Thursday, November 30, 2017
The Path of Hardship
Verse of the day: Exodus
2:15-16 When Pharaoh
heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of
Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And
they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s
flock.
Moses
fleeing to Midian was no coincidence; and neither was his meeting the seven
daughters of Jethro, the Midianite Priest, and his future father-in-law. The Midianites
were also descendants of Abraham, as Midian was the son of Abraham and Keturah,
the wife Abraham took after Sarah’s death. It was no coincidence that God led
Moses to dwell amongst his own distant relatives, who at this time still held
on to Abraham’s religion, and worshiped God. It is in Midian that the Moses
will receive the rest of his preparation in order to effectively serve the
Lord. As he was raised for forty years in luxury and power, he will now learn
to live a life of poverty and hardship in preparation for the task that lie
ahead in leading God’s people out of Egypt. There is a false narrative being
preached in some circles today, where we are taught to believe that serving God
always leads to material prosperity and blessings. However, that kind of
teaching flies in the face of what we see in the life of Moses, Jesus, and the
Apostle Paul (just to name a few). Isaiah 53:3-12 records the prophecy
concerning Jesus’ suffering. In Acts 9:15-16, Jesus sends Ananias to minister
to Saul, the Apostle Paul, and says to Ananias, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before
Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how
many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Can God choose to
bless us materially as we serve Him? Of course God can do that, if He so
chooses. The fact of the matter is, however, that God will often call us to
give up the luxury, and comforts, we live in, and go to places where we will
face persecution and hardship. What we fail to see when He calls us to that is
that the heavenly reward that comes with this willingness to sacrifice is far
greater than any earthly wealth or blessing we could ever gain. Moses was
readily willing to give up his life as Pharaoh’s daughter’s son in order to
suffer with his people (Hebrews 11:24-26), and now he finds himself in Midian,
not realizing that his training in enduring hardship has already begun, in
preparation to be used by God in a mighty way. We, as born again believers,
must cast away the manner of thinking that says that we will never suffer
persecution or poverty in our service to the Lord. Jesus foretold that we would
be hated for His sake (John 15:18-25). He warned us that in this world we will
have tribulation (John 16:33). However, notice what is taking place here. Moses
stood up for his people, and was misunderstood, which led to his having to flee
Egypt. Nonetheless, God used this turn of events for Moses’ good, and God’s
glory (Romans 8:28). God protected Moses from Pharaoh by using his Hebrew
brother’s rebuke to warn him of the impending danger he was facing. He now has
led him to safety amongst people who descended from Abraham, and amongst them
provided him a place to dwell and have a family; all the while preparing him
for the great task that God would use him for, forty years later. Sadly, we are
an impatient people who expect God to do things on our timetable, and when He
does not, we get discouraged, and walk away from His service. Too often we are
not willing to give up our earthly possessions in order to go serve in places
where we will not have the same luxuries; so much so, that far too many of us
are not even willing to be inconvenienced in simply rearranging our schedules,
or our own set priorities, in order to go share Christ with our neighbor, or go
give of our time and resources to someone God has put before us who has a need.
We must always be ready and willing to allow God to take us out of our comfort
zone so that we can go and do that which He desires of us in sharing Christ
with others, or simply being a blessing to another brother or sister in Christ.
What are we truly willing to do, or give up, for the sake of being a faithful
servant for the Lord? What is He calling us to give up, in order for us to go
wherever He wants to send us, but we are holding on to for dear life? It is
time to let go, and be willing to suffer whatever necessary for the cause of
Christ, and the glory of God.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
So God, and God, and God, and God
Verse of the day: Exodus
2:24-25 So God
heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac,
and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God
acknowledged them.
It
amazes me how often we, the born again believer, relies on something, or
someone, other than God, when we find ourselves in difficult situations. Too
often, our first response to challenging time is to turn to our own ability to
resolve issue using our own wisdom. The Word of God tells us, in Proverbs
3:5-6, “Trust in
the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on
your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He
shall direct your paths.” We turn to our available resources, whether
money or other material resources. We even turn to other people, such as
friends, family, or someone else. Psalm 60:11 tells us, “Give us help from trouble,
for the help of man is useless.”
This does not mean that God cannot send us someone to be a blessing, and a
help, in our times of need; or use us to be a blessing in someone else’s life
in their time of need. What I speak of is going to people who God did not put
before us to be a help. Moses tried to help God’s people initially, but he had
not be sent by God for that specific reason yet and failed miserably. When
Moses looked upon what his brethren were suffering, he looked upon them with
pity, but could do nothing to help them escape their oppression. However, when
God looked upon the Hebrew people’s suffering, the difference was that He was
the only One who could actually do something about their suffering. Unlike our
human relations that we put our trust in, it is God who hears our prayers, and truly
knows our groaning. It is God who remembers and keeps His promises to us. Regardless
of the circumstances, or how we got there, God is faithful, and is the only One
who knows exactly what is going on (and knows details that we are not even
aware of). Only God knows exactly what we need to do, and how long we need to
stay in our current circumstances to make them most profitable for us in getting
to know who He is, and seeing what needs to change in our life. He also knows
exactly what will bring Him the most glory from our circumstances. All too
often, we, in desperation, to get out of whatever is going on in our lives,
turn to things and people that only complicate our situation further. However,
when we trust God to see us through our difficulties, the results will always
be better for us then we could ever anticipate. The bottom line is that when
troubling times come our way, whatever they are, we must turn in prayer to God
first. When we are in the midst of our suffering, and think that God does not
care, remember, God never forgets His promises to us. He loves us enough to
send His only begotten Son to die for us, and give us eternal life. God always remembers.
When we suffer, and think that we are alone, God is looking upon our suffering,
and promised to never leave us alone (Hebrews 13:5-6). When we think God is
doing nothing, hold on to the hope we have in Christ, because it is when we are
about to give up that God shows up in a great way that we usually do not
expect. Psalm 18:30 reminds us, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”
When it is all said and done, it is God, and God, and God, and God.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Who’s on the Throne of Your Life?
Verse of the day: Exodus
2:23 Now it happened in the
process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel
groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to
God because of the bondage.
The
king of Egypt is dead, but is replaced by another king who is just as cruel as
he was. God allowed His people to be afflicted for 400 years (Acts 7:6). If God
is a just God who protects His people, why would He allow them to suffer for so
long? The answer is given to us by God Himself in Ezekiel 20:8, “But they rebelled against Me and would not obey
Me. They did not all cast away the abominations which were before their eyes,
nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said, ‘I will pour out My fury
on them and fulfill My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.’”
God’s people were a stiff-necked people, whom God had to bring to a place where
their affliction would be so unbearable that they would turn back to Him and
cry out to be delivered. So it is with us, the born again believer, today. The
Lord may allow us to suffer affliction, in order to get our attention, when we
turn from Him to the idols we make for ourselves, in our lives, whether it is
money, material things, a particular relationship, or whatever else has taken
God’s place in our lives. How can we gauge whether or not something is an idol
in our lives? Well, stop and think about this for a moment. Is there something
or someone that is taking up so much of our thought life, or time, that we do
not have time for prayer, God’s Word, or service to Him? Is there something or
someone that is consuming our life in such a way that God is an afterthought?
