Prevailing Purposes

"These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob: The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob's oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant, were Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant were Gad and Asher..." Genesis 35:22b-26a

Four wives! I look at that and think, wow, what a mess. We are still so early in the Bible narrative and as I reflect back, we've already seen almost every one of the yet unspoken Ten Commandments broken. The only one I'm unaware of seeing disobeyed thus far, is honouring the Sabbath, but all the rest have been violated through events in Genesis up to this point in our reading.

Into this shambles of self-gratification steps God. Think about it. God actually uses a birthing competition between jealous and envious women to bring forth Israel's twelve tribes and to build the nation of promise. In no way does God condone sin or excuse the evil things man does, but He redeems brokenness and accomplishes His will. 

Despite failures, choices, weaknesses and trespasses it's encouraging to know that God can still work out His plan. That doesn't give us freedom to live however we'd like. As believers we should never knowingly walk paths of disobedience, but it does mean that in some incredible and divine way they don't become obstacles to His purposes. Remember, it was through Leah's sons Levi and Judah that the two greatest tribes were birthed (the priestly tribe through Levi and the royal tribe through Judah). Greater still, our Saviour came through Leah. What began with deception, by the grace of God, brought our redemption. Never doubt. Trust Him. His purposes will prevail.

Footsteps of Faith

"Then Jacob prayed, 'O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac - O LORD, You told me, 'Return to your own land and to your relatives. And You promised me 'I will treat you kindly.' I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness You have shown to me, Your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps! O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children. But You promised me, 'I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore - too many to count.'" Genesis 32:9-12

What do we do in times of uncertainty and fear? Jacob is preparing to return to the land of Seir, or maybe more accurately described right now as the land of Esau. Twenty years earlier Esau swore that he would kill Jacob. It's understandable that Jacob has every reason to feel afraid. He had wronged his brother and his life is hindered by the memory and the guilt that is now consuming him. Jacob's mother, Rebekah, had promised to send for him when his brother's anger had subsided (Gen 27:45), and with that never happening it could only mean one thing: Esau was still desiring revenge.

In his distress, instead of expressing conditional faith as he had in the past, this time Jacob does the right thing with a heart full of trust. Fear pushed Jacob forward to faith. With humble thankfulness, total honesty and complete dependence, he expressed his fear but remembers God's faithfulness and His promises. Relying on God and recognizing his own unworthiness, he recounts all that God has spoken.

Oh how we need to recall God's word to us, and then being mindful and assured of what He has spoken, our subsequent actions must bear witness to our belief. 

I love the life of George Mueller. If you've never read the book "Delighted in God" by Roger Steer, I greatly encourage you to do so. He was a great man of faith and prayer. One time he was asked, "What is the most important part of prayer?" This was his answer: "The 15 minutes after I have said, 'Amen.'"

Jacob's prayer shows renewed trust in God, but the greatest testimony to his trust are the actions that follow. We can too often pray with fervency without follow-through. Rising from our knees, anxiety consumes us, the words we've just uttered forgotten. Words do not equal obedience.  Jacob did head out in obedience, relying on God. Where does the trust in your heart and the words in your prayer need to find footsteps today? The fear may not diminish, but you'll only encounter God through obedience.

Unconditional Faith

"Then Jacob made this vow: 'If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God." Genesis 28:20-21

Just prior to these verses God has spoken some incredible promises to Jacob in a dream. Basically, God repeated the covenant He made with Abraham and Isaac, confirming the promises and blessings that would be fulfilled through Jacob, as well as committing His presence and protection over Jacob. Sadly, Jacob seems to honour the place more than he does the Person who has just spoken words of His plan, provision and promises over his life. Jacob needed to understand that God is with him everywhere and that He will never fail to fulfill His words to us. There is nowhere we can go that His presence is not with us. Every place we step is a Bethel (Gen 28:19, Ps 139:7-12).

