Genesis 3

God provided an amazing home for Adam and Eve.  He became their true Father.  He certainly knew the possibility for sin - after all, he had planted the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden Himself.  He warned them of the consequences of sin in terms they could understand.  They certainly knew beyond a doubt that they had better not sin.

But then the Serpent finds his way into the garden.  He tricks Eve, she eats, and she shares the food with Adam.  Right away they know they have done wrong.  God doesn't overlook their sin, but He doesn't come running immediately either.  He certainly knew about their sin right away - He saw it happen, even though Adam and Eve may not have realized it.  He waits.  Maybe He is allowing them to come to the realization of what they have done and take steps to make it right.  Maybe He is so greatly grieved at their sin that He is not ready to confront them immediately about it.  Or maybe He is simply maintaining His routine in spite of the catastrophe which has taken place, waiting for the time when He is expected for their evening walk together, dealing with the situation then.

"Hey, Adam!  Where are you?"  How many times have my children sinned and then run away to hide?  We all got that from Adam and Eve.  But God calls to them, and Adam must know that He can't hide from God, for he answers readily.  He doesn't admit his sin, but makes an excuse.  Even when God asks him directly, he passes the blame to Eve, who then passes it on to the serpent.  Each one of them is guilty.  God is not fooled.  Each one must be punished.

How it must break God's heart to curse His most precious creations.  Interestingly, they do not all receive the same punishment.  But all 3 receive an appropriate punishment - one suited both to who they are and their part in the sin. 

Does God still love Adam and Eve?  Absolutely!  He continues to provide for their needs and reaffirm His love for them.  He makes clothing for them to cover the nakedness they feel.  He knows their makeshift fig leaf clothing won't last, especially outside the beautiful Garden, from which He will have to banish them.

God takes steps to avoid a repeated offense and make certain the necessary consequences are carried out.  There must be no way out of it for the guilty parties.  As much as it must have grieved God, He sends Adam and Eve away from the only home they have ever known. 

The way God dealt with the very first sin can be a model for disciplining my own children:

1. Call my children at the appropriate time.
2. Lead them to confess their sin.
3. Mete out appropriate punishment to each party involved.
4. Reassure them of my love.
5. Take steps to prevent a repeat offense and ensure the punishment is carried out.

Love undergirds every one of these steps.  And I must follow them regardless of how heartbreaking it feels. 

Lord, help me!  I am so weak in the area of disciplining my children.  I overlook too many of their sins.  Help me to follow Your example and take appropriate steps in learning to discipline my kids.  Give me Your strength, Your wisdom, and Your creativity as I raise these precious children.  Amen.

Today wrapped up the study of Genesis 1-2, and as I read my Bible Study Commentary, I was struck anew by the concept and reality of the trinity, and how it serves as a model in my own life.

                                               Father                   God
                                                 / \                         /    \
                                           Son---Spirit          Wife---Husband

                                          TRIUNE GOD           HUMANITY

As I thought about it and drew this rough sketch on my lesson, it made so much sense. God has always existed in a relationship of love and harmony within the trinity. My relationships should also exhibit love and harmony.

I considered how no one can be complete without God. We all need to have a relationship with Him - He created us to relate to Him! In the same way a husband and wife need each other. It is not good for us to be alone - we need human companionship, the intimacy of the husband-wife relationship (Genesis 2:18).

Our triune relationship is not perfect by any means. In my sin and fallenness, I fail to have the kind of relationships demonstrated in the trinity. But the trinity can serve as a model to spur me on to greater love and harmony in relationship with God and with my husband. It is perfected only as my husband and I both strive to know, love, and serve God more and know, love, and serve one another more.

Although the relationships within the trinity are significant, I cannot overlook the fact that since the dawn of time the Triune God has constantly been reaching out in creativity, love and compassion to the people He created. I must remember that the relationships I have with my Lord and my husband are the most important, the most significant relationships I could ever have. But they are not the only relationships. God wants me to reach out in love and service to family, church family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, etc. just as He is always reaching out to all the people of the world with His great love.

As I continue to draw near to Him, I will develop more of his heart of love and compassion for all the people of the world. As I draw nearer to my husband, we become a strong team, united in love, vision, and purpose. We help one another, as God created us to do, and we accomplish the work which God designed us to do.

