Ponderings

Someone gave me a verse this week to think on. I've been thinking about it for a few days and decided to look it up today. I looked it up, but then looked at the whole passage, or at least the section of how my Bible divided it.

Matthew 10:24-39
The passage talks about not fearing those who can kill the body but are unable to kill the soul, rather fear Him who can do both. The hairs on our head are numbered, and if God watches the sparrows don't you think that He cares for us because we are of more value?! The interesting part for me was the end. It's something that I've talked about before, but I hadn't looked at this passage. Verse 34, Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. The next verse says how He will set relatives against each other, then verse 37-39 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Everyone prays for peace and love in the world. God talks about peace and love also, but look at what He says in this passage. Because of Him there will be strife. He wants us to love Him above everyone else in our lives. We are selfish people, myself included. We expect to have everything and we wonder "why" when we don't get what we want, when something goes wrong or relationships don't work out. We shouldn't wonder, God says it is going to happen. For some reason, I have never felt like I need to ask God "why". I usually have to know the ins and outs of everything. I remember saying to someone "why not me, why am I special that nothing 'bad' should ever happen to me." I still feel that way. I am actually grateful. Grateful for the time I did have Jared, and grateful for all the things that I have learned in these past few months. My relationship with Christ is so much stronger and I pray that I will continue to strive to do what this passage says, love Him above all else and to take up my cross and follow Him.