One Year Bible, January 2

GENESIS 3:1-4:26
Whew!  This is a big chunk!  First of all, the Old Testament was written and saved for us, to create a setting for the Savior, but also to create a hunger to know Him.  Remember, as we read, we make contact with the Living God, who is our Ultimate Reality.  This should disabuse us of some false thinking in the process.  Jesus Himself  said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  (John 8:31-32 KJV)  The freedom He is talking about is freedom from self-deception and the false motives we have.  So let's read this with that in mind. 

When God came for Adam in the garden (after the Fall), He sought him out.   When we sin, God comes looking for us, digs us out of our hiding places and confronts us.  We must not do like Adam did and blame someone else, or even blame God Himself!   Repent quickly and get back "in faith" - reconnect to God.

Results of the Fall:  The serpent is cursed and is going to crawl on his belly and eat dust.  AND, the woman's seed, (Jesus) would crush his head)  Secondly, Eve would suffer in childbearing.  She was NOT cursed, by the way - and Adam was NOT commanded to rule her.  This was a RESULT of being cursed, which Jesus has, thankfully, freed us from (Gal 3:13).  Third, man would survive through sweat and labor.  Fourth, the ground was cursed and would bring forth "thorns and thistles", which Mark 4 says are cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things, and these could choke out the Word of God.  But Jesus and I can both be "lilies among the thorns" (SS 2:2)!

Not only did Adam and Eve do things their own way, independent from God, but so did Cain, their son.  It became known as "the way of Cain"(Jude 1:11).  It is the way of the natural man, self-effort.  And what follows is one of the saddest verses in the Bible: (Gen 4:16) "And Cain went out from the Presence of the Lord."

Remember, we are being made free from our self-deceptions.  When Satan attacked Eve (and probably Cain, but we have no record) he caused them (and us) to (1) Doubt God's Word.  (2) Reject God's Word for another word.  (3) Self-interest that causes us to violate God's Word. And leads us to believe that (1) I am not enough (but I'm defective).  (2) That God can't or won't give me what I need to be enough.  (3) I need to go outside of God for adequacy.  Lies!  All lies!

RESPONSE:  Lord, I worship you because you are enough for me.  I don't need to be enough myself.  You are more than sufficient.  You are faithful and You are able.  I reassure my heart of Your goodness and Your strength and Your sufficiency.  I pledge my faithfulness to You, and to obeying Your Word.  Your Word is like food and like medicine to me.  Purge any unbelief that lurks in the bushes of my heart.

MATTHEW 2:13-3:6
Jesus must have been about 2 years old when His family moved them back to Israel, Nazareth to be exact - that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.  "Fulfilled" is a key word in Matthew - showing us that, indeed, all Scripture is really about Jesus.  Every type, shadow, example, story, event - somehow gives us more information and revelation about Who and What God is. 

Now His forerunner, John the Baptist, is pictured here, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and baptising people into repentance.  What is "repentance"?  Well, it surely isn't just regret, although it contains some of that.  Why are people warned to repent? 

For one thing, it takes a new mindset to accept Jesus' preaching.  This is one of the reasons that religious people didn't like Jesus.  They looked for the restoration of the old system, not a new thing.  Repentance for the Christian means to turn from self-absorption, and self-centered independence to God (Heb 6:1).   Be God-centered and God-involved.  Repent often and train your heart to trust God and rely on His provision for your life.  Repentance must always reconnect us with God.  To repent is, literally, "to change my mind" - to teach my heart that it is safe to trust God and keep Him in the center of my mind.  Repentance works better out loud, so my heart can hear it. 

RESPONSE:  Oh God, I did it again!  I acted indepently without giving You a thought!  I repent and ask for forgiveness.  You are the center of my life.  You give me life and joy and peace.  I chose to content myself in Your Presence.  Make Yourself more Real to me every day, please.  Manifest Yourself through me as I depend on You for patience, for guidance, for love to give away.  Show me a place to serve You today.

PSALM 2:1-12
The "kings of the earth" (whom we run into again in Revelation 16-19) set themselves against God.  Sound familiar?  And what does God do about it?  He laughs.  The word "imagine" in verse 1 is the same word as "meditate" in chapter 1.  And what do these powerful people meditate?  "Vain things" - empty, futile, unsatisfying things.  They "imagine" that they can outsmart and out-perform God(vs 3).  But lo and behold!  Verse 8 (as well as Rev 2:26) it turns out that the nations are MY inheritance (through Jesus, of course).  We rule with "the rod of iron" which is Truth.  We can do this because all Real Truth is eternal, and we are being freed from self-deception. 

PROVERBS 1:7-9
The most notable statement here is "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge".  God is not tame, not manageable, and not in a religious box.  Jer 5:22 God said, "Should you not tremble in My Presence?"  Job 23:13-16 says that Job fears God because "He does whatever He pleases."  He is Sovereign and in charge.  Anything else makes all of life "just one thing after another".  Because Ultimate Reality resides in the Throne of God, it stands to reason that if we are not submitted to God, then our knowledge becomes faulty.  God's Word is, indeed, the key to getting free from lies and deception. 

RESPONSE:  Oh God, make me or break me, but don't leave me the way I am!  I don't know what makes me tick - other than You!  Let every deception be replaced by Truth.  Jesus, you ARE the Truth and I receive you right now.  Don't allow me to imagine/meditate on "vain things" - things that lack the ability to satisfy.  I meditate on Your goodness, Your sufficiency.  You are a fabulous God.  You are wonderful, Almighty, fantastic.  There is no one like You.

To anyone reading this:  Please let me know what you think.  Ask your questions.  Let me know if this is too much information, not enough, etc.  Let me know if you disagree with something.  I would appreciate it.