The Perfect Picture of Man

TODAY'S READING: Ex. 28, 29; Acts 7

SCRIPTURE: Ex. 29:4-9; 21
⁴ Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. ⁵ Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. ⁶ Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred diadem to the turban. ⁷ Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. ⁸ Bring his sons and dress them in tunics ⁹ and put headbands on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. In this way you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

²¹ And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.

OBSERVATION: Here is Aaron and his sons being anointed as priests before God. God himself tells what to do in specific detail. The robes that they were to wear were spectacular in their magnificence. Gold thread, blue, purple and scarlet linen, beautiful embroidery and precious stones in gold settings were all a part of their robes and were for the purpose of giving them "dignity and honor" when they ministered before the people. Yet, as part of the ordination process, these intricately designed and rather ostentatious robes were to be stained. First with oil, which represented the Holy Spirit, then with the sprinkling of blood from the sin offering. I have written on this before, but it is still such a striking picture that it captures my attention each time I read it. It is such a complete picture of man; created in the image of a glorious God and yet stained with a sin nature.

APPLICATION: How appropriate that God gave such glorious robes to Aaron and his sons to remind him (and all the people) of their inherent value and glory as the pinnacle of God's creation and creatures made in his image. And so they would not get too arrogant and puffed up in their self-image because of that they also had to constantly view the blood stains on these beautiful garments. Likewise, we need to keep a balance in our attitude toward ourselves. We need to remember our sin nature and have humility as a result, but we also need to remember our value and the glory we have in being created in the image of God. It is sin to think too little of ourselves and wallow in a sense of worthlessness when God himself has given us such a high place and calling. We are the ones he has chosen to carry his message and to bring his kingdom here on earth. But we also need to have the humility to realize we need the Holy Spirit's power in us to show us the right way to live. We have a sin nature that requires that we rely on God instead of our own wisdom.

PRAYER: Father, it is not always easy for me to maintain this balance in my life. I tend to be one who is too hard on myself and forgets the innate value you have given me as a human being. May I always be reminded of that. Also, even though I often suffer with too low of a self-esteem, I can also fall into the sin of arrogance. Keep me from that too! Let Aaron's robes be a picture for me of the proper balance I should have as it relates to how I view myself. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Common Sense Laws

TODAY'S READING: Ex. 23, 24; Ps. 14; Acts 5

SCRIPTURE: Ex. 23:1-9
¹ “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.

² “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, ³ and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

⁴ “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. ⁵ If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.

⁶ “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. ⁷ Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.

⁸ “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

⁹ “Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.

OBSERVATION: The heading in my Bible that precedes these verses says, "Laws of Justice and Mercy". They certainly are that, but I think these laws are just common sense for anyone with a decent moral compass. You don't even need to be a Christian to see that all of these laws would make for a better, happier society if they were followed. God knows that some people are prejudiced against the rich and will favor the poor in court even if they don't deserve it while others would favor the rich simply to curry their favor. These scriptures address both those tendencies. We are to do the right thing regardless of a person's wealth. In fact, these laws are based on justice, respect and kindness toward everyone, regardless of station in life or ethnicity.

APPLICATION: Simple. Just do it! Live like God wants me to. If everyone did this and these were the only scriptures that were known by the world were these few, the world would be a much better place to live in.

PRAYER: Father, I love you! You are so good and kind and righteous. I get to go to church this morning and I am so looking forward to worshiping you! You deserve all my praise and devotion. How I wish everyone knew you and loved you! Heaven will be a wonderful place because everyone there will willingly live in accordance with your wisdom and love. Thank you for your Word that reveals to us how great and wonderful you are so that we can look forward to that day. Until then, help all of us who call ourselves believers to demonstrate your love by our behavior. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Christian "Communism"

