The Beginning of Blogging through the Bible on Marriage…
Some days I think I’m paving the way to hell with good intentions.
(okay, so that was my attempt at humor – no, I don’t believe that’s possible (because JESUS), and yes, I’m usually only funny on accident and at my own expense… and much to the chagrin and eye-rolling of my family and ministry team, I just keep trying to be funny… but I digress…)
I know you stopped by today because you’re looking forward to reading everything the Bible has to say about marriage…
And it’s really my intention to blog all of that… but…
When I took a step back from the leading and saw what I was supposed to do, this whole, “walk through the entire Bible and talk about literally everything God has to say about marriage thing,” it didn’t occur to me that this could take for stinkin’ ever.
I don’t even have my first post up, and I was freaking out already at the sheer magnitude of the opportunity.
And then I realized that September 3rd is NOT a Monday, nor a Wednesday. Which are the days I told Leah I’d blog.
Which actually matters, because she’s on our team, and I try not to lie to the people that I work with.
Mea Culpa.
Thankfully, she knows I’m terrible with dates, numbers, and remembering things. She’s a twenty-something, and has gobs of grace.
So we are starting today anyway… but I’ll be back to the Monday-Wednesday-sometimes Friday schedule soon.
I also considered using a chronological Bible for this, but decided against it when I realized most of my notes are in my life application one.
At any rate, what I’ve decided to do, since I could literally get bogged down in Proverbs for about a bazillion years, and then end up being 80 by the time we hit the New Testament, is still start in Genesis, but when I get to Proverbs, we’re going to SKIP the majority of the verses. I blogged about them regularly anyway for years, and plan to continue when I’m done.
Here’s my approach, which albeit might be considered unintelligent and lame by a ton of other people’s standards…
But God confirmed this leading with His Word from a separate teaching from our pastor this weekend…
So here goes…
I’m going to make the assumption that God wants us to “get it.”
I’m going to avoid doing gobs of historical research on context, and just take the Word at face value, unless He otherwise leads. And that’s where YOU come in…along with some other places…feel free to dig – and share – about what He reveals to you. I just don’t feel led to take that approach as a whole (even though I know I’ve done it in the past). I’m going to make the assumption (I know, maybe dangerous to do) that God’s Word, in the version I have on my nightstand, is enough.
Having said that, I know I’ll have a horrible time resisting the urge to look something up on Bible.org, because I LOVE the meanings of words… so allow me that. And I might sometimes read a few articles… and I also love looking things up in different versions… (okay, I realize it’s a complete mess at this point) but overall, just the Word. Because for me, that matters most – see here for more on that. And if you have insight, I’d love for you to share it here, as long as it is highly referenced, or at the very least, an interpretation that is relevant to your own life at the moment.
So here goes…
Genesis… 1.1 “In the beginning God”
I’m sorry. I can’t go farther than that today. I know… this maybe a serious let down. But listen… look at that phrase… “In the beginning God” and it goes on to say “created the heavens and the earth.”
My point?
Before you and I were married, He existed.
Before you and I existed, He did.
That phrase is like a multi-car pile-up on the freeway at rush hour. “In the beginning God” means it all starts with Him.
Will you chew on that for a moment with me?
I’m talking deep breath, jaw-dropping, oh my everlovin’ word, have a revelation already kind of moment with me?
Seriously, if that phrase alone doesn’t cause your knees to get weak or your pulse to race, you SERIOUSLY need to ask Him to clarify Himself with you.
And that’s today’s dare…won’t you pray with me?
Dear God,
Help me have a righteous understanding of Who You are. I know that this one thing alone will deeply impact my marriage, because I will know that to follow You is the right thing. I confess, I am seriously blinded by this world. Help me see You and Your Truth…Thank you for Your Word. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
And if you just have to have something tangible today, go back and re-read the secret I shared (it’s okay if you hate the title) last week – been getting TONS of email about how implementing this one thing is making a heap of difference for wives everywhere! 🙂
Seriously, though, how does this one thing impact your marriage? Double dog dare you to share today!