Do we only think about God when the person we are idolizing decides they want nothing
to do with us, or when there is a danger that we could lose them? Do we only
think of God when the very money and material things we have been chasing
become an overwhelming burden for us or we realize that it can do nothing to
help our current situation? In Exodus 20:3, God made it very clear that we are
not to have any other gods before Him. The Hebrew people, in their
stubbornness, chose the gods of Egypt over the one True God. What is simply
amazing in this is that for 400 years of oppression I marvel at the fact that God’s
people continued to worship gods that obviously did not have the power to
deliver them from their suffering. How deceived a people we are, as God’s
children, when we come to the place where we think that money, material gain,
or anything else that the world has to offer can deliver us in our greatest
hour of need. Money may be able to buy us some earthly things, but cannot buy
us true love, the kind of love that God has for us, and the kind we are
supposed to have for one another. Material gain cannot keep us from dying when
God decides that today is our appointed time (Hebrews 9:27). All the riches in
the universe cannot rescue us from suffering, if God chooses to allow us to be
afflicted. There is certainly nothing we have, or can do, that will grant us,
or buy us, eternal life. So, let us ask ourselves, “Why would I have any other
god besides the one and only true God?” The sad truth is that too many of us Christians
have allowed other things to become the gods of our lives. I have seen born
again believers be more excited about going to a sporting event than they are
about getting together with other believers for corporate worship. These same
Christians will shamelessly make fools of themselves, cheering loudly for their
favorite team, but barely say amen when they hear the Word of God taught or
preached. God forbid that the preacher would preach too long and cause any one
of us to miss the beginning of the “game”, or announce that there will be an
afternoon/evening service that will run at the same time that the “game” is on!
The bottom line is that we need to stop and ask ourselves, “Is God truly the
God I am worshipping, and serving, or am I serving money, material, self, or
someone else?” In Matthew 4, Jesus, in rebuking Satan, who was trying to tempt
Him, said, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him alone.” Jesus
also said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will
hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” I ask you, “Who are
you serving today?” “Will God have to allow great affliction in your life to
get you to turn back to Him, and cry out to Him for deliverance from your rebellion
and idolatry?”
Monday, November 27, 2017
Get Along for Christ’s Sake
Verse of the day: Exodus
2:13-14 And when he went
out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the
one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 Then he
said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as
you killed the Egyptian?”
Why
is it so difficult for us to get along as brothers and sisters in Christ? Jesus
told us that the world would know we are His by the way we love each other
(John 13:34-35). All too often, the testimony that the church has before the
unsaved world is that we are no different than they are when it comes to loving
each other and getting along in unity. Sadly, many Christians have even turned
to the world, the unsaved, to resolve matters that should be resolved within
the local church and amongst ourselves. 1 Corinthians 6 tells us that we should
not be taking our issues to the unrighteous for resolution. Moses, thinking
that his brethren understood that he was going to be the one that the Lord
would use to relieve their burden, tried to intervene and resolve a conflict
between two Israelites. The
offender’s response to Moses was a clear indication that they did not
understand that Moses would be the one used by God to lead them out of
oppression (Acts 7:25). However,
the outcome was not one that went favorably, most likely because of pride, and
stubbornness, on the part of the offender. Before this incident, Moses killed
an Egyptian who had been abusive toward one of his brethren (v. 11-12). Thinking
that no one had seen him, when he addressed the offending party, the response
was one of contention, and a refusal to correct a wrong that was committed
against a fellow Israelite. It is a sad commentary that in the midst of being
oppressed by the Egyptians, these two men who were on the receiving end of that
oppression could not peacefully resolve their differences. How sad when we see
that there is no difference today within the church. We suffer enough
persecution from outside the church without having persecution and quarrels come
from within the body. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably
with all men.” The offender, in his pride, and unwillingness to admit his
wrongdoing, confronted Moses, who was trying to be the peacemaker. The fact of
the matter is that this issue could have been settled in a peaceful manner,
even if the offender chose not to admit his wrongdoing. The offended party could
have simply accepting the wrong. We, as born again believers, must learn that
we do not always have to prove that we are right, even if the other person was
wrong in their actions. The Apostle Paul, in dealing with the Christians at
Corinth, and rebuking them for turning to the unsaved world, and suing each
other, asked them in 1 Corinthians 6:7, “Now therefore, it is already an utter
failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather
accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”
I know there are some of us who are reading this and cringing because we would
want our “pound of flesh” if another Christian, or anyone else, did us wrong,
and we thought it unfair for them to get away with it. Why should we give up
our right to have justice? Why would we not insist on making the brother or
sister repent and admit their wrongdoing? Well, because God has already given
us instruction on how to handle one who has wronged us, and refuses to repent
of that wrong. Within the church there is a process outlined for us in Matthew
18:15-17 for resolving issues of Christians sinning against each other. We are
to be ready to forgive, and restore, but if they do not repent, then leave justice
to God (Roman 12:9-21). Sometimes we are the Moses of the situation, and in
being the peacemaker, we end up being the one that is verbally attacked, or the
one who ends up looking like the “bad guy”. Moses, in trying to do what was
right, ended up having to flee Egypt. However, this was not entirely a bad
thing. As a matter of fact, it turned out to be the best thing that could have
happened to Moses, as God used it to serve as a warning to him that Pharaoh
would find out about the murder he committed, and gave him time to flee and
save his life. Moses would spend another 40 years outside of Egypt as part of
his preparation to be used by God to lead His people out of slavery. When it is
all said and done, we must trust that whatever the immediate outcome, if we
choose peace, love, and humility, we will never go wrong before God when we
trust Him for the outcome. It is better to accept the wrongdoing, and keep our
testimony and unity intact, than to prove that we are right, but in the process
put a blemish on the Name of Christ, and the church.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Shortchanging Ourselves
Verse of the day: Exodus
2:11 Now it came to pass in
those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked
at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.
