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- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
Well, February is here! The Truck is not, yet, but I am happily counting down to my parents' arrival on Thursday :) There is a lovely sense of calm in my days, making short lists of small projects to work away at with lots of rest in between. There is also an ongoing sense of preparation (tomorrow's list includes making soup, and I'll freeze at least some of it for easy food once the baby arrives), but without pressure - everything that MUST be done is done.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
I have been so blessed by the girls' small group that meets here on Mondays. This week we had a brief Bible study and then spent some time thinking/praying about some questions to apply the story to our lives. It was great! And it is the back story to some more thinking and praying I want to post about, so here it goes:
We read Joshua 17:14-18
In which the people of Joseph want more land because they are numerous. Joshua says they can have more land, but they have to work for it, to clear forests and to fight armies.
It made me think that if you think you deserve/are ready for more, you might have to dig in and work harder for it.
We reflected on these four questions:
- What areas of your life can you see room for more growth?
- What are the obstacles in those areas?
- Do you have any fears/hesitations toward those obstacles?
- What is a concrete step you can take to "expand your inheritance"?
- Details
- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
I noticed something new today in Genesis - can you believe it? I have read Genesis every time I ever tried to read the whole Bible, which is tons of times. Like, I grew up trying to read the whole Bible. Never have gone cover to cover, although I do believe that by now I have read the entire Bible at one time or another. My Old Testament class at Tyndale really helped me push through Leviticus and not celebrate by stopping half way through Numbers.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
I was walking home from kickboxing today, exhausted and sweaty, not experiencing as many endorphins as I had hoped, and I was trying to remind myself why it was worth it. I met a new person, and we bonded a little bit over chatting between combos and encouraging each other through burn outs, so that was good. Plus the workout itself was good, even if it didn't feel super, I knew it was good for me. And then the thought My body is a temple sarcastically busted into my train of thought.
So I thought about it for a little bit, what that cliche really means. People usually use it in reference to physical fitness or not smoking or drinking. They use it to explain how they treat their bodies, not to say what their bodies are for. However, the actual Bible passage it comes from relates to sexual morality:
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
Romans 6:20-23 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul uses the metaphor of slavery to portray the spiritual change that occurs when we put their faith in God through Jesus. People might not like the dichotomy he presents, that you can only serve sin or God - many will protest, "I don't want to be God's slave, but I'm not a slave to sin either. I just make my own choices, so where is the middle ground?" For Paul, there honestly is no middle ground, and that is why he presents only two options, both of which involve a bond of obedience and corresponding freedom: serve God and you will be free from the power of sin; or serve sin and you will be free from the obligation to do right. You can certainly be free from God's rules, but it will get you a paycheck of death.
Paul's message is not about fire and brimstone so much as affirming that choices have consequences. He has already laid a foundation for this argument in 4:4-5 of the same letter:
When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.
This is the irony of the gospel, especially in a culture that is obsessed with fairness and earning. Jesus warns against this attitude in this parable of a landowner who pays his workers all the same wage even though some were hired later than others. I love how the NLT translates verse 15 (the landowner's response to complainers): "Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?"
Sin pays wages, but God kindly and generously gives grace. Accepting Jesus means much more than changing bosses or trading one wage for another; it means agreeing to a completely different framework for our lives.
What are you striving for? Where does it lead?
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
Paul's letters to the Corinthians are full of wise advice, deep theology and loving encouragement. I was struck today by 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
For Paul, I think forgiveness is so critical because it is foundational for love. Love is easy to talk about when everybody already gets along, but the only way for it to deepen and grow strong is through sharing experiences and working through struggles. Healthy conflict and resolution are part of this process, and forgiveness is key because people mess up.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Jesus is being sincere, but it often feels like maybe this is some kind of punchline. Easier than what, Jesus? Lighter how, now that I am working for what I cannot see or suffering consequences I did not anticipate? Submitting to the yoke of Christ can be physical agony and mental torment, and in those moments this verse feels like a lie. But this too is a promise, that we are never alone when we struggle, that even the terrible weight that we feel is only a small portion of the burden that Jesus bears with us. This is true of grief, fear, loneliness, fatigue, disappointment, betrayal, and loss.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
"I am gentle and lowly in heart"
This is the first clue to life yoked to Jesus. He is the one we must follow and emulate and he says from the beginning that the pattern to follow is to be gentle and lowly. It is also a promise that he will not change us all at once or hurt us or humiliate us. It is uncomfortable to change, to adjust and to submit, but the One we are trusting with our lives is gentle and lowly, and he will help us to be too. He is not an impatient teacher, and he never forces, but as we live our lives yoked snugly to his side we see more easily when we are out of step, and with experience we see time and again that his way is always better. This helps motivate us to trust him more, to make bigger changes, to follow less flinchingly.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me... and you will find rest for your souls."
When we take up his yoke, we are binding our lives to Jesus and submitting to wherever he leads. His work may not be the work we had in mind, but we are no longer our own masters, and his way brings rest for our souls. Rest doesn't always come right away - there are things we must learn, habits we must break - but it is the main promise of this verse. Maybe this is why Jesus invites those "who labor and are heavy laden," because they will recognize the rest that he gives them. This rest he promises is not a vacation but a redirection of purpose that builds up and bears fruit and allows us to persevere knowing our efforts will not be wasted. It is remarkable how generous this offer is, but also how difficult, for we are used to straining on our own, doing the best that we can and resigning ourselves to the consequences. But it is important to note that Jesus doesn't say that he'll come to us and help us, but that if we come to him he will set us free from our striving - we must leave our past work behind. Yes, he is the shepherd who goes after the lost sheep to bring it back to the herd, but this is not an endorsement for us to choose our own way - it is a testimony to his grace. When he calls us back to him or guides us back on the right path, we must submit to his guidance and obey his boundaries. THIS is the rest Jesus promises.
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- Written by: Alyssa
- Category: Scripture
1Do not be preoccupied with evildoers.
Do not envy those who do wicked things.
2They will quickly dry up like grass
and wither away like green plants.
3Trust the Lord, and do good things.
Live in the land, and practice being faithful.
4Be happy with the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Entrust your ways to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will act on your behalf.
6He will make your righteousness shine like a light,
your just cause like the noonday sun.
7Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him.
Do not be preoccupied with an evildoer who succeeds in his way
when he carries out his schemes.
8Let go of anger, and leave rage behind.
Do not fret.
It only leads to evil.
23A person’s steps are directed by the Lord,
and the Lord delights in his way.
24When he falls, he will not be thrown down headfirst
because the Lord holds on to his hand.
30The mouth of the righteous person reflects on wisdom.
His tongue speaks what is fair.
31The teachings of his God are in his heart.
His feet do not slip.
32The wicked person watches the righteous person
and seeks to kill him.
33But the Lord will not abandon him to the wicked person’s power
or condemn him when he is brought to trial.
39The victory for righteous people comes from the Lord.
He is their fortress in times of trouble.
40The Lord helps them and rescues them.
He rescues them from wicked people.
He saves them because they have taken refuge in him.