Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Pride, Jealousy, and Doing Good
Verse of the day: Genesis
37:19-20 Then they said
to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us
now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has
devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
We
have previously noted Joseph’s youthful pride; but here, we see his brothers’
pride, and how it led them to plot Joseph’s murder. Pride and jealousy will
lead to the destruction of unity in any relationship. It is sad to see broken
relationships in a family due to someone’s inability to rejoice with those who
prosper, and within God’s family it is a shame when we cannot rejoice for one
another when we see God doing good things in their life. Joseph’s brothers
already hated him because he was the favorite son of their father Israel. To
add to this hatred, the fact that Joseph recounted his dream to them of someday
ruling over them did not help his situation any. We can learn much about how
destructive it can be for us to envy someone else’s God chosen success.
Although Joseph seemed to express God’s plan for his life with a bit of
youthful arrogance, the response from his brothers was not appropriate for the
circumstances. Their ultimate goal was to never be in a position where they
would bow down to their younger brother. However, when God has a plan for
someone’s life, there is nothing that we can do to stop Him. Our attempts to
cause someone to stumble, or someone else’s attempts to thwarts God’s plan for
us, will simply fall flat in the long run. Sadly, when we allow this amongst
God’s people it brings shame to God’s church. James 3:14-16 tells us, “But if you have bitter envy
and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This
wisdom does not descend from above, but is
earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” It is sad to say
that I have seen local churches split because of believers who got upset because
someone else was chosen to lead a Bible study, or chosen to be a deacon, or hold
some position of leadership, over them. So often we stand together when the
attack on God’s church comes from the outside, but we are blind to the division
coming from within when we are filled with pride and jealousy over what God
does in someone else’s life. This sort of thing should not be so in God’s house
where there should be unity. In Joseph’s situation, there was one brother who
tried to do the right thing; however, his motivation for doing it may have been
selfish in nature. Reuben, who convinced his brother not to kill Joseph, had
selfish intentions of his own in his attempt to rescue his brother. Ironically,
being the oldest, he had the most to be jealous about, as culturally speaking
he was entitled to a double portion of an inheritance from his father Israel.
The only problem was the he had defiled his father’s bed by lying with one of
Israel’s concubines Bilhah (Genesis 35:22). This was now his opportunity to
possibly redeem himself and be the hero in his father’s eyes. Nonetheless, his
plan fell apart when Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Midianite merchantmen.
Reuben’s plan turned to panic when he realized that not only would he not be
able to gain his father’s favor, but as the oldest son was responsible to make
sure Joseph returned home safely. The bottom line is that when we plan and
scheme for our own selfish gain, God can pull the rug out from under our feet,
as He is well acquainted with what is in the heart of man (Psalm 44:21). As born
again believers, we must learn to be content with whatever plans God has for
our lives, and rejoice with those whom God chooses to prosper. We must also
seek to do good, not for the purpose of selfishly gaining something in return,
but simply because it is right to do, and it is what we are called to do by
faith, in Christ, trusting God for the outcome.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Life’s Pit Stops
Verse of the day: Genesis
37:23-24 So it came to
pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him
into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in
it.
If
we are doing all we can to live for the Lord, it is absolutely amazing to look
back and see how the Lord got us here from where we were, by His grace. Some of
us can look back in awe as we realize all that we have been through, both good
and bad, and see how God’s hand was guiding in every detail, and in ways that
we did not see while we were suffering through it. As we go through the life of
Joseph it is easier for us to see what God was doing because we have the story “after
the fact”. However, for Joseph this was a traumatic experience that started to
come together long before his father Israel sent him to check on his brothers
(v. 12-14). Joseph being an obedient and dutiful son, who loved his brothers, went
to Shechem, then Dothan, without hesitation. The possibly still lingered, in
the minds of both Israel and Joseph, that the brothers could face danger from
the people of Shechem for what they had done previously. Joseph, upon being
informed that his brothers went on to Dothan could have just returned home and
informed Israel; but instead, he chose to seek out his brothers’ wellbeing. As
he searched for his brothers, the Scriptures tell us that a “certain man” found
Joseph in a field and directed him to Dothan (v. 15-17). These are the kinds of
details that many of us would consider a “coincidence”. However, with the Lord
there are no coincidences. Everything that has taken place up to this point was
all part of God’s plan and God’s doing. He used Joseph’s relationship with
Israel, Joseph’s integrity, his brother’s hatred, and this stranger’s
direction, to lead Joseph to the pit. When we read this account, we do not
think much about what Joseph actually suffered while in the pit. A pit, or
cistern, was a type of well, was used to store water, but was also used as a
prison when empty. Joseph being cast into this pit would have not known what
his fate would be, as there was no water, and his brothers certainly did not
care, as they sat down to have a meal. His brothers, in recounting this event,
felt great guilt as they said to one another in Genesis 42:21, “We are truly
guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he
sought us, and we would not hear.” Joseph obviously may have thought that he
would perish in this pit. Little did he know that this was just the beginning
of his sufferings on the road to living out God’s plan for his life. So often,
as we seek to serve God, and live for him, He will allow us to experience
circumstances that will overwhelm us, and leave us in a position where we know
that only God can get us through it. I often hear people say, “God will not
allow us to go through more than we can handle.” I am not sure where they get
the biblical basis for this, as the Lord has certainly allowed people to go
through more than they could handle, so that they would learn to trust Him
completely in those moments. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 how
they suffered to the point of life and death, but it was God who delivered
them. It is natural not to want to experience pain and suffering. Nonetheless,
it is sometimes necessary in our lives in order for the Lord to mold us and
shape us, in order to prepare us for the task(s) He has in store for us to
perform for the sake of His Kingdom, and His glory. All the while that Joseph was
in that pit, the last thing he was thinking about was the dreams he had told
his brothers and father about in that someday they would bow down to him. This
was the beginning of God humbling Joseph, and pruning him of his youthful
pride. All he could see at this moment was the real possibility that he was facing
the end of his life. For many of us, it seems that life is always throwing us a
curve ball, and we seem to always find ourselves in these pit stops. However,
let us not forget that sometimes God has to allow us to end up in the pit in
order to redirect our attitude, perspective, and path. Ultimately, just as the “certain
man” crossed Joseph’s path, so God would send the Midianite merchantmen to
continue directing Joseph toward Egypt, where he would serve a great purpose in
God’s plan for both Joseph, and God’s people. My brothers and sisters, let us
not forget that this path that we are on is not just about us; it is about God’s
plan, God’s glory, and those that God will use us to serve and lead to Him.
This is much bigger than any of us; so let us trust God to see us through all
that He allows us to go through in order to get us to where He wants us to go.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Integrity, Pride, Favoritism, and Hate
Verse of the day: Genesis
37:2 This is the history of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen
years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his
father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.