TODAY'S READING: Ex. 21, 22; Ps. 12; Acts 4

SCRIPTURE: Acts 4:32-35
³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

OBSERVATION: These verses stuck out to me because the sharing of everything by the believers so that none of them were needy echoes the political protests of many of the "Occupy Wall Street " crowds that have been in the news lately. They are upset at the "1%-ers" who are rich. They want the government to redistribute the wealth so that everyone has enough. What they are espousing are the ideals of communism. Communism sounds beautiful. When I read about the goals of the communist philosophy it actually sounds like a lot of what I read in the New Testament. But we have seen what happens when that philosophy is put into practice by humans without any God-consciousness. When morality is forced on people by the government it just doesn't work. First of all, man is sinful and corrupt by nature. Taking money by force from people through taxes provides way too much temptation for misuse by those in authority. The Bible is clear that the love of money is a root for all kinds of evil. How can we expect officials to be immune to this? The other reason communism doesn't work is that people who have worked hard for their money are forced to give it up and they do not see the people it may help. They have no relational connection to the people who take their money or those who receive it. What makes the verses in this passage so beautiful is that the giving and receiving of money and resources was motivated by the love of God. God had placed his love in the hearts of the people, they had repented of their sinful ways, and they had deep personal connections with those they were helping with their gifts.

APPLICATION: I understand those that want "fairness". It all sounds so good and right. It is right to help those who need it. But it cannot be forced. The only way the justice and care we all want to see in the world can happen is if the love of God changes the selfish motivations in all of us and motivates us to love those around us. When it happens that way, and with people we are in relationship with, there is the added benefit of accountability. Those who are being helped are in relationship with those who are helping them and therefore they are kept responsible. They do not become "bums" who live off of the generosity of others, but contributing members of the community. God's answers for human suffering are so much superior to ours. The sinful nature of mankind messes up all of our attempts at fixing societal ills. Without God, none of them will ever reach their full potential for good.

PRAYER: Father, I have compassion for all of these protesters I see in the news. Some of them are insincere and just want anarchy so they can shake up the status quo and grab power for themselves. But others are truly frustrated at the injustice and suffering that they see. They don't see that their anger and rage will not fix anything. Help them all to find you. May all those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and justice and mercy find it in you, for you are the only source of all that their hearts long for. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Key to Victory

TODAY'S READING: Ex. 17, 18, 19 20; Acts 3

SCRIPTURE: Ex. 17:8-13
⁸ The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. ⁹ Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

¹⁰ So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. ¹¹ As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ¹² When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. ¹³ So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

OBSERVATION: The nation of Israel are under attack. They have been slaves for 400 years and used to taking orders, not fighting. This is the first battle the Hebrews are involved in and the attack was not expected. As long as Moses had his hand raised in worship to God, Israel prevailed. When Moses got tired and lowered his arms, the enemy prevailed. So Moses had helpers that came alongside him to help hold up his arms when his own strength was gone.

APPLICATION: Sometimes we face "battles" in our lives that weary us. We may stay strong in God and prevail against the enemy of our souls for awhile bu then grow tired and discouraged and start losing focus and victory. Just like Moses, we need helpers during those times. It is one of the main functions of the Church. We are part of a Body so that we have others around who can lift us up and support us when we are unable, for whatever reason, to stand and fight Satan. In order for this to work, we need to be open with others and cultivate close relationship with them. We need to admit when we are weak and struggling to others so that we may receive help. Our culture reveres self-reliance so much that we are often too proud to ask others for help. We see it as a sign of weakness. That is a lie that Satan wants us to buy into. It makes it easier for him to "pick us off".

PRAYER: Father, help us as the Church to function the way you have called us to; in love, preference, and support for one another. Help me to be open with others when I need their help and let me be sensitive to when others need mine. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Grumble, Grumble, Toil and Trouble

TODAY'S READING: Ex. 14, 15, 16; Acts 2

SCRIPTURE: Ex. 16:1-8
¹ The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. ² In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, ⁷ and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” ⁸ Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.”

OBSERVATION: I can so relate to Moses! After being in pastoral ministry for 20+ years I understand the frustration of doing your best to give the people God's instructions and having them complain and grumble about you when they are actually mad at God. Yes, people do get mad at God. Many times when a leader is giving people God's truth and it is something they don't want to hear, they react against the leader with charges of being too controlling, spiritually abusive, legalistic and judgmental... the list of accusations is endless. What makes these accusations so hard to bear is that a they are so often completely false, yet it is almost impossible to combat them because then the leader comes off as defensive and insecure. Moses does defend himself by pointing out that they are really grumbling against God, not against him or Aaron. God vindicates Moses, but this will be a problem that crops up again and again, just as it does with leaders today. It is one of the biggest frustrations of ministry and one that makes a lot of pastors quit and do something else. Enduring constant complaint is a frustration that becomes almost unbearable and makes ministry leadership a rather thankless job.

