Exodus 15:22 then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
Numbers 32:15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once more abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.
1 Kings 19:9-21 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the work of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life to take it away.” So, He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind and earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (I will admit, I ‘read’ this several times BEFORE I actually say led by the Spirit…..with express purpose of ‘being tempted by Satan) So it could blatantly show us if Jesus could resist temptations of hunger and thirst for 40 days and rebuke Satan with God’s words. . .we can certainly trust and do the same!
Mark 1:12-13 Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness 40 days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.
John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance
James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
1 Peter 1:8-9 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end results of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
I am not very good at journaling. I truly wish I was as I think it would be awesome to see the little areas of how God has worked in my life and in the lives of others close to me, that I’ve “forgotten.” I remember the big things, but those smaller things are also leading to a goal and because I don’t journal well, I think I may have lost those details.
And I have journaled some, but not consistently. And often, I will read over an entry from a year or more ago, and things have not advanced, and I feel deflated. And it certainly is not just my hopes, dreams, wishes, and prayers, but those of others close to me. They too are almost in the same situation as before. They are still frustrated with job, with their home life, with children, with money issues—whatever. And it makes me feel frustrated for them, and questioning ‘What IS your will for their life, Lord?’ I know you want forward movement, but WHAT?
Anyway, for someone who enjoys writing thoughts, stories, frustrations, growing spurts, I do Not like journalling. But again, thinking back to where my life was at nineteen and what I had to go through and grow through for a few years, I would love to know my ACTUAL thoughts then. I remember fear, but I don’t remember growth. I remember support from many others, but uncertainty, anxiety, fear and stress was a big part of my life, but fear and danger overrode so much.
I guess at the time, I didn’t even know all the verses which state God has a plan for ME. He has chosen me to walk a path, He has a goal in mind and my path is clearly delineated, and I will be safe following His path. But as a mass of quivering brain tissue filled with EVERY anxiety both real and imagined, I only hurried from place to place — to work, go to school, take care of my son and home, and try to supply our needs. There was no future I could clearly discern, no confidence I was doing the right things for me, for my son, and no back up plan if I failed. What would happen to my son if I failed? Failure was a big option. Big. Because I didn’t know God had a plan, so how could I know I was on the right path, the right plan.
When God prompted me out of my pew that Sunday morning in 1973, my usual shy, and quiet person changed and took charge making my way over several pairs of legs to get to the center aisle, to move forward to accept the award—I choose Christ as MY savior!
Somehow, I felt all would be golden and problem free then. Obviously, I had not read the verses when Jesus warned his disciples they would face problems and troubles….James, 1:2, James 1:12, 1 Peter 8:10, Romans 12:12, John 16:33. . . . Yeah, I had a LOT of growing to do!
The verse preached the day I accepted the invitation was Judges 6:36-40. For several years, I lived my Christian life with the testing that Gideon did. I have no idea how often God answered my “if….then…scenarios, but He finally said, “Enough. You have tested me, now it is time for you to grow.” But I didn’t really know how to grow. I know I loved God, but I was not in a bible teaching church, did not even know much about the bible. (What I would give to have been raised in the south with a good bible background; unfortunately, my church background was NOT biblical, but certainly used fear tactics. Anyway, that left me flummoxed.) I was uncertain how to seek Him. . .
However, I was back living in the US and had friends who had found bible teaching churches, and found I had opportunities. It was like shoe shopping—I had to find one that fit properly!
At the same time, I was working as a home health nurse and was in different homes over several days, and many would be listening to different TV evangelists—Charles Stanley, Joyce Meyer, Dr. David Jeremiah. As I was doing the patient’s care, I was being blessed by bible teaching and some explanations.
Although I had read the bible several times, probably half a dozen by then, I had little understanding of the “Torah” I truly enjoyed Genesis, some of Exodus, but the Numbers, Leviticus….oh my aching head. WHY do I need to read this?? Suddenly, Joyce Meyer was talking about the Israelites in the desert, whining to God AGAIN, and He said ‘you are still not getting it, now you can stay in the wilderness for 40 years’ The Wilderness was being Stuck in the Same Place; Not Moving Forward. I must admit learning the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land could be accomplished in 11 days. . . .I was shocked to learn that piece of information. . . since it took them 40 years. Wow! Because they had no faith.
TIME TO RE-EXAMINE How stuck are you, Kathleen? Gulp!
