Our Relationships Need God's Love

Genesis 25:32-34 -  “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”  But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.  Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.  So Esau despised his birthright.

Rebekah had two sons that struggled with each other from the beginning…inside her womb.  They grew up polar opposites. Esau was a wild man …skilled in hunting…who became very close to his father.  But Jacob was a sort of momma’s boy …content to stay close to the tents.

They grew apart even more when great hunger caused the older Esau to sell his birthright for a simple bowl of stew.  Jacob had no problem asking for him to sell this priceless possession. And Esau seemed to sell out quickly…claiming his great hunger had placed him close to death.

Neither son handled relationships very well.  Jacob was sneaky and most likely knew his brother would do just what he wanted if he had a meal ready when he returned.  Esau was more interested in satisfying his physical needs than thinking of the future. They were both selfish…lived in the moment…and did not use the God their grandfather had taught Isaac about.

It’s a reminder to me to always include God in any relationship. These brothers struggled with each other because they did not try to work out peace among them.  They drove themselves farther away from each other with their selfish desires and schemes. The rift between them is going to get worse…we won’t read about God being a part of their relationship till a few chapters more.

It is also a reminder that God will use our mistakes to work good.  It might take longer for us to realize the will he had planned for us all along…but he will lead us lack to a path that sets us where he wants us to be.  It is going to take some large portions of forgiveness from Esau…but later in genesis they work things out.

Father…thank you for the reminders that you belong in every relationship that we have…and even when we don’t….you will use our mistakes for good when we finally involve you.  Forgive me for the times that I have been selfish like Jacob and Esau…and forgotten to include you in my relationships. Help me to use your love to build the strongest relationships I can with my family…friends...and the lost you might send me to… so I can share your gospel and help them learn about your love. Amen.

Our Faith Is A Great Source of Comfort... Strength...And Power

Genesis 24:6-7 -  “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said.  “The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.’

Abraham was dying…but had finally learned to completely trust God for his future.  He took the time to let the senior servant of his household know how important it was for his son Isaac to take a wife from his people back home. He knew the dangers of letting Isaac go home himself…or allowing him to marry a Canaanite woman. Isaac would need a supportive wife that also believed in the promise of God.

Death …whether it is someone we love…or our own…tends to focus the mind on what is most important. We surrender to God and learn to use what strength we may have in those moments to let him lead us through this difficult time.  Abraham used his last days to send his servant to find Isaac a wife from his family back home. He made sure this servant knew that he was to depend on God for every decision that he would have to make while on this mission.

And we get to read about one of the sweetest…God romances in the Bible.  The servant asked for signs...and all the signs happened in lightning speed. The family agreed to an immediate departure to a land far away…and Rebekah went willingly to meet her new husband.

I love the part where the servant stopped to give God praise and thanks when his prayers were answered so quickly.  Nothing else gives us more strength and comfort than praising our father for answered prayer…even when the answer is not what we wanted.  The praise we offer up keeps our heart focused on God…and helps prevent us from getting side tracked in things that God never intended to be a part of who we are. 

What a great reminder that when we stay focused on God’s plan a purpose for our lives his answers come quickly and we receive all the strength and courage to complete each part of his plan. This servant took his mission seriously…and included God in each and every step. The faith of Abraham was shared with a servant…who became a new vessel of God in the process.

Thank you God for the reminder that the faith you have given to us is a great source of strength… comfort… and courage. Forgive me for the times that I have moved ahead of you..or forgotten to ask and trust you for my directions . Forgive me too for all the times that I have forgotten to stop in a moment of praise and thanks for your answers. Help me to completely give all my thoughts and concerns over to you and let you handle them. Help me to remember to ask your help in all that I do and say.  Amen.

No Compromises

Genesis 23:16-18 -   Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver,according to the weight current among the merchants.  So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded to Abraham as his property in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. 

Sarah lived a full life of 127 years. Since she died in Hebron…a location in the land of Canaan...Abraham had no legal place to bury his wife.  So he went to the man who owned what he thought would be the perfect cave to bury her in…and bought it for 400 pieces of silver. The people of the land respected him so much that Ephron wanted to just give it to him…but Abraham insisted that it be paid for proper.

I admit that I had no thoughts what this might be saying to me until I read the Matthew Henry Commentary I keep with my Bible. He had two thoughts that I had not really considered.  First…Abraham did not want to be ‘beholden’ to the pagans that he purchased the land from. He also spoke of how Abraham might have been thinking of God’s promise to give him the land….all of it…at some point.

Abraham had already experienced the timing of God.  He had no clue what master plan God was welding to deed this entire land over to him and his son…so he was content for now to own just a portion of it to place his beloved wife. He did not ask for more than his current needs required…just enough to reverently give his wife a place to rest till they saw the glory of God together someday.

The second of Henry’s thoughts really spoke to me.  The land of Canaan was filled with a pagan nation who did not worship God.  Some believed in him…but none trusted him fully like Abraham and his family. If Abraham had taken the land as gift…it might have signaled his willingness to compromise his faith with these people.

What a great reminder to stand strong in this world where believers and people who practice so many other religions and faiths must share the land. God did not promise to unify us all until he returns to claim his earthly throne. It is up to us to speak clear messages like Abraham when we have to make tough decisions in life. We can compromise and open the door to a weaker faith…or keep pure…and let God strengthen the portion we already have. 

Father…thank you for the reminder that some decisions should be made with no compromise.  Forgive me for the times that I have let the situation I am in speak compromise to my heart.  Help me to stand strong and speak only the truth that you have given us in your Bible. Amen.

What Size Is Your Heart?

Genesis 2:11-12 -  But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”  “Here I am,” he replied.  “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

God had appeared to Abraham to “test” him.  He wanted to know whether Abraham loved his son more than he did God.  So he told him to take him to a mountain 3 days travel away and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering.  We read about no questions from Abraham…just a quick effort to pack the things he needed the very next morning …then start on his way.

We can only wonder what Abraham’s thoughts were as he traveled those three days. Perhaps the conversation between the father…son and two servants distracted him from dwelling too much on the task he had been given.  Perhaps he prayed silently for God to change his mind.  Perhaps his strong faith just knew God would either change his mind…provide another sacrifice when they got there… or perhaps raise him from the dead after he sacrificed him.

Perhaps the lesson was also for Isaac. We don’t read about any fear or struggle as he was bound and laid upon that alter. What faith Isaac must have had in his father to comply completely with no questions. His only question was answered with a simple “God will provide.”