APPLICATION: It is so easy to complain and find fault! It is one of the tools that the enemy uses to diminish the effectiveness of the church. Satan knows our natural, fleshly tendency toward this sin and exploits it to the max. We have to recognize this and control our attitudes and words. I am not now in pastoral ministry and I still have to remind myself not to engage in complaint and grumbling when I see the leadership of my church doing things in a way that I think is less effective than how we used to do it. Complaining does nothing to advance the kingdom of God.

PRAYER: Father, teach us to stop playing into Satan's hands by complaining and grumbling about our leaders! May we speak our minds in love to try to improve our churches, but if the decisions don't go as we would want them to, may we join in and function with others with an attitude of cooperation and gratitude. Let us make the task of our leaders easy by being a people that functions in grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Having Eyes to See

TODAY'S READING: Ex. 9, 10, 11; Luke 24

SCRIPTURE: Luke 24:18-32
¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶ but they were kept from recognizing him.

¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹ “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²² In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³ but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

OBSERVATION: I can relate to these two disciples. They had heard the prophecies about Jesus. The Lord had clearly stated that he would have to suffer, die, and then that he would be raised from the dead. They had the testimony of the women who had gone to the empty tomb and had angels tell them that Jesus was risen. Then Jesus actually comes and walks and talks with them but they don't recognize him! It isn't until he breaks bread and prays with them that they recognize Jesus. Despite all the evidence, they just could not see what was right in front of them. Because they had never seen someone coming back from the dead, it was inconceivable to them. It did not fit in with their experience and so they had no eyes to see it. In the passage above it says "they were kept from recognizing him". This could mean that God kept them from recognizing him for some reason but I think it was their own lack of expectation that he could possibly be alive that kept them from seeing him.

APPLICATION: Why do I act too often like these disciples? If I haven't seen God move in a particular way before, I tend to be skeptical. This, in spite of the fact that I have the written evidence in the Word that God is creative and delights in doing things in new and different ways. I think he has fun doing the unexpected. I like to think of myself as a person of great faith. I do have faith, but I also waver sometimes and hold my acceptance of new "workings" of God in check. I should do this if anything doesn't line up with biblical principles, but there is a lot of room for God to do new things in his Church inside those parameters. I think this story is in the Word to help us be open to have "eyes to see" when God does things outside of our comfort zone and traditions.

PRAYER: Father, I want to be large in faith and to have great spiritual vision. Help me remove any blindness I have so that I can see when you are walking next to me doing new things in my life or in the lives of others. May I be open to your creativity as you express it according to your wisdom in any way you choose. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Use Your Brain!

TODAY'S READING: Ex. 1, 2; Ps. 88; Luke 21

SCRIPTURE: Ex. 1:15-21
¹⁵ The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ¹⁶ “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” ¹⁷ The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. ¹⁸ Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

¹⁹ The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

²⁰ So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. ²¹ And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

OBSERVATION: So here we go again with a story where principles and values in the Word of God conflict with each other. The Bible has many scriptures which clearly state that lying and deception are wrong. In fact, wrong is too light of a word. Lying and deception are sin. We are also taught in the Bible that we should submit to those in authority over us (although Peter does make it clear in the N.T. that when our authorities tell us to do things that are in conflict with God's will, we obey God rather than men). In this passage the Hebrew midwives are disobeying the civil authority (Pharoah) and they are lying to and deceiving him. Yet God blesses them for doing that. Does that mean that God approves of lying and disobeying authority? The answer is NO and YES. No, in general, God abhors a deceptive and rebellious heart. But God also has a very high value on LIFE. People are created in his image and so the harshest judgment is reserved for those who kill, harm or maim other human beings. The midwives correctly discerned what was most important to God and took actions in accordance with what they knew to be true of him. And so they were blessed!

APPLICATION: The Bible is a difficult book. It bugs me to no end when Christians are taught to live according to rules from the Bible and not to think critically about what they read in the Word. Living non-critically makes passages like this one difficult to assimilate because it contains biblical values that are in conflict with each other. We must do as the midwives did and "discern and learn". God gave us brains and we are supposed to use them! Too many believers stand stupefied when non-believers confront them with legitimate questions stemming from reading the Bible with a critical eye. They resort to some lame platitudes that just don't cut it for people who think. Let us "study to show ourselves approved" and be able to give answers to those who are truly seeking to understand the seeming conflicting truth in the Bible.

