At It Again - Devotionals from MY Bible - Day 2

Genesis 5:24 - Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Genesis 5 - Adam: 930 years, Seth: 912 years, Enosh: 905 years, Kenan: 910 years, Mahalalel: 895 years, Jared: 962 years, Enoch: 365 years; Methuselah: 969 years, & Lamech: 777 years

     We humans put a lot of weight on numbers.  We need to stay in the black, out of the red.  We like to see how much money we earn or are worth. We like to know how old someone is at his/her birthday celebration. We like to know how many miles to the gallon we get. We like to know how much something costs or how it has appreciated in value.  We like to know how many years apart couples are and what drew them together. When we're little kids we want to know "How many?"
     It's funny to think that the God of the universe who is timeless would make humans and watch us obsess about time and numbers.  So, I've highlighted the numbers above in my Bible because it blows my mind that humans used to live that long.  We consider it a miracle these days if someone lives to be 100.  But 969 years old!
      Now there's lots of talk around what God sees as a day or a year verses what man sees as a day or year.  I've heard speculation that 1 human day is 1 year for God, or 100 years for him, or even 1000 years for him.  I've also heard speculation in the opposite that 1 human year is 1 day for God, or 100 years is 1 day, or even 1000 years is 1 day for him.
     Time does not concern me.  However, I like to have fun with numbers:  The average human life expectancy is around 70 years old today (give or take for those who want to be exact).  That means that 35 is the "middle" of your life.  Typically today couples are waiting longer to have kids, so around 30 is about average.  We live for 30 years, have kids, then age...respectively.
      During the life and times of these men, the numbers can be drastically different.  The average human life expectancy then was 847 years old.  "Middle" aged was 424 years old!!!!  So, the time to start having kids, comparatively with today's averages, would be 419 years old!!!  Can you even conceive such a thing?!
      Now, while these numbers are HUGE, know that they must have aged like we age now.  Because at the age of 65, both Mahalalel and Enoch began having children.  If they didn't age like we age, that would have been like a 9 year old dad.  So, we must assume that in some respects they aged like us.  Perhaps for them, 65 was the new 30?
      Anyway you slice the numbers, it is remarkable to me that at one time, the followers of God walked the earth for so long.  It's an amazing thing to speak with someone who is 80-100 years old to see how much things changed.  Can you image the change these men got to see?  Moving on...

Genesis 5:24 - Imagine walking with God.  What does your mind's eye capture?  Is he young or old? Is he clean shaven or neatly trimmed or scraggly looking?  Does he put you at ease or make your nervous?  Is it like being with an old friend or a new acquaintance?  Is there a brilliant radiating light or is it just "normal"?
     The previous verse states that Enoch walked with God for 300 years.  What did he do for his first 65?  Was he a sinner or perfect?  I like to think he was like me...a human sinner in need of redemption.  It took him 65 years and a kid to find God.  Not too shabby!  Then he walked with God for 300 years.  I'd like to think that this relationship is similar to that of Adam and Eve's before their fall.  It was an open, happy, beautifully working relationship.  Enoch would talk, God would listen and vice versa.  It must have been a great thing.
      Even more inspiring is the fact that he was taken away by God.  He didn't have to see that final sleep.  He didn't have to die that death and be buried in the ground or a tomb.  No!  He got to walk with God and then God put His around Enoch and said, "Come on, buddy.  It's time to go home."  Wow!
      In my mind's eye, I picture it similar to the final calling of the faithful to Christ.  You know, how the picture comes to mind that everyone who believes and is saved just disappears?!  But the other half of me tries to cope with how his family must have felt.  I mean, dying of old age at least allows you to say "Good-bye" to your loved ones.  You can bestow your blessing on them, hug them, hold them, comfort them while they try to do the same to you.  How must if have been for Enoch's family?

