John 9:39-41

 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him said, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would have no sin, but now you say, 'We see,' therefore, your sin remains." 

OBSERVATIONS:

At first it's confusing, but it seems that He's talking about judgment here. 

Jesus didn't come to condemn the world but to save it. (John 3:17)

I can't just look at these one or two verses by themselves, I have to look at the context of John 9. Jesus heals the blind man so he can see now, but the Pharisees don't believe it. The Pharisees think they know, but really they don't know and they don't understand. This makes me wonder if we as Christians today think we know and understand, but what if we don't know or understand like we think we do? Jesus was always doing things differently than the people expected Him to do...like healing on the Sabbath. 

I think this is where righteous judgment comes into play...Jesus looked past the rule of behavior on the sabbath and what they thought they knew was right or wrong, and looked at the blind man with forgiveness and compassion. Jesus was kind and healed him, regardless of what was expected or thought to be appropriate behavior. It didn't matter what others thought. 

Jesus said that this happened so that the works of God could be displayed through him. This means that God had a plan and a purpose for this man's blindness. This man had to endure blindness from birth until however old he was, at least an adult it says, so maybe at least 18 years, just so Jesus could perform a miracle through him and so we could see what He could do and would do for us. This probably means that maybe God has a plan and a purpose for the suffering and pain that I have endured, and I just don't know what that is yet. 

 It didn't matter that it was the sabbath to Jesus. But why would it matter to Jesus? The sabbath is for us to keep holy as unto the Lord. The Lord made the sabbath for our benefit to rest. Why would the Lord need to keep a day holy as unto Himself? This part I don't really understand. 

Jesus came to save the lost, but if we don't think we're lost, then we're dead already. If we don't think we need Jesus, then we're still sinners and we'll lose the ability to see the need for Jesus. 

APPLICATION:

Maybe the plan and purpose for my pain and suffering is to write this blog, study His Word more, learn more about Him, to seek God, talk to Him, trust Him, and depend on Him.

 I need to be humble. I need Jesus to heal me. I don't know or understand everything but God does. I need to not try and take control of the situation and admit that I need God's help and realize that God is in control. "Be still and know that I am God," says the Lord. 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, please help me. I need You Lord. Please heal me. Please forgive me. Please help others forgive me for the pain and hurt feelings that I caused, and please comfort and heal them. Please give me Your wisdom and help me to understand what You are teaching me. Thank you Lord. Amen.

John 8:12

 Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

OBSERVATIONS: 

Light (noun) something that makes vision possible, a source of light, enlightenment, truth, public knowledge, window, a flame for lighting something. 

"I was blind, and now I see." - Amazing Grace 

Darkness = blind, lack of wisdom, lack of knowledge, no direction, sin, absence of God

Light = sight, vision, knowledge, wisdom, truth, sin is exposed, presence of God

Knowledge vs. Wisdom: Wisdom is more than just knowing something. Wisdom gives perspective to make sound judgment. I can memorize a scripture, but they are just words on a page if I do not truly know what it means and lack the wisdom to understand it. 

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)

If I walk in darkness, I can't see where I am or which way I'm going.  If I follow Jesus, He will guide and direct me in my life. 

Jesus is the Word..."The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-5)

APPLICATION: 

I need to read God's Word every day so that Jesus can guide and direct me in my daily life. I need Jesus to reveal His word to me so that I can learn from it.

When I don't read my Bible enough, I lack wisdom and knowledge. I think I know what to do because I have read the Bible several times before. 

But this past year has been one crisis after another, after another, and another... and I didn't know how to handle it all. I got so overwhelmed, and the pain was so unbearable. I really spiraled into severe depression and could not stop crying. 

I cried out to God and asked Him to help me and my family. Even though I was severely depressed and crying, I felt God comforting me and giving me His kindness and His strength. When I prayed, all I heard as an answer to my prayers was, "Be still and know that I am God." This gave me a strange peace even though I didn't understand. I still don't understand, but I am learning to depend on God more, to talk to Him more, and to trust Him more. I think that is the whole point. I think that's what God wants in the first place. God wants me to surrender my life to Him so He can guide and direct me. 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, help me to read your Word every day. Help me to not just read it, but to study it and learn from it. Help me to hear You Lord and what You are trying to show me. Please give me your wisdom and your knowledge to help me walk with You Lord. I need Your help Lord, because I can't do it without You. Thank you Lord for Your comfort, Your strength, Your peace, Your wisdom, and Your guidance. Amen. 

John 7:24 Don't judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

OBSERVATIONS: It doesn’t say not to judge, on the contrary, we are to judge, but when we judge, we are to judge righteously. But be careful to not judge by how something looks. 

Judge (verb) to form an opinion about through careful weighing of evidence and

testing of premises, to determine or pronounce after inquiry and deliberation, a

weighing of the evidence on which a conclusion is based. 

Premise (noun) a statement or idea that is accepted as being true and that is used

as the basis of an argument.