Jacob's conditional reply can often be similar to our response to the Lord. We want to see to believe. We treat God's word as if it isn't enough. Instead of receiving in awe and believing in trust all that God has spoken, Jacob appears to be negotiating a deal. Essentially Jacob responds, Lord if I see You do this...then I will do this.

Heavenly Father, how I long to believe Your word fully and completely. When You speak it's as good as done. Why is it so hard to trust? You proclaim an incredible word to our hearts, and then we often go about trying to fulfill the outcome ourselves instead of waiting on You. 

Lord, You call us to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). Our tendency is to be sight-walking-people. It's interesting that we will receive salvation by faith, confident of our eternal home with You, yet in our day-to-day we struggle to trust. We want evidence to eliminate all unknowns. We ask You to grow our faith yet we don't want the situations that are needed for You to answer that prayer request.

Help me be like David in Psalm 11 as He considers Your sovereignty and greatness and realizes that trusting You is the safest response. He lifted his eyes to You to find faith in times of uncertainty. Father help me to know that You can be completely trusted; yes because Your word never fails, but also because of Your great love for me. Once again I pray that my response of faith will be the greatest evidence of my love for You.

Indulging Self While Crediting God

" 'The LORD your God put it in my path!' Jacob replied." Genesis 27:20b

I still recall the first time Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11 were explained to me. These scripture passages contain the Ten Commandments that Moses received from God. Growing up many of us memorized these verses as "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain..." As a child, and even growing into adulthood, this was the "Do not use the name of the Lord as a swear word" command. Although I do believe that is true, this law encompasses so much more.

In the verse above Jacob is ascribing to God something God did not do. Oh, in a round-about-way we can justify Jacob's actions knowing that the Lord did indeed plan for him to receive the first-born blessing, but I think Jacob's only concern at that moment was what worked best for him. Jacob is excusing his sin by crediting his actions to the Lord, believing his sinful conduct would fulfill the promise of God.

Before accusing Jacob too harshly, I'm guessing we've all been there. Maybe we hesitate to go as far as Jacob did by attaching the Lord's name to our sin, but we make disobedience justifiable by walking a mental trail that leads to our actions being acceptable. 

Jerry Bridges, in his eye-opening book "Respectable Sins", shares how we can so easily indulge ourselves in behaviour and actions without even sensing any awareness of wrongdoing. Like Jacob, words can flow from our lips and our conscious can feel not even the slightest remorse. Giving way to "justifiable sin" not only despises God's law, but despises God Himself.

Today I'm asking God's Spirit to search my heart for any tendency to misrepresent the Lord. May I foremost remember that He is holy. Yes, in some unconceivable way God can still accomplish His divine will through my human weaknesses, but may knowing that not guide my actions and cheapen His forgiveness and grace. Instead, may love for Him empower obedience and truthfulness as I live to glorify His name.

The Vocabulary of Faith

"...I will...We will...God will...He will...The Lord...will..." Genesis 22:5, 8; 24:7,40

Does the faith of Abraham amaze you? Although earlier in Genesis we saw him taking matters into his own hands in an effort to see God's promises fulfilled, Genesis 22 and 24 are overflowing with examples of unwavering trust in the Lord. Seeing God's promises carried through to completion does that. It strengthens our faith for the next trial. We recall God's faithfulness in the past, and we know that our unchanging God will be faithful again.

I wept throughout my reading today. I can lack faith even with such smaller asks from the Lord. I can hesitate, doubt, be anxious and wonder. What if the direction I'm sensing isn't from God or my response is a possible misguided moment of devotion? 

Abraham heard repeatedly from the Lord (at least four times in Genesis) that he would have innumerable descendants. In Genesis 21:12 God tells Abraham that Isaac is the son through whom his descendants will be counted. Abraham believed God's promise. If Isaac was to become a patriarch of the Jewish nation, Abraham trusted God to keep His covenant, and even though the current ask of sacrificing his son seemed like it would be the one thing that would make the fulfillment of this promise impossible, Abraham's obedience and faith remained. We see God's ultimate test of faith, and Abraham's ultimate expression of it.

