Read Genesis 26
All of us need to be reminded of things sometimes. Whether it be what youth group events are coming up this week; what we ate for breakfast; or where we left our textbook, cell-phone, or brain, all of us forget and need to be told again of what has already been said or done. I think that the best reminder that I’ve ever gotten is whenever I am reminded by God that He loves me. What stood out for me in this passage is the fact that God reminds Isaac of His faithfulness. Abraham has just passed away and a lot of God’s promises to him are not fulfilled in his lifetime; thus, it is totally understandable and probably true that Isaac was a little worried about God’s fulfillment of his promises. So, immediately following Abraham’s death, as Isaac considers going down to Egypt, as Abraham did, to escape a famine, God reminds him: “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which is shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” (Those are some pretty legit promises) Furthermore, God not only reminds Isaac once, but twice. Now that’s when you know that someone is serious about something: when they say it twice. And when we know that the almighty God is serious about multiplying our offspring like stars (that’s a lot of kids) and blessing ALL the nations of the earth BECAUSE OF your kids (that sounds awesome), that’s a pretty cool thought.
So how is God reminding you of His promises today? Do you know what He has promised you? If not, check out some of these passages (keeping in mind that this does not mean that your life will just be poops and giggles):
Jeremiah 29:11
John 16:23-24
James 5:16
Job 22:27
John 14:13-14
Matthew 6:6
How can you be encouraged by His promises for you? Have you been drifting away from His promises by sinning or even unintentionally drifting away from Him? I know that it’s really easy to drift away from God’s promises for us and try to find our worth and happiness in the things of this earth. But I encourage you to reflect on how you can find hope and joy in God’s promises for you. And pray. Because as the aforementioned passages show—God always listens.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Black Sheep in the Family
Read Genesis 25:19-34
In every family there is, inevitably, one individual who needs that extra bit of grace. You probably can picture them right now; the “out there” uncle, the “different” cousin, or maybe even the “unique” brother or sister. I guess it should be no surprise then that things were the same thousands of years ago either. When you hear the name Esau today you never picture the ideal of God’s chosen people, and yet he was the firstborn that should’ve inherited the rights and the blessing. So why didn’t he? Does God have something against red hairy babies, or hunters? Did God have it in for Esau even before he was born? It would almost seem like that from the prophecy about Jacob and Esau. We have to remember though that God is Just and, unlike us, not bound by time.
Esau, one could say, “had it made” for him, he was the first son and rightful heir of Isaac, being the outdoorsman, he was probably the stronger of the twins, he was the better looking twin with his ruddy complexion, and he was also his father’s favorite, Esau actually had everything going for him and threw it all away, for a bowl of lentil stew because he was hungry one day after hunting. When looking at it this way it seems that Esau was down-right ungrateful for everything he had; so much so that he did not value his own inheritance and threw it away for almost nothing. So really, God did not doom Esau to being the disinherited older brother, but rather God blessed Esau in almost every aspect and Esau from the depths of his folly rejects God’s blessing.
Granted this whole deception and manipulation by Jacob is not exactly a shining example of his character either. He is definitely a product of his own jealousy as a younger brother. However, this is our first introduction to the man who will one day be known as Israel and the father of the chosen people, and the ancestor of the Messiah. Why are we first introduced to him as the cunning younger brother whose very name means deception? I think it’s because God is a God who can change our circumstances and even our character as we draw closer to him. This is important to remember this year as we are Seeking Wholeness and being Good News to the Broken. We are also the Broken that are being transformed continually by the Good News
Ask God to help you remember his constant grace towards you in your brokenness as you continue to draw closer to him and seek his will.
In every family there is, inevitably, one individual who needs that extra bit of grace. You probably can picture them right now; the “out there” uncle, the “different” cousin, or maybe even the “unique” brother or sister. I guess it should be no surprise then that things were the same thousands of years ago either. When you hear the name Esau today you never picture the ideal of God’s chosen people, and yet he was the firstborn that should’ve inherited the rights and the blessing. So why didn’t he? Does God have something against red hairy babies, or hunters? Did God have it in for Esau even before he was born? It would almost seem like that from the prophecy about Jacob and Esau. We have to remember though that God is Just and, unlike us, not bound by time.
Esau, one could say, “had it made” for him, he was the first son and rightful heir of Isaac, being the outdoorsman, he was probably the stronger of the twins, he was the better looking twin with his ruddy complexion, and he was also his father’s favorite, Esau actually had everything going for him and threw it all away, for a bowl of lentil stew because he was hungry one day after hunting. When looking at it this way it seems that Esau was down-right ungrateful for everything he had; so much so that he did not value his own inheritance and threw it away for almost nothing. So really, God did not doom Esau to being the disinherited older brother, but rather God blessed Esau in almost every aspect and Esau from the depths of his folly rejects God’s blessing.
Granted this whole deception and manipulation by Jacob is not exactly a shining example of his character either. He is definitely a product of his own jealousy as a younger brother. However, this is our first introduction to the man who will one day be known as Israel and the father of the chosen people, and the ancestor of the Messiah. Why are we first introduced to him as the cunning younger brother whose very name means deception? I think it’s because God is a God who can change our circumstances and even our character as we draw closer to him. This is important to remember this year as we are Seeking Wholeness and being Good News to the Broken. We are also the Broken that are being transformed continually by the Good News
Ask God to help you remember his constant grace towards you in your brokenness as you continue to draw closer to him and seek his will.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Story of Ishmael
Read Genesis 25: 1-18
We now return to the story of Ishmael, but also the modern story of the silly Florida pastor who organized an “International Burn the Koran Day” on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary.
First of all, Abraham passed away at the ripe age of 175. Let us first assess the life of Abraham, this man of great faith. He was not a man of upstanding moral character. He did pass his wife off as only a sister to save his own skin, for example. Oh, and he did that twice! But he was a man of great faith, because the more he came to know God, he more he realized that this God does what He says. Because of that, Abraham grew to trust God more, which led up to the pinnacle of the testing of his faith - his sacrifice of Isaac. And now, in his death, he was buried by his loved sons, Isaac and Ishmael. We can presume that the reunion was amicable and not filled with animosity (otherwise, Ishmael would not have come).
I find it interesting that Genesis takes a pause to talk about Ishmael, probably because you’ll hear a lot more about Isaac in the succeeding chapters. As we all know, Ishmael was the father of the Arab peoples of today. Even though there were many tribes post-Ishmael, the last verse records that “they lived in hostility toward all their brothers”. Much later, Muhammed would unite these tribes by force. Unfortunately, Christians of post-9/11 often have interpreted that passage to mean that violence is natural for Muslims... as if violence were completely foreign to Christian understanding! Thus, we have the silly Florida pastor who equated Islam with evil. Be careful of how you read the Bible! Bad interpretations lead to atrocious witness, which has terrible consequences.
So what does the story of Ishmael teach us? Genesis begins to paint a picture of a world split into two categories: God’s people, and those who are not God’s people. This division will strengthen more and more as we proceed towards Joshua. Ishmael, of course, is outside of God’s chosen people. This does not mean he is evil, but rather that God will not be working out His blessings to the nations through him. Indeed, the rest of the Old Testament tells of God blessing the nations through Isaac’s descendants - the nation of Israel. Paul would later expand that to include all people who are spiritual descendants of Isaac - the Church.
If anything this behooves us to live according to the calling that Christ has set for us, because God has entrusted us to be vessels of blessing to be poured out to the nations, that they may come, drink, and find that God is indeed good! Have we, may I ask, been that place where people can do just that - to come, drink, and see that the Lord is good? How, may I ask, can we work together in partnership with the Holy Spirit in order that our youth group can be vessels of blessing?
We now return to the story of Ishmael, but also the modern story of the silly Florida pastor who organized an “International Burn the Koran Day” on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary.
First of all, Abraham passed away at the ripe age of 175. Let us first assess the life of Abraham, this man of great faith. He was not a man of upstanding moral character. He did pass his wife off as only a sister to save his own skin, for example. Oh, and he did that twice! But he was a man of great faith, because the more he came to know God, he more he realized that this God does what He says. Because of that, Abraham grew to trust God more, which led up to the pinnacle of the testing of his faith - his sacrifice of Isaac. And now, in his death, he was buried by his loved sons, Isaac and Ishmael. We can presume that the reunion was amicable and not filled with animosity (otherwise, Ishmael would not have come).
I find it interesting that Genesis takes a pause to talk about Ishmael, probably because you’ll hear a lot more about Isaac in the succeeding chapters. As we all know, Ishmael was the father of the Arab peoples of today. Even though there were many tribes post-Ishmael, the last verse records that “they lived in hostility toward all their brothers”. Much later, Muhammed would unite these tribes by force. Unfortunately, Christians of post-9/11 often have interpreted that passage to mean that violence is natural for Muslims... as if violence were completely foreign to Christian understanding! Thus, we have the silly Florida pastor who equated Islam with evil. Be careful of how you read the Bible! Bad interpretations lead to atrocious witness, which has terrible consequences.
So what does the story of Ishmael teach us? Genesis begins to paint a picture of a world split into two categories: God’s people, and those who are not God’s people. This division will strengthen more and more as we proceed towards Joshua. Ishmael, of course, is outside of God’s chosen people. This does not mean he is evil, but rather that God will not be working out His blessings to the nations through him. Indeed, the rest of the Old Testament tells of God blessing the nations through Isaac’s descendants - the nation of Israel. Paul would later expand that to include all people who are spiritual descendants of Isaac - the Church.
If anything this behooves us to live according to the calling that Christ has set for us, because God has entrusted us to be vessels of blessing to be poured out to the nations, that they may come, drink, and find that God is indeed good! Have we, may I ask, been that place where people can do just that - to come, drink, and see that the Lord is good? How, may I ask, can we work together in partnership with the Holy Spirit in order that our youth group can be vessels of blessing?
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
God the Provider
Throughout the book of Genesis, one of the strongest themes that we see is that God provides. His provision is seen in his mercy towards Noah and his family. In cooperation with His blessing, God provides for Abraham in so many ways. He protects Abraham when he’s in Egypt. He provides a sacrifice in place of Isaac. Over and over again, we see that God is the only provider and the people in Genesis interacted with Him in light of that reality. But what about us? For us today, we see God as either a supernatural vending machine, who dispenses good things whenever we ask, regardless of their benefit to us, or we see Him as someone who is incapable of providing for our needs, so we try and secure them on our own. Neither of those is the God who we see in Genesis, or throughout the pages of scripture.
Read Genesis 24:29-67
All over this passage we see the theme of God’s provision. Abraham’s servant is given a big task, find a wife for the favored son Isaac. Abraham, trusting that God would provide and not giving into the temptation to find Isaac a Canaanite wife, sends the servant back to his home country. Abraham publically puts his trust in God, and that trust is contagious, so much so, that when the servant gets back to Abraham’s hometown, he too puts his trust in the fact that God will provide. He asks God to provide a sign so that he can find the right woman for Isaac. And we see very clearly, that it was God who brought Rebekah to Isaac. The exact sign that the servant asks for, God provides.
So how does the servant respond? Really, how do all the people in this story respond to the reality of God’s provision? They worship. They bow down and give God the praise. The servant does it. Genesis 24:26-27. Not only does the servant worship and give God the credit, but Rebekah’s family does as well. Genesis 24:50 tells us, “Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, ‘The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.” Its significant that what started with Abraham’s faith in God’s provision is so contagious to those around him.
