We are not consumed.

My uneventful 4th of July turned out to be a pretty good day.  

And this is why: 

I discovered that all Secret Church sessions are online.  Yep, find them here :)  I started with the Survey of the Old Testament one & have one more session left in it.  

Time consuming, yes.  And you will want to write down most every word, so you'll go through a lot of paper & your hand may look like a claw for a few days...but so worth it.

Just wanted to share what was probably my favorite part so far.

David Platt goes through & gives a brief overview of each book of the Old Testament.  Yes, each.  Sort of a Cliffs notes of the Bible...key characters, key chapters, themes, time period, etc.  

Jeremiah [which is what I just so happen to be reading] was known as the "weeping prophet."  He seems to have felt the sorrow of God more than any other prophet.  The events of the book of Jeremiah are occurring in the last forty years of Judah's history [626-586 BC].  This is during the destruction of Jerusalem.  Jeremiah is followed by Lamentations, which was probably also written by Jeremiah.  This is a book of "funeral poems" that comes right after the destruction of Jerusalem.  

In the midst of murder, rape, slavery, cannibalism, & utter destruction...

Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him."

{Lamentations 3:22-24} 

It's one thing to trust God, hope in God, & praise God when things are swell...but in the middle of destruction, battle, sorrow, confusion, displacement, & captivity...that's a different story.  Jeremiah is the prime example of this.  

But, as David Platt points out, we are not given these "characters" in the Bible so that we can emulate them.  Even the "greatest" were every bit as flawed as we are.  We are given insight into their lives & their stories, so that we see GOD, not man.  The point in this isn't just to marvel at the fact that Jeremiah could still be praising God with all that he had seen.  The point is to see what a great God we serve, that even on the darkest of days, He is still the only source that we can possibly hope in.  The only Light in any darkness.

30 Day Blog Challenge: day 12

day 12

what you believe

via

I believe that Jesus is the way, & the truth, & the life {John 14:6}.  

I believe in a life that makes Him greater, & makes me less & less {John 3:30}.  

I believe God saved me not because I deserved it in the least, but because my salvation was a part of His plan from the beginning & will ultimately bring more glory to Himself {2 Timothy 1:9}.  

I believe worship is where true happiness lies {Psalm 89:15}.  

I believe in praising Him through service, in honoring Him by caring for the least of these {James 1:27, Matthew 25:40}.  

I believe that every word in the Bible is God-breathed, & is just as relevant today as it was when it was first written {2 Timothy 3:16}.  

I believe that, as a Christian, I am called to be radically different from the rest of the world {1 Corinthians 2:12}.  

I believe God alone has the right to judge people, but He has not called me to live a passive life, tolerant of every sinful lifestyle that the world deems as okay {1 Timothy 3:11, 16}.  

I believe that God places desires in my heart for a reason, & takes joy in blessing me with those things {Psalm 37:4}.  

I believe He is faithful beyond my wildest imagination {Hebrews 10:23}.  

I believe Jesus & the Holy Spirit intercede on my behalf, pleading my case before God {Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:27}.  

I believe in making my every thought one that would please God {2 Corinthians 10:5}.  

I believe that I am called to give the very best that I have to God {Proverbs 3:9}.  

I believe that Christians are attacked by Satan on a daily basis, but through submission to God, we are able to resist his temptations {James 4:7, Ephesians 6:11, Romans 8:12}.  

I believe in making Jesus famous {Isaiah 26:8}.  

I believe that I can know true peace {Philippians 4:7, Romans 8:15}.

I believe that I am washed clean & set free because of His redeeming blood {2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 8:1-2}.  

I believe in doing everything to bring glory to Him {1 Corinthians 10:31}.  

I believe that God is working among the nations, & there will come a day when every nation, every tribe, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord of all {Habakkuk 1:5, Philippians 2:9-11, Revelation 7:9, Romans 8:19}.