Proverbs 3:5 Faith not knowledge

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

I now see the meaning of this whole verse. Our whole goal in reading the bible is definitely not to know all about it. If there are things we don’t understand, we just let it go because God will eventually reveal things to you. If you’re ambition is to gain answers, what ends up happening is you become consumed in finding it while you forget the true aspect of Christianity, love God. So what if you don’t know who He is at that instance. What you need to know is the Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. Anything beyond that is showing you how to obey that command, which we know is to love God and others. Today, I came to a big failure in trying to seek understanding rather than seeking applications that the word always gives us. It was a bummer to see how everything ended, but you must learn now and ask yourself everytime you read, am I doing this to learn how to obey or am I reading to know what these things mean?

As the Psalmist writes in 119:34
Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

Matt 6:19-21 Where your heart stay?

Matthew 6:19-21
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

How do we gain treasures in heaven? From the verses before, doing things selflessly. Why would you do anything not secretly (v 4, 6, 18)? Probably to gain something in return, whether it be physical resources or praise from others. That’s the wrong intention (1 cor 10:24 or Phil 2:3). The idea of selflessness (selfless giving, selfless serving, selfless actions), these things seem to gain you rewards in heaven.

Now the real question is, where does your heart lie? Is it in the world or is it in heaven? We know where it should be (our citizenship is in heaven Phil 3:20), but is it really there? What do we look for? What are our treasures? Things of Earth (money, other worldly pleasures) or in Heaven (God, the Word)? What comes out when you speak? Worldly things or Godly things (Matt 15:8 Out of the overflow of your heart, your mouth speaks).

Where is your heart? With God or with men? Ask yourself that and think upon it…

Latter years of Gideon

I find it quite interesting that Gideon messed up the latter half of his life, seemingly going back to his old ways (idols, worldly pleasure, etc). I was reading until I realized this. Do you see Gideon ever referring back to God’s word? All he says about God is  “The Lord will rule over you.” Other than that, you never see him seeking God. It shows that he was in a place of content. He didn’t want to rule, he was good where he was at.

Are we those people? Do we strive for God’s word and His will when we’re going through stuff then stop after the trial is over? Are we content with our lives that we think we don’t need God anymore? It’s interesting that Gideon would go back to his old ways, but not surprising. Paul classifies us having a sinful nature, meaning it’s natural for us to be sinners. The only way we can “stop” (we never really stop since we’re not perfect) is by having Christ with us.

So what is it?

Judges 7 Gideon

It’s an interesting chapter, especially with what’s happening to me right now.

Gideon seems to be a man of much doubt. This is the guy who, like Moses, doesn’t think he’s the right guy for the job (Judges 6:14-15), tests the Lord constantly (6:17, 36-39), and seems to be afraid, even when the Lord tells him to do these thing (6:27, 7:10).

What I find interesting, and the thing that hits so close to home is the fact that God takes away confidence and adds to an already doubtful situation. Gideon probably has in the back of his head, “yo… I’m in the weakest clan and I’m the weakest in my family…we’re screwed,” and yet, the Lord takes his confidence away even more (the men of his army who started at 23,000 and dwindled down to 300 against a camp of Midianites).

*Now we have to see that AFTER Gideon accepts and does these commands, the Lord comes and gives reassurance/encouragement (7:10-15).*

Are we willing to let our confidence go if the Lord commands it? Are we willing to put ourselves in a position where it seems to be too much (that’s in line with God’s will)? As with Moses, the Lord seems to give confirmation after doing His word.

Leap of faith. Even if it don’t make sense.

Prov 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Eleazar: Dodo’s son/Mighty man of David

2 Samuel 23:10a (NASB) ​​He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and ​clung to the sword, and ​the Lord brought about a great ​victory that day…

Eleazar is one of the mighty men. Here is why. He fought until he couldn’t fight no more, even when all of his friends left him.

Do I hold onto the word (sword) even when I can’t fight anymore? I can easily see myself serving, doing God’s will when I’m all happy go-lucky, but will I be the same when I’m going through a rough patch? Will I continue to hold on to God’s word and obey, even if the situation seems tough (Eleazar, it seems, fought alone)? Have I practiced so much that it has become a characteristic?

I wonder…..

