Genesis 16: even though the blessing of the multitudes was given to Ishmael, it was not the complete blessing. God did not make a covenant with Ishmael, and Ishmael and all of his descendants were destined to be at odds with their kin forever.
Genesis 17:20-21
God sees that Abraham loves Ishmael, sees that Abraham is concerned for his son, and has mercy, promising that Ishmael will be blessed with nations of descendants, but not with the covenant relationship with God. That is for Isaac only.
Genesis 18:14
"Is anything to wonderful for God?" I love that this is Gods response to Sarah when she hears that she will have a child, and then laughs about it.
Genesis 19:8
Why is it a better alternative for Lot to give his own daughters over to be raped and who knows what else in order to keep the angels/men safe? How could that POSSIBLY have been a better idea??!!!!!???
Genesis 19:30-34
We've just got inappropriate sexual things happening all over this chapter. I feel like it would have been better for Lots daughters to have died in Sodom than it was for them to get their dad drunk and then sleep with him do they could get knocked up.
Genesis 20
Abraham just keeps on putting other people in the position of making mistakes. He makes excuses, ad he judges Abimelech, assuming that he would have killed Abraham in order to take Sarah, and assuming that he did fear God. Ridiculous.
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. If our hearts are not set on God and God alone, then how can we even hope to see God?
Matthew 5:42-47
We are called to give freely to all, to not refuse someone what they need, what they are asking of us. We are to treat everyone the same, greeting and loving everyone that we come across because it is the simple way of human nature. God has called us to love everyone.
Matthew 6:34
I do not need to worry about what I'm going to eat tomorrow, or how I'm going to pay my bills. I need to be attentive to the situation that I am in, of course. But worrying won't do any good. There is enough worry today without me adding to it the worries of tomorrow.
Overall thoughts:
I have read Matthew 6:25-34 about 100 times in my life. I always seem to come across it when I'm in a rough spot, and today is no exception. Worry is something that I struggle with on a daily basis, mainly because I am the type of person who likes to be in control of my life, knowing what's going to happen, and making decisions regarding everything that is happening to me. However, that level of control barely lasts until I get out I bed in the morning.
I am constantly being presented with struggles that I worry about, which I see as frustrating, and also an opportunity to learn to not worry, or at least not worry as much. (baby steps, right?) I don't know if I'll ever get to a place where I won't worry about anything, but I am trying. And it helps when I come across this verse at the exact times that I'm starting to freak out because I'm overwhelmed.
That, my friends, is God's providence, and a reassurance for me that God exists and cares about each one of us ad each area of our lives.
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