Matthew 2:11 They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I think it’s funny that Jesus is always shown as a little baby in pictures with the wise men. If the star appeared when He was born, then He was about 2 years old. I have a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old, and let me tell you… those painters should have painted Jesus running around playing instead of sitting quietly on Mary’s lap! Granted, He was God, so maybe He knew that He should be still and thank the nice wise men for his gifts, but I can just see Him stopping what He was doing and looking at the gifts, then at his mother, and then at the wise men, raising his eyebrows and going back to his games. Gold, frankincense and myrrh? Dude I’m a 2-year-old boy! Can I have a truck? (Yes, I know they didn’t have trucks back then) But, then again, since He was perfect, maybe He politely jabbered some nonsense (unless He was also linguistically advanced), smiled and sat like a good boy until they left. It’s kind of funny to think of God as a 2-year-old. Granted, since He was perfect and sinless, He probably behaved quite a bit better than my 2-year-old, but I think He was still a little boy who wanted to do little boy things and wrestle with his dad and touch every, every tool on the workbench – twice! It gives some humanity to His deity. It also helps me remember that He really did experience a lot of the things that we, as humans, experienced. I know I normally think of his experiencing human things as something that happened as an adult, but I wonder if Jesus ever had a crush on a girl? Or did a girl ever have a crush on Him, and He has to politely and kindly let her know He just wasn’t interested… What must it have been like to have a been 10 and known the thoughts and feelings of everyone around you? Or maybe that was something that came up gradually. Who knows. It’s an interesting thought to me, though. Okay, enough rambling. There are the random things I think about at 5am.
Well, I’m in Micah. I really don’t have much to say… Of course, it’s hard to think or read or do anything when I have little ones who don’t understand the concept of Daylight Savings Time and keep trying to get up and out of bed at 4am and 5am. So, every 15 minutes or so a little body opens the bedroom door and peeks out hoping it’s time to get up… which it isn’t. Then there are tears when I put both littles back into bed and remind them that I’ll get them up in a little while. Sigh. Whoever invented Daylight Savings Time should have to take care of the children in the morning! Any chance of stopping this practice (yes, I realize that when we did more farming there was a purpose for it… but I haven’t farmed, well, ever…)? Oh and one more thought… never tell a parent, “aren’t you glad you get an extra hour of sleep?” We might lash out because we are sleep deprived, and just because a clock says it’s an hour earlier doesn’t mean that our children will believe it! Well, that wasn’t much commentary on Micah, but there it is… my morning in a nutshell! Have a beautiful day (if you’re in Florida, enjoy the 89 degree weather in November – sheesh!)!
Jonah 3:17 When God saw that they had put a stop to their evil ways, he had mercy on them and didn’t carry out the destruction he had threatened. I think this is the essential message of the Gospels, here in the Old Testament. People repent and God has mercy. God doesn’t want to punish people. He just wants us to realize that our way is wrong and follow His way which is better. He wants to show mercy. It’s like with my children. I want them to be obedient and I want to be merciful because I really don’t like having to discipline them. I know it’s necessary because if they don’t obey, they could get hurt. And on that note, Mr. G is up and about….
Hosea 1-2 God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute so he can be a living example of what Israel had done to God. God also asks Hosea to have children with his wife and to name them names that mean “Not loved” and “Not my people” (1:6, 9). Those are harsh names for children! Even though they are symbolic, it would hurt to be named “not loved.” Especially in a time when a name was very symbolic and important. I wonder how those children turned out. I know that God has a purpose and loves all His children, even these, but sometimes it seems very unkind to use children as symbolism in this way (not to mention how hard it must have been for Hosea to know his wife was openly sleeping around behind his back). I suppose that in the grand scheme of things it’s not much and God’s ultimate plan trumps our comfort. But it is still hard to fathom.
Ezekial 18:21-23 But if the wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my laws and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten and they will live because of the righteous things they have done. Do you think, asks the Sovereign Lord, that I like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. This is the very crux of Christianity. Jesus came that we might LIVE! He doesn’t want to see His children die, but as a just God He can’t ignore it. However, if those children turn away from their wicked ways and obey God, then all the things they’ve done in the past will be wiped out and forgotten (not just forgiven). It’s a good thing that God loves us so much! I love that He has wiped out and forgotten my past. He wants us to live. He’s gone to great lengths to ensure that we can live. Why do you think He gave Israel so many chances to turn and get it right? Yes, He’s just, but He loves His children. It’s like when my children do something they shouldn’t (like using the table as a springboard to jump onto the couch). My inclination is to warn them, warn them, warn them, and finally I have to punish them. I don’t like seeing them upset, but if they don’t heed my warning and directly disobey, that’s bad, too, because they could get hurt. I think God’s like that with us. He gives lots of warning, but eventually He has to punish us (usually to keep us from hurting ourselves or others, and to remind us that what we’re doing is wrong). However, like I said, if my little ones stop trying to be superman off the table and onto the couch, then we move on. I don’t add up the different things they do wrong or punish them for something they did a while ago after they do something else. It doesn’t add up. They turned from what they were doing and obeyed. I forget about what they did and we move on together. Yeah God!