After
forty years of being in the house of Pharaoh, Moses goes out amongst his people
and does not merely see how his people are suffering, but thoughtfully
considers it. The result is that he chooses to stand, and suffer affliction,
with God’s people, rather than enjoy the luxury and privilege of being adopted
by Pharaoh’s daughter. Hebrews 11:24-26 tells us, “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to
be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer
affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin”. We
often gloss over this reading in Exodus without giving much thought to what
Moses was willing to give up. It is said that he was the only son (adopted son)
of Pharaoh’s daughter, who was an only child. What this meant for Moses was
that at some point he stood to inherit Pharaoh’s throne. He was already living
in luxury, and enjoyed the status, and comfort, that came with being the
grandson of Pharaoh. Unlike with Joseph, God did not choose to deliver His
people by putting Moses in a place of power in Egypt. Instead, God’s plan was
one that would show the Israelites just how powerful their God is, and Egypt,
just how weak their heathen gods are. Nonetheless, Moses overcame the
temptation of enjoying the luxury of being identified as an Egyptian, and chose
instead to hold on to his heritage, and religion, as a man whose God is the one
true God of Heaven. He chose to reject the pleasures of the world and suffer as
a follower of the Lord. What a difference it would make in the church today, if
we as born again believers thought that much of our faith and our God? Imagine
what God could do within the body of Christ to reach a lost and dying world. 1
John 2:15-17 admonishes us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all
that is in the world—the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father
but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but
he who does the will of God abides forever.” Sadly, there have been too
many of God’s children that have forsaken God, the church, and their faith to
follow after the riches, and the things of the world. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 reminds
us, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing
into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing
out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But
those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts
which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a
root of all kinds of evil, for
which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.” What was it that gave Moses the
strength to overcome such a great temptation? Verse 26 of Hebrews 11 tells us, “Esteeming
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he
looked to the reward.” We, as Christians, are often so short-sighted in
our faith. We put our eyes on what is here and now, and neglect that which God
promised us was to come. We forfeit future heavenly reward, which will not
perish, for earthly goods which perish, and can be lost in the blink of an eye.
Jesus told us in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and
where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.” As God’s children we need to put our
focus on what is to come, and realize that no amount of earthly riches will
equal that which God has promised He has in store for us.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Trust Them to God
Verse of the day: Exodus
2:2-3 So the woman conceived and
bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him
three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark
of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it,
and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.
In
chapter 1 of Exodus we saw the midwives’ willingness to disobey the king’s
command because of their fear of God. Now, we see Moses’ mother willing to
disobey the king’s command in an act of faith. Hebrews 11:23 tells us, “By
faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because
they saw that he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s
commandment.” Living a life of faith will bring us to those crossroads where we
must decide if we are going to trust our own wisdom, and what we see, or God’s
truth, and with our eyes of faith see the unseen. It means trusting God with every
decision we make, and trusting that God’s plan will be fulfilled regardless of
what circumstances might be showing us. Moses’ parents did not know what was God’s
plan was for their son Moses, but they knew they could trust God to take care
of their child when the time came about when they could no longer hide him. I would
like to remind us today that this is the same God who today can still protect
us, and protect our children. Too often, we parents will take risky, and
sacrificial, steps of faith, in serving the Lord, but then when the Lord wants
us to dedicate and give our children over to Him, we act as if God cannot take
care of them. We become overprotective of them, and shield them far more than
is good for them. The children God has blessed us with are His. We have them
for a short period of time, and during that time we are to dedicate them to
Him, lead them to Jesus, and release them to Him so that He can fulfill HIS
plan for their live, not ours. Proverbs 22:6 commands us, “Train up a child in the
way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Before
Moses was born to his parents, God already had a plan for his life. His people
were already enslaved in Egypt, and God had a plan to lead them out of Egypt by
using Moses to lead them out. In the life of Joseph, God used the envy and
hatred of his brother to set him on his journey to Egypt. In this instance, God
used the king’s own fear of how great the Hebrew population was growing, and
his wicked attempts to hinder it, to essentially force Moses’ parents to let go
of Moses, and entrust his life to the Lord. Upon trusting Moses to God by
casting him into the river, in a basket, I am sure that his mother never
imagined that Moses would end up being raised under Pharaoh’s own roof (v. 10);
the man who sought to end his life to begin with. Not only did Moses grow up as
the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, but his own mother was called upon, and paid, to
nurse her own child after Pharaoh’s daughter found him. When we read how God’s
providence brings these things about when we live by faith, how can we not
trust Him with the lives of our children? Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without
faith we cannot please God. However, this faith is not limited to what He calls
us to do in serving Him, but it also includes in our ability to trust God with
the children He has given us, because this too is part of our service to Him.
If you do not have children yet, but some day desire to have children, there is
nothing wrong with being prepared now to be good stewards of the children He
will bless you with, if that is part of His plan for your life.
Friday, November 24, 2017
A New Course In Christ
Verse of the day: Exodus
2:1-2 And a man of the house of
Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and
bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him
three months.
Here,
in this second chapter of Exodus, we see God’s grace in the lineage of Levi.
Levi was one of Joseph’s brothers who, along with Simeon, murdered the men of
Shechem. However, we know that later God uses the lineage of Levi to serve Him
as priests, and here we see the first in this lineage to be used greatly, by
God, to deliver His people from bondage in Egypt. My parents made decisions that
affected my life, and I have made decisions that have affected my children.
However, I too have made decisions in my life that have changed the course of
my life, as my children can also make decisions that will change the course of
their lives. The first, and most important, choice I made was to accept Jesus
Christ as my Savior, and Lord, and choose to seek His plan for my life. My children
also, in having a personal relationship with the Lord, can make decisions that
will keep them on the path God has chosen for them. God, being the merciful God
that He is, did not disqualify Moses from serving Him because of his ancestor
Levi’s heinous crime. Moses also did not use that as a crutch to avoid being
used by God (we will see later that Moses had his own set of personal issues to
overcome in serving the Lord). So it is with us that we do not have to follow
in the footsteps of our parents or grandparents, or use whatever happened in
our childhood as a crutch or excuse to avoid living the life God desires for us
to live. Having come from a heritage of witchcraft, idol worship, and a home
marred by abuse, I praise God that He saw fit to still use me to serve Him
today. I have made my own personal decisions that have caused interruptions in
my service to the Lord, and have affected those that I love; nonetheless, God
has chosen to still use me in spite of me. The bottom line is that each of us
has an opportunity to serve God, and live out God’s plan for our lives, which
first begins with a person relationship with our loving, merciful, forgiving,
and gracious Savior Jesus Christ. One of the best examples I see of this in God’s
Word is Gideon. His father was a Baal worshiper, yet God used Gideon as one of
the judges of Israel. However, Gideon, in being chosen to serve the Lord, first
was commanded to tear down his father’s idolatrous altar, build an altar to the
Lord, and sacrifice his father’s young bull as a burnt offering on God’s altar
(Judges 6:25-27). We, as God’s servants, are not bound by the decisions or
choices of our parents. Ezekiel 18:20 tell us, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt
of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of
the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be
upon himself.” Whatever our past, whatever we have endured in our
childhood, or whatever our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were or
did, does not have to define who we are today in Christ.
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Blessed Rebellion
Verse of the day: Exodus
1:17 But the midwives feared
God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male
children alive.