Lord, help me to develop a stronger relationship with You and with my husband. Help us to have the same vision. Draw my husband near to You as well, that together we may develop and display Your love to everyone we meet. Amen.

The contrast between the woman who is saying "No!" to God and "Yes" to sin and the woman who is allowing the Spirit to work in her life is striking.    The Spirit is still in the life of the Christian who has allowed sin to get a foothold in her life, but it is grieved.  And because she is rejecting God's will, the Spirit is also being quenched.  She will not allow the Spirit to do it's work in her - to fill her up.  She probably is feeling empty, lonely, and sad but can't figure out why. 

In the life of the woman who is open and listening to God through the Spirit, the Spirit can work in her and fill her.  As He does, He assures her that she belongs to God - she can be secure in knowing she is truly saved.  The Spirit also reminds her of the words that Jesus spoke, helping her to understand how to apply those words in her life right now.  He also bestows gifts and abilities on her to enable her to serve others and build up the body of Christ.  The Spirit brings about fruit in her life - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  He leads her in the right direction.  And when she is weak or uncertain of what to do or how to pray, the Spirit prays for her. 

Lord, forgive me for saying "NO!" to you and letting sin reign in my life so that Your Holy Spirit has been grieved and quenched.  Cleanse me, purify me, and fill me with Your Spirit.  How I long to be filled with Your Spirit, to experience His leading, His fruit, His assurance, His gifts.  May the Spirit remind me of Your words, Lord, and empower me to say "Yes!"  to them.  Thank You for the peace of knowing that even when I am uncertain of how to pray or too weak physically, Your Spirit is there praying for me.  Amen.

I read just 4 little verses today using the tools for digging deeper in the Living Beyond Yourself online Bible Study.  I decided that the "dead works" mentioned in Hebrews 9:14 refer to things I do from a sinful heart without acknowledging God or seeking His will, and without allowing the Spirit to empower me and guide me to do what is right.  This verse reminds me that the Spirit kept Jesus faultless, pure, sinless, and unblameable...completely free of dead works!  The Holy Spirit can also eliminate dead works from my life.

In Philippians 2:13, I was reminded that God is working in my by the power of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate His power and love, and to fulfill His purpose in my life.

When I read John 3:7, I focused on what "born again" meant and decided it meant that I am made completely new and can begin again by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, looking at Ephesians 5:18, I recognized that the Spirit wants to fill me up, to enter every area of my life, to complete and perfect me.  He will only do that if I empty myself of sins by laying them before the Lord, and pour out my worries, concerns, selfishness to Him...if I am full of all of these things, how can the Spirit fill me?  My husband and I baked a cake and frosted it yesterday.  The cake itself was good, and the frosting made it even better.  Some cakes turn out too dry though, and they need frosting just to make them palatable.  Is my life dry?  Am I letting the Spirit be like the frosting on the cake...there to make me palatable?  Or am I allowing God to completely change the recipe and transform me from within, taking out the ingredients that would make me less than perfect, and filling me with His perfect (even secret!) Ingredient.  The Spirit wants to be more than just the icing on the cake in my life...He wants to transform the cake from within, making it the best cake in the world. 

Today I began the second week of the Living Beyond Yourself Bible study by Beth Moore.  The focus this week is on the Spirit, and I was amazed by the power and energy of the Holy Spirit, and its role within the trinity.  To think that Jesus needed the Spirit's power to be able to live a perfect life and go to the cross for me... He relied on the Spirit (Hebrews 9:14)!  Even though He was fully God, the Spirit empowered and energized Him to do the work of the Father.  I am more certain than ever that the Spirit will be able to empower me to do whatever God wills for me to do and reveals to me through His Word.  The Spirit will not just empower me to do the big life-changing things, but the Spirit will also empower me to do the everyday things that seem beyond me, like keeping my cool with my kids and settling conflicts wisely, like homeschooling 2 older children while caring for a preschooler and twin toddlers, like eliminating the mountain of "stuff" that occupies my basement (and my life) without losing track of my other responsibilities as a wife and mother....The Spirit works in me to accomplish these "little" changes, which aren't so little to me, to change me into the person God wants me to be...the woman He created me to be.