Take a moment to reflect on your own understanding of God’s provision. Do you see God as a vending machine? Or do you act like He’s powerless to do what you ask Him to do. God is neither of those things. What are the things that God is asking you to trust Him with? Maybe promises He’s made and is in the process of fulfilling, and He’s asking you to trust Him. Ask God to help you trust in His provision, to give you confidence in the reality that He does provide, and praise Him for that. And like Abraham’s faith in God’s provision, be contagious. Let those around you know that your faith is in the God who provides.
Read Genesis 24:29-67
All over this passage we see the theme of God’s provision. Abraham’s servant is given a big task, find a wife for the favored son Isaac. Abraham, trusting that God would provide and not giving into the temptation to find Isaac a Canaanite wife, sends the servant back to his home country. Abraham publically puts his trust in God, and that trust is contagious, so much so, that when the servant gets back to Abraham’s hometown, he too puts his trust in the fact that God will provide. He asks God to provide a sign so that he can find the right woman for Isaac. And we see very clearly, that it was God who brought Rebekah to Isaac. The exact sign that the servant asks for, God provides.
So how does the servant respond? Really, how do all the people in this story respond to the reality of God’s provision? They worship. They bow down and give God the praise. The servant does it. Genesis 24:26-27. Not only does the servant worship and give God the credit, but Rebekah’s family does as well. Genesis 24:50 tells us, “Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, ‘The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.” Its significant that what started with Abraham’s faith in God’s provision is so contagious to those around him.
Take a moment to reflect on your own understanding of God’s provision. Do you see God as a vending machine? Or do you act like He’s powerless to do what you ask Him to do. God is neither of those things. What are the things that God is asking you to trust Him with? Maybe promises He’s made and is in the process of fulfilling, and He’s asking you to trust Him. Ask God to help you trust in His provision, to give you confidence in the reality that He does provide, and praise Him for that. And like Abraham’s faith in God’s provision, be contagious. Let those around you know that your faith is in the God who provides.
Monday, October 25, 2010
God Please Provide Me a Wife
Have you ever thought about what your future spouse will be like? Have you ever dreamed when that will be? Have you ever prayed for your future spouse? I remember being a 12 year old boy and the pastor’s wife came up to me and told me, you should start praying for your future wife right now. I said, “What? Are you serious? I just started liking girls, I should pray about the girl I am going to marry?” But she was very serious and told me the importance of praying then. I look back and understand the need to pray for a future spouse but I want to add something to that. You can pray for it, but realize God will provide in His timing and will provide for you. However, you have to continue to live faithfully and obediently until that time comes. So make the most of your singleness and see it as valuable. God has very special things he wants you to do and understand as a single person. Then in God’s timing, He will provide.
Read Genesis 24:1-28
I have truly been blessed that God has provided Annie in my life as a loving wife. I remember before Annie came into the picture though, there were times when I really wondered if God was going to provide for me. For a very long time, I wanted so badly to be married and to have a family. It was starting to be hard to trust in God’s goodness and His provision not finding that special woman that I would spend the rest of my life with in holy matrimony.
I remember my mom telling me the criteria for my future wife while I was still single. She said that 1st she must be Christian. Well – that was a given. She had to play piano. (I said, “ huh? why?”) Well, you are preparing to be a pastor so your wife must be able to play piano. (ah,….i guess so). Next, she had to be really dedicated to the church and love serving. Lastly, she had to be really organized because I was so unorganized. She said that was last but I also knew deep down she really wished that she would be Taiwanese.
My mom is the prayer warrior type that prays fervently, diligently and faithfully every day. So I knew she was praying these things for me and for my future wife. So fast-forward to me and my wife, Annie. Yes, she is a Christian. Next, she doesn’t just play piano but she is a piano professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Next, she used to be a deacon at her church as she was really dedicated and loved serving her church. Lastly, she is SUPER organized and detailed. And the unspoken lastly, she is very Taiwanese. God answered my mom’s prayers and went abundantly over them.
We just trust that God would provide and in his provision just as Abraham trusted that his servant would be led by God to provide a wife for Isaac. He knew that he could trust in God’s provision as their family lived faithfully following God and His desires.
Will you trust in God’s timing? In God’s provision? Will you live faithfully and follow His desires?
Read Genesis 24:1-28
I have truly been blessed that God has provided Annie in my life as a loving wife. I remember before Annie came into the picture though, there were times when I really wondered if God was going to provide for me. For a very long time, I wanted so badly to be married and to have a family. It was starting to be hard to trust in God’s goodness and His provision not finding that special woman that I would spend the rest of my life with in holy matrimony.
I remember my mom telling me the criteria for my future wife while I was still single. She said that 1st she must be Christian. Well – that was a given. She had to play piano. (I said, “ huh? why?”) Well, you are preparing to be a pastor so your wife must be able to play piano. (ah,….i guess so). Next, she had to be really dedicated to the church and love serving. Lastly, she had to be really organized because I was so unorganized. She said that was last but I also knew deep down she really wished that she would be Taiwanese.
My mom is the prayer warrior type that prays fervently, diligently and faithfully every day. So I knew she was praying these things for me and for my future wife. So fast-forward to me and my wife, Annie. Yes, she is a Christian. Next, she doesn’t just play piano but she is a piano professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Next, she used to be a deacon at her church as she was really dedicated and loved serving her church. Lastly, she is SUPER organized and detailed. And the unspoken lastly, she is very Taiwanese. God answered my mom’s prayers and went abundantly over them.
We just trust that God would provide and in his provision just as Abraham trusted that his servant would be led by God to provide a wife for Isaac. He knew that he could trust in God’s provision as their family lived faithfully following God and His desires.
Will you trust in God’s timing? In God’s provision? Will you live faithfully and follow His desires?
Friday, October 22, 2010
Indebted only to God
Read Genesis 23
I think we can all agree that we owe God. A lot. After all, Jesus did give up his rights to reign in heaven as the SON OF GOD and come to DIE for us SINNERS on this comparatively measly earth. And, even though Abraham didn’t know that God was going to send Jesus to save us and that we are forever indebted to God in that way, he still knew that he owed God his faith. God promised him all these great things and yet Abraham couldn’t and didn’t even see half of them it seemed in his lifetime. But Abraham, in response to God’s promises, “owed” God his faith because that’s all that God required of him.
So with that in mind, we come back to the story. Abraham’s beloved wife Sarah has just died and so (obviously) she needs a burial place. Yet, Abraham is still a nomad at this point, so he doesn’t have any land to bury his dead relatives. So he asks the people group that he is living with, the Hittites, if he can buy some land from them to bury his dead. They generously offer to give him their best land. At this point, Abraham could have easily taken them up on that offer and taken from the Hittites their best land. Yet, to do so would have signified that the land didn’t legally or officially belong to Abraham, because it would have a gift. Instead, Abraham insists on paying its full value and “ensure that [he] has full legal title to the burial plot” (ESV study notes). He did not want the Hittites to be able to claim that it was by their generosity that Abraham began settling in that land and eventually inherit the land of Canaan. He wanted all that honor and glory to go to God because it was all God’s promises and not human generosity that was going to make that happen.
So what does that mean for us? Have you been accepting “gifts” from this world and now feeling like you “owe” the world a favor by indulging in its desires? How has God been encouraging you to find your identity in his promises and not the things of this world? Lift up to God the ways that you have been compromising. Maybe you know God’s promises for your life but you have been relying on things of this world to attain that? Your thoughts and circumstances are unique so lift them up to God because He knows. And the amazing thing is He wants you to tell him what’s going on in your life (even though He knows it all already). So whatever you’ve been struggling to trust God with, lift that up to Him. After all, he is the only one who deserves every part of us.
I think we can all agree that we owe God. A lot. After all, Jesus did give up his rights to reign in heaven as the SON OF GOD and come to DIE for us SINNERS on this comparatively measly earth. And, even though Abraham didn’t know that God was going to send Jesus to save us and that we are forever indebted to God in that way, he still knew that he owed God his faith. God promised him all these great things and yet Abraham couldn’t and didn’t even see half of them it seemed in his lifetime. But Abraham, in response to God’s promises, “owed” God his faith because that’s all that God required of him.
So with that in mind, we come back to the story. Abraham’s beloved wife Sarah has just died and so (obviously) she needs a burial place. Yet, Abraham is still a nomad at this point, so he doesn’t have any land to bury his dead relatives. So he asks the people group that he is living with, the Hittites, if he can buy some land from them to bury his dead. They generously offer to give him their best land. At this point, Abraham could have easily taken them up on that offer and taken from the Hittites their best land. Yet, to do so would have signified that the land didn’t legally or officially belong to Abraham, because it would have a gift. Instead, Abraham insists on paying its full value and “ensure that [he] has full legal title to the burial plot” (ESV study notes). He did not want the Hittites to be able to claim that it was by their generosity that Abraham began settling in that land and eventually inherit the land of Canaan. He wanted all that honor and glory to go to God because it was all God’s promises and not human generosity that was going to make that happen.
So what does that mean for us? Have you been accepting “gifts” from this world and now feeling like you “owe” the world a favor by indulging in its desires? How has God been encouraging you to find your identity in his promises and not the things of this world? Lift up to God the ways that you have been compromising. Maybe you know God’s promises for your life but you have been relying on things of this world to attain that? Your thoughts and circumstances are unique so lift them up to God because He knows. And the amazing thing is He wants you to tell him what’s going on in your life (even though He knows it all already). So whatever you’ve been struggling to trust God with, lift that up to Him. After all, he is the only one who deserves every part of us.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The God Who Keeps His Promises (III)
Read: Genesis 22
But all of a sudden, when we’ve talked about how God keeps his promises, God presents Abraham with a troubling command: to take Isaac and sacrifice him - his only son, by the way - as an offering to God. Nobody can read this passage and think that Abraham completely went along with that command without any thoughts whatsoever. Make no mistake, this was a frightening test for Abraham and Sarai (who presumably knows what’s going on).
What was God thinking? It seems God’s trying to screw Himself over! I’m sure that was what was going through Abraham’s head: “Didn’t God promise me many descendants through Isaac? Why is he doing this now? Was all this a joke? No - it can’t be - but what if? But didn’t God tell me...” The questions keep going. Today’s modern readers might think of that as terrible. Many liberal theologians find this passage troubling. How can a good God let this happen? You can’t possibly expect Isaac to leave without his mind being scarred from all this. How would you like it if your dad took you to church to be sacrificed as an offering to God?
The writer of Hebrews had some insight into this. In chapter 11, the author listed and described the members of the so-called Hall of Faith, in which Abraham was a member. We need to understand that in the Old Testament, faith does NOT mean belief. Faith meant trusting in God because He is amazingly reliable. So, from this definition, Abraham was a faithful person. God has saved his skin in the past. And God has given him a son even though he was 90+. Why can’t God somehow save Isaac from this? There has to be a way out. And I’d imagine Abraham was puzzling and just agonizing through how it’s all going to play out as he slowly bound Isaac, and drew his knife...
All of a sudden, the great relief from God came: DO NOT LAY A HAND on the boy, said the Angel. Now, I know that you fear God. Can you imagine Abraham just filled, overflowing with absolute joy and happiness that this grisly act of sacrifice is spared! The rest of Genesis 22 talks about how Abraham “return to his servants”, but I think he just fell down and just kissed the feet of the angel over and over again for sparing him from this. But more importantly, God continued to uphold his promise to Abraham.
