Day 13

Genesis 30-32

There was a lot of stuff that went down in this passage. But I think the most interesting part is the last verses, where Jacob is wrestling all night with this man that turns out to be Jesus. Jacob asks for his name in the morning, but I wonder if he knew all night that it was His God? He obviously knew the man had the ability to bless him, and I am not sure how blessings work, but I don’t think you would just ask anyone for one. I thought it had to be God or your blood father? Either way, it’s a intriguing story.

Question: What emotions has this passage stirred in you? It makes me feel sorry for Sarah and Leah, who have this massive struggle over who is the best wife basically. Poor Leah knows Jacob loves Sara more, but then the tables turn because Leah can have babies, and Sarah can’t. But God grants them both children, which is cool. Still though, I can’t imagine having to share my husband. I couldn’t handle that.

Psalm 12

“Into the hovels of the poor,
Into the dark streets where the homeless groan, God speaks:
“I’ve had enough; I’m on my way
To heal the ache in the heart of the wretched.”

Question: What is the Spirit saying to you through this Psalm? That even in the most tragic sight of a homeless person groaning from lack of food, lack of clothing, lack of love, that the whisper of God is there. When we go on soup run, the hope of God is moving in that place. The promise to come back and set things right has not been forgotten. With out hope we are nothing, but with hope we are everything. God whispers, “have hope.”

Day 12

Genesis 27-29

There is a lot of craziness that goes on this passage. I almost wanted to skip it because I know the stories so well, but instead decided to focus on finding a part of the story I might have missed before.

I had forgotten about how when Jacob reached his Uncles place, and found some shepherds waiting to water their sheep, he asked them why they hadn’t watered the sheep yet, and they said the stone covering the well was much too heavy, they had to wait for more shepherds to come and help. But then Rachel started coming towards them, and I guess because he wanted to impress, and God gave him the ability to, Jacob moved the stone all by himself! Too much testosterone if you ask me..haha.

“So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. But it only seemed like a few days, he loved her so much.”

Question: Find yourself in one of the characters. What do you hear God saying to you through him or her? I think most about Rachel, and how special she must have felt knowing that this guy was going to work 7 years in order to marry her. God must have been whispering encouragement for her when the time seemed to go by so slow. Then again, the Bible doesn’t say if she loved him back, but during those days, I don’t think love was always a necessary prerequisite to marriage.

Psalm 11

“But God hasn’t moved to the mountains, his holy address hasn’t changed. He’s in charge, as always, his eyes taking everything in, his eyelids unblinking, examining Adam’s unruly brood.”

Unruly brood = disorderly children. And isn’t that what we are? The disorderly children of Adam. Sinners. Disruptive, chaotic, all turned around kids. But He’s in charge, ah, comfort.

Question: What is true in your life because God is like this? It reminds us that there is not a place in this world where God isn’t present. We are told to run to the mountains in the end times, and David is saying here, why? Did God move to the mountains? And he reminds us that God has never moved. He stays where he has always been, which is, everywhere.