What did Abraham and Isaac feel in that moment the angel revealed that God had changed his mind.  He knew for certain that Abraham “feared” God. He loved God more than the son God had given him as fulfillment of his promise.  He loved God more than the prospects of having infinite numbers of descendants.

I admit that this is one of the hardest stories in the Bible to comprehend and process. I also admit that I have failed so many of the tests God has allowed in my life to prove my love…I have lost count. But I must have passed enough for God to keep working on my faith.  He must have something else for me to accomplish on this earth…for I am still here. When we fail one test…God trains us a little more…then tests us again.

One last thought.  God is more interested in the condition of our heart than anything else about us. As long as we fear him…he will keep chasing us and teaching us how to love him so completely that we too could be as strong as Abraham and Isaac.  It is never too late….there is much truth in one of my favorite Dr. Seuss stories… “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”  We just need to capture the faith of that sweet Cindy Lou Who…and not give up on the Grinch’s of the world till all their hearts have grown 3 sizes. That’s what the great commission is all about.

Father….thank you for the reminder that the disposition of our heart is more important to you than any outward thing we say or do.  Forgive me for allowing the world to build callouses around the heart that you are trying to make soft and caring.  Help me find the child-like faith that you gave me when I was born and redevelop it …so my heart will grow as many sizes as it needs too for you to use it to help others.  Amen.

Make Someone Laugh With Joy...Testify Of God's Great Blessings

Genesis 21:5-7 -  Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.   And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”  She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

God’s promise was finally realized into flesh for Abraham and Sarah. They were well into what we consider old age…even Sarah spoke that they were well past child bearing years. She laughed with joy…and wanted everyone around her to laugh with her…for God had done great things for them.

What a great reminder to share the joy we feel over God’s great blessings to us.  The joy we feel is contagious.  The unbelief Sarah felt was changed to pure joy and a faith that would give her fading physical body the strength it would need to nurse and raise Isaac. Her attitude did a 180.

The messages of faith and courage…the wow stories that God has planted in our hearts can speak his love quicker than any sermon.  We should never keep them to ourselves…but take lessons from Sarah….the world could sure use a little positive. Sarah forgot all the tears she had shed waiting for God’s promise.  She shed her unbelief and traded it for the joy that only God plants in our hearts when he blesses us with something good.

Father…thank you for the reminder to never let my joy be hid.  Forgive me for the times that my attitude reflects sourness or sadness. Help me to shed the negative and put on a full wardrobe of joy…and be ready to share it with all that I see so they too can laugh and share it.  Amen.

Trust God Completely... No Need To Twist The Truth Or Invent Our Own Protection

Genesis 20:11-13 -  And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.  But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.  And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”

Abraham had journeyed south to live in the land of Gerar. He was worried once again for his safety there so he told the same lie to the king that he had used before…that his wife was his sister. The king immediately saw the beauty of Sarah…even in her advanced age….and took her to into his haram of wives and concubines.  God wasted no time revealing the truth to this king…that she was Abraham’s wife. He woke with a fear of God’s promise to let him die if he did not return her immediately.

Abraham carefully chose his words of explanation when he was confronted. She was a step-sister…even though they were married. He also spoke his fears of danger when they traveled….and how he had asked her so long ago to use her sister title when they came to new places for his safety.

There are several problems with Abraham’s thinking.  First…he never asked God if his twisting of the truth was the way he should handle his fears. Abraham must have temporarily forgotten the promise God had made to make him a great nation…complete with a new child in the next year by Sarah. Surely that included a measure of protection from any danger till that promise was carried out. I also wonder why Abraham had not learned his lesson from the consequences of the first time he used this lie. Was he really willing to risk his new child with Sarah by letting her become the wife of another man?

It is a reminder to me that to twist the truth…to tell a half-truth…to withhold details from the truth are all forms of lies. We can justify just about anything if we carefully plan the way we put together our words. It is also another reminder to ask God what to do …instead of forming our own plan without him. Just because God will intervene to keep us in his will…doesn’t mean that stepping out without him is the way to deal with our worries and concerns.

Father…thank you for the reminder that your promises include protection and coverings when danger seems to cross the pathway that we know to be your will for our life.  We do not need to twist the truth or invent our own way of rescue when we feel threatened or in danger…especially if it includes twisting the truth.  Forgive me for the times I have knowing gone ahead of you with my own version of the truth so I can justify my own selfish desires.  Show me how to live so completely in your will that I trust you in evry time of confusion and danger. Amen.

Take Someone's Hand...And Lead Them To The Safety Of Christ

Genesis 19:15-16 -  When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.”  And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 

The angels followed God’s command and went to see for themselves the condition of Lot’s chosen town. The angels saw and heard first-hand the evil that was there….first thing in the morning hurrying Lot to leave before it was too late. They physically took his hand and led him out in the end…Lot lingering way too long before following their instructions.

It’s a sad story to write about on Christmas day…but a great reminder of two things for me. First…God will take our hand and lead us where we need to be...if we let him.  I can’t imagine why Lot lingered in this town.  God had to take him by the hand to keep his promise to Abraham.  The second is a truth that many refuse to accept.  Christ came as a baby to save the world. We celebrate this truth each year on this day.  But we never need to forget the end of the story.  Those that do not accept Christ will suffer destruction by fire like these towns. Their only chance is if one of us becomes their angel…and takes them by the hand … leading them to the truth.

Father...thank you for the reminder that the plan you started in motion so long ago with your son has an ending. Forgive me for the times that I fail to be that angel who takes the lost by the hand and show them the way to be saved. Help me to learn to be courageous and brave.  Help me to study and memorize the plan you outlined for us in your Bible. Give my spirit a nudge…and place the perfect words in my mouth each time I am near someone who is lost…so they will have a chance to hear the gospel and believe in you. Amen. 

A Christmas Parody… My Christmas Eve Thoughts…12-24-15

Twas the day before Christmas…when all through my house…not a creature was stirring…thank God there were no mice. The stockings were hung on the bakers rack with care…far enough away from the fake pot bellied stove that was the only fireplace she would have for a while.  Her children were snuggled all safe in their beds…in locations far from her…but she had no dread. She knew God was watching them all where they lived…and she could feel the love they had for her even from there. She walked through the house God had given her and counted her blessings…so numerous and wonderful ..so many she had to stop counting. God’s love was so evident in her small home…she ran to her computer…and began typing them there.  She could see him in her parents and sisters so dear…in the friends she had made in towns far and near. She could see him in ministries from her home church and far…even new ways to share his love in the coming year. As she sat and she pondered just how much she had…she gave thanks to God for the many friends that she had. She closed her time with God with a prayer…that all would be blessed in ways she had felt this year.  One last thought she typed out with care…Merry Christmas to all…And to all a great new year!