But that was not the last time God demanded such a frightful test. On Passion Week, God’s own Son was taken up the mountain. You can’t miss the strange irony. Where Abraham took his son to the mountain, in Jesus’ case, the Creator was dragged up the mountain by those he created! And no, there was nobody to comfort Jesus - they’ve fled already. And no, not a single angel delivered the great relief that Abraham experienced. But God always kept His promises. He rose again on the third day! And now he has left a promise to us - that he will return one day. How, then, shall we live if we truly believe that God is the one who keeps His promises?
But all of a sudden, when we’ve talked about how God keeps his promises, God presents Abraham with a troubling command: to take Isaac and sacrifice him - his only son, by the way - as an offering to God. Nobody can read this passage and think that Abraham completely went along with that command without any thoughts whatsoever. Make no mistake, this was a frightening test for Abraham and Sarai (who presumably knows what’s going on).
What was God thinking? It seems God’s trying to screw Himself over! I’m sure that was what was going through Abraham’s head: “Didn’t God promise me many descendants through Isaac? Why is he doing this now? Was all this a joke? No - it can’t be - but what if? But didn’t God tell me...” The questions keep going. Today’s modern readers might think of that as terrible. Many liberal theologians find this passage troubling. How can a good God let this happen? You can’t possibly expect Isaac to leave without his mind being scarred from all this. How would you like it if your dad took you to church to be sacrificed as an offering to God?
The writer of Hebrews had some insight into this. In chapter 11, the author listed and described the members of the so-called Hall of Faith, in which Abraham was a member. We need to understand that in the Old Testament, faith does NOT mean belief. Faith meant trusting in God because He is amazingly reliable. So, from this definition, Abraham was a faithful person. God has saved his skin in the past. And God has given him a son even though he was 90+. Why can’t God somehow save Isaac from this? There has to be a way out. And I’d imagine Abraham was puzzling and just agonizing through how it’s all going to play out as he slowly bound Isaac, and drew his knife...
All of a sudden, the great relief from God came: DO NOT LAY A HAND on the boy, said the Angel. Now, I know that you fear God. Can you imagine Abraham just filled, overflowing with absolute joy and happiness that this grisly act of sacrifice is spared! The rest of Genesis 22 talks about how Abraham “return to his servants”, but I think he just fell down and just kissed the feet of the angel over and over again for sparing him from this. But more importantly, God continued to uphold his promise to Abraham.
But that was not the last time God demanded such a frightful test. On Passion Week, God’s own Son was taken up the mountain. You can’t miss the strange irony. Where Abraham took his son to the mountain, in Jesus’ case, the Creator was dragged up the mountain by those he created! And no, there was nobody to comfort Jesus - they’ve fled already. And no, not a single angel delivered the great relief that Abraham experienced. But God always kept His promises. He rose again on the third day! And now he has left a promise to us - that he will return one day. How, then, shall we live if we truly believe that God is the one who keeps His promises?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The God Who Keeps His Promises (II)
Read Genesis 21: 1-20
No doubt you would have heard that on the eve of 9/11 this year, a fundamentalist church in Florida decided to hold a public burning of Korans. The seminary president, in response to that, said that it was “utterly foolish” - and I agree. Burning others’ holy books is not showing others love. Christianity and Islam have never been comfortable friends, but in a world where Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, we need to understand them outside of 9/11. 9/11 does NOT define Islam no more than did the Crusades define Christianity. So where do we begin? A great place to start is today’s passage. We will return to this topic at a future devotional.
Recall that Ishmael (ISH-ma-ELL) was the result of a plan by Sarai back in chapter 16. Since Ishmael is the elder son, he is the one who should receive most of Abraham’s inheritance. That’s the way cultures work back then (and in some cultures today). So, it should not surprise us that Ishmael puts down his brother Isaac often. Sarah, of course, didn’t like it, and wanted Hagar and Ishmael out of the house. But Abraham, of course, was deeply troubled - Ishamel was his son too.
Note verse 12 - 20. Hagar ran out of water and didn’t know what to do. Now, God could’ve left them alone. Why bother, right? The Bible, after all, concerns only God’s people, and since Ishmael is not one of them, why care? But God made a promise to Abraham before that applied to all his descendants. God, if you remember from last week, is the God who keeps his promises. He has promised Abram that his descendants will be “too numerous to count.” And that applied to all descendants, Ishmael and Isaac. Admittedly, Ishmael was not part of the original plan. But God does not go back on his promises. This should be reassuring to us! If God can keep his promises to those who are not in Israel, how much would he keep his promises to those of us who are his children!
As we read the Old Testament, keep in mind that God is not the God who bats you on the head for every mistake you make. He is the gracious God who does what He says, and when we screw things up royally, he remains in control without reneging on his word. Abraham and Sarai screwed up God’s plan and resulted in Ishmael, but since Ishmael is Abraham’s son, God’s promises to Abraham’s descendants still apply to him, just as it did to Isaac.
If God can uphold his promises to those outside of Israel, how much more would he uphold his promises to us! Spend a few moments thinking about what you know are God’s promises to us. Example: God promised to be our strength and defender. Then think about those promises. What does that mean? Strength to do what? Defend from what? And how can those promises encourage you as you face the difficulties of living as a Christian in this world?
No doubt you would have heard that on the eve of 9/11 this year, a fundamentalist church in Florida decided to hold a public burning of Korans. The seminary president, in response to that, said that it was “utterly foolish” - and I agree. Burning others’ holy books is not showing others love. Christianity and Islam have never been comfortable friends, but in a world where Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, we need to understand them outside of 9/11. 9/11 does NOT define Islam no more than did the Crusades define Christianity. So where do we begin? A great place to start is today’s passage. We will return to this topic at a future devotional.
Recall that Ishmael (ISH-ma-ELL) was the result of a plan by Sarai back in chapter 16. Since Ishmael is the elder son, he is the one who should receive most of Abraham’s inheritance. That’s the way cultures work back then (and in some cultures today). So, it should not surprise us that Ishmael puts down his brother Isaac often. Sarah, of course, didn’t like it, and wanted Hagar and Ishmael out of the house. But Abraham, of course, was deeply troubled - Ishamel was his son too.
Note verse 12 - 20. Hagar ran out of water and didn’t know what to do. Now, God could’ve left them alone. Why bother, right? The Bible, after all, concerns only God’s people, and since Ishmael is not one of them, why care? But God made a promise to Abraham before that applied to all his descendants. God, if you remember from last week, is the God who keeps his promises. He has promised Abram that his descendants will be “too numerous to count.” And that applied to all descendants, Ishmael and Isaac. Admittedly, Ishmael was not part of the original plan. But God does not go back on his promises. This should be reassuring to us! If God can keep his promises to those who are not in Israel, how much would he keep his promises to those of us who are his children!
As we read the Old Testament, keep in mind that God is not the God who bats you on the head for every mistake you make. He is the gracious God who does what He says, and when we screw things up royally, he remains in control without reneging on his word. Abraham and Sarai screwed up God’s plan and resulted in Ishmael, but since Ishmael is Abraham’s son, God’s promises to Abraham’s descendants still apply to him, just as it did to Isaac.
If God can uphold his promises to those outside of Israel, how much more would he uphold his promises to us! Spend a few moments thinking about what you know are God’s promises to us. Example: God promised to be our strength and defender. Then think about those promises. What does that mean? Strength to do what? Defend from what? And how can those promises encourage you as you face the difficulties of living as a Christian in this world?
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Old Sins with Deep Roots
Read Genesis 20
For those of you who have been following along as we read the book of Genesis you’ll notice we once again find ourselves at a familiar impasse in the life of Abraham. In another not so brilliant moment Abraham lied to Pharaoh and led him to believe his wife Sarah was his sister and caused quite the scene when it came out otherwise. And here we are again with Abraham in another foreign country, with another king, the same lie, the same lame excuse. So why does he do it? Didn’t he learn the first time? Didn’t God just promise him not so long ago (less than a year) that Sarah would in a year have a son? I think sometimes in our own self-righteousness we assume that great people of the faith don’t continually struggle with sin just like we do. What are the sins that you struggle with repeatedly? Worry? Pride? Lust? Fear?
Of course, we should know sins we struggle with affect our relationship with God, but often times we don’t consider the effects that they have on our relationships with others, directly or indirectly. In this case we see that an innocent man, Abimelech, and his whole household were almost destroyed by Abraham’s lie, not to mention his wife, whose integrity was compromised by his faithlessness, and also the will of God in the birth of Isaac. Granted, our sins may not have immediate consequences of this magnitude, but we may need look no further than our family and closest friends to see how our relationships suffer from our bad choices. I think it’s redeeming how God shows his mercy to Abimelech and his household in spite of Abrahams sin:
“Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.” (Genesis 20:6)
God is still the same way today. He allows people a way out of the cycle of sin when they are inadvertently affected by the sins of others. They still have the responsibility of choosing the right way, but God is merciful. I think that this is particularly important in cycles of generational sin, and by that I mean sin that is passed from parents to children by poor leadership and example.
Reflect on how your struggle with sin has affected other people, and also how you have been affected by others’ sin. Pray that God would grant you the strength to overcome your struggle with continuous sin, and a heart of willing obedience. Pray also that God would heal and bring reconciliation to your relationships affected by sin.
For those of you who have been following along as we read the book of Genesis you’ll notice we once again find ourselves at a familiar impasse in the life of Abraham. In another not so brilliant moment Abraham lied to Pharaoh and led him to believe his wife Sarah was his sister and caused quite the scene when it came out otherwise. And here we are again with Abraham in another foreign country, with another king, the same lie, the same lame excuse. So why does he do it? Didn’t he learn the first time? Didn’t God just promise him not so long ago (less than a year) that Sarah would in a year have a son? I think sometimes in our own self-righteousness we assume that great people of the faith don’t continually struggle with sin just like we do. What are the sins that you struggle with repeatedly? Worry? Pride? Lust? Fear?
Of course, we should know sins we struggle with affect our relationship with God, but often times we don’t consider the effects that they have on our relationships with others, directly or indirectly. In this case we see that an innocent man, Abimelech, and his whole household were almost destroyed by Abraham’s lie, not to mention his wife, whose integrity was compromised by his faithlessness, and also the will of God in the birth of Isaac. Granted, our sins may not have immediate consequences of this magnitude, but we may need look no further than our family and closest friends to see how our relationships suffer from our bad choices. I think it’s redeeming how God shows his mercy to Abimelech and his household in spite of Abrahams sin:
“Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.” (Genesis 20:6)
God is still the same way today. He allows people a way out of the cycle of sin when they are inadvertently affected by the sins of others. They still have the responsibility of choosing the right way, but God is merciful. I think that this is particularly important in cycles of generational sin, and by that I mean sin that is passed from parents to children by poor leadership and example.
Reflect on how your struggle with sin has affected other people, and also how you have been affected by others’ sin. Pray that God would grant you the strength to overcome your struggle with continuous sin, and a heart of willing obedience. Pray also that God would heal and bring reconciliation to your relationships affected by sin.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Avoid the dark or Be Light to it
After reading this passage, I think my reaction afterwards was, “what in the world”. Sometimes there are these passages that seem so bizarre and messed up, it makes you wonder why they are in the Bible. You have to remember that the Bible needs to be read and seen in light as a whole. So this passage much be seen with the context and understanding of things that surround it. Also, the stories themselves must be known that the Bible isn’t always just good stories that make us feel warm and fuzzy. We get a very graphic picture of sinful men and also a very graphic picture of their destruction.