As
we begin the story of Joseph, we find that he was loved by his father, and
hated by his brothers. Their hatred was fueled by a few factors. The first was
Joseph’s honesty and refusal to participate in whatever evil acts his brothers
chose to involve themselves in. The second was his father Jacob’s favoritism
toward him, and the outward demonstration of it (v. 3-4). Finally, it was not
just their envy over what Joseph communicated about his dream that one day they
would bow down to him, but it seems that there was a bit of arrogance in how he
communicated his dream; earning his father’s rebuke (v. 5-11). Even as a young
man, we see that Joseph was a man of integrity; and even though his honesty
will land him in a pit, later in life he holds to his integrity even though it
lands him in prison. Oh that we, as God’s children, would do all we can to be
known as people of integrity who refuse to partake in the wicked, dishonest,
behavior of the world. As born again believers we sadly underestimate the value
of having a reputation for being honest and irreproachable; it can make the
difference between being able to win someone to Christ or being criticized and
labeled a hypocrite. The Apostle Paul in writing to the church at Corinth, in respect
to the alms entrusted to him for the Judean saints, expressed the importance of
doing it in such a way that it would be honorable before both God and man (2
Corinthians 8:21). This means not taking dishonest “shortcuts” in whatever we
do. It means being honest in our dealings with people, whether at work, at
home, or in our social circles. Like Joseph, we must resist getting involved in
the sinful actions and activities of others, especially if those involved call
themselves “Christians”. There is too much that has been accepted as “okay”
amongst born again believers today that was once considered wicked even amongst
the unsaved. We must steer clear for the sake of our testimony. However, we
must also know that when we do this, we will be persecuted, and probably hated
by those who desire to do evil. What I find even sadder is when a brother/sister
in Christ puts us in a position to have choose between being honest or telling
a lie in order to cover up their lack of integrity at work or within our social
circles. They will often be upset with us when we refuse to compromise our
testimony for the sake of their dishonesty, and lack of integrity. Joseph’s
brothers showed their tendency toward doing evil when dealing with Shechem and
his people. In spite of that, Joseph held to his integrity and unwillingness to
compromise his honesty. In a world filled with wickedness, evil, and
dishonesty, if we refuse to compromise, and live for Jesus, we too will
experience this hatred (Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13; John 15:18). Jacob did not
help Joseph’s situation any by openly favoring him. Parents, this should serve
as a warning to us that we need to be extremely careful about how we treat our
children; because, believe me, they will take note. Lastly, we see that Joseph,
although already chosen by God to eventually become the second in command in
Egypt, suffered from a bit of youthful pride. At seventeen, he was not quite
ready to take on that role, but God would allow him to experience a number of
painful events in his life that would prune his prideful spirit, and prepare
him for God’s plan for his life. Let us never forget that all that the Lord
allows us to experience, both good and bad, is always for our good, to mold us
and shape us into who He needs us to be in order to fulfill His plan for our
lives (Romans 8:28-29). When it is all said and done, God will use Joseph’s
integrity, and his pride, Jacob’s favoritism, and his brother’s hatred for him,
to lead Joseph exactly to where He wants him; and He will do the same in our
lives.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Forsake Your Strange “gods”
Verse of the day: Genesis
35:4 So they gave Jacob all the
foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth
tree which was by Shechem.
“You
shall have no other gods before me.” Does that command sound familiar? It
should. It is God’s command in Exodus 20:3. It is a command that still applies
to us today. An unforeseen consequence for what Jacob’s sons did when Simeon
and Levi murdered the men of the city and took their wives, children, and
material spoils. When they brought these people into their midst, and
intermingled with them, they brought their gods into the mix. There is a great
danger that lies in becoming a friend to the world. When we begin to desire the
things that the world tells us will bring us happiness, and satisfaction, we
begin to walk down a path that leads us away from our dependence on the Lord.
Ephesians 5:5 equates a covetous man to an idolater. Colossians 3:5 tells us
that immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, all amount to
idolatry. Philippians chapter 3 reminds us that we are citizens of Heaven and
are to avoid being enemies of the Cross, like those that the Apostle Paul wrote
about whose end is destruction because their bellies (or appetites) are their
gods. Like Jacob’s sons, when we chose to intermingle with the world, and allow
ourselves to be drawn into the lifestyle of gratifying our sinful appetites, we
allow those things, whether sex, alcohol, drugs, material wealth, or
relationships, to be our gods. We give them the place in our lives to satisfy
that which only God can satisfy for us in Christ. We turn to material gain for
happiness and joy, only to find out that money, and material gain, cannot
really satisfy; if that were so, people who have fame and fortune would not
commit suicide as often as they do. Drugs, alcohol, and sex, cannot satisfy our
need for acceptance, or cure our loneliness and need for feeling like we matter,
and have a purpose. Material gain and jewelry cannot make us any more talented than
we are or make us into someone that we are not. God tells us that we are
fearfully and wonderfully made, even without all the extra “dressings and
ornaments” (Psalm 139:14). Another person’s acceptance or rejection is not
where we should find our value. God makes no mistakes when He makes us who we
are. God made it clear to us that He loves us, and that we are valuable to Him,
when He gave us His Son, who died for us, even while we were yet His enemies
(Romans 5:8). Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we
should be called children of God (1 John 3:1)! As Jacob was now ready to move
his family, and those who were taken from the city, he first made sure that all
idols were removed from their midst. The wooden and stone idols, along with the
jewelry that was used in idol worship (Hosea 2:13), and buried them where he
knew they would not be dug up and used again. The terebinth tree, or oak, was
deemed a consecrated tree; therefore, it was not likely that anyone would cut
it down or dig around it for a very long time. This is exactly what we, who are
born again, must do with the idols in our lives; put them far away from us, or
put them where they belong in our lives. It is not a sin to have “things” or to
be in relationships. However, when those things become more important to us
than our relationship with Jesus, then they become idols. When a relationship
that can be a godly friendship becomes one to satisfy our fleshly desires and
appetites, or one that we turn to in order to satisfy that which God told us He
would satisfy, it becomes our idol. Even in marriage, we can put undue pressure
on our spouse to satisfy and meet needs that belong to the Lord. The bottom
line is that the Lord is the only One who should be Lord of our lives. Like Jacob,
we must cleanse our lives of idols if we are going to walk with the Lord, and
serve Him. Jesus, in response to Satan, in Matthew 4:10, said, “You shall
worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
Friday, October 27, 2017
Forgotten Vows
Verse of the day:
Genesis 35:1 Then God said
to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to
God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”
Jacob
had obviously forgotten the vow he made to the Lord when he was traveling to go
live with his uncle Laban. In Genesis 28:20-22 Jacob vowed a vow that if God be
with him, keep him safe, provide him with food and clothing; and bring him back
home in peace, he would give him a tenth of riches. He had now been in Canaan
about seven or so years since he departed his uncle’s home. However, he had yet
to fulfill his promise to the Lord. God not only protected Jacob, and provided
him with everything he needed, but he gave him more riches than could have
known he would receive when he made his vow. Our God is always better to us
than we deserve. He has given us eternal life when we deserved condemnation. He
has given us abundant love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness beyond what we can
ever imagine or comprehend; on top of that He has promised to meet all our
needs. With all He has given us, how often have we promised that we were going
to do something, or serve God in some way, if He “bailed us out” of some troubling
circumstance we were in? How often have we forgotten or disregarded our vows to
Him? God is more interested in our faith, trust, and faithfulness to Him, than
He is in our vows. However, if we promise that we are going to do something in
return for God’s favor in a situation, or we simply promise Him that we will
serve Him in some manner or give for some reason (missions, to help someone in
need, etc.) because He has moved us to do so, then we need to keep our word.
Jesus told us in Matthew 12:36, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they
will give account of it in the day of judgment.” Even though there is no
condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), as He has completely
paid the price for our sins; we will still stand before Him to give an account
for how we lived for Him, for the purpose of receiving rewards (2 Corinthians
5:10). Sadly, too many of us are in danger of losing rewards for our lack of
faithfulness in keeping our word in the things we promise we will do in serving
our Lord. There are times when we promise that we will give our tithes and
offerings if God will allow us to have a better job, then when He does, instead
of giving our tithes and offerings, we go out and buy things that we want, get
into debt, and use that as an excuse for not being able to give as we promised.