But I did not journal that time period. I don’t know, and I know I probably have forgotten a lot of the anxiety, stress, fear, and torment I went through. I had a lot of support from family and friends, but I remember feeling as though I swam in a dark murky swamp a lot of the time—and I am NOT much of a swimmer at all in any regards. I wish I had the journal, the thought processes, how many times maybe God scolded me, but I chose not to listen and follow—because I did not fully trust.
We are so foolish as we think we are in charge so often. Shame on me—for many reasons. But #1 for NOT trusting Him completely when I accepted the invitation; #2 for choosing to believe I was in charge when I never was; #3 even when I figured out I was not in charge, I did not fully hand over the reins; #4 when I did hand the reins over I fretted it was a mistake. . . ‘What if this failed, What if He did not come through, What if I was put in a worse place, What if I was sent to Ethiopia or Somalia or. . .or. . . then what would happen to my son? Yes, my fears galloped forward with NO inkling God had chosen some country in Africa. Instead, He had chosen I raise my son as a single mother.
You get the picture. Anyway, now, I sit and wonder what the journals would say about that journey. Would the journals show growth where my memory has forgotten the growing process, and just remembers the doubting? But here I am, safe, sound, (well, fairly sound of mind for those who know me), but I am significantly blessed—and frequently make that claim, and I know I don’t remember all the struggles, even as I can claim rewards. That is kind of sad. If the journals were written, then they could portray the struggles, the accomplishments, the doubts, and the initial surprise when accomplishments were made. (WOW! Look what God has done! Look what He gave me, encouraged me to do!)
There is little surprise for me when I advance and recognize it now. . . I have learned He’s got this and got it very well. I just follow along, fat dumb and happy to oblige.
Lord, You have been there for me, and yet I haven’t marked all the steps. I’m sorry for that. I know many of the goals. . . I hope I can and have thanked you as I met the goals. . .but I didn’t record the progress, and for that I am sorry. I’m sorry that my children and siblings can’t read the journey if they would like to; to know the prayers sent forward on their behalf, and the joy at the outcome at God’s answers. So, sorry, Lord, I did not follow through to journal, but I can thank You for my progress and my joy; but I am unhappy that no one can read the details of my incredible journey with You.
Thank You, Lord for all you have done for me and ‘my Bellaviews.’
Numbers 27:15-21 Moses spoke to the Lord saying, “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd. So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his outward appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees; man looks on outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you’ I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Daniel 2:20-22 Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
Daniel 4:17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’
John 19:11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
Romans 13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God!
Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
1 Peter 2:13-15, 17 Be subject for the LORD’S sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. . . . Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood, Fear God. Honor the emperor.
It always surprised how often I read the Bible and then come across a verse that I have never read before. Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the Jews being persecuted often throughout time. Because I lived in Germany a number of years, and made several trips to Dachau, located just outside of Munich. In the early 1950’s my father was stationed just a few miles away at an Air Force base in Furstenfeldbruck. Dachau was located less then five miles away, so he visited the site. I am not sure it was truly open to visitors at that time since much of Germany was still rebuilding. But, it was clear to my father that there was no way the nearby residents had not known what was going on there. That bothered me when I learned my husband was going to be stationed there.
But when we moved there, we lived on the economy and not at the military barracks. I spoke some German, and enjoyed meeting the neighbors and interacting with the community. I found most of the residents nice, pleasant, warm, helpful and enjoyed the fact I got to learn more of the culture. I was able to introduce them to our holiday of Thanksgiving. On December 6, shoes were left outside of the home and they were filled with candy and small gifts. The Germans really celebrated the Christmas holidays over a three week period, ending in early January with a blessing of the animals–mostly farm animals, but pets were also blessed. It was a pleasure to be accepted into the community. One of our neighbors ran a Gasthaus and would call me when she needed a waitress for an event–usually a funeral. After the burial, instead of returning to a home, the Germans would together at a Gasthaus for a light meal or bakery offering, with either coffee or a beer.
While walking, I would always greet those out for a stroll–and almost all would respond with a smile and a good day. But folks who were about the same age as my mother–late 60’s early 70’s usually would not. Initially that puzzled me. But after some thinking about it, I realized that these people were the same age as my mother during WWII. My mother was 14-18 during those war years; as we all know full of teen hormones, and my guess many of these folks had lost people close to them–family, siblings, cousins, friends, and held Americans at least partially responsible. Hence, they did not want to be even the least bit courteous. I continued saying greetings–and as they became more comfortable seeing my face in the community, they began to answer.
