My Hope is in the LORD!

I'm in a Bible study group on facebook and the current study, in getting ready for Christmas, is Advent 2013.  We have different portions of Scripture to read for each day of the 4 weeks (except Saturday).  So, I decided I would share some (if not all) of those here and my thoughts on the Scriptures read.  The groups are mainly about accountability for getting into God's Word each day.  I will do the "lead" post this week, skip the week Tim is in the hospital (and possibly the following week, depending on when he gets to come home), then do another week.  So, we will see how that works.  Since we have some in the group that are from "across the pond," I usually try to post my thoughts in the evening for the verses that are scheduled for the following day.

I have other "daily life" things at the end of the "devotion" if you prefer to skip over the Bible stuff.  But, I pray that you will choose to read all the way through!

WEEK One, Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Jeremiah 33:14-15

14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

Every aspect of Jesus’ mission was thought out and planned out to the minutest detail: from His lineage, His miraculous birth, His life, His death and His resurrection to His final return. What are some things that we can learn about God’s character from this fact?

My thoughts:  God is sovereign over all.  He doesn’t do things haphazardly.  He knows the ending from the beginning.  Nothing takes Him by surprise!  Every part of my life has been thought and planned out to the minutest detail!  It is comforting to know that He is in control of whatever “situation” seems to be going on in my life.  From the cancer that Tim is dealing with to my teeth problems.  These events didn’t take Him by surprise.  They have and are happening for a reason.  My hope is in the Lord!

Our God would be no different than any of the other gods that have and do exist, if He were not sovereign over all.  The difference in our God is that He didn’t die and that was the end of it!  He was able to give up His life and then raise Himself back up from the dead again and go on to live out the rest of His eternality!  Can I hear an AMEN!!!  :D

Just like any other god who has died because they couldn’t save themselves, I cannot save myself!  I cannot do one earthly thing to get myself an entrance into God’s heaven!  That’s why He did it all!  Jesus paid it all!  It’s all to Him that I owe for my salvation.  I can’t be good enough.    Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”   Romans 3:12 says, “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”  I can’t do enough good things.  Isaiah 64:6  says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”  Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”  Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Jesus Paid it All

by Elvina M. Hall, 1865

1. I hear the Savior say,
   “Thy strength indeed is small;
   Child of weakness, watch and pray,
   Find in Me thine all in all.”
• Refrain:
  Jesus paid it all,
  All to Him I owe;
  Sin had left a crimson stain,
  He washed it white as snow.
2. For nothing good have I
   Whereby Thy grace to claim;
   I’ll wash my garments white
   In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
3. And now complete in Him,
   My robe, His righteousness,
   Close sheltered ’neath His side,
   I am divinely blest.
4. Lord, now indeed I find
   Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
   Can change the leper’s spots
   And melt the heart of stone.
5. When from my dying bed
   My ransomed soul shall rise,
   “Jesus died my soul to save,”
   Shall rend the vaulted skies.
6. And when before the throne
   I stand in Him complete,
   I’ll lay my trophies down,
   All down at Jesus’ feet.

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

1 Peter 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Revelation 1:5-6 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

For those of you who follow me on facebook, you perhaps saw where I started my Christmas decorating yesterday, such as it is!  Basically only a tree and a few other trinkets.  Well, I finished up all that I intend to do, so here are some pictures.  (I remembered a favorite light-up decoration, so I am going to have to check the basement again to see if I missed a box.  I sure hope so, because the decoration I am looking for, I actually like it better than the tree!  :D )

All I need are some candy canes for my metal box.

These are a favorite because I carved them myself.  :D

These 2 Santa decorations are for burning incense and the smoke makes it look like Santa is taking a steaming bath and stoking up the pot bellied stove.

And I added more ornaments to the tree.  No fancy glass bulbs this year, just homemade and those that Tim and I picked up while on vacation here and there and some others that have been given to us over the years.

 

I tried a new recipe tonight on the acorn squash that I bought a little over a week ago.  It was pretty good!  I couldn't eat all of mine and I'm considering finishing it up later.  :D

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

While the squash was baking in the oven, I fixed the "stuffing."

The squash looked kinda gross to me after baking.  Reminded me of a gremlin that had gotten wet!

Put the stuffing in, add the cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.

He liked it!  Hey, Mikey!  :D   Before you ask about the napkin with the camel on it.....we found a box of THOUSANDS of these little Spanish party napkins (advertising Camel cigarettes) at the thrift store for a couple bucks.  They are just about gone.

One last item to share with you.  This is Tim's Christmas Cactus that was ready to bloom in his office last year and it toppled over and this section broke off.  So, he stuck it in dirt and it has turned into its own plant.  He put it in a dark place a couple of months ago, brought it out and it started blooming!  Beautiful, but odd-looking flowers!

The flowers remind me a little bit of the Bird of Paradise flower.

OK.  That's it for me!  It's about time for me to take my PMs, eat some cake and ice cream then do some reading til the PMs kick in.