2014.05.03

1. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.

2. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and greatly increase your numbers."

3. Abram fell face down, and God said to him.

4. "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.

5. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

6. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

7. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

8. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

 

1. Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

2. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

3. Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.

4. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

5. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

6. Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 

7. Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 

8. Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

9. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

10. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

12. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

13. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

14. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

15. The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time

16. and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,

17. I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,

18. and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

 

- Genesis 17:1-8, 22:1-18 (NIV)

 

 

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36. Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table.

37. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,

38. and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

40. Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.

41. "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.

42. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

43. Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

44. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

45. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.

46. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

47. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

48. Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

49. The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

50. Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

 

- Luke 7:36-50 (NIV)

 

 

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At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

 

- Job 1:20-21 (NIV)

 

 

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No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

 

- 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

 

 

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Satan's ultimate purpose is to make us undermine God's love, make us not fear God anymore, and tempt us to curse God for whatever we are going through. To praise God, thank God, glorify God, and continue to believe He is good no matter what can be tremendously difficult. To bring something God has blessed me with and willingly obey to get rid of it, even when I know God is contradicting himself and his own covenant He made with me, is difficult. To bring my alabaster jar and willfully break it in front of His feet, even when God and I both know this is something so hard for me to let go, is difficult. 

But I choose to do so, just as Job, Abraham, the sinful woman, and every one else in the Bible did. Even when all God has to offer me is sufferings and not blessings, I choose to trust in His endless promise and His sovereignty over my life. I choose to believe God's promise that the sufferings are bound to end, and that they have limits, and that God has a plan for me and it is to prosper me and to give me hope and a future, and not to harm me whatsoever (Jeremiah 39:11). I choose to believe Jesus' cross and His blood are everything I need and that they are the one and only anchor I can rely on. I choose to never stop praising and glorifying Him no matter what circumstances I am in. I choose to obey to follow God where He leads me step by step, even when I do not know the path/direction I'm going, because I have faith that it's going to be for my own good at the end. 

Satan, death, where is your sting? I choose not to buy your lies, your logic, and your self-rationalization. I choose not to let go of my thankfulness and freedom God allowed deep in my heart on this journey of faith. I choose to attend every moment to His quiet, slow, yet faithful voice. I choose to feel His guidance over my life, even when it's hard to feel without lots and lots of effort. I choose to believe in my Father's love and promise, because I know He protects me, loves me, and will come back to this earth eventually put an end to all my sufferings and pain. I choose to fear God. I choose to stay humble. I choose to be reminded constantly of the ugliness of my sinfulness and kneel down in front of God every day surrendering all of my self-righteousness and pride, rather than believe in your sweet-sounding lies that I am able to save myself and to become my own God and somehow mistake it's okay to stay calloused about what God has done to save me.