But I had many questions. What did they think of Hitler–not just those my mother’s age, but those my age. What did they think of the history we had been taught? Were they taught the same? Did they find so many of the Reich’s activities deplorable? How could one justify killing six million people? Did they feel shame their country had and many of the people had committed atrocities? Could they justify any of what happened?
But, recent reading of my Bible showed me that God chooses the leaders. So, that means all sorts of heinous rulers–Nebuchadnezzar, Nero, Herod, Hitler and others. How could that be? I thought these miserable persons were acting of their own free will–the devil’s demons. Through their brute actions they got leadership positions and contributed horrific acts-by their own freewill. But according to the Word of God He chooses the leaders–good or bad. That had my mind thinking of things in a different manner. I must admit, I was all about the Rifleman, the Lone Ranger, Superman and all the other heroes. I was raised with the idea and belief that good always wins and conquers the bad guys. But having the verse permeate my brain. So then I went looking for other verses to verify. And I found them.
I had to work through this; and certainly did not like it. But I also know that things happen to let God work and through it He is glorified. With the world-wise stress and anxiety, unrest and hurtful mandates, it makes me wonder how things can turn around? But God knows far more than I ever will–the front, the back, and exactly what the next steps will be.
There were many heroes in Europe during WWII. And after many deaths–military, innocent persons who had tried to resist the evil, the imprisonment threats, being hunted, having a country invaded after promises to not invade–Netherlands, Holland and so forth. People moved forward to protect the targeted Jews–the ten Boom family, the family that hid Anne Frank’s family, and many others who are lesser known. But people stepped forward to try to do what is right, to protect others. Once the prison camps were freed near the end of the war, and many then were released–emotional and some physical scarring intact–but God could be glorified. The end of the tyranny, the invasions, the hunger of Germans, French and any who were not part of the German military.
Maybe that is why God chooses the leaders. He wants us to be fully aware of how hateful, torturous and diabolical man can be to man–for whatever crazy ideals there might be. Yet there keep being mean, hateful, persons who feel entitled to destroy others. Perhaps God is again trying to impress on our selfish, self-centered, tyrannical persons will be thrown over again–hoping that finally we will learn to be kind, gentle, patient, loving to others–not hurtful. Or maybe, we will soon see Jesus coming again on a cloud, ready to gather us up and bring us to the mansion He is building for us.
Lord, You have blessed me abundantly. I am trusting You as You ask and command. My fear is pushed aside–it does flit across my mind a couple times of day, but because I know Him, I am able to remind myself not to be fearful, anxious and that He is in charge. What a blessing and reassurance that is! I have peace even in this crazy time. Thank You that You chose me, and gave me the Word to help me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Exodus 16:8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him–what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”
Numbers 11:1-2 And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down.
Job 7:19-25 How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit? If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be.”
Psalm 106:25 -26 They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD. Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
Jeremiah 12:1-4 Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. But you, O LORD, know me: you see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”
Jonah 4:1-3 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.
John 6:41-43 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven.’ “Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.”
1 Corinthians 10:10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
Ephesians 4:29, 31 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. . . Let all bitterness, and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
Colossians 3:12-13 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
James 5:9-11 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the LORD is compassionate and merciful.
1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling
Complaints. Hearing–or even speaking them repeatedly, pulls one or more persons down. It’s depressing to hear complaints all the time. I find I complain frequently–‘wow, that wind is cold and strong, Lord;’ ‘ouch, my hip and leg hurt–I hate sciatica,’ ‘Lord, You know my eyes are so dry and they do not see well.’ ‘I hate my dry mouth.’ So, Lord, I am very sorry for all these common complaints that .plague me almost daily now.
I do acknowledge with sincere gratitude the lovely stars You have hung in the sky, the beautiful clear skies and weather we get so frequently here, the fact that I and most of my family are quite healthy and happy–although many do not know You. I can afford my home, most of my desires to do things in this time of retirement and ability to travel a bit, and I am thankful for my many friends, my church, the Word which shows me new things every day. New things–thoughts, truths–that God chooses are leaders at the time. Which, when it penetrated my mind when read, shocked me. That means God chose Hitler and other hate-filled men, full of wanting to torture and humiliate others–whether animals or humans. The kicking of dogs or a fallen human means nothing to these evil persons. Yet, the Word says that God chooses the leaders. That gouged me deeply. The past few years have been shameful for me as I view my country and what is tolerated and what is encouraged.