Lord, I am amazed at who You are.  Even after drawing the picture and contemplating the way You work, I cannot say that I fully understand it.  I look forward to the day when I will see You face to face and understand exactly who You are.  I can only imagine what my reaction might be when I finally "get it".  Thank you for revealing Your will to me through Your Word and for empowering me to do it through Your Holy Spirit.  Help me not to rely on my own strength and get discouraged in difficult circumstances, but to seek Your will and allow Your Spirit to work in me to accomplish what I could not do in my own strength.  Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me!  Amen.

Today I watched the Session 1 video for the Living Beyond Yourself Bible study, and I spent some time in prayer, and I drew some pictures to remind me of what Beth's key points were.  And then I walked through the dumping ground or dungeon of my house on my way to my husband's computer where I scan in my pictures.  I saw a little more floor space, a little less clutter than was there a few days ago, and it felt good to know I've made some progress in decluttering this mammoth area that recently doubled as my morning obstacle course.  Then I realized that God was teaching me to do the same thing spiritually...Wow!

Holding on to what's in my basement instead of just getting rid of it when my family's done with it...well, that's like holding on to my sins...not bringing them before the Lord to receive forgiveness.  And holding onto boxes of stuff that other people have given us but we haven't used in the years they've sat in the basement...that's kind of like claiming someone else's sin as my own.  As I sort through the boxes, keeping things that are of use and placing them where they belong, and tossing the enormous amount of garbage, and giving away things that are useful, just not for us...that is like examining my life through God's eyes, allowing Him to help me see where I need to change, what I need to set aside because it has no place in the life of a child of God (selfishness, pride, fear....).  Of course if I don't actually accept His forgiveness for the wrong attitudes and the sin in my life, it does no good...just as if I just move all the stuff from my basement to another room, it will make my house no better.    Even the garage isn't the most suitable place...after all, my kids started emptying one of the boxes I had set in there that needed to be donated to charity!  I just have to get these things out for good!

Eventually, I will need to let go of a lot more of the junk down here, even those I think I may need someday.  Those represent the concerns I have in life that I need to give over to God.  I need to bare my soul to Him, just as this basement area will need to be emptied out.  My husband and I have dreams of finishing the basement, of perhaps having a home theater in it someday.  An exercise room would be nice...or maybe another bedroom, as we're quickly running out of space upstairs!   A section of this basement area is already trying (quite unsuccessfully) to be his office.  A lot of stuff just has to go!

So after I clean out the basement, we had better do something with it fast, or it will once again become a dumping ground for our old stuff.  In the same way, I need God to fill me with His Spirit so that I don't once more become a stronghold of fear, selfishness, pride... 

If I allow God to transform me by His Spirit, I will become a competent minister of that Spirit.  I will bless others!  God will use me to fulfill the purpose for which He designed me.  And as my basement is transformed through having walls and a ceiling, perhaps some tile or carpet on the floor, it will be able to fulfill a good purpose as well.  The room that is stubbed for a bathroom will be able to serve it's purpose far better without boxes of Christmas ornaments, seasonal decorations, and camping gear stashed in it.  My husband's "office" will be far more useful if it becomes well-lit, and boxes of old cords, software, keyboards, and monitors are removed...if real walls replace the cardboard boxes that he has leaned against the wooden beams. 

Lord, thank you for the lessons you're teaching me about cleaning out my house and cleaning out my soul.  Help me to remember to come before You daily to confess my sins and lay out my concerns before You.  Help me to acknowledge and accept Your forgiveness and purification, and to be constantly filled with the Spirit instead of trying to fill my life and my body with the things that do not satisfy.  As You transform me, make me a blessing to others, and help me to fulfill Your purpose in my life.  Amen.

I have the best Daddy in the universe!  He's not my natural Daddy...no, He adopted me, rescued me from a life of slavery and is taking me home with Him.  He already seems to know me more than I know myself, and He accepts me and loves me just as I am anyway!  He knows what I need before I even say a word about it.  His gifts are wonderful - they are perfect and good!  He meets every one of my needs.  When I'm hurt, frustrated, or upset, He's there for me, giving me the comfort and compassion I need.  His love for me is so great...He calls me His treasured possession and tells me I am the heir to all He has.  I can hardly imagine that.  I can only cry out to Him, "Abba, Father!" or "Daddy, my Daddy!"  He's the best Daddy there ever could be.

