Emily's Blog

Monday, 20 June 2016

Legacy @promiseseeker

The world tells us that we need to make a name for ourselves. It tells you that you should build storehouses and pile up your wealth and significance. The world says that we need to make a legacy for ourselves in order to have worth. That we need to be known for something and we need to leave something behind. We even sometimes hear this from within church. But I think this promise points towards a different way. God's not interested in us building a legacy for ourselves but he is interested in using us to build His legacy.

Don't be striving after fame, significance and reputation in the wrong places. When we believe that God will do what He says He will, it gets credited to us as righteousness. (Genesis 15:7).

“He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.””

Genesis 15:5 NIV

Abram wasn't going to personally have children to outnumber the stars, but the legacy of what GOD was doing in and through Him meant that his faithful obedient belief would change the world. One by one. Abram's job? Don't freak out by the promise and think you have to get there in your own strength. Don't try to build your own legacy. Believe God's word. Believe God's promises. Believe. Believe in God and His legacy becomes your legacy.

#legacy #countthestars #faithfulgod #promise12 #genesis

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#bible #bibleverse #biblejournaling #biblestudy #biblescripture #biblepromises #promise #promiseseeker #godspromise #godspeaks #godneverlies #promises #truth #scripture #bibletime #shereadstruth #biblereading #godsword #goodnews

Saturday, 18 June 2016

Perfectly sure @promiseseeker

So... God's been on my case for a while about digging through his promises in the Bible. It's time! I've set this account up as a way of documenting some of the journey. And so it begins tonight with this - kinda central in setting up the whole promise seeking journey... “For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised. Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 6:13-20 NLT Oh. My. Goodness.

We can be *perfectly sure* that God will never change his mind on his promises AND it is impossible for him to lie. So much goodness in these verses and so much excitement and anticipation for this promise seeking journey ahead... #bible #bibleverse #biblejournaling #biblestudy #biblescripture #biblepromises #promise #promiseseeker #godspromise #godspeaks #perfectlysure #hebrews #godneverlies #promises #truth #scripture

He gives @promiseseeker

So I've hit my first challenge already, before I've even got through the first chapter of Genesis!

Most people (online!) say that the first promise in the Bible arrives in chapter 3 after the fall. However, here, in verse 29 of Genesis 1 God says, "I give you every seedbearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food." If, as we discovered in Hebrews 6 that God cannot lie, when he makes a statement like this is it not also a promise? Hmm. Thinking needed.

Either way, we can learn that God gives us food. He provides. He supplies. And he does it generously - EVERY seedbearing plant on the WHOLE planet. And it's very good.

God gives. He provides. And he cannot lie. Good discoveries so far don't you think?! #promise1 #genesis #godprovides #godgives #itisgood

Promise or threat? @promiseseeker

Challenge #2 already!

Are promises always positive?

If they're negative does that make them a threat? (Wikipedia seems to think that the psychology of promises would indicate so.) If I'm seeking out God's promises then that needs to be all of them right? Including the ones I don't like or the ones that don't make sense to me. I guess today's challenge reveals a heart that thinks it knows better than God... How often do we pick and choose the bits of God's Word that make us feel nice or massage our ego compared to the challenging truth that cuts right to our soul?! So in that light, I'm going to seek out all the promises. Even the ones that just seem uncomfortable trusting God can use those to teach me just as much.

Still in for the journey with me?

#negativepromises #challenge #godknowsbest #bible #bibleverse #biblejournaling #biblestudy #biblescripture #biblepromises #promise #promiseseeker #godspromise #godspeaks #godneverlies #promises #truth #scripture #bibletime #shereadstruth #biblegram #biblereading #godsword #goodnews

Curses @promiseseeker

The implications of disobedience to God are pretty weighty. If I'd not ever read the Bible before I might stop here - death - doesn't hold much hope or 'promise'... Thankfully I know the author and the ending so it's worth holding on.

Useful sometimes to reset our perspective of just how good we might think we are... #soberingthoughts #genesis #death #curses #promise2

Contend @promiseseeker

In #promise3 God tells us that his Spirit won't "contend" / "strive with" humans forever (Genesis 6:3). After a bit of mulling around on this I guess what it boils down to is that the divine gift of life cannot exist except for the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Some translations say "My Spirit won't "remain" with mankind / humankind / human beings "forever because they are mortal / corrupt". For God to be present in the mortal, in the flesh, in our world, this can only happen if our humanity doesn't get in the way.

I think this promise points towards what a gift even 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day of life is let alone 120 years.

How grateful we can be that God made a way for us to dwell with him and he in us, that life may go on, and that he gives us as long as he does.

#eachbreathisagift #genesis #humanity #mortality

Rain @promiseseeker

So usually rain / water in the Bible is a good thing. Not here.

#promise4 has Genesis 6:7,13,17 and 7:4 where God says he will send rain to "put an end to all people."

Clearly not ALL people otherwise we wouldn't be here (#promise5 will tell us more about that).

My takeaway from this today is that despite using water for destruction, it actually gives life. And although the state of the world grieved God, it was still possible to "find favour" (Genesis 6:8) in God's eyes. This gives me hope that in spite of the state of the world today we too can still find favour with God.

#genesis #rain #favour #hope #water #bible #bibleverse #biblejournaling #biblestudy #biblescripture #biblepromises #promise #promiseseeker #godspromise #godspeaks #godneverlies #promises #truth #scripture #bibletime #shereadstruth #biblereading #godsword #goodnews