Nothing Takes God by Surprise, and Days 28-30 of 2020

by | Jan 30, 2020 | Daily Journaling

God is so cool!

I hope y’all enjoy today’s video message, and pray that you will dig deep into God’s word.  He has great plans for you.

Here are my thoughts/takeaways from the past three days of reading through the Bible.  Remember…I am NO bible scholar.  I’m just a girl who loves Jesus and wants to know more about Him.  If you see things differently, fine.  I will read the same scripture later on and have different thoughts.  If you disagree with me, please share your insight with me and let’s dig deep in His word together.
DAY 28 OF 2020:
EXODUS 5:22-7:25

  • God is always like, “just wait”.  When we think life is bad, and even becomes worse, God will show up and work a miracle through it all. And when He works, it is HUGE.  
  • God is well aware of your situation. He will rescue you.  And He will be glorified. He IS the LORD and He keeps His promises.
  • Ugh…the Israelites refused to listen to God’s word.  They felt too oppressed. Y’all, God isn’t finished yet.  Hang on.
  • Moses loved to protest against and argue with God. He lacked self-confidence in his ability to speak.  
  • What we may see as a weakness, God will use it for strength.
  • Pharaoh refused to listen and his heart was hardened to hear what God said. He was stubborn. Sounds like many still today.  I pray that your heart will be softened to His words and will, and that you will obey His commands.
  • When I read “Moses and Aaron” throughout these chapters, I’m reminded how God provides, you are not alone, and sometimes…two is better than one.

MATTHEW 18:21-19:12

  • Forgive.  It’s a must.  If you want to be forgiven (I do), then you must forgive as God forgives you. 
  • God shows mercy. We need to do the same.
  • Marriage is between a MAN and a WOMAN. Period.

PSALM 23:1-6

PROVERBS 5:22-23

  • I vision Marley, from A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott, dragging his chains which entangle him. Those chains represent the wrongs he had done “link by link”.  When we don’t practice self-discipline, we often end up acting like and being a fool. Our foolish choices will weigh us down. Have self-control and feel the freedom that is your reward.

Day 29 of 2020:
EXODUS 8:1-9:35

  • Can you even imagine…frogs e-ve-ry-where! Frogs were in the homes, in the beds,in ovens and bowls where they prepare food, and even on YOU. No thank you. Then…when the Lord had gotten rid of the frogs, He didn’t vanish them into thin air, they were lying all across the land, dead.  The stench was horrific. I’m queasy now.
  • Pharaoh was stubborn and still refused to listen to God.
  • God knew what was going to happen and how Pharaoh was going to react.  Nothing takes Him by surprise. His plan seems to be the element of surprise to the people though.  
  • We, just like Pharaoh, think we can sometimes outwit God.  Nope. He knows all and sees all. Don’t make a fool of yourself…trust and obey the Lord.
  • First there was blood everywhere, then frogs, and now…gnats.  I’m swatting the air around my face now. On the first two plagues the magicians were able to duplicate (why, they would is beyond me), but this time…they recognized it was from God.  Still Pharaoh was stubborn, his heart remained hard, and he wouldn’t listen to God. Again…God knew his reaction way ahead of time.
  • Okay, so now the flies are coming. Ugh.
  • While reading verse 22, I recognized a couple of things: 1) God’s people had been experiencing the first three plagues right along with the Egyptians, but not the fourth plague, the flies.  Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean that we are spared grief, troubles and trials, and annoyances. But we need to remember that God is with us through it all. Sometimes (okay…all) when we go through “stuff” in life, we need to be mindful that our experiences (good, bad, and ugly) can and should be used to glorify God in the end and to help others when they go through similar experiences.  We need to not hold on to those difficult times as a hindrance to us, yet forgive, thank God for His mercy, comfort, and love, and use those times to reflect back on how God saw you through it all. Be strong. Take heart. He’s working in and through you. 2) God informed Pharaoh that “I am the LORD and that I am present even in the heart of your land.” (Emphasis mine).  “Even in”…again, this to me is an awareness that God is present everywhere and to everyone, not just those who believe in the Lord.  If you are a non-believer, please know that God sees you. He is waiting on you to call out and come to Him. His arms are open wide and is ready, to welcome you just as you are.  Don’t wait until you have your act together. That isn’t something you can do successfully on your own anyhow. Allow Christ to make you new, to transform your life into the beautiful creature He made you to be. 
  • God is powerful!
  • Unlike the frogs lying around dead, God totally removed any evidence of the flies. Not a single fly remained. But…Pharaoh STILL was stubborn and did not keep His word.  Y’all man doesn’t always keep their promises, but God does. Believe Him.
  • Fifth plague…death of the Egyptian livestock…Pharoah silt stubborn.
  • Sixth plague…festering boils on people and animals…Pharoah still stubborn.
  • Seventh plague…hail.  God warned them to bring in people and animals because all would be killed by the hail if not. Some refused, and they paid the price. Pharaoh admitted that he and his people were wrong and that God is the righteous one, but once the pain and troubles were gone, they returned to their evil ways and refused to obey.  Note…don’t use God for your own benefit. He is not a puppet.
  • Notice that Moses was able to walk amongst the hail and remained unharmed.  God protected him. God will protect you when you remain with Him.