God allowed Jacob and his family to suffer a great trial when his daughter
Dinah was raped by Shechem. Jacob should have taken that occasion to be
reminded that he was not where he should have been, and taken the initiative to
go on to Bethel on his own, as he had vowed to the Lord. Yet, it took God
coming to Jacob directly and indirectly reminding him of what he promised. As
God’s children, sometimes God has to allow drastic events to enter our lives in
order to get our attention and get us moving in the direction He wants us to go
in. He may use them to remind us that we have become absent-minded in our
promise and service to Him. When we are moved by someone’s needs and promise to
give toward that need, but then put it off and never fulfill our word, God may
allow us to suffer financially to bring back to memory what we promised we
would do for someone else. The bottom line is that God has made it crystal
clear in His Word that when we vow a vow to God, we are to defer not to pay it;
for He has no pleasure in fools: pay that which we have vowed (Ecclesiastes
5:4). In all, God still showed Jacob much goodness and grace when Jacob finally
moves to Bethel, as He graciously provided him with supernatural protection
once again (v. 5). Let us be ever thankful that our forgetfulness and
unfaithfulness does not determine God’s goodness, because God is good all the
time, whether we deserve it or not.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Justice and Judgment Belong to God
Verse of the day:
Genesis 34:30-31 Then Jacob
said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the
inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together
against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.” 31 But
they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”
What
a sad state of affairs we see here as Simeon and Levi have committed mass
murder in response to their sister Dinah being raped by Shechem, the Hivite
prince. Sadly, this all began because Dinah went out to see the daughters of
the land (v. 1). We have far too many Christians who intermingle with the
unsaved, and seek them out as their primary source of fellowship, but then
complain, and blame God for not protecting them from the wickedness, and sinful
actions, of those who do not have Jesus. As born again believers, we cannot “hang
out” with the world, in their bars, clubs, and other places, and not expect
that something bad is never going to happen. Sadly, I have seen believers that
were injured, or killed, because something went wrong at a worldly event where they
already knew that there was going to be heavy drinking, and drug use; but then
they lament the consequences of intermingling with the world. God is very clear
in His command to avoid being like the world. 2 Corinthians 6:17 tells us to
come out from among the unbelievers, and separate ourselves from them. This
does not mean that we will never be around them, for we are called to lead them
to Jesus; but we are not to behave like them, and practice the things they
practice. 1 John 2:15 tells us not to love the world, or the things of the
world. 1 Corinthians 15:33 is very clear that evil company corrupts good
habits. Regardless of the reason that Dinah sought the daughters of the land,
it did not excuse Shechem’s sinful behavior. He was guilty of rape. After
committing the crime, he sought to make it right, or justify what he did, by
seeking Jacob’s permission to marry her. Although his feelings for her seemed
genuine, and even though he was completely willing to do whatever Jacob and his
sons required of him, he was completely wrong in doing what he did, and there
would be dire consequences that would come from his actions. Sadly, this is
something that we born again believers seem to forget sometimes. When we engage
in sinful behavior, there are always consequences, and those consequences often
affect others adversely as well. Galatians 6:7 tell us, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for
whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Unfortunately, even
though Shechem reaped what he had sown, Jacob’s sons were also wrong in using
deceit to get their revenge, then imposing their form of justice, not just on
Shechem, but on his father, and the men of the city (v. 13-29). Furthermore,
even though it was Simeon and Levi who committed this mass murder, their
brothers were just as guilty when they went into the city and took their wives
captive, and took the spoils of their wealth. Again, God forbid that our sinful
behavior should draw others to participate in our sinful actions, making them
just as guilty as we are. Regardless of how this chain of events started, these
men had the choice to not return evil for evil, and could have chosen to allow
God to take whatever measures He chose to bring vengeance upon Shechem for his
sinful actions. They added to their sin, when Jacob rebuked them for behaving
no better than the wicked people who surrounded them, by not just trying to
excuse their actions, but making it seem as if Jacob was suggesting that Shechem
should not pay a price for what he did. So often, when trying to justify our
own actions, we try to make the person who desires to take the godly approach,
seem like they are wrong for choosing to leave justice where it really belongs,
in God’s hands. We never make a bad situation better by imposing our own form
of justice; for judgment and justice belong solely to God.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
God Already Knows
Verse of the day:
Genesis 33:4 But Esau ran
to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they
wept.
How
often have any of us worried ourselves sick over something that did not turn
out as bad as we imagined it? We worry about things that consume our thoughts,
rob our peace, and in the end makes us feel like failures when we realize that
we did not trust God to know what was ahead of us. Jacob sent gifts ahead of
meeting his brother in hopes of appeasing him and finding favor with him. He
had a sleepless night the night before meeting Esau because all he remembered
was his brother’s state of mind before he was sent away to live with his uncle,
Laban. Yet, when he finally meets his brother, the welcome he receives is quite
surprising, as there appears to be no trace of bitterness or resentment from
Esau. What a wonderful picture of forgiveness and reconciliation we see in this
union of brotherly love. Esau demonstrated forgiveness, and a willingness to
reconcile with his brother, even before accepting his gifts (v. 8). Jacob
received his brother’s forgiveness even before he approached him and bowed down
in respect for his older brother. What a reminder for us that the forgiveness
we receive from the Lord is simply by His grace, and there is nothing we can
offer Him in order to earn it. This verse also presents for us a great example
of how we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, should be toward each other in
forgiving our trespasses towards one another. Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us to “Let all bitterness,
wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God in Christ forgave you.” The bottom line here is that long before Jacob, now
Israel, was reunited with his brother, God already knew about the change in
Esau’s heart. Proverbs 21:1 tells us that “The king’s heart is in the hands of
the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” The Lord
already knows what lies ahead of us, and we worry needlessly when we fail to
trust His leading. So often, the devils keep us at odds with one another because
we fail to seek reconciliation with each other, thinking that the other person
is still holding a grudge. We unnecessarily continue in broken fellowship,
fearing that we will not be well received. In the case where someone chooses to
hold on to a grudge, and their bitterness, we are still responsible for being
at peace with them, as much as lies within us, and trust God to work on their
heart. The sad fact is that there will be times when Christians will harden
their hearts, and refuse to let go of past hurts; only to their own hurt
(emotionally, spiritually, and often physically); and ultimately when they
stand before the Lord. What a difference we could make in our walk and mission
to lead others to Christ, if the world saw real peace, forgiveness, and
reconciliation, amongst God’s people first. This one account tells us much
about forgiveness, reconciliation, and trusting God with what lies ahead, as He
already knows what is in the hearts of men (Proverbs 15:11; Jeremiah 20:12;
John 2:25).
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
The Ultimate Wrestling Match
Verse of the day: Genesis
32:24 Then Jacob was left alone;
and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
If
we take much care in reading God’s Word we will see that many of the men and
women whose lives were recorded for us experienced the stresses of life, just
like we do. Jacob, even though he was quite familiar with God’s protection,
still had fears and stresses that caused him sleepless nights. There are a
couple of approaches that we can take in facing life’s stresses; we can pray
and trust that God has it all under control, lay our head on our pillow and
sleep; or if we cannot find that peace, then the next best option is to wrestle
in prayer until God shows Himself by answering our supplications. In Psalm 4:1
the psalmist wrote, “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have
relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.” Knowing that
God hears our prayers, the psalmist concluded in verse 8 of this Psalm, “I will
both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
The disciples, when they found themselves in the midst of the storm, panicked
and called on Jesus who was sleeping in the boat (Matthew 8:23-27). How
beautiful would it have been, and how much faith would have been demonstrated,
had the disciples, in seeing Jesus sleeping, simply continued maneuvering, steering
the boat, and taking turns sleeping, knowing that Jesus was with them? So often
we allow the stresses of life to rob us of peaceful rest. In the verses that
record this account of Jacob’s struggle we see a picture of one who would not
give in, but continue to strive with God until he got what he needed, and
wanted, from Him (v. 22-30). In Luke 18, Jesus used a parable of the persistent
widow to teach His followers to pray and not give up. Verse 1 reads, “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always
ought to pray and not lose heart”. A great part of our spiritual battle has to
do with prayer. Although we ought to pray at all times (both during times of
tranquility and turmoil); it is during times of distress that we will plead,
shed tears, and agonize, during those time of great distress, as is described
of Jacob in Hosea 12:4. We also see in this account that although God had
already proven Himself in protecting Jacob and his family thus far, He makes
His presence known once more, to once again comfort Jacob and remind Him that
He is with him every step of the way. What a beautiful reminder to each of us
that when we are in distress, and going through the fires of life, God walks
with us every step of the way (Hebrews 13:5-6). In this wrestling match, we see
that God shows Jacob that He had the power to defeat Him readily, had He chosen
to, but instead showed him that He could heal his life instantly with just a
touch. God touches the hollow of his thigh and puts it out of joint, yet Jacob
does not seem to feel any pain (v. 25). In the midst of life’s distresses, what
we need, and should seek, is God’s healing touch, which not only gives us
peace, but also shows us that we are powerless to do anything without Him.
