Ah, my Lord, you love me when I feel unloved and unlovable. You are patient with me when I am not patient with myself or anyone else. You continue to work when I give up and quit. You forgive when I sin. You never stop. You are always working to preserve my soul long enough to join you in heaven. You want your children to be gathered around you. I want that too. Give a strong vision of that to my soul so I can extol your love, your patience, your work, and your mercy forever.
You came back to life, Jesus. It was on a morning so long ago. You defied nature, confronted Satan, and filled the angels with awe. You actually returned to your body and proved to this world and all other worlds it was possible. You made it possible for me too. In the blink of an eye, it will happen to me. Someday. I cannot even begin to thank you for all this and heaven too.
The scripture for today, November 22 (11/22), is Genesis 11:22 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor. And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.”
How can it be that people could live so long in the early centuries of the world? Isn’t that stretching things a bit? Isn’t it just folklore? Here’s more.
Noah had his first son at age 502 (Genesis 5:32, 11:10). Noah lived a total of 950 years (Genesis 9:29). Noah’s son, Shem, had his first son at age 100 and lived a total of 600 years (Genesis 11:10-11). Now we have Serug, the 7th-generation grandson of Noah, who had his first son at age 30 and lived a total of 230 years (see above).
Do you see the trend downward of ages after the flood? Most of Noah’s life was lived before the flood. Some of Shem’s life was lived before, but most of it was after the flood. All of Serug’s life was after the flood.
Many scientists believe that the earth originally had a constant cloud covering like the planet Venus does. Genesis 2:5-6 says it had not rained yet, but a mist rose to water everything. The King James Version of the Bible regarding the flood in Genesis 7:11 says the windows of heaven were opened. Genesis 8:2 says the windows of heaven were stopped.
Notice, it did not say the windows of heaven were closed; they were just stopped, meaning it could rain again periodically after that. If indeed, Earth did have a constant thick cloud covering before the flood, then humans would have been protected from radiation from the sun, and therefore could live longer. After the change in Earth’s atmosphere after the flood, humans being exposed to more radiation would have lived shorter lives.
Something to think about…. And, one more thought ~ rainbows wouldn’t be possible with a constant cloud covering. The flood brought us rainbows! (Genesis 9:13)
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I stood on the greatest philosophy I have ever encountered and basked in its brilliance. But I fell. I stood on patriotism for the best place to live on earth and savored its opportunities. But I fell. I stood on equal rights around the world, defending the underdog everywhere. But I fell. I stood on Christ, God in bodily form, and, and, and… I stood tall and strong. Nothing could interfere or change or destroy. Ah, Lord Jesus, you are my solid rock. Everything else is quicksand. On you I will stand for eternity for you are the majestic wholeness of all that exists now and forever.
Thank you for daytime and night. In the night I am forced to stop whatever I am doing and rest. You made my body to need it. It cannot go on indefinitely. And my body influences my mind. Without enough rest, I cannot think clearly. And so, as the sun sets, I slow down until I recognize my tiredness. Night time is precious. Then there is morning. I wake up with the sun and hear the birds happily singing outside my window. A new day of starting over fresh. A day of new beginnings and second chances. Thank you, Lord, for daytime and night.
The scripture for today, November 21 (11/21), is Acts 11:21 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.”
What had just happened? Some Christians in Phoenecia (today’s Lebanon), Cyprus (the Mediterranean Island) and Cyrene (in today’s North Africa), went to Antioch, a city in Northern Syria near the southern border of today’s Turkey. There they established a congregation.
This little congregation ended up being the home congregation of Paul and Barnabas for many years. It started small; we don’t know the size it grew to. Regardless of the size, it had foresight and eventually did great things.
Perhaps you live in a town full of churches, but you’ve compared them with the New Testament, and none of them follows that pattern. Perhaps you have even given up going to church because of this problem. What is stopping you from beginning a little congregation after the New Testament pattern in your home?
New Testament churches were simple ~ not elaborate like those mega-churches out there. And those simple churches have always been dynamic in their simplicity. Who knows but that your new little congregation will someday produce a Paul or a Barnabas….
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How can you be so patient, God, when we are so set in our ways? You’ve told us over and over what things are sin but we do them anyway. It doesn’t even occur to us that we are hurting you, our Father, and shaming you. It doesn’t even occur to us that Satan is laughing the whole time because we have believed his lies instead of your truths. Though you agonize for us, you love us still. I cannot begin to comprehend such patient love.
Thank you, Lord, for a warm house on these cold days, bright lamps on these dark days, colorful furniture on these bleak days, food on these barren days. Thank you for rescuing me from illnesses, moodiness, danger on the street and icy paths. Thank you for allowing me to stop and rest sometimes and holding my spirit in your strong, yet, gentle arms until my soul sees the sunrise.
The scripture for today, November 20 (11/20), is Hebrews 11:20ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons….By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.”
Do you have children that were loving and good when they were young, but when they became older, they changed? Do you sometimes wonder, “How could I have gone so wrong with my children?” True, they have free will. But do you feel like a failure because your children did not turn out the way you had hoped and prayed?
Have faith ~ the faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Isaac blessed his sons with his land, even though he did not yet own the land. Jacob blessed his sons with power, even though they did yet not have power. Joseph blessed his sons and his brothers’ sons with the land, yet they no longer lived there.
Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all blessed their children with something they believed would happen someday, even though the evidence was not there. Why? Because they had faith in their children? Actually, it was mostly because they had faith in God. They had faith in what God would do for their children.
Don’t give up. Keep trusting God. Never stop having faith in what God (even after we die) will (not can, but will) do for your children.
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