Love and blessings to my family around the world. I miss you all and appreciate your prayers and support so much! 

Take Time To Plead For The Lost

Genesis 18:23-26 -  And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?  Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?  Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”  So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

Abraham had a wonderful visit with God and two angels.  He washed there feet….fed them…and let them rest under the cooling shade of the terebinth tree. God chose this time to deliver the news of Sarah’s conception. Then he sent the angels on to Sodom to see if the town was indeed as wicked as the outcries he had been receiving from the righteous that had sent up prayers.

When Abraham heard that God intended to destroy the wicked city...he immediately put his joy on the back burner and went to bat for his brother Lot. He boldly plead with God to save the city if he could find 50 righteous within its walls. He kept pleading…dropping the number till is got as low as 10…a number he thought would give safety to his brother and the family that lived inside the city walls.

I had three thoughts…reflections in the form of questions. The first was….has the world become a current day Sodom to God?  Perhaps the whole word is not…but pockets of Sodom-like activity plague many parts of the world. It seems as if for every one person saved and given salvation…two choose a path that does not include God. The second…are there at least 10 people in those places that know God and are trying to witness to these lost souls? And the last…most personal question was am I willing to plead with Christ to save such an area for the sake of those 10?

Perhaps God does not work the same way he did in Abraham’s day.  Jesus changed a lot of things when he gave his life to save us all.  But that shouldn’t stop me from doing my part in pleading with God to save those that can be reached before it is too late. I am blessed to live in an area that doesn’t seem to have any ‘Sodoms.’ But a day is coming when even my sweet town and all those in it that do not know Christ as their personal savior will be cast into a lake of fire to live in agony forever.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to plead daily with you for the souls of the lost in our world. Forgive me for not taking the great commission seriously enough and assuming that others are doing what I should be each day. Help me find time in my prayers to petition you for the souls of everyone in the world that lives without you…to ask you to send out people in their pathway to enlightening them in love of the consequences of their decision to reject you. Use me in as many ways as you can here in my own corner of the world to be an active witness to your amazing saving power. Amen.

The Pure Joy Of Faith

Genesis 17:15 – 17 -  Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.  And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”  Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 

We are not told just how God manifested himself to Abraham to have the talk that would change not just his name…but make him the father of two great nations….but it was a talk that made Abraham fall to his knees once again in awe of God’s mercy and love for his family. His heart was so overjoyed at how God was going to use an impossible situation to bring about his version of possible….his heart laughed with joy.

I have to admit that for all these years I had thought of Abraham’s laughter as one of incredulity….even disbelief… but Matthew Henry...and several other commentators agreed that his laughter was that of a giddy child…opening a present on Christmas day that they thought could never be theirs. I am once again reminded just how much I let my logic and short-sided mind interpret what I see and read. To think that I have read so quickly through these passages and missed the true meaning in this passage makes me wonder just how many other things I have gotten wrong from my lack of in depth study of God’s word.

Abraham was a man of faith…he fell to his knees in thankful praise and awe …believing instantly in God’s words of truth that would overcome the logical facts of his situation.  I needed a reminder to believe…that God can do anything…even if my mind and experience fight the thought of it ever becoming a reality. This kind of faith is what healed the blind man with Jesus’ spit…just read John 9 for that amazing story.  This kind of faith is what healed the woman with an issue of blood for 12 years with a simple touch…that story is in Luke 8. This kind of faith is what held Christ to that cross to complete God’s wonderful plan of salvation.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you can do anything. Forgive me for my short sightedness…that keeps my faith from developing into the pure faith that Abraham … the blind man and the woman who touched Jesus’ robe had.  Help me to deepen my faith so that I too can envision your plans that seem impossible….and fall to my knees in joyous laughter and awe as I hear your words. Amen.

Do You Ask First?

Genesis 16:1-2 -  Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.  So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.

We are not told what conversations Abram had with his wife Sarai about the promise God made to him. Even if they talked about the wonderful experience Abram had with the angel of God…they both must have been very confused about how it could ever come to pass. God had given them no clues to the details of his plan…and the chances of Sarai conceiving after so many years of barrenness weighed heavy on her heart.

The plan her heart contrived seemed perfect in thinking mode. She never imagined the horror it would create for all of them. No one saw the down side of this plan until it was too late to change their mind. Abram welcomed the humble gift his wife gave him…Hagar became prideful .. boasting of her accomplishments and used her newfound status as a wife to create discourse between her rival wife …and Sarai’s heart grew weak and bitter...letting hate drive her to treat Hagar with harshness.

It is a clear picture of what happens when we don’t ask God what to do and begin to use our own logic to map out the pathway to the things we know God has promised. Sarai never asked God what to do.  She never asked God how he planned to give them a family if she was barren.

There was another girl….about a year before our Messiah was born that was given a promise of God. Her first thoughts were questions for the angel that visited her. The angel gave her all the details she needed to carry out God’s plan to merge human DNA with his own.

I admit quickly that I am more of a Sarai than a Mary. I am learning to ask more…but I still let the business of life …the logic of the mind…and plain old forgetfulness that I can’t blame on old age drive me to make way too many decisions without stopping to ask first. The thing that amazes me most is how God loves me despite my tendency to jump ahead of him. Just as he comforted Hagar …he comforts us when we realize our mistake. Some of the consequences of our choices may linger for the rest of our life…but God restores the situation back to his perfect will in his timing.

Father…thank you for the reminder to ask you before acting on our feelings. Forgive me for the times that I don’t stop to ask you what to do…and jump ahead of your timing. Teach me how to drop to my knees in humble prayer to seek your will in all that I do and say. Amen. 

The Key To Positivity....Believe

Genesis 15:4-6 -   And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”  Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”   And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Abram had just rescued his brother Lot and refused any reward or spoils from the King of Sodom.  He returned to his tents with the feeling of victory in his heart…but it was dampened by the doubt and questions his logic was generating about the promise God had made him. God spoke the comforting words… “Do not be afraid”   …and took him out to reaffirm the promise he had made with a visual Abram would never be able to question.

People have tried to number the stars…scientists estimate that there are between 100 - 300 billion in just our milky way galaxy alone. They say we can see around 3,000 of them on a clear moonless night with the unaided eye...and over 100,000 if we have a small telescope. I just bet it was a clear moonless night when Abram stepped out for his lesson in positivity with God.