What
a dilemma. The king has given an order. To disobey could mean death. What to
do? The answer is really a simple one. Peter and the other Apostles said it
best in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” As simple as that
answer might seem, following through might not always be as easy if we think on
the possible consequences for too long. Sadly, I often see Christians stand
firmer on their own convictions, that are not always biblically based, or in
the grand scheme of things not worth causing conflict over; yet, they will fail
to stand up for what is black and white in God’s Word. These women, whose jobs
were to assist in the birth of the children being born in Egypt, were commanded
to kill any male child born to the Hebrew women. The king obviously did not
count on two things; the first being that these midwives would fear God more
than they feared the consequences of disobeying him. What a great example they
set for us today, in a world where in many places, they are still trying to
silence Christianity and its views. Secondly, the king seems to be ignorant of the
fact that in spite of him, God will succeed in multiplying his people in the
land of Egypt. What we need to take notice of here is that just like there are
possible consequences for disobeying the king’s ungodly command, there are also
possible consequences that are blessings for fearing and obeying God’s
commands. It was no coincidence that the Hebrew women were giving birth before
the midwives could be there to assist (v. 19). God essentially gave them a
valid reason to not follow through with the king’s wicked plan. When we obey
God over man, God is with us, and will provide us with valid reasons, from an
earthly perspective, as to why we need not follow through on an ungodly, and
wicked, command by those who are ungodly and in authority. If God chooses not
relieve us from the consequences of disobeying, and we are to suffer for it in that
moment, then so be it. In Acts 4, Peter and John were threatened in an attempt
to keep them from doing God’s work openly. They chose to ignore the threats and
continue spreading the Good News of the Gospel. In Acts 5 Peter and the
Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus’
Name. In this instance, the blessing that came to these midwives for their firm
stand for what was right before God, and not interfering with God’s plan to
multiply His people (v. 20), was that God “made them houses”, or blessed and
built up their families (v. 21). Let me say this, this is not permission for us
to be rebellious against authority simply because something is unfair in our
own eyes. If we are going to stand firm on something that is unbiblical, and
contrary to God’s Word, we must be able to back it up with God’s Word. Too many
Christians end up looking foolish, and rebellious, before the world, because
they pick battles that they cannot back by God’s truth, or have incorrectly
applied God’s Word. The bottom line is that the fear of man brings a snare, but
God promises that whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25).
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
When God Blesses Some Men Will Curse
Verse of the day: Exodus
1:7 But the children of Israel
were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty;
and the land was filled with them.
Israel,
Joseph, and all his brothers are dead. What began with seventy people (Joseph
already being in Egypt), God has now grown in abundance. God brought Joseph,
Israel, and the rest of the family into Egypt at a time of great famine; yet,
He provided in abundance for them. Now He has multiplied them, and they are
becoming mighty in number. The land is filled with them. What was the result of
God’s blessing in multiplying them? A new king was ruling who did not know
Joseph, and therefore what resulted was envy, suspicion, and persecution by the
Egyptians. We now begin to see man’s quest to overthrow God’s blessings. The
Israelites now begin their many years of enslavement, as foretold to Abraham by
God (Genesis 15:13). However, note that the more the Egyptians afflicted God’s
people, the more God multiplied them. As a matter of fact, they multiplied in
such great numbers that the Egyptians’ hatred for them grew more and more (v.
12). As their hatred grew, so did their efforts to make them suffer with more
rigorous service in their enslavement (v. 13). The world has not changed much
since that time. When God chooses to bless His people in certain ways,
persecution will always come. Sadly, sometimes that persecution comes even from
other brothers and sisters in Christ. Nonetheless, when persecution comes as a
result of envy, jealousy, false accusation, suspicion, or simply because we
have a different world view, this should not be a surprise to us. 1 Peter 4:12-14
remind us, “Beloved, do
not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though
some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that
you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may
also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name
of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. Even
Jesus told us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to
you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but
be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Joseph was hated and
persecuted by his brothers because of envy. The Israelites were persecuted by
the Egyptians because of envy and suspicion. David, before taking the throne,
was persecuted because of King Saul’s jealousy (1 Samuel 18). In Acts 13:45,
and 17:5, we are told that the Apostle Paul was persecuted because of jealousy.
Sadly, even in ministry, when some see how God is blessing, in the way He
chooses to use others, jealousy rears its ugly head, and we see rebellion
within the church which usually ends in church splits and put a great blemish
on our testimony as children of God who are supposed to be known as followers
of Christ because of our love for one another (Philippians 1:15; John 13:35). The
bottom line is that when God blesses us, whether monetarily, materially, with a
wonderful marital relationship, status in society, or uses us greatly within
the body of Christ, we must always be ready to deal with those who will rise up
to persecute us, and try to turn our blessing(s) into a curse. With that said,
please do not mistake what I am saying by interpreting it as if I have said
that God always blesses His people with money and material things. God does
choose to bless whomever He chooses to bless. However, our everyday blessings come
in different forms and ways. If we do not see them, it is because we are
expecting them in a way that God has not chosen for us, and we have become
blind to God’s blessing because of our own selfish desires. Nonetheless, when
God blesses in a way that is visible and obvious to others, some may try to
oppress us, and persecute us. They will speak lies, make accusations, and even
try to use our past sinful choices to make us feel unworthy and cause others to
come against us. Remember that regardless of what the world throws our way, if
we have God on our side, no matter how intense the persecution, God will
eventually bring us through, as He did with the Israelites, after allowing many
years of suffering. If God be for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?
Rather than shrink away from the persecution, let us allow God to use it to
show the world how we stand in persecution, and just like God multiplied the
Israelites in Egypt, in the midst of being afflicted, let us allow God to use our
times of affliction to spread the Gospel message to those who see us endure. It
is during times of persecution that we have some of the greatest opportunities
to lead others to the Lord.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Who Made Us Judge, Jury, and Executioners?
Verse of the day: Genesis
50:19 Joseph said to them, “Do not
be afraid, for am I in the place of God?”
Some
time has passed, and Joseph has been making sure his father and brothers, and
their families, are taken care of (Genesis 46-47). Now Israel is dead, and
Joseph’s brothers are in a panic thinking that this would be the time that
Joseph would take vengeance on them for what they did to him. Sadly, even
though Joseph has done more than tell them that he forgave them, he
demonstrated it by his actions toward them; yet, the guilt of what they did has
lingered in their minds and hearts. Their fear was so great that they sent a
messenger to go ahead of them before they presented themselves before him. I
can only imagine the sadness that must have filled Joseph’s heart in realizing
that his brothers, in spite of his actions toward them, still feared retribution.