My children have been getting up with me at 5:00 am, so my time to spend in God’s Word has been greatly shortened (read: almost eliminated). But, here are a few small treasures that I’ve found in the last few days from sermons or other places. Our church is doing a “God Is” sermon series this summer and Pastor Ed, our children’s minister, did a great sermon on the 4th of July about how God is Freedom. One of his points was that “Christ grants us Freedom from our present situations.” This made me think about my current situations and it brought home the point that I need to surrender this present situation to Christ. I need to stop struggling and trying to find a way out. I need to find the grace and peace that Christ gives in this situation. It’s like snuggling up with a cozy blanket. Stop squirming, snuggle in, find peace where I am, and trust that God has it under control and will work out the details in His time and way. I was listening to Moody Radio yesterday and the lady was talking about a lesson her daughter had taught her because she had been taught Biblical truths as a child. As a parent it’s really easy to imagine horrible things happening to your child and worrying about them all the time. But worry isn’t trust. This woman’s daughter reminded her that God has numbered her days and that nothing can happen to her that isn’t part of God’s plan or that hasn’t gone through the filter of His hand. I like that. There are times when I find the enemy of our souls pushing me towards that place of worry and imagination and this helps me to stop, trust God, and remember that He loves my little ones much more than I ever could and nothing will happen to them that He hasn’t allowed. That’s a comfort! On a podcast from Northpointe Church in Atlanta, Andy Stanley said that “Direction determines Destination.” Often we think that the choices we make only affect the situation we are currently in. For example, I want to marry a Godly guy who treats me well, so I’ll go out with any guy who asks me. Choices aren’t a one time thing. Choices are paths and the paths we choose have destination that are pre-determined. If you choose to date anyone who asks you out, you’ll probably end up with a guy who doesn’t meet those standards you once held dear. The things that catch our attention, catch our eyes, and turn our head. Like in driving, if you turn your head you’re likely to turn your car. So, it’s important to watch the things that we give attention to and the choices we make. Otherwise we’ll end up on path we didn’t want going in a direction we didn’t intend towards a destination we had no intention of going toward. Like he said, no matter how much you intend and plan on a trip to Florida, if you take I-75 North, you’ll never get there! So, there are a few things I’ve learned, that have stuck with me the last few days. Hope they stick with you, too.
In Numbers 16 it tells the story of Korah and his followers who rebelled against Aaron and Moses and, ultimately, against God. Korah was a Levite, which meant that he served God by serving the Tabernacle. He was mad because he wasn’t an actual priest (only the descendants of Aaron could be priests). So he led a rebellion against Aaron and Moses. Unfortunately for him, it led to his death and the death of his family and followers. The earth actually opened up, swallowed them all, and then closed back up around them. Now, you’d think, having seen that (sounds terrifying), the Israelites would decide that God was pretty powerful and that if He said something, it was the right thing. I’d also think they’d connect the dots and realize that Korah and his followers pushed God, and God punished their sins. But no, they blamed Moses and Aaron for the actions and deaths of Korah and his followers (as if Moses had made the earth open up!). For the second time in about as many days, God told Moses and Aaron to get away from the people so He could wipe them out. And for the second time, they interceded on the people’s behalf (despite the people’s words and actions against them). Instead God sent a plague which killed 14,700 people! It probably would have killed more if Aaron hadn’t followed Moses’ instructions to take the incense burner out among the people to make atonement for them. The Israelites failed to fear the wisdom and will of God. They grumbled against His chosen leaders and questioned not only his decrees, but also His ability to do anything about their willfulness. I’m like that a lot, I think. I see the power that God has, His ability to do anything, His promises fulfilled, and the wisdom of His way, and then I turn around and question Him about something else that I don’t understand or don’t like. It’s a miracle that God is so patient! I suppose though, that as His child He looks at me and sees Jesus instead of my filth and continued sinfulness. No matter how many times my sons question me or ignore my instructions or get disciplined, I love them, adore them, and would do anything I could to make them safe and happy. And that’s how God sees me. I may have consequences to my choices, but because of the Jesus and His sacrifice for me, I am a child of God and He loves me passionately, forgiving me over and over, loving me more and more. I am well and truly blessed to have that kind of relationship with my Heavenly Father. I am very thankful I didn’t live before Jesus came!