I have always known in my heart that God understands when we question his promises. Life throws some curve balls… and the logic that we were taught in school just can’t visualize the infinite possibilities that God will use to keep a promise he made to us.  God may not give us direct answers like he gave Abram that day….he may make us wait what seems like an eternity… but he will give us the peace that passes our logical mind if we believe in what he says like Abram.

Moses questioned God….Job questioned him…Mary even asked the angel sent to her how she could possibly bear a child if she had never been with a man. The key to their success was the fact that when God answered each of them…they believed….and allowed God as much time as he needed to manifest his promise to them.

I admit that waiting is hard work.  Waiting requires a deep belief…a belief that is supported by daily prayer and Bible study…and fellowship with others that also believe in the promises of God.  God’s waiting room may have painful lessons meant to teach us exactly what we will need when we are finally called out of the waiting room to receive the promise we never stopped believing in. 

Father…thank you for the reminder that it’s okay to ask you questions and feel doubts while we wait on your perfect timing. Forgive me for the many times that I allow logic to fuel the fire of fear that keeps me from complete belief.  Help me to deepen my love for you through prayer and Bible study and fellowship with others that believe in you so I can feel that comfort and peace that you give when we truly believe in your promises.  Amen

Family...Worth Fighting For

Genesis 14:14-16 -  Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.   He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.  So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

War broke out in the land that Lot had settled in. He was taken captive along with many of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  But when Abram heard of his brother’s plight…he rallied all 318 of his servants…and armed them to go and fight for their freedom. They chased the armies of the kings that took his brother as far as he needed to go to save him.

It is a wonderful picture of how family should love and fight for each other in times of trouble.   God spattered the Bible with many stories of such dedication and love.  The parents of Moses loved him so much they hid him in a waterproof basket and floated him in a river to save him.  And Nehemiah 14 tells the story of how the people of Jerusalem fought off the kings that threatened to stop them from repairing the walls of the city.  And the most sacrificial story of how God sent his son to earth as a baby to save everyone who would believe and become a member of the largest family of all.

It is a great reminder amid the busy schedules of Christmas to keep the reason for the season forefront in my mind.  It is a reminder to go as far as I need to go to keep my family safe from the evils in the world. I might just save a few extra people along the way…adding to the kingdom of heaven as many as I can before it is too late.

Father…thank you for the reminder to keep you my greatest focus all year through.  Forgive me for the times that I have given myself or some material thing more importance that you. Help me to keep you so centered in my heart that I protect the family that you have already given me …and help to add to it more believers with the testimonies of how you have helped me.  Amen. 

Be A Peacemaker

Genesis 13:7-9 -  And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.  Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

Abram left Egypt with his wife …Lot… and so much livestock and servants between them that strife broke out among the herdsmen of the two. The land was just not able to support the two of them living side by side where they were. So Abram offered Lot the first choice of the land that one could see spread out before them.

Lot chose selfishly….seeing the lushness of the land of Jordan….he travel east and settled near the town of Sodom. Abram took the other direction…once again hearing God confirm the promise to make his descendants as numerous as the dust under his feet. God was giving him the land as far as he could see in any direction.

Abram took what was left and stopped to thank God...he stepped out in faith once again and built another altar to him when he stopped to pitch his tents near Hebron…next to the tree of Mamre.  Abram’s decision to build an altar did not just provide a place to worship and make a sacrifice to God.  It marked the place where he had spoken with God…received direct instructions from him.

One of the reasons God must have chosen Abram was his ability to be a peacemaker.  He was so confident in what God had promised him that he was able to give Lot first choice of what was available to them as a place to live. He knew that God had a plan that included all of his family…and was willing to  take a back seat as long as needed for God to work out the details.

It’s a quality that God blesses....just read Matthew 5:9  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Or Romans 12:18… “ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”  And the granddaddy of all peace Bible verses Philippians 4:6-7 … “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

It is a reminder to me that God blesses the effort to make peace with a peace of mind that only a believer can understand.  It is a calling to be a peacemaker in all that we do. It is a quality of a true believer to trust God to work out the details.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have embedded in me the ability to be a peacemaker.  Forgive me for the times that I have selfishly demanded my own way…or failed to work toward peace in all that I do.  Help me to be like Abram…willing to wait on you to work out the details…when choosing peace seems to be a move in the wrong direction. Amen.

Be A Blessing To Others...All Year Through

Genesis 12:1-3 -  Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

When Abram turned 75 the Lord spoke these words to him. The familiar words of how he called Abram out of his father’s house to begin a great journey with God. It was a journey that would make him the father of God’s chosen people.  He would be blessed…and be a blessing to others.

My mind hung on this thought…God was going to bless Abram…but Abram was going to be a blessing to others. God’s purpose in calling Abram wasn’t just to make him great…wasn’t just to raise up a nation of chosen people…it was to begin the plan in motion that would eventually bring God’s only son to earth as a baby to save the whole world.

People seem to get this concept at Christmas time. Churches do Christmas stores….thrift stores give away winter coats… and schools pack baskets with canned food collected by their students. We all give gifts to our loved ones as we share a rare time of togetherness …fellowshipping and eating a holiday meal.

The holiday spirit seems to wane as Christmas lights are packed… people content to settle back into the routine they were in before the Christmas decorations hit the stores again. But God did not mean for us to ever pack the spirit of giving away with those Christmas decorations. He wants us to be a blessing to others all the year through.

What a great reminder that since Christmas brought us a gift that never stops giving….God wants us to let him speak ways to our hearts of blessing others all though the year. It’s not quite new years…but I think that this insight God laid on my heart this morning requires a pre-new year’s resolution….to find one new way of blessing others that I can carry out all year long. 

Father...thank you for the reminder that I am to be a blessing to others…every moment of my life….all year through. Forgive me for the times that I let the routines of daily life make me forget to help others.  Show me new ways that will help you bless others this coming year… so that more people can learn of the great love you have for all of us.  Amen.

Be Careful Of Blind Ambition

Genesis 11:5-7 -  But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.  And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.   Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

The tower of Babel…and the city that it stood in might have been a good thing …IF…God had told man to build it. This tower and city however…were built out of a need to be somebody…a need to “make something of oneself.”  The many languages we have today were given to us to slow down our ability to communicate.  God used our worst fear as the consequence to the wrong choice at the time. He chose the fear of being scattered as the consequence … to tell man that everything we set out to do is not good.