I cringe at the fact that education is being destroyed in this country, as is history. Monuments taken down, the many being told that the Holocaust of the late 30’s and 40’s never happened. The absolute disregard–and fear of many who did not agree with the leadership, yet feared the leaders, and they did not stand, they did not try to interfere. Would I?
So many ties we complain about insignificant, truly not vital things–and this insults our God. He created us, He gave us all, supplies us all, blesses us. Does that mean we never have pain, hunger, illness, pain, worry, anxiety? No, life brings some of that–that is a part of life. But complaints hurt our God. We all have some difficulties to deal with in life–caring for an ill friend or family member, dealing with our own illness or discomfort, dealing with unemployment, hunger, or one of many other things that could develop in life.
But God does not want us complaining. The Israelites complained leaving Egypt when the water was bad. And God directed Moses to throw a large branch into the water to sweeten and make it good again. They later complained they had no meat–yet God sent quail each evening, and manna each morning–with certain rules to follow. And yet, again, some of the people tried to gather more thinking they would be ahead of the game, or perhaps preparing and hoping for a midnight snack–yet the manna had spoiled. But many of us complain–not thinking of how insulting that is to God. We are given so much–especially in this country. We do NOT trek 1 mile to retrieve water for the family each day, we have indoor plumbing and only have to reach out to a plumber and pay for problems with the plumbing. We flip a wall switch–or say, “Alexa lamp on.” and we have lights. Foods cooling of frozen in our refrigerators are kept fresh and healthy.
I ma particularly thankful for the ocean outside my door with its many moods and weather affectations, going from blues and greens, to when very stirred up, brown and moody looking. We have good weather about 90% of the time here–mostly clear skies, even with the heat and humidity, homes are equipped with AC units. We are granted so much–much of which I think we take for granted in this country.
But complaints show God we are lacking in trust and we are discontent. Our look and evaluation of our situations then need to be re-examined. Complaints are led by a destructive spirit and we all know where the negative spirits come from–and it is NOT God our Creator, Son, and Spirit.
There should be no grumbling or disputes. We should always try to maintain an attituded of gratitude and focusing on God’s goodness and generosity and MERCY and GRACE. There should be NO, (my self included, for sure) NO ROOM for complaints. Paul had some issue with skin or body that he prayed God to take three separate times–and God said no as He wanted Paul to remain humble and that His grace was sufficient for Paul to deal with the issue. And many of us have different issues with our bodies–achiness from arthritic joints in several locations, dry eyes or mouth, itching of eczema or psoriasis, pain from indigestion often, balance being off so mobility is now an issue and fear. There are many different things that plague each of us, and the burdens are real and painful–whether issues with family–fights, separation, addiction, unemployment, mental illness and on and on. But it is the complaints that God takes issue with.
He knows your concerns, and He will listen, but first remind yourself–and then Him how very much your appreciate HIs mercy and grace and your freedom from eternal damnation because of what Jesus our Savior did for us. Be thankful you can scratch your nose when it is itchy, that there is meds that can help decrease the discomfort, that water, electricity, cold storage and so forth are readily available for us. We can celebrate our Lord and talk about our faith with others for now. Be grateful and let God know that. Just that gratitude, honors Him and He smiles with your grateful acknowledgement. We are blessed and instead of complaining, we should shout our thankfulness and blessings to all. Thank You, Lord!
In Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, published by Thomas Nelson, 2013 on page 296, for date October 9, it is written, ” Complaining to other is another matter altogether. It opens the door to deadly sins such as self pity and rage. Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out. As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind and My song in your heart. “
I am so sorry for all the times I unthinkingly complain with a mild discomfort. Holy Spirit, please remind me when I have a critical or complaining thought so I can stop it, and remember to be thankful for all the blessings I enjoy. I am grateful there are ways to relieve those minor issues. I AM thankful–very–that You are guiding me daily and for the path You have taken me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Exodus 12 The Passover v 5. 13 14- You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. . .The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and syou shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
Exodus 20:24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. IN every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.
Leviticus 1:3-17 God demanded an unblemished sacrifice of animal to all his different sacrifices–sin offering, wave offering, and so one. But pure, without blemish or scars or marring.
Leviticus 4-5 Sin Offerings which ones are acceptable
Leviticus 16 Day of Atonement
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the life that makes atonement.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “And now, 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, and to observe the commands of the LORD and his decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.”
Deuteronomy 16:2 And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the LORD your God, from the flock or the heard, at the place that the LORD will choose, to make his name dwell there.
Deuteronomy 17:1 “You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God.”
Psalm 4:5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.
