"Put God First"

 

God's Advice When We Struggle To Sleep

The Bible talks about sleep many times. Over and over again, Jesus tells us not to be worried or anxious about our lives. What we will eat, or what we will wear, even what tomorrow will bring, which is a huge reason we don’t sleep. 

“When you lie down, you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” (Proverbs 3:24)

One of God's greatest gifts to us on this side of eternity is His peace. 

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Jesus also says He will give us rest. And as I've gotten older rest has become even more important to my sanity . . . so this is a verse I pray on a regular basis! 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

"What Are You Going To Do With What You Have?"

 

The Transforming Power of Jesus

One of the things that I could never reconcile when I was striving to put distance between God and myself was the Word of God. I just couldn't figure out why God would include some of the stories of people who did horrible things to other people, which sometimes included their own family. Man-made religious beliefs always put their founders and stories in the best light possible. But that's not the case with the Bible. In the book of Genesis alone we read about the moral failures of Lot, Cain, and  Abraham. Their mistakes are laid bare for the world to see. So let's look at Genesis 38, as we read about one of the most dysfunctional families and their misfortunes that you'll find in all of scripture. 

First a little bit of background:

Judah, who's name means thanksgiving or praise, was the fourth son born to Jacob and Leah. From birth his family situation was not ideal - Jacob had been tricked into marrying Leah by Leah's father and the Bible said that Jacob hated Leah because of that deception. When Jacob was finally given his true love, Rachel, the gulf between Leah, her kids, and Rachel and her two sons was immense. Jacob, who was also known as a wheeler and dealer, (See Genesis 32:30 for just one example) didn't even bother hiding his favoritism for Rachel's oldest son, Joseph. To the point that finally, in a calculated fit of rage, Leah's sons decided to kill Joseph and rid themselves forever of Jacob's favored son.