PRAYER: Father, I know there is much more I don't know than what I do know about you, even after years of studying and reading your Word. I know I won't have answers to everyone's questions, but I do not want to be guilty of laziness in trying to seek out truth. I am fine with telling someone "I don't know" when I haven't figured something out myself, but I want to keep learning as much as I can. Continue to take me on a journey of learning and growing. I seek understanding and wisdom from you. Thank you that you promise to give both of those to all who seek and ask for them. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

These Are Blessings?

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 49, 50; Ps. 8; Luke 20

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 49:1-28 (emphasis added)
¹ Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

² “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;
listen to your father Israel.

³ “Reuben, you are my firstborn,
my might, the first sign of my strength,
excelling in honor, excelling in power.
⁴ Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,
for you went up onto your father’s bed,
onto my couch and defiled it.

⁵ “Simeon and Levi are brothers—
their swords are weapons of violence.
⁶ Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
⁷ Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.

⁸ “Judah, your brothers will praise you;
your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;
your father’s sons will bow down to you.
⁹ You are a lion’s cub, O Judah;
you return from the prey, my son.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down,
like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs
and the obedience of the nations is his.
¹¹ He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
¹² His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk.

¹³ “Zebulun will live by the seashore
and become a haven for ships;
his border will extend toward Sidon.

¹⁴ “Issachar is a rawboned donkey
lying down between two saddlebags.
¹⁵ When he sees how good is his resting place
and how pleasant is his land,
he will bend his shoulder to the burden
and submit to forced labor.

¹⁶ “Dan will provide justice for his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
¹⁷ Dan will be a serpent by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.

¹⁸ “I look for your deliverance, O LORD.

¹⁹ “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,
but he will attack them at their heels.

²⁰ “Asher’s food will be rich;
he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

²¹ “Naphtali is a doe set free
that bears beautiful fawns.

²² “Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.
²³ With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
²⁴ But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
²⁵ because of your father’s God, who helps you,
because of the Almighty, who blesses you
with blessings of the heavens above,
blessings of the deep that lies below,
blessings of the breast and womb.
²⁶ Your father’s blessings are greater
than the blessings of the ancient mountains,
than the bounty of the age-old hills.
Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,
on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

²⁷ “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
in the morning he devours the prey,
in the evening he divides the plunder.”

²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

OBSERVATIONS: Jacob is about to die and summons all his sons before him to receive his final parental "blessing". I put "blessing" in quotes because a couple of them seem to be more of a parental curse than a blessing. And yet at the end of Jacob's pronouncements the Word says that each son received the blessing appropriate to him. I would especially not have been happy to be Reuben, Levi, or Simeon, who received the harshest words from their dying father. Jacob's words seem so foreign to our cultural mindset today. We are raised in a culture that tells us we should never favor one child over another, that we should be tolerant of our children's choices, especially when they are adults, and that it is wrong to "judge" others in any way. Our culture also does not stress honoring parents (or for that matter, any authority) the way it used to. It is actually seen as a noble intellectual exercise to question authority. So the negative words of Jacob to some of his children assaults our sense of love, justice, and family values.

APPLICATION: Wherever my values that I have grown up with are challenged by what I read in the Word, I need to first evaluate carefully to see if I am understanding the Word correctly and then if there is discrepancy between the two, it is my values that need to be brought into conformity with the Bible, not the other way around. This passage speaks to me of several values that are different from those of our current society:

1) Honoring parents is a theme in many scriptures. It is actually one of the 10 commandments. It is obviously very important to God that children do this, even as adults.

2) Judging your children's behavior when it does not conform to the values in the Word of God is a good thing. It means you are putting God first in your life above your kids. It also does not mean you don't love your children. In fact, in God's economy, judgment of wrong behavior and choices can be an act of love. The hope is that it motivates your kids to question what they are doing and to repent where necessary.

3) Equality of treatment is not a high value with God. Justice is much more important and those two are not the same thing.

4) God abhors actions taken in rash anger (Simeon and Levi)

It is interesting to me that none of the sons who received the harsh words from their father objected to what was said. They seemed to accept it as their due. This causes me to ask myself certain questions in light of this passage of scripture. Am I living my life in such a way as to receive the blessing of my heavenly Father or would his words to me be more of a curse? Is there anything in my life I need to repent of so that I can be sure I am living in a way that honors him instead of bringing him sorrow or shame?

