the story cont'd

i read the part where joshua was now an old man and he was nearing his death.
he gathered all the people and spoke to them about God's truth. he reminded people of God's faithfulness in everything, how God kept all of His promises - promises of deliverance to the promised land and also promises of punishment for disobedience. he told people that they should fear God always, for God is just so powerful in every way. he told people that they live on the promised land where fruits, crops & other food to eat are just provided for them - the people didn't have to toil over the land to plant all those things; the previous occupants of the land put in the effort, and the people just took over (by winning over the land from the war) and they get to live comfortably... and this was all because God chose to provide for them in this way. then after this... joshua died.

jeremiah 10-11; matthew 2-3

re-reading Matthew again is refreshing. i feel like im learning Jesus' story in a deeper way and gaining new perspectives. so amazed by Joseph's faith and obedience as he was called to get up and escape to Egypt literally RIGHT after Jesus was born. can you imagine traveling on foot (or some other very slow transportation method) with your wife who JUST gave birth AND a NEWBORN baby? what?! that's craziness. any normal logical dad wouldve been like.. heck no! im not traveling with my newborn and wife all the way to egypt (which was a whole other region from where they were.. couldve easily been like 100 miles depending on where in egypt they ended up). that takes guts and TRULY trusting in God's voice and being obedient. wow. and THEN God tells him to get up and move back to Israel which is wayyyyy north and wayyyy far from egypt. they'd be traveling well over 100 miles to get there. and then even when they get there, they have to take a detour and live in Nazareth instead. so much traveling and tursting in God's leadership. man, can i have that kind of faith and obedience? so interesting.. i wonder why God chose to make Joseph move around like that so much. so much couldve gone wrong.. carrying a newborn like that all around.

the story... ch 7 cont'd

omg dying from a migraine right now.......
but basically-
most of what i've read of chapter 7 so far is about how joshua and the israelites conquered city after city... destroyed all the people and the town and livestock and everything, and the israelites' land just kept growing and growing... just as God promised. even though joshua made a huge mistake of not consulting God with an important decision and got himself and his people in trouble for it, God chose to forgive, redeem and protect the israelites from harm... and furthermore gave them the ability to defeat their attackers.

jeremiah 9, matthew 1

God will punish those who are "uncircumcised in heart." He will destroy Judah and Jersualem in order to SHOW HIMSELF to them- "the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth." this seems ironic that he would use such a gruesome suffering in order to show his good character to them. but really, as sinful ppl, we cannot understand God's holiness and majesty if we don't understand the weight of our own sin and how we cannot compare to Him.. that He is perfect and deserves all the glory. that we are a people who need Him to save us and transform us.

ah! today's sermon was really good... need to discipline my MIND not to worry but to trust fully in God. and not only that, but i felt really convictd that GOd wants me to be more focused at work and while im in Detroit.. to spend more time thinking about GOd's heart for the city and my students and intercede for what's broken and in need of Christ's power. i dont pray and intercede enough bc im too caught up thinking about my own life and my own junk and my own needs and wants etc etc. need more brain space to let God show me whats important to Him and the KINDGOM "work" that needs to be done around me. we are on a MISSION and there's no time to dilly-daddle and no time to be selfishly in our own little world when there are people facing death every day without Jesus Christ.

proverbs 30.

haha one of my students reminds me of how i was in high school and every time i interact with him, i slightly cringe remembering my old ways. i was really prideful, found my worth and identity in my accomplishments and intelligence and looked down on others who didn't seem to have the same potential i did. wow. horrible. and i still see traces of that in me when i begin to feel my heart envying lives of successful "worldly" ppl who were probably were like me in high school and continued living out their own ambitions. God saved me from that falsehood of finding joy/satisfaction from my accomplishments bc ultimately living like that will never fulfill your heart and its need for love and worth. im so glad God saved me from that. and here i am now, talking with this student who thinks just like i used to.. and im thinking.. God, please please please humble him and change his heart. hahaha.. anyway. reading this proverbs was really relevant to all this.

especially v.7-9!

1. keep falsehood and lies far from me (like i shared above, that i wouldnt live by worldly values and standards, but by God's truth that tells us what gives us REAL life and REAL prosperity and REAL joy)

2. give me only my daily bread. do not give me poverty and do not give me riches. i only ask for JUST ENOUGH for this day. bc if i have too much i will disown you and say "who is the Lord?" and if i have too little, i will still and so dishonor the name of the Lord. <

omg fail

[placeholder for tuesday and thursday posts... will update friday afternoon!!!!!!!]


The Israelites came so close to their promised land. The first barrier between them was the Jordan river. But when

[monday and wednesday's post]

proverbs 26-28

"he who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty."

"a faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished."

faithfulness is key! be faithful and diligent in what you do - your motive to glorify God, not for your own selfish gain. and you can dream big, but you have to make sure you actually have the work ethic to follow through. hard work is necessary to fulfill your calling.

"better is open rebuke than hidden love."

"he who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue."

"wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."

necessary to be honest with friends and give correction and rebuke when necessary. let truth prevail in your relationships- not flattery and "feel-good" conversations.

jeremiah 4-6

God uses jeremiah to prophesy about the coming ruin and destruction of Jersulem bc of their wickedness and idolatry. the only way for a nation to be blessed is "if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, 'As surely as the Lord lives.'" giving God all the glory and fearing Him. God sends judgment on cities, has the right to bring ruin or bring prosperity to a city. he decides NOT to destroy jerusalem completely/permanently bc he wants to eventually redeem and restore His people after they are humbled and turn their hearts to to Him.