Lord, thank you for being my Daddy.  Your love is truly amazing!  Amen.

I must admit that after I read Galatians 3 today, I just didn't get it.  There are times when Paul's writing seems complex and difficult to understand.  This was one of those times.  Reading Romans 4 helped a little, and then putting it together with Genesis 12:1-3 helped me make sense of a key point - God's promise to Abraham and his seed was a promise to Jesus (his Seed) and to all believers including me (also his seed).  I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around this and understanding what it means.  Drawing a picture helps me to visualize it and make more sense of it.

By faith Abraham was made righteous, becoming the heir of God's promise.  Similarly, through faith I have been made righteous, also becoming the heir of God's promise.  Jesus didn't need to be made righteous, but as the seed of Abraham, he also receives God's promise.  Abraham believed, as I do, that God has the power to do whatever He promises - He can do anything; He's God! 

So what does God promise to Abraham, Jesus, and me?  He will make a great nation of us.  He will bless us.  He will make our names great.  We will be a blessing.  All peoples on earth will be blessed through us.  Clearly God's promise to Abraham was fulfilled - he became the father of the great nation of Israel.  He was blessed.  His name was certainly great - I'm still reading about him today.  He was a blessing to others during his life, and Jesus lineage is traced back to him...he truly was a blessing to all peoples on earth even far beyond his own lifetime. 

God's promise in Jesus has also been fulfilled.  Believers are the nation God has made of Jesus.  He has blessed Jesus and given him all power and glory.  Jesus' name is the greatest of all, and He has become the greatest blessing the world has ever known.  His sacrifice on the cross was for everyone...whoever believes in him regardless of their nationality is blessed with the gift of eternal life. 

Galatians 3:29 tells me: "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."  So how is God fulfilling His promise in me?  Am I becoming a great nation?  Well, 5 kids is certainly a start!  Have I been blessed?  Absolutely!  Is my name great?  "Mommy" is spoken more often than most any name in this house.  Have other peoples or nations been blessed by me?  I certainly hope that my participation in short-term missions trips to California, Argentina, and Russia, and any contributions I have made either in prayer or money have resulted in blessings to people of other nations.  Is God finished fulfilling His promise to me?  Not at all...He won't be finished until I join Him in heaven...or perhaps not until the end of time. 

Lord, thank you for the amazing promise You made to Abraham...and that it wasn't just for him.  I always had an inkling that you had a similar promise for me, but today you made it clear that the same promise is for me.  Help me to continue to believe Your promise.  Help me to listen and pay attention to what You are asking me to do, that I may not in any way hinder the fulfillment of Your promise to me.  Amen.

Today my preschooler came downstairs to see me just before I finished my Bible study.  As she climbed up into my arms, I remembered how I need to crawl into the arms of my Father to receive His comfort and peace throughout my day.  As she asked me to change her diaper, I thought about how I need to ask God to change me, even when I don't feel like being changed.  As she asked me to walk with her to get her milk, I realized how I need to invite Jesus to walk with me through my day - in His presence there is peace, security, love, hope...

As I reflect on the things I do for my children, I realize that I am becoming more Christ-like each day.  I'm not all the way there, of course, not by a long shot!  But I'm learning to set aside my goals and my agenda to surrender to what He wants me to do, even when I'm busy, cranky, tired, moody, or just don't feel like it.

Lord, thank you that You always open Your arms to me.  Change me, Lord, and walk with me today.  Amen.

Today I read the whole first chapter of Galatians along with other references in Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself Bible study.  The chapter was about not being misled by false teachings.  I thought about all the false teachings that are out there - even in many churches the Bible is not believed or preached as truth.  There are many false teachings out there in the world - what about the one many of us have learned that we can never have too much stuff?  Or how about the teaching too many young women believe...that if you don't have a perfect body, you don't matter.  There's the false teaching that the only thing that matters is how much fun I have (my kids believe this one).  And there's the false teaching that too many parents believe - my kids will turn out ok even if I don't spend much time with them.  I admit I've been swayed by every one of these false teachings. 

According to Paul the only thing that truly matters is that God approves of what I do, that what I do pleases Him.  I don't need to worry so much about pleasing my kids, my husband, my parents, my friends, my church, or any other person including myself!  Instead focus on pleasing God.  I imagine in pleasing Him I will also please many of the people in my life, but God doesn't want me to focus on them (or myself) so much that I don't even ask Him what He thinks. 

Lord, I am blown away once again by the power of Your Word.  I am convicted of how many times I have acted without a thought to what Your will is.  Forgive me, Lord, and help me to walk in Your way, asking You what Your will is before I start doing what I want or what I think will please someone else.  Amen.

Today I read about Paul as he worked with the churches of Galatia (Acts 13:14-14:23).  I read about how the honorable God-fearing women exerted their influence to persecute Paul & Barnabas.  I read about Paul's persistence in preaching the Gospel even more boldly in Lystra when he faced opposition, and how even though they stoned him and left him outside the city for dead, he got right up and went back into the city!  Being a Christian means confronting hardships head-on by the power of the Holy Spirit.  I doubt that Paul had the strength and wisdom to endure all these things ....but he did have the Holy Spirit, which gave him all the strength and wisdom he needed.

And I have that same Spirit living in me!  My problems pale in comparison to those Paul faced, but they are very real to me.  Lately very few days go by without me being reduced to tears of frustration, as I just feel like giving up.  But God doesn't want me to give up - he wants me to look to Him for the strength and wisdom I need to persevere in influencing my children to do what is right and to honor Him. 

Lord, You have called me to a difficult task - one for which I do not have sufficient strength or wisdom.  Thank You that I don't need to do it all in my own strength or with my own wisdom.  Help me to look to You when daily problems arise, and to keep on persevering even when life is so hard.  Amen.

Can I just say, "Wow?"  I just listened to the introductory video for my next Bible study, Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore.  This study just seems to naturally pick up from the one I just finished, and I can hardly wait to dig in.  I had no idea that the focus of the study was going to be so much on the Holy Spirit.  DUH!  I should have realized that since it's a study about the fruit of the Spirit, it would have something to do with the Spirit...and that if I'm living beyond myself I am living by the power of the Spirit! 

In the introduction Beth broke down the title Living..Beyond...Ourselves.  I need God to continue to change my life and my day by the power of the Spirit  So much of what I encounter on a daily basis is beyond my ability to do on my own...that's saying nothing of God's overarching purpose for my life which certainly is beyond me.   And God wants me to come out the tomb of my self and allow Him to use me in a way that I cannot even imagine. 

The introduction gave me hope.  The last study I did on Managing Your Moods merely scratched the surface...I don't feel like I really made much progress other than to realize exactly what I am up against inside myself.  But God can change my moods.  He can change ME. 

Lord, thank You for the breath of fresh air.  Thank You for restoring my confidence in You and Your ability to work in me beyond what I can do or feel or know on my own.  Help me to learn to live outside of the bonds of my feelings, moods, and abilities...to truly live by Your Spirit.  Amen.

Psalm 22

Today Psalm 22:11 really hit home for me:  Do not be far from me; for trouble is near and there is no one to help.  How often I need to pray that prayer.  Being alone with 5 children most of the day can be fun, but it can also be full of challenges and troubles.  I am challenged to keep peace among them, entertain them at times, discipline them, love them, and constantly be there for them, often setting my own needs and desires aside to meet theirs.  I must admit that sometimes I get tired of doing all this.  There are mornings like today when I wake up tired, but get up anyway to spend my time with God, only to be joined almost immediately by one of the children.  Do I send her away or go somewhere else?  Or just let her witness what I do each and every morning?  I pray that my example will lead her to draw near to God on her own as well...that welcoming her to sit with me as I search the Scriptures qualifies as my proclaiming His righteousness to her.

Lord, help me to remember You throughout my day, to turn to You and bow down in Your presence spiritually even when I don't have the freedom to do it physically.  May Your praise be on my lips even when I am tired and worn out, surrounded by troubles.  May I worship You even when it seems my needs aren't being met.  Help me to serve You rather than myself, to do what You would have me do.  I pray that the things I do and the words I say would honor You.  Help me to be the example for my children to follow, so they would learn to live for You even as I struggle to do so.  May my life, not just my words, proclaim Your righteousness.  Amen.

Lord, every day there are so many things to overcome - battles with children, misunderstandings, my own moods and emotions...  Thank You that You have overcome the world, and that if I continue to trust in You then I have already overcome all of these troubles.  Help me to trust You and do good.  Amen.