How about 2 months of craziness? I have really felt the need lately to become a structured schedule maker, although it goes against everything I believe in :) I'm just so tired of NOT doing the things I want to do, and instead getting caught up in things which are no benefit to me.
So, although I have many regrets from the past 2 months that I could dwell on, I choose instead to move forward with today. Today was a new day. It started by going to bed by 9:30 (
ish) last night. My husband told me that he has fantasies of a wife who actually goes to bed at night the same time he does. I'm working on it, knowing it does so much good for my desire to get up early and have bible study before going to work.
Well, today it worked. It helped that there was snow and Ron decided to stay home giving me an extra 1/2 or so in my morning. So I picked up an Inspirational Study Bible that I had started a few years back in my never ending attempt to read through the bible. Apparently I had stopped at John 12 because that's where my ribbon was today. So John 12 it was. Oh the discoveries! Isn't it amazing how you can read through something so many times and see different details each time? I don't always know what I'm going to do with these details I pick up on, but I sure love picking up on them. I imagine many of them as further studies and/or presentation opportunities and get excited over the opportunity to find out more!
So here are a few of this morning's discoveries:
1. Judas had been stealing from the disciple "fund" all along (vs. 6). It makes me wonder about what Jesus knew when he picked him. Did He know he would be the betrayer? Or did He see good and Judas changed midway through His ministry?
2. The chief priests had made a plot to kill Lazarus as well, since many Jews were following Jesus after His raising Lazarus from the dead (vs. 10). It's interesting to me what lengths people will go to in order to protect their position.
3. When Jesus road in to Bethany (on the donkey) He was speaking about the reason he came and a voice from heaven answered Him. Some of the crowd thought it was thunder (I wonder about the word translation here) and others said an angel had spoken to Him (vs. 28-29). I'm still pondering this discovery....
4. Many of the leaders believed in Him but would not confess it "for fear they would be put out of the synagogue" (vs. 42). They valued their position more than the eternal life Jesus was offering. How we all must be careful to not make the same mistake.
5. He speaks about the judgement for those who hear His words and reject them (vs. 48). I want to start paying close attention to when he talks about judgement and who it involves. I want to be prepared for believers to be judged, but I think it may be a different judgement than those who reject Him will face. Stay tuned on this one...
So, there you have my morning nuggets. May they create a stirring in you to discover more, as they have for me. I can't wait to see what tomorrows discoveries will be, as I continue on to John 13, in an effort to finally read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation!
