2 Chr 18:28-34

It is written "...Jehoshapht cried out..the Lord help him. God drew them away from him"(v 31) but I was thinking, a cynical person would be telling Jehoshaphat,"See, your God did not help you." They would not see the commanders turning away as God's help. It takes faith to see a miracle as a miracle.

And I was thinking, for the commanders to realize Jehoshapat wasn't King of Israel, they'd have to come close enough to see him clearly, which means from Jehoshapat's position, after he had cried out to the Lord for help, the people chasing him actually got closer rather than farther, which means things got worse before they got better and I was thinking just perhaps Jehoshaphat might have thought at that moment, that things actually got worse after he prayed. Well, that's a good point for remembering when things got worse after I pray, that perhaps that's part of the way things have to go on the way to getting better and God already started the process, because I know He answers prayers.

Psalm 51

I always wondered how a willing spirit is supposed to sustain anyone. Wasn't other things, like strength supposed to sustain people?

Oh, so if God gives you a willing spirit, you would be willing to serve and obey. Him, no matter how things look or how you feel..that's it! So, willingness will sustain you in your walk with Him. It'll keep you willing to do His will and follow Him, it'll keep you doing it . . . it'll keep you there with Him. That's what 'sustain' means. Not sustain in hope or strength (though the lord'll give that too, I'm sure) but keep you with Him because you're willing to stay with Him in all circumstances..Yah..I think that's it.

Thank You Lord, Lord, I want a willing spirit too, to sustain me.

ramblings

I see a God who insists on being the deliverance of His people, Himself. I see a God who insists. His people find their deliverance in Him, as though He says,"If you do not find deliverance in me, you will not find it anywhere else.'

Is God needy? I don't understand. Does He want His people so? Why does He? He insists His people take themselves out of their troubles and set their eyes on Him.Does He really think we can do that?

Yet I know He cares, even when I can't. What happens when we can't? How does He feel about it then?

...ramblings of a slightly sick person

Honest conversation

Abraham never saw the promised land. Jacob didn't. Moses, the man God called friend, didn't go in. David, the man after God's heart, wasn't the one to build a temple for Him....

Lord, You never let me take things for granted, never let me try to be one-up on people, make me see how precious each thing you give me is, make me appreciate and thank You for things people ignore to realize they have. Lord, You let things go so slowly I panic that they won't get finished on them, then with one flick show me that things aren't finished until You say so and it'll get finished if You say so, no matter what anyone thinks. Or the deadline I had in mind was totally wrong to begin with, You had a different schedule and that's the one that's going to get worked out.

You do things just Your way, You just absolutely refuse to let me predict one thing right, no matter how big or small. You insist on surprising me and that I leave You totally, totally in charge.

You make me sit and wait for ages for what You will give me after all. Just because Your timing hasn't come right yet. You tell me all the endings and never the processes. You insist I trust you when the process doesn't even seem to be directed towards the ends. You'd only tell me things when the time comes, with You there's no such thing as 'mentally prepared'.

You tell me tons of things I never thought You'd ever want to tell me and sometimes speak not a word about what I desperately wish You'd say something about. You demonstrate strange things in stranger ways. Lord I'm assuming you won't be angry at my rantings. If you are please scream at me and I'll stop.

You do things the strangest ways, Lord, sometimes it irks me not to know how it works, cause I wish I did...You want me both to grow up and to be utterly dependent on You, You want a confident girl who knows she can't trust herself with a single thing. You take great pains to prove to me how perfect You plans are, You never think it's a waste for 20 big things to arrange themselves (or rather You arrange them ) to show Your plans for one small thing. Or rather, Your view of big and small escapes me.

I love you so, Lord, though I don't understand You. I just can't figure You out and Lord, you know I tried.

You want everything of each person, Lord, You refused to consider any less even vaguely acceptable. Yet You absolutely refuse to push anybody. You feel such grief over what we do, yet You pay total individual attention to us. It could matter to You one human being when You've got trillions, not to mention angels and the rest of creation. You let us hurt You, You rejoice because these creatures sing to You, You let people be in Your holy presence, bless them, refresh them, satisfy them, fill them with Your love even when some small thing, I refused to surrender to You, over some other small thing, I could throw tantrums at You. You made us mammals, animals, yet let us bear Your image. For these mammals You gave up all your glory, You chose to suffer all the worst things they did, even the dignity You gave these creatures, You who are the Most High, You gave up. For those mammals, You chose to die.

You hold me in Your arms when all I was crying over was lost pride, yet exposed all the pride in things I hold dear, showing clearly Your displeasure. Even thoughts and feelings must be Yours.

Lord I love You very very much.

Higher than the Heavens,

Deeper than the sea

So vast, so vast, so vast

Lord, why did You love me?

continued from last . . .

Don't quite understand what Asa did wrong in his treaty with king of Aram (v2-3) know we must rely on God, not man, but don't get what's wrorng with making treaty.

But I do understand that well..it looks real strange, Asa taking silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord's temple and of his own palace to send to the King of Aram. He's not only putting his own resources, but seemingly taking back what he previously already gave to God and giving it to Aram. Previously he trusted God and honoured Him with his riches(silver and gold). Now he's taking it back to give another! No wonder God was angry with him.

So we definitely mustn'y take back what we've given to the Lord and give it to other people. Mustn't rely on others instead of Him. He is a very jealous God.