Bible reading update week 3

This post should have been up last week, so apologies for my tardiness! I'll be posting a wrap up of January's readings sometime the middle of next week (can't believe we are to the end of January already!). This week covers Gen31-40 , Psalms 13-18:24, Matthew 5:33-7, and Acts 8-10. If these seem a bit Matthew light, its because we about to launch into a series on the Sermon on the Mount so I don't want to give everything away (plus I'm still chewing on all of it;) ):

• Genesis 32:10- Jacob is about to face Esau and he is afraid. He didn't exactly deal with his older brother in the most honorable ways (a bit of an understatement I know). He does the only thing he can, calls out to God "I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant". Jacob knows that he is unworthy of all the blessings that God has given him. And yet it didn't stop God from pouring out his blessing and choosing Jacob to work through, for his sake. We are much the same. We are utterly unworthy of the blessings that God has poured out on us, the blessing of eternal life and a relationship of the Father, the blessing of being used by him for his Glory. And yet for His name's sake, he uses us and blesses us. Amazing.
• Psalm 13- A psalm of rescue. This is probably the most common type of psalm in my life, crying out to God to deliver me from my enemies, the sin and temptations of my life. In this Psalm, David cries out to God, wondering where He is. Am I forgotten? Are you there? But he trusts in His steadfast love. Because he knows that the one he calls out to is stronger than the ones pursuing him. It is why I cry out to God. He is stronger than my sin and the sin in the world. It is important to remember that.
• Acts 8:9-13- Simon the magician. He was a boastful man, dealing in magic, something forbidden by God in the Old Testament. He was someone who would have been very familiar with the spiritual, from a dark place. And yet, even someone like this, who heard the good news about the kingdom of God, believed. And not only did he believe, but upon seeing signs and great miracles, seeing what was possible through the Holy Spirit, he was amazed. Someone who would have seen all sorts of things through his practice of magic was amazed at what was possible through the power of God. Again, He is more powerful than the one who is in the world.
• Genesis 37- We tend to follow the patterns we learn as children, good and bad. So it should be no surprise that Jacob follows the pattern of his parents by choosing one of his children, Joseph, as a favorite. Even though he should have remembered how poorly it ended up for he and his brother Esau, Jacob repeated the pattern. His error caused discord and fed Joseph's arrogance. The message for us is twofold: favoritism leads to destruction to a family and we need to watch what patterns we imitate, as individuals, as families and as a church. Doing something just because it is an inherited behavior isn't always the best answer. Neither is changing something of value just because it is familiar. Discernment needs to be the watch word.
• Genesis 39- Joseph and Potiphar's wife. When Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce him, Joseph ran away from the temptation. Temptation is tempting (obviously). We can succumb to it or we can flee like Joseph. Joseph did the right thing, yet because of the lies of Potiphar's wife, he found himself in jail. But even this action was used by God in his unfailing love. He is in control, bringing Joseph to Egypt, then in jail Joseph was able to meet members of Pharaoh's court. He would have never been able to be in the position he would rise to without an audience with Pharaoh. And there is no obvious way he would have received that without God's intervention. We need to be mindful that God is in control of every situation and can turn that which was meant for evil to good (getting a bit ahead with some of this, but hey this is all one big story!)
• Genesis 40-The cup bearer, freed from jail and having promised to tell Pharaoh about Joseph did not remember him, but forgot him. In the rush of his freedom and getting his old life back, the cup bearer did not keep his promise. Are there people who God puts in front of us who we forget to pray for, to share the good news with because of our hectic lives? Be mindful of those who God puts in front of you!
• Acts 9-The conversion of Saul. One of the most epic chapters of the New Testament. What a story of redemption! A couple things here jumped out at me. What did Saul do for those 3 days he was blinded? He had no idea what was going on or what was going to happen, other than God told him that he would be told what to do. He didn't know how long God would wait, or what He would have him do. All we know is that he fasted. My guess is he prayed his heart out. He begged and pleaded God for an answer and for mercy. Then God appears to Ananias. God tells him to go to Saul and heal him. This obviously confuses this disciple, as Saul has been putting men like him in jail. But God tells him to go and to do it because He will use Saul. Ananias trusts God, believes Him at his word and goes. And not only does he go, but when he greats Saul, he calls him brother. Even before Saul makes a profession, before he is baptized, before he says a word, Ananias treats him as an equal. That our hospitality would be like this!

That's all for this week! May God bless you richly!