…
I can see now that I might have to blog every day.
Or maybe not. Maybe we’ll just see where He goes with this.
At any rate, I better call Leah, just in case.
Love to you,
In the beginning GOD….. I think this is a very important concept for us as women to grasp. It removes any idolatry in our lives and puts our focus on the source of everything. God created us and (if we believe in Him) will give us eternal life. He gives us free will to make that choice. God is all . There really is nothing more to be said. I can see why you were awed.
Excited to see what submission IS based on the Bible. 🙂 I know what it ISN’T but sometimes have trouble with what it IS. That sounds so weird….you would think knowing what it ISN’T would automatically make us understand what it IS…LOL
This always takes me to Job 38 and 39. The Lord answers Job from the whirlwind with a reminder that he (and I) was not there and the Lord is VERY clear that He indeed Was and Is and Is To Come.
And this song by Nicole C Mullen speaks this message so well. My Redeemer Lives. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH0Mc7zn4vc
I was just thinking about this last night. How as humans we have to chop things up into pieces we can handle or understand. Like time. Like distance. And yet for God there is no space between moments because for Him there are no pieces that He cannot handle. It is all one continuous spiral from His beginning through to eternity. To fathom that is impossible for us. We can only grasp bits of it, and hold on to them tightly lest we get caught up in the piece making of the world.
And in holding on we can let go of the piece making, the time watching and embrace the fact that for God, who can see past, present and future flowing as one river, has our backs. He has us in His hands. Literally. So my worrying. My fretting. My managing means even less because instead of ‘doing a good job for God’ I am trying to do His job! When I do my duties and let Him take the reins, the rudder, the wheel, things are better.
What a hard concept to have even the tiniest grip upon, especially in a marriage or as a parent. BLOWS my mind!
First of all, I forgive you. Glad I read the whole thing because I was going to text you and remind you what day it is. 🙂
Second, if you have a hard time wrapping your head around this “In the beginning God” (because it’s super huge and just dwarfs us in time and space and is incredible to fathom…) may I suggest reading The Magician’s Nephew which is technically the first of the Chronicles of Narnia? It’s super short and frankly, if I had my copy here, I would even tell you where to skip to.
But These 4 travelers end up in this nothing-ness. And as they stand there, they here music. Like a hum, then a song. And as the song changes, new things begin to appear.
God spoke/breathed/sang us and all things on this whole big earth (and if you want your mind to explode just sit outside and look at all of the things in your back yard, let alone everything else) and to do that, He was here first. And then thought it all up. And brought it about in a beautiful way.
Anyways, that’s my share for the day.
Also heard a great sermon once about God in the first 3 chapters of Genesis. Have never been able to get an audio or print copy. Bummer.
Love to you.
Just the words make you stop and pause… He is, He was and will forever be. Awesome smile ladies!
When the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the . . .He is
When God created time . . . He is
When He made the heavens and the earth . . . He is
Down through centuries of man ignoring and walking away from Him . . .He is
On the cross for your sin and mine . . . He is
Ruling and reigning beyond the veil . . .He is
Coming back . . . He is
In our greatest delight and darkest disappointment . . . He is
He is our Love
He is our Joy
He is our Strength
He is our Peace
He is our Righteousness
He is our Healing
He is everything Good
He is everything Kind
He is faithful
He suffers long with us
He is controlled strength
He is the Door
He is the Shepherd
He is the Vine
He is the Bread of Life
He is the Living Water
He is the Shepherd
He is the All-Sufficient One
He is Lord and King over all,
He is my Lord, my King, the One on whose hand my name is written, the One who collects my tears in a bottle . . .
In the beginning God –Yes . God forever
He never was, He is never past. He always is–alive, active, forgiving, He is always there. . .always here.
And I am His . . . in Him for now and always. Amen.
The Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the earth. Where do words disappear to?