     Today's devotional is not about having the answers.  I'm human. I'm not in seminary nor have I studied any seminary classes. I try to listen to God and dole out some of the wisdom he has bestowed on me.  If you want answers to any of the things swimming in your head, seek God.  He's got all the answers.  Begin a relationship with Him.  Walk with Him daily.  Read His word daily.  Ask a preacher or teacher of the "Law" for help.
     Let the questions of my devotional swim for a while.  I think God leaves things open because were not supposed to fully understand them.  Ah, the great mystery writer, He is!

Tomorrow's Verses:
    Genesis 6:8 - But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
    Genesis 6:22 - Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
    Genesis 8:22 - "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter,   day and night will never cease."

Enjoy!

A Time For Everything - Devotional Day 2 - September 22

Scripture (It's only verse 1, but I wanted to add all the verses): Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 - There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

(Listen to the Byrd's Turn, Turn, Turn as it incorporates all verses into an awesome song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9_H9AWwQOs.)

That scripture is a huge chunk to take a bite out of! But if you read it again, it's saying there is a time for everything we do, feel, and go through. It was written down and prepared for us to read thousands of years before we came into our existence today.

"We cannot be and do all things for everyone all the time - there are indeed seasons." How many times have you tried to be a people pleaser...doing what someone asks when they ask even though it's outside your range or want? I know I'm guilty of it. My husband, Josh, is also very guilty of it. He's a big people pleaser and it causes him grief sometimes. I think we all fall into this trap on occassion.

The author of the devotional talks about taking her kids to visit their father and how it "would cause me physical pain to part from them. I felt like I had an unending ache, an emptiness, a lake of equilibrium. The only way to get over it was prayer and the passage of time." For those of you who know Josh and I, you know that we are foster parents. The hardest part of being a foster parent is taking your kiddos to a visit with the bioparents when you don't trust them or like their decisions in life. (This kinda ties in with yesterday's lesson to not judge...which is super hard when you have great kids who have a potentially great parent if they'd make better choices!) It used to physically pain me to leave the kiddos at the visit, especially our little man, London. He would cry pathetically for me and put his arms out to me and he still does. It still hurts to leave him, but not as much.

I just keep thinking to myself when I leave him, "In 2 hours, I'll be the hero. I'll come sweep him up into my arms and make him laugh for joy." And, sure enough, that what I do. I'm his mommy...not biologically, but at 16 months, I'm his mommy and that's who he wants.

"The only possible way to love and let go gracefully is to first have enough faith to remember that God is utimately in charge of our children and only He can really keep them safe." This is big for me. There are so many scenarios that can occur at visits, things the kiddos are told, things the bios tell us, so much negativity. It's hard for me to remember that God has these little kids on HIS tracker and has had them there since before Josh and I came into the picture. How many times have you sent your kiddos (or someone you loved) off and thought that they wouldn't be okay because you're not there to see to them?

I remember my mom having a cow when I was deciding on which DeVry to attend. I thought it would be awesome to go to Phoenix, but mom was not going to have that since I didn't know anyone and I'd be so far away. She was concerned for my safety and concerned that I wouldn't have anyone to lean on that far away. She preferred that I attend DeVry in Kansas City because I had family 3 hours away in Iowa. In the end, to satisfy her worry, I moved to KC. I guess God knew what he was doing because I met Josh on the first Sunday out here!

"We need to know tha tlove is not limited to time and space, and our love does not start or stop; it flows continuously whether we are with our childeren (loved one) or not." It's amazing to think of agape love...that ever-present, no strings attached, love of loves that just flows down. It's what we all dream of. A love that loves us no matter what we look like, how we act, what we eat, where we live, our nationality, our color, our creed, who we're related to, how much money we have, how smart we are, etc. Just plain and simple, truly and perfectly love. The kind of love we are all wanting defies all restraints the world puts on it. It is transcendant, and omnipitant...it's everywhere. That's what our love can be when we act on our love instead of mulling it to death.

"We need to trust God that He has ordained our separations as well as our togetherness." It's funny how God works things out. Josh and I were discussing the visit the kids had today and our version of the pros and cons. I hadn't read my devotional yet, but when I cracked it open and read, I was amazed. He puts it all out in the open with us if we care to see it. Do you care to see yours?

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

There is so much time and so little time. How will you spend yours?