God's Compassion and Our Response

I'm trying to be diligent in my study of the Bible lately. I've started a program where I keep track of how I'm doing with my time with God. I have a chart with five columns: pray, read, journal, goals, and pray. Basically I try to start every morning with prayer and reading the Bible. Then make goals for the day. Later I journal about those goals and then pray again about what has happened. So I'm currently working on trying to keep up with that. I kind of came up with an idea for a Bible study where I work back through one year of my life every day for twenty days. I reflect on what happened to me at that age (what problems I had, what good things happened). I try to learn from mistakes I made, heal past hurts (I have a tendency to hold onto the past), and live in joy from the things I've accomplished. I also pick a passage from the Bible that has some kind of relevance to what I'm thinking about. So today for November second I reflected on my two year old days.

Not actually me, just a representation of my journey as a child!

Since that is a pretty young age there is not much I can learn from, so at the moment I am simply focusing on what it is to be a child. Yesterday I talked about trusting in God rather than in ourselves with a study of Exodus and the Golden Calf. Babies are completely reliant on their parents, so they have to trust. I want to remember that as I go through my life, trying to be a baby to God in other words completely trusting him.

Today's study was on Luke 18 which I picked because it is about Jesus letting the little children come see him even when others were saying they shouldn't. I thought it was fitting for today, but at the same time I didn't realize how much more there is in Luke 18.

There are several parables within the section. The first is on a widow who pleads with a judge to help her until he finally gives in just to make her be quiet. The next is on a Pharisee and a tax collector who both pray to God. Then the story of the little children. A story of a rich ruler asking Jesus how to get into heaven. Jesus predicting his death. And finally a blind beggar receiving his sight.

Jesus and children

So much in one passage! I was slightly overwhelmed when I opened my Bible to study this! But in time I found a good way to sum up all that was learned in these sections into one thing.

Almost all of the stories have something to do with who God listens to, and who can come to God. The widow is used as an example of how if we pray persistently God will answer us because he is just and good. The Pharisee shows how God is pleased more by a humble request for help with sin than a proud boastful prayer about what we did right and how He accepts the humble first and foremost. The little children shows how God loves children, but more broadly those who have complete trust in him. The rich ruler shows how God wants his followers to be those who put him first. Jesus predicting his death just proves God's power to know his plans for us, and the blind beggar  shows how God is compassionate and loving to those who have faith in Him.

To me the message I took from these collection of stories was this: In my life I need to trust in God and His ultimate plan and goodness. I must have faith in Him and His compassion surrender in humility and give everything to him.

Have faith

So 2nd day I have learned how to be a child of God. I trust in Him as my father, knowing He always loves me even if I have made mistakes. He is the center of my life and that is what matters most, and therefore I should never let anything hold me back from Him.

Hoping this study program goes well! Pray for me please! I have important decisions regarding my study abroad, major, and other things coming up. I also have an interview for the China summer serve team and put in two job applications. So keep me in your prayers.