Multiplied Sorrow...

I've wrestled many times with it.

"I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children.."(Genesis 3:16)

What does that mean? 

There is no question that childbirth is painful. Modern medicine helps, but it is still a difficult process at best. 

But I think this Word from God is more far reaching than just pushing an infant thru the birth canal.  That is painful, but sorrowful???

I think the sorrow comes when we see those children wrestle thru their own struggles.  And we are powerless to help. 

I think the sorrow comes when we witness them learning from their own mistakes, from their own choices of picking the fruit of knowledge of good AND evil, and experiencing the consequences of poor choices.

I think the sorrow increases as we grow older and see our world and culture change, growing further and further away from what we knew, often further from God and His will for us.

I still don't fathom the extent of this pronounced judgment of God for rebellion and sin.  But I know enough about the character and nature of my Father God to know that His grace, love, and mercy exists even in it.

There is pain in childbearing. 
There is suffering in raising them.
There is sorrow in training, teaching, and then releasing them into a world that is hostile.

But the blessings are there in abundance.  And He is there every step of the way.

Hallelujah. 

Why is work work?

I've said it myself.  "That's why it's called work."

 

When someone is complaining about how hard their job is, or that they don't like it...I've said it to them.

 

Work is work.  But it was not always so.

"LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

(Genesis 2:15) 

 

The whole of creation was complete, the place prepared, man was created, and placed in it with purpose.  "Man, take care of this place."

It was only after the disobedience that work became hard. 
 

Work is hard, and it is often unpleasant. But I believe that God gives pleasure to us in it when we have a right attitude. Even though God said,  "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground"(Genesis 3:19), He rewards honest hard work.

Mankind was created and designed to work. It was to be a pleasant thing, the outcome of his efforts mandated by Creator God Himself. 

It is still so.  Life is a struggle. It can be literally a struggle for survival, and certainly a battle against an environment that fights in the opposite direction.  It is a battle against a world where evil is present, and always reluctant to return any ground it has gained.

So we work.  And we fight against the evil that is present, submitting ourselves in our work to the God Who created us and loves us so.... 

What would You have me do today Lord?  Will You wipe the sweat from my brow as I toil today, and will You bless the work of my hands as I give You thanks for the outcome....

Suitably social.....

 

While I don't consider us anti-social, neither do I consider us to be a really social family.  We have never partied much, or had lots of company.  We don't go out with other people a lot.  We do have friends, and we care deeply for them, helping them when help is needed etc. But the bottom line...it is just us.

 

Me, my spouse, and our children.

 

I know others who have a house full of people regularly. They enjoy the chatter and busyness. We can too occasionally.  We might even be found exercising our humor and entertaining the room at the next church potluck !  

 

But to whatever degree, we are all social.  God said it.  So it is.

 

"It is not good for man to be alone..." (Genesiss 2:18)

 

 

 

Every animal Adam named had a mate. They had purpose. "Be fruitful and multiply.."(Genesis 1:22)

(...it takes male and female to do that.)

 

Oh I suppose the woman was needed for procreation, God's creative design for life after all, is male and female. But God spoke and it became so once again, just as He spoke every other thing into reality. "It is not good for man to be alone, I will make a helper for him." (Genesis 2:18)

We may not be social butterflies, but we are not alone.  And it is good. 

In the beginning..

A beginning is defined as a point in time or space at which something started.  I started blogging over ten years ago. (...incredible to think it's been that long !! )

It is the eve of a beginning.  The beginning of the year 2013. 

The year ahead is not certain.  But it is certain that the days we have ahead of us are yet to be written.  Choices are yet to be made. One choice at a time, one moment at a time.

"In the beginning.....God created..." (Genesis 1:1)

We certainly are not gods, and we don't have the supernatural creative power of God, but we have power. We have the power of our own choices, power of our own will.

"In the beginning" of 2013, our future is "..formless and empty.."(Gen. 1:2)

The Spirit of God is still '..hovering". (Gen. 1:2)

God's Spirit was actively involved in the beginning. God's care and protection is still active.  He is the same now as in the beginning.  He was sovereign 'in the beginning' and He is sovereign now.



"When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground."(Psalm 104:30)

"....if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.... as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)

It is a beginning. In 2013, may we all find ourselves hovered over by our Creator God, creating and bring new life into the deep dark places, bringing life and light.....

He is able. 
 

Happy New Year