Jacob held on to God for dear life. In the end, all that God had allowed Jacob,
“the deceiver”, to go through, in his 20 years with Laban, played a part in
changing his character, and preparing him for what was ahead in his journey;
and thereby becoming Israel, “God prevails”. All that we suffer, and
experience, in life, as born again believers, is for the purpose of God
molding, and shaping, us into the image of our Lord and Savior (Romans
8:28-29). How great it is when we turn to the Lord, and trust Him to take care
of our circumstances, and allow Him to show His power in our lives. When all is
said, and done, like Israel, we will be able to do nothing other than give God
complete credit, honor, and glory, when the outcome is favorable on our behalf.
Let us be steadfast in prayer, trusting God, and not giving up, regardless of
what circumstances we may be facing.
Monday, October 23, 2017
God’s Welcoming Committee
Verse of the day: Genesis
32:1-2 So Jacob
went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said,
“This is God’s camp.” And he
called the name of that place Mahanaim.
Jacob
has just finished dealing with the conflict between him and Laban, and now as
he heads back to Canaan he encounters God’s welcoming committee. Unlike Jacob,
we may encounter angels and not even know they are angels. Hebrews 13:2 reminds
us to, “Be not forgetful
to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Jacob trusted the Lord to take care of him and his family in spite of Laban’s
attempts to oppress him. God was faithful to him then, and now shows Jacob that
He is still taking care of him. In Christ we have God’s full range of
protection. We are in Jesus, and He in us. The Holy Spirit indwells us, and we
have angels that are appointed to us, and minister to us (Matthew 18:10; Hebrews
1:14). With all that said, let us be careful that we do not put them in a place
they do not belong in our lives. We are not to bow down and worship angels;
they are servants of God just as we are (Revelation 22:8-9). To worship them is
to commit the sin of idolatry, for we are only to bow down and worship Jesus
who is the One True God, and far greater than the angels who are also God’s
creatures (Luke 4:7-8; Romans 1:25; Hebrews 1:5-14). In these verses we see
that God is already reminding Jacob of His protection over him, as we human
beings have a short memory when it comes to God and His ways. God already knows
that Jacob will have to face Esau, who had previously plotted to kill him
before Isaac and Rebekah sent him away to his uncle Laban’s. As I read these
couple of verses, I am reminded of the fact that one day we who are born again
will have to face the day our “home-going”. On that day we too will be escorted
by God’s welcoming committee. When Lazarus died the angels carried him to
Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:22). In Christ, both the sting of death and victory of
the grave have been removed (1 Corinthians 15:55). In short, we have no reason
to fear the day of our “home-going”. I remember years ago when I had the
opportunity to visit with one of our dear sisters in Christ who was dying of
cancer. On the day she went home to be with the Lord, right before she passed
on, her daughter asked her why she was smiling. She responded, as she looked up
at the corner of the room, “Don’t you see him? Over there…”, as she pointed to
the corner. “They’ve come to get me and bring me to my Savior.” With that said,
she silently went home to be with Jesus. I will never forget that. In spite of
God’s reminder to Jacob that He was still protecting him, we still see that
Jacob is very much afraid of his potential encounter with Esau (v. 7). The fact
of the matter is that whether we face troubles here, or face our last days here
on earth, we have no need to fear tribulations or even death. Regardless of how
many angels God may assign to care for us, our greatest protection and comfort
should come from knowing that Jesus Himself is with us at all times, and will
never forsake us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5-6). As in Jacob’s case, the Lord
is already aware of all the obstacles, challenges, and trials that lie ahead of
us in our walk with Him. God knows the day of our departure from here to our
true home. He comforts us when we read and hear his Word preached and taught,
combined with steadfast and continual prayer. Those of us who fail to
experience or see His comfort ahead of time are those of us who fail to spend
time in communion with our Lord.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
"Teflon" Testimony
Verse of the day: Genesis
31:36 Then Jacob was angry and
rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?”
Is
our testimony for Jesus “Teflon” tough? In other words, do accusations against
us stick, or do they slide off because we generally live a blameless life
before the Lord? I did not say a perfect life…I said a blameless one. There
were people in the Scriptures that were blameless before God, but not perfect.
Genesis 6:9 tells us that Noah was “just and perfect”, or blameless. Job 1:1
tells us that Job was “perfect and upright”, or blameless. In 2 Samuel 22:24,
King David speaks of being upright, or blameless, before God. Yet, we know that
he was not perfect, and even God called him a man after God’s own heart. Here,
Jacob is responding to his uncle, Laban, who has treated him unfairly in the
twenty years that he has served him (v. 36-42). The fact of the matter is that
none of us are perfect, for if we were we would not need a Savior; for all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). However, even in our
imperfection, we can have a testimony that will not allow accusations of
wrongdoing stick to us. Whatever wrongdoing we may be accused of, as an excuse
to mistreat us, should slide off of us as if we have been covered by Teflon (a
nonstick coating used on cookware). As born again believers, we are blameless
before the Father because of the righteousness of Jesus that enables us to be
justified (declared “not guilty” by God; Romans 5:1). Nonetheless, we must
still live a blameless life in this world so that the Lord can effectively use
us to lead others to Jesus. When Jacob finally confronts Laban for his unfair
treatment, even though at this time he is unaware that Rebekah has stolen her
father’s idols, he could do so with confidence, knowing that in spite of how he
was treated, he trusted the Lord to vindicate him. If we suffer for God, we
must not do it as an evildoer (1 Peter 4:15). 1 Peter 3:13-17 reads, And who is he who will harm you if you become
followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’
sake, you are blessed. “And do not be
afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and
always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you
a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good
conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good
conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it
is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for
doing evil.” We live in a world where truth is not tolerated, and we are
called narrow-minded, and bigoted. What was once considered sin is now widely
accepted, even amongst followers of Jesus. We must do all that we can to stand
apart and represent the Lord in a way that honors Him. We will be mocked for
choosing to do right, and we will be called weak when we refuse to “put someone
in their place” when they insult us or cheat us. We will be called foolish, and
stupid, for forgiving, and being kind, to those that have wronged us. They will
falsely accuse us, and question our motives, when they take our actions out of
context; but the bottom line is that we will have a clear conscience before
God. There will even be occasions when people will bad-mouth us, but others,
because of our blameless testimony, will come to our defense without us having
to say a word. Ultimately, there will come a day when God will come to our
defense, just as the Lord did for Jacob when He was being pursued by Laban (v.
24 & 29). We often get angry and want to give someone a piece of our mind
when they say something bad about us without a basis for it. Can I remind us
that Jesus was perfect yet people spoke badly of Him (Matthew 11:19). Do we
have the kind of testimony that the Lord can use in our defense against those
who would cause us suffering for doing what is right, or would they be right
when they accuse us of doing wrong?
Saturday, October 21, 2017
If God Is For Us
Verse of the day: Genesis
31:12 And He said, ‘Lift your eyes
now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen
all that Laban is doing to you.
I
love what God says to Jacob in this verse, “…for I have seen all that Laban is
doing to you”. How many of us truly believe that God sees everything we do, and
everything others do to us? If that is so, then why do we expend energy holding
on to grudges, and figuring out ways to get even with people who persecute us
or treat us unfairly? Do we not trust that God is on our side? Do we not trust
that God will repay the injustice in His time, and in His way? Laban was treating
Jacob unfairly; yet, Jacob refused to seek vengeance against him or allow
himself to be depressed by complaining and have a pity party about how he was
treated. Instead, he chose to allow God to show Laban that the Lord was with
him. In the previous chapter (Genesis 30:33), Jacob confidently proclaimed to
Laban, “So my
righteousness will answer for me in time to come”. How beautiful it would be if
each of us as born again believers could confidently stand, based on our
righteous living, when we are wronged, or persecuted; to be able to trust God
completely in matters of vengeance. Jesus set the ultimate example for us in
that He did not revile when He was reviled (1 Peter 2:23). Romans 12 has much
to say about how we should respond to unfair treatment, or persecution. Romans
12:14 tells us to bless those who persecute us, and not curse them. Jesus told
us to love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44).