PRAYER: Father, you are the most important person in my life. More than the approval of my husband, children, or other family and friends, I want to hear that I have pleased you with my life when I am face to face with you. Help me to discern where I need to change and give me the power to do so by your Spirit. I know you promise me that that power is available to me and I thank you for it. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

God is Good; Life is Hard

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 47, 48; Ps. 10; Luke 19

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 47:9, 10
⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

OBSERVATION: Jacob is one of the three patriarchs mentioned over and over again in the Old Testament. The phrase, "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" is used frequently to identify the God of Israel. Jacob was a blessed man whose significance far exceeded his lifetime. Yet, in his own words, his years on earth were difficult. This man, who had great promises given to him by God, who lived worshiping God his whole life, did not have it easy. He suffered much injustice, was cheated and lied to, betrayed by his own children, and suffered the grief of losing the wife he loved most dearly and the son she first bore to him (he later found that son was alive, but that did not diminish the grief he suffered or the loss of his son's company for the years he thought him dead). A hard, hard life. So why is it that we think if we know God and serve him faithfully that we should have a relatively problem-free existence? Every promise God made to Jacob came true, but it didn't change the fact that he suffered much during his lifetime. Also, the fullness of some of the promises he received from God didn't come to pass until after he was dead. He never got to experience them. So what does this mean for us?

APPLICATION: God, the blessed controller of all things, right? In the face of such suffering, is that really good news if he allows bad things to happen to us? Jacob's life is an example to us of a man who held on to his faith even through much difficulty. Some of his troubles were brought on him by his own actions and some by others over whom he had no control. That is true in the lives of all of us. Pain is still pain whether self-inflicted or not. Shouldn't serving God make a difference in all that? The answer is yes! And faith does make all the difference. Pain is a part of life because Adam and Eve both allowed sin to come into this world. God decided to give us free will and it comes with consequences. The question is not whether or not we will have pain, the question is whether we will allow it to be productive or destructive in our lives. The only way for pain to become productive is to trust God and let him teach us through it. Since suffering is inevitable, I would rather it have some value in my life instead of none.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the example of Jacob and others in the Bible who were imperfect and had lives just like ours, and yet trusted you. They are such a comfort and inspiration when our own lives have trouble in them. May I cling to you all the harder when things are not going well, and trust you to work through any suffering that comes my way. I also thank you for the good times for they are all too short-lived. I will rejoice in you and your goodness to me, whether the times are evil or good, for you alone are worthy and you alone can make sense of it all. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Inscrutable Answers

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 42, 43; Ps. 5; Luke 17

SCRIPTURE: Luke 17:26-37
²⁶ “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. ²⁷ People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

²⁸ “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. ²⁹ But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

³⁰ “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. ³² Remember Lot’s wife! ³³ Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. ³⁴ I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. ³⁵ Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”

³⁷ “Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

OBSERVATION: Jesus is talking to his disciples about the future and the time right before his second coming. When he gets done, his disciples have a question, "Where, Lord?". The question itself is somewhat ambiguous but, in context, I think what they are asking is, "Where will these things happen?". Where will there be people working or sleeping and one be taken away while the other is left? Jesus answers them with a very cryptic and inscrutable response that does not even seem to be an answer to the question. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” Really? This is an answer to that question? Jesus often gave answers that left the disciples scratching their heads in confusion. I often have the same response when I read these accounts. This particular answer from Jesus is one of those I have never really understood, but as I was reading it today, I had a thought that helped it make sense to me. I think Jesus may have been communicating to his disciples that there was no one particular place this was going to happen. Just as the vultures gather over a dead body anywhere in the world, so wherever there are spiritually "dead" people on earth, they will be left behind for judgment while those with faith are taken to be with God. I haven't pulled out my study texts to do research on this, and I could certainly be mistaken in my thought about this, but it at least makes some sense of a very hermetic response by Jesus.

APPLICATION: Whatever the particular meaning of this answer given by Jesus, the entire passage speaks to me of living in a way that honors God. I am to keep in mind that he is returning and live my life in accordance with my calling to be "light" and "salt" in this world until he comes.