Joseph’s response to them was with kindness, and with the intention of
comforting them (v. 21). Note that the way his brothers felt was most likely a
reflection of what was in their own hearts. When Simeon and Levi had the same
opportunity to forgive someone else’s sinful actions toward their sister, they
chose not to forgive, and instead chose to be judge, jury, and executioners of
the offender, and others who did not even have part in the actual crime
(Genesis 34). All too often, what is in our own heart, the intentions that lie
within us, is what we impose on others. In other words, when we encounter a
situation that we consider, within ourselves, impossible to forgive, we assume
that others are not capable of forgiving or overcoming. The evil intentions
that lie within us, we impose on others, becoming suspicious of their
intentions. Yet, as born again believers, we have the Holy Spirit and the power
of Christ that enables us to do what is impossible for us to do. Joseph said
something that is very important for us to remember; when we decide what
someone else’s consequences should be, when we decide that someone does not
deserve forgiveness, when we decide what their ultimate sentence should be, and
actually take steps to carry it out, we put ourselves in place we never belong…in
the place of God. God forbid that we should ever decide that we are judge in
the life of anyone else. John 5:22 tells us, “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment
to the Son”. Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-5, “Judge not, that you
be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with
the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at
the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’;
and look, a plank is in your
own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. This
being said, it does not mean that we gloss over the sinful behavior of our
brothers and sisters in Christ. We can certainly hold each other accountable
without being judgmental. As a matter of fact, we are called to deal with each
other when we stumble with the intent of bringing about restoration (Galatians
6:1-3). Anything short of that puts us in a place we do not belong, in the
place of God. This is why it is of utmost importance that we always be ready to
forgive, giving room for the Lord to determine what the consequences will be
for those who sin against us, especially when it comes to our own brothers and
sisters in Christ (Ephesians 4:31-32; Colossians 3:12-14; Romans 12:9-21). My
brothers and sisters, there is a big difference between being a discerning
Christian and a judgmental Christian. We are called to be discerning, not
everyone else’s judge. We are called to hold one another accountable, but for
the purpose of reconciliation, unity, and exhorting one another for the glory
of God.
Monday, November 20, 2017
Can Our Promises Be Trusted?
Verse of the day:
Genesis 50:5 ‘My father made
me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying; in my grave which I dug for myself in
the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.” Now therefore, please let me go
up and bury my father, and I will come back.’”
One
of the most hurtful things we can do as born again believers is fail to keep
our word. When we make promises that we do not intend to keep, or make promises
and then make no real effort to keep them, we end up hurting family, friends,
and we fracture relationships. As Christians, when we give our word to do
something, we are representing Christ, and the blemish is not only on us, but
on our testimony as a follower of Jesus. Matthew 5:37 tells us that our ‘yes’
should be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ should be ‘no’. In other words, it should not be
necessary for us to take an oath, or vow to do something, to prove our
faithfulness in keeping our word. Too often we allow the busyness of our lives to
override the things we have promised others we would do; and I am afraid that
many of us are guilty of this. As born again believers we should be known as
the most trustworthy people who do what we say we will do. Whether in personal
relations, or in conducting business, we should have the kind of reputation
that would bring someone to our defense, if we are not present, and being
accused of being someone who deals dishonestly with others by not following
through on whatever we say we will do. Joseph had made a promise to his father
Israel, and now that his father has died, he had every intention on keeping his
promise. The fact that he was adamant in keeping his word was founded on the fact
that Joseph was a man of integrity. Proverbs 11:3 tells us that, “The integrity of the
upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will
destroy them.” A person who continually fails to honor his/her word
reveals the fact that they are a person of little or no integrity; and this
ought never to be the testimony of one who represents Jesus Christ on this
earth. Sadly, a person who cares little about keeping his/her word, in general,
is also a person who will make promises, and vows, to God, but continually fail
to follow through, thereby taking God’s grace and forgiveness for granted. King
Solomon warns us in Ecclesiastes 5:4, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay
to pay it; for He has no
pleasure in fools.” All too often, well meaning Christians do this in promising
to give in the local church, whether it involves tithes, offerings, missions,
or a particular need. A person is convicted to give, makes a promise to give,
but then procrastinates in giving, and eventually talks themselves out of
giving what they promised they would give. We can find many excuses, or should
I say that the devils give us plenty of excuses, as to why it is okay to not
follow through on what we promised we would do. “After all, the circumstances
were different when I said I could/would do that.” Sound familiar? The bottom
line is that we, who proclaim to love God, and represent Jesus, should be known
as people whose word can be always trusted, and counted on.
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Put It Away
Verse of the day: Genesis
49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath,
for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in
Israel.
Israel
continues down the line from Reuben to Simeon and Levi. Again we see that their
actions from long ago have come back to visit them once again. In their anger
they murder the men of Shechem, and it is likely that these two led their brothers
in the idea of killing Joseph before Reuben tried to intervene, and Judah
convinced them to sell him into slavery instead (Genesis 37). In their anger
they turned their swords, that were meant for good, for their protection and
defense of others, into weapons of destruction used to kill. This is the danger
in uncontrolled anger. Sadly, there are far too many born again believers that
have fallen into the trap of using the Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, and
wielding wildly, in their anger, doing more damage than good. The Word of God
is described as a two-edge sword (Hebrews 4:12), and we can use it to cut and
heal or cut and kill. A skilled surgeon can take a scalpel and perform to most
delicate of surgeries to save someone’s life. However, that same scalpel in the
hands of an unskilled person can be a deadly weapon that is used to cut, and
slash, someone to death. We must be careful that when we preach against those
things that are done in opposition to what God says is right and true, that we
do not do it in an unloving and angry way. Far too many people have been turned
away from Christ because too many Christians have been unloving in the way they
communicate God’s truth. The Word of God tells us to always speak the truth in
love (Ephesians 4:15). There is nothing wrong with being passionate, but we can
be passionate and loving. Note that Israel was not condemning Simeon and Levi,
but their anger. The Bible does not tell us not to be angry, but tells us to be
angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26). We can, and will, become angry with what we
see happening in the world around us, and even up close and personal in our own
lives; but how we respond, and how we utilize that anger will determine if we
cross the line into sinful behavior. Simeon, and Levi, in their anger for what
was done to their sister Dinah, decided that there would be no forgiveness, and
that the price that would be paid would be murder. However, note that in the
heat of their anger, they not only killed the offender, but they killed all the
men of Shechem. Uncontrolled anger will always cause our response to any
situation to go far beyond what was necessary to resolve whatever the issue was,
and do far more damage to our testimony for Christ, and those around us. Jesus
told us in Matthew 5:22, “But I say
unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in
danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be
in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell fire.” When we fail to control our anger, we give the
devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:26-27). We are told in James 1:20 that our anger
does nothing to promote the righteousness of God. There are a number of verses,
in the Scriptures, that warn us to avoid reacting to situations in anger. There
was great wisdom in proclaiming the division of the two tribes, as the Word of
God clearly tells us that we are not to make friends with a hot-tempered
person, or one who is easily angered (Proverbs 22:24). Later, we see the result
of this division, from which we can learn a valuable lesson. On the one hand,
we have Simeon’s tribe, which eventually become the weakest of all tribes
(Numbers 26:14). His anger became a curse to both him and his descendants. On
the other hand we see God’s grace in dealing with the tribe of Levi. The
separation of these two tribes turned this curse into a blessing for the
Levites, who were later chosen, by God, to serve as priests (Numbers 1:48-53). Once
again, we see God’s mercy, and grace, that is still available to us today. God
does not discard us as quickly as men do. We must not forsake God because of
the actions of, or rejection from, people, even if it is our brothers/sisters
in Christ. Just as God was merciful, and willing to use the Levites, He is
still willing to use those of us who have struggled with tendencies towards
uncontrolled anger. Any one of us who turns from sinful behavior, and turns to
Christ, can be used for God’s glory. The choice ultimately becomes ours. Let us
choose what we are commanded in Psalm 37:8, “Cease from anger,
and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.”