Romans 12:17-21 tells us not to repay evil for evil, and as much as depends on
us live peaceably with all men. Do not avenge ourselves, but give room for God’s
vengeance. We are to repay evil with good. Jacob trusted the Lord when Laban
treated him unfairly, and God blessed and prospered him. I have heard it said
that holding on to a grudge or refusing to forgive, and seeking vengeance, is
like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. When we choose to
trust God, and refuse to treat others in the same way they treat us when they
persecute us, or treat us unfairly, we make a choice to hold on to the peace
and joy that we can only find in Jesus. Notice that God told Jacob that He had
seen what Laban was doing AFTER Jacob had already taken the step of faith to
demonstrate that he was trusting God in this matter. We have a great advantage
over Jacob in that we have God’s Word that already tells us that God sees what
happens to us, and will repay those that mistreat us. Jacob did not have the
written Word to assure him of that; yet, he trusted that God would take care of
any injustice against him and his family. What is our excuse for not letting go
and letting God take care of our conflicts? There really is no excuse. When we
suffer here on earth, we react as if something strange and unexpected has taken
place. 1 Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the
fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you”.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us.” The bottom line is that God sees
everything that happens in our lives, and sees all our sufferings. If we truly
believe that, and if we are truly living for the Lord, then why not be like
Jacob and stand on our righteousness in Christ, knowing that God will show
Himself to be faithful in our lives by repaying those who mistreat us and
persecute us? In those moments that we are mistreated, let us hold on to Romans
8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Friday, October 20, 2017
Unreasonable Expectations
Verse
of the day: Genesis 30:1-2 Now
when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and
said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!” 2 And Jacob’s anger
was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the
fruit of the womb?”
Do we put
others in the place of God in our lives? Do we put our spouse, children,
friends, anyone/thing else on the throne of our lives where Jesus belongs? We
do not often think about this, but anything that we rely on, or put
unreasonable expectations on, is who/what we worship. When we expect others to
fulfill something in our lives that only God can fulfill, we set ourselves up, and
those we are looking to, for failure and misery. Rachel, in seeing that she had
not yet been able to bore Jacob any children, became envious, and demanded of
Jacob something that was beyond his control, and which was impossible for him
to deliver. In relationships, if we, as born again believers, look to someone
other than God for satisfaction, joy, peace, or happiness in general, we will
be sadly disappointed, and will put ourselves on the road to destroying a
relationship that would otherwise be fruitful, if we put our dependence where
it should be. God has made it very clear that He is the One who is in control
of all things, and there is much that is impossible with man, that is only
possible with God (Luke 18:27). Salvation is impossible for man to attain; yet,
with God we can have eternal life in Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). Our ability
to build a family by having children is only within God’s power to decide.
However, we never think of that, and just take for granted that we have control
over that. The Scripture is very clear, and we have many examples of how God is
the One who opens and closes the womb; even when Rachel was finally able to
conceive, it was the Lord who opened her womb (Genesis 30:22). Jacob’s reaction
to Rachel was justifiable, as it was beyond him to be able to give her what she
wanted. As a matter of fact, his answer to her was right on target, as he
immediate acknowledged that this was something that only God could fulfill in
their lives. May I caution each of us right now? Please be careful about how we
communicate with each other when we become angry with each other. The verse
tells us that Jacob became angry, but it does not say that he communicated it
in a mean-spirited fashion. God tells us that we can be angry, but sin not
(Ephesians 4:26). There are times when we must lovingly rebuke those in our lives
that put unreasonable expectations on us that can only be fulfilled by God.
When we speak this truth, we must do it in love (Ephesians 4:15). Sadly, there
are too many Christian marriages that end in divorce because one or both of the
spouses put expectations on the other that belong to the Lord. In any
relationship, as Christians, we must find complete satisfaction, and
fulfillment, in Jesus. Too often, we go into relationships thinking, and
expecting, the other person to be our source of joy, and happiness; rather than
seeking to be the one who brings something into the relationship. When we
depend on another human being, we are depending on someone who is also a
sinner, and who is also imperfect, and will eventually do something that will
fall short of our expectations. As born again believers, we are ALL sinners
saved by grace. Psalm 55:22 tells us to cast our burden upon the Lord, and He
shall sustain us. Rachel, in her desperation and envy, looked to Jacob, when
she should have turned to the Lord. Hannah, the mother of the Prophet Samuel,
took a completely different approach when she desired children. She did not
turn to her husband, but prayed that God would give her a child (1 Samuel 1:9-28).
The end result for those these women was that Rachel had 2 children, but died
giving birth to her second. Hannah, gave birth to Samuel, gave him to the Lord,
and He blessed her with three sons and two daughters besides Samuel (1 Samuel
2:21). The bottom line for us is that we should never seek from man what only
God can satisfy and fulfill in our lives. Psalm 118:8 tells us that it is
better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Seek God’s Affections, Not Man’s
Verse
of the day: Genesis 29:31 And
when the Lord saw that Leah
was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
In verse 23
of this chapter, Jacob, the supplanter, experienced a taste of his own
medicine. Laban deceived him and tricked him into marrying Leah, his older daughter,
even though Jacob had worked seven years for his younger daughter Rachel. After
fulfilling Leah’s week, he was given Rachel, and agreed to serve Laban for
another seven years. When all was said and done, Jacob favored Rachel over
Leah. The Word of God tell us that Leah was “less loved” than Rachel. Jacob did
not hate Leah as we define hate today. This is obvious by the fact that she
bore four sons, indicating that they spent much intimate time together.
However, what stands out here, more so, are God’s goodness, mercy, and grace
toward Leah. Although she lacked the favor of her husband in comparison to
Rachel, God took notice and equaled the playing field. Rachel’s outer beauty
won her husband’s affections, but God gave Leah something that Rachel could
never gain by her physical attributes, and something that her husband could
never give her outside of God’s intervention; for one of the sons born to Leah,
Judah, was the lineage from which the Messiah, our Lord and Savior, would come
from. So often, we make ourselves miserable because we seek after the
affections of men/women, whose affections are fickle, and often only last as
long as they are getting what they want. The only One whose affection is
unconditional and steadfast in our lives is God’s. Romans 8:38-39 tells us that
nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God. We spend far
too much time trying to gain the love and favor of people, whether in family
relations, friendships, at work, or society in general. We expend far too much
energy seeking the favor of the world, only to find that people will never be
satisfied or pleased, no matter what we do; and what might take years to
develop, as far as a favorable reputation, and worldly success, can crumble in
a second. The favor of others often determines whether or not we are happy,
have joy, or enjoy peace. Yet, we often cannot understand why those things
elude us in life. The answer, for us who are God’s children, is Jesus. Our
lives must be centered on a personal relationship with, and the love of,
Christ, that will not waiver. This must be what drives us every day. James 4:4
tells us that friendship with the world is enmity with God. If we are a friend
of the world, we are an enemy of God. The bottom line is that when we serve
God, we must do it in such a way as to seek to please God, and not men
(Galatians 1:10). When rejection, and unfair treatment, comes to us from those
from whom we seek affection, we must remember that God’s love never fails, and
He will never reject us or treat us unfairly. Sadly, we make far too many
decisions in our lives based on finding favor with people, only to find that we
will always fall short, and end up feeling hurt when we are rejected instead of
accepted. The bottom line is that all we do in life, all the decisions we make,
should come from a heart, and desire, that seeks to please God, and God only;
for it is God who will give us favor with those He calls us to be around and
serve (Genesis 39:21).
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Do We Really Fear God?
