Every summer I take a break from sharing devotional time with the Lord, reflecting on my walk and patterns of life. Summer is the season of growth, longer days, stormy weather and family gatherings. For my mom's 80th B-day, we digitized the memories captured in photographs via Frameo app. Each sibling got to upload their perspective from past events. I got to see my life from baby to 50 and we celebrated with aunt Lois who is 94, thriving and living independently.
This morning I'm reminded of Joseph, who had a dream "about himself" - the way he talked about them was offensive to his half brothers (Gen 37:8). But after a life of hardship and adventure Joseph tells his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Gen 50:20). He's dream went from being about himself (Genesis 37:5-7) to being about his people who would live in freedom in the promised land (Hebrews 11:22). "It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left."
For me this brought me to these directional passages:
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. Col 3:1-2
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Phil 2:3-5
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.
You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.
Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”
So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”
Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.
We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon.
Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
may he equip you with all you need
for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.
I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation.
I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released from jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you.
Greet all your leaders and all the believers there. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.
May God’s grace be with you all. (Hebrews 12-13)
I'm looking forward to having Lane, Chloe and Baby Roman live with us this fall, finishing house repairs and starting a new season in BSF and work. May the Lord increase my vision and let my yes be yes and no be no.
With my whole heart, Lord let me love You
With my whole heart, none above You
Praise and love You, with my whole heart
With my whole heart, Lord let me hear You
With my whole heart, ever near You
Help me hear You, with my whole heart
With my whole mind, Lord let me love You
With my whole mind, none above You
Praise and love You, with my whole mind
With my whole mind, Lord let me hear You
With my whole mind, ever near You
Help me hear You, with my whole mind
With my whole lift, Lord let me love You
With my whole life, none above You
Praise and love You, with my whole life
With my whole life, Lord let me hear You
With my whole life, ever near You
Help me hear You, with my whole life
God heals our unfaithfulness when we listen and obey him (Book of Hosea)
Lord answers the sky's plea for clouds, the sky answers the earth with rain (Hosea 2:21)
John's revelation, received during worship, is explained by Jesus himself
My brother asked me last night if people see Jesus, we talked about the history of art, poetry and testimony. A "cloud of witness" to the faith (Heb 11-13). He just doesn't see it but if Helen Keller could see and hear, than so can he.
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