March 27, 2009 5:05 AM
Sam wrote:
"About Face!" Some of you recognize this 'command' from the military. Sometimes preceeded by a preparatory command, sometimes not. What it does, for you who are not familiar with the term, is to give direction to one or more people, who must be standing at attention, to do an in-place maneuver which results in tht person, or persons, facing in the opposite direction from which they were before the command was given. The action is like this: Upon hearing the command, you take your right foot and move it directly backward and then slightly to your left, placing the toe of your right foot on the outside of your left heel. Then, keeping the right toe down, and the right heel up, leift slightly the LEFT heel, and then pivot on the toes in a clockwise manner until you have turned 180 degrees. At that point your two heals should be together on the ground, and your toes at an approximate 45 degree angle apart (back to the position of attention).
Quite a complicated manuever for some--some never do quite get it right.
Here, God does a very complicated maneuver. He shifts from his 'rants' of the previous few chapters in which he promises great pain, suffering and death. Then, in a 180 degree turn, or so it seems, God pivots to a position of demonstrating His love. What a turn about.
It is this 'turn about' in which we can always rely on our God. No matter how bad we are. No matter how much God detests what we are doing. No matter how MUCH we sin, as long as we do that 180 degree turn back to Him, He will demonstrate His love. Isn't that amazing? Our sins, even our double sins (see yesterday's blog), are forgiven if we simply do an 'about face' and re-seek God. IF God was truly angry at us because of OUR sins, then we can be assured that He too, will complete this 'complicated' maneuver, and give us His full loving attention once again.
So, the next time you watch that good old classic movie, Stripes, notice the 'about face' commands and let it bring to your mind the fact that God will always be there when you also do one of those moves away from sin and back to Him. Reply to this
March 27, 2009 7:18 AM
rik wrote:
Again I see parallels to America. Most Americans do not see how many blessings God has showered down on us. As a nation we have forgotten that God taught us to walk. I hope he has this attitude to us the US. He is God not man. Reply to this
March 27, 2009 9:42 AM
Rich wrote:
All - thanks for the 'encouragement.' I was not going to post anything today because I 'thought' I did not have any 'free' time this morning. Then I read comments from yesterday and after reading I decided that in fact I do have free time if I make the proper choice!
It is so much easier to love a child than it is to love an adolescent or an adult! When kids are 2, 3, or 4 years old they are so much fun. They look up to you for everything. They admire you and appreciate you and they are totally dependent on you. Then they start to grow up and they want to be independent. Then you go from being necessary to becoming useless. Then they argue and fight to do things that you know are wrong or dangerous, but they no longer listen to you.
I had no idea God has similar feeling to what I often feel now. Reading today has made me feel so much closer to God. I have a slightly better understanding of his frustration with us (me in particular) and with his expressed frustration throughout the OT (and in particular in the book of Hosea) with Israel. Israel is like a teenager going through rebellion. It is so hard for a parent to watch them go through this but you know down deep that the lessons they learn on their own are necessary for them to grow up and become mature. Still it is a struggle to watch this happen and I often find myself saying that I could save you a lot of pain and sorrow if you would just listen to me.
I guess the book of Hosea is not so bad after all. I also guess that God can relate to the feelings I have better than I think. Interesting.... Reply to this
March 27, 2009 1:38 PM
Dustin wrote:
I applied for a couple of jobs today. one was with the orange county fire authority. Lets see what happens.
God shows repentance. At first (chapters 1-10) God is really hot tempered and in 11 he sounds like he is about to cry for being so upset. He caught himself in anger (sin maybe). So what do you think? Reply to this
March 27, 2009 2:21 PM
Dustin wrote:
i just caught on to something: really i am trying to understand and i guess that some times it does come to me.
Hosea 11:1 = Matthew 2:15
'...And out of egypt i called my son'
i knew i would find something in this book. Reply to this
"About Face!" Some of you recognize this 'command' from the military. Sometimes preceeded by a preparatory command, sometimes not. What it does, for you who are not familiar with the term, is to give direction to one or more people, who must be standing at attention, to do an in-place maneuver which results in tht person, or persons, facing in the opposite direction from which they were before the command was given. The action is like this:
Upon hearing the command, you take your right foot and move it directly backward and then slightly to your left, placing the toe of your right foot on the outside of your left heel. Then, keeping the right toe down, and the right heel up, leift slightly the LEFT heel, and then pivot on the toes in a clockwise manner until you have turned 180 degrees. At that point your two heals should be together on the ground, and your toes at an approximate 45 degree angle apart (back to the position of attention).
Quite a complicated manuever for some--some never do quite get it right.
Here, God does a very complicated maneuver. He shifts from his 'rants' of the previous few chapters in which he promises great pain, suffering and death. Then, in a 180 degree turn, or so it seems, God pivots to a position of demonstrating His love. What a turn about.
It is this 'turn about' in which we can always rely on our God. No matter how bad we are. No matter how much God detests what we are doing. No matter how MUCH we sin, as long as we do that 180 degree turn back to Him, He will demonstrate His love. Isn't that amazing? Our sins, even our double sins (see yesterday's blog), are forgiven if we simply do an 'about face' and re-seek God. IF God was truly angry at us because of OUR sins, then we can be assured that He too, will complete this 'complicated' maneuver, and give us His full loving attention once again.
So, the next time you watch that good old classic movie, Stripes, notice the 'about face' commands and let it bring to your mind the fact that God will always be there when you also do one of those moves away from sin and back to Him.
Reply to this
Again I see parallels to America. Most Americans do not see how many blessings God has showered down on us. As a nation we have forgotten that God taught us to walk. I hope he has this attitude to us the US. He is God not man.
Reply to this
All - thanks for the 'encouragement.' I was not going to post anything today because I 'thought' I did not have any 'free' time this morning. Then I read comments from yesterday and after reading I decided that in fact I do have free time if I make the proper choice!
It is so much easier to love a child than it is to love an adolescent or an adult! When kids are 2, 3, or 4 years old they are so much fun. They look up to you for everything. They admire you and appreciate you and they are totally dependent on you. Then they start to grow up and they want to be independent. Then you go from being necessary to becoming useless. Then they argue and fight to do things that you know are wrong or dangerous, but they no longer listen to you.
I had no idea God has similar feeling to what I often feel now. Reading today has made me feel so much closer to God. I have a slightly better understanding of his frustration with us (me in particular) and with his expressed frustration throughout the OT (and in particular in the book of Hosea) with Israel. Israel is like a teenager going through rebellion. It is so hard for a parent to watch them go through this but you know down deep that the lessons they learn on their own are necessary for them to grow up and become mature. Still it is a struggle to watch this happen and I often find myself saying that I could save you a lot of pain and sorrow if you would just listen to me.
I guess the book of Hosea is not so bad after all. I also guess that God can relate to the feelings I have better than I think. Interesting....
Reply to this
I applied for a couple of jobs today. one was with the orange county fire authority. Lets see what happens.
God shows repentance. At first (chapters 1-10) God is really hot tempered and in 11 he sounds like he is about to cry for being so upset. He caught himself in anger (sin maybe). So what do you think?
Reply to this
i just caught on to something: really i am trying to understand and i guess that some times it does come to me.
Hosea 11:1 = Matthew 2:15
'...And out of egypt i called my son'
i knew i would find something in this book.
Reply to this
Another thing i found:
Jezreel = God Scatters
Lo-Ruhamah = Not Pitied
Lo-Ammi = Not my people
Reply to this