The WORD is Mobile

I've started reading the Bible on this program Kevin C. suggested loading on my Blackberry. It's pretty cool. It has the entire Bible with all kinds of different versions. It has a daily reading plan so I've been using it for the last several days. I really like that I can take it wherever I go. It has chapters listed to read daily and it seems to help not being able to see how many verses I'll have to read. I just start reading. In the past it always seemed a bit daunting. I don't know if this makes sense so all I'm saying is I'm enjoying reading this way.

Earlier while I was reading, two things struck me from some of the verses. One was in the OT and one was in the NT. I'll start with the OT.

"The Lord saw that the human beings on the earth were very wicked and that everything they thought about was evil. He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, "I will destroy all human beings that I made on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry I have made them." Genesis 6:5-7 (NCV)

It's hard to believe there was a time when God was actually sorry He'd created man. When I read that this morning it was like a knife went through me. Can you imgaine the anguish He must have felt when He said that? I thought about when Jesus hung on the cross and took on all the pain and paid the price for those sins THEN, today's and tomorrow's sins. God took pretty drastic measures when Noah was alive and allowed the world to be destroyed by a flood. God turned His back on mankind that day. God also took pretty drastic measures the day He allowed Jesus to die on the cross for you and me. God turned His back on His Son. Part of me wonders what God must think about mankind TODAY. While I know He loves us, and inspite of ourselves He provides a way for us to be with Him through His Son, how much does mankind grieve His heart? What if Jesus hadn't been willing to come to earth? Would God be so unhappy with us that He would consider destroying earth again? I look around, read the paper, watch the news, know what I think and say sometimes, and know there is a lot of evil around us. How would it be without the influence of Jesus? He changed the world, didn't He? How would the world be without Him? How would the world be without us? Think about it!!

The 2nd group of verses I read in the NT was in Matthew. Here they are... "People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you. " Matthew 5:11-12 (NCV)

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends." Matthew 5:43-47 (NCV)

We are to love and most importantly I think, pray for those who hurt us. It's easy to be nice to those we think are nice or are our friends but not the ones we think have hurt us OR hurt the ones we love. That's hitting close to home right now so when I read these verses, it really made me stop. I think the verses speak loud and clear and don't need any explanation from me. All I'll say is it's really hard but I want those rewards in heaven the verses mentioned so it's something I have to work on and DO. What about you? Do you want to be who God wants you to be? Is there someone you're going to have to pray for whether you really want to or not? No? Well, consider yourself fortunate. Hold on though...there will be. They'll show themselves soon enough. Just remember to Pray for those who hurt you. And can we all just work on being nice to everyone, whether they are our "friends" or not? (Don't worry, I'm talking to myself first.)