Read Genesis 19
This passage brings up a lot of questions and I am not looking to try to answer them all in this devotional. Please research or ask one of the leaders or someone that has studied this in depth to help you answer some of the questions you have.
When we read this, we may come to the conclusion that Lot’s ineffectiveness in Sodom warns believers against becoming involved in the world and things that are going on there or against living in unbelieving cities or going to schools that are secular. Someone might say: “Lot’s mistake was to go and live in such a wicked city in the first place! He should have stayed out in the country and kept
himself pure and unspotted.”
However, this doesn’t hold true with other characters we see in the Bible. Daniel and others are held up as models to us of living in the world and showing godly character to it. The trouble with that reasoning is that Daniel and others are held up to be models to us.
I think we can look at this story and see that it actually shows us that Lot’s failure was instead of his family being salt and light to mold the values of Sodom, Sodom influenced and molded the values of Lot’s family as we see at the end of this chapter.
Daniel and Joseph saw what they were called to do as jobs as calling from God. Their main and primary motive was to use their gifts in such a way that their God was honored and shown to be the true God. Both of these men let it be known that they believed and followed God and in the way they reflected godliness and good character, they were elevated to high positions. With God’s help they rose up in the ranks despite their stands (which often brought them into danger). But because they put their service to him above prosperity and advancement, then when they did advance
they were seen as men of great integrity and their words and deeds had an impact.
As we saw in Genesis 14, Lot’s main motive for moving to Sodom was for the benefit of his career and prosperity. Being an influence for God and the good of the city was secondary. Career advancement was the nonnegotiable. Thus he rose in the ranks, but ended up having no influence at all. The people of Sodom probably knew he worshipped some strange foreign God (cf. 19:9), but there was no unusual courage or character about him to grab their attention or respect.
We are not being warned against involvement with unbelieving culture and society but I’ve heard this metaphor before that we are against being a “thermometer” (an instrument controlled by the environment) rather than a “thermostat” (an instrument that effects its environment). Only if our priorities are put straight will we be able to be ‘salt and light’ in our families, schools, cities, and society. Take some time to think about whether you are more of a “thermometer” or “thermostat”. What are things God wants you to do in order to be a “thermostat”?
Read Genesis 19
This passage brings up a lot of questions and I am not looking to try to answer them all in this devotional. Please research or ask one of the leaders or someone that has studied this in depth to help you answer some of the questions you have.
When we read this, we may come to the conclusion that Lot’s ineffectiveness in Sodom warns believers against becoming involved in the world and things that are going on there or against living in unbelieving cities or going to schools that are secular. Someone might say: “Lot’s mistake was to go and live in such a wicked city in the first place! He should have stayed out in the country and kept
himself pure and unspotted.”
However, this doesn’t hold true with other characters we see in the Bible. Daniel and others are held up as models to us of living in the world and showing godly character to it. The trouble with that reasoning is that Daniel and others are held up to be models to us.
I think we can look at this story and see that it actually shows us that Lot’s failure was instead of his family being salt and light to mold the values of Sodom, Sodom influenced and molded the values of Lot’s family as we see at the end of this chapter.
Daniel and Joseph saw what they were called to do as jobs as calling from God. Their main and primary motive was to use their gifts in such a way that their God was honored and shown to be the true God. Both of these men let it be known that they believed and followed God and in the way they reflected godliness and good character, they were elevated to high positions. With God’s help they rose up in the ranks despite their stands (which often brought them into danger). But because they put their service to him above prosperity and advancement, then when they did advance
they were seen as men of great integrity and their words and deeds had an impact.
As we saw in Genesis 14, Lot’s main motive for moving to Sodom was for the benefit of his career and prosperity. Being an influence for God and the good of the city was secondary. Career advancement was the nonnegotiable. Thus he rose in the ranks, but ended up having no influence at all. The people of Sodom probably knew he worshipped some strange foreign God (cf. 19:9), but there was no unusual courage or character about him to grab their attention or respect.
We are not being warned against involvement with unbelieving culture and society but I’ve heard this metaphor before that we are against being a “thermometer” (an instrument controlled by the environment) rather than a “thermostat” (an instrument that effects its environment). Only if our priorities are put straight will we be able to be ‘salt and light’ in our families, schools, cities, and society. Take some time to think about whether you are more of a “thermometer” or “thermostat”. What are things God wants you to do in order to be a “thermostat”?
Friday, October 15, 2010
Abraham’s persistence and God’s character
Read Genesis 18:22-33
I think that after reading this passage, a lot of people may be confused by the fact that God seems to change His mind about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah or that humans (Abraham) seem to be able to negotiate with God. I think that both of these are also pitfalls on our journey to see the true point of this story. To be perfectly honest, I am also not going to address it because I do not feel capable of doing so. I need to look more into God’s Word and ask my elders in the faith (Ben, Jon, Jenn, Henry, Norregaards, my parents, etc) what these things truly mean. But two things that I DO want to emphasize—Abraham’s persistence and God’s character—because I believe that these two things are the biggest things that we can draw from this short passage.
But a tangent before we start: I just want to point out that “Abraham still stood before the LORD” as he talked to God. When I really think about that scene, it sounds ridiculously intimate. I mean, a dude standing before the LORD…holy smokes, now there’s a thought. While we could go into a great theological debate about whether Abraham was physically standing before the LORD or not, I think the main point is the intimacy that was present between Him and God—so much so that Abraham was having what seems to be a spoken conversation with God. Just something that we can all strive towards: a deeper intimacy with God.
But going off of that point (so it wasn’t that much of a tangent, really), I think that Abraham’s persistence in appealing to the LORD is commendable and admirable. Initially, Abraham appeals to God’s justice, asking if God will still destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if there are 50 righteous people in the city. Yet, his worry for and heart for those who may die unnecessarily (namely, Lot) caused him to continually appeal to God; and eventually, Abraham reduces the number of righteous to 10 to avert the destruction of the city. I think that this persistence is extraordinary and that we should all learn this sort of persistence in our conversations (prayer) with God. Yet, I think it’s also important to note that Abraham’s persistence all came out of humility—he knew that he was unworthy of even speaking to God, let alone appealing to Him in such a fashion. He repeatedly asks God not to be angry and reaffirms his complete dependence on God. That is, I believe, another attitude that we can learn from Abraham: one of humility and complete submission.
Secondly, I think it’s super awesome that God, with all of His power (He could do anything He wanted), is JUST. He is the only completely just king there was, is, and ever will be. And I think it’s super sweet just thinking about that: God will never punish anyone for something they didn’t do. We will never be accused falsely. Just a thought. Marinate on that a little: God is just.
Now to bring it all together…Abraham sets a tremendous example of prayer for us in this passage. So how can you learn from his example of humility and persistence in prayer? What tangible things can you do today that reflect that humility and persistence in your prayer life? And God’s response to his humble and persistent prayer is just, right, and all out of compassion for his created beings. So if we pray God’s will, what do we have to fear? If we do so, there is no way that God will not be just to listen and come through mightily, showing his power in glorious ways. So what are you waiting for? My prayer is that you may look at Abraham’s example of prayer and God’s response to it, and come before His throne with confidence, knowing that the God of the universe has you and your problems in His hands.
I think that after reading this passage, a lot of people may be confused by the fact that God seems to change His mind about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah or that humans (Abraham) seem to be able to negotiate with God. I think that both of these are also pitfalls on our journey to see the true point of this story. To be perfectly honest, I am also not going to address it because I do not feel capable of doing so. I need to look more into God’s Word and ask my elders in the faith (Ben, Jon, Jenn, Henry, Norregaards, my parents, etc) what these things truly mean. But two things that I DO want to emphasize—Abraham’s persistence and God’s character—because I believe that these two things are the biggest things that we can draw from this short passage.
But a tangent before we start: I just want to point out that “Abraham still stood before the LORD” as he talked to God. When I really think about that scene, it sounds ridiculously intimate. I mean, a dude standing before the LORD…holy smokes, now there’s a thought. While we could go into a great theological debate about whether Abraham was physically standing before the LORD or not, I think the main point is the intimacy that was present between Him and God—so much so that Abraham was having what seems to be a spoken conversation with God. Just something that we can all strive towards: a deeper intimacy with God.
But going off of that point (so it wasn’t that much of a tangent, really), I think that Abraham’s persistence in appealing to the LORD is commendable and admirable. Initially, Abraham appeals to God’s justice, asking if God will still destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if there are 50 righteous people in the city. Yet, his worry for and heart for those who may die unnecessarily (namely, Lot) caused him to continually appeal to God; and eventually, Abraham reduces the number of righteous to 10 to avert the destruction of the city. I think that this persistence is extraordinary and that we should all learn this sort of persistence in our conversations (prayer) with God. Yet, I think it’s also important to note that Abraham’s persistence all came out of humility—he knew that he was unworthy of even speaking to God, let alone appealing to Him in such a fashion. He repeatedly asks God not to be angry and reaffirms his complete dependence on God. That is, I believe, another attitude that we can learn from Abraham: one of humility and complete submission.
Secondly, I think it’s super awesome that God, with all of His power (He could do anything He wanted), is JUST. He is the only completely just king there was, is, and ever will be. And I think it’s super sweet just thinking about that: God will never punish anyone for something they didn’t do. We will never be accused falsely. Just a thought. Marinate on that a little: God is just.
Now to bring it all together…Abraham sets a tremendous example of prayer for us in this passage. So how can you learn from his example of humility and persistence in prayer? What tangible things can you do today that reflect that humility and persistence in your prayer life? And God’s response to his humble and persistent prayer is just, right, and all out of compassion for his created beings. So if we pray God’s will, what do we have to fear? If we do so, there is no way that God will not be just to listen and come through mightily, showing his power in glorious ways. So what are you waiting for? My prayer is that you may look at Abraham’s example of prayer and God’s response to it, and come before His throne with confidence, knowing that the God of the universe has you and your problems in His hands.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Well, I’ve Got Some Good News and Some Bad News . . .
Read Genesis 18:1-21
Ever notice how God comes to your side in encouraging you as you take a large step forward in faith? God is the kind of God that encourages us as we pursue a deeper relationship with him. This whole bit starts off with God visiting Abraham to encourage him and give him news as he is recovering from covenant circumcision, which is a huge step for him at the age of 99. Some of the news is great and long awaited, and some is terrible news that involves Abrahams loved ones; and though this is only a momentary glimpse into Abraham’s life we get to see how a man of God accepts and responds to both kinds of news.
Observe how Abraham’s first reaction is generous hospitality. Without, I think, even fully grasping who the three visitors are at first he invites them to stay, serves them up a feast, and -like a hospitable middle-easterner for his day- stands by and waits on them even though it’s the heat of the day. Now having been on the giving and receiving end of Asian hospitality on a number of occasions I’d definitely say Asian hospitality is on a level above western concepts of hospitality for sure; but when comparing it to Abraham’s hospitality towards those who are so obviously strangers to him, I’d have to say he definitely one-upped us. This should give us pause; how are we treating strangers? The writer of Hebrews was recalling this when he wrote: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2
And now for the good news . . . Sarah’s going to have a baby . . . at the age of 90. Sure Sarah expresses a little bitterness at first hearing the news, but maybe that’s just her hormones kicking back on. No, seriously though, Sarah has had to wait a long time for this. God promised her she was going to have a baby over ten years before, and at that time she was already post-menopausal; and all this with people looking on her with judgment for years because she can’t have a kid. Sometimes I think that we need to put this in a little perspective for our own lives. Sometimes God does give us a word or promise for our own futures that can be years in coming. How will we react when he finally works them out? Sarah was a little bitter, not the best way to react, but she kept faith that God could do what he says and she was later commended for that faith. How are we keeping faithful to the work that God is doing long-term in our own lives?