PRAYER: Father, I do want to live up to the calling you have given me. May I be someone who demonstrates your love, grace, forgiveness, and righteousness to others by my words and actions. It's a very high calling and one that I cannot hope to fulfill without the constant activity of your Spirit in my life. Help me to be instantly responsive to your Spirit so that I bring you pleasure and the world hope. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 37, 38; Ps. 7; Luke

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 37:3-28
³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. ⁴ When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

⁵ Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. ⁶ He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁷ We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

⁸ His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

⁹ Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

¹⁰ When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” ¹¹ His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

¹² Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, ¹³ and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well,” he replied.

¹⁴ So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, ¹⁵ a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

¹⁶ He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

¹⁷ “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. ¹⁸ But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

¹⁹ “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. ²⁰ “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

²¹ When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. ²² “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

²³ So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly ornamented robe he was wearing— ²⁴ and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵ As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

²⁶ Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷ Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.

²⁸ So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The other day I had a conversation with my son. He was moving and had his truck conk out on him after he loaded up. He did everything he could to fix it on his own because he had no money and had 3 of his young kids with him but nothing he did worked. He prayed, and asked the kids to pray and it sputtered to life for a few minutes, then conked out again. He asked me, why, if God is real, does he let things like this happen? Doesn't God care about his reputation? Is he so capricious as to abandon those who believe in and count on him to come through for them when they are in trouble? He had a lot of other good questions too. It does seem at times that God is indeed capricious in his dealings with man. The entire story of Joseph's life is very instructive in trying to find answers to such honest queries. Joseph was given dreams of greatness by God, he had faith in God, and yet he was treated abominably by his own brothers and sold into slavery. What happened to him after that was even worse. He was accused of a crime he didn't commit and spent 17 years of his life (the prime of his life at that) in prison! If anyone had reason to believe that God was unjust and unfair it was Joseph. But somehow, he maintained his faith in God through all of it. He was 30 when his circumstances finally started to get better. He actually said that everything, even all the evil events, that had happened to him God meant for good! Now that is an amazing statement! I believe that the only way that Joseph could have made that statement was to have been processing all the events in his life through his relationship with God. If he had not been a praying man, seeking understanding about his life from God, I think he would have been disillusioned, bitter, and wallowing in "victimhood". It is human nature to do so. Without God, that is the only way we process all the "crap" of life that happens to us. It is only God that can give us a different, more positive perspective. It is only he who can use trouble to improve our character and make us better people. Without God, trouble an injustice only make us worse people; more cynical, faithless, bitter, angry, suspicious and mistrustful of others and more self-absorbed and self-protective. I don't have all the answers as to why God chooses to let so many bad things happen as a means of testing us or improving us. I would like him to use different means myself. But Joseph's story at least gives us some insight into how to handle trouble. We simply must keep in contact with God through prayer and trust that he will at some point make clear to us the purpose for what happens to us.

PRAYER: Father, I trust you. I have had years of experience that have proven to me that I can trust you even when horrible, unfair and unjust things happen to me. Everything evil in my life, you have turned to good eventually. I still don't understand why things have to work this way but I am glad that I can trust you through it all. I pray you will help my son, and others, to come to a trusting faith in you as well, especially through difficult times. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Two Lessons

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 31, 32, 33; Luke 13

SCRIPTURE: Luke 13:1-9
¹ Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

OBSERVATION: There are two important concepts I get from this passage. The first is that we cannot judge a person's spiritual condition by what he or she suffers. Jesus makes it clear that the people that suffered great torture and humiliation at the hand of Pilate were not worse sinners than other people. No reason is given for the fact that they suffered such a fate, but God makes it clear it was not because they were more evil than anyone else and had some sort of "spiritual karma" happen to them as a result of their own actions. The second lesson is in the parable Jesus tells after he talks about the Galileans that had suffered and died. He says everyone must repent or perish and then tells this parable about a fruitless fig tree. The owner is ready to have the worthless tree cut down but the gardener who cared for the plants made a case for giving the tree extra care and giving it one more chance to bear fruit. I believe that Jesus is telling us that God will give each of us every possible chance to come to him and to repent so that they can be saved. No one will come to judgment with an excuse that "if only you had..." God will make sure that every possible care was given to let them be produce the fruit of repentance that leads to life.