Psalm 51:16-17 “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer it: you do not delight in burnt offerings. The one true sacrifice God requires is a broken spirit; you will not reject a broken and contrite heart.”
Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
Proverbs 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent.
Hosea 6:6 “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Matthew 9:13 “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
As they Israelis were fleeing Egypt, living in the wilderness, God set up His Laws for them to respect and follow. The cost of their sins varied–but always required death, usually to a lamb, a goat kid, a year old ox, or if someone was quite poor, the offering of a dove. God wanted the Israelis to offer pure, unblemished animals–no limping, no blindness, no blemishes. Mouths should show no crooked jaws which would have made feeding difficult, the animal needed to be alert, able to hear well, gain weight once weaned from its mother, no skin blemishes–perfect lamb or kid. These were just yearlings, innocent and if any had paid attention, they probably would have had an opportunity to see them frolic, play with another lamb or kid. It seems all babies like to play and engage with others.
So people internalize the cuteness, appreciate the levity, and so suffer disappointment and loss when they have to see the life of an animal taken for THEIR sinful ways. Yet, as much as they witnessed these sacrifices, it did not change the sinning nature we all have. It may have given pause the next time one could sin or turn away, but it was not full out lasting. And as much as we can remember what we have read about what Jesus suffered for us, we too continue sinning. As Paul repeatedly says in Romans, I do not want to be disobedient, but my selfishness is strong and at times feels like a ring through the nose, and it is being pulled this way–the way I do NOT want to go–but frequently go anyway. We are not HELPLESS in resisting our sinful nature, but it is a continual battle. We battle our desires and Satan’s lies and urgings to sin and entice, against what we know God and the Holy Spirit are seeking us to do. Resisting sin and selfishness builds character and confidence we are truly following Christ as closely as we can. We will not be perfect, but with the help of the Spirit, we can become stronger and sin less.
Selfish desire versus what we know is sinful–drinking too much, spending too much, over-eating and wasting funds when we have a well stocked kitchen and pantry. Impatience, unwarranted anger, frustrations, rash words spewing from our mouths that certainly are not glorifying to God, our Creator who made us to be in “our” likeness. We may covet and yearn for something that someone else has, may want and crave a skill, gift, talent, or relationship one has. That is how Eve was enticed to sin in the first place. She saw the fruit, the serpent told her it was so good, and God would not kill her to eat and enjoy (God must be not fully sharing all He had. . .) So she took a bite, and immediately, recognizing she had disobeyed God’s command, offered some to Adam. (In all truth whenever I was caught in a big disobedience–usually my brother and I were together since we ran with the same friends–I would pull him under the bus of punishment also. I was a brat. And he never pushed me under the bus. He just took his punishment. And that made me feel worse, as I knew I was sinful, weak, and if in trouble, wanted company.). SHAME ON ME.
But God had commanded the sacrifice of animals to affect the heart of the people. It was a vivid sight to see a beautiful and flawless creature being killed for sins you had committed. After centuries of disobedience, sending out prophets to tell the people they were sinning and they would be overcome by other nations, not free to come and go as they willed, not free to work their land, bring in harvests, and honor the Sabbaths and religious holidays and so forth. They did not fully believe, but certainly did not repent in any kind of a permanent manner–maybe for a few days, but not lasting.
It is the same for us today, although we know the bible and what Jesus, sinless, holy, and pure suffered so that He could take our punishment and we would not have to tormented in hell for eternity. And He then gave us the Holy Spirit to reside within us, to be a persistent reminder of how we should live, how to forgive, how to be obedient and grow to become more Christ-like. Yes, we often still do turn our backs on the urgings of the Spirit to NOT do this or that, to follow the path of not sinning, to not have to repent later because we DID sin. Now we have guilt, the sin, the feeling of weakness, and the disappointment that we have let Jesus and the Holy Spirit down. WE have disobeyed, we have sinned–despite the prompting, reminding of that Spirit to turn and not to sin. We are selfish.
Given free choice at creation, more times than not, I think we choose disobedience and selfishness. We have all the tools–Jesus and His death, resurrection, teachings, and life examples, the Holy Spirit living within us, so constantly pointing out sins and mistakes and urging us to turn from them, and the Bible which has spoken words to educate us so we will be more amenable to obedience. Yet, with our desire for our choice, we frequently still choose to sin.
God, I am so thankful you provided a means to have us forgiven by the death of your Son, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And yet, I still sin. I am so weak, so selfish, so much like Paul in the struggle to do what is right, what I know is right, and yet I still do wrong. I apologize and each day will continue to strive to do better. I am so very thankful You are continually there for ‘me and mybellaviews.’
