Day 18

Again with the lateness! It's terrible trying to get this done on a weekend because, even though I'm not working, my body just wants to have a day off like everyone else. I'm going to try my very best to do these earlier and I will happily take any abuse/encouragement you folks want to throw at me in order to get them up on time. By on time I'd like to aim for 8pm at latest. Today I was at the Active Hope (not sure on the correct capitalisation for that...) Hog Roast which wasn't just yummy but also full of interesting folk and challenges (there's that word again) to do more for God. It was also a bit nostalgic as anytime I meet up with Dan Curtis for a period of time, I'm reminded of why I want to do youth work. The guy's life is a shining example of how letting God in can bless you in the good and bad times. Anyway, onto business then

Today’s readings:
 
Genesis 36:1-37:36
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2036-37&version=MSG
Matthew 13:18-35
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013:18-35&version=MSG
Psalm 10:12-18
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2010:12-18&version=MSG

Urgh... starting off with another list. Going to whizz through this. Though Oholibamah is possibly the best name ever. One thing that strikes me as strange is how the list repeats itself. I've two theories on this. One is that the writer is showing how God has made Esau's descendents plentiful but that they are not so many that each is just a name to forget. The other is that this showed that they were important in their role as chieftain. They didn't just sit back and be Esau's children, reaping (quite literally) the benefits of their father's crops and livestock. Also it strikes me how confusing all these kings and regions are and how happy I am that we only have one king, Jesus :)

Then into chapter 37 and we get to Joseph. Now I'm making a ground rule here... Nobody sings Any Dream Will Do and we'll all get along! Now the story of Joseph is well known so we're not going to delve into the details. If you'd like anything expanding on then comment here or on Facebook and I'll do my best to answer questions. Things that have jumped out at me from this passage though are how Jacob and his brothers react to Joseph's dreams angrily though Jospeh himself hasn't interpreted the dreams. His brothers and parents are the ones who get so cross that they say the meaning. God answers our questions and problems in a lot of ways and a lot of the time it's not through our own puzzling but through someone else blurting out the answer. Another is how Jacob pretty much brings this situation on himself. He knows Joseph's brothers are mad and yet still keeps Joseph seperate from the work then sends him out to check up on them. Again, speaking as a little brother you don't ever want to be bossing your older brother about! Also it's a nice example of God's justice how Joseph is tricked by his sons much the way he tricked his father. Now this might not ring true for you but this to me is God showing Jacob how it feels to be deceived and hopefully giving him the compulsion to change.

Another thing that comes from this is something I hadn't considered until listening to the Soul Survivor vlog. Joseph here has this vision from God but it takes a lot of hardship and work to acheive it. A lot of us will have felt God's call in what we should aim for or try to be and we have to realise that those things will come but they will take time. A phrase that was used tonight at the Active Hope thing quite a lot was how God's timing is perfect. We need to be trusting that the crap bits of life aren't time away from God but are preparing us and strengthening us in Him for when we get to the promised blessings.

Into the New Testament we plunge and we get a short collection of very short parables all talking about the same thing. I like when Jesus did this. He's said how people might not listen to his parables and get the true God knowledge from them but He does want you to understand so He throws out four examples of the same message! We get the explanation to the parable of the sower which seems much more straight forward after reading it! What I like especially is the next parable of the wheat and thistles. Here Jesus is saying that God has planted us as good and worthwhile but the Devil has put all these rubbish things in our way. But while it might seem we're surrounded by evil and have no hope, there will come a point when God seperates us from the Devil's work and takes us to eternity with Him. What an amazing message! It's hard to remember and hold onto but just think of the things in your life that are swamping you and will never seem to go away. Now realise that God has promised that He knows about these things, knows you can endure through them with His love and will take you away from it when the time is right.

Jesus' last two parables talk about how our input into a situation might seem tiny but God will use that to grow something huge. Again, this seems really relevant and pertinent to me as I'm looking to do more for God and wondering where I should be spending my time. Well whatever time I give to God, He will make amazing things from it. Mighty trees and tasty bread!!

Our Psalm continues from yesterday and the Psalmist is reinforcing once again what we've read. God has the victory. He has already planned to save the luckless and the opressed. In Him there is peace and justice for all eternity. Fantastic news!

And that's your lot. Hope you have fun tomorrow worshipping God however you'll be doing it. Questions, criticisms and comments welcome as ever.

Jon