The Better Part, week #14

 

Happy Resurrection Sunday!  Here's this week's posts:

The Better Part, Day #87:

 

I just happened to notice that almost everything that I have underlined in my Bible (from 5-6 years or more ago) involved verses I could apply to others; a quiver of arrows. Kind of shocked me how little I knew how to use God's Word, and how perfect I must have thought I was....

 

 

The Better Part, Day #88:

 

Pro 30:5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

Pro 30:6 Do not add to His Words, lest He reprove you and you be found a liar.

Yesterday, a friend posted that someone "famous and should have known better" said that "Jesus would have backed vaccinations".

My reply: "I don't see why He wouldn't. Don't see why He would, either." My thoughts went to Luke 13:

Luk 13:1 And some were present at the same time reporting to Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

Luk 13:2 And answering, Jesus said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things?

Luk 13:3 I tell you, No. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Luk 13:4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were sinners above all men who lived in Jerusalem?

Luk 13:5 I tell you, No. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 

 

The topical news was NEVER his concern- only the souls of men. My guess is, if you asked Him about vaccinations, He MIGHT say something along the lines of, You may die sooner, you may die later, but unless you repent, you will likewise perish- meaning the SECOND death.

 

 

The Better Part, day #89:

 

 

Yesterday, I told myself it would be okay if I didn't post because, well, I just hadn't felt drawn to anything. Big mistake, translate to, "Didn't feel like putting in the effort." On a day where I already took myself to task for not being appreciative when the usual daily trials eased a bit, that was incredibly stupid.

 

 

 

The Better Part Day#90:

 

 

Today, I was reading a David Jeremiah article, among whose bullet points was, "Stay Consistent", mentioning that we need to show the same walk to others, no matter the stress level. I literally had JUST said, "Boy, I suck at that!" and 2 minutes later, I got job-switched and went on a tirade. But Satan didn't get the clear win- when I apologized, I showed my boss the section I had just read, and told her, "I hate pop quizzes." Witness opportunity 1, devil 0!

 

 

The Better Part, Day # 91:

 

Deut. 21:23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. 

 

If you go by timeline, here were Satan's plans to defeat Jesus directly: Plan A was to murder Him as a child- for though as God He is immortal, as man He was mortal, one place, one time. When that failed, Plan B was direct temptation, probably not starting and certainly not ending with the incident in the desert. Plan C was the most diabolical and most well planned- he would get man to hang Him from a tree- thus making Him cursed to God. Along the way, he would have man refine "the tree" into the most exquisite torture device imaginable, thus getting the most revenge he could on God.

But guess what? It was all part of God's plan, and what Satan may have thought was his sweet victory was indeed his lasting defeat.

 

 

The Better Part, Day #92:

 

As the sun rose on the empty tomb, there were a variety of reactions about it from those involved in the stories told in the Gospels and by Paul. The Pharisees told themselves what they knew to be lies, to maintain their lifestyle and power base; Mary Magdalene couldn't grasp and so acted as if she didn't hear what was told her. Peter likely cursed himself for not responding to what he had known for a long time; James, the Lord's brother, likely reacted in profound amazement. And Thomas, he said, "Prove it!"

Perhaps this is why I identify with Peter; I always had the bones, took a while to put flesh on them, longer still to make it breathe. Where are you before the empty tomb?