Questioning what God has said or done...it's not a new thing.

The series showing on television recently has stirred a lot of questions. More than once I’ve been asked about things acted out in this dramatic series.

Since God said ‘do not kill’ in His list of commandments, why then did he TELL the Israelites to kill. Not only to kill, but to kill EVERYONE.

Does God still make bad things happen to us when we disobey?
Why would God send a child and its mother out into a desert?
Why would God make a baby die just because it's parent had done something wrong?




When we sin, does God make bad things happen to us…..Let’s go back to the beginning.

God created.
God instructed. (do not choose knowledge of evil)
Humans chose to know evil. (sin)
God had already explained the consequences of choosing to know evil.
Humans chose to know it anyway.
God asked questions, giving the humans opportunity to confess.
Humans hid. And blamed. Sin was a reality and death entered our story.

　

As a result of the choosing to know evil, everything had changed. To protect the humans from being eternally in the state they had now become, God banished them from the home He had prepared for them, keeping them from the Tree of Life lest they be caught up into eternity in the sinful state they had now become.

And then the redemption story unfolds. Thousands of years, thousands of characters….. some of them portrayed on this television drama.

I’ve watched some of it, some is still waiting on our DVR. There have been some things that raised my brow, a LOT of things left out…but it is a HUGE story. HUGE.

　

　

We are quick to ask ‘why’. My most frequent question is ‘what if’.

What if God hadn’t sent Ishmael away? Would he have gotten even more taunting with his little half brother? Would he have interfered in the lineage of the Messiah, a direct descendant of Isaac?

What if the armies had obeyed God and destroyed every living person in the enemy city? Would there be peace in the middle east today?

Why? I don’t have all the answers.

What I do have is enough information about the character and nature of the God I serve to trust Him. What He says, He says for reasons that involve the welfare of humanity. Whether I can understand it, or whether I never see the sense of it.

God is not mean and nasty. He is the very reason you exist and have a mind to read and reason this post.

The enemy of our souls will use every opportunity to cause doubt and tempt us to question God. His method of operation is the same today as it was in the beginning. Let us not allow that devil to twist truth and sully our trust in the very God Who created us, breathed life into us, and worked throughout the ages to bring about salvation.

Yes, bad things came to those who were not obedient to God in the pages of Old Testament scripture stories. Yes, God Himself made some of those things happen….things that look so very bad to us.

And make no mistake, bad things will happen to those who do not have Someone Who will intercept that punishment, taking it Himself instead.

Hallelujah. What a Savior.

If you want to know why, ask Him.

And if you find yourself lacking in understanding of the story of humanity as revealed to us in scripture, I strongly suggest you find a Bible translation that you understand and read it.  Prayerfully and expectantly. He promises that when we really want to find Him, He will be found.  (Jeremiah 29:13-14) 

 




  
 

I have a favorite new pen..

I don't know what it is about writing instruments that is so interesting.  I seem to constantly be buying pens and pencils.  Searching for juuuuust the right one I guess.

It seems that when I find a 'favorite' I lose it.  (...or somebody swipes it!)

A few months ago I bought yet another 'erasable' pen.  I've wasted a lot of money on so called erasable pens.  The eraser only smears, or worse, ruins the paper. But this one works ! 

But it only works with the eraser on the pen.  My big old pink thing won't work. 




I've been accused of spiritualizing everything.  Tonight, it's my erasable pens.

I'm thankful to have found them, they make my appointment book easier to keep neat.

And I'm thankful for the erasing power of Christ's blood.  I'm thankful for that One Eraser that effectively removes the mistakes I make.

"He has removed my sins as far from me as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:12 personalized by me)

Personalized from Psalm 103, "I desire to praise Him with an undivided heart. May I never forget the good things He has done for me.  He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He fills my life with good things.  He revealed His character to Moses, to the people of Israel, and to me.   He remembers how weak I am and knows that I am only dust without His Breath of life.  The Lord has made the heavens His throne, and from there He rules and reigns."

.....and erases my mistakes. 

Hallelujah.