Friday, January 29

Goodest of evenings to you. It's pretty late, so I'm gonna get right to the point.


Reading for January 29

Exodus 8:1-9:35
So annoying!
The plagues continue here in an almost formulaic way. God tells Moses what to do, Moses does it, something really annoying happens to the Egyptians. It gets more and more serious each time, all the way up to the death of all the livestock the Egyptians owned.

What's frustrating here is the back and forth between Moses and Pharaoh. Every few plagues, Pharaoh says he's had enough, and begs Moses to call off the plagues. Moses prays to God and the current plague is removed. But then Pharaoh changes his mind and doesn't let the Israelites go. It's the old "Psyche!"

A few times, it says Pharaoh goes back on his word because he was stubborn. But then its repeated that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. So God is intentionally dragging out the plague fest. WHY? If Pharaoh admitted defeat, said this God must be the God, and decided to let the Israelites, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU CHANGE HIS MIND FOR HIM??!! HE GETS IT! Ugh!

Matthew 19:13-30
Be like the boy...

Jesus encounters small children for the second time in Matthew. Here is how he reacts:

“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.”

 So, we are supposed to be like these children - but in what aspect? Obviously we shouldn't behave like children. I've heard a few sermons on this verse, and I think the consensus is that we must accept and believe in God with the tenacity of a child. I guess it's kind of the way we believed in Santa Clause when we were kids. Though he turned out to be fake, when I believed in him, I was always filled with a sense of wonder. I wanted to know everything there was to know about him. I was excited to talk about him and discuss him openly about the gifts he's given me - we, as adults, need to accept and believe in God in that way. I think that's what he's saying.

Psalm 24:1-10
God cares for everyone
 ¹ The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
      The world and all its people belong to him.
 ² For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
      and built it on the ocean depths.

Proverbs 6:1-5
This one is weird - it talks about asking for a way out of debt from a friend. Telling you to not procrastinate and do it now. I wonder if there's any connection to the parable of the king and debtor.

Tired. 2:00 AM. Going down south tomorrow to visit my old chums! ORB church on Sunday! Word. the bird is the word.