Wait! There’s still the bad news! The Bible for a moment shows us this dialogue God has about what to say to Abraham about Sodom and Gomorrah. You may recall that Abraham personally knows people in these cities other than his nephew Lot when he went to rescue his nephew and return the goods of the people of those cities previously. What I notice though, is how God speaks of Abraham and his descendants as a blessing to the earth, of how they will follow and keep his ways doing what is just and right and bringing forth God’s promises right before he speaks to Abraham about the evil legacy of both of these nations. God knows from the outcry against them what they are both doing, God even knew before people started crying out against these nations, and yet he goes down to have a personal look. Why? God confronts us in our sin. There is a significant difference from Abraham and Sodom and Gomorrah and yet God pays a visit to both. Yet one receives a promise of redemption- Abraham in walking in faith with God- and the other foreshadowed judgment. Likewise for the believer, there is a difference in how we live and how we respond to God, and it should be a blessing to everyone with whom we come in contact.
Pray for a generous spirit in showing hospitality to others, and pray for discernment for how you can walk faithfully and be a blessing to others by the power of the Holy Spirit.Amen.
Ever notice how God comes to your side in encouraging you as you take a large step forward in faith? God is the kind of God that encourages us as we pursue a deeper relationship with him. This whole bit starts off with God visiting Abraham to encourage him and give him news as he is recovering from covenant circumcision, which is a huge step for him at the age of 99. Some of the news is great and long awaited, and some is terrible news that involves Abrahams loved ones; and though this is only a momentary glimpse into Abraham’s life we get to see how a man of God accepts and responds to both kinds of news.
Observe how Abraham’s first reaction is generous hospitality. Without, I think, even fully grasping who the three visitors are at first he invites them to stay, serves them up a feast, and -like a hospitable middle-easterner for his day- stands by and waits on them even though it’s the heat of the day. Now having been on the giving and receiving end of Asian hospitality on a number of occasions I’d definitely say Asian hospitality is on a level above western concepts of hospitality for sure; but when comparing it to Abraham’s hospitality towards those who are so obviously strangers to him, I’d have to say he definitely one-upped us. This should give us pause; how are we treating strangers? The writer of Hebrews was recalling this when he wrote: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2
And now for the good news . . . Sarah’s going to have a baby . . . at the age of 90. Sure Sarah expresses a little bitterness at first hearing the news, but maybe that’s just her hormones kicking back on. No, seriously though, Sarah has had to wait a long time for this. God promised her she was going to have a baby over ten years before, and at that time she was already post-menopausal; and all this with people looking on her with judgment for years because she can’t have a kid. Sometimes I think that we need to put this in a little perspective for our own lives. Sometimes God does give us a word or promise for our own futures that can be years in coming. How will we react when he finally works them out? Sarah was a little bitter, not the best way to react, but she kept faith that God could do what he says and she was later commended for that faith. How are we keeping faithful to the work that God is doing long-term in our own lives?
Wait! There’s still the bad news! The Bible for a moment shows us this dialogue God has about what to say to Abraham about Sodom and Gomorrah. You may recall that Abraham personally knows people in these cities other than his nephew Lot when he went to rescue his nephew and return the goods of the people of those cities previously. What I notice though, is how God speaks of Abraham and his descendants as a blessing to the earth, of how they will follow and keep his ways doing what is just and right and bringing forth God’s promises right before he speaks to Abraham about the evil legacy of both of these nations. God knows from the outcry against them what they are both doing, God even knew before people started crying out against these nations, and yet he goes down to have a personal look. Why? God confronts us in our sin. There is a significant difference from Abraham and Sodom and Gomorrah and yet God pays a visit to both. Yet one receives a promise of redemption- Abraham in walking in faith with God- and the other foreshadowed judgment. Likewise for the believer, there is a difference in how we live and how we respond to God, and it should be a blessing to everyone with whom we come in contact.
Pray for a generous spirit in showing hospitality to others, and pray for discernment for how you can walk faithfully and be a blessing to others by the power of the Holy Spirit.Amen.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The God of Circumcision
Read: Genesis 17
If you have time, read also Acts 15 and Romans 2: 17-29
In this chapter God begins to lay down one of the important concepts of the entire Bible: covenant. A covenant is a specific promise between two sides. In this case, the covenant is between God and Abram, as well as his descendants. And the physical symbol of that covenant is circumcision (for guys). But even moreso, Abram and Sarai have new names. Abram (exalted father) is now Abraham (father of many). And Sarai is now Sarah. And God continued: “I will bless her and surely give you a son by her” (vs. 16). Isaac will be the one who holds the covenant with God, not Ishmael. Thus, all of Abram’s family members and Isaac’s descendants must be circumcised as a physical mark of their covenantal agreement with God. The concept - not the act - of circumcision is important especially for Christians, especially for us with our new youth group theme: “Seeking Wholeness: Being Good News to the Lost.” It is so
important that, in fact, the first church council, the Jerusalem Council, was convened over this specific issue. In Acts 15, some former Pharisees who converted to Christianity argued that circumcision is still necessary, even for Gentile converts. Peter, generally regarded as the titular leader of the apostles, notes (vs. 8) that the Holy Spirit made no distinction between the circumcised and the uncircumcised. All Christ’s followers received the Holy Spirit regardless of whether they were former Jews or Gentiles. The Council has made their decision - Gentile
converts do not need to be circumcised to be Christian. They wrote a letter - an apostolic letter - and circulated it to the churches. St. Paul was one of the messengers. Maybe for that reason, Paul had time to think over the issue more clearly. In Romans 2, Paul notes that circumcision is useless if you break the law! What’s the use of having a physical mark of your allegiance to God if you break his laws all the time? Indeed, a Gentile who obeys the law is so much more preferable to a Jewish man who keeps breaking it! And, in verse 29, Paul nails the issue down - the circumcision that God wants is a “circumcision of the heart.” It is a heart who
is allied to God.
Are our hearts circumcised? Do we live one way at church, but live completely oppositely at school? Remember the youth group theme? This wholeness is circumcision. And when we are circumcised in our hearts, we will be changed people. That’s why our theme makes so much sense: “Being Good News to the Lost.” Lost people don’t look for other lost people to find their way - they look for people who have the light. Do we have this light in our hearts? Spend time reflecting over this. Are your hearts circumcised? Are they set apart for the Lord?
If you have time, read also Acts 15 and Romans 2: 17-29
In this chapter God begins to lay down one of the important concepts of the entire Bible: covenant. A covenant is a specific promise between two sides. In this case, the covenant is between God and Abram, as well as his descendants. And the physical symbol of that covenant is circumcision (for guys). But even moreso, Abram and Sarai have new names. Abram (exalted father) is now Abraham (father of many). And Sarai is now Sarah. And God continued: “I will bless her and surely give you a son by her” (vs. 16). Isaac will be the one who holds the covenant with God, not Ishmael. Thus, all of Abram’s family members and Isaac’s descendants must be circumcised as a physical mark of their covenantal agreement with God. The concept - not the act - of circumcision is important especially for Christians, especially for us with our new youth group theme: “Seeking Wholeness: Being Good News to the Lost.” It is so
important that, in fact, the first church council, the Jerusalem Council, was convened over this specific issue. In Acts 15, some former Pharisees who converted to Christianity argued that circumcision is still necessary, even for Gentile converts. Peter, generally regarded as the titular leader of the apostles, notes (vs. 8) that the Holy Spirit made no distinction between the circumcised and the uncircumcised. All Christ’s followers received the Holy Spirit regardless of whether they were former Jews or Gentiles. The Council has made their decision - Gentile
converts do not need to be circumcised to be Christian. They wrote a letter - an apostolic letter - and circulated it to the churches. St. Paul was one of the messengers. Maybe for that reason, Paul had time to think over the issue more clearly. In Romans 2, Paul notes that circumcision is useless if you break the law! What’s the use of having a physical mark of your allegiance to God if you break his laws all the time? Indeed, a Gentile who obeys the law is so much more preferable to a Jewish man who keeps breaking it! And, in verse 29, Paul nails the issue down - the circumcision that God wants is a “circumcision of the heart.” It is a heart who
is allied to God.
Are our hearts circumcised? Do we live one way at church, but live completely oppositely at school? Remember the youth group theme? This wholeness is circumcision. And when we are circumcised in our hearts, we will be changed people. That’s why our theme makes so much sense: “Being Good News to the Lost.” Lost people don’t look for other lost people to find their way - they look for people who have the light. Do we have this light in our hearts? Spend time reflecting over this. Are your hearts circumcised? Are they set apart for the Lord?
Monday, October 11, 2010
My Way or Yahweh?
Now probably the first thing that strikes you is the title. Yes, I know it’s been there before and ironically, it’s written by the same dude again. But if you’ve never seen this title, then read these devos more! Haha jk. But not really. But hey, this title is very fitting for what we are going to dig into these next however-many-minutes you spend reading and reflecting. So let’s get to it!
Read Genesis 16.
Ah, the famous “oops” passage – at least it is for me. So here we have Abram and Sarai, the couple that has been promised by God (Yahweh) to be the ancestors to multitudes of descendants from numerous nations. God clearly promised Abram back at 15:4 that “a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” But apparently that son never came yet…or at least Sarai thought that he never would. So what does she do? At verse 2, she says to Abram to “sleep with my maidservant” and, as a result, an heir would be born. So Abram and Hagar do their thing, and Hagar gets pregnant. Consequently, Hagar is filled with pride – she’s carrying the heir, why wouldn’t she be? – and she starts to lose respect for her mistress, barren Sarai. And you probably know what happens for the rest of the passage. Hagar runs away, meets an angel, is promised to have a son named Ishmael, and then praises God for his omniscient compassion towards her.
Now I was thinking, how does this passage ever relate to me? I’m a guy. Well as simple as I can make it, let me ask you a question. Did Sarai handle her “barrenness” her way or God’s way (Yahweh, get it?) That’s a rhetorical question of course. Genesis 16 speaks of humanity’s lack of faith in God, and how that same lack of faith leads us to do things our own way. Sarai waited long enough for the true heir. She was impatient. Well gosh, she was old! If you were a woman in the mid-80’s and God said to you that you’ll have a glorious son, even when you have never had children before, would you believe it?
Let me rephrase the question. If God said to you one day, that you were going to be CEO of a multibillion dollar business or that you were going to be the doctor that finds the cure for cancer, would you trust His word? See here, these questions are a test of your faith in God Almighty. As Christians, we say, “YEAH Jesus is awesome and I totally believe in Him!” But do we truly believe in Him? Do we truly have faith in Him? I once wrote an essay for my English class last year on what the term faith meant to me personally. I stated that faith, unlike belief, causes action. Belief is simply trust, but faith speaks louder than words – it calls us to test our belief, and for us as Christians, belief in the intangible and invisible.
Are you living your life, knowing that each step you take is made possible through your Creator? Do you have that faith? Or will you throw the white flag and do things your own way? God calls each one of us to be so much more than who we are. All we have to do is have faith, and go all out. Let me end with a corny question (again). Is it your way or Yahweh? Pray to our eternal Friend and Father (capital f’s) and evaluate where you are on your faith-walk with Him.