Saturday, November 18, 2017
The Price Is Far Too High
Verse of the day:
Genesis 49:3-4 “Reuben,
you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency
of dignity and the excellency of power. 4 Unstable as water, you shall not
excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it—
he went up to my couch.”
Forty
years have passed, and here Reuben is brought face to face with the sin he
committed against his father Israel. In defiling his father’s bed by engaging
in an incestuous act with Israel’s concubine wife, Bilhah, he brought a
blemish, a stain, on his character that will not be removed. The Tribe of
Reuben is one that will not see power or wealth. The double portion that would
have been allotted to him as Jacob’s firstborn has been given to the firstborn
of Rachel, Joseph. His loss of influence was seen early on when his brothers
ignored his advice when they sold Joseph into slavery. Reuben’s sin, though he
may have been forgiven by God, and his father, was one that had lasting
consequences. Today, those of us who yield to the temptation to sin stand the
chance that part of the consequences we may suffer is a blemish on our
character that will never go away, and will come to haunt us at the most
inopportune time. When we fail to flee from sin, we set ourselves up to give
the demons ammunition to use against us as we try to serve the Lord; for
although God may be forgiving, many people, yes, even Christians, are not. What
that means for us is that there exists a good possibility that someone,
somewhere, will bring up our past, and use it against us, to discourage us,
when we are trying to share Christ with others, or even when we are trying to
give someone else godly advice. The enemy love opportunities to discourage us,
even though we may have repented, confessed, learned something, and moved on,
from our past choices. The reality of it is that even though God can still, and
will, use us, we will face difficulties on the course that the Lord set for us
to run. King David’s family suffered as a result of his sin with Bathsheba, and
the killing of Uriah. In 2 Samuel 12:10, God told David that the sword would
never depart from his house. We later see that his daughter Tamar is raped by
her own brother Amnon, who is then killed, two years later, by David’s other
son Absalom, who also rebels against King David, and tries to overthrow his
kingdom. Like Moses, it is better for us, as God’s children, to suffer
affliction than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25). The
price that we will pay for sin is one that none of us can afford, especially
when it mars our character and reputation; possibly rendering us useless for
certain ministries that the Lord may want to use us in. It is truly a costly
lesson that none of us can afford to learn. The world, and the devils, want us
to be convinced that we will miss out on something if we do not partake in the
sinful behaviors that allegedly bring us great pleasure, and will bring us joy
and happiness. The truth is that what the world has to offer, its sinful ways,
will keep us from attaining true joy, peace and happiness, because true peace
and joy can only come from Jesus. The Lord tells us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.” Reuben’s sin came back to haunt him forty years
after he committed it. God did not record this in His Word in vain. Let us heed
the warning, and do all we can to protect our character and reputation so that
it does not become a hindrance in our service to the Lord.
P.S. If you
have already done something in your life that has left a spiritual scar, and
put a blemish on your reputation; be of good courage, our God can still use us
for His glory if we have repented, confessed, and decided to get back in the
fight. It is not over until He takes us home.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Let God Choose
Verse of the day:
Genesis 48:17 Now when
Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it
displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from
Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
Joseph
is a bit upset over God leading Israel to choose to bless Joseph’s younger son
Ephraim with a greater blessing than the lesser blessing bestowed over his
older son Manasseh. He seems to have forgotten that God chose him over his
older brothers to be their earthly savior. There are several examples in
Scripture where God chooses to bless the younger sibling over the older. In Israelite
culture, it was customary to bless the oldest with a double portion. Yet, we
see Isaac chosen over Ishmael, and Jacob over Esau. Later we see Moses chosen
over Aaron, and David over his older brothers, just to name a few. God does not
choose the way we choose. God give gifts, talents, and abilities, to whomever
He chooses. He uses those that seem least likely, by the world’s standard, and
raises them beyond our expectations. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 reads, “For you see your calling,
brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the
foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the
weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and
the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen,
and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that
no flesh should glory in His presence.” Sadly, there are far too many
Christians today who are wasting their talents, and abilities, trying to gain
more from the world, rather than allowing God to use them to be a blessing for
the Kingdom. Over the years I have seen less and less born again believers
surrender to serve God in the local church, but work tirelessly to make more
money, or gain power and prestige in the workplace, and in society. The world
will call us to sacrifice our lives on the altar of personal, and material,
gain, which we will happily do until we are miserable; yet, we consider
preparing a Bible lesson for a class on Sunday, or the opportunity to serve in
some other capacity to serve God’s people, to be a heavy burden that it is just
impossible to take on. Some waste far too much time comparing their talents and
abilities with others, and get discouraged because they could never do what “so
and so” is doing. Well, God did not ask you or me to do what “so and so” is
doing. He is asking us to do what He desires for us to do, and will enable us
to do it through the working of the Spirit in us, and through us. The bottom
line is that God will choose whomever He wants to choose, to accomplish
whatever it is He calls us to do. 1 Corinthians 12 is very clear that within
the body there are diverse gifts. These gifts are not for the purpose of
bringing division within the body, but bringing unity. We are to use our
differing gifts to complement one another, and work together to accomplish the
work of God. Too many spend way too much time comparing, and envying, the gifts
that others have. This envy turns into covetousness over positions within the
body that we are not called to, simply because some want to be on the
forefront, and desire the accolades of being recognized. God has chosen some of
us to do what might seem as a lesser task, and chosen some of us to do what
might seem to be great things; however, they are equally important in
accomplishing God’s work here on earth. Let us take our eyes off of what God is
doing with others, and concern ourselves with whatever race, and path, God has
chosen for us; for each of us will be rewarded, not for what we choose to do
for God ourselves, but for our faithfulness in doing what God has chosen for us
to do.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Our Final Concern
Verse of the day:
Genesis 47:29-30 When the time
drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Now
if I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and
deal kindly and truly with me. Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but
let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in
their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.”
