Sunday, January 10, 2010

Goal 2: Make a Commitment to Daily Prayer

I love this goal and I am excited about doing it. I often do this while I am waking up. Nothing like having a nice conversation first thing in the morning before I even get out of bed. I haven't started the day yet, no one else is (usually) up, the house is quiet, nothing else has distracted me or anything like that. It is my time with Him and I love it!

While I may share a few items here and there along with my weekly goal posts, I may just indicate that I have done my daily prayers. Something along the lines of: Daily Prayer, check. Or if I get really fancy (and learn how to do it!) I may even have the check mark symbol in front of the item. I have a feeling that my weekly blog entries are going to look a little bit like a checklist of things to do...

Sunday (10th)
Daily Bible reading - check.
Daily prayer - check.
Dishes clean - check.
Little bathroom clean - check.

Monday (11th)
Daily Bible reading - check.
Daily prayer - check.
Dishes clean - check.
Little bathroom clean - didn't get it done.

...so on and so forth. Actually, I kind of like that idea. It will keep me accountable. I can go in and create the post and then set it up to publish at the end of the week and I can simply update it each weekday with my check mark, comment or whatever the case may be. Hmmm...new project for the day! Cool!

Goal 1, Week 2

You can read the first part of this post here. This is the list for Week Two of my goal for a Bible Reading Plan.

January - Week Two

10 - The Sons of Noah ... (Genesis 9:18-9:29)
11 - The Table of Nations ... (Genesis 10:1-10:32)
12 - The Tower of Babel ... (Genesis 11:1-32)
13 - The Call of Abram ... (Genesis 12:1-12:20)
14 - Abram and Lot Separate ... (Genesis 13:1-13:18)
15 - Abram Rescues Lot ... (Genesis 14:1-14:24)
16 - God's Covenant With Abram ... (Genesis 15:1-15:21)

Weekly Accountability Post 1

This is my accountability post for the first week of 2010. Well, technically for the first nine days of 2010. For this first post, I just want to make account for the goals that I set to see what I have accomplished, what needs work and to leave myself a record.

Week One:

1 - The Beginning ... (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

(1/2) I did not read this on January first. I got caught up on blogging and reading blogs and I put it off for the next day. Not exactly the way that I had planned on doing my first day of my first new goal, but my plan was to get it done on the second, and I did.

2 - Adam and Eve ... (Genesis 2:4-2:25)

(1/2) After reading "The Beginning," I went straight on to "Adam and Eve." The things that impressed on me today while reading this was the huge role that man was given from God. I mean, in the previous passage, it essentially summarizes all that God did during His time of creating. But this particular passage really goes into detail what happened on that sixth day of creation. I know, not a huge eye-opener, but it just really stood out to me today. Nearly every time I read different passages, different things really stand out for me. I think that's how we work towards understanding the text.

3 - The Fall of Man ... (Genesis 3:1-3:24)

(1/3) The one thing that stood out to me in this reading (and it may be because of a recent conversation that I read online) is that God specifically commands Adam to work the ground and that he will eat the plants of the ground. Recently, there has been a discussion about whether or not we are supposed to eat any animals. It is one thing that I will keep in mind while I am reading and see what the answer is. From this passage alone, it would seem that we (Adam and his descendants) are to eat plants from the ground. And fruit from trees as well. No mention yet on eating animals though.

4 - Cain and Abel ... (Genesis 4:1-4:26)

These two brothers remind me so much of the attitudes currently present in two of the brothers living in our home. I need to pray about this and have guidance on how to shape these boys' hearts for God. Hmmm...quite the assignment.

5 - From Adam to Noah ... (Genesis 5:1-5:32)

I know that these passages of genealogy are important ones to show the connections between creation and the birth of Jesus but at the same time, I know that I am not getting as much out of them as I probably should be. Anyone else find that they have this same problem?

6 - The Flood - Part 1 of 3 ... (Genesis 6:1-6:22)

God gave Noah very specific instructions on what he was supposed to do. I must admit that I wish God would sometimes give me instructions which are that specific. Although, I suppose He does. I'm reading His instructions now...

The other thing that stood out to me in this passage was that God instructed Noah to build this ark just after having decided to limit our lives to 120 years. Noah was old enough to have sons who were old enough to be married. So, he was probably 40ish or so (assuming Noah was married when he was 20 and his sons were just recently married, also at 20...) Building this ark would be no small feat to accomplish. But Noah was faithful and honored God's command. No wonder he was the only one who found favor with God. And how fortunate for his sons and their wives that they were favored simply by their father. Noah was a good man. Yet, we read so little of him. I wonder why that is.

7 - The Flood - Part 2 of 3 ... (Genesis 7:1-7:24)

Okay, I must admit that I am confused. In the previous passage, God was angry with man and said that he would number their days to 120 years. But in this passage, it says that when Noah was 600 years old that God created the flood. I don't want to make any assumptions but maybe Noah was already many years older than I previously thought when he received the command to build the ark. I cannot imagine someone in their seventies building this ark, much less in their five hundreds. And also to ask Noah to give up all of his friends and other family. Brothers and sisters and their families as well. Although back in chapter two, it did say that a man would leave his mother and father. So I suppose in Noah's case, it meant that he would REALLY leave them. Wow. How hard a request to grant, I'm sure. But Noah was committed to doing exactly what God asked, hence his status as the only one worth saving on all the earth.

8 - The Flood - Part 3 of 3 ... (Genesis 8:1-8:22)

Noah waited patiently (beyond patiently in my opinion) for God to tell him to come out of the ark. He didn't try to rush it, he just waited. He knew that God would remember him. You never read about Noah questioning God's faithfulness or lacking trust in God's plan. Even though what God asked Noah to do was incredibly difficult. Noah received instruction, obeyed, was patient and was rewarded. It seems so simple.

The one other thing in here that really stood out was Genesis 8:21 "The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done." The middle of that verse in particular "...every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood" That rather goes against what I had always thought of children being innocent. I mean, my own children are not innocent by any means. But to say that every inclination of their hearts are evil...hmm...that's quite the statement. I guess from God's perspective, absolutely. His standards for evil and righteous are so much more than our's are. So, from childhood, our hearts are rooted in evil. I guess that makes sense. That is why we needed Jesus. It isn't like we suddenly become in need of our Savior at age ten or whatever. We are in need of Him from our creation. Kind of a hard pill to swallow there, but I do understand it.

9 - God's Covenant With Noah ... (Genesis 9:1-9:17)

God gives Noah the entire earth. Noah is commanded to eat plants. He is also commanded to not eat meat that still has its lifeblood in it. So, that begins to answer my question from earlier this week about not eating meat. From my interpretation of this passage, we can eat meat that has been fully cooked only. God also made his covenant with Noah at this time and with all of the earth as well. Thank you to both of them...God and Noah both...for this covenant.