Verse of the day: Genesis
28:17 And he was afraid and said,
“How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
I
find it amazing that we, as God’s children, can be so nonchalant in our
approach to the Lord. I have all too often heard Christians call Him “Big Guy”
or “The Guy Upstairs”, or by some other impersonal reference. Do we have such a
lack of fear of, and reverence for, our Lord and Savior that we refer to Him in
a way that puts Him on the same level as just some “other person” in our lives?
Jesus said to His disciples, in John 15:15, that He no longer called them
servants, but friends. This however does not give us the right, or permission,
to lack reverence in our approach when we pray to, or worship, our God. In this
verse, we see that Jacob’s reaction to the realization that the Lord was in
that place was fear. It was a fear that caused him to be in reverent awe. Do we
view our God in the same manner, or has He become someone that we approach
without much thought or heart preparation? Have we made Him our “genie-in-a-bottle”
that we summons when we need something? Over, and over again, when I read in
the Word of God, in reference to someone being in the presence of God, the reaction
is quite different from what I see in our approach to being in the presence of
God. When Isaiah saw the Lord in Isaiah 6:5, he was immediately self-aware of
how sinful he was. The Apostle Peter, upon realizing who Jesus was, in Luke 5:8,
he exclaimed, “Depart from me,
for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” The Apostle John, in seeing the Lord in
a vision wrote in Revelation 1:17, And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as
dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid;
I am the First and the Last.” The Apostle Paul, while on the Road to
Damascus, in Acts 9, encountered Jesus and fell to the ground, trembling and astonished. He even took it a step further and immediately
called Him Lord. Even demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). Have we lost our
sense of reverence in our relationship with Jesus? Have we become so familiar
with Him that we no longer show Him the respect He is due? Do our words,
actions, and attitude towards others, reflect that we have a genuine, reverent,
fear for the God whom we say we represent and proclaim to the world?
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Too Little, Too Late
Verse of the day: Genesis
28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and
took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth,
to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.
Esau’s
failure to seek his father’s guidance led him to marry two Canaanite women that
were not pleasing to both Isaac and Rebekah. After hearing Isaac tell Jacob not
to take a wife of the women of Canaan, Esau decides that he will try to please
his father, by taking a wife from the family of Ishmael. The only problem with
this solution is that Ishmael was the son of a bondwoman, Hagar, who was cast
out, by God, and would not inherit the promise God made to Abraham in respect
to Isaac and his descendants. It is obvious that Esau’s motivation in making
things right was not genuine, in the sense that he was only doing this in hopes
to be in better standing with his father, and perhaps he would receive a greater
blessing than Isaac bestowed upon Jacob. Not only was his motivation wrong, but
the reconciliation he sought was with his father, and not God. His superficial
attempts at making things right led him to make things worse, as he took on a
third wife; one that would not bring him any closer to inheriting God’s
promise, but one that would take him further away from it. Sadly, this is the
approach too many of us take today in our relationship with Christ. 1 John 1:8-10
tells us that, “If we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not
in us.” However, the approach that we often take is that we confess
without really repenting. We see the consequences of our sinful actions, and we
immediately begin to promise God that we will do one thing or another to make
up for what we did, if God will only “bail us out” of our current
circumstances. We do the right thing for the time being in hopes that God will
remove the consequences, only to return to our folly once the dust has settled
and the sting of the consequences seem not as painful. Another wrong approach
we take is deciding for ourselves what the punishment should be for our
stumbling. We take the “Judas” approach to repentance. After realizing what he
did in betraying Jesus, rather than seek God’s forgiveness for his sin, he
decided that committing suicide would be payment enough (Matthew 27:3-5). How
wrong he was. We must trust God’s promise that He will forgive us if we truly
repent and confess our sins. Like Esau, we also fall into the trap of doing “too
little, too late”. He despised his birthright, already married two Canaanite
women, and now seeks to get things right for the wrong reason; and only after
seeing that his younger brother was receiving the blessings he felt belonged to
him. This can certainly happen when God opens an opportunity of service, but we
are “too busy” to take it, but then decide to “join in” when we see how well It
is going, and how people are being blessed by being involved. However, there
does come a time when God says, “Too late.” Israel experienced this when God
told them to go into the Promise Land, but they allowed what they saw persuade them
not to, instead of trusting that God had already given them the land,
regardless of who was already there. Once they realized what they had done, and
what they were going to miss, they decided they would go into the land, only to
suffer painful consequences in the form of defeat (Numbers 14). The bottom line
is that we must be careful that our repentance be genuine when we come before
the Lord to confess our sinful failures. We must also be careful that we not
delay when God calls us to carry out a task or serve Him in a ministry
opportunity, whatever that opportunity might be. Waiting until we see that
there will be dire consequences or potential loss of blessing is not the time
to decide that we will repent and obey God’s leading, or do the “right thing”;
by then, it is most likely too little, too late.
Monday, October 16, 2017
A Lack of Accountability and Deception
Verse of the day: Genesis
27:36 And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has
supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has
taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
As
we read this text, Esau makes an interesting statement about Jacob. He says
that Jacob supplanted him two times, and took away his birthright. However,
Jacob took his birthright because he (Esau) readily gave it away. Regardless of
what Jacob may have asked in return for feeding his brother with the lentil
soup he made, Esau could have refused to trade his birthright. Instead, the
Scriptures tell us that he despised his birthright (treated it as worthless;
Genesis 25:34). Sadly, failing to take responsibility for one’s actions is
nothing new, and is something that still exists in today’s society even more
rampantly. This issue of failing to take responsibility for our actions goes
back to the Garden, when Adam failed to take responsibility for making sure the
neither he nor Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as God
commanded (Genesis 2;17). The Bible is clear that when we fail to take
responsibility for our actions, especially our sinful actions, we will not
prosper (Proverbs 28:13). Why do we, who are in Christ, forget that someday we
will stand before the Lord, and that we will give an account for all that we
have done, or failed to do (Romans 14:12)? Trying to excuse our actions, rather
than take responsibility for them will only complicate our lives, and cause
bitterness between us, and those we blame for our decisions and actions. On the
other hand, we see that Jacob used deception to obtain his father’s blessings,
and deception is never the answer to gaining what it is we desire. As people
who are in Christ, we are to be different from the world in our approach to obtaining
what we desire while here on earth. Our first step should always be to pray and
seek God’s will and plan as to whether or not what we are seeking is truly what
God wants for us, and if we cannot obtain it in honesty, then we have no
business going after it. Proverbs 12:22 tell us that lying lips are an
abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight. Sadly,
both these parents contributed to the enmity that will exist between these two
brother because of their favoritism (Genesis 27:41). Isaac sought to bless
Esau, even though he grieved his parents by marrying Canaanite women (Genesis
26:34-35). It is obvious that Isaac failed to hold his son accountable for
marrying into an idolatrous culture, and still desired to give Him the
blessings that God planned for Jacob, even though Jacob was the younger son;
going against what was traditionally done, culturally speaking. On the other
hand, Rebekah, knowing that the Lord had already said that Esau would serve
Jacob (Genesis 25:23), convinced Jacob to use deception as a means to obtain
his father’s blessing, instead of Esau. This resulted in Esau plotting to kill
his brother, and Jacob having to flee to his Uncle Laban in Haran. In the end,
both Isaac and Rebekah brought grief upon themselves because of their own
failure as parents. Regardless of this, God’s plan was not hindered in any way,
as God will accomplish His will and plan for us, no matter how much people plan
and scheme in order to accomplish their own plans and desires, or in their
attempt to hinder His plan for us.
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Discouragement Dispelled
Verse
of the day: Genesis 26:34-35 When
Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the
Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 And they
were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.
