Being a Christian and being a committed follower of Jesus Christ means having solid knowledge of the Bible and applying our understanding to our daily lives. Even so, many Christians in today's world have forgotten the Bible's stories and their relevance to modern life. Remember: our efforts in God's field open our hearts to His great and all-encompassing love; our faith reaps eternal reward. Hope from the Harvest Fields: One Farmer's Journey through God's Word , by Burdette Rosendale, explores thirty-six significant stories of the Bible as they reflect on his lifetime of experience, helping each of us nurture and grow our knowledge and our faith. From the story of Creation to God's revelation of the promised land, the Bible stories in Hope from the Harvest Fields show us the joy of sweet surrender in Jesus Christ as well as the clear truth of reaping the seeds we sow. As a farmer, Rosendale understands very well that with even his best efforts, there are no guarantees-he must have faith in a bountiful harvest. Just so, God challenges and rewards our faithfulness with hope, guidance, and love. As the abundance of hope in God's kingdom opens before us, we realize we have all we need to begin our own faith journey, to seek and live out the purpose to which God is calling us. Hope from the Harvest Fields One Farmer's Journey through God's Word By Burdette Rosendale iUniverse, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Burdette Rosendale All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4620-1379-1 Contents My Story................................................ixIntroduction............................................xiii1. The Creation Story...................................12. Law, Choice, and Consequences........................53. Cain and Abel........................................104. Noah and His Ark.....................................135. Abraham, Sarah and Isaac.............................176. Joseph's Favor.......................................217. Moses and the Burning Bush...........................258. The Exodus...........................................299. Wilderness Journey...................................3310. Entering the Promised Land..........................3811. Samson and Delilah..................................4112. King David..........................................4513. King Solomon........................................5014. The Trials of Job...................................5515. Daniel..............................................6116. Jonah and the Big Fish..............................6517. The New Testament...................................6918. The Birth of Jesus..................................7019. Baptism and Temptation of Jesus.....................7420. The Sermon on the Mount.............................7921. The Parable of the Sower............................8322. Jesus Calms the Storm...............................8723. The Good Samaritan..................................9124. Mary and Martha.....................................9525. The Rich Young Ruler................................9926. The Parable of the Weeds............................10227. Jesus and Peter Walk on Water.......................10528. Parables of Lost Things.............................10829. Day and Hour Unknown................................11230. The Triumphal Entry.................................11631. Servant Leadership..................................12032. Betrayal and Death..................................12433. Jesus' Resurrection.................................12834. Saul's Conversion...................................13235. Our Hope in Heaven..................................13536. Putting Hope into Action............................139Afterword...............................................141Appendix I..............................................143Appendix II.............................................145Appendix III............................................146 Chapter One The Creation Story Genesis 1-2 This is the story of how the earth and the life upon it came into being: "In the beginning God created ..." It is impossible for our minds to grasp the way that God brought the world into existence. In this account of God creating our world, notice how each of the daily creative acts begins with, "And God said ..." God spoke what was on His mind and all of creation responded. The conclusion of this repeated process brought about the same response, "... and it was good." God does all things with excellence and it was no different when God brought the world into existence. The Bible says, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. (Genesis 1:31-2:1) One of the great blessings of being a farmer is that I have distinct advantage of being able to observe God's good creation at work season after season. The magnificenc