Moore to Ponder

Re-blogged: A Loving Pursuit: Part 9 ( A God Who Calls Us By Name)

October 30, 2018 at 5:54 pm (A Loving Pursuit, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Discernment, Faith, Grace, Home Education, Homeschooling, Hope, Joy, Love, Love, Our Unchanging God, Parenting, Patience, Praise, Provision, Relaxed Homeschooling, self-esteem, Sovereignty of God, strengthening, Transformation., Trusting, Truth, value, Veteran Homeschoolers, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom, worth)

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Scripture references;

“1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”  John 10:1-5 KJV

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“1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

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5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

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7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

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15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

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16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.”  Genesis 17 KJV

Today I am thinking about names.  I am not sure about the customs of all of the nations in the world today, but in America babies names are selected for various reasons. Some reasons seem noble, while other reasons are merely whimsical….chosen because they sound pleasant when spoken aloud. Still others will venture to choose  names for silly reasons.

Back in Biblical times names always signified something important about a person or even the circumstances surrounding his or her birth.  There were even some occasions when the Lord changed a person’s standing…his or her station, and bestowed a new name on that person which would signify that change.  That is exactly what happened in Genesis 17.

In this chapter we are given a view of the scope of a special covenant. Special blessings had been poured out that would in time transform these sojourners into a royal procession, and not only that, but The Lord’s covenant would be established with Isaac. Both Abram’s ( father of many) and Sarai’s (my lady or my princess) names were changed to Abraham (father of many nations) and Sarah (the princess of a multitude)  Here is a link to the source that gave me that information:   http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/view.cgi?bk=0&ch=17

Some people like their names and some do not, but the Lord graciously assigns an identity to each and every one of His children that is unique and noble. He calls us and we recognize that and we follow Him.  It is a beautiful thing to consider.

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I really enjoy getting comments and look forward to reading and to responding to them. Currently my computer is not working, and I am writing my blog posts at the library. Please be patient, and I will reply as soon as I am able. ❤

Links to other posts in this series:

1) A Loving Pursuit: Introduction (One Minute and Twenty-nine Seconds)

2)A Loving Pursuit: (Part 1: In The Beginning)

3) “Driven” (a poem)

4) A Loving Pursuit: Part 2 (Driven by Love)

5) “Reasonable” (a poem)

6) A Loving Pursuit: Part 3 ( Love Stands to Reason)

7) “Valuable” (a poem)

8) A Loving Pursuit: Part 4 (Divine Measures)

9)A Loving Pursuit: Part 5 ( Love Came to Call)

10)A Loving Pursuit: Part 6 ( Declaring God’s Goodness )

11)“Dayspring” (a poem)

12) A Loving Pursuit: Part 7 (Spring Cleaning)

13)A Loving Pursuit: Part 8 ( A God Who Sees)

14) A Loving Pursuit: Part 9 ( A God Who Calls Us By Name)

15) A Loving Pursuit: Part 10 ( Love is Tenderhearted)…a long post

16) A Loving Pursuit: Part 11 ( Love is Patient)

17) A Loving Pursuit: Part 12 (God Never Fails)

18) “Trial of Faith” (A Poem)

19)A Loving Pursuit: Part 13 (Jehovah-Jireh…’The Lord Will Provide’)

20) A Loving Pursuit: Part 14 (Loving Guidance)

21) A Loving Pursuit: Part 15 (Love’s Grand Appearance)

22) A Loving Pursuit:  Part 16 (God’s Higher Purpose)

23) A Loving Pursuit: Part 17 (God’s Transforming Touch)

24) A Loving Pursuit: Part 18a (God Remains True)

25) A Loving Pursuit: Part 18b (Encountering God)

26) A Loving Pursuit: Part 18c (A God Who Mends Hearts)

27) “Prayer”

28) A Loving Pursuit: Part 19 (“His Mercy Endureth Forever”)

29) A Loving Pursuit: Part 20 (“In The Day Of Distress”)

30) A Loving Pursuit: Part 21 (“The Author Of Dreams”)

31) A Loving Pursuit: Part 22 (Loving Observation)