Psalm 14:1-2 The fool has said in his heart, :There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
Psalm 53:1-3 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; there is no one who does good. God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
Proverbs 24:20 for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God”
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
John 12:37-40 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, :He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 2:14 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them, because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the the kingdom of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world (SATAN) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God
Ephesians 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
Hebrews 3:12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Revelations 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murders, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
I have many close friends and family in my life who have not committed to God, to Jesus, who are probably unaware of the Holy Spirit. This hurts my heart. But, God hears my prayers, He does not want any to perish, and if we believe He tries to answer our prayers. The only big negative to my prayer for wanting those wonderful people in my life to be saved, yet the LORD has given all the gift of ‘free choice.’ So although I expect them to be saved–and maybe not within my lifetime–I do expect it. And if I pass without seeing them saved–and rejoicing with that knowledge before my death–I will leave their souls in God’s hands. Certainly, my confidence is staying with the facts that God wants no one to perish, that He enjoys answering my prayers and they are answered if I ask in gratefulness and with belief that what I believe what I pray for will be answered. So barring their stubbornness and insistence that there is “nothing else when you die; there is no God.”
Those kind of comments make me completely sad. They seemed so determined to put up walls against the Truth. I believe much of their reticence is because many of these people have known me for years, and maybe don’t recognize how deep my relationship is. They don’t understand the relationship–it seems they feel like all God is a name with a nebulous cloud with no power, so caring, no seeking to have a relationship with those He created. One of my prayers is to have other people tell of their experience and relationship, so they can hear from others, not from someone they have seen going to church, reading the bible and devotionals and talking to them about my relationship with God. It makes me sad.
Unbelievers are separated from God and subject to his wrath (because we are all sinners–and the ONLY way to be saved is to believe in Jesus Christ, seek Him and confess your sins and repent. Jesus is the pure unblemished sacrifice for ALL of OUR sins. God demanded an unblemished, pure sacrifice. These rules and laws came down from Moses during the Exodus from Egypt. God laid out His expectations and Laws, but he demanded a blood sacrifice so humans could realize an innocent life was being abolished because of their sin. The larger holidays–Atonement Day, Passover all demanded a pure, unblemished lamb or goat kid. But some of the sacrifices were large oxen; I cannot imagine the horror of seeing these animals sacrificed with a knife across the throat. Animals smell blood, fear the smell like instinctually knowing they could be killed. All these animals would have resisted, which I am sure affected the hearts of many Israelis. But to hold the resistance of an ox–which outweighs any human, is fearful and is going to fight with every fiber of muscle they possess. Must have been a horrible, sickening sight, sounds of resistance and fear, and smell; blood, death, and waste stinks. But that laid the initial ground that God wanted pure, unblemished animals offered him for sacrifices. But all those animal sacrifices, although they may have had people clutching their hearts in sorrow, but they were symbolic and were meant to show the people how much their sins cost. The death of an innocent animal is painful to any who have a heart and an ounce of empathy. So throughout the Old Testament the animal sacrifices hopefully helped the people keep in mind the original Laws God passed to Moses. But there was always the prophetic messages that there would be a real Messiah coming to save and govern the people. I think many people tried to improve their behavior–but that is not totally possible. We do get angry, we do complain at times, and we commit other sins, without meaning to. But there are still sins that were committed, and again animals needed to be sacrificed as atonement.
But Jesus came, the true Son of God, who is the final sacrificial means to forgiveness. And He, being fully God, the Son of a human woman, willingly died for any who believe in Him and truly repent of their sins. He wants a relationship with us–not being so distant, so unreachable. He wants us to realize He is there, He will help. He has given us the Holy Spirit, who also helps to guide our footsteps to become more patient, kind, gentle, tolerant, and self controlled. But believing in Him, seeking Him and the path God wants for us is reassuring. If you believe in Him, the relief, the gratefulness, the mercy is so humbling and causes one to be thankful. I wish and pray that my unbelieving friends and family will come to know Him. All are unable to please God without belief and faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus was Sacrifice for all our sins IF we believe in Him, repent of our sins, and with the help of the Holy Spirit try to grow and become more Christ-like.
Father, you know each of us, created us, and know my heartfelt prayers so that those who do not believe, will come to KNOW Him and recognize they had missed a wonderful relationship. Lord, thank You, You have so richly blessed me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!