emmaus

He was feeling weak and vulnerable. He reminds himself of the joys in the past and that he has hope for the future, he prays and sings to God, We all get down from time to time. The thing that works best for me is to get my mind off myself and help someone else. Keep praying and reading the bible. Just don't give up, things seem to work out if you give the Lord time to take care of it.

David desires to have peace and safety in God's love, to be in God's will and be pleasing to him. For him to seek his face means to meditate and call upon God's name, to commune with him. David says that we should wait, stay strong, take heart, and expect him. That we can depend on the one who has kept his promises before. Wait, pray, listen for his answer and do his will.

When I first became a Christian in 1992, I started going to this little country church. The new preacher and his wife taught us to sing Psalms 100. They have went on to start a church near where they live up in the hills now, but we still sing Psalms 100. I remember the smiles when we would sing it. I think God is still smiling down on us when we sing. This Psalm will always is very special to me. Psalms 100 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, To the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord, the with gladness, Come before his presence with singing. Praise God! (men) Hallelujah, glory hallelujah! (women) 4 times Know ye, that the Lord is God: It is he, that has hath made us, Not we, we ourselves; We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Praise God! (men) Hallelujah, glory hallelujah! (women) 4 times Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his holy name. Praise God! (men) Hallelujah, glory hallelujah! (women) 4 times For the Lord, the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; And his truth, his truth endureth, To all, to all generations. Praise God! (men) Hallelujah, glory hallelujah! (women) 4 times Halelujah, Amen.

The wonder of God's creation completely envelops the writer. It is everywhere, in his mother's womb, all his days, his thoughts, ways and words. He's grateful and realizes how majestic this is. He is asking God to examine him. He wants to be as pure as possible and pleasing to God. Perfect submission, perfect delight...

The common thread would be God's word, spoken word and unspoken that is seen in creation. He basks in the sight of the heavens and the sun and also in the written word. Yes, I see God's glory revealed in the clouds, the sunrises and sunsets. His word is like a light in the darkness. His wonder and amazement overcome come him in this psalm. He asks that his words and his thoughts be pleasing to his source of strength and helper. He wants to be pure.

He is the "God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth". Although we are so tiny in the scope of God's creation he cares for us. Christ by being made lower than the heavenly beings became more glorified and honored. God has given us a job with responibilities. We are part of his plan.

Things won't always be easy but God will be there for us. He cares about each one of us and he has a plan for our lives. He kept his promises to Hagar and he'll do the same for us. God wants me (all of us) to be his messenger. There's nothing more important than seeing people accept Jesus. Just like a stone thrown into the water, you see all the ripples that come from it. That's the impact one Christian can make.

This gave Hagar confidence that God saw her and cared about her. It's a comfort to me that God is there and that he is in controll.

The angel asks these questions to remind her of what she had left behind and what the future facing her looked like. She should go back because she would be better off there. She would be able to worship God with Abraham and Sarah but not in Egypt. Yes I've been guilty of this. When the emotions get out of controll and we don't turn to God it's an accident waiting to happen.

Sarah took her anger out on Abraham because she was frustrated. With Hagar it was probably because of jealousy and resentment. This is what happens when we try to take things into our own hands. Hagar may have been flaunting the fact that what came so easy for her had been impossible for Sarah. Sarah probably just wanted her out of her sight and didn't really think about life or death. Abraham seemed to just be sitting by the side not doing anything to help the situation. That didn't help Sarah or Hagar. If something effects both husband and wife there has to be decisions made between the two of them. I believe it was in one of these bible studies that it talked about the man being the head of the house. Someone has to have the final say, but it must be discussed.

God went through the covenant ritual to confirm his promise to Abraham. This was the accepted way to seal a treaty in those times. God did this as a sign for Abraham that he would keep his promises to Abraham. Abraham responded by believing God. God has promised that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized are forgiven of the their sins, eternal life, to supply our every need. The significance of the blood sacrifice is that these promises are fulfilled by the blood of Christ.

There have been times when I was frustrated but not with God. A young man who seemed ready to accept the Lord turned away and didn't. He wasn't rejecting me, he rejected God. God's time isn't ours. I just keep on praying and believing for those I love that they will come to the Lord before it's too late.

It was amazing that after all the time that Abraham had waited for a heir that he sincerely believed God when he told him he would have as many as the stars in the sky. It was by his faith in God that Abraham was righteous. It's only by our faith in Jesus that we are justified.