MATTHEW 19:13-30

  • Don’t over think God’s love for you. Keep it as simple as a child’s faith.  Trust in Him. Be humble.
  • Having eternal life isn’t something you work for or by just being good.  It’s a relationship with Jesus Christ.
  • Be rich in Christ.

PSALM 24:1-10

  • You belong to God. You are His. He is The Creator.
  • Want to receive God’s blessing? Then have pure hearts and hands (live a clean life inside and out), don’t worship idols (that’s anything/one you put above God), and never tell lies. Yikes, I confess that I’m not perfect in all three areas, but I sure appreciate the reminder in God’s word, strive to live for Him, and pray that He will make known to me where Ineed to improve.

PROVERBS 6:1-5

  • Be wise and responsible with your finances.

Day 30 of 2020:
EXODUS 10:1-12:13

  • God made Pharaoh stubborn.  He has a plan. God’s glory will shine through.  Just wait. We don’t always (if ever) understand God’s plan.  Be patient.
  • Plague number 8: Locusts…devouring everything…overrun places…worst plague to date in history.
  • Pharaoh cracks me up…he still thinks (verse 10) that he is in control.  Wrong! God is. He is with you and me as well. Let’s stop holding the reigns and let God be God. Even when others around you (like the officials with Pharaoh) clearly see that you are not in control and should surrender to God, listen.  Often, others see things in us, from a different perspective, that we don’t or won’t.
  • Plague number 9:  Darkness…three days of total blindness to their surroundings…no one was able to move…Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened.
  • Final blow…death for Egypt’s firstborn:  Everyone in Egypt, except for Pharaoh, respected Moses…a distinction between God’s people and the Egyptians…wailing like no one has ever heard.
  • Just as God prepared and took care of the Istrealites, He will/does for us as well.  He has a plan. Trust in Him.

MATTHEW 20:1-28

  • Sometimes you’ll discover that people just need to be asked.  Asked to work, to do something, to go to church, etc. They may not take any intuitive on their own, they are waiting for someone to ask.  Will you be the one to ask someone to church or a church function?
  • God’s grace. Priceless.  Free to you.
  • The parable about the vineyard workers teaches us that God is a generous god.  He wants all to enjoy His kingdom in Heaven. Come early or come late to the party, He wants all there.  It’s not about the works, we don’t deserve His grace, yet He fully extends it to us all. Be thankful for what you have, not envious of others.
  • Y’all, Jesus died for us all! He knew the process of dying He was about to endure, yet He still did it for you and me.
  • Don’t play games with God.  The relationship with Him isn’t one you make deals with if you “do this for me and I’ll do this for you”.  He is giving you eternal life. Period. Live for him and share Chirst’s love.
  • Jesus came to serve, not be served.  So many people feel entitled in today’s world.  If anyone should have felt entitlement it was Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son, the Savior Of the world.  Yet, He was humble and gracious. We should be the same.

PSALM 25:1-15

  • When I opened by bible to Psalm 25, I see a plethora of pen marks throughout the chapter.  Words and phrases circled and underlined, some bolder than others, and some double lines. Thoughts written off to the side.  I knew I must have journaled about it before with all these marks in my bible. The latest entry I found was October 17, 2020.  That wasn’t even three weeks after my father-in-loves tragic death, so I know I could feel God speaking to me. I hope you’ll enjoy listening and reading it with me at https://soakinguptheson.com/new/daily-journaling/does-your-life-often-feel-like-you-are-on-a-roller-coaster/ 
  • Let God lead and you follow.
  • Put your hope in God, not man.
  • He is your friend…He can be your VERY BEST friend.

PROVERBS 6:6-11

Share with others:
fb-share-icon
Tweet