SOAP 01/04/2014 Genesis 9:6

Today's reading: Genesis 9, 10, 11; Luke 4

S) "⁶ 'Whoever sheds man’s blood,
By man his blood shall be shed,
For in the image of God
He made man.'"

Genesis 9:6 (NASB)

     

O) I don't know why this never occurred to me, exactly. God is very possessive of all people. He created all of mankind in His image, and He takes it personally when His likeness, if you will, is destroyed. The NT shadows this concept in a few different ways, but it always felt relative to "us" as humans with each other. Like, husbands need to treat their wives as fellow heirs, for example. But I guess I never thought of how very offended God is whenever we mistreat other people. We aren't just mistreating a person like ourselves, but we're mistreating someone very important to God, someone He created with special purpose, and beauty, and fondness.

A) This seems pretty straightforward. Do not kill people. Well, I mean, okay, "Check." But, I think it's safe to extrapolate this further. Obviously, Jesus gave us the "Golden Rule," but again, my mindset was still very horizontal, if you will. So, as I look around at the people I encounter, I want to change my perspective to be more vertical. Instead of thinking of others as "fellow man," I want to start thinking of them as "God's son, or daughter."

P) Father, may I please have Your perspective, here? Holy Spirit, liven my heart within me as I encounter people in my life. Whether it's established relationships, as with family or coworkers, or if it's more momentary appointments, let me see people for who they are, but also for how they are, created in Your likeness, as someone precious and dear to You. In Jesus's name I pray, amen.

SOAP 01/03/2014 Genesis 8:15-16

Today's reading: Genesis 6, 7, 8; Luke 3

S) "15 Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you."

Genesis 8:15-16 (NASB)

     

O) In the few paragraphs preceding these verses, Noah sends out birds, in four attempts, to see if there was land available, yet. Each time, there is stronger and stronger evidence, with the final proof coming when the dove sent doesn't return. And yet, Noah doesn't leave the ark. Showing great patience and obedience, he waits longer until The Lord instructs him.

A) I know that Noah was 600 years old, but I really don't my relative youth is an excuse. Often times, while I'm waiting for something to happen, or waiting to know God's will about something, I'll start to look for signs everywhere. while signs can be useful (even Jesus talked about signs of the seasons, etc), those signs are still insignificant next to the authority of God's word. Thankfully, while God's audible voice is all-too elusive, we still have His written Word. As I delve into this new year, and revive my pursuit of God through the Bible, I look to uncover His will for my life and my family, over the course of this year and beyond.

P) Father, open my eyes to see, and my ears to hear, and soften my heart to your words, oh LORD. As I notice, or even seek, signs of what may be to come, or what is happening around me, on a larger scale, let me value nothing as much as I value Your Word. Let the authority and holiness of Your Word be the beginning and end of my decisions with my life, marriage, and family. In Jesus's name I pray, amen.

SOAP 01/02/2014 Genesis 3:2-3

Today's reading: Genesis 3, 4, 5; Luke 2

S) "² The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"

Genesis 3:2-3 (NASB)

     

O) So, if we go back to the preceding chapter, we clearly see that Eve is not accurately quoting God. In Genesis 2:17, God tells Adam not to eat the fruit of the tree; God says nothing about touching the tree. So, how did Eve come to this determination? Well, she was not yet created when God told this to Adam, so she didn't mis-hear God. Her information more probably came from Adam. So, either Adam told her the directive from God verbatim and she misunderstood Adam, or else Adam added the little bit about touching, as a preventative measure to keep Eve from eating the fruit. Obviously it didn't work.

A) For our first several years together, I lived in fear of upsetting my wife. She struggled tremendously with anxiety, and I did my very best to avoid anything that might throw her into an emotional downward spiral. Consequently, I tried to take a lot of "preventative measures" that amounted to nothing less than lying cowardice. It never worked though. I was incapable of controlling my wife's reactions. It wasn't until we both surrendered to Christ, that she found the freedom I wanted for her. Since then, I still have a tendency to want to protect her. What I'm slowly learning, though, is that her peace comes from God, not me, and that her spiritual growth has strengthened her to handle much, much more than I usually think. I have to remind myself that she's not who she was.

On a larger scale, this concept of over-stating God's instruction is also found commonly in parenting. I mean, I'm no Texas preacher, trying to prevent kids from dancing, but I'm afraid I haven't always done the best job of explaining why something is wrong, and instead chose the route of avoidance. I need to trust God, and trust that the Truth of the Bible is always sufficient, and I don't need to "filter" things for my wife, and I certainly don't need to make things seem worse than they are, for my kids, out of fear.

P) Father, forgive me for my lies of distrust. Remind me what a beautiful work of grace You have done in my wife, and let me be assured You will do the same with my children. God, I never want to operate out of fear. Let me trust fully in the sufficiency of Truth. Your word is all we will ever need. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 01/01/2014 Luke 2:52

Today's reading: Genesis 1, 2; Luke 1
 
S) "And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."
 

Luke 2:52 (NASB)

     

O) This part of the story starts with Jesus being 12, going to Jerusalem for the first time, and going to the temple and discussing and debating with the teachers and adults there. This verse shows Jesus being blessed in four ways: Physically, mentally, spiritually, and relationally; respectively. the one that really stood out to me was the last one, "among men." Also, how it appears to have come about (or at least how it was manifested, with the temple story).
 
A) As a parent, I want my children to grow up into God-fearing adults who understand what it means to love and serve The LORD. To do that, becoming Christ-like is literally vital. In the NT, though, most of the life of Jesus we see is the 3 and a half years of His ministry. So, my job in parenting, and trying to shape my kids to be like Jesus, can be hard. But, this is a great outline for how it should go, or what the goals will be. So, physically, I need to nurture them. Mentally, I need to teach them. Spiritually, the growth is in the favor of The Lord, so I pray for that. Relationally, though, that's the one that stood out the most here. As my kids get a little older (closer to 12 and older), I need to begin surrounding them with other adults who know what it means to be righteous. I need to put other examples of godliness before my kids, show them other healthy marriages, show them what it means to study Scripture, what it means to worship, etc.
 
P) Father, may your favor be on all of my kids individually, and collectively. Please bless our efforts as a parent to raise my kids with healthy lifestyles for their bodies, and our efforts to teach our kids, especially through homeschooling. Lastly, give us wisdom to know how, when, and with whom to surround our kids. As they grow through their childhood, please let them become more Christ-like. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.