Righteous (adjective) morally good, following religious or moral laws, acting in

accord with divine or moral law, free from guilt or sin.

Just like you can’t judge a book by its cover, and you don’t know what an apple

tastes like until you actually bite into it. Sometimes I think I’ll really like a movie

because of the great trailer, but then I realized that all the great lines of the movie

I already saw in the trailer, so they just weren’t that funny anymore. The illustration

on the cover of the book is by an artist or a photographer who is usually not the

author who wrote the book. I have cut open a beautiful apple before, only to find

that it was bruised or mealy on the inside and just threw it in the garbage. 

Just because something is accepted as being true, does not mean that it is true.

Just because someone says something, doesn’t necessarily make it true. Just

because I read something on the internet, does not mean that it is necessarily true.

We have to consider the source. Is the source credible and trustworthy? Where did

they get their information from? Did we weigh all of the evidence and ask more

questions before coming to a decision? 

Who is righteous?

We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

There is none who does good, not even one. (Ps 14:1-3) Surely there is not a

righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. (Ecc. 7:20)

If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous

(1 John 2:1).

God’s righteous judgment (Romans 2)
God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:16)
Our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God. (Romans 3:1)
The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…and

are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

to be received by faith, to show God’s righteousness. (Romans 3:21-26)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse

us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might

bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).

APPLICATION: I have to be careful not to jump to a conclusion about something

or someone too quickly, not to judge in too positive of a way as to show favoritism,

and not to judge in a too negative way as to condemn. It is God’s place to judge

other people, not my place, because only God knows their heart, their inside

thoughts.

God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything. (1 John 3:20)

I have to be careful not to judge by what the outside looks like. I may not see the

whole picture, or I may not see the whole context. I have to let God judge them. I

have to focus on judging myself, my own actions and the plank in my own eye

(Matthew 7:1-5).

God forgave us of our sins and had mercy on us by sending His Son Jesus Christ

to be the sacrifice and pay the penalty for all of our sins. So we are to be like that

to others, to try and look at other people the way God sees them, as His children

that He loves and forgives.

Did Jesus only pay the penalty for some of our sins? For only certain kinds of sins?

For only a certain number of sins? No, Jesus paid the price once and for all. The

only thing we have to do is BELIEVE IT…whoever does not believe is condemned

already (John 3:16-18). 

And this is the judgment: the Light has come into the world…whoever does what

is true comes to the Light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been

carried out in God (John 3:19-21).

Peter said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I will

that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow me." John 21:20-22

I need to be forgiving of others like Christ forgave me. I need to forgive them, even

if for my own sanity, so that I don’t keep torturing myself over what happened in

the past. Even though other people have hurt me tremendously, emotionally,

violently, and brutally, Jesus already paid for their sins. God knows their heart,

their thoughts, their past and their future. Everyone has their own journey to walk,

on their own path to take, either with God or without God, that is their choice.

Because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on

the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed (Romans 2:5).

I have to make my own choices on how I choose to live my life. I need to surrender
my life to my Lord and Savior. Humans will always disappoint, but my God is my

Provider, my Protector, my Healer, my Counselor, and my strength. God has

brought me through so many tough things in my life, and I need to trust Him

no matter what because I know He has a plan and a purpose for my life, and

I know that He is good, He is just, and He is faithful. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, please help me to look past the outward appearance and

help me to see people as You do Lord. Please help me to be forgiving. Please

help me to forgive others who have hurt me. The overwhelming pain and the

unbearable torture still torment me and haunt me, and I need Your peace that

surpasses all understanding. I don’t understand, but when I pray, all I get is

“Be still and know that I am God.” So I will trust You Lord. Thank you Lord for

your peace and your strength. Amen. 

Forgiveness

Recently, others have severely hurt me, and it's been so overwhelmingly painful and unbearable. I have cried so much that I think I'm done crying, but then I'll start crying again because it was so traumatic and cruel.  Jesus said to forgive others, just as I have been forgiven (Matthew 6:12-14, Eph. 4:32). He also warned that if I don't forgive others, then God the Father in Heaven will not forgive me (Matthew 6:15). So, dear Lord, please help me to forgive them, because it has been such a difficult struggle for me. Please heal my wounds and my broken heart Lord. Thank You Lord for Your comfort, Your strength, and Your peace. 

Lord, I also ask you to forgive me for what I have said and/or done to cause hurt feelings, anxiety, and misunderstandings. I pray for relationships to be restored. I pray for them to be healed and comforted. Please show them Your love, Your peace, and Your comfort that only You can give them. I pray that one day maybe they will find it in their heart to forgive me. Please hold them in Your arms and show them Your presence and Your loving kindness. Thank you Lord for your healing touch. Amen.

My Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to share my faith with others. I pray that you help me to listen and understand what you are teaching me through Your Word. As I write this blog and study Your Word, I pray that you give me Your wisdom to comprehend. Please help me to learn and grow. If there is a reader that does not yet believe in you Lord, then I pray that you make Yourself known to that person so that they feel Your presence Lord, and please show them how much you love them, Lord. Please fill us with your Holy Spirit and guide us, Lord. Thank you, Lord for all Your blessings, Your merciful grace, and Your compassionate patience with Your sheep. Amen. 

Matthew 18:10-14 Shepherd leaves the 99 to rescue the one lost sheep

One day, a long time ago, the sheep in front of me lost his footing on some rocks in the path and headed in a different direction than our shepherd. I followed this sheep, and we got lost.  Jesus left the herd in a safe place and came looking for us when he heard us crying out for help. I'm so glad Jesus rescued us! I had no idea that we were going the wrong way and headed towards a cliff that I never saw until Jesus pointed it out to us. I thought for sure that He would be mad at us for going the wrong way, but He forgave us and brought us back to our family! Thank you, Jesus, for saving me! Jesus is my Savior! 

Psalm 23 Jesus is my shepherd

I hear His voice, and I follow Him. He loves me and takes care of me. He provides everything that I need. He lets me eat and rest in lovely green pastures with my brothers and sisters. He leads me to calm, clear water that is easy for me to drink and quenches my thirst. Jesus guides me along a dark, steep, and narrow path that seems scary, but I feel safe and secure knowing that He will rescue me with His staff just in case I go astray from my family. Even though the predators are circling all around us, I am not afraid to eat because His rod will scare them away if they try to take our food or harm us. I am filled with joy and gratitude for all the blessings He has given me. My Lord is so good, loving, and kindhearted that He will watch over me for the rest of my life, and I will live with Him forever. 

I am a sheep and have many questions.

My blog is going to be about what I am learning on my journey as I am following Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I have read, studied, and taught the Bible for many years. Even though I started this journey many years ago, I am now realizing that the more I learn, the more I am aware of just how much I do not know. 

Recent painful events in my life have made me draw closer to God, depend more on God, and want to take a much deeper look at God's Word. 

My blog is going to be about what I study and learn in God's Word. 

Dear Lord, help me to study Your Word, to listen to what You are teaching me, and to apply it to my life every day. Thank You Lord for carrying me through the pain, for your comfort and your peace. I trust You Lord. I don't always understand, but I am to be still and know that You are God. You are in control and You have a plan and purpose for every pain and sorrow. Please help me to trust You Lord. Thank you for your blessings, and for those little special intimate moments that You give me when I am crying out to you in pain and sorrow, and You give me your strength, comfort, and peace. Thank you for answering my prayer when I asked you if you were really real to show me, and You have been showing me so many times that you really are real and ever present in my life, and You give me exactly what I need exactly when I have needed it. You have answered prayers in ways that I never would've thought of and that's how I know it's from You Lord because nothing is impossible with You. Amen.

Sad, Lonely, Brokenhearted at Christmas

 Christmas just isn't the same this year because our family has been torn apart. We have all gone our separate ways in different parts of the country. I'm not feeling very thankful or festive. I don't feel the Christmas spirit or the true joy of Christmas. Seeing everyone so happy just makes the pain and loneliness feel worse because it's just not the way it's supposed to be. There are still hurt feelings, forgiveness, trying to be supportive and make up for the past, unforgiveness, tension, pain, distance, broken hearts, bitterness, division, differences of opinion on several key topics, silence, losing touch, lonely, depressed, missing hugs, missing the fun times and the good talks, family members that have passed, that have moved away, starting over in a new place, new beginnings, mourning, healing, recovering, forgiving, but not forgetting, learning how to cope and move on after closing the end of a book and starting a new chapter in a brand new book and learning how to live again, learning how to trust God, how to depend on God, learning about who I am and my new identity as myself. I am no longer a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a leader, a teacher, a counselor... My identity is not based on the work that I do, on the relationships that I have or don't have, on the volunteer work that I do to serve, no I found that out when all of that was taken away, little by little, and I was just sitting crying, bawling, completely overwhelmed with all of the pain that was so utterly unbearable because I couldn't understand. But when I cried out to God in my sobbing, He would give me just this little golden nugget of a thought that came into my heart that made sense somehow and gave me a small sense of peace and comfort when I was in such pain and torture just a moment ago, so that could only be God taking care of me when I needed Him the most. I have to remember that Christmas is not about all the stuff, it's about remembering that God loves me so much that He sent His Son Jesus. Since Jesus, being God and human, understands and can fully empathize with what I've been going through, that is the best reason to celebrate His birth. It doesn't matter about what decorations you put up or don't put up, the number of presents you didn't get or the quality of presents that you gave, or the number of likes you got on social media. I was so depressed and crying when I prayed, but God reminded me that Jesus paid the price and took my place willingly and for that He should be worshipped, honored, and adored. All of the nonsense, the pursuit of happiness, and holiday traditions that go with it are just to help us remind us to stop and remember God's miracles, thank Him for his many blessings, and to pray for His true gift of joy.