Odds and Ends!

What a week it has been!

How are you doing?

I keep coming across these "continually" verses in the Bible - I think I spoke about one on Tuesday.

In today's Psalm reading (I am doing the read through the Bible in a year plan), the psalmist had spoken of his own foolishness and mistakes, but goes on in 73:23 to say to God,

Nevertheless, I am continually with YOU, You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

CONTINUALLY!  If I ever get a third tattoo, yes I have two! It will have the word "continually" in Aramaic.  (It is the third Bible language and I already have a word in Hebrew and a word in Greek!) But more on that another day.

Also in my readings today was the two verses in Mark that describe how Jesus experienced his 40 days. 

Mark 1: 12-13

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Before we get to Easter I am going take us into those temptations and explore how we all are lured in.

I realized that part of my melt down this week was that I was in a vulnerable moment and that old tempter got to me.....and I began to doubt things that I shouldn't have!

But walking through it was like a purification, a bit more of circumcism of my heart! 

Speaking of which...

I wanted to be done with that topic, it is rather uncomfortable you know.

BUT THEN IN MY OLD TESTAMENT READING TODAY,  in Joshua 5 the entire NATION OF ISRAEL, well you know all of the men:  HAD TO BE CIRCUMCISED!

NO WAY!

Yep, read it!

In Joshua 5:2  At that time (they had just buried Moses and did purification and crossed the Jordan into the plains of Jericho) the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time."  

FLINT KNIVES,

OH NO!

NOT THAT AGAIN......

 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. ⁹ Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal^[d] to this day.
¹⁰ Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. ¹² Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year





Verse 5-7 gives further understanding as to why God had to command this...

For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. ⁶ For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”^{[c] 7} Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

I was hurting for Abraham and his household of men.

But now thousands, hundreds of thousands....


OUCH!

But did you see why it had to be done?

When they led Egypt, they had neglected to carry on with this practice of circumcising the male sons.
 
The scripture says the older generation was CONSUMED - because they did not obey the Lord.

So in OBEDIENCE, Joshua circumcised the sons.

OUCH!

Getting back to our hearts -

Sometimes we neglect the small trimmings of our hearts that help us unclutter them.  Daily time in Scripture, praying, acts of kindness to others, refraining from sin and temptation:  All these practices help us trim our hearts....

But then we get into a desert of disobedience and don't get down to the daily business of heart care. 

OUCH!

And suddenly God is sharpening flints!

Perhaps you were overwhelmed with yesterdays reading.

I am overwhelmed by today's.....

I DIDN'T PLAN THIS....

I HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS SECOND CIRCUMCISM THAT HAPPENS IN JOSHUA.....

BUT GOD KNEW AS HE SHOWS ME WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT EACH DAY....

I want to close with the verse that brought me the most comfort from that Joshua reading today...

5:8-12

 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. ⁹ Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.
¹⁰ Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. ¹²

After this circumcism - they were (v 8) allowed to REST and HEAL!  As you are dealing with the stuff from your heart, remember this applies to you as well.

And the Hebrew meaning of Gilgal literally means "ROLLED AWAY"!  That is the why God had the Israelites name this first of three Holy sites in their conquest.  It was where their disobedience of the past, the mistakes of the past generations was ROLLED AWAY!  Just think the junk from stuff of your mistakes and sins - as you let God cut and cover it - it is rolled away - the tempter can no longer haunt you with it - because you have settled accounts with God!  YOU ARE LIGHTER, FREER and can CLAIM PEACE!

Then they got ready for the planned feast - we are going to to that too, in our studies of Passover and preparation for Easter day by day! 

And then - for the first time in the WHOLE TRIP OF FORTY YEARS, they got to eat the produce of the land of milk and honey....after 40 years of manna!

YEP - Circumcism hurts - but it brings in new seasons of celebration and understanding of GOD!

Praying for your heart surgery today and for ___________  the one you are praying for......

We are moving closer and closer to the feasts.  Join me in resisting the tempter and our own disobedience on this trip towards celebration.

Have a great Saturday all!