Would God Really Have Only Saved the Israelites?

   Way, way back in Bible times God made the first man and woman. They were given one rule, which they broke. Thus, sin entered the world. Years passed, the world sinned more, there was a flood, and eventually God chose one man through whom he would bless the world. We know that man as Abraham. He is the one whom the nation of Israel would come from. And, through Israel, the world was to be blessed.
   God had Israel as his favorite nation. I once heard someone say that he believed that if Israel would have followed God, and the Jews would have accepted Jesus as savior, God would not have offered salvation to Gentiles. I'm not sure I entirely agree with that idea. God is a God of wrath, because he is holy and cannot be with sin. But, God is also a God of love. He loves all of us (it's in the Bible, look it up in John.3.16). Why then, would a God of love want any to perish, including Gentiles?
   The answer is he doesn't want any to perish. We can see this in God's word. In the Old Testament, during the time that God's love and blessing was to be seen through Israel, there are the true stories of two people who lived at different times and were Gentiles. These Gentiles were accepted into the family of Israel.
   One of the women was Rahab. She lived in the time of Joshua's leadership of Israel. She lived in Jericho, a Gentile nation who worshipped other gods. Rahab was an unmarried prostitute. She had heard of the Israelites and what their God had done for them. Thus, she chose to hid two Israelite spies from her people's guards. Because she chose to follow God and help his people, she was invited into the family of God. She was saved even in her sin.
   The other person was Ruth. Ruth lived in the time of the judges in Israel. She married into an Israelite family while they were in Moab. The father of the family died. Then Ruth's husband died. Her mother in law, Naomi who was an Israelite, said she was going back to her home country. Ruth decided to go with Naomi even though she could have stayed, gone home to her family, and been remarried in her home town. When they got to Israel, Ruth went out to gather grain. There she met Boaz. Boaz was related to Naomi. Eventually, Ruth married Boaz. She was accepted into God's family as well.
   Now, lest you say the events of both those women don't prove anything; or, you say that women didn't count in Bible times tell me why BOTH of these women are in the lineage of Jesus Christ, savior of the world? God accepted these women into his nation, he loved them, he blessed them, and he saved them even though they were Gentiles. These women chose to follow God. They chose to leave their sinful ways and their homes just to follow God. Because of those choices, these women are forever a part of history.
   These women are examples for us today. No one is too far gone to be saved by God. Rahab was a prostitute. Ruth probably worshipped false gods. We are to spread the Gospel to everyone. It doesn't matter where the person comes from or what they have done. God loves them and wants to save them. Who are we to stand in the way?
   So, do you believe God wants to save all people? How can you spread the Gospel today? 

   Image from here.

Giving Up Power

   When I was just beginning college I helped with my high school soccer team. I knew many of the girls there. There were a few girls there who used to have a hold on me. There was a lot of drama in high school soccer. A few of the girls on the team thought they were so good. They also used to talk about people behind their backs.

   When I went back to help with my high school team when I was in college, I realized how crazy it was that I let these girls have power over me. These girls couldn't control my actions or my thoughts. They could try but I am the only one who controls me. In trying to please these girls I let go of some of my power. In trying to prove these girls wrong I let go of some of my power.

   Eleanor Roosevelt once said: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." I was feeling inferior to these girls because they were popular in high school. But, in the end, high school isn't life. In the end these girls wouldn't have power. They would have to work their way back up the food chain.

   When I was helping my high school team in college it opened my eyes. Rather than being self-confident I needed to be God-confident. Yes, I was different in high school, many people were. In college I realized that God made me and loves me no matter what. It didn't matter what these other girls thought about me. When I helped, they had no power over me. That's because I gave God the power, because he technically already has it whether we realize it or not.

   So, is there anyone who has a hold on you who shouldn't? Do you have self-confidence or God confidence? What can you do to gain more God confidence today?

   Proverbs 14:26 and 2 Timothy 1:7

   Image from here.