It speaks of the need to realize that just having the technology to do something….doesn’t make it God’s will to do it. Every idea that pops into our head is not of God. Ambition is only good if it is left totally in God’s hands and timing. Without the approval and help of the father…it is selfish …has distorted values…and walks us down a road of selfish power. 

The root of this issue is pride…a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired….according to Webster.  It is a tricky quality that in the right amounts helps us gain courage and confidence. BUT…in just the least amount of surplus … it can lead to what Max Lucado termed… “blind ambition”…a selfish ambition that does things without consulting God.

Here’s the question that was posed in my Max Lucado Study Bible…. What towers am I building without God…to gain worth….to prove I am somebody? It gives me a task today…to write down my accomplishments and dreams….to ponder and pray about whether all of the things I am involved in in this season of life were directives of God. If they are not…I have some winter cleaning to do.  Perhaps God has used them for good already and there is no danger of satan using it to weaken my faith….but if not…I need to do some rearranging in my life to make sure that God is in control of all my activities…before satan has a chance to use it against me.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are to be in control of all my thoughts…all my dreams….all my accomplishments.  Forgive me for the things I have tried to do without you.  Help me to really consider all that I am involved in and whether it is something that you told me to do. Give me the courage and strength to cut the things from my life that might be the source of selfishness and pride…so that all that I am involved in is fully in your control. Amen.

We Are 98.8 %The Same

Genesis 10:32 -   These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

Genesis 10 is a genealogy of the sons of Noah that repopulated the earth after the flood.  Japheth had 7 sons that spread out over the general area of Europe.  Ham had 10 sons that settled what we now know as Northeast Africa.  Shem had 10 sons that settled Arabia and became the nation that fathered Abraham.

My mind had a really hard time wrapping itself around the fact that these three sons fathered all the people in the world. I guess I should have had the same thought about Adam and Eve…but better late than never …perhaps.  I fell into a search of the ‘google’ …and came across this fact that blew my mind even more. Ninety-eight point eight percent…it numerical form…98.2%...of the human DNA is exactly the same. Only .2 percent of the genetic markers of any human is different.  That .2 percent shows the differences in eye color…hair color….skin tone…and personality.

Theologians say that all these descendants of Noah spread out into 70 nations…which fact monster states have become 196 countries of the world today.  The only difference in any of us is our hair…skin…eye color…personality…which derived mostly from where each group settled around the equator.

Here is the question in my heart this morning.  If only .2 percent of our DNA is different…how has the world become such a culturally split …unforgiving…. segregated place?  I know the answer involves the way satan tricks our hearts into hating and selfishly desiring majority power…but I don’t think I ever realized just how much we are alike....and how powerful satan must be to do so much with the .2 percent of us that is different.

Oh how it hurts my heart to see the world so separated….our minds conceiving the worst in people instead of seeing the good that we can do we all work harder to spread God’s love…the one kind of love that can bind us all together…the one kind of love that can triumph over the power satan has to trick us into hating the .2 percent that looks and sounds different than ourselves.  

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am more the same as everyone else than I am different.  Forgive me for the times that I have seen personality…and culture…and skin tone…and economic status…as reasons to close myself off from others.  Show me how to use your love to overcome the power of satan to trick me into seeing others as different than myself.  Help me to concentrate on the 98.8 percent of me that is exactly like everyone else.  Amen.

The Rainbow...God's Reminder To Himself And Man

Genesis 9:14-16 -  It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;  and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.  The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 

The rainbow has come to mean many things in the years that God created it…but this passage clearly states God’s intent in giving us this amazing sight in the sky. It’s creation was intended to remind both God and man that the waters of the earth would never be let go to completely destroy the living things he had created…but stand as a reminder to creator and man of God’s promise to always love the life he had saved.

I don’t remember being drawn to the words … “I will look on it”…before. The revelation that God made the rainbow for himself as much as he had made it for the family and descendants of the lives he had spared…adds a depth of meaning to every rainbow I have seen…and will see in the future.  God’s emotions had to have been full of sorrow as he watched his creation be destroyed …but he did not give up on it…just put in motion the second choice to save it…the harder choice to give up the life of hisony son.

God must struggle daily…hourly…even moment by moment with his promise.  As he looks down on this world that satan has tricked into such evil and wickedness…he must remind himself that he promised not to destroy it completely by flood again.  God’s hope is our hope…..and we must all wait for that perfect moment in time when he will send his son back to earth to destroy evil forever and establish his new Heaven here on earth.

As of today…rainbows will have a deeper meaning for me. They will remind me not just of God’s promise to never destroy the world he made by flood….but remind me of his promise to come back someday and rid the world of the evil that prompted him to destroy it in the first place. 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you love the world you made so much that you are willing to let evil have its way for a short time more…till you send your son to overcome it forever.  Forgive me for not comprehending the full picture of how much sorrow you must feel as you wait to send your son back to judge and save the ones who believe in you. Help me to do my part in sharing your saving mercy and grace with others that do not know you…so there will be less evil for Jesus to overcome.  Amen.

Learn From Noah...Use God's Peace To Wait For HisCommand

Genesis8:1-3 - Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.  And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased.

The flood continued for 150 days.  Noah and his family…and all those animals were floating around in that ark for around 5 months. The daily routine must have been hard…8 people to thousands of animals that had to be fed and cared for every day. No modern conveniences…no bathrooms…no kitchen to cook in…no showers…and remember that there was only 1 window.

I found myself reflecting on the choices they did have….to feel trapped in that ark…or to see it as the gift it was from God. We aren’t told what any of their feelings were …but we do know that Noah had a peace and trust that would have lasted as long as God had left him in that ark. He knew that at some point God would open the door that he had shut…and use the living things he had saved to repopulate the earth.

It gives me a whole new perspective on the importance of waiting on God. Noah went in the ark on command from God…and Noah waited on God to tell him it was time to leave. He waited for the ark to settle on the mountain to lift the covering…what hope that must have brought to the contents under that roof. He could see the water receding… he even sent out birds to gauge just how much dry land there might be to live on…but he did not leave that boat till God told him too.

I admit that I am no Noah.  I give up…get impatient…even hurry ahead of him sometimes. I make things harder on myself because I am not very good at waiting. I needed the reminder that God has the master plan…and I need to be more trusting of his timing. It’s okay to research and send out a few birds…just to see what might be in the future….but I need to learn to listen for that command to go …before I jump into any future plans.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have the only master plan copy and I need to trust completely in your timing. Forgive me for the times that I jump ahead of you…and try to do things before I hear those clear commands from you. Help me to listen more deeply…and trust more completely in your timing and plans for my life.  Show me the path you need me to take and help me to stay on course all the time.  Amen.