32) A Loving Pursuit: Part 23 (Divine Continuance)

33) A Loving Pursuit: Part 24 ( Grace That Is Greater)

34) A Loving Pursuit: Part 25 (But The Lord Was With Him)

35) A Loving Pursuit: Part 26 ( A Type of Mercy )

36) A Loving Pursuit: Part 27 ( Loving Revelation)

37) A Loving Pursuit: Part 28 ( “Manasseh”…A Time To Forget…And To Heal)

38)A Loving Pursuit: Part 29 (“Ephraim”…Fruitful In Affliction)

 

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here:
https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here: www.biblegateway.com  They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

photo credit:  pixabay.com

 

 

 

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Re-blogged: A Loving Pursuit: Part 8 ( A God Who Sees)

October 19, 2018 at 9:52 pm (A Loving Pursuit, abiding, About Sin, advocating, Assurance, Battling, Bible study, Contentment, correction, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Discernment, Empathy, Faith, Family, Fear, Forgiveness, Grace, Guidance, Healing, Home Education, Homeschooling, Hope, Joy, Knowledge, Life, Lighter Burdens., Love, Love, Marriage, Mercy, Obedience, Our Unchanging God, Parenting, Patience, Peace, Praise, Provision, refuge, Rejoicing, Relaxed Homeschooling, Repentance, Resting, Restoration, Righteousness, shelter, sorrow, Sovereignty of God, strengthening, Suffering, Thanksgiving, Transformation., Trusting, Truth, value, Veteran Homeschoolers, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom, worth)

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Scripture references;

 

“29 Are not two [j]little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave (consent) and notice.

30 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 AMP

“6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.’ 1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV

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“1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.

2 And Sarai said to Abram, See here, the Lord has restrained me from bearing [children]. I am asking you to have intercourse with my maid; it may be that I can obtain children by her. And Abram listened to and heeded what Sarai said.

3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her Egyptian maid, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his [secondary] wife.

4 And he had intercourse with Hagar, and she became pregnant; and when she saw that she was with child, she looked with contempt upon her mistress and despised her.

5 Then Sarai said to Abram, May [the responsibility for] my wrong and deprivation of rights be upon you! I gave my maid into your bosom, and when she saw that she was with child, I was contemptible and despised in her eyes. May the Lord be the judge between you and me.

6 But Abram said to Sarai, See here, your maid is in your hands and power; do as you please with her. And when Sarai dealt severely with her, humbling and afflicting her, she [Hagar] fled from her.

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 But [a]the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness on the road to Shur.

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8 And He said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where did you come from, and where are you intending to go? And she said, I am running away from my mistress Sarai.

9 The Angel of the Lord said to her, Go back to your mistress and [humbly] submit to her control.

10 Also the Angel of the Lord said to her, I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the Angel of the Lord continued, See now, you are with child and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael [God hears], because the Lord has heard and paid attention to your affliction.

12 And he [Ishmael] will be as a [b]wild ass among men; his hand will be against every man and every man’s hand against him, and he will live to the east and on the borders of all his kinsmen.

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13 So she called the name of the Lord Who spoke to her, You are a God of seeing, for she said, Have I [not] even here [in the wilderness] looked upon Him Who sees me [and lived]?Or have I here also seen [the future purposes or designs of] Him Who sees me?

14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi [A well to the Living One Who sees me]; it is[c]between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son whom Hagar bore[d]Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael.” Genesis 16:1-16 AMP

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 Here we are in Genesis 16 facing an interesting situation. The Lord had spoken to Abram on a number of occasions concerning offspring (note the scripture below), and if you look at Genesis 15:6 you will see that it says that Abram believed the Lord.  Abram was a lot like us. He had some information, but not all of the information. I think a lot of people in a situation like theirs would reason and conclude that a surrogate mother was the means the Lord intended them to use. I can sympathize with Abram, Sarah, and Hagar. However the Lord had His own plan. The same God who sees every sparrow that falls looked upon them….all of them. He looks upon us, too, and He cares for us.