Don't Focus Too Much on the Past

   The past is important. The past can help us learn from our mistakes. The past also shapes us into who we are. However, if we focus too much on our past is that a good thing?
   In Genesis 19 we find the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Two angels come to the city and Lot, Abraham's nephew, invites them to his home. Some very odd events happen but in the end the angels tell Lot and his family to leave because God is going to destroy the cities. Lot is hesitant at first so the angels grab his hand and his family's hands and take them out of the city. The angels tell Lot and his family to flee to the mountains and don't look back. Lot asks to just go to a near town named Zoar. The angels agree to this because of the Lord's mercy. Then God destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Unfortunately Lot's wife looks back at the cities. Because of that she is turned into a pillar of salt.
   What was going through Lot's wife's head? We don't know. But, I have a guess. She might have been thinking: "I really miss my home. I worked so hard to get the decor just right. And, I miss my friends. Why would God destroy my friends and my home? Why can't we go back? I had such good times there. Doesn't God care about that? Maybe if I could get one last glimpse of my home that would suffice." Then she looks back and BAM! She turns into a pillar of salt.
   Many of us probably wonder why she looked back when she was told not to. But we forget, she probably wasn't just looking back because she was curious. She was looking back at her home, her friends, her past...
   We may be tempted to think we would never do such a thing. But, in a way, some of us have. Have you ever reflected back on your life and thought "wow I had some good times then and there. I wish I could go back." When you do that you are doing what Lot's wife is doing. You are focusing too much on the past. Now, I'm not saying that you should not reflect. Reflecting is good and important. Reflecting helps us learn from mistakes. But if we focus too much on the past to the point where we are not moving forward that's a problem.
   Philippians 3:13-14 says "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." I love the way Paul uses a word picture to get his point across. If you are running a race and you look back too long what will happen? That's right, you will crash and burn. We are to look forward to our goal. What's our goal? Our goal is heaven. If we are focused on heaven then we will do what we are called to do. If we are focused on heaven we will follow what God wants us to do each day.
   So, are you focused too much on the past? What can you do to focus on your heavenly goal today? How can you follow God in your life every day?

Image from here.

How Much Can You Handle?

   In my Kindergarten classroom we are talking about habitats and life cycles. To do that we have gotten an ant habitat so we can observe ant and talk about what they need.
   Through this experience I have learned more about ants. Ants can lift 20 times their own weight. But what would happen if that ant would try to lift something heavier than that? It would get squashed.
   Many times people are like ants. We all live together in the habitat called earth. We all work in different ways but we work for the greater good. And, we get dealt more than we think we can handle. Maybe you messed up at work, a coworker yelled at you, your friend blamed you for something you didn't do, a family member died, and you are having health problems. All of that may be happening at the same time and you begin to crumple under the weight of all of that.
   I've heard many people say "God's will never give you more than you can handle." Well, no disrespect to those people but I disagree with that. I've been through a lot in my life and I've had times where a lot of bad things happen at once. And, in those times, I break down. I feel like I can't go on and I crumble under the weight of all of it, if I try to get through it on my own.
   I want to change this saying. I have started to say that "God will never give you more than you can handle with him." God is always on our side but we need to learn to lean on him. When we start to crumble under the weight of our problems we can either keep trying to handle all of the weight on our own. Or, we can call on God and say "I need you! I cannot do this on my own. Please help me be strong in you."
   I don't know about you but I've already got a pretty bad back. I cannot carry the weight of all of my problems. So I have given all of my problems to God. He comes in, grabs the rock of all of our problems, and takes it off of us. Will all of our problems be fixed the exact way we want them to? No, but God has a perfect plan for our lives. He will be with us every step of the way if we choose to walk with him.
   So, will you continue to try and keep the weight of all of your problems up on your own? Will you choose to lean on God when you are not strong? Will you trust that God has a perfect plan for your life?

   Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 Corinthians 10:13