Day 20: July 2, 2012- Dreams and Glimpses of Heaven

All in a day's work.

 

So comfortable with Daddy

 

 Stirring...

 Wait, there's no milk here!!

 

Aw, nevermind. I'm comfortable with Daddy

So Luke couldn't keep out of the readings, this time. Just had to put his thoughts in. You start preaching early, buddy. Just go ahead and try it.

The Readings:

God focuses on dreams, glimpses of heaven, and glimpses of God today.

Genesis 41:17-42:17, Matthew 13:24-46, Psalm 18:1-15, Proverbs 4:1-6

The Dream. How many years have gone by since God gave Joseph his dream? It was the dream of childhood. The one he was given when life was fresh and new and full of promise. Then tragedy.
He was sold off into slavery, rejected by his family. Scandal. Lies. Prison. Neglect.
And years later, after the world had threatened with all it had, to take his hope, to steal his dreams, to whittle him down to a man without the heart of a child, who could no longer believe in dreams, it came.
Joseph had not given in to these pressures. And his time came. God simply did what he does: he fulfilled the dream that he gave. Are you willing to believe the dreams of your youth? Do you remember them?
Perhaps we should reflect on what God put on our hearts those long years ago. Perhaps we should remember the dreams God has given us.

Jesus gives snapshots of heaven. He gives snapshots of the nature of where God is taking us. They are filled with metaphor and meaning, but are not clear without the Holy Spirit's insight. But Jesus pulls us close, with his disciples, and explains...

David would be using hyperbole over and over again if God weren't bigger than anything that can be compared to him. If it weren't true. These explanations of God's power and supreme goodness could just get you riled up.

Proverbs tells you to "take heed to my instructions, my son." A fitting lesson for a blog from a father to a son. This is one of those, "You might want to pay attention" moments.




And to read along...

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2041:17-42:17,%20Matthew%2013:24-46,%20Psalm%2018:1-15,%20Proverbs%204:1-6&version=NIV

Day 18: June 30, 2012- Dreams, Righteousness, and the Lord's Confidence

Priceless shots of the day:

On the journey.

I think I should be upset right now.

Hey, they can't all be good.

You put that one up, Dad?



Aw, phooey.

Genesis 37-38:30, Matthew 12:22-45, Psalm 16:1-11, Proverbs 3:27-32

Joseph enters the picture. Isn't it crazy we've gotten that far? Contrast him and his pure, innocent heart for God with that of his older brother, Judah, who sleeps with his daughter-in-law. It makes one wonder how one family produced Jerry Springer kids and patriarchs in God. Who knows how God chose Joseph over his brothers and if it was only Joseph's doing? But the reality impresses on me strongly, a father has a great impact over his children. May I be a father who devotes himself to his children and, may by God's grace and devotion, they become Josephs.

Jesus is called the devil. Well, it had to happen. Have you ever been so attacked in the church? Remember, these old boys, the Pharisees are the church leaders of their day, not just our hindsight proverbial hypocrites. Unfortunately, they don't always get it right, which is why righteous men and women in the church HAVE to stand up. We have to notice and fight against injustice. We have to be men and women of valor. A major step of this is being wise enough to recognize what is good or bad, what is of him or not. Today, he teaches us...

David is really celebrating this time around, which is nice. For all his pain, he can't but sit before God and get all gushy. Get gushy with him. You'll appreciate God, righteousness, and everything holy so much more if you do. Let the floodgates open. Tears and warm fuzzies welcome.

And Proverbs gives us our gentle nightcap by reminding us, after all we've read, to not forget to do good to all we can when we see it. It's not enough to hear the words and have warm feelings. All the fuzzies in the world are worth little if we don't love our brother. So let's turn our learning into living, and really love the world.

Goodnight all, and God bless!




http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2037-38:30,%20Matthew%2012:22-45,%20Psalm%2016:1-11,%20Proverbs%203:27-32&version=NIV