Day 15 - Come Together

So week three starts off with a distinct lack of Craig in Warrington. But I'll be strong! Today I've been doing my usual applying, cooking and cleaning routine but last night's comedy was a lot of fun. Admittedly half of the acts were either apallingly bad or mistook ridiculously disgusting for funny but the rest of them were lots of fun. Unless you were Hannah! Onto business then,

Today’s readings:

Genesis 31:1-55
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2031:1-55&version=MSG
Matthew 12:1-21
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=MaTTHEW%2012:1-21&version=MSG
Psalm 9:13-20
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%209:13-20&version=MSG

Just the one chapter in the Old Testament today. We're seeing what happens when a family can't trust each other. Once again, no one comes out of this looking particularly good. You've got Laban continuing to break promises to Jacob, Rachel and Leah arguing with Jacob and Jacob getting angry at Laban. Phew... This whole chapter just feels like what happens when we put things in our lives before God. Here it's mostly money. Laban wants to keep it, and despite his arguments that he will be missing his daughters and grandchildren he doesn't seem to mean that based on his actions. Leah and Rachel don't think they've got enough and Rachel goes as far as to steal from her father. What's worse is that she steals a load of gods that are nothing compared to the mighty God that her husband trusts in. Jacob tries to remind his family, extended and closer, that God is the reason they have what they have. Today's Old Testament passage seems to only have one message. If you care more about something other than God then you're going to cause arguments. God wants people to get on so following Him should make this happen. If not, then you're missing the point surely?

Into the New Testament and Jesus is talking about the law and how it applys to our lives. There two very important points that he makes early on. One is that no part of the law should be used to justify someone's suffering. This to me is really important as so much hurt in this world is justified by people as being God's will. Jesus says that this shouldn't be the case. The law is there to help us know how to live in the specifics, so that we don't descend to the craziness of Abraham's time! But, and we'll come onto my proof for this at some point in the year, we need to have first and foremost an attitude of love where we value people and their feelings before hurting them "in the will of God."

The second is that Jesus in a way points out that bits of the Bible need to be taken in context or else they contradict themselves. This is huge to me because I've never realised that Jesus had addressed this. It really has boosted my desire to keep going with this project and affirmed my belief in how the Bible has to be studied to reveal the truth rather than taken at face value and not thinking over it.

We then end with Jesus fulfilling more prophecy. Matthew's very keen on showing how Jesus is foretold in the Bible and this is a great example of how even Jesus' demeanour is foretold by God. It's also a reminder to us that at times it's important to turn down the volume and not wait for the fanfare

Finishing off with the last part of Psalm 9, and David is again asking God for His intervention but what makes this quite interesting to me is how David accepts that God is already at work in the world. He realises that evil and corrupt acts by people will trip those people up eventually. He also is willing to act on this injustice but is equally accepting that God has it in hand and will make sure that the right thing happens in the end.

So bringing it together, our Old Testament passage tells us to keep focused on God and Jesus then reminds us to keep our attitudes fixed on God's redeeming love and finally the Psalm reminds us that evil will be fought against thanks to God's power and sometimes it's down to us being willing but everytime it's down to God and his justice.

And that's your lot. Early and short. You lucky, lucky people! I'm trying to find some decent free video editting software so I can do a vlog too. Those of you who don't know me might get to see my gleaming face :p Questions, criticisms and comments welcome as always

Jon