The Eclipse on August 21, 2017

My Bible reading schedule is to read at least one chapter a day going straight through from Genesis through Revelation and then starting over. It's funny how many times God plans it so I read something so relevant to what is going on in my life. Some would call it a coincidence but I know it is all in God's plan.

On the day of the eclipse, one of my Facebook friends reminded us that on the day Jesus died on the cross, there was three hours of darkness.  This was an awesome reminder of the power of God who created the sun and moon, and can control them.

A couple of days after the eclipse, I was again reminded of the power of God. In Joshua 10, God intervened and showed His power in a kind of opposite eclipse.  On that day Joshua was in battle with the evil Amorites. God made the sun shine for a full day so Joshua could continue his battle and defeat the Amorites.

So, God has the power to change the laws of nature. He can bring darkness in the middle of the day. He can bring sunshine for 24 hours. Our God is an awesome God with more power than we can imagine.

God Shuts the Door

Genesis 7:16  

The story of Noah is one of those Bible stories I have heard many times as a child and thought I knew all about it. Funny how I can read the Bible over many times and almost always find something I did not notice before that gives the story more deeper meaning and shows even more how awesome God is. I find it interesting to discover that Noah and his family actually entered the boat first and then the animals entered. In children's books there are illustrations showing Noah herding the animals into the ark when actually they went willingly which was God's will. Also an interesting point I missed earlier in my life (probably because I was relying on children's books rather than reading from the Bible) is that God himself shuts the door (Gen 7:16). Awesome!

Hannah's Answered Prayer

I Samuel

The story of Hannah in I Samuel is very special to me because I can relate so much to the answered prayer. Hannah grieved because she wanted a child and could not conceive. Her husband Elkanah tried to console her. She prayed for a child and made a promise to God. If He would give her a child, she would give that child back to God to serve in the temple. In time, God answered her prayer. Hannah and her husband Elkanah were blessed with a baby boy they named Samuel.

Hannah kept her promise. While Samuel was still very young, she took him to the temple to serve the Lord at Shiloh where he lived with Eli the priest. Every year, Hannah came to the temple with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice and every year brought Samuel a new robe. The Lord further blessed Hannah with three more sons and two daughters. What a wonderful example of answered prayer!

When my husband and I were ready to start a family, I was very impatient. It was eighteen long months before I was pregnant. During that waiting time, which seemed like forever to me, I became worried that there was something wrong and that I would not be able to have children. I remembered the story of Hannah, and it was a an inspiration to me. Like Hannah I prayed for a baby. I promised God that if he would give us children, I would do my very best to have those children in Sunday School every Sunday that was humanly possible.

In God's own time, not mine, He blessed us with five beautiful children. I kept my promise and took them to Sunday School. Our prayers are always answered, but I realize they are not always as we want them to be. However, this answered prayer was an awesome blessing to me. God is good all the time!

Don't Break a Bone

Exodus 12:46

Exodus 12 tells about God commanding the Israelites to put the blood of an unblemished lamb over the door posts of their homes so that the first born in each home will be spared and will not die if the blood of the lamb is over the door. This obviously is a parallel to being saved by the blood of Jesus. What I had not noticed before is what Exodus 12:46 further says about this lamb. God instructs the Israelites not to break the bones of the lamb. This is also like Jesus when he died on the cross; no bones were broken as told in John 20:32. So very awesome the way everything in God's Word fits together!

The Ten Commandments? Impossible!

Mark 10:17, Romans 3:20, Romans 3:23-24, Ephesians 2:8-9

When I have read the Ten Commandments earlier in life, I felt so hopeless because I knew I could not obey all of them all the time. Really, these rules are impossible for anyone to perfectly obey, right? I felt hopeless and wondered how I could be good enough to go to heaven. I had asked Jesus to be my personal Savior and forgive my sin, but even so, I was confused by the thought of obeying the Ten Commandments. In Mark 10:17, someone asks Jesus how they can have eternal life. Jesus answers by reminding that person of the Ten Commandments. This made me feel really bad and guilty. Then I realized that this concept that no one could ever obey the Ten Commandments was the whole point! We are supposed to try but will always fall short! A light bulb moment! The point was that we can't, and that is why we need Jesus! Romans 3:23-24 says all have sinned but are justified by His grace! Ephesians 2:8-9 says we are saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves. How comforting this is!

Most Awesome Book in the Universe

Have you ever read Edgar Allen Poe's story, The Purloined Letter? In this famous mystery, a man is frantically looking for the original copy of an extremely important letter. He uses every possible means to find that letter, tearing up carpet, walls, furniture; and using scientific equipment to search. Finally, the letter is found, cleverly placed where no one would have suspected, right out in plain sight in the living room.

While God does not purposely hide His precious Word, the mysterious letter in this story makes me think of the Bible. I guess we just can't believe it could be that easy and obvious to find the answers to major life questions. For centuries, all over the world, people have searched for answers to the mysteries of life. People buy self-improvement books to help them live a more productive life. Who doesn't fear death and have questions about it?

The answers to all these mysteries of life are in a Book that might be in your living room right now in plain sight, but you don't realize what is beneath that book cover.  Don't take my word for it, read it yourself and find out.  

Always Something New and Relevant

Every time I read the Bible, I notice details that I do not remember reading previously. There is always something new to find in God's Word. I decided to start recording these thoughts on my Bible reading. A lifetime of reading would not result in mastering this amazing book. My reading and understanding are not very deep or professional but the important thing is to read regularly and God will guide. My thoughts are in no particular order, just whatever is on my mind.