The writer of Hebrews provides further insight. In Hebrews 11:19 it says, "He (Abraham) believed that if Isaac died God would bring him back to life again; and that is just about what happened, for as far as Abraham was concerned, Isaac was doomed to death, but he came back again alive!"

Abraham not only believed in his heart, but he spoke of his confidence in the Lord. We too must use the language of trust. The dictionary defines the word "will" as expressing inevitable events. God's word to us becomes unavoidable, inescapable and unpreventable. If God has spoken it, it will surely happen. In the time between receiving the pronouncement and the realization of the promise we need to use the vocabulary of faith. 

What promise has God made to you that is becoming dim? Are your words and thoughts filled with uncertainty and doubt? Today I challenge us to use the vocabulary of faith. With the prophet Isaiah let's say with assurance, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)

Majesty and Glory!

"O LORD, our Lord, Your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens...O LORD, our Lord, Your majestic name fills the earth!" Psalm 8:1, 9

The bookends of Psalm 8 are verses that declare the Lord's majesty and glory. Do I often stop and consider either? I know I sing the praise of both, but do I pause and ponder this declaration of His name or the eternal beauty of His goodness and holiness displayed in His attributes? 

Too often my thoughts of God are small. My praise is mediocre instead of majestic. I lack the awe and wonder that is the only response to One so glorious. The word majesty should draw my thoughts to power and greatness. God's glory, although really quite indescribable, is higher than the heavens and is seen through the manifestation of Christ. 

As I try to search for words to describe what my heart feels and my mind is thinking, it seems impossible to capture adequately my response. Words fail as I bow in adoration of His majesty and glory. I long to worship the Lord in all of His splendor. Today Lord, awaken my heart and open my eyes to see You. I pray Your name will fill the earth with a fresh shout of praise and may my voice be leading the way!

Indescribable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea

Creation revealing Your majesty

From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring

Every creature unique in the song that it sings

All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.

You are amazing God

All powerful, untameable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go

Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow

Who imagined the sun ad gives source to its light

Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night

None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name

You are amazing God

All powerful, untamable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

You are amazing God

In describable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.

You are amazing God

All powerful, untamable,

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,

You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.

You are amazing God

Incomparable, unchangeable

You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same

You are amazing God

You are amazing God

Written by: Laura Story, Jesse Reeves

Lyrics Copyright Capitol CMG Publishing

Lasting Security

"I come to You for protection, O LORD my God..." Psalm 7:1a

I'm all about security. I like feeling safe. Some can pursue protection with a passion. They purchase security systems, install locks, buy alarms and firewalls for homes, office and computers. My mom actually had a friend who was so fearful, she lived a good portion of her life in her home. It took every ounce of courage for her to go outside the walls of her house.

Often we think we can find protection in places. A building can provide refuge in a storm. As a child, a classroom shielded me from the cruelty of the playground. A bedroom often offered comfort. Hiding under the covers I was shielded from the threat of imaginary monsters or the reality of unkind friends. After all, if you can't see it, you can pretend it's not truly there. The shelter of my daddy's arms always calmed my heart. What about protection behind closed doors or beneath a guarded heart?

I'm guessing we all have embraced some kind of safeguard at least once in our life to help us manage times of insecurity and anxiety. It's incredible all that we will cling to when our lives feel threatened. That being said, refuge in places and things will never fully satisfy. They offer false security, temporary relief and can only resist the enemy of fear for so long. It's a constant, futile struggle to try and control situations, people, or emotions. True safe-keeping is only found in a Person. It's the shelter of our Heavenly Father's arms that provides lasting protection. Oh, that doesn't mean that harm will never touch us, but it does mean we have the assurance of the presence of the only One who can hide us in the cleft of the rock, and cover us there with His hand.

Praying the Lord will always be my first thought when fear and anxieties arise. When uncertainties lurk and the storm clouds of life appear menacing, may my immediate "go to" be the Lord and may I rest in His everlasting arms.