Family trees

Family trees are interesting ~ aren't they?

I love to hear the old family stories and see how the tree all came together through the years. The pictures and the history of a time gone by are important to our history now.

Don't you think it is the coolest thing that God thinks they are important too! I've been amazed how often the family lines are talked about through the Old Testament. Today, David was getting everything ready for Solomon and he was talking about all the family ties that bind.

Family matters...don't forget it! Spend time with your family today.

Blessings,

Threshing floor, huh?

I had to post twice today! Too much stuff not to talk about it and to picture in our little brains or should I say my little brain...anyway...

I had to learn more about the threshing floor to totally picture the scripture today. You see the picture of an ancient threshing floor. Keep in mind that usually these were built in places that would catch the wind, so that the wind could help to separate the wheat from the chaff. It is plausible that it would have been located on a high hill. Keep in mind that the temple is later built at this site, so high on a hill the temple will be built. Mount Moriah is a plausible place. The other photo is a pic of Mount Moriah.

Other tidbits about this story...Araunah is a hebrew word that means agile. However, after reading further I learned that Araunah is clearly indicated to be a Jebusite, or part of the Hittites, so in reality the word means Lord and it is not a personal name but a title. The scholars believe that Araunah might have been another king or the king of Jerusalem at the time. He was an important man in this area that David came to build the altar and he purchased the floor from another king.

Another fact to remember is that Joab was reluctant and said so about taking the census. Do you wonder why? The scholars believe that it was a religious belief at the time that only God should know how many people were there. That the people belonged to God and God alone, so nobody else needed to know the number. Also, they think David's pride was once again a factor in wanting to know numbers...How often, do we do this in church? How many did you have? How many attended? Same is true in the secular world...

Wow, so much to cover today. Sorry I had to post twice..Just too much good information to not talk about it. Have a blessed day.

Fire from Heaven

Can you imagine it? David built a altar for the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed the LORD answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. WOW!

What an image! Picture it..You know God is upset with you. You know you messed up, so you go to try to make things right. You proceed to follow the Lord's instructions about worshipping Him. You must purchase the sacrifice..it must cost you something. It shows us in 1 Chronicles that David insisted in verse 24 of chapter 21, I insist on full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to God. That is pretty powerful. Think about it ~ How often do we try to take what is somebody else's and offer it to God? have you?

David built the altar, so the Lord would stop the plague. Which the plague was one of three choices that David had due to his sin once again. He took a census, which angered God. It tells us that Satan was busy and caused David to take a census. He knew it was wrong, his men reminded him it was wrong, but he was encouraged by Satan to take the census and he did. Have you let Satan encourage you? You knew it was wrong (whatever it is that your conscious told you was wrong) and you did it anyway?
What if God gave you the choice of 3 years of famine in your land, 3 months of running from your enemies, or 3 days of severe plague throughtout your land?

Great choices weren't they? David decided that he would choose God's mercy. Once again, David's sin was costing everybody around him. How often does our sin, do the same? 70,000 people died from this plague caused by this one sin.

The temple was later built at the site where David built the altar for God to stop the plague and that the Lord sent fire from heaven to burn up the offerings. Wow, God is so mighty! Absolutely, nothing is by chance.

Don't believe in chance or coincidences they are divine moments..holy appointments on God's calendar. God plans things and we sometimes get in the way, but even with that God knows His plans for us!!!

O Lord, you are my lamp!

Did you ever watch I Dream of Jeanie? Then think now that would be cool!!

Well, we have our lamp! Our Savior lights up our darkness and we don't need the jeanie lamp...We have Our All Powerful Father lighting the way for us each day.

We are in a world that at times seems so dark and scary. Every day we turn on the news and they don't share the good news, it's all the bad stuff. Nobody wants to focus on the good things that are happening, for some reason good news isn't news..

Is it because we crave the bad and not the good? Is it partly our fault?

Well, I'm thankful that My Father is lighting the way. I'm not sure that I could put one foot in front of the other without knowing My Father and knowing that He is lighting the way and carrying me through at the same time.

Thank you Father for loving me!!

Loving my father,
Debbie