Read Genesis 16.
Ah, the famous “oops” passage – at least it is for me. So here we have Abram and Sarai, the couple that has been promised by God (Yahweh) to be the ancestors to multitudes of descendants from numerous nations. God clearly promised Abram back at 15:4 that “a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” But apparently that son never came yet…or at least Sarai thought that he never would. So what does she do? At verse 2, she says to Abram to “sleep with my maidservant” and, as a result, an heir would be born. So Abram and Hagar do their thing, and Hagar gets pregnant. Consequently, Hagar is filled with pride – she’s carrying the heir, why wouldn’t she be? – and she starts to lose respect for her mistress, barren Sarai. And you probably know what happens for the rest of the passage. Hagar runs away, meets an angel, is promised to have a son named Ishmael, and then praises God for his omniscient compassion towards her.
Now I was thinking, how does this passage ever relate to me? I’m a guy. Well as simple as I can make it, let me ask you a question. Did Sarai handle her “barrenness” her way or God’s way (Yahweh, get it?) That’s a rhetorical question of course. Genesis 16 speaks of humanity’s lack of faith in God, and how that same lack of faith leads us to do things our own way. Sarai waited long enough for the true heir. She was impatient. Well gosh, she was old! If you were a woman in the mid-80’s and God said to you that you’ll have a glorious son, even when you have never had children before, would you believe it?
Let me rephrase the question. If God said to you one day, that you were going to be CEO of a multibillion dollar business or that you were going to be the doctor that finds the cure for cancer, would you trust His word? See here, these questions are a test of your faith in God Almighty. As Christians, we say, “YEAH Jesus is awesome and I totally believe in Him!” But do we truly believe in Him? Do we truly have faith in Him? I once wrote an essay for my English class last year on what the term faith meant to me personally. I stated that faith, unlike belief, causes action. Belief is simply trust, but faith speaks louder than words – it calls us to test our belief, and for us as Christians, belief in the intangible and invisible.
Are you living your life, knowing that each step you take is made possible through your Creator? Do you have that faith? Or will you throw the white flag and do things your own way? God calls each one of us to be so much more than who we are. All we have to do is have faith, and go all out. Let me end with a corny question (again). Is it your way or Yahweh? Pray to our eternal Friend and Father (capital f’s) and evaluate where you are on your faith-walk with Him.
Pinky Swear
What do you do to make an agreement with someone? Have you ever spit in your hand while your friend did the same and shake on something? Yeah, I haven’t either and frankly it sounds really gross. However, people do all kinds of things to make a promise together. What happened to the days of the good ole pinky swear? We will read a passage where God made an agreement with Abraham. It has rich meaning that gives us so much hope and encouragement.
Read Genesis 15
When you read this passage, you have to remember that Abraham just rescued Lot in a daring military action. God blessed him and he was victorious. Abraham has just experienced victory in all ways but here we see that God comes around Abraham and continues to encourage him. Abraham is surrounded by the realization that God is his shield and great reward. This is important because we need to know that the evil one will try to discourage us and tempt us to move away from a place that is close to God, a place where we have had victory through Him.
So be reminded that God comes along side you and says that He is our shield and our great reward. God also does something amazing in this passage. He makes a covenant (a promise) which is really powerful because when God makes a promise, He keeps His promises. How do they come to this covenant. Jeremiah 34:18 speaks of a ‘covenant’ or contract that certain men made with God. When they made this covenant, they cut a calf in two and then walked between the pieces. God says that since they broke their part of the covenant he will ‘treat them like the calf they cut in two’.
Even if you don’t have any background it is possible to determine from the text in Jeremiah that there is something going on with ancient contracts of the day with the making ceremonies. In today’s society, it would be done through your signature and writing contracts. Unless you have it signed and legally documented, it may not be considered valid. But ancient cultures were oral cultures and story-telling cultures. And the way contracts were often ratified (parallel to our ‘signing’ or ‘handshake’) was when the parties dramatically acted out the penalty for breaking the covenant. A way that covenants were made was to kill and animal, cut it into pieces, and walk between it as the oath was taken. This way the speaker was identifying with the animal and expressing his willingness to receive the ‘curse of the covenant’ if he is not faithful to his promise.
As you read in Genesis 15:17, we are given very graphic imagery of a smoking firepot with a blazing torch. This can be seen as God’s presence showing Himself in great power. After this demonstration, we see that God himself taking a covenantal oath (promise) and entering into a contractual, binding relationship with Abraham. I was reading some material by Tim Keller and he suggests that there are two amazing things about this covenant making ritual.
First of all, it is incredible that God goes through the pieces himself. In the ancient Near East, when a lesser party made a treaty with a great King, it was often customary that only the party took the oath and walked between the pieces. But here God lowers himself to take the oath and made himself accountable.
Second, it is even more amazing that Abram is not asked to go through the animal pieces or take an oath. If Abram were to also walk through the pieces here and now, then the promised covenant blessing would be as contingent on Abram’s keeping his promise as on God’s keeping his. But here it is all God. What an amazing thing God does for us. He continues to show us His mercy, grace and love. It should blow us away that the mighty Creator loves us and takes initiative with us. Take some time just in reflection of this fact.
Read Genesis 15
When you read this passage, you have to remember that Abraham just rescued Lot in a daring military action. God blessed him and he was victorious. Abraham has just experienced victory in all ways but here we see that God comes around Abraham and continues to encourage him. Abraham is surrounded by the realization that God is his shield and great reward. This is important because we need to know that the evil one will try to discourage us and tempt us to move away from a place that is close to God, a place where we have had victory through Him.
So be reminded that God comes along side you and says that He is our shield and our great reward. God also does something amazing in this passage. He makes a covenant (a promise) which is really powerful because when God makes a promise, He keeps His promises. How do they come to this covenant. Jeremiah 34:18 speaks of a ‘covenant’ or contract that certain men made with God. When they made this covenant, they cut a calf in two and then walked between the pieces. God says that since they broke their part of the covenant he will ‘treat them like the calf they cut in two’.
Even if you don’t have any background it is possible to determine from the text in Jeremiah that there is something going on with ancient contracts of the day with the making ceremonies. In today’s society, it would be done through your signature and writing contracts. Unless you have it signed and legally documented, it may not be considered valid. But ancient cultures were oral cultures and story-telling cultures. And the way contracts were often ratified (parallel to our ‘signing’ or ‘handshake’) was when the parties dramatically acted out the penalty for breaking the covenant. A way that covenants were made was to kill and animal, cut it into pieces, and walk between it as the oath was taken. This way the speaker was identifying with the animal and expressing his willingness to receive the ‘curse of the covenant’ if he is not faithful to his promise.
As you read in Genesis 15:17, we are given very graphic imagery of a smoking firepot with a blazing torch. This can be seen as God’s presence showing Himself in great power. After this demonstration, we see that God himself taking a covenantal oath (promise) and entering into a contractual, binding relationship with Abraham. I was reading some material by Tim Keller and he suggests that there are two amazing things about this covenant making ritual.
First of all, it is incredible that God goes through the pieces himself. In the ancient Near East, when a lesser party made a treaty with a great King, it was often customary that only the party took the oath and walked between the pieces. But here God lowers himself to take the oath and made himself accountable.
Second, it is even more amazing that Abram is not asked to go through the animal pieces or take an oath. If Abram were to also walk through the pieces here and now, then the promised covenant blessing would be as contingent on Abram’s keeping his promise as on God’s keeping his. But here it is all God. What an amazing thing God does for us. He continues to show us His mercy, grace and love. It should blow us away that the mighty Creator loves us and takes initiative with us. Take some time just in reflection of this fact.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Knowing Where the Praise Truly Lies
As you come into the presence of God today to read His Word and meditate on the words He may be speaking to you, pray for a receptive heart, that you may be humble enough to accept and allow God’s words to change your life today. Spend some time praying.
Read Genesis 14
God definitely works in cool ways. If you think about it, five kings weren’t able to defeat those four kings. Yet, God used Abram and his 318 trained men (as opposed to the thousands at the kings’ disposal) to show everyone that numbers do not matter when it comes to God bringing about His plan on this earth. Let me draw your attention to what happened after Abram’s victory though; both the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, the king of Salem approach Abram, though with vastly different purposes. The king of Sodom approaches Abram and tells Abram: just give me back all my relatives and subjects whom you’ve saved, and I will give you all the rest of the non-human goodies that you captured from those four kings. Abram will have nothing to do with it though, recognizing that the king of Sodom simply wants to be able to say, “I have made Abram rich.” So Abram rejects his offer. In contrast, when the king of Salem, Melchizedek, approaches Abram, he does something completely different. Unlike the king of Sodom, he does not praise Abram for defeating the four kings and saving all the captives. Instead, Melchizedek praises God and thanks Him for using Abram to “deliver your enemies into your hand.”
I feel like I’ve also had an experience rather similar to that of Abram’s recently: I was recently elected Homecoming King of Wheaton North High School. Just like Abram, I had accomplished something quite…impressive (trying to say this with maximum humility). Like Abram, I had overcome the odds (only being here two years prior to my election). And like Abram, I was congratulated by various groups from school and church. Yet, I think that I’ve been continually reminded by friends and family that the real glory and praise belongs to God. In fact, one of my friends from school (another member of the homecoming court) texted me Friday afternoon (after I found out I was the Homecoming King) with the verse Galatians 1:10: “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” In a sense, he acted as the Melchizedek to my Abram; he reminded me that ultimately, the approval we should be seeking should be from God, not from man. That we should desire to gain God’s accolades, not human ones. Not that human accolades are bad; by no means! In fact, it’s important that we are periodically encouraged and built up by those around us. It’s just that, when we look at the big picture, it’s ultimately God’s accolades that truly matter. So even in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of homecoming week, God continually reminds me that He is the one behind all the good in my life and that even when humans recognize me for my achievements, I am simply another person in continual need of more of Him.
Have you been relying too much on human praises to keep you going? Have you been taking the glory when it truly belongs to God? How is God convicting you to seek His praise over human praise? How is God calling you to use the spotlight you’ve been placed in to redirect that spotlight to where it belongs—with God? Pray about it. Be honest with God (and yourself) because you can’t fool Him. Ask Him to change your heart and mindset tangibly today. Because, in the long run, He is the one who deserves all the glory and honor and praise. Amen.
Read Genesis 14
God definitely works in cool ways. If you think about it, five kings weren’t able to defeat those four kings. Yet, God used Abram and his 318 trained men (as opposed to the thousands at the kings’ disposal) to show everyone that numbers do not matter when it comes to God bringing about His plan on this earth. Let me draw your attention to what happened after Abram’s victory though; both the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, the king of Salem approach Abram, though with vastly different purposes. The king of Sodom approaches Abram and tells Abram: just give me back all my relatives and subjects whom you’ve saved, and I will give you all the rest of the non-human goodies that you captured from those four kings. Abram will have nothing to do with it though, recognizing that the king of Sodom simply wants to be able to say, “I have made Abram rich.” So Abram rejects his offer. In contrast, when the king of Salem, Melchizedek, approaches Abram, he does something completely different. Unlike the king of Sodom, he does not praise Abram for defeating the four kings and saving all the captives. Instead, Melchizedek praises God and thanks Him for using Abram to “deliver your enemies into your hand.”
