Genesis 34-37.1

Genesis 34-37.1

The rape of Dinah is a very difficult passage to read and write about. Dinah is raped. Her brothers deceive and kill the young man and many more. Steal their stuff, wives, and children (including false gods). Jacob is grieved. It is a mess. There is so much heartache, and it all added onto each other. None of it erased any of the heartache: not even those murders. Then, Esau's life looks much like Ishmael's (foreign wives; fathers of Arab and Islamic nations; rebelling against God). Meanwhile, Jacob models the life of his father Issac. God reminds Jacob of His promise! He promises stand strong no matter what our circumstances may say.

What I am being reminded of today?

 

I am reminded of the importance of trusting Him. Trusting He will act on my behalf.

I need to ensure nothing comes between me and God. I need to make sure nothing gets in the way of my daily "quiet time" with the Lord each morning. Often times things can, then it is easy to get out of habit. Hobbies can get in the way; TV can get in the way of developing a deeper walk with Christ.
 

I need to stay close to the Lord and those He has given me to be involved in my life and walk with Christ: to counsel and encourage me and for accountability. I am reminded to stay in His Word, and seek His guidance. It's easy to get 'off track' or go through the motions. God wants my heart.

It is better to be with the Lord than to do something that will discourage us in our walk with Him. We need to surround ourselves with things that are of Him, not of this world. The eternal, not the temporary. We need to be careful what we spend our time doing. Which is more profitable: Mindlessly watching tv or spending time in prayer and the Word?

We need to evaluate what kind of relationship we have with Jesus. Are we giving Him all we are? Is there something standing in the way of our relationship? It is incredibly important to guard ourselves spiritually! It is so important to stay close to Him. Staying in the Word and prayer. Keeping a close eye on our walk with Him, how we spend our time, and the decisions we make with prayer. Seeking Him. It's so easy to be detoured in our walk from the Lord~ *anything* can take our focus off Him. Instead of talking about how great we think we're doing, we need to start evaluating how we are really doing in our walk with Christ and humble ourselves before Him. Praying as we evaluate to see how we can give all of ourselves to the Lord!

What kind of legacy do we want to live?

If we live our lives the way God is calling us to, our godly heritage will remain…a heritage of vibrant faith passed from generation to generation. -Donna Partow

Our legacy will live on and on.. By choosing to be diligent in walking by faith in Jesus Christ and seeking His will daily, we are leaving a lasting legacy to our children, great grandchildren, and it will be carried from generation to generation. Many following Christ, because we were faithful and obedient to Him! Choose to live a lasting legacy of faith rooted in Jesus Christ, living for Him and Him alone! God wants to use us mightily! Let us choose to put our quiet time with Him above all else! It MATTERS! It counts! Choosing to love others like Jesus would! Others will see and be greatly impacted by our personal relationship with Jesus that everyone sees through our actions!