For God to be my shield means he is my protector, my defense in times of trouble and in times of peace. It means everything to me that God has promised an exceedingly great reward. In Romans it says we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, not to conform to this world, and we must be transformed by having our minds renewed. I want to live this way so that I may have that great reward. To see as many people as possible receive the same reward. It's humbling to call God Sovereign. He is the almighty, the creator of heaven and earth.

Abraham didn't want the King of Sodom to be able to say he had helped make Abraham rich. Also Abraham didn't want it to look like he had done this for money or wealth. He wanted God to have the glory and it be known that he depended on God to provide for his needs. The lesson is that we can trust in God to supply our needs if we obey and trust in him.

Abraham was able to achieve this victory by the power of God. Abraham was glorifing God by giving Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High God, a portion of the spoils. Yes, I think by tithing today we glorify God. It's by the grace of God that we have what we have. God loves a cheerful giver and when we give we are giving to God. He deserves the first fruit and not the left overs.

This shows us a man that was willing to help for other's sake and not to better himself. He was prepared with fighting men to take with him and leave others to protect his house. He was a honorable man because his neighbors were willing to go with him to fight when he asks them. These are all qualities we want to possess and would bring glory to God. Helpfull, selfless, prepared, and honorable.

In Abraham's case I think his wealth was a blessing from God. But you can't judge everyone by that. Only God knows a man's heart. I think God blesses those that serve him in many different ways. No one has it all, if we did what would be the point of going to heaven. We each have our burdens and heartaches but they aren't curses. It's the result of living in a sinful world.

In Genesis 12:3 God tells Abram that, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse". By promising Abram this God would have protected Abram without him telling a half truth.

Yes, I think it showed a lack of faith. When I ask myself if I would have done things different in their place, I can't say that I would have. They were strangers in a foreign land, I think they did what they thought they had to do. Maybe by this happening their faith in God grew stonger. They saw that God was protecting them. This is what I think we can learn from this.

This shows that God despises adultery. Yes the Lord will forgive if we repent. David tried to cover his sin with Bathsheba but sins can't be hidden from God. When he repented of his sin God forgave him. But there were consequences to be paid for the sin (the baby died). Later God blessed David and Bathsheba with Soloman.

Pharaoh and his household was being punished for bringing Sarai into this situation. The effect was Pharaoh angerly telling him to take Sarai to leave. But he let Abram take the livestock, servants and camels he had given him. Also Pharaoh told his men not to harm Abram. Could it be that God wanted Abram to move on and not get settled in Egypt? This situtation is similar to when Moses and the Israelites left Egypt. God sent the plagues on the Egyptians then. God accomplished what he wanted.

Abraham and his family would have been at the mercy of strangers. Wicked people, thieves, and rulers would have been threats to them. There are Hispanics that live in our area. They work in restaurants, for landscaping businesses, and farmers. Last week I was walking my dog at the park and there was a lady there with 2 young kids. I spoke to her, but she didn't speak back. I realized that she didn't speak English. The little boy with her understood so I talked with him. As they left she smiled and waved goodbye. It would be so hard to be in a new country and not know the language. They would be an easy target to be cheated out of what little money they make. On a pesonal level we can be friendly to people who are different from us. Treat them as we would want to be treated. Our church helps support a missionary in Mexico. On Easter each year we take up special offerings of 30 pieces of silver to be sent to the missionary.

Abraham called on the name of the Lord because he loved, needed. and relied on him. At church we are doing a bible study on "Kings of the Old Testament", every king that sought God and followed his commands was blessed by God. Every king that didn't fell into idol worship and did evil. For myself I think of when I called on the Lord and he came into my heart. He forgave me of my sins. Since that time I call on his name daily to praise him, for other people, in times of trouble, when I'm not sure of what he would want me to do, many, many things. He is the rock I'm leaning on.

Fear of the unknown is something we can all relate to. It takes a special kind of faith to step out of your comfort zone. Fear of looking foolish, starting something for the Lord and then taking our eyes off him, wondering if we were suppose to be doing it in the first place, these things hold us back. I'm trying to step out more for the Lord. I have done about 3 of these bible studies, but have only posted a response 1 time. I was afraid that I would look foolish with my spelling or not being able to get my thoughts written down where it would make sense. As I start this study I know I will get so much more out of it if I do respond to the questions, so this is a step of faith for me. If my spelling is wrong or I don't make sense, so be it. I'll never get better at it if I don't try.