Romans 2:12-16

Dear God,

Thank you for this time to spend in your word. I ask that you bless the Andrews family right now Lord, they have some mighty big needs but we know that you are a mighty big God and that you will provide for them because they trust and have faith in you. Thank you for everything you are doing in my life, help me to see clearly the future you have laid out for me, help me to follow your plans. Lord I ask that you be with me as I parent these girls, help me to show them your grace and mercy daily. Help me to be patient with them and to understand them. Amen

12-13  God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written law. And he will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God's sight.

The Jews had the written law. So they knew about God’s standards. The Jews had the opportunity to listen to the law in the synagogue. But to hear the law was not enough. They must obey the law. ‘Obey my orders and laws. The man who obeys them will live by them’ (Leviticus 18:5). The Gentiles did not have the written law.But God is still their judge. Nobody can avoid God’s judgment. The Jewish people were very accustomed to hearing God's word and law in their synagogues but what I think is being said is that one my hear, know, understand and study the law but it is the do-ers of the law that will be declared right in God's eyes. I am thinking of many "good" Christians who go to church Sunday and Sunday and hear the word and yet their is no fruit in their lives. They do not grow, give, love or make an impact on the world around them. I am thinking that God will be hard on those who hear and know the truth and yet do nothing.


14-15 Even the Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their heart they know right from wrong.They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.

Even those who are living by conscious alone are expected to follow God's law. I think the conscious is the spirit of God residing in all of us. When we do something bad our conscious is there to make us feel guilty. The feeling of sin or feeling guilty is suppose to draw us to what we need to make us feel better and wash away our sins, Christ. I think though that right now in our time there is so much outside influences that our consciousness is being threatened and clouded. We now can distract ourselves from feeling guilty, cover up our guilt, find others with the same sin and somehow be justified by them. We can watch the news and see others who sins are horrible and feel like our sin isn't as bad as theirs. We fail to see that for our Father God, a sin is a sin. From the biggest sin to the tiny lie all are the same in God's eyes.

16 The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life. This is my message.

God’s judgment will be fair because he knows every secret in a person’s life. He has a true knowledge about the facts. He also knows the reasons for an action. He can see what is living in our heart. Psalm 139 wrote, ‘Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You see my thoughts . . . you are familiar with all my ways’ (Psalm 139:1-3).

God's judge will be Jesus. Jesus himself said that the Father had given him authority to judge (John 5:27). In the story about the sheep and the goats, Jesus is the judge (Matthew 25:31-33). In Athens, Paul said that the resurrection proved this. Jesus is the judge whom God has appointed (Acts 17:30-31).

It is good news that Jesus is the judge. He knows what it is like to be a man. He will not punish those people who trust him. He has rescued them from sin by means of his death on the cross.

So I have been really conflicted lately, wondering what I am suppose to be doing. Are we staying here, are we waiting for something to happen? Also been wondering about working, I like my job I enjoy working with children but frankly I make no money. I basically help with grocery money, Mark is working two jobs and well we just skim by every month. One sickness, injury or a few weeks off work and we would be homeless. So I prayed and prayed and thought and thought and what I came up with is this. I am going to go to college (full time) to become a teacher. I have to stay at my current job and finish my CDA certificate because that has 6 college credits attached to it and I feel like I am getting a lot out of it. It will be over sometime in February. If I accomplish this I will have a "real" career and potential to really impact my family financially. Mark and I would be able to save for retirement which is something that really frightens me at this point since we have nothing accumulated yet. Still don't know if we are going somewhere else or staying here but I am trying to assist my kids in making it here, trying to get them involved with church, school, and clubs in an effort to get them to make friends. Please keep them in your prayers, they are so lonely and miserable which I know is really hard when you are just a kid. Also please pray that Mark and I make some friends here too because this deserted island thing is wearing thin.  I did have two or three days with no pain but then it came back, I am fighting as hard as I can to keep going. I am considering some anti-depressants (cymbalta) which I have taken in the past and that made a remarkable impact on my pain and fatigue.