How do we
handle life’s disappointments? The fact of the matter is that disappointments,
and discouragement, will come; and it will often come at the hands of someone
close to us. In this case, it was Esau who brought great disappointment to his
parents. Yes, we are all human, and whether we are parent or child, best
friend, or someone else we look up to, or care about dearly, we will inevitably
do something that will disappoint, or even shatter the image that we have created
of whoever the person is. Esau, now a forty year old man, has done something
that Abraham was very careful not to allow Isaac to violate (Gen 24:1-4), and
married Hittite women (women of Canaan). Because of his actions, Esau is referred
to as a fornicator and profane person (or ungodly) in Hebrews 12:16. Isaac had
just experienced a victory, and blessing, in his life, after all the troubles
he had with the Philistines in respect to the water wells. Now, the
disappointment, after the victory, came from within his family. How do we handle
such disappointments when they arise? Our enemies, the devil and his demons, would
love to use these occasions to make us forget the victories and the blessings
that God gives us. Elijah had a great victory over the prophets of Baal; yet,
right after that victory, he allowed himself to be discouraged by a threat the
came from Jezebel (1 Kings 18-19). He ran for his life, hid in a cave, and his
distress was so great that he desired that the Lord would take his life (1
Kings 19:4). King David, in 2 Samuel 7, experienced disappointment when God
told him the he would not be the one to build the Lord’s Temple. In both Elijah’s,
and King David’s, disappointment, their ability to overcome had everything to
do with God being the solution. In Elijah’s case, God came to him, and sent him
on another mission, reassuring him that his thoughts on being the only one left
who was faithful to the Lord were false, as God had reserved seven thousand in
Israel who had not turned to Baal worship (1 Kings 19:18). King David’s
response to the message, via Nathan, from God, that he would not build the
Temple, was to go before the Lord, worship Him, and recount all the victories
and blessings of God (2 Samuel 7:18-29). The bottom line is that it is too easy
to focus on what goes wrong, and allow our eyes to be drawn away from the good
that God has already done, and will continue to do. We get so down on
ourselves, or become so brokenhearted about what others have done, that we
forget God’s promises. Sadly, the last thing too many of us want to hear in the
midst of discouragement is the very thing that will lift us up; God’s truth.
Psalm 34:18 tells us that the Lord is near to the broken heart. This should bring
us great comfort and encouragement. Psalm 147:3 tells us that He heals the
brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. In those times when it seems that no
matter how much good we do, things just seem to go backwards, we need to
remember Galatians 6:9, “And let
us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do
not lose heart.” Disappointments will come and go. Let us not allow them
to draw us away from God’s goodness to us. Instead, let us turn to the Lord,
and recount the victories and blessings that we have in Him, regardless of what
He allows to come our way. Disappointment, and discouragement, is just more
opportunity to draw near to God and experience His amazing grace and comfort.
Isaiah 26:3 reminds us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Do They Even Notice?
Verse of the day: Genesis 26:28 But they said, "We have certainly seen that the LORD is with you. So we said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you,"
What sets you and I apart from the world? I know the "canned" answered to that question is "Jesus"; and we would be right in responding with that. However, what I want to know, and want us to think about, is the following: "Do others see Jesus in us so readily that they notice that we are different than we used to be, or that we are very different than everyone else in our attitude and behavior? Are we giving the Lord enough room in our lives to work so that people take note that there is something that is truly different about us? I hear too many Christians talk about how they are a Christian, and how others need Jesus, but I also see some of those same Christians behaving like the world, and doing nothing to serve God, or allowing Him no room to do what He desires to do in their lives. Any one of us can be guilty of this. Isaac, in trusting God, and not engaging the Philistines, gave Him room to work on his behalf. Abimelech saw God's hand at work in Isaac's life, and it caused him to acknowledge it, and made him want to be aligned with Isaac, rather than be at odds with him, out of his (Abimelech's) fear for the Lord. How do people respond to us when they find out that we are Christians? Are they surprised because they see us behaving like them, swearing, speaking inappropriately, having a poor work ethic, being unkind, always worrying and complaining (just to name of few things); or do we leave them thinking, or saying, "I knew there was something different about him/her"? How are we going to give others the opportunity to see God work in our lives if our lives look no different than the unsaved? Are we not commanded to stand apart and not be like them in manner and lifestyle? 2 Corinthians 6:17 tells us to come out from among the unsaved and be separate. In John 17:16, Jesus said that we are not of the world, as He is not of the world. In Christ, our home is Heaven. Philippians 3:20 tells us that our citizenship is in Heaven. Does our attitude, and the way we interact with others, make it obvious to them that we belong to Jesus? Do we love one another, as children of God, in such a way that others know that we belong to Him? Jesus told us, in John 13:35, that people will know that we are His disciples, if we have love for one another. How are we doing with that? 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that love is long suffering, kind, does not envy, is not proud, is not rude, does not look down on others, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth. In that same chapter it tells us that if we do not have love, we are just making a lot of noise, to God, even if we can speak with the tongues of men and of angels. Regardless of how talented we may be, and what we might be capable of, if we do not have love, we are nothing in God's estimation. If we give all that we have away to the poor, but have not love, it profits us nothing before the Lord. The bottom line is that we can call ourselves Christian all we want, but what use is it if our lives do not reflect that we belong to Jesus? How can we say that we belong to the Lord, but then post ungodly things on social media, and go on ungodly rants about this or that? If we are going to live godly, and desire that others see God working in our lives, so that He can show Himself, and open doors of opportunities for us to share the Gospel with others, then we must start living our life like we believe what we tell others we believe. The saddest part of all of this is that if we choose to live like the world, some day, when we stand before the Lord, we will regret what we have lost in heavenly reward, because we chose not to stand apart, and represent Him here on earth in a way that honored God, and made others take notice that we truly were different as children of God.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
What sets you and I apart from the world? I know the "canned" answered to that question is "Jesus"; and we would be right in responding with that. However, what I want to know, and want us to think about, is the following: "Do others see Jesus in us so readily that they notice that we are different than we used to be, or that we are very different than everyone else in our attitude and behavior? Are we giving the Lord enough room in our lives to work so that people take note that there is something that is truly different about us? I hear too many Christians talk about how they are a Christian, and how others need Jesus, but I also see some of those same Christians behaving like the world, and doing nothing to serve God, or allowing Him no room to do what He desires to do in their lives. Any one of us can be guilty of this. Isaac, in trusting God, and not engaging the Philistines, gave Him room to work on his behalf. Abimelech saw God's hand at work in Isaac's life, and it caused him to acknowledge it, and made him want to be aligned with Isaac, rather than be at odds with him, out of his (Abimelech's) fear for the Lord. How do people respond to us when they find out that we are Christians? Are they surprised because they see us behaving like them, swearing, speaking inappropriately, having a poor work ethic, being unkind, always worrying and complaining (just to name of few things); or do we leave them thinking, or saying, "I knew there was something different about him/her"? How are we going to give others the opportunity to see God work in our lives if our lives look no different than the unsaved? Are we not commanded to stand apart and not be like them in manner and lifestyle? 2 Corinthians 6:17 tells us to come out from among the unsaved and be separate. In John 17:16, Jesus said that we are not of the world, as He is not of the world. In Christ, our home is Heaven. Philippians 3:20 tells us that our citizenship is in Heaven. Does our attitude, and the way we interact with others, make it obvious to them that we belong to Jesus? Do we love one another, as children of God, in such a way that others know that we belong to Him? Jesus told us, in John 13:35, that people will know that we are His disciples, if we have love for one another. How are we doing with that? 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that love is long suffering, kind, does not envy, is not proud, is not rude, does not look down on others, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth. In that same chapter it tells us that if we do not have love, we are just making a lot of noise, to God, even if we can speak with the tongues of men and of angels. Regardless of how talented we may be, and what we might be capable of, if we do not have love, we are nothing in God's estimation. If we give all that we have away to the poor, but have not love, it profits us nothing before the Lord. The bottom line is that we can call ourselves Christian all we want, but what use is it if our lives do not reflect that we belong to Jesus? How can we say that we belong to the Lord, but then post ungodly things on social media, and go on ungodly rants about this or that? If we are going to live godly, and desire that others see God working in our lives, so that He can show Himself, and open doors of opportunities for us to share the Gospel with others, then we must start living our life like we believe what we tell others we believe. The saddest part of all of this is that if we choose to live like the world, some day, when we stand before the Lord, we will regret what we have lost in heavenly reward, because we chose not to stand apart, and represent Him here on earth in a way that honored God, and made others take notice that we truly were different as children of God.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Friday, October 13, 2017
