A Jealous God

So....today i have started the bible study God's Heart for the Nations.....And I decided that I needed a better way to keep up with how the Lord is speaking to me....not just through this study but through life in general.....Plus my countless journals are not so easy to find anymore! haha

Okay so the first verse in lesson one is the memory verse for the week...Isaiah 48:9-11 The English Standard verse says it like this...."For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the same of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in th urnae of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should me name be profaned? My glory will not give to another." Okay so my simple mind did not truly get what he was saying...there were some words that just made that a little confusing...So I Visited the great site of Bible Gateway....I looked at serval different versions and the version from the Message really did it for me...
"But out of the sheer goodness of my heart, because of who I am,I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper. I don't wash my hands of you. Do you see what I've done? I've refined you, but not without fire. I've tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction.Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have my reputation to keep up. I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people."
WOW!! From the beginning of this verse till then end...I was completely speechless....I am so thankful that He does have ahold of his anger and His temper...If it were anyother person they would let us be destoried! But OUR AMAZING GOD....doesn't! And most of the time we don't even stop to thank Him....OUCH......Then He doesn't just stop there he keeps going!! He is like a silversmith....constantly refining us to reflect HIS image!! Even though we will NEVER be perfect and HE KNOWS that He still refines us! He still wants to mold us and make us more like Him.....WOW...I don't know about you but if I am working with something/somebody and I know they aren't going to change I give up...it seems pointless to me...and God doesn't!! HE SEES POTENTIAL IN US!!!! The last line of that verse says it just like a good southerner would, "I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people." HOW MANY TIMES DO I PUT GOD SECOND!!! OUR GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD!!! I am so thankful He is because if He wasn't I would be destoried!!
This weekend I went to South Eastern Simenary with my church and Mark Driscoll spoke on worship! Anything we do that is not worship is a form of idolatery!! When he got done speaking I left hurting! There is sooooo many times when I put all kinds of stuff before God and most of the time i don't even think twice about it!! For example...School...So manytimes i don't go to church or i don't do my bible study because I have procrastinated and have to do my school work!...not only did i put school work before him but i didn't use my time in a way that would be a blessing to Him....
Oh Lord....Help me to ALWAYS keep you first!....Help to thank you, not just with my words but with the way i live, for being a jealous and GRACIOUS God!!....You looked down and saw me in my filth and lifted me up and made me WHITE AS SNOW!!!

I can't wait to see what the rest of this week holds!!.....