Thoughts as I read through the Bible

     I've had several personal blog posts swirling around in my mind lately, just waiting for me to take some time to jot them down. This week I'm on fall break and trying to commit some serious time to rest, rest, and more rest. It's the first week off that I've had, without being sick, since I taught summer school last June. I've been physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted...and after a while, it takes a toll! So this week the kids have been in school and I've had time off to read, go to the library, go grocery shopping, have lunch with a friend, and more. One of the things I've been catching up on is my daily Bible reading. I joined a group of ladies several months ago who are coming together to read through the entire Bible in a year and discuss it as we go. When I joined this group, it was for a lot of reasons. One was because it's been several years since I've read the Bible completely through. Another was because my Papa (grandfather) and his wife, my "Nanny", read through the Bible every year for over 30 years. I am using the same type of Bible they did, and it reminds me so much of their love for the Word and all that reading through the Bible taught them. With all that we've had going on lately, I have gotten way behind...but I'm not giving up! 

    Today as I was reading, I was reminded of just who our Biblical ancestors were. I've only read through Genesis and part of Exodus, but so far we've got...

         liars,

prostitutes,

murderers,

deceivers, and slave traders.

We also have...

grace extended by a patient and loving God,

a God who forgives again and again,

a God who spares lives and prospers families...

a God who would sacrifice His own Son so that we could experience a relationship with Him.

Another thing that I love about all the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful in the Bible? That God included it all in there. God didn't cut all the sin and disobedience out of His word...He didn't sugarcoat it. Didn't make the status of the men and women after God's own heart based on their good works...because all of them were sinners. So are we. Thanks to Jesus' sacrifice, we are now after God's own heart. We are His heart.

One of my conclusions: there is so much hope for all of us in the pages of God's Word! I was listening to a song by Lauren Daigle and it really expresses this truth: He, alone, has the power to redeem. All people, all circumstances.