Growing up in a Southern Baptist church, purity was something we were taught from a young age. I learned about it not only at church, but at home too. Out of all the things I was taught in my youth group, DO NOT HAVE SEX was definitely glorified. Most of my friends received purity rings and we would joke that when you didn't have your ring on you, "forgot your purity at home" or if you lost your ring that meant you "lost your purity." I was always a rebel and only wore mine on special occasions. HA. Abstinence is a huge matter of importance in baptist churches, and for a good reason. Sex isn't something you should be apathetic about and can end up giving you more than you bargained for (aka another human being.) I know lots and lots about sexual purity, but I've come to realize that there is so much more to being pure than having sex.
God telling the Israelites to destroy Jericho is a great example of just how pure our God is and how badly he wants us to be pure.
" They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it- men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys." - Joshua 6:21
They killed everyone. Even the animals. What kind of God makes His people kill innocent women, children and animals? People who are against Christianity use passages like this to prove that Christianity is not a religion of peace. They look and this scripture and say our God is not merciful or kind. God had a very strong and valid reason for annihilating these people. Canaanites (the people who lived in Jericho at the time) practiced intense idolatry, incest, bestiality, child sacrifice, molestation, prostitution and other evil practices. If God left even a small child or a few cows, they would be a cancer to the Israelities for years to come. God of course saved Rahab (who was a former prostitute- ironic, right?) because she recognized God as her own, and did away with her old life.
God values purity so much that he will go to extremities like mass murder to keep his people from evil. He protected the Israelities like a father protects his child. You don't always understand why your parents won't allow you to do certain things, but as you mature you look back and see they were merely protecting you.
In Habakkuk, when God is having to punish the Israelities for their wickedness by letting the Babylonians conquer them, Habakkuk cries out to God, "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?" God can't even look on evil. He is too pure and holy. He let the Israelities be conquered by the powerful Babylonians because He was more concerned with their purity and holiness than their happiness. If we don't stay out of Satan's snare, he allows Satan to punish us so we can hopefully turn back to Him.
Purity isn't always easy to get back. God is full of mercy and wipes away our iniquities the minute we ask Him to, but that doesn't mean we won't struggle. I'm trying to look at purity from a "precautionary" stand point. By being pure in what I look at, what music I listen to, what conversations I have, how I spend my time, etc. I can avoid having these consequences. "Do {this} now, and you won't have to worry about {that} later."
"Create in me a pure heart, O God..." Psalm 51:10
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
A Fiery Furnace and Talking Vegetables
I love, love, love Veggie Tales. I grew up watching them and think the writers and producers are just absolute geniuses. Seriously- talking vegetables. Why didn't I think of that? One of my favorites is about "Shack, Rack, and Benny" aka the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. It's so cute. They work in this chocolate factory and the mean/nasty owner wants them to bow down to this huge chocolate bunny. When they won't do it he throws them into the furnace. SPOILER: they don't die.
The story of the three men who were thrown into the flames really makes me unnerved. I envy them, yet I am ashamed of myself because of them. They were able to visually comprehend how powerful God was when He saved them from a fate that was physically impossible to avoid. That would be awesome. However, their faith was so strong to begin with, that when you think about it, they probably already had a firm foundation of their belief in God's absolute power. I know God still uses those of us with "faith as small as a mustard seed" but the end results will not be as much of a blessing.
The part of the story I usually focus most on is how God saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from death and how King Nebuchadnezzar was dumbfounded that God was with his people in the fiery furnace. Through a speaker I heard recently, I was forced to look at the story from a different angle. In Daniel 3:16, the three men tell the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not intend to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
"But even if he does not....."
What immoveable faith they had. I feel like they were almost sarcastic with the king. "Alright, alright King. There is really no need for you to be so flustered. We aren't going to sit here and argue about whatever punishment you decide to give us. You obviously don't understand just how powerful the God is we serve. You see- he can save us from any fate you give us. But even if he decides not to save us, we just want you to know we still won't worship your gods." If there were hashtags in the Old Testament there would be one at the end that said #sorrynotsorry
Of course, their matter-of-factness and calm disposition about being burned alive made the king even more riled. I'm going to get side tracked for a second. A few verses down it says he "heated the furnace seven times hotter than usual." I don't really understand why this would make a difference. Fire burns no matter how hot it is, right? Soo pretty much he was just quickening their death by making it hotter, instead of making them suffer longer. If anyone knows the logic behind this....let me know. Anyways.....
I just love that they said, "even if he does not." That's the kind of faith I want. It is difficult to have faith that is mature enough to want God to rescue you, but if he decides not to, nothing changes. If God makes a huge scene and performs a miracle in your life, he is just as powerful as if he were to remain silent. My rookie faith still doesn't always accept that easily.
It is hard for me to say, "I really want (insert hopes/dreams/desires) to happen in my life. But even if those aren't what you have planned for me, I will still obey you." God's ultimate plan is to make me like Him. At twenty-one years old I think I have my life all figured out, and can't understand why he won't let me have certain things when I want them. There is no intelligent reason (that I understand at this point in time) behind why God closes certain doors. All I know is that eventually this road that he's taking me down will make me more like Him. The hidden message in the psalm that says, "he will give us the desires of our hearts" is really that if we truly follow Him, God's desires are our desires as well.
The story of the three men who were thrown into the flames really makes me unnerved. I envy them, yet I am ashamed of myself because of them. They were able to visually comprehend how powerful God was when He saved them from a fate that was physically impossible to avoid. That would be awesome. However, their faith was so strong to begin with, that when you think about it, they probably already had a firm foundation of their belief in God's absolute power. I know God still uses those of us with "faith as small as a mustard seed" but the end results will not be as much of a blessing.
The part of the story I usually focus most on is how God saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from death and how King Nebuchadnezzar was dumbfounded that God was with his people in the fiery furnace. Through a speaker I heard recently, I was forced to look at the story from a different angle. In Daniel 3:16, the three men tell the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not intend to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
"But even if he does not....."
What immoveable faith they had. I feel like they were almost sarcastic with the king. "Alright, alright King. There is really no need for you to be so flustered. We aren't going to sit here and argue about whatever punishment you decide to give us. You obviously don't understand just how powerful the God is we serve. You see- he can save us from any fate you give us. But even if he decides not to save us, we just want you to know we still won't worship your gods." If there were hashtags in the Old Testament there would be one at the end that said #sorrynotsorry
Of course, their matter-of-factness and calm disposition about being burned alive made the king even more riled. I'm going to get side tracked for a second. A few verses down it says he "heated the furnace seven times hotter than usual." I don't really understand why this would make a difference. Fire burns no matter how hot it is, right? Soo pretty much he was just quickening their death by making it hotter, instead of making them suffer longer. If anyone knows the logic behind this....let me know. Anyways.....
I just love that they said, "even if he does not." That's the kind of faith I want. It is difficult to have faith that is mature enough to want God to rescue you, but if he decides not to, nothing changes. If God makes a huge scene and performs a miracle in your life, he is just as powerful as if he were to remain silent. My rookie faith still doesn't always accept that easily.
It is hard for me to say, "I really want (insert hopes/dreams/desires) to happen in my life. But even if those aren't what you have planned for me, I will still obey you." God's ultimate plan is to make me like Him. At twenty-one years old I think I have my life all figured out, and can't understand why he won't let me have certain things when I want them. There is no intelligent reason (that I understand at this point in time) behind why God closes certain doors. All I know is that eventually this road that he's taking me down will make me more like Him. The hidden message in the psalm that says, "he will give us the desires of our hearts" is really that if we truly follow Him, God's desires are our desires as well.
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