Whoa....

I am overwhelmed by today...it is so crammed full of good stuff.
Genesis 38 is a most bizarre and sordid story. One of those where I found myself scratching my head and thinking, huh...really?...did I need to know about that? But Judah and Tamar's story, as messy as it may be (messy=hope for me), is another piece in fulfilling the covenant and a step closer to Christ and redemption. God is relentless to keep his word and his covenant...and we are a part of that covenant. Security, much?

Romans 8 - can I just put the whole thing here? AMAZING chapter.
15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our Father...Our Father...lemme say that one more time...Abba...Daddy. Think about and dwell on what that means! We, wretched and dirty sinners enslaved to our flesh, have been adopted and grafted in as full heirs and children. And we can NEVER be separated from that. I can't even begin to wrap my arms around it...Abba, help lead us toward understanding of that! We are yours!

Mark 8
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life^[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
I must give props to ChitChat for drilling v.34 into our heads. Lose your life...die to self...suffer. Not pretty and comfortable...but to follow Abba and truly live...does that not make your soul groan?