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1Now the Lord said[a] to Abram, “Go from your country[b] and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  Genesis 12:1-3 ESV

14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are,northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” Genesis 13:14-17 ESV

God’s Covenant with Abram

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue[a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son[b] shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him,“So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then theLord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterwardthey shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give[c] this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”Genesis 15 ESV

 

On December 20, 2013 I started a series titled  “A Loving Pursuit” . I am resuming my study tonight.  Below are the links to the other posts in the series for anyone who would like to start from the beginning and catch up. Although I started in Genesis, and am working my way through the Bible I won’t make a post on every chapter of every book, so if you only wish to read occasionally it really doesn’t matter what order you read the posts or if you only read some of them.

1) A Loving Pursuit: Introduction (One Minute and Twenty-nine Seconds)

2)A Loving Pursuit: (Part 1: In The Beginning)

3) “Driven” (a poem)

4) A Loving Pursuit: Part 2 (Driven by Love)

5) “Reasonable” (a poem)

6) A Loving Pursuit: Part 3 ( Love Stands to Reason)

7) “Valuable” (a poem)

8) A Loving Pursuit: Part 4 (Divine Measures)

9)A Loving Pursuit: Part 5 ( Love Came to Call)

10)A Loving Pursuit: Part 6 ( Declaring God’s Goodness )

11)“Dayspring” (a poem)

12) A Loving Pursuit: Part 7 (Spring Cleaning)

13)A Loving Pursuit: Part 8 ( A God Who Sees)

14) A Loving Pursuit: Part 9 ( A God Who Calls Us By Name)

15) A Loving Pursuit: Part 10 ( Love is Tenderhearted)…a long post

16) A Loving Pursuit: Part 11 ( Love is Patient)

17) A Loving Pursuit: Part 12 (God Never Fails)

18) “Trial of Faith” (A Poem)

19)A Loving Pursuit: Part 13 (Jehovah-Jireh…’The Lord Will Provide’)

20) A Loving Pursuit: Part 14 (Loving Guidance)

21) A Loving Pursuit: Part 15 (Love’s Grand Appearance)

22) A Loving Pursuit: Part 16 ( God’s Higher Purpose )

23) A Loving Pursuit: Part 17 (God’s Transforming Touch)

24) A Loving Pursuit: Part 18a (God Remains True)

25) A Loving Pursuit: Part 18b (Encountering God)

26) A Loving Pursuit: Part 18c (A God Who Mends Hearts)

27) “Prayer”

28) A Loving Pursuit: Part 19 (“His Mercy Endureth Forever”)

29) A Loving Pursuit: Part 20 (“In The Day Of Distress”)

30) A Loving Pursuit: Part 21 (“The Author Of Dreams”)

31) A Loving Pursuit: Part 22 (Loving Observation)

32) A Loving Pursuit: Part 23 (Divine Continuance)

33) A Loving Pursuit: Part 24 ( Grace That Is Greater)

34) A Loving Pursuit: Part 25 (But The Lord Was With Him)

35) A Loving Pursuit: Part 26 ( A Type of Mercy )

36) A Loving Pursuit: Part 27 ( Loving Revelation)

37) A Loving Pursuit: Part 28 ( “Manasseh”…A Time To Forget…And To Heal)

38)A Loving Pursuit: Part 29 (“Ephraim”…Fruitful In Affliction)

 

 

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here:
https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here: www.biblegateway.com  They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

photo credit:  pixabay.com

2 Comments

Reblogged: A Loving Pursuit: Part 7 (Spring Cleaning)

October 16, 2018 at 2:20 am (A Loving Pursuit, About Sin, Assurance, Battling, Contentment, correction, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Guidance, Healing, Hope, Joy, Life, Lighter Burdens., Love, Mercy, Obedience, Our Unchanging God, Peace, Repentance, Resting, Restoration, Salvation, Sins, Sovereignty of God, strengthening, Transformation., Trusting, Truth, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom, worth)

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Scripture Reference;

“25 When Methuselah was 187 years old, Lamech was born to him.

