My mom and I took the kids to Lake Selmac for a camping trip. We had a lot of fun. I’m afraid I was a bit cranky the first few days. I just don’t do heat well! It was 110F one day! The night before we were going to leave a HUGE thunderclap woke us all up! The kids all ended up in our tent. We didn’t have the rain flys on and we got SOAKED! It was fun, though. At least it was warm and wet. We also visited the Oregon Caves. It was nice and cool in there. If you’re looking for a place to go camping, I’d reccomend it.
Daily Reading:
Jeremiah 1,2
John 10
Too (fill-in-the-blank) for God’s service
Scripture
“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, ” I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.” Jeremiah 1:6-7
Observation
Jeremiah thought he was too young to be used by God. There is always a weakness in our lives that we believe will hinder God from using us. Too fat, too slow, too poor, too tired, too uneducated, too tied down, too (fill-in-the-blank). There are many instances in the Bible where God uses people in spite of their percieved weaknesses. Jesus said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Application
Whatever is in my life that is hindering me from submitting to be used by God, I need to realize that He is in control. If He has called me to do something then He will make it happen. Actually, it takes the stress out of it, because now it is out of my hands. I can’t Lord, but You can. How do I submit? By daily seeking to know Christ more and more. As I spend more time with Him, I will become more like Him and I will be able to hear His voice more clearly.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, help me to know and understand that even though I am weak, You are strong. If there is something You want me to do that I am not doing, please reveal it to me. Thank-you that your grace is all I need.
Daily Reading:
2 Kings 23
2 Chronicles 35
John 7
Godly parents, evil children
Scripture
“Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.” 2 Kings 23:25 “Jehoahaz [the son of Josiah, who succeeded him to the throne] did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestors had done.” 2 Kings 23:31-32
Observation
Josiah was such a great king. He completely and utterly got rid of every form of idolatry. He restored the passover. God promised him that because of his faithfulness, He would not destroy Judah until Josiah died. Why do great and Godly kings have children that are evil? Didn’t the Bible say to “direct your children onto the right path and when they are older they will not leave it”? Proverbs 22:6 It makes me wonder if the kings were actively involved in raising their children. Lots of very Godly people have rebellious children.
Application
It’s not enough to just be a Godly person. “Direct” or “train” or “raise” are action words. They require more than just a passive belief that because we love God, so will our children. We should not leave the teaching up to others either, although there is a place for that. It is our duty to God and our children to practice our faith, explain to our children what we are doing and why, and to live our lives to the best of our ability the way we want our children to live theirs (ie. practice what we preach). Thankfully, God is full of grace and will fill in where we make mistakes, but mistakes are only made when we are active.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to actively train my children about you. Help me to take responsibility for their spiritual health while they are young. Help me to live my life in just the way I want my kids to live theirs. Thank-you for your grace. Thank-you for filling in the gap where I fail.
Seth has his own blog which he updated quite a bit today. I think it’s a great idea. It teaches great journaling skills. Life is never dull with this kid. I wish I had more patience and understanding. He’s such a smart kid. I’m glad there are people in his life that were probably just like him when they were young. Of one of his adult friends he said, “Wow, Matt, I bet you were as smart as me when you were my age!” At least he has a healthy self-esteem! Check out his blog at www.smhelms.wordpress.com make sure to leave some comments!