What
would be most important to any one of us if we were told at this very moment
that we were going to die, for certain, within this coming week? What would be
most important for us to accomplish in that time period? Would the things that
we have worried about and made priorities in our lives still be a worry or as
important? What would we change? What would become most important to us? The
Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this
the judgment”. Death is the one thing that cannot be avoided in this
life. As a matter of fact, there is not one person alive who has been
guaranteed that he/she will be alive tomorrow (unless Jesus returned today). If
this be true, which it is, then let us stop and think about what we have made
most important in our life, and consider what things we worry about most. Jacob
has not had an easy pilgrimage on earth. He suffered much, but now is coming
near to the time that he must die. His son Joseph he had for seventeen years
before his brothers betrayed and sold him into slavery. Now, after finding out
that Joseph was alive and being reunited, God has chosen to redeem that time
and give Israel another seventeen years with his beloved son. God brought
Joseph back into Israel’s life during a famine that affected both Egypt and
Canaan. However, even when the famine was at its worst, God provided for
Israel, and his family, because of what God had done in Joseph’s life, and how
He was using him. Now, his only concern is where he will be buried. Why was
this particular issue such a concern in a time when Israel was so close to his
time to die? First, we can learn from Israel’s life that only God can truly
redeem our time and make right the things that have gone wrong. He promise that
He would work all things together for our good; ALL THINGS (Romans 8:28). Secondly,
why do we worry about things that God already told us He would take care of,
and provide for us, if we sought the Kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:25-34)?
Finally, of all the things to prioritize in our lives, do we stop and consider
what our relationship to the Lord is, and where we will finally find ourselves
when death come knocking at our door? Do we stop to consider that what is most
important in this life is our relationship with Jesus, and whether or not our
family, loved ones, and friends also have an intimate relationship with Him?
Jacob, now nearing the time of his death, was first, and foremost, concerned
with being buried in the land God promised to give him and his descendants;
Canaan was their promised resting place, and is our picture of Heaven. For
Jacob it was a matter of being put to rest in the place God promised would be
his final resting place. Like Jacob, we must concern ourselves with whether or
not we are truly heaven-bound, and whether or not we have been diligent in
living our lives in such a way as to allow God to use us to bring others to a
saving knowledge of Jesus. Sadly, we are far too quick to want to read
devotionals about how we can do better in living our lives, but turn a deaf ear
to ones that remind us, and encourage us, to share the Gospel with others. God
was very clear when He said, in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature.” In the end, when our time comes to die,
there will be nothing that is more important than whether or not our home is
Heaven, and whether or not we truly lived this life for the glory of God that
enabled us to share Jesus with others.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
We Are Only Passing Through
Verse of the day:
Genesis 47:9 And Jacob said
to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the
days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the
years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”
In
this chapter, Joseph presents his brothers, and father, before Pharaoh (v. 1-2).
Here, Joseph and his brothers is a picture of us and Christ before our Heavenly
Father. Joseph’s brothers do not deserve anything but condemnation for what
they had done to Joseph; yet, he is here presenting them before Pharaoh, who
has the earthly authority to grant them a place in Goshen. That request is
granted, not based on the brothers’ favor with Pharaoh, but because of Joseph’s.
Jesus, our Savior, Lord, and Advocate, presents us before our Heavenly Father, knowing
that we have found favor because we are in Him, and it is Jesus’ righteousness
before the Father that makes us acceptable, and makes us a citizen of heaven (2
Corinthians 5:21). Jacob in being presented to Pharaoh, again shows due
respect, and blesses Pharaoh, both at his meeting him, and his departure from
his presence (v. 7, 10). However, what I would like to focus on is the answer
that Jacob gives Pharaoh when he inquires of his age. Jacob refers to his life
on earth as a pilgrimage, or a temporary stay. He viewed his life on earth as a
place that he was passing through on the way to his true home with God. The Word
of God is very clear that we, who are born again followers of Jesus, are
pilgrims, strangers, and aliens here on earth. This place is not our home.
Philippians 3:20 tells us, “For our
citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ”. As pilgrims and strangers here on earth, we are urged to abstain
from fleshly lust, and live a life that honors God before those who are unsaved
(1 Peter 2:11-12). Remembering where our true citizenship truly lies also helps
us to endure the suffering that we face here on earth. Regardless of how many
years God gives us here, it is of no comparison to eternity spent with Him (2
Corinthians 4:17; 1 Peter 1:6; 5:10). Jacob, in his one hundred and thirty
years of life, suffered much. In his early years he had to flee from his
brother Esau who sought to kill him (Gen 27). While in his uncle Laban’s house,
he had to suffer hardships (Gen 31). At Shechem his daughter was raped and his
sons put him in a difficult situation when they murdered the men of Shechem
(Gen 34). Not long after that, his wife Rachel, whom he loved, died (Gen 35);
and finally, one of the greatest pains he suffered was the thought that his son
Joseph was dead (Gen 37). When we stop and think about Jacob’s sufferings, a
good portion of them came as a consequence of his own decisions. Esau was angry
with him because he deceitfully stole his birthright and blessings which landed
him in his uncle’s house. Part of the reason Joseph was hated and betrayed by
his brothers was Jacob’s outward demonstration of his favoritism for Joseph.
Yet, when it was all said and done, God was still with Jacob, and kept His the
promise He made to him, his father Isaac, and grandfather Abraham. The bottom
line is that we will all suffer in this lifetime, and some of the suffering may
even come as a result of our own decision-making. Nonetheless, God’s goodness
in spite of us, and the fact that we are only here for a short time and our
real home is Heaven, should give us the hope and strength to endure whatever
God allows us to suffer for His sake, and for His glory. Let us hold on to our
Living Hope, Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3), as we travel this short journey on our
way home.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Honor and Respect Where It Is Due
Verse of the day: Genesis
46:28-29 Then he
sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out before him the way to Goshen. And they came to the
land of Goshen. 29 So Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to Goshen to
meet his father Israel; and he presented himself to him, and fell on his neck
and wept on his neck a good while.
What
a beautiful demonstration of respect we see here on the part of both Israel,
and Joseph, as they prepare to meet each other for the first time, after so
many years of being apart. Israel sends Judah ahead as a gesture of respect for
Joseph’s position, even though he is his father. He demonstrates a respect for
Joseph’s position, which is proper for us to do as born again believers, and
representatives of Jesus Christ here on earth. There are many verses that
command us to submit to, and honor those in authority over us (1 Peter 2:13-17;
Romans 13; Hebrews 13:17; Titus 3:1-2). In respect to paying taxes, which is a
form of submission to what the government dictates, Jesus Himself said in
Matthew 22:21, “Render
therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that
are God’s.” When we submit and give honor to those in authority, we do
it to God’s honor as His children. On the other side of this scene, we see
Joseph, who has such great authority, humble himself, and go out to meet his
father, and presented himself to him. The word “presented” used here is a word
indicated to show oneself in respect to the person you are going before.
Joseph, in being a man of integrity, is honoring his father, which is a command
that has no statute of limitations as far as God is concerned. It is the one
command that has no parameters given in which God allows us to violate it.
Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 19:3, Matthew 15:4, and other verses clearly command us
to honor our father and mother. Ephesians 6:2 reminds us that this is the first
command with a promise, that it may go well with us, and we may be long lived
on earth. This command does not make exception because we may not agree with
what our parents have done, or how they have lived. We are called to honor our
parents, not because of who they are, but because of who God is, and because the
command comes from Him. After so many years of not seeing one another, no one
would blame Israel or Joseph if they simply rushed in to embrace each other and
celebrate their reunion. However, God has shown us a wonderful example of
something that has been lost from generation to generation; and something that
we see far too little of today…mutual respect for one another, especially for
those in authority, and for parents in general. It is a sad thing to see people
who claim to love the Lord, and love His Word, rebel against authority, and
disrespect father or mother simply because of differing opinions or because the
father or mother was not a “perfect” parent. Many of us who have failed to
honor a parent have grown up to make our own mistakes, and bad choices, as
parents; making us realize how wrong we were to judge our parents for their
decisions and actions. The bottom line for us, as Christians, is that there is
no valid excuse for us, outside of being asked to violate God’s commands, to
disobey those in authority over us, or dishonor, and disrespect, our father or
mother. To dishonor any of them is do dishonor the One who gave us the command.
Monday, November 13, 2017
We Just Never Know
Verse of the day: Genesis
46:1 So Israel took his journey
with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God
of his father Isaac.
Joseph
was sold into slavery as a teenager, and at the age of thirty becomes the
governor of Egypt. His father Jacob, for all those years, was under the
impression, based on the lies of his sons, that Joseph was dead. Jacob is most
likely under the assumption that he will spend the rest of his living days in
Canaan, and from there he will go to the grave. Two things happen in Israel’s
life at this time; first, he receives news that his son Joseph is not only
alive, but he is also second in command in Egypt! For all the years of grief
that he experienced thinking that Joseph had perished, his joy is now hundredfold
in finding out that he is alive and very well. Next, we see that Jacob will now
uproot his family and relocate in Goshen at Joseph’s direction. Like Jacob, we
never know from day to day where God will lead us. We may establish our roots
in one place, but as God’s children, and servants, we must always be ready to
move at a moment’s notice once God shows us that it is time to move on. He may
choose to leave us in one place for an extended time, and may even allow us to
experience tough times; but God is always present, and always working in our
lives. We should make our plans in pencil, and give God the eraser. James
4:13-15 read, Come now, you
who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year
there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know
what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little
time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall
live and do this or that.” We do not know what each day will bring, and we are
not even guaranteed that we will be alive to see one more day. There is no harm
in planning for tomorrow, but we must leave plenty of room for God to direct
where we will go tomorrow, should He tarry, and should He allow us to live one
more day. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us that we are to trust the Lord with all our
heart, and not lean on our own understanding; in all our ways acknowledge Him,
and He will direct our paths. Jacob, as he takes his journey, stops at the
place where God met his Abraham (Gen 21) and Isaac (Gen 26), and there he too
has communion with God. God reassures Jacob that He is with him, and will
accompany him on his journey. The one thing that we, as born again believers,
can be certain of, as we travel the paths God sets us on, is that He is always
with us. Hebrews 13:5-6 reassures us that He will never leave us nor forsake
us. Jacob does what each of us should do, even when we are certain that God is
moving us from one place to another; and that is to seek God all along the way.
He will guide us, and provide everything we need along the way. The bottom line
is that we never know when God is going to summons us to move from the place
where we have currently planted ourselves. We must also keep in mind that if
God has led us to one place, that does not mean that it will be our final
resting place in our service to Him. The Lord will lead us to wherever we are
willing to go, if we make ourselves available to serve Him in whatever manner,
and in whichever location He chooses. Be open to whatever God has planned,
today, tomorrow, and thereafter, if He tarries.
Sunday, November 12, 2017
It Was God
Verse of the day: Genesis
45:5; & 8 “But now, do not
therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God
sent me before you to preserve life.” 8 “So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to
Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of
Egypt.”
What
a perspective! If only we, who call ourselves God’s children, would see all of
life’s events, whether good or bad, as situations and circumstances that were
brought about, and allowed, by God, who is a good God. What a difference that
would make in how we respond to those situations and the people involved. How
could we hold on to bitterness and anger, or seek vengeance, when we acknowledge
that our suffering is allowed by God in order to accomplish something bigger
than we are? Joseph did not hold one ounce of contention toward his brothers,
as he acknowledged, and communicated to them, that it was God who sent him to
Egypt to preserve their lives, and the lives of their families. Here we see the
results of a man who trusted God, and held on to his integrity throughout all
his years of suffering. Because Joseph was someone who kept his eyes on God,
regardless of how much he had to endure, he was readily able to forgive his
brothers, and realize that all the had befallen him was part of God’s plan in
order to accomplish God’s greater purpose for His people. There is not one of
us, regardless of who we are, or what we must endure in this lifetime, that
suffers trials and tribulations in vain. Even those trials that we bring on
ourselves, by our own decisions, God will use to mold us, shape us, and use it for
our good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). Humanly speaking, Joseph’s brothers
did not deserve forgiveness. Joseph, now being governor of Egypt, had within
his power the ability to take vengeance on each of them. However, in
recognizing that it was God who was working to bring him to Egypt, he chose
instead to forgive and give God the glory for what he was now able to do, in
the midst of a great famine, to save his family. The type of forgiveness that
was demonstrated here is a wonderful picture of the forgiveness that we have received
from our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. We do not deserve an ounce of
forgiveness, nor do we deserve salvation, but God has forgiven us our
trespasses for Christ’s sake (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). Again, Joseph
approached this moment with much wisdom, already having a heart to forgive his
brother long before this encounter; but testing them to see if they were truly
repentant, and changed, men. Once this was confirmed, he readily revealed
himself to them and comforted them in proclaiming that what they had done was
used as part of God’s plan to bring Joseph to this moment in time. Note
something very important in what Joseph said to his brothers, “do not therefore
be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here”. When we do
wrong, and come to a place of true repentance, there is also an opportunity for
the devils to use the guilt associated with what we did to oppress us, and keep
us paralyzed in our service to God. Joseph was reassuring his brothers that he
held absolutely no ill feelings toward them, and just as he forgave them, they
would need to forgive themselves. So often, we repent and confess our sins, but
then hold on to the guilt long after the Lord has forgiven us. We see this
later in chapter 50, after Israel’s death, that Joseph’s brothers were still
holding on to the guilt of what they did to Joseph, and feared that he would
take vengeance on them after their father’s death. Joseph’s reply to them in
chapter 50, verses 19-21, was again a reminder of what he had communicated to
them here, Joseph
said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I
in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to
bring it about as it is this
day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will
provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly
to them.
Not only did he reassure them, but he did it with kindness. There was no
bitterness or contention in his voice or attitude toward them at all. This is
the kind of forgiveness that we receive from God, because of Christ; and is the
kind of forgiveness that we are commanded to show others when we are offended
or wronged. The bottom line is that regardless of what the offense or the
circumstance, it is all about what God chooses to allow or not allow. If He has
allowed it, then He has a plan in how He intends to use it in our lives, and
the lives of others in our service to Him; all for His glory.
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