Friday, March 09, 2007

Deuteronomy 10 -12; Mark 16

As I’m driving to work, wrestling with Grace and forgiveness….. if I lived my whole life in survival mode and Jesus saved me……what now?? What about all the people I pushed under to save myself?? Do I just LIVE and LOVE in the GRACE now?? I don’t know what to do with all this realization of what my struggle to survive did to others……

Dueteronomy 10: 12 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

That hasn’t changed….to walk in all his ways???? He was about love and forgiveness…not worry about being loved and forgiven by anyone but Him….but in His love and forgiveness…LOVE AND FORGIVE…that doesn’t change…..simple and so hard..


To oversimplify…the whole of this 3 chapters is God saying do this and then……not arbitrarily laying down stuff but all of it will bring us closer to Him….all of it would bring them closer to Him would help them remain in Him…..He just wanted them you know and He wants us the same?? He just wanted to be FIRST….from the very beginning He desired to be first to us……how disappointed He must have been….He must be……how broken hearted He must be…..

And still another chance….Jesus crucified…Jesus son of God….crucified for us to be forgiven….the perfect sacrifice for all of our sins…..the good news He didn’t just die…He rose again….

Mark 16: 9-11[After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared early on Sunday morning to Mary Magdalene, whom he had delivered from seven demons. She went to his former companions, now weeping and carrying on, and told them. When they heard her report that she had seen him alive and well, they didn't believe her.
12-13 Later he appeared, but in a different form, to two of them out walking in the countryside. They went back and told the rest, but they weren't believed either.
14-16 Still later, as the Eleven were eating supper, he appeared and took them to task most severely for their stubborn unbelief, refusing to believe those who had seen him raised up. Then he said, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all. Whoever believes and is baptized is saved; whoever refuses to believe is damned.
17-18 "These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well."
19-20 Then the Master Jesus, after briefing them, was taken up to heaven, and he sat down beside God in the place of honor. And the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.]

5 comments:

Bar L. said...

Another great post. I have often wondered about the people that I have hurt in my life and how to deal with that now - but soon (since I am working the 12 Steps) I will be going to some of them and saying I'm sorry and asking for forgiveness. Ugh. Tell me how much I'm looking forward to that!!! BUT I am looking forward to the outcome, the healing, the humility, the growth.

This really got me:
"He just wanted them you know and He wants us the same?? He just wanted to be FIRST….from the very beginning He desired to be first to us……how disappointed He must have been….He must be……how broken hearted He must be….."

Jada's Gigi said...

Amen! no amount of death has much value without the resurrection...thank God for the power of resurrection!

Robert said...

sometimes the hardest things to see are what is right in front of us you know becky???? I told barbara the other night all of us who seek to be community online 9and that could actually become a HUGE amount) might consider posting prayer requests we want specifically prayed for and answered. One time a week. same request and as many as choose to pray openly for that request and an answer maybe the answer is no or wait just a thought i had so thankful to have met you on the journey becky

TR said...

bjk -

Great Scriptural devotions. This is similar to what I'm trying to do on my church website. If you want to check it out, see http://god4today.blogspot.com

MaryAnn Mease said...

what to do about the guilt of having hurt others while you were "surviving"?

remember...Jesus was there for them in that too. and will be faithful to walk them thru to the Healing that He paid for.

and yes, His death would not mean as much without the RESURRECTION!

Victory...paid in full....