26 Methuselah lived after the birth of Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters.

27 So Methuselah lived 969 years, and he died.

28 When Lamech was 182 years old, a son was born.

29 He named him Noah, saying, This one shall bring us relief and comfort from our work and the [grievous] toil of our hands due to the ground being cursed by the Lord.”  Genesis 5:25-29 AMP

15 And God spoke to Noah, saying,

16 Go forth from the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives with you.

17 Bring forth every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the ground—that they may breed abundantly on the land and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.

18 And Noah went forth, and his wife and his sons and their wives with him [after being in the ark one year and ten days].

19 Every beast, every creeping thing, every bird—and whatever moves on the land—went forth by families out of the ark.

20 And Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean [four-footed] animal and of every clean fowl or bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

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21 When the Lord smelled the pleasing odor [a scent of satisfaction to His heart], the Lord said to Himself, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination (the strong desire) of man’s heart is evil and wicked from his youth; neither will I ever again smite and destroy every living thing, as I have done.

22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8;15-22 AMP 

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“9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is,already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.[a]”  Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 ESV

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12 KJV

My intention when I started this series was to hopefully write every day, or at least a few times a week, but look how long it has been. I am such a mess. If you have hopes of being the model wife, or mother, or housekeeper, or blogger don’t look at me. If you are in search of the secret to becoming slim and trim, financially secure, or even the life of the party you won’t find it here. I am none of those things. If I were graded on those things my report card would be made up of C’s and D’s…and even an ‘F’ or two.

However, I am still trusting that the Lord loves me. I still believe that if I am to have any peace, or experience any joy in my life it will only come from my knowledge of the Lord.  It has always worked for me without fail, so I will keep on praying and reading the Bible.

It is magical in a way.

I just love how I feel as I turn each page, and in a sense, enter that kingdom. During those times all of my own issues just fade away as I make myself at home there. Even hours later while I am doing household chores I find that each little task will hold some analogy that bears witness to that kingdom. Have you ever experienced that, ever felt that way, and just wished you knew someone who could identify?

Now that might be a reason to come here.  🙂

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A little while ago I was looking at Genesis 5:28-29, and how it offered hope concerning the cursed ground and the grievous toil of their hands, and thought about the destruction that would need to take place first. During the fall and winter my yard doesn’t look so great. The oak, maple and sweet gum trees all lose their leaves, and the hydrangeas look pathetic. Then we will have an ice storm or two that will cause our pine tree to lose great big limbs. In March or April we start to clean up the yard, so it will look better when everything starts to grow again.

My life gets pretty messy, too from season to season. I’m a messy person in more ways than one. I always hope that I will become ‘neater’, but I have a long way to go and an even shorter time to get there. I am beginning to realize that maybe I should hope a little less in myself and just focus on these words and be glad:

“9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everythingbeautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is,already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.[a]”  Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 ESV

I have a friend named Deb. She is an anointed poet. You can read some of her poems here:
http://iftodaywehear.wordpress.com/

Recently she shared this with me:

“Sow for yourselves righteousness
Reap in mercy,
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Til He comes and rains righteousness on you. ”  Hosea 10:12

Sow righteousness
reap in mercy
break up your
fallow ground

for it is time
to seek the Lord
while He can
be found.

Today I am praying that the Lord will help me to do that…to go to Him and allow Him to till the hard and unused portions of my heart, to destroy all that must be destroyed there, so it, too will be beautiful.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here:
https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just clickhere: www.biblegateway.com   They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

photo credit:  pixabay.com

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Re-blogged: “Dayspring” (a poem)

October 16, 2018 at 1:58 am (A Loving Pursuit, Assurance, chastisement, correction, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Discernment, Faith, Forgiveness, Glory, Grace, Healing, Hope, Joy, Life, Lighter Burdens., Love, Love, Mercy, Our Unchanging God, Patience, Peace, Praise, refuge, Resting, Restoration, Salvation, shelter, Sins, Sovereignty of God, Thanksgiving, Trusting, Truth, value, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom, worth)

images morning sunrise

Scripture References;


“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV

1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;

2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

15 And God spake unto Noah, saying,

16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:

19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

20 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.  Genesis 8 KJV

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“Dayspring” by Theresa Anne Moore

The rain came down relentlessly.
Submerging all the eye could see.
The vessel was the one exception.
It stayed afloat with clear reception.
The curse dissolved for all involved.
With new resolve the earth revolved.

