1st Day!

Well, now for the first day! we'll just see how this goes..

Today's reading was Luke 5:27-39; Genesis 1-2; and Psalm 1

The passage in Luke is about the calling of Levi, who was a tax collector. i think my favorite thing is that all Jesus said was "Follow me" and Levi got up, left EVERYTHING and went with him. And then threw him a huge party! It always frustrates me to hear then the Pharisees asking about His association with the tax collectors and 'sinners.' Honestly, they sound so stupid when they are so self-righteous. It seems so obvious that they are so wrong sometime, and yet they never get it. I think what is truly scary about the Pharisees is that I see myself in them much too often. It is too easy to put myself and others in the right just because we've been Christians for a while, or because we belong to a certain church or group. it's sickening. my greatest fear is of becoming religious, but that fear becomes reality more than I'd like to admit. The line Jesus says in reply is one of my favorites:

"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:31)

Why must Christians always parade around like we are so deserving of Christ? What in our lives deserves his love? Nothing.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk with no cost.. " (Isaiah 55:1)

I love Isaiah 55. It's one of my favorites. I love the imagery and that description of God giving to us freely - we have nothing to bring to the table, nothing to give him in exchange, but he gives to us so freely and so abundantly.

Also today is Psalm 1: "Blessed is the man.. his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night.. whatever he does prospers..." Oh I wish I could say I always loved what God had to say and had it on my mind 24/7. Definitely not there yet.. not even close. But I guess that is what I'm attempting to develop. it's not going to be easy I know, but my God is worth it.

The longest section from today was Genesis chapter 1 & 2. I know I've heard it a thousand times it seems. But each time I do hear something new. Today I realized what beautiful chaos that must have been when the world was created - to have sea and sky separating and everything going on at once. A beautiful mess it sounds like to me. It also sounds like God had fun :)