Post by Ashley on Mar 19, 2014 4:48:35 GMT
Hey guys! First off I want to apologize for not posting and responding to many of the posts, especially since I was the first one on the train about doing a discussion board. To be honest, and to confess to you all, I have not been keeping up with the readings like I thought I would have done. I'm not trying to make excuses but it has been hard trying to remember to read the Word, especially if you've had a long day and as soon as you hit the sheets you're knocked out lol. Anyway, I did do my reading tonight (someone give me a smiley face sticker, lol) and I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings with you guys.
There are a couple of verses that caught my attention in this chapter. The first set being verses 9 and 10:
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.
These two verses remind me that I have to continue pressing on, not just for me, but for those that may be looking up to me to show them the way. Like Tek, Courtney and Donovan stated in a previous post, we do not know who is watching us. I know all of us are working hard towards some goal. We get up early and go to sleep late, having expended energy on work, school, family, friends, church, etc., with the hope that one day we will see that it was all worth the time and energy. Well there is good news. It is worth it! We will reap and share the harvest. We have to continue to "plow and thresh" along so that we can look back and see what an example we made. We cannot get weary in doing good. Let us be like oxen and continue to tread on.
The next set of verses caught my attention because they highlight an important trait that we all need to have: SELF-DISCIPLINE. Verses 24-27 reads: 24 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize"
I know that we all have struggled with this, and it shows--when we didn't get the grade we wanted on a test or assignment because we waited until the last minute to do it/study, when we don't have enough money left in the bank because we spent it on things that we didn't really need at the time, when we have sex and are not supposed to, when we eat foods that are not healthy for us when we are supposed to be dieting...and the list can go on and on. All of these things are under the self-discipline umbrella and if we want to win that "crown that wil last forever" then we have to TRAIN our minds and bodies to run in a way to win that crown. And yes we will be tempted and being disciplined does not happen over night (thank God for his new and fresh Mercy each day) but let us try to keep in mind that training is needed. We DO NOT want to be disqualified when that day comes. (By the way, doing these readings everyday is a great start to training our minds. Let's keep it up!)
Love you guys!
Ash
There are a couple of verses that caught my attention in this chapter. The first set being verses 9 and 10:
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.
These two verses remind me that I have to continue pressing on, not just for me, but for those that may be looking up to me to show them the way. Like Tek, Courtney and Donovan stated in a previous post, we do not know who is watching us. I know all of us are working hard towards some goal. We get up early and go to sleep late, having expended energy on work, school, family, friends, church, etc., with the hope that one day we will see that it was all worth the time and energy. Well there is good news. It is worth it! We will reap and share the harvest. We have to continue to "plow and thresh" along so that we can look back and see what an example we made. We cannot get weary in doing good. Let us be like oxen and continue to tread on.
The next set of verses caught my attention because they highlight an important trait that we all need to have: SELF-DISCIPLINE. Verses 24-27 reads: 24 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize"
I know that we all have struggled with this, and it shows--when we didn't get the grade we wanted on a test or assignment because we waited until the last minute to do it/study, when we don't have enough money left in the bank because we spent it on things that we didn't really need at the time, when we have sex and are not supposed to, when we eat foods that are not healthy for us when we are supposed to be dieting...and the list can go on and on. All of these things are under the self-discipline umbrella and if we want to win that "crown that wil last forever" then we have to TRAIN our minds and bodies to run in a way to win that crown. And yes we will be tempted and being disciplined does not happen over night (thank God for his new and fresh Mercy each day) but let us try to keep in mind that training is needed. We DO NOT want to be disqualified when that day comes. (By the way, doing these readings everyday is a great start to training our minds. Let's keep it up!)
Love you guys!
Ash