By and by, the rain subsided.
Ground appeared. The raven glided
The dove went forth three times to fly.
The covering was lifted. The earth was dry.
The Lord spoke. The time was at hand
For Noah to step onto the land.

He made burnt offerings unto the Lord.
That were received, a  sweet accord.
In spite of mankind’s evil bent,
The Lord would work His own intent.
Night and day and all of the seasons
Would be sustained for loving reasons.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here:
https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here: www.biblegateway.com   They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

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Re-blogged: A Loving Pursuit: Part 6 (Declaring God’s Goodness)

October 10, 2018 at 7:41 pm (A Loving Pursuit, About Sin, Assurance, Battling, Bible study, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Discernment, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Guidance, Home Education, Homeschooling, Hope, Lighter Burdens., Love, Love, Mercy, Our Unchanging God, Patience, Peace, Provision, refuge, Relaxed Homeschooling, Salvation, sorrow, Sovereignty of God, Suffering, Trusting, Truth, Veteran Homeschoolers, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., worth)

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Scripture references;

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.  Psalm 103 KJV

This is a hard post for me to write, because I have reached Genesis chapter 5 which ends like this:

“28 When Lamech was 182 years old, a son was born.

29 He named him Noah, saying, This one shall bring us relief and comfort from our work and the [grievous] toil of our hands due to the ground being cursed by the Lord.

30 Lamech lived after the birth of Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters.

31 So all the days of [a]Lamech were 777 years, and he died.

32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Genesis 5:28-32 AMP

This tells me that God was about to destroy the earth. I don’t like to think about sin, suffering, death and destruction. These are touchy subjects.

There are many people who have seen these things going on in the world today, and have readenough of the Bible to know about the story of Noah’s Ark and many other accounts where the Lord dealt with mankind in ways that are hard to understand, and have concluded that either the God of  the Bible doesn’t really exist, or that He does exist, but He isn’t loving. I suppose we could back all the way up to Genesis 2, and find things that have troubled some readers.

“15 And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard andkeep it.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:15:-17 AMP

I must confess that at times I am troubled when I contemplate things that are hard to fathom. I want you to know that I am not writing in order to prove that my faith in the Lord and His goodness is valid. I am writing merely to share glimpses I get from time to time from scripture that appear to affirm the hope I have inside me.

Chris Rice expresses this well.

So far as I have studied the book of Genesis I have noticed some things that people think and feel, and that they say and do. I have noticed things the Lord thinks and feels, and says and does. I have seen some causes and some effects. I have seen creation, and destruction, things that happened abruptly and things that happened over the course of time. Like I said above, I believe the Lord is Loving and good. I am looking forward to taking this opportunity to find and expose some of the various examples in these past chapters and in the chapters to come that will illustrate that.

You might like to do the same thing and when you read my next post you can compare your findings with mine. Please feel free to share them with me and my other readers.   🙂

Would you like to read more posts from this series? This link will take you to the Table of Contents. It has contains links to them:

https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/2015/08/06/a-loving-pursuit-a-table-of-contents-part-onescripture/

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here:
https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just clickhere: www.biblegateway.com   They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

photo credit:  pixabay.com

 

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Re-blogged: A Loving Pursuit: Part 5 (Love Came to Call)

October 10, 2018 at 1:43 am (A Loving Pursuit, Assurance, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Faith, Forgiveness, Glory, Grace, Guidance, Holy Spirit, Hope, Lighter Burdens., Love, Our Unchanging God, Peace, Praise, Prayer, Provision, refuge, Repentance, Resting, Restoration, Righteousness, Salvation, Sovereignty of God, strengthening, Thanksgiving, The Greatest Commandment, Transformation., Trusting, Truth, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom, worth)

dawn-190055_1280

Scripture reference;

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[d] 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:17-18 ESV

“9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:9 KJV

“37 All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].

