January 15 - 21st

Just some thoughts of mine from the daily readings.

Jan 15

• Genesis 31: Rachel stole her father's household idols. This is one other difference that set Lot's family and heirs apart from Abraham's. Not only did they speak a different language, they worshiped different gods. Funny, I thought, how adamant Isaac was about not having Jacob marry a Canaanite woman, yet I would argue that Rachel might not have been much of an improvement.
• Matthew 10:35 - Jesus comes "not to bring peace, but a sword". He sets people apart from each other: those who follow Him and those who don't. We who follow need to be willing to lose ourselves completely to Him.

Jan 16

• Gen 32 - Seems that time can heal relationships, at least to the point of civility. Jacob and Esau were never going to be best friends, but at least they weren't trying to kill each other anymore.
  The story of Dinah is horrifying in so many ways: rape of a young woman, the vengeance and bloodthirst of her brother and the way an entire village is slaughtered because of it.


• Psalm 14 - Fools say in their hearts, "There is no God".
• Prov. 3: The foundation of the world and all creation is wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Humans are preprogrammed, if you will, with a need to know things. It comes from the very nature of the One in whose Image we are created.

Jan 17

• Psalm 15 - what a great list of behaviors of righteous persons

Jan 18

• Genesis: Judah's sons were wicked and God killed each of them. Judah didn't do the right thing by Tamar and ended up treating her as a prostitute. What an ugly story, yet one of the twins born to them is in the lineage of Jesus.
• Matthew - This verse seems to put an interesting "ranking" on two members of the Trinity. Why would blaspheming against the Son of Man (Jesus) be forgiven, but not blaspheming the Holy Spirit?
• Proverbs - "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it and it is in your power to give." Is this a comment on not judging others, or the fact that nothing you have is yours? Or both?

Jan 19

• Genesis - The Lord was with Joseph in prison. Powerful.

Jan 21-21

• Genesis - Think of all the years that Jacob's sons lied to him! What a load of guilt they must have carried.
• Matthew - comments, I believe, on how blessed they would be if many of the religious leaders of the day would come to follow Jesus. They are a wealth of understanding and knowledge, which we see from Proverbs is a blessing to have! Secondly, I found it interesting that later on it says that 'He did few miracles because of their unbelief'. How many miracles do I miss because I didn't believe they would happen?