Learn From Noah...Seek God's Peace And Contentment In All Things

Genesis 7:20 – 22 -  The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.  All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. 

Noah…his wife…and the three sons with their wives floated in the ark for 5 months with thousands of animals.  We are told no other details of their lives during that time. What emotions they had about being saved… or who they had left behind that had died… were not recorded.

I can’t help but conjecture about the way they must have felt. God surely gave them a peace and courage to be able to walk among those animals….and bear such close quarters with each other.  If there were complaints they were not recorded…and must not have interfered with the daily routines of keeping all those animals alive and healthy.

I am reminded of just how blessed the life God has asked me to live.  Even with the things I consider to be hard and tragic...I am one very blessed woman. I have everything I need and more to share with others.  That is exactly what God gave Noah.  They had everything they needed…and enough to start over when God saw fit to recede the waters and allow them to leave that ark.

I am also reminded of how God can give us a peace and contentment for any season of life that he allows in our lives. Everything we go through has a purpose. Everything that happens …perceived to be good or bad…can be used to bring about good when it is given completely to God. That’s how Noah and his family endured the dark inside of a smelly ark for more than 5 months.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have a master plan and the peace and love to help us put aside our fleshy desires in favor of your great blessings. Forgive me for the times that I allow my selfish desires to cause my heart to grumble and complain about my life.  Help me to search my heart for true thankfulness for all things…perceived good or bad…with a contentment and peace that only you can give.  Amen.

God's Timeline...Not What I always Think It Should Be

Genesis 6:5-8 -   Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Sin had taken such great hold on the world that God could only find one man he saw any purpose for saving. Every intent of every heart was evil in all the others except Noah. God found something good in Noah worth saving and poured out his grace on Noah in a way to save him and his family along with two of every creature. 

We are not told what quality Noah had that gave him a heart to walk with God…but it must have been a combination of wisdom…creativity…carpentry and animal husbandry.  Noah even ignored taunting persecution and remained obedient until a ship as large as today’s football fields was finished and ready to load with food …animals…and Noah’s family.

There were no machines to cut that wood… no store bought nails…. or waterproofing.  Noah had to listen to every whisper of God to finish all the intricate details of this vessel that would save Noah and thousands of animals from the flood God was going to send. It did not happen very quickly...if you figure that he was 500 when he had his three sons….and 600 when he entered the ark…it was a little less than 100 years.

There are many lessons we can learn from Noah as he built this ark for God…but I am drawn especially to the long timeline it took.  I don’t believe I am the only believer that struggles with God’s timeline being longer than what we perceive or want it to be…..but this story tells me that some tasks we are given of God just take time to organize…to build….to put together in just the perfect way for God to use it.

Father…thank you for the reminder that time in your hands is never what I perceive it to be in mine.  Forgive me for the times that I try to rush your timeline…or slow it down to fit what I think it should be.  help me to listen better to the whispers you send to give the details I need to understand just how long to take in each situation. Amen.

Enoch...Enosh...And Noah...Kept The World Connected To God

Genesis 5:6-8 ^-  Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh.  After he begot Enosh, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years, and had sons and daughters.  So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.

It was important for the writer of Genesis to record Adam’s genealogy….at least till God brought Adam into the world. Adam and Eve had introduced sin into the world…and Cain had been so controlled by it that he murdered his own brother. Seth must have taught his son Enosh the important things about God…because he was able to help man enter a season of walking with God.

Other generations were able to walk with God after that. Enoch was so honored by God that he was taken up to heaven before he died…and Noah was so obedient to God that Genesis stopped the genealogy lesson with him. But sin could not be completely erased. It attached itself to the weak ones in this list of men….and kept trying to erase the piece of man that needed God.

I sit to write in front of a window that faces some of my bird feeders. I am so distracted this morning by the squirrels that keep eating the seed I meant for the beautiful birds I love to watch. Try as I might…I just can’t keep them off the feeders. They learn so quickly that even the baffles and so labeled ‘squirrel proof’ feeders I purchased don’t keep them away for long. Short of sitting in front of them on a permanent basis… I am learning that if I want to feed the birds…I just have to put up with a few squirrels.

Sin is just like those squirrels. It just won’t leave us alone….so we have to stay so connected to God that whatever it tries to steal from us…be it joy…be it children…be it financial … be it health…God is right there to help us move forward and learn how to trust him no matter what.  We have to learn that God can take anything that satan attacks and destroys and weave it back into something good. One of his promises is to replace what was taken in an even greater way.

Father...thank you for the reminder that you can take all things and use it for your good. Forgive me for the times that I give up too quickly on a bad situation and forget that you can do something good with it.  Help me to trust you more… and love through the harsh seasons of life…so that I can learn to be like the strong men of faith you planted throughout the history of our world. Amen.

Even Dysfunction Can Result In Good...IF It Is Turned Over To God.

Genesis 4:6-8 -  So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;  and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Sin left the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.  It was banished from the garden…but never left the sight of this couple it had tricked once into rebelling against God. It decided to invade the heart and mind of their firstborn child…Cain. We are not told the particulars…but his attitude was clearly not focused on pleasing God. 

Cain had two choices when he saw that his offering was not pleasing to the God he went to worship. He could have cried out for God to help him understand what he had done wrong so he could fix it. But Cain chose to cry out to God in anger and bitterness. The result was a sadness that sin attached itself to  quickly…the anger growing inside so strong that Cain decided to use it to take the life of his brother.

God quickly separated him from the rest of the population…cursing his effort to till the soil even more than he had his father….forcing him to wander forever upon the land. His whole life was spent hiding from those that might seek to kill him in restitution for his brother’s life. God still loved Cain…despite his huge mistake….enough to put a covering over him ever being killed by anyone seeking revenge.

I hear two clear lessons from God in Cain’s story.  Perhaps the strongest message from God is to always seek him in a repentant attitude…seeking to please him from the start with all that we do.  That prevents sin from ever seeing a weakness that it can attach itself too. But my soul sings with thankfulness to God that he eventually used Cain to bring about a new son that began to see the need to call on God again.  It took a few generations…but Enosh finally got it right in verse 25.

It is a great reminder to me that Even though God lets the consequences of our sin seep into our beings as daily reminders that we made the wrong choice...he raises us back up with lessons along the way of how to get it right. Somebody taught Enosh how to call on God in the turmoil of all that dysfunction and pain…and he took the time to teach others.