APPLICATION: I think it is a human tendency to look at the situations others are in and to make judgments about them based on their circumstances. The lesson for me from this is that I would be much better off not doing this. I can have no possible knowledge of why things are happening to others the way they are or what God may be working in their lives as a result. Suffering does not necessarily connote that a person is under a curse from God. Neither does success necessarily mean a person is under God's blessing. My job is to focus on whether I am being humble before the Lord and repenting of anything I see in myself that does not match up with his character.

PRAYER: Father, I do find myself judging others too often. I thank you for words like these in the Bible that remind me that my focus needs to be on my own spiritual condition and that I do not possess the wisdom to judge the reasons for events in others' lives. May I have a humble heart before you and when I see others that are suffering, instead of judging, may I pray for them and place them in your loving and righteous hands. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Destruction of Deception

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 27, 28; Ps. 4; Luke 11

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 27:2-12

² Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. ³ Now then, get your weapons—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”

⁵ Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, ⁶ Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ⁷ ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.’ ⁸ Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: ⁹ Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. ¹⁰ Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”

¹¹ Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I’m a man with smooth skin. ¹² What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”

OBSERVATION: When Rebekah comes to her son Jacob with a plan to deceive his father, Jacob objects. But he doesn't object because deceiving his father was a wrong and immoral thing to do. His objection is based solely on the fear of getting caught and of the negative consequences that would result if that happened. Once his mother comes up with a plan to avoid that, Jacob is all in. The results were devastating. This created a rift in the family that never completely healed. God had promised to bless Jacob in particular when he was born, but Rebekah and Jacob together took it upon themselves to bring about a blessing for Jacob without trusting God to do it. And what a mess they created by depending on themselves and their own schemes instead of trusting in God! Jacob had to flee his home as a result. He also later reaped what he had sown. His father-in-law later deceived him many times and Jacob got to experience the hurt, frustration and anger that happens when someone habitually deceives you. It reminds me of a scripture in the Bible that says evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:13). I believe the two go together. You cannot practice deceit without also being more susceptible to deceit yourself. I had a family member who was a habitual liar and deceiver. He prided himself on his ability to detect when other people were lying because he was so good at it himself. What he was blind to was the fact that he fell prey to spiritual deception very easily and he was totally unaware of it. You cannot be a deceiver without having a propensity to be vulnerable to deception as well.

APPLICATION: Rooting out deception and lying in my life is of vital importance if I want to have all God has for me. I must trust him to bring about his will in my life without laying my own plans to "make it happen" like Jacob did. I must speak truthfully. The more I walk in truth, the more able I will be to discern deception and lies. I will also protect myself and my family from the destruction (at least, as far as it lies with me) that comes when people engage in lying and deception with those they love. This story is a lesson that should give all of us warning that we risk destruction of our family relationships and friendships when we practice deception.

PRAYER: Father, I have experienced destruction in my own family because of others who have lied and deceived with regularity. It has caused me much grief. I know I have caused myself and others grief at times in my life when I sinned by lying or deceiving in a vain attempt to protect my own interests. I have confessed, and I know you forgive me Lord, but I pray that you keep me from such behavior ever again. I want to walk in truth completely. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Grace in Times of Failure

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 25, 26; Ps. 6; Luke 10

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 26:2-11
² The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. ³ Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. ⁴ I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, ⁵ because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.” ⁶ So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

⁷ When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

⁸ When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. ⁹ So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

¹⁰ Then Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

¹¹ So Abimelech gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

OBSERVATION: Isaac hears directly from the Lord and receives from him a promise of blessing that will extend way past his own lifetime. Yet just after such a momentous spiritual encounter with God, he asks his wife to lie to the people around them about who she is in relation to him because he fears for his life. Isn't that amazing? He doesn't have the faith to believe that the same God who gave this great promise is able to protect him in his immediate circumstances. Yet despite his lack of faith, God protects him anyway. The Lord exposes the lie Isaac tries to use to protect himself and moves the king of the land to issue an edict that will ensure Isaac will remain unmolested by the people of the land.

APPLICATION: This is a real encouragement to me. Although I strive to always trust the Lord, I, like Isaac, fall short of that goal at times. I am reassured by this passage that even when I fall short, God is looking out for me. He will protect me even when I am imperfect in my devotion to and faith in him.

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, for your great grace! Thank you that you take care of