A Bible Study Blog
Imagine if you were the beetle in the picture above.
What circumstances would cause you to cling even tighter to the plant?
If the weather is mild, there would be no reason to cling even tighter to the plant.
But what if the weather was hazardous?
Or if another animal appeared to challenge you?
How does this relate to Jacob’s situation in Genesis 32:22-32?
Continue reading “Clinging Tightly to God”
Yet, when God called (Genesis 31:3), Jacob responded.
Our passage for study today: Genesis 31:17-18
17 So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. [1]
Some of us know our biological fathers or grandfathers. Others do not.
Regardless of which camp you are in, would you describe your biological or other father figures as intentional?
An intention can simply be a determination to act in a certain way.
Intentions can be good or harmful.
Which end of the spectrum would you place your father or father figure on regarding their intentionality? Mostly good? Mostly harmful? Other?
Did your father figure receive their intentional traits from their own father figure?
Continue reading “Do You Have an Intentional Father?”
Physically, I know how to recover from a joint injury. The acronym RICE is the standard protocol for sprains to more serious injuries: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
Some injuries take a longer time to heal than expected, though.
Case in point, I tore my right ankle ligament back in 2018. Thankfully, the tear did not require surgery.
Yet, even now, in 2023, I still struggle with pain and mild swelling if I attempt to do over fifteen minutes of walking consecutively.
My goal for 2023 is to shore up this weakness in my ankle so that I can walk for thirty minutes consecutively by the time 2024 has dawned.
But how do we recover from other weaknesses, like selfishness?
Continue reading “After Our Weaknesses Are Revealed”
A couple of years ago, my primary doctor was looking over my medical history and made the comment, “your primary issues are clearly orthopedic.”
We both laughed because, in the short time that she has known me, I have sprained an ankle or both frequently, torn an ankle ligament, sprained a thumb, pulled muscles in my low back, neck, and hip, and was currently being referred to a specialist for a shoulder injury. She even has in my history that I struggle with plantar fasciitis.
I wish I could say these are my only weaknesses. But, along with all other humans on this planet, I share the same weakness.
What is this shared weakness we are all prone towards?
Continue reading “When Our Weaknesses Are Revealed”
When facing a crisis or hard decision, whose advice do you heed?
Friends?
Relatives?
Coworkers?
Professionals?
All the above?
Does your answer change depending on the type of decision you are facing?
Last week, I shared some about how my husband and I settled in South Carolina.
The motivating factor behind our relocation was my husband’s initial job loss. We needed advice regarding a variety of needs. So, our process involved talking with all the above relationships to meet these needs.
As I shared last week, we moved to South Carolina, even though we had zero friends, relatives, or previous coworkers in the area.
What does this have to do with Genesis 26:6?
Continue reading “Whose Advice Do You Heed?”
Consider cats and dogs, two very different species. Can they be friends or are they destined to always be at odds with one another?
Our cat, Tink, despised our dog, Meghan, when they were first introduced many years ago. Today, however, Tink loves to snuggle with Meghan as often as Meghan allows.
But Tink and our other cat, Gunny, still despise each other after living in the same household for roughly ten years.
There’s a larger age difference between the two cats than there is between Tink and Meghan. Plus, Gunny’s personality differs from Tink’s.
Gunny is a cat that needs lots of mental and physical stimulation, a true huntress. Tink, however, stays in the same spot most of the day. Until she deems it is time for food, that is. Then she finds whatever human is nearest to her proximity to pester until fed.
Meghan’s personality is best described as accommodating to whatever the activity may be. If resting, she’ll gladly rest. If heading outside, she’ll gladly go along. Oh, and food time is a significantly joyous event. Essentially, Meghan gets along well with every member of our household.
What does this illustration of animals and opposites attracting have to do with Genesis 25:28?
Continue reading “Do Opposites Really Attract?”