I feel like I’ve also had an experience rather similar to that of Abram’s recently: I was recently elected Homecoming King of Wheaton North High School. Just like Abram, I had accomplished something quite…impressive (trying to say this with maximum humility). Like Abram, I had overcome the odds (only being here two years prior to my election). And like Abram, I was congratulated by various groups from school and church. Yet, I think that I’ve been continually reminded by friends and family that the real glory and praise belongs to God. In fact, one of my friends from school (another member of the homecoming court) texted me Friday afternoon (after I found out I was the Homecoming King) with the verse Galatians 1:10: “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” In a sense, he acted as the Melchizedek to my Abram; he reminded me that ultimately, the approval we should be seeking should be from God, not from man. That we should desire to gain God’s accolades, not human ones. Not that human accolades are bad; by no means! In fact, it’s important that we are periodically encouraged and built up by those around us. It’s just that, when we look at the big picture, it’s ultimately God’s accolades that truly matter. So even in the midst of all the hustle and bustle of homecoming week, God continually reminds me that He is the one behind all the good in my life and that even when humans recognize me for my achievements, I am simply another person in continual need of more of Him.
Have you been relying too much on human praises to keep you going? Have you been taking the glory when it truly belongs to God? How is God convicting you to seek His praise over human praise? How is God calling you to use the spotlight you’ve been placed in to redirect that spotlight to where it belongs—with God? Pray about it. Be honest with God (and yourself) because you can’t fool Him. Ask Him to change your heart and mindset tangibly today. Because, in the long run, He is the one who deserves all the glory and honor and praise. Amen.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Following God Blindfolded
Read Genesis 13
Have you ever noticed how Egypt is never most desirable place in the Bible? I mean sure, if the land is in a famine and there’s no water in sight, then Egypt looks pretty tempting; but otherwise it’s never really the “place” to be. Today in Genesis 13 we find Abram coming out of Egypt and out of a period of, let’s face it, rather cowardly living.
“From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 13:3-4) Sometimes, after particularly low periods in our walk with God it’s good to go back to where we started to regain some perspective and this is exactly what Abram does. He goes back to the place he first worships God and calls out to him again. Now notice how God has already set Abram up for the next step of faith, and ironically, he does it by blessing him and Lot so much that they now have to separate and Abram has to make a choice in order to maintain peace between him and his nephew. Of course, as the oldest male leader of the family Abram has every right to take the best property, so why doesn’t he? Or maybe if we look at it another way, maybe Abram had already made his choice. He chose to do the will of God, and Lot chose to follow his own will. Where did it lead them? Lot chose the land that looked more fertile, the land that reminded him of Egypt and it lead him to settle down right into the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram in his choice to live in the desert receives God’s encouragement. The thing is though God encourages him to look up from where he is and around him, and he promises Abram he will receive something that he will never see. Abram could have easily relied on all that God had already given him, he could have easily settled like Lot in the plentiful land, but that was not God’s will. No, God’s will for Abram was wandering in the desert following him the rest of his life, but it was something that would fulfill God’s will, and ultimately it was the best thing for Abram. Notice that once Abram pitched his tents near Mamre the first thing he did was build and altar to the LORD. He didn’t return to the next best thing to Egypt like Lot .What does it all mean? Personally, it’s always meant I can’t take settling for the typical “American dream” for granted. It’s meant I have to remember and consider what kind of Egypt God has brought me out of and where he is leading. What is the Egypt in your life? Are you trying your best to get back to your Egypt? Are you open to where God is leading you? Ask God for the faith to trust him even when you feel like you don’t see where he is leading you.
Have you ever noticed how Egypt is never most desirable place in the Bible? I mean sure, if the land is in a famine and there’s no water in sight, then Egypt looks pretty tempting; but otherwise it’s never really the “place” to be. Today in Genesis 13 we find Abram coming out of Egypt and out of a period of, let’s face it, rather cowardly living.
“From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 13:3-4) Sometimes, after particularly low periods in our walk with God it’s good to go back to where we started to regain some perspective and this is exactly what Abram does. He goes back to the place he first worships God and calls out to him again. Now notice how God has already set Abram up for the next step of faith, and ironically, he does it by blessing him and Lot so much that they now have to separate and Abram has to make a choice in order to maintain peace between him and his nephew. Of course, as the oldest male leader of the family Abram has every right to take the best property, so why doesn’t he? Or maybe if we look at it another way, maybe Abram had already made his choice. He chose to do the will of God, and Lot chose to follow his own will. Where did it lead them? Lot chose the land that looked more fertile, the land that reminded him of Egypt and it lead him to settle down right into the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abram in his choice to live in the desert receives God’s encouragement. The thing is though God encourages him to look up from where he is and around him, and he promises Abram he will receive something that he will never see. Abram could have easily relied on all that God had already given him, he could have easily settled like Lot in the plentiful land, but that was not God’s will. No, God’s will for Abram was wandering in the desert following him the rest of his life, but it was something that would fulfill God’s will, and ultimately it was the best thing for Abram. Notice that once Abram pitched his tents near Mamre the first thing he did was build and altar to the LORD. He didn’t return to the next best thing to Egypt like Lot .What does it all mean? Personally, it’s always meant I can’t take settling for the typical “American dream” for granted. It’s meant I have to remember and consider what kind of Egypt God has brought me out of and where he is leading. What is the Egypt in your life? Are you trying your best to get back to your Egypt? Are you open to where God is leading you? Ask God for the faith to trust him even when you feel like you don’t see where he is leading you.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
God’s Plan Never Fails
Read Genesis 12: 10-20
The Jewish, Muslims, and many Christians make Abram out to be some amazing saintly figure. A man of faith he may be, but a man of great character he is definitely not. We see that in this interesting story.
Abram went down to Egypt to escape the famine. But wait! In yesterday’s reading, God has clearly shown Abram the land He was giving him. What’s Abram doing in Egypt? Yes, there’s a famine, but what’s wrong with trusting God to provide? So now, he’s in Egypt, and before they even entered Egypt, Abram told his wife, “Hey - you’re really hot looking, but if the Egyptians see you, they’ll want to kill me so they can have you. So to save myself, just say you’re my sister, so nobody will kill me.”
By the way, did Abram really know that they’ll kill Sarai? No - he made things up! In reality, the Egyptians wouldn’t do that - their religion is has severe penalties against murder. Anyways, they went into Egypt and Pharaoh, who found Sarai to be really hot, made her his wife! Now, we’ll stop there. Keep in mind that God’s plan for a nation of Israel was almost derailed by Abram’s sin. First of all, he wasn’t supposed to be in Egypt to begin with, and secondly, he wasn’t supposed to lie to Pharaoh about Sarai. And now, it seems that things are going to be screwed up because of what Abram did. But God sent a plague among Pharaoh and his family, and it wouldn’t be long before Pharaoh discovered that Sarai was Abram’s wife, not sister. Nothing will screw up God’s plan.
Oftentimes it certainly feels like this world is continually out of control, doesn’t it? It almost feels, nowadays, that the world is falling apart day after day. There is great uncertainty in the air with lots of insecurity, lots of anger and resentment. People die out of senseless violence in many parts of the world. Even my mom tells me that she cannot help but fear what the near future will bring. But isn’t it great that God’s plan is never derailed, even in the midst of our sin? Indeed, God is in control. He is Lord over all - and sin has nothing against him! What encouragement! What blessing!
Yes, sin has its consequences. But in the end, God makes sure that his kingdom marches on forward. Just last week at Princeton Seminary’s opening chapel, Rev. Nancy Gross, the Dean of Students, preached on how because technology is moving so fast, there might come a day - according to scientists - that everything we know will fuse together. Indeed, there may come a day when God is completely optional to human knowledge, because scientists think they know everything. But even so, Dean Gross reminded us that as Christians we always go back to the Gospel. Even though the world races forward and falls apart, God is always Lord of all and in control.
Thus, let us always remember that God is Lord of all, and His plans never fail. Let this truth continually strengthen us to fight the good fight, to take our stand with arms high and hearts abandoned!
The Jewish, Muslims, and many Christians make Abram out to be some amazing saintly figure. A man of faith he may be, but a man of great character he is definitely not. We see that in this interesting story.
Abram went down to Egypt to escape the famine. But wait! In yesterday’s reading, God has clearly shown Abram the land He was giving him. What’s Abram doing in Egypt? Yes, there’s a famine, but what’s wrong with trusting God to provide? So now, he’s in Egypt, and before they even entered Egypt, Abram told his wife, “Hey - you’re really hot looking, but if the Egyptians see you, they’ll want to kill me so they can have you. So to save myself, just say you’re my sister, so nobody will kill me.”
By the way, did Abram really know that they’ll kill Sarai? No - he made things up! In reality, the Egyptians wouldn’t do that - their religion is has severe penalties against murder. Anyways, they went into Egypt and Pharaoh, who found Sarai to be really hot, made her his wife! Now, we’ll stop there. Keep in mind that God’s plan for a nation of Israel was almost derailed by Abram’s sin. First of all, he wasn’t supposed to be in Egypt to begin with, and secondly, he wasn’t supposed to lie to Pharaoh about Sarai. And now, it seems that things are going to be screwed up because of what Abram did. But God sent a plague among Pharaoh and his family, and it wouldn’t be long before Pharaoh discovered that Sarai was Abram’s wife, not sister. Nothing will screw up God’s plan.
Oftentimes it certainly feels like this world is continually out of control, doesn’t it? It almost feels, nowadays, that the world is falling apart day after day. There is great uncertainty in the air with lots of insecurity, lots of anger and resentment. People die out of senseless violence in many parts of the world. Even my mom tells me that she cannot help but fear what the near future will bring. But isn’t it great that God’s plan is never derailed, even in the midst of our sin? Indeed, God is in control. He is Lord over all - and sin has nothing against him! What encouragement! What blessing!
Yes, sin has its consequences. But in the end, God makes sure that his kingdom marches on forward. Just last week at Princeton Seminary’s opening chapel, Rev. Nancy Gross, the Dean of Students, preached on how because technology is moving so fast, there might come a day - according to scientists - that everything we know will fuse together. Indeed, there may come a day when God is completely optional to human knowledge, because scientists think they know everything. But even so, Dean Gross reminded us that as Christians we always go back to the Gospel. Even though the world races forward and falls apart, God is always Lord of all and in control.
Thus, let us always remember that God is Lord of all, and His plans never fail. Let this truth continually strengthen us to fight the good fight, to take our stand with arms high and hearts abandoned!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Go and God will
Allow me to introduce a new character to the Genesis narrative, Abraham (or Abram before God changes his name). No, he isn’t the main character. Despite thirteen chapters devoted to the story of his life, Abraham is not the center of the story. In fact, when we first meet him, there’s not really anything significant about him. Unlike Enoch who walked with God or Noah who was blameless in his generation, we’re not clued into Abraham’s spiritual life. But very quickly, we see there is something significant about God’s interaction with him.
Read Genesis 12:1-9
Right off the bat, God asks Abraham to do something big. Something seemingly unthinkable. He wants Abraham to leave his country, his family, his home and go to the land that He would show him. Go. That’s all He asks of Abraham. Not “go and”, but just go. And immediately after telling Abraham what he’s to do, God tells him what He’s going to do. God says, “You go and I will…” I will show you, I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great, I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who curse you. I will, I will, I will. Over and over again, God reminds Abraham that He is doing all the work; that what he’s asking of Abraham is tiny in comparison to what He is about to accomplish in Abraham’s life. God had so much in store for Abraham, and wanted nothing from Abraham except that he trust Him.
