Genesis 28-31

Theme: Scheming, deception, and disobedience to God. Jacobs life was like a soap opera. It probably was inherited from his mother Rebekah who taught him well with the birthright deception episode. It's funny that Jacob, the second born, stole Esau's birthright and then when he worked 7 years for Rachel, the second born, he had to instead marry Leah, the oldest. He was deceived by Laban. He still got Rachel but at the cost of 7 more years. It very much runs in the family. Then Jacob practices deception against Laban concerning his cattle when he leaves. It seems Rachel was practicing idolatry by stealing Laban's idols. And since they were his idols he must have also been involved in idolatry. In spite of all this God was still faithful and kept his promises to Jacob. I think we see this same sort of thing today in our political arena. But to be honest I think we're all guilty of it at some level. May we repent and pray to God for a pure heart and pure motives in all our affairs.

Genesis 28-31

Knowing the whole story helps me to understand more and more that God's ways are not my ways and that I need to be faithful as Jacob was.  Really? 7 years to wait for his wife, then to get tricked and wait another 7 years?  Let alone the time tending sheep, working for his father in law who continues to cheat.  God spoke to Jacob and Jacob knew that God had been with him.  If it had happened any other way, the rest of the story would have been different.   We are not in charge but we can delay God's blessings and even forgo them should we choose.  God's purpose will be done.  I am trying to learn patience, perseverance, forgiveness, and faithfulness.  These chapters help.  I will continue to listen for God's voice and in the mean time I will continue to tend His sheep until He diverts me to another of His tasks.  I am just a sojourner on my way home and will gather my spotted and striped sheep as God gives them.  Love this stuff.   Just returned from a blessing with the grandkids and the celebration of 28yrs with Jessica.  Just a taste of the blessings from our Lord.  

Job 13,14

Sounds to me like Job is yearning for a Savior. 14:14 "Can the dead live again? If so this would give me hope."

Psalm 18-20

Psalm 19 - Here's a paraphrase of what I hear Psalm 19 telling me today: The heavens speak to us and speak to God's glory. The sunrise and the day speak to us. The nighttime speaks to us and reveals Him. All languages and peoples hear these things. We will never be able to say when we stand face to face with Him that we didn't know. We will have no excuse.

Judges 7-11 Gideon

After winning a great victory, we must always beware of the temptation to sin, for Satan attacks us subtly when we least expect it. The nation asked Gideon to become their king and to establish a dynasty; but this he refused. “The Lord shall rule over you!” However, Gideon used this opportunity to ask for “a lesser thing”—all their earrings and ornaments. This seemed like a fitting gift for a great deliverer, but keep in mind that these golden trinkets were associated with idol worship. Ornaments in v. 21 is actually “crescents”; these items were connected with moon-worship. Read Gen. 35:1–4 for the association between earrings and idolatry.
Gideon made an idolatrous “ephod” (or image) with the seventy pounds of gold he collected. What the Midianites could not do by means of swords, Satan accomplished with earrings. (Wiersbe)

Genesis 24-27

Genesis 25 - Esau
The natural man values only what he can see and puts no value on the things of God. Many despise their birthright as sons of God because it is a spiritual thing, of value only as there is faith to apprehend it.
Esau is a type of the man of the earth, Heb. 12:16, 17. In many respects a nobler man than Jacob, yet the fact that he was destitute of faith caused him to despise his birthright. God’s choice of His children does not depend on their character, but their faith.

Romans 13,14

Chapter 14: one of the topics of Romans 14 deals with the problem of questionable things in the Christian life and what to do when sincere Christians disagree about personal practices. Paul recognizes that in each local church there are mature believers (“We that are strong,” 15:1) as well as immature (“him that is weak in faith,” 14:1), and that these two groups may disagree on how the Christian is to live. The Jewish Christians might want to cling to special holy days and OT dietary laws, while the Gentile believers might turn their Christian liberty into license and offend their Jewish brothers and sisters. Many Christians have the false notion that extreme legalism (observing days and diets) shows strong faith, but Paul states that just the opposite is true! It is the Christian that is mature in the faith who recognizes the truths found in Col. 2:18–23.

Just read Dan's post and I would also like to encourage your thoughts on God's Word. I am an old guy but I'm still a baby in my Christian walk. I'm only eight years old. I didn't have great mentors in my life when I was young and I realize now what I missed by being worldly and self willed and not in God's Word. Don't miss this great opportunity for spiritual growth.