Some scripture from tonight -

I usually either do my devotions before bed, or during the day when the sun is shining in my window and everything is well-lit and pretty. Depends on my schedule for the day - anyway - tonight I read it before bed. I was a day behind in my devotional book, so I read both day's devotions. Both passages of scripture were fascinating to me.

The first, was Luke 9:57-62.
"As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus replied, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.' He said to another man, 'Follow me.' But the man replied, 'Lord, first let me go and bury my father.' Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.' Still another said, 'I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.' Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.' "
I don't believe I had ever read this bit of scripture before this evening. I thought it was an astounding thought, start to follow Jesus, and never look back on the way you were living before. Have you ever looked back?  Because I am certain that I have.
Although it is a well-known fact, I will say it anyway: the road less-traveled is most definitely not the easy road to take through life. Many times I have thought longingly of how I used to live life; not caring about any kind of repercussions, etc. Of course I know these are condemnable thoughts, but the idea of the Holy Spirit not sending me the "no" vibe with everything I do, must have been fabulous. However, I also know that it wasn't lack of the Holy Spirit interjecting thoughts, it was just me ignoring those thoughts He interjected.
It is not that I regret my decision to follow Christ, but we certainly can't disagree that it was so much easier before we knew the truth about everything :P


The second scripture, was Matthew 12:30:
"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."
This one is an interesting thought. If you're not working with God, then you're working against Him. However, what does "with him," or, "working with him," mean, exactly? Following what He leads you to do? Listening to Him? Submitting yourself fully? Agreeing with what He wants for His earthly domain? I really am not sure. Perhaps this one will take a little more research. But something that really puzzled me, is what it goes on to say in the next verses:
"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." (Matt. 12:31-32)
Wow. That sounds horrible, but I don't understand these verses either! What is blasphemy against the Spirit? Laughing at the Spirit, making jokes about it, or mocking it? Using it in sentences next to unsavory language?

There are so many things in the Bible which have not made sense to me fully. Either it is not the time in my life for me to understand them, or I need to try to listen to what God is saying about the word's definitions. Either way, I suppose I should pray about it rather than blog about it. If anyone would like to offer me some kind of ground-breaking insight, I would be very willing to read and consider. =)