She's Been Redeemed!

I've been falling behind on my blogging through the Bible. I knew that was going to happen. I'm doing this for my own benefit to try and capture what I've learned at every step. But, being a fourth year architecture student and working has taken its toll on my blogging. The reading is still happening. But, the blogging suffers. 

Well, my goal was to make it to 1 Chronicles yesterday. I must say that just after midnight, I made it. A couple of things captured me in 2 Kings. Not many of the kings were commended for "doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord." Most of them "did evil in the eyes of the Lord." Awful stuff. Also, my least favorite phrase in the Bible (thus far) appears SO many times: "As for the other events of the reign of ____, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings?" Ugh. Tell me now! HAHA!

Well, on a serious note, a verse that really made me think was 2 Kings 17:33--"They worshipped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought." Wow. See any resemblance to our country? I can only hope and pray that God will raise up a leader like Hezekiah among us. 

Another beautiful thing to me was when Josiah found the book of the law. He read it and wept, realizing how far Israel and Judah had strayed from the commands of the Lord. I loved 2 Kings 23:22-23--"Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem." This must have melted the heart of the Lord. Don't you think? They remembered, and celebrated. Nevertheless, Israel and Judah had forsaken the Lord and He promised that Jerusalem would be ransacked and everything in the temple would be carried off by the Babylonians. It happened. I found myself on the verge of weeping by the time I reached the end of 2 Kings. I wanted to weep for Jerusalem. But, then I remembered--she's been redeemed! Isn't it wonderful to know how the story ends?

So, yesterday my Dad's church called a new youth minister to serve. We are all so excited! I'll be moving back home in just 130 days. I'm so looking forward to being a part of that church. I can't believe my parents have been there for ten years and I've never been a member. Of course, I've never been an official Andalusia resident, either. I'm excited and I believe God has called me there. So, I have to believe He has a place for me to serve. I want to so badly. I want to be a part of God's work there. I'm just so scared I won't fit in, or that there won't be a place for me. Silly, huh? I just realized that I don't actually know these people other than facebook or the occasional hand shake when I'm home for a visit. Oh, but I want to KNOW them. I want to be there. I've been praying everyday that God will guide me to a place to serve there. I know He will. I just have to have faith and not worry so much. He'll guide me where He needs me, and I know it will be for His glory and bring joy.