Father…thank you for the reminders to seek you in repentance and be willing to let you change our wrong attitudes….and that you never leave us…even if we mess up bad.  Forgive me for the times that I have been like Cain…and brought an attitude of entitlement to my worship time of you. Help me to always seek what you want above my own thoughts and desires…and remember that even if I mess up you will always pull me back to you so I can earn how to get it right. Amen.

Are You Playing Hide And Seek With God?

Genesis 3:7-9 -    Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

Deception…rebellion…and a desire to have more than God gave them set the stage for sin to enter the perfect world God had had made. They knew immediately that they were naked and were driven to cover themselves…so they sewed fig leaves together and fashioned coverings. They were also driven to hide from God as soon as they heard his voice walking in the garden.

It was the first game of hide and seek. Man fully aware that what he had done was wrong and displeasing to the one who made them.  God searching them out…knowing that he was going to have to punish them …send them out of the perfect garden he made for them…and show them the natural consequences of their choice to know the difference in good and evil.

It reminds me of how many times I have played hide and seek with God in my own lifetime…and how very thankful I am that God never leaves us in our hiding spot.  He loves us so much that he never gives up till he finds us and convinces us to let go of our shame…accept the consequence of our choice…and move forward from our mistake.  God did not imprison them in their sinful choice…he sent them out ….provided a way for them to use the knowledge of good and evil they had discovered to make better choices.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you love me so much that you continue to teach me …even when I mess up.  Forgive me for hiding from you…and delaying the lesson that will move me forward from my mistake.  Help me to accept my choices and let you work them into a lesson of hope and love to help me make better choices in my future.  Amen.

Oh The Great Love Of God To Create Adam And Eve...Even Though He Knew Rebellion Would Allow Sin Into His World

Genesis 2: 7 and 21-22  -  And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

…And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.  Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

God had finished the creation of his world… but it was incomplete without someone to share it with. It needed a caretaker. Just one man would not be enough…so he formed the perfect complement to Adam as a helpmeet…a companion….and as a way to fill the earth with human life. This is our genealogy.  This is our beginning.

God created man in his image.  The life he breathed into him included free choice. He gave him boundaries knowing all along that Adam and Eve would be deceived and choose rebellion and sin. He created man knowing that he would need to send his only son to fix their bad choice with his perfect sacrificial love.

It is so hard for me to comprehend the love God had to create this world…give it life with his very spirit….give them the perfect place to grow and be content and happy…knowing all along they would choose to let sin bring death and suffering into the perfect world he had made.  It makes me ponder just how many times I have missed the opportunity to help God because my choice was weighed with logic …not completely with his love.

God’s original plan for man has not changed. We still have free choice…we still have boundaries…we are still to be his caretakers of the earth he gave us to live on. The only thing different than in Adam’s day is that we live on the other side of God’s timeline…in a season where we can claim the gift of love in salvation that Jesus gave us… and use the Holy Spirit he gave us to power our choices. We can admit the wrong in any bad choices we make and receive his immediate forgiveness.

It’s not enough to just claim that gift.  We are to share the power of it with others. Jesus made sure his last charge to his followers was recorded in Matthew 28:18-20  .  It says… “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you made me with purpose and love.  Forgive me for the times that I have allowed the free choice you gave me justify a selfish decision.  Help me to use your love and spirit to power a passion to share what you have done for the world.  Give me just the right words to say to each and every one you allow me to witness too. Amen.

Let's Start At The Very Beginning...It Was All God's Idea

Genesis 1:1-5 -  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

If we start at the very beginning…the best place to start…we find the spirit of God hovering over a formless mass of earth.  We are not told what went through his infinite mind to decide that he wanted more than just a formless void to hover over….but I am pretty sure that love powered the thought to make it into something that he could share with man.

Just as he divided the waters from land…the light from the dark…and the time into measurable increments….he divided the matter of his earth into his image…that of man and woman. He looked down on everything he had made…and said it was good.  Then he charged man with the job of caring for all he had made.

What an awesome thought…God did not need anything to exist…but he wanted to share his time with man…so he created a world that man could exist in…and learn about the love that made him by caring for everything thing else that God had made. His creation did not need time…or death…or fear…it was a sinless sanctuary. In the beginning…God…created his world…and his people.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are the beginning of the story. Nothing I have would be if you had not made it. Forgive me for ever thinking that this world is about me and my happiness.  Help me to always remember that I was created for your purposes.  Amen.

We Are Only As Strong As We Let God Make Us

Revelation 22:10-11 -    Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up what you have written, for the time of fulfillment is near.  And when that time comes, all doing wrong will do it more and more; the vile will become more vile; good men will be better; those who are holy will continue on in greater holiness.”

As John comes to the end of his vision…the angel makes sure John knows to share all he has seen with everyone he can.  WE may not know the exact date and time…but if John was told he was coming soon…that means we are surely closer than we have ever been to his return.

Perhaps I am not the only one who clings to God’s promises that help keep me strong and positive about this time.  Many of the scriptures are confusing to say the least. But here I fins a most wonderful promise of strength and courage.  The angel said that as much as evil will be increased…so will the believers strength to draw closer to God….to embrace what he really meant to become holy like him.

I am a realist at heart…and have trouble picturing myself strong enough to stand for the things I know I might need too when evil is right next to me. But this scripture promises that I will have the strength I need and more. Perhaps that increase in strength is what Paul felt as he wrote 2 Corinthians 12:9… “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”  As long as I realize that I am weak…I can claim the strength of Christ to help me any time I need it.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are the beginning and the end.  As you began this world in perfection …you will provide that perfect home of constant companionship with you in the end. Forgive me for the times that I have let the world dilute my confidence in myself to be all that you created me to be. Help me to cling to you and build my relationship with you so that you can increase all the weakest areas of my heart to be as strong as you need them to be. Amen.

Make God's Wonderful Heaven On Earth A Place For Many More

Revelation 21:3-5 -  I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, “Look, the home of God is now among men, and he will live with them and they will be his people; yes, God himself will be among them.  He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever.”  And the one sitting on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true:

John’s vision is just about to end…but before God brings him out of this anointed spiritual experience he allows him to see a glimpse of the way he will extend heaven into earth after all evil is done away with forever.  Mere words have a hard time describing the glorious picture of the place where God himself will live among us …his glory so bright we will never need the light from the sun again. 

This passage has long been one of my favorite promises of God. Life may take twist and turns that we have a hard time digesting without pain…sorrow and tears….but God will wipe the need for all of that away when he sends down his new Jerusalem to earth and gathers his children into it to live with him forever.