Choose Peace in Conflict
Verse of the day: Genesis 26:22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
We read yesterday that the Philistines were envious of the prosperity that God blessed Isaac with. The result of that envy was that there was strife between the herdsmen of Gerar and the herdsmen of Isaac (v. 20). The Philistines stopped up the wells that were dug in the days of Abraham (v. 15); and Abimelech, seeing how God was working in Isaac's life, became fearful of his increase in prosperity and power (v. 16). As God blessed Isaac, persecution also followed along. However, rather than claim his right to the wells that were dug in his father's day, Isaac chose to move and dig another well in a different location, only to experience the same conflict (v. 18-19). Isaac's reaction to these conflicts that arose from his attempts to live quietly in Gerar is a good example for us who are born again believers living in a world that will persecute us for our beliefs. Jesus said, in Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." Romans 12 tells us not to recompense evil for evil, but provide all things honest before men. If it is possible, as much as lies within us, live peaceably with all men. Hebrews 12:14 tells us to follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. In order to do this, we must also obey God in His command to forgive others. The bottom line is that we live in a fallen world; one that is filled with jealousy, envy, and persecution. This is the reason why, when we seek only after material blessings, and prestige, in this world, we are not guaranteed peace and tranquility. Too many Christians have fallen for the lie that convinces them that having more of the material things, money, and power, will bring them peace. The only One who can guarantee us peace, and joy, is Jesus. He told us in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives, do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Isaac's response was the correct response for the situation at hand. We, as children of God, should be wiser in the way we approach conflict; and rather than see it as this unbearably troubling circumstance, we have an alternative. We can trust God, that He is allowing the situation for a reason. What if we, as a child of God, found ourselves in this same situation? Rather than fight and argue, what if we used this conflict to allow God to move us to the exact place He wanted us to be in? God can, and will, sometimes, use conflict and difficult situations, to not only help us to grow and mature in our faith, but also to move us, and guide us to the place He wants us to be in. Isaac, took the peaceful route, and eventually ended up in a place where he would finally find peace, and the Philistines would not oppose him or try to move him. The bottom line is that if God did not want him to move from any of his previous locations, no Philistine, or army, would be able to move him; if that was God's plan for him and his family. He trusted God, did not allow the Philistines to rob him of his peace, and eventually found a place where he and his family could settle. We, who have Christ, too often, because of our pride, insist on "not letting anyone get the best of us", and ultimately bring a blemish to our testimony, because we respond like the world, when we experience conflict. Just like Isaac demonstrated his faith in God by choosing a peaceful solution, even giving up his rights and moving somewhere else; we too must learn how to be slow to quarrel, and choose the road of peace, even if it means giving up our rights for the moment. Our God can intervene on our behalf and deliver us from anything we face. However, there are times when He just wants us to be silent, trust Him, and just move along. Jesus chose not to revile when He was reviled (1 Peter 2:23), and was obedient, even unto death (Philippians 2:8). We must not let our pride get the best of us in conflicts, or allow our anger, and sense of being treated unfairly, to control our attitude or the things we say when we find ourselves in conflict with others; especially when we are persecuted for how God is working in our lives. Count your blessings, and prayerfully seek to be the peacemakers God commands us to be in a world that already has enough conflict without us adding to it.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Be Thankful and Avoid Envy
Verse of the day: Genesis 26:14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.
In verse 12 we saw that God blessed Isaac and his family abundantly, even in the midst of a famine. Here, we see the Philistines reaction to how God was blessing them. The green monster of envy reared its ugly head. When God blesses us, or others, there exists a possibility that we can react in a way that can cause us to sin by becoming ungrateful for what God is doing in our lives, or be persecuted by those who see us being blessed. If we, who are born again believers, fail to learn how to give thanks in everything, as we are to in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, then we will become envious of what God is doing in the lives of others, and how He is blessing them. We become blind to the blessings in our own lives. I said yesterday that God blesses us in many forms, but we sometimes miss it because we expect blessings to be packaged a certain way. Sadly, when we fail to recognize those blessings, and our focus is on what God is doing for others, we open ourselves up to being jealous of what others have. According to Galatians 5, envy is a deed, or work, of the flesh. Like the Apostle Paul, in Philippians 4, we must learn to be content in whatever state we are in, whether we have much or little; whatever God chooses to bless us with. 1 Peter 2 tells us to put aside envy, and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word. Envy drove Cain to murder his brother Abel (Genesis 4). Hebrews 13:5-6 tell us not to be covetous, but be satisfied that we have the Lord, because He will never leave us nor forsake us, and the greatest blessing we can have as a born again believer is God Himself working in our lives, being our Helper. Proverbs 23:17 tells us not to let our hearts envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD always. It can be so difficult to watch the unsaved prosper while we have less. However, in Christ, we will not suffer want, because we already know He provides for all our needs. Whatever the unsaved enjoy now will not compare to what the Lord has in store for us when we go to be with Him forevermore; and what the unsaved have will not be worth the enternal condemnation they will suffer if they do not repent and call upon Jesus as their Savior. Whatever blessings others appear to have in their lives should not take away from whatever the Lord is doing in our lives. We only see blessings as those things that God does for us and give us, but there is also great blessing in what God chooses not to give us; because it is often the things He chooses not to give us that will entangle us and draw us away from Him. The flip side of this coin is that others see how God is blessing us, and they will criticize us, and even accuse us of being materialistic. Those who were called friends may, in their jealousy, become as enemies. Tomorrow, we will see what a great example Isaac set for us in his reaction to the Philistines' jealousy toward him because of God's blessings toward him and his family.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
In verse 12 we saw that God blessed Isaac and his family abundantly, even in the midst of a famine. Here, we see the Philistines reaction to how God was blessing them. The green monster of envy reared its ugly head. When God blesses us, or others, there exists a possibility that we can react in a way that can cause us to sin by becoming ungrateful for what God is doing in our lives, or be persecuted by those who see us being blessed. If we, who are born again believers, fail to learn how to give thanks in everything, as we are to in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, then we will become envious of what God is doing in the lives of others, and how He is blessing them. We become blind to the blessings in our own lives. I said yesterday that God blesses us in many forms, but we sometimes miss it because we expect blessings to be packaged a certain way. Sadly, when we fail to recognize those blessings, and our focus is on what God is doing for others, we open ourselves up to being jealous of what others have. According to Galatians 5, envy is a deed, or work, of the flesh. Like the Apostle Paul, in Philippians 4, we must learn to be content in whatever state we are in, whether we have much or little; whatever God chooses to bless us with. 1 Peter 2 tells us to put aside envy, and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word. Envy drove Cain to murder his brother Abel (Genesis 4). Hebrews 13:5-6 tell us not to be covetous, but be satisfied that we have the Lord, because He will never leave us nor forsake us, and the greatest blessing we can have as a born again believer is God Himself working in our lives, being our Helper. Proverbs 23:17 tells us not to let our hearts envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD always. It can be so difficult to watch the unsaved prosper while we have less. However, in Christ, we will not suffer want, because we already know He provides for all our needs. Whatever the unsaved enjoy now will not compare to what the Lord has in store for us when we go to be with Him forevermore; and what the unsaved have will not be worth the enternal condemnation they will suffer if they do not repent and call upon Jesus as their Savior. Whatever blessings others appear to have in their lives should not take away from whatever the Lord is doing in our lives. We only see blessings as those things that God does for us and give us, but there is also great blessing in what God chooses not to give us; because it is often the things He chooses not to give us that will entangle us and draw us away from Him. The flip side of this coin is that others see how God is blessing us, and they will criticize us, and even accuse us of being materialistic. Those who were called friends may, in their jealousy, become as enemies. Tomorrow, we will see what a great example Isaac set for us in his reaction to the Philistines' jealousy toward him because of God's blessings toward him and his family.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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