Blogging Through the Bible in 90 Days--What Day is This Again?

• Who can find a virtuous woman? her price is far above rubies
• She looketh well to the ways of her household...
• She eateth not the bread of idleness...

This has been a busy week, and I am, once again, behind on my Bible in 90 Days reading. Surprise!

One thing I've realized along the way, though, is that the Lord speaks to me through His word every week, and then I get some reinforcement from elsewhere--something may come up in conversation, or I may read something some place else. This week we made a trip back to the Explorations in Antiquity Center, where the settings of the Bible are brought to life, and once again, I had much food for thought.


Part of the exhibit in the garden area includes these representations of ancient altars; the one on the left is rough and crude-looking, and the one on the right is much lovelier and more refined in appearance. The rough looking one is patterned after the Israelite altars, and the smooth, pretty one is patterned after a Canaanite altar. At first glance it doesn't seem to make much sense--Canaanite society was fairly primitive, and Israel was, after all, led directly by the Lord. wouldn't it stand to reason that the Lord would instruct them in building a more attractive altar?


I got so excited when I saw these again this past week--because it hasn't been long ago that I read the Lord's instructions to Israel through Moses--the altar they built was to be of unhewn stone--stone of God's creation, not man's design. The object of worship is not to be the altar...

...but God Himself.


How many times have we done what was right in our own eyes--just as Israel did during the time of the Judges...



...instead of following after the Lord's instruction?

Did he not tell Moses to be sure to build the tabernacle according the pattern that He showed him?

Did He not tell Saul that to obey is better than sacrifice?

And didn't Israel turn their backs on the ways of the Lord over and over again, whether out of

rebellion...

or disobedience...

or ignorance?


I wonder how many times I've built an altar of my own design

or offered up fire of my own making

or ignored clear instruction out of my own rebellion,

or disobedience,

or ignorance?

Monday is a travel day for me, I'm taking our son home to begin the fall semester of college, and moving most of our personal and household goods back to our house in Louisiana. Changes are coming, and I don't know what the future holds for me. It's often tempting to offer up sacrifices of my own making, and then wonder why the Lord doesn't seem impressed with them.

Many years ago I was getting ready to speak at a Women's Ministry event and I was really seeking the Lord--I wanted to really wow them with something really new and fresh and different. And as I was praying one day I felt the Lord speak distinctly into my heart--"Why should I give you something new when you aren't walking in obedience to the things I've already told you?"

Ouch.

I really hope that once I get moved and unpacked and settled in that I have take the time to get caught up on my Bible in 90 Days program. But even if I don't catch up with program, I want to continue to read straight through the Bible from front to back. Doing so has blessed me so much, and I find that the Lord speaks to my heart and my life to my needs every week, no matter where I'm reading--it always seems to be at just the right place.

Until next time...