This city will contain a combination of God’s original people of Israel…and all the gentiles that believed when the 12 apostles became the first evangelists.  Verses 12-14 say… “Its walls were broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. There were three gates on each side—north, south, east, and west.  The walls had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

The only people that won’t join us there are the ones John calls cowards…the ones who refuse to believe and reject the chance to claim their place as his child too. I can’t help but feel a deep longing for these people…surely some of these can change their minds if we take the time to share the way God transformed our lives when we became his child. If we don’t take the time to do it…they will stay cowards and be cast into that lake of fire and sulfur.

It is a reminder to me that a part of being God’s child requires me to be obedient to his call of evangelism. Many lost people will never see this new city of peace if I don’t take the time to tell them. It confirms why God tweaked my spirit to attend a basic mission’s class at my church recently. The stats they shared were surprising. You would think in the world of wonderful technology that we have …one would not have that 1.6 billion people on our planet have no access to the gospel.  In my hometown alone …out of the 93,500 residents…many do not attend a church or profess a faith of any kind.

Father...thank you for the reminder of how wonderful the peace and glory of your new heaven on earth will be.  Thank you for the reminder too…that many will not share that home with me.  Forgive me for the times that I have been selfish and not taken every opportunity to share the way you changed my life when I decided to believe in you…and accepted the greatest gift I ever got in salvation. Help me to listen carefully to the prodding’s of the spirit to know just who and when I need to share with.  Give me just the right words I will need to help them understand the finality of their choice to reject you.  Amen. 

Physical Death Is Not The End

Revelation 20:11-15 - And I saw a great white throne and the one who sat upon it, from whose face the earth and sky fled away, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, great and small, standing before God; and The Books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in The Books, each according to the deeds he had done.  The oceans surrendered the bodies buried in them; and the earth and the underworld gave up the dead in them. Each was judged according to his deeds. And Death and Hell were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death—the Lake of Fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.

John described the time of judgment to come after God has sent his son back to earth to reign with the faithful in peace for 1000 years. Satan and all evil was locked up for this time in a bottomless pit so that the world would not be deceived and have an opportunity to experience peace with no confusion. Theologians have varying theories about this scripture and its literal meaning…but I think stressing over the details is not what God wants us to remember about the words he had John record. 

God wants us to see the pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow…the hope that the ending of his great story provides. He also wants us to realize that to claim a portion of that hope we must believe and make sure our names are written in that book of life. The details may be a little hazy…but two things are sure.  All people will be judged…and those found to reject Christ will suffer the same fate as the creature who introduced evil and sin into the story to begin with. 

God wants us to realize too that we can’t just accept him and claim our place in his Heaven. The judging process includes a summary of the service we provided for him after we asked him to be our savior. My small brain wants to envision the same relationship we have with an employer.  When we ask God to write our name down in that book of life…we become his employee….and the judging will reveal what pay grade we should receive as we pass from this life into heaven with him. We should not settle for the lowest grade seat in the vast expanse of Heaven. We are to be the best employees we can be…so that we can spend eternity with more of our friends and family.

Father…thank you for the reminder that life with you provides peace and hope for all eternity….but a rejection of your love will end in eternal death. Forgive me for being an average employee…and settling so many times for a mere ticket to heaven.  Help me to be a better servant for your kingdom…following your leading to share what you have done in my life to give me eternal peace and hope…so that the kingdom will enlarge with new believers.  Amen.

Just Testify...Every Day... And Reveal Jesus To Others

Revelation 19:9-10 -  And the angel dictated this sentence to me: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “God himself has stated this.”  Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No! Don’t! For I am a servant of God just as you are, and as your brother Christians are, who testify of their faith in Jesus. Worship God. The purpose of all prophecy and of all I have shown you is to tell about Jesus.”

Everything around him had begun to praise God…so John was overcome with awe and fell down to worship the angel that had given him such insight to the things to come. But the angel stopped him quickly…explaining that he as a simple servant of God …just like John.  Then he told him the reason for the vision was to share what it revealed about Jesus to others.

Jesus appeared first as a humble lamb…led to a sacrificial death to pay for the sins of the world…but he rose to victory overall evil and became the conquering king that John saw coming in this chapter of revelation… to judge evil and do away with it forever.

Part of my job as a believer is to tell others about what Jesus did to save us all from the same fate as these creatures. We are to just testify what God has done for us through Jesus his son… and not just the basics of salvation…we are to proclaim the way he has transformed each of us.  We all began as wretched sinners…but when God washed our sins away with his son’s blood….we became a new creature…transformed by his love.  We were reborn to walk and demonstrate his love to others…just as Jesus did.

Jesus told us that this transformation required more than just a casual mention of his name when we felt like it.  It requires denying our self and taking up the same cross he bore…daily. He wanted to make sure we got this important message so he had Matthew and Luke record the same words he gave us in Mark 8:34-35… “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."”

His message is clear… and brought that feeling of conviction once again to my heart.  I needed the reminder that the cross of Jesus is not just something to hang on my wall…or my Christmas tree as decorations. It isn’t just a piece of jewelry I wear…or a design stamped into one of my favorite hats.  It is to be a permanent …daily part of my walk with him.

Father…thank you for the reminder to take up my cross and join you in sacrificing my life to tell others the good news of how you triumphed over death and provided a way to help me conquer evil in my life.  Forgive me for not taking up the cross and following you every day.  Help me to live a more sacrificial life and be your hands and feet to a dying and lost world.  Amen.

The Things We Love So Much Will Be Gone Someday

Revelation 18:14 -   “All the fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry. “The dainty luxuries and splendor that you prized so much will never be yours again. They are gone forever.”

John continues to watch as the great city of immorality is destroyed in just a moment.  Everyone who is watching cries in sorrow as they watch the things they loved about her disappear. The good life they enjoyed because of her ….the wealth…the status… the money…the power…they are gone forever as she is destroyed.

It is not the only place in the Bible that we are told that material possessions…power and status are not the most important things.  Matthew 6:19-20 record Jesus’ words to the crowds that followed his teaching.  He said… "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.”

What a great reminder this morning that material possessions…wealth…power….and status…will not transfer to our heavenly home.  We won’t need any of those things there. God has prepared a place for us that will be complete before we arrive.  All we will take with us to Heaven is our faith…our character...and the love that powered the good deeds we did in obedience to God while we were on earth.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you want us to focus more on you than the things of this earth. Forgive me for the times that I have thought that things are important and I need them to be complete.  help me to focus more on what you need me to do for you here on earth…and use the resources you have given me to build the kingdom of God. Amen.