So to what extent did God want Abraham to trust him? When does God tell Abraham which land He was giving him? In Genesis 12:7, God appears to Abraham and says “To your offspring I will give this land.” Abraham was camped at Shechem at the time. That means he was already in the land that God had promised Him. God was effectively saying to Abraham, “Get in your car (or camel) and drive until I stop you. Trust that I will bring you where I want you to go.” And that’s what Abraham did. He trusted God and had faith that he would not be led astray if he followed God wherever He led.
So what is God calling you to go and do in your life? Take some time to ask God to clearly tell you what that is. Perhaps its to go and talk to your friend about Jesus. Or maybe its to go and befriend that student who is marginalized or totally unlike you. Whatever it is, God is telling you to go and trust Him. I assure you if you do that, the rest of the story becomes about what God will do and is doing. You go and God will.
Read Genesis 12:1-9
Right off the bat, God asks Abraham to do something big. Something seemingly unthinkable. He wants Abraham to leave his country, his family, his home and go to the land that He would show him. Go. That’s all He asks of Abraham. Not “go and”, but just go. And immediately after telling Abraham what he’s to do, God tells him what He’s going to do. God says, “You go and I will…” I will show you, I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great, I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who curse you. I will, I will, I will. Over and over again, God reminds Abraham that He is doing all the work; that what he’s asking of Abraham is tiny in comparison to what He is about to accomplish in Abraham’s life. God had so much in store for Abraham, and wanted nothing from Abraham except that he trust Him.
So to what extent did God want Abraham to trust him? When does God tell Abraham which land He was giving him? In Genesis 12:7, God appears to Abraham and says “To your offspring I will give this land.” Abraham was camped at Shechem at the time. That means he was already in the land that God had promised Him. God was effectively saying to Abraham, “Get in your car (or camel) and drive until I stop you. Trust that I will bring you where I want you to go.” And that’s what Abraham did. He trusted God and had faith that he would not be led astray if he followed God wherever He led.
So what is God calling you to go and do in your life? Take some time to ask God to clearly tell you what that is. Perhaps its to go and talk to your friend about Jesus. Or maybe its to go and befriend that student who is marginalized or totally unlike you. Whatever it is, God is telling you to go and trust Him. I assure you if you do that, the rest of the story becomes about what God will do and is doing. You go and God will.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Family Tree
Have you ever tried to trace back your family tree past your grandparents? I think some of us have seen those type of things in our families but most of us would just see them as names. We don’t know much beyond our grandparents and parents. I know understanding where and how my dad grew up in Tianan, Taiwan allows me to understand so much more about him. He worked diligently from a family that wasn’t very well off to get a good education and make a “better” life for himself and his family. Understanding that about my dad allows me to have a much better context of who he is and why he does certain things.
Read Genesis 11:10-32
We hit another genealogy in Genesis. It seems like just a bunch of names but here’s the significance of this genealogical record - the family tree of Abraham. As a descendant of Shem, his ancestors had settled in Ur, a city located in the southeastern part of current-day Iraq. We see in this passage that his father (Terah) took the family and migrated northwest to Haran, a city close to the border of current-day Turkey and Syria. We'll see in Genesis that God led Abraham southwest from Haran to the land of Canaan. Incidentally, Abram's father, Terah, began this move to Canaan according to verse 31. They traveled along the Euphrates to get there, a trip which led them to Haran where they settled. It would not have been feasible to head directly west across the mountain range to go to Canaan. Abraham finishes the trip to Canaan from Haran in Genesis 12. Altogether, through Haran, the trip to Canaan would have been approximately 1,500 miles. As for the religious affiliation of Terah, notice the comment Joshua makes about Terah and Abraham's ancestors in Joshua 24:2, " 2 Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.” Prior to Abraham, his people were polytheists, meaning they believed in many gods.
This is important for us to understand who Abraham is and in what ways he was growing up. He was being taught to follow many gods and they traveled many places together as a family. He needed to depend on family and trust them. But in the next chapter in Genesis 12, God would establish a very important covenant (promise) with Abraham. I hope this gives us lots of hope in the God that takes a hold of our lives. I know we think that since we were raised a certain way, or we were brought up in a certain way, that our lives will be dictated by that. Although that does shape who we are and what we do, God’s plans and calling for us are so much greater than those things. When we understand our context, it is an even stronger understanding of what God is doing in our lives. So take some time to understand your context, your story and how God has called you. Trust in God and His plan and it will hopefully enrich your understanding of God and what He desires from you.
Read Genesis 11:10-32
We hit another genealogy in Genesis. It seems like just a bunch of names but here’s the significance of this genealogical record - the family tree of Abraham. As a descendant of Shem, his ancestors had settled in Ur, a city located in the southeastern part of current-day Iraq. We see in this passage that his father (Terah) took the family and migrated northwest to Haran, a city close to the border of current-day Turkey and Syria. We'll see in Genesis that God led Abraham southwest from Haran to the land of Canaan. Incidentally, Abram's father, Terah, began this move to Canaan according to verse 31. They traveled along the Euphrates to get there, a trip which led them to Haran where they settled. It would not have been feasible to head directly west across the mountain range to go to Canaan. Abraham finishes the trip to Canaan from Haran in Genesis 12. Altogether, through Haran, the trip to Canaan would have been approximately 1,500 miles. As for the religious affiliation of Terah, notice the comment Joshua makes about Terah and Abraham's ancestors in Joshua 24:2, " 2 Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.” Prior to Abraham, his people were polytheists, meaning they believed in many gods.
This is important for us to understand who Abraham is and in what ways he was growing up. He was being taught to follow many gods and they traveled many places together as a family. He needed to depend on family and trust them. But in the next chapter in Genesis 12, God would establish a very important covenant (promise) with Abraham. I hope this gives us lots of hope in the God that takes a hold of our lives. I know we think that since we were raised a certain way, or we were brought up in a certain way, that our lives will be dictated by that. Although that does shape who we are and what we do, God’s plans and calling for us are so much greater than those things. When we understand our context, it is an even stronger understanding of what God is doing in our lives. So take some time to understand your context, your story and how God has called you. Trust in God and His plan and it will hopefully enrich your understanding of God and what He desires from you.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Tearing down our proud spires, and learning to obey
Before we delve into today’s passage about the Tower of Babel, I would like to draw your attention back to Genesis 1:28: “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” This passage documents the very first commandment that God gives to humans: to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And God does not command this only once; in fact, he states his desire for humans to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” multiple times (Genesis 9:1, 7)! God wanted humans to flourish and spread out over the earth and be able to enjoy everything that God had given them.
Now read Genesis 11:1-9
Upon initial reading, you might think that there’s nothing wrong with what humans did. After all, they simply wanted to feel safe and be acknowledged for their hard work right? The catch is that there is far more to the story than those two innocent motivations. In fact, the people that appear in this story do not have pure intentions at all. You see, people wanted to “build ourselves a city” and “make a name for ourselves.” They wanted to find security in the things they built and be praised for the things they did. Notice the self-sufficiency that is implied by their words. Not once do they mention God or His will for humans (which was to multiply and fill the earth, not to remain all clumped together). So God comes down, because his created beings (already) aren’t doing what they were created to do, and confuses their language so that they all speak different languages now and must disperse because they can’t communicate with one another anymore. Problem solved right? Now humans will fill the earth and do God’s will and—nope, humans just never learn. If you look throughout the history of our world, you will see numerous examples of people trying to exalt themselves and burrow in their own fortresses that they erect to feel safe. Just look at all the Chinese emperors, or the Roman Caesars, or the European kings. All these fellows ever wanted to do was to conquer, add to their land, make a name for themselves so they’d be remembered for all they had done, and essentially construct a reputation for themselves so that everyone else would look to them as the prime example of perfection.
When I think of everything that humans do to try and make themselves feel secure and put themselves on a pedestal, I can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of their efforts. I am not saying this to criticize because I myself am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a naturally humble person. Not even close. In fact, pride and finding security in my own achievements is something that I struggle with mightily every single day. The difference between me and all those Chinese emperors though is that I am continually reminded by God that He is the ultimate security and that He ultimately deserves all the glory. That means none for me or you,
‘cause it all belongs to God. Not that I don’t still struggle with pride and following God’s will for my life. In fact, I continually need to pray that God will remind me to be humble enough so that I can do His work effectively.
Reflect on how you have been proud, seeking glory for yourself, and still trying to find security in the things of this world. How is God telling you to change? What are some tangible things that you can do to show your trust in God? That He is your ultimate security? That our pride gets in the way of His plan?
Because I believe that if we all learn to put down our thoroughly burned bricks and our bitumen mortar, stop constructing our own spires and fortresses exalting ourselves, and begin to humbly follow God’s plan for us…He will honor that change in our hearts and allow us to take an even bigger part in the change He desires to bring upon our lost world. God, our God, our amazing, loving God has a plan for our world. And, similar to how the ending of the movie “To Save a Life” so eloquently put it, that He allows us to have a part in His master plan…that’s truly amazing.
Now read Genesis 11:1-9
Upon initial reading, you might think that there’s nothing wrong with what humans did. After all, they simply wanted to feel safe and be acknowledged for their hard work right? The catch is that there is far more to the story than those two innocent motivations. In fact, the people that appear in this story do not have pure intentions at all. You see, people wanted to “build ourselves a city” and “make a name for ourselves.” They wanted to find security in the things they built and be praised for the things they did. Notice the self-sufficiency that is implied by their words. Not once do they mention God or His will for humans (which was to multiply and fill the earth, not to remain all clumped together). So God comes down, because his created beings (already) aren’t doing what they were created to do, and confuses their language so that they all speak different languages now and must disperse because they can’t communicate with one another anymore. Problem solved right? Now humans will fill the earth and do God’s will and—nope, humans just never learn. If you look throughout the history of our world, you will see numerous examples of people trying to exalt themselves and burrow in their own fortresses that they erect to feel safe. Just look at all the Chinese emperors, or the Roman Caesars, or the European kings. All these fellows ever wanted to do was to conquer, add to their land, make a name for themselves so they’d be remembered for all they had done, and essentially construct a reputation for themselves so that everyone else would look to them as the prime example of perfection.
When I think of everything that humans do to try and make themselves feel secure and put themselves on a pedestal, I can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of their efforts. I am not saying this to criticize because I myself am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a naturally humble person. Not even close. In fact, pride and finding security in my own achievements is something that I struggle with mightily every single day. The difference between me and all those Chinese emperors though is that I am continually reminded by God that He is the ultimate security and that He ultimately deserves all the glory. That means none for me or you,
‘cause it all belongs to God. Not that I don’t still struggle with pride and following God’s will for my life. In fact, I continually need to pray that God will remind me to be humble enough so that I can do His work effectively.
Reflect on how you have been proud, seeking glory for yourself, and still trying to find security in the things of this world. How is God telling you to change? What are some tangible things that you can do to show your trust in God? That He is your ultimate security? That our pride gets in the way of His plan?
Because I believe that if we all learn to put down our thoroughly burned bricks and our bitumen mortar, stop constructing our own spires and fortresses exalting ourselves, and begin to humbly follow God’s plan for us…He will honor that change in our hearts and allow us to take an even bigger part in the change He desires to bring upon our lost world. God, our God, our amazing, loving God has a plan for our world. And, similar to how the ending of the movie “To Save a Life” so eloquently put it, that He allows us to have a part in His master plan…that’s truly amazing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)