38 For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the willand purpose of Him Who sent Me.

39 And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day.” John 6:37-39 AMP

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“18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methusael, and Methusael the father of Lamech.

19 And Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah and of the other was Zillah.

20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle andpurchase possessions.

21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.

22 Zillah bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all [cutting] instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say; for I have slain a man [merely] for wounding me, and a young man [only] for striking and bruising me.

24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech [will be avenged] seventy-sevenfold.

25 And Adam’s wife again became pregnant, and she bore a son and called his name Seth. For God, she said, has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him.

26 And to Seth also a son was born, whom he named Enosh. At that time men began to call [upon God] by the name of the Lord.” Genesis 4:18-26 AMP

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It has been said that “time marches on”, and we see that here in Genesis 4:18-26. We can also see that mankind went blundering along with it, and we continue to do so.  People are pairing off, having children, and pursuing various career paths, and all the while music is playing in the background helping to set the mood. Each of us is living out a carefully chronicled story:

“Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,” Psalm 40:7 KJV

“13 For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I will confess and praise You for You are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are Your works, and that my inner self knows right well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret [and] intricatelyand curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery].

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.” Psalm 139:13-16 AMP

I love the way this 4th chapter of Genesis ends. Mankind was far from perfect, but they had already begun to call upon God, and He heard them calling. People are still calling on God today, and He hears each and every cry….and He cares…He loves you ever so much.

The lord pursues us and calls out to us, too.

Here is a song that expresses the intense power of God’s  Loving call.

 

 

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please click here: https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here:www.biblegateway.com They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

 

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Re-blogged: A Loving Pursuit: Part 4 (Divine Measures)

October 9, 2018 at 11:51 am (A Loving Pursuit, About Sin, Assurance, chastisement, correction, Devotional Series I Have Written, Devotional Thoughts., Empathy, Grace, Guidance, Hope, Lighter Burdens., Mercy, Our Unchanging God, refuge, Sins, sorrow, Sovereignty of God, When you are afraid, When you feel bitter, When You Feel Like Crying., Wisdom)

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Scripture references;

“12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, marked off the heavens with a [nine-inch] span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?

14 With whom did He take counsel, that instruction might be given Him? Who taught Him the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding?”  Isaiah 40:12-14 AMP

“33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36 KJV“

“4 But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great andwonderful and intense love with which He loved us,

5 Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved ([a]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).

6 And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us [b]joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

7 He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness andgoodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved ([c]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;” Ephesians 2:4-8 AMP

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews  12:2 KJV

 

“8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.” Genesis 4:8-17 KJV

 

 Genesis 4:8-17 is a passage of scripture that is full of mysteries. An awful lot of questions came to my mind as I studied it. Probably the first question was this:  “If Cain was a vagabond how did he build a city?” Someone, might answer that he actually didn’t end up as a vagabond, or that he didn’t actually build a city.  Personally, I believe the Bible is true, so those two answers just won’t work for me. I just accept that there is some information that has been withheld for some reason, so I’m not going to press the matter.

A lot of people ask if Cain married his sister, and for some reason that one doesn’t bother me much, because of the fact that this is way back in Genesis.  There were so many things that were  different from the way they are now like lifespans for instance.

Of all the questions I have about Cain the one I find the most serious is this:  “Did God continue to Love Cain after He killed Abel?”  From what I read in Genesis 4:15 it sounds like He did. Some people might think Cain got off too easy, and I don’t know how old Cain was when he died, but Seth lived 912 years, so Cain probably lived to be pretty old. The Amplified Bible described his quality of life like this:

“12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth [in perpetual exile, a degraded outcast].” Genesis 4:12 AMP

Some people might think Cain’s punishment was too lenient, and some might think it was too harsh. I believe the Lord knows what is best, and I see the Lord’s loving pursuit here, too.

Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?  Please clickhere: https://pronetoponder.wordpress.com/category/about-salvation-very-important-words/ and make sure.

Do you have a Bible? If you don’t have one, you need not worry. Just click here: www.biblegateway.com   They have many versions and translations of the Bible that you can read. Some of the best things in life are free!

photo credit:  pixabay.com

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