Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Tell Me the Stories....

Have I mentioned how much I'm loving my study on Joshua? Well, I do. I just love the stories of the old testament. They read like an amazing movie script and the main character is GOD! He is so facinating. In the first five chapters of Joshua He selects a new leader of the Israelites(Joshua), promises Joshua His guarenteed success, reminds Joshua of His history, uses a prostitute who shows great faith, leads His people THROUGH the parted Jordan river on the dry land, calls His people to make a memorial to Him on the land and on the bottom of a river....why? 4:21-24 "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' then you shall inform your children, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.' "For the Lord you God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the Lord your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and so that you may fear the Lord your God forever." In chapter 5 all the men are circumcised and go through recovery in enemy territory, but the enemies have heard of God and so they are too afraid to attack them. Oh, and lastly, the captain of the host of the Lord pays Joshua a visit and says,'take off your shoes, this is holy ground'. Ya think???? Seriously, isn't that exciting stuff? And that's only the first 5 chapters!

I love the idea of telling our kids what God has done. Remembering and reciting the wondrous works He has done on our behalf. RIGHT NOW, TODAY! The God of Israel is my God today. He has not changed and has not stopped performing miracles! How many of you have a story of how God "parted the waters" for you? How He "held back the waves" for you? So many of my God stories have to do with our adoptions, but there are certainly others. One time about 2 years ago Matthew and I were coming around one of the bad curves that are out near our home at 10pm and we literally stopped in the road to watch the Disney fireworks. We had NEVER stopped in the road to do this before. Just moments after we stopped, when we should have been going around the bad curve, a huge truck came around the curve on our side of the road. We would have been hit head on. It was God that protected us. I can't explain it, but I know that is the case. It humbles me again to think about it. God is at work. Tell your kids the stories. Write them down. Blog for goodness sake :) Just tell the stories of His faithfulness over and over again, "that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty AND so that you may fear(reverence) the Lord your God forever". I love God stories. Why don't you share one with me in the comments? Much love and hoping you have LOTS of stories to tell, Jackie Sue

7 comments:

Karin said...

I was actually going to blog about this but forgot. I have a hard time remembering the good sometimes because I spend too much time remembering the hurt... here are a few that I won't share on my blog because my dad reads it :)
Before knowing Jesus, The Lord intervened in an abusive relationship when I was 18 and spoke to me~ literally. I was physically being squeezed until the moment I uttered, "I don't know why, but we have to break up..." Then I could breath and had peace. I would get bad "feelings" and not go out. I escaped many things that I could go on and on about but I've taken up your WHOLE comment section!

Valarie Daly said...

GOD has been saving me from the time I was being delivered with a broken collarbone (they said it was amazing the Dr. heard the pop as I was being delivered) When I was 13 months old and had Spinal Menengitis (which back in the early 60's no one rarely survived) Keeping me safe through the spinal taps and brain tap, not having any mental of physical handicaps from the severity of it (well maybe a little ;-) The 2 hour seizure I had when I was in 5th grade, the horrible car accident my senior year that caused me to have 175 stitches in my face along with a crushed foot. The stupidity of all the risks I took as a young non-believing adult. The two most recent is my mom's terminal illness,and watching God work in my dad's heart through it all and the last is restoring our marriage that was all but over!!! Praise God, AMEN, I'm still alive to tell my story :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jackie!
I love this subject & love hearing how God works in the lives of people! I've also got stories of near misses, close calls & being in the right place at the right time, but I just heard a story yesterday that touched my heart that I will share instead. Our DD goes to daycare and there is a very nice young lady who works as an aide there. She is a single Mom. Yesterday another friend of ours who takes her son to the same daycare took in a package of pull-up for girls (she had bought them by mistake). She handed them to this young lady & told her that she'd bought them by mistake & wanted to donate them to whoever might need them. Well..the young lady burst in to tears and whispered "God does listen". Our friend was surprised until the young lady explained that she had run out of pull-ups for her daughter and didn't have the extra money to buy any. She had been so worried about it and God had heard her prayers!

Jackie Sue said...

I love these stories! Thanks so much for taking the time to share. He does hear and He does care. Many Blessings, ladies!

DAVID AND AMY VENN'S WEBSITE said...

I just wanted to thank you so much for the prayers and posts that you have left me. I definitely appreciated them so much in my life. How interesting it was to come to your blog to post a "thank you" and then become inspired by your recent bible study :-)
Thanks for that as well,
Amy

Christine said...

I don't even know how I came upon this blog, but I love it! I have been so engrossed in the Old Testament lately, as if I can't seem to get enough of it. I just finished studying King David and I am just in awe of the lessons to be learned. Thank you so much for sharing this, I was truly blessed! =O)

Jill said...

Oh, I love telling my kids the way God moves us towards Him all the time. The latest was this weekend when we were getting ready for bed in the camper and I was able to rehash the days wonders that we saw in the woods, the aquarium, and in our lives. We did not dream of sugar plums, but they slept with grins of peaceful love on our faces. It was a sweet moment.