He got a little more energetic and decided to create some stuff to put on the dry ground, which you will note is dry now even after it had been submersed under water for who knows how long? What did he put on the land?  Seed-bearing plants and trees.  Plants that produced all types of fruits according to their various kinds and then "God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning - the third day."  Are you paying attention to how the day goes, by the way?  It's not morning and evening but rather evening and morning.  So God considered the night for the first part of the day and the day for the second part.  Sort of coinsides with the military clock, huh?
Kind of interesting how many things we have to think about in just the first 13 verses!  Now, I don't pretend to have all the answers and I don't want any of us to dwell on these questions but merely to consider them because  when we get to heaven, those of us who are born again, we will know what the angels know and have answers to the all the things we have wondered about.  And that will be soon enough! So, I'll leave you with that bunch of bites for today and will be back with more later:)

Compassion

I am working with an Adopt-A-Family ministry this Christmas and I am using my developed listening skills to hear what is not being said and filter out what I need to know from the stories that are spilled out.  Imagine being a mother of 6 children under age 10 and two of those children are mentally or physically challenged.  Then add to that, that the father left because he just couldn't take it anymore.  So here you are alone, no family, in the house with 6 kids 24 hours a day.  Unable to have a real job outside the home because you can't afford the special care needed for at least two of your children.  Is this someone who called and poured out a sob story to get help?  No.  Not in the least.  When I called her for a little more specific information as to ages on the children and such, she started sharing just small bits and pieces.  Tough life for her every day. She was glad to have someone to talk to for a few moments!

II Corinthians 1:3-4 says..."Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have recieved from God."

Just amazing.  We are comforted not to make us feel better about our situation, even though that is part of the outcome of being comforted, but rather we are comforted so that we in turn can comfort others....no matter what type of  trouble they are going through.  We are not comforted to comfort those who are only going through what we are going through, but just so that we can comfort in general.  When is the last time you comforted someone.  Have you steppped out of you own "comfort" zone to be a little uncomfortable and support or encourage a fellow human being?  It doesn't even have to be someone you know.  Perhaps they just need you to listen to them or perhaps they need you to stop and look them in the eye and just ask "Are you doing all right?".  How many times have you walked past someone in the store and they have that forelorn look or look so tired and stressed and you just quickly look away?  Sometimes a kind gesture can go a long way in inspiring someone else to encourage people.  I have a friend who will occaisionally pay for her groceries and leave an extra $5 or $10 for the next person in line or pay for the fast food order behind her.  You will never know how far that little gesture goes.  So amidst all the glitter and glamour, listen to the prodding of the Holy Spirit, those of you who are saved, and be a little more comforting in this season that is so hard on so many.  I guarantee your season will be much more joyful!

Proverbs

How many people do you know who love to read or live by Chinese proverbs?  Little quips of wisdom from someone at some point in time that others have adopted as life guides.  Morsels that inspire people to be better people, stronger people, more consistent, steadfast, diligent, etc.  Perhaps you have one or two "proverbs" of your own that you have hanging on a wall, refrigerator or mirror that you look at everday.  I have been reading the book of Proverbs written by King Solomon, who was the wisest man ever to live.  The first 9 chapters are written as an introduction.  He is directing his statements to his son as advice for life.  He states several times "Listen , my son, to your father's instruction." and "store up my commands within you...". 
You can catch the sense of urgency on the part of Solomon that his sons really remember and grasp onto what he has to say.  Perhaps he repeats it because we need to hear things several times before we remember them!  What a gold mine of practical points and poignate vision.  How many things in life have lasted as many generations as the Bible and remained as applicable in their gestation period as they are 3000 years later?  Take the challenge and read just one chapter a day out of Proverbs for the month and see how much you glean from this powerful book?

Complacent or Compassionate?

The book of Matthew is a great book.  Of course, I love the New Testament because it always seems to me to be the best part of the Bible and the most relatable to the events occurring in the modern day.  That is, of course, my opinion.  The Old Testament has wonderful stories and strong foundational truths as well so don't misunderstand me here, as I love the Bible in it's entirety! 

So we have lots of things that happen with Christ where He is healing the sick, the broken and the bruised and leading people to a saving knowledge of Himself.  The Pharisees are following Him and His disciples all around and watching their every move just ready to jump on them for the littlest thing!  They would have to have been otherwise how would they have known that the disciples had eaten some grain from the grain field on the Sabbath?! You  know anyone like that?  Jesus gives the disciples the ability to heal and drive out demons in His name and gives them the Holy Spirit to stay with them after He leaves the earth to return to His heavenly home and is continuously teaching them about compassion and love.  How awesome.

A repetitious act of compassion.  The spirit of a servant and yet the strength of a leader.  

 His example is that of kindness, empathy and compassion.  Is He accepting of the sinful situations He sees leaving them without instruction or reprimand?  No.  He is constructive.  He admonishes with loving words and reaches out to them where they are with compassion. 

Am I compassionate?  I mentally answered this with a "yes, but..." when first asked the question and then immediately realized my mistake.  Does Christ categorize His compassion or does He show compassion for those around Him without reserve?  It is no doubt without reserve.  Some of us have a higher level of sensitivity to our "compassion" button and some of us can be reduced to tears with a simple photograph.  As children of God we should all have some level of compassion in us and if we have squelched the emotion felt with that compassion for fear of being judged for our sensitivity, look again at Christs life starting in Matthew 9.  If the Holy Spirit dwells in you, as a child of God, then you should have compassion because it was part of who Christ was and is and always will be.  So next time you feel that twinge in your soul, think about what gifts you have that you could use to act on your compassion.  Are you an organizer, or a baker, or an artist, or a builder, or a nurse?  Whatever gifts you have whether a teacher, a servant, a leader, etc., how can you help those you are compassionate about?  Make it a matter of prayer.

The Ill-Tempered Wife

We all have a day when things just don't go the way we had planned.  Sometimes the schedule just doesn't flow as we had hope and other days unexpected "extras" occur and sometimes we just wake up perturbed for no other reason than we woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  I am impressed by how many times Solomon mentions the quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.  He mentions her more often than he guides the reader to obey and respect their mothers.  If we read Proverbs 21 there are two mentions in this chapter alone of the ill-tempered wife.  "Better to live on the corner of a roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife."  (vs. 9)  "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife." (vs. 19)

This leads me to wonder if Solomon had some challenges with one or several of the wives or concubines he kept.  I am convinced that he repeats this several times throughout the book because it was as predominant challenge in his own home life. Perhaps one day I will count the times it is written but for now I will just generalize.  I would venture to say that even Solomon in all his wisdom was no match for an ill-tempered wife. It is our job as women to make our homes a place of peace, refuge and comfort.  I know that it's not always possible and I realize that there are homes where that is a seemingly impossible task because of other members in the home who are perhaps abusive or ill-tempered for their own reasons, but the wife is structured to keep the home productive and happy.

So lets try to overstep the image of a nagging, quarrelsome or ill-tempered wife and make our homes more comfortable than the corner of a roof and more satisfying than a desert! 

Puffer Fish

It is hilarious to me how you can relate scripture and nature.  Think about the puffer fish.  Not very impressive when it is just floating along and minding its own business but don't let them think you're after them!  WOW!  They just fill up with water and look like a totally different animal.  Their ability to defend themselves hasn't change at all.  What they are going to eat that day hasn't changed.  Nothing about what they are has changed at all but because there was something around that made them feel threatened, they changed their outer appearance.

Well, I've been reading in Proverbs, one chapter a day, and then I have my little Daily Bread that I read out of as well.  I was really impressed with how the readings aligned today.  In I Corinthians 2  Paul is speaking about not puffing yourself up to be anything more than what you really are.  Don't use big words and fancy talk to impress people about your knowledge of the church - or anything for that matter - along with the wise words of Solomon.  Proverbs 19:20 says " Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise."  When you open your mouth about things you really have no knowledge about, you look foolish.  Also stated in Proverbs, even a fool can look wise if he keeps his mouth shut! (paraphrased) 

Proverbs 12:9 says it is "Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than to pretend to be somebody and have no food".   Paul never bragged about anything other than how he suffered for Christ.  He mentions in II Corinthians 10 that he speaks strongly in his letters but is unimpressive in person and "his speaking amounts to nothing".  He brags about his sufferings and how he has escaped those who want to kill or persecute him in chapters 11 and 12 and finally winds up his bragging in 12:10.  "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then am I strong." 

If Paul, one of the most highly recognized apostles and founder of the Christian church worldwide had nothing to brag about, why do we feel we need to?  Be who you are and be glad that Christ loves you for who you are in Him and not who you make yourself to be.

Proverbs 16:20 states "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord."

Don't be a Donkey

A Donkey?!  What do you mean exactly?

Well, a donkey is a pack animal in that it carries a load for its master.  We read in Matthew 11:25-30 that Christ is talking about how the wise don't understand this concept but that little children do.  "Come to me all you who are HEAVY LADEN and I will give you rest."  My husband and I had a discussion last evening that wound around to him sharing with me that he feels badly when I do not take the time to relax.  I work all day long and into the evening just like every other Mom and wife.  He showed concern that I burden myself and work myself to exhaustion and am not taking care of myself like he would like to see me doing.  I understand a little more all the time that he loves me and that is why it upsets him that I am not taking care of myself.  To a man that is a measure of how we, as women, love them.  If I don't take care of myself, I am not showing him I love him.  Additionally, God doesn't measure our performance and our worth by how busy we are all the time.  He commanded us to take a break one day a week and rest from our labor.  We should not evaluate each other by how busy we are.  I love that Christ values the mindset of a child so much, too.

As a child, when they are exhausted, they come to a parent and want to be carried.  They lay on our shoulders in complete submission and quietness.  Oblivious to what is transpiring around them.  We pick them up and all their baggage (toys, clothes, books,etc) that they were toting along with them and carry them without complaint to a place where they can rest.  That is what Christ wants to do for us.

I challenge you to take care of yourself.  Show your Heavenly Husband how much you love Him by taking the time to rest.  Let the child in you lay your head on the Father's shoulder and let Him carry you off to a place to rest and recharge.  Just think about how much more productive and blessed you will be after a good rest!