It’s weird… I’m kinda looking forward to going through crap again….. kinda…

1 Corinthians 10:10 A complaint from my heart.

Part II

1 Corinthians 10:10 And do not grumble as some of them did–and were killed by the destroying angel.
I’ve come to the realization that complaining about others is not a good thing… It’s funny how I used to do this so much at other various churches, whether it be a leader, a congregation member, a youth, or just people around me. I realized that all it does is open up an opportunity to slander and take action such as  creating groups that become distant from someone, or factions in itself. I remember constantly complaining about a certain person at my other church. All this did was create pockets of people who boycotted everything this person did. Not only that, but the fact that we were complaining caused others to complain to and it just spread like a forest fire. I mean, it could have been in the hearts of a lot of people already, but the spark that flamed and fueled this place up was the complaint. Take the examples of the Pharisees in Luke 5 in the calling of Levi, the tax collector. This is how I picture that scene. These guys all look at Jesus and are thinking, “what the heck is this guy doing?” Then someone within the group says it out loud and they all agree and start questioning Jesus. In psychology, we learned that people become more bold in numbers (ever did anything really dumb with a bunch of friends that you would never do by yourself? 1 point for me). In this case, they didn’t go very far.

Although asking questions doesn’t seem to major, it can lead to it. When you complain, it hardens your heart towards the person. The Pharisees never really responded to Jesus’ word always questioning him, trying to trap him, etc. I remember that everything that my person said, I rarely listened to it, which is a blessing that s/he didn’t preach the word.

The reason why I share this, the reason why this is so convicting on my heart is because all I said was “What is this person doing?” rather than “What can I do to help this person?” It’s really funny how people put leaders on such a high spot that whenever it comes to the leadership, it’s all on them and that whenever they mess up, it’s all their fault. What we forget is that they are human, not Jesus. I mean, I do believe that leaders should be able to lead things (hence the word LEADer), but it only works if those who are following them help. I’ve come to know that very well and that complaining about what they’re doing wrong is a total disregard to Gal 6:2, Carry each other’s burdens. Yea, I really hope this person is reading this and if they are, Dude/dudette, my bad.

Simon of Cyrene

Not much is mentioned about this man except that he helped carry the cross and that he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. I just can’t fathom the remarkable deed that he did. Jesus carried the cross that we’re suppose to carry. He carried our burdens, but here is Simon, a mere man, who helped carry Jesus’ burden.

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23). The idea of a man helping Jesus carry His cross just made me realize how stupid I am for believing that my cross is too much for me….

Joshua 24:15 Speech of a lifetime

¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

I was talking with a friend about the idea that you’re going to serve something whether it be God or worldly things, even if it’s unintentional. As Jesus says, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matt 6:24) The context of this may be money, but I think this extends much further.

With this statement, it shows that if our time and our services are not on God, it will be on something else. Wouldn’t  that be idolatry? I know for a fact, before my BC days, I found myself watching a lot of tv, doing a lot of internet surfing, and definitely a lot of guitar playing.

But Joshua here gives a speech that hit directly to my heart. Before this, he explains all the things the Lord did for Israel: Abraham, Isaac, saving from Egypt with Moses, the battles, safety against curses, etc.

I looked at my life (all of the Abrahams, Isaacs, Moses, the battles, the safety, the things I have, the things that I lack in character [for God is made perfect in my weakness. This is such a sick verse 2 Cor 12:9-10], where he has placed me now, and so much more) then I reread verse 15 from Joshua. I had the same reaction as the Israelites in verse 16. Well, almost.  I wanted to get up and throw my laptop and my bible and toss things over while saying “HECK NO, MY HOUSEHOLD WILL WORSHIP THE GOD WHO GAVE ME ALL THESE THINGS!!! RRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

Think of all the people, places, situations, strengths, weaknesses, gifts, possessions, etc that God gave you and reread verse 15. Here, let me make it easy for you.

¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

What are you going to say?

A Start

James 1:22 tells me not just to listen (read) the word, but also to do it. This is to keep track of what I’m doing and how I’m gonna live my life by His word.

These are directly from my journal notes…I write questions to myself and tell myself things, but feel free to make it sound like I’m talking to you. God’s words to me aren’t only for me you know..

Shoots brah.