Day 2: Surrender & Fear

Day 2: If you ain't first, you're last... It has biblical backing. (Okay maybe not exactly)


So day 2 is complete and good. Here's what's going on in my head today...

As I read the Genesis chapters lots of things were jumping out at me. First thing is when it mentions the sacrifices of Cain and Abel... I see a significant comparison of this to the modern church. Cain and Abel each give up a sacrifice to God. Step one - √  The only difference is that Cain gives "some" of his crop. I take this to mean that he only gives when he realizes he is supposed to give. There isn't an immediate recognition with him as opposed to Abel who gives the "Firstborn" of his heard. That's huge! Abel's first thought at the birth of his flock is to offer it to God. He doesn't think "what should I name this one?" or "man this thing is going to taste good one day after I smoke it over a fire for 5 hours." NO! The FIRST thing Abel does with the FIRSTborn is give it up to God. I feel that this example is taken too lightly in modern times. God calls each of us to offer up the first of all we are. Please don't think I'm talking about money. I mean, money is part of it but I think money is only a portion of what a tithe is. A tithe is your money, your time, your talent, Your Life. How amazing would it be to be able to surrender the first of everything I do to God? It says somewhere in the Bible (paraphrasing and interpreting - don't judge) to give freely and joyfully and the Lord will return blessings in abundance. Time is money and I think that is why it is so difficult to offer this up. Money is the easiest tithe to give, in my opinion. It doesn't take time. You write a check or give some cash and it's done. That's a 45 second transaction. 10% of my time is A LOT harder to come by. More than that, it's harder to "freely and joyfully" give up. God favors Abel for purposefully sacrificing his first. I've heard a preacher say that it is impossible to out-give God. I hope to challenge that as much as I can. Looking back at the ways I've givien, I've already been blessed beyond belief.


I wanted to make another statement about this passage. They are each short so bear with me. As I read yesterday and then again today I realized that one of God's first actions in everything is to bless it. This is true when he creates animals and man and then again with Cain. Most times I've read this story I remember that God punished Cain. This time reading it I found that, yes, Cain was punished but if you continue the story, he is then blessed. Cain expresses worry to God about "whoever finds me will kill me." God replies with an "I got this fool." (Paraphrasing.) God marks Cain and protects him. This is insane. Cain acted out in pride & selfishness and still gets blessed. That should give anyone hope that God forgives.

Onto Matthew.... This is where I was challenged in my own Faith. I'll be brief because this is already long.  The wise men blindly follow a star to worship the newborn king. That's two points right there. First, They follow a star. That's pretty awesome. They have no idea where they are going geographically but they have believe what they are told and follow a star to worship Christ. Second point... It does not say to meet Christ. They are on a blind journey with the intent to WORSHIP Christ. This blew my mind. One word changes the severity of this statement. Worship vs. Meet (or find, discover, even to bring gifts.)  This made me think. If men thousands of years ago can follow a star for miles and miles with no idea of where they are going with the sole intent to Worship Christ if and when they got there, why can't some people do that today? We know who Christ is. We know what he has done. We know the significance of his life. Worship in this passage has rejuvenated the idea that I should blindly follow Christ in all that I do. But more than that... I should whole-heartedly Worship him as I walk blind, confused, and ,sometimes, against this world.

When I read Psalm 2 one thing stuck out to me. The idea that in the time it was written, the idea that God and Christ were binding. But in a bad way. I've always heard of accepting Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit as breaking chains but never as being bound to chains. I don't have much to say except that. Kind of crazy way to think about it.


Day 2 Out....

JDP