Blogging through the Gospels

Someone out there might recall that one of my goals in the 3 in 30 link up was to read my bible daily using Blogging through the Gospels.  I got a late start (about a week and a half late) because well I'm a flake.  But I did finally start and I just picked up where the group was at so I didn't actually read the first 11 chapters of Matthew.  But I have worked on reading chapters 12-15 this week.  Now I haven't followed all of the "rules" as far as journaling about the reading because mostly I'm able to read while putting a child to sleep or nursing the baby.  But I still have a few nuggets that I want to share.

Nugget 1: Matthew 12:35-36 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. v36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

This spoke to me because trying to keep control of my temper lately most often means watching what I allow to come out of my mouth in anger.  I have an awful temper and it's definitely something I'm working on because I don't want to be easily angered and being angry all the time really isn't all that fun.  So I pray that God will help me to remember not to speak careless words.  I'm also praying that reading His word more puts more good in for me to pull out in times of upset with the kids.

Nugget 2: The Parable of the weeds - Matthew 13:24-30.  I don't recall ever having read or heard this parable before but it spoke to me because I have struggled a lot in the last year or so with why God allows so many bad things to happen to so many good people and these verses seemed to speak to that for me.  In regards to attempting to pull the weeds planted amongst the crop verse 29 "No," he answered, "because while you are pulling the weeds you may root up the wheat with them. v30 Let both grow together until the harvest.  At that time I will tell the harvesters to collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then I gather the wheat and bring it into my barn."

It doesn't really give a reason about why bad things have to happen to good people but it does tell me that God is aware of the problem but pulling the weeds could also pull out the good harvest to come and so if one good person has to suffer that even one more person should be harvested in the end at least good can and will come of it.

Nugget 3: Matthew Chapter 14 - there wasn't really one nugget or verse that I pulled from this chapter but more the overall impression of the people constantly following Jesus and him seeking solitude.  I realized that sometimes we just have to rely on the supernatural strength of God to accomplish His calling on our lives.  In verse 13 Jesus sought solitude in a boat and when Jesus got to the land a large crowd was there and it says He had compassion on them and healed their sick.  There are times with my children that I just seek some solitude (or sleep) and one of them needs something, gets sick, or crawls into my bed in the night.  It is at these times that I need God's supernatural power to show compassion and care for them above my own need of solitude.

Nugget 4: Matthew 15:11 What goes into a man's mouth does not make him unclean but what comes OUT of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean.

Wow, this verse really hit me.  See nugget 1.  I wonder if God is trying to talk to me this week.  No I don't wonder.  I know He is talking to me this week.  I'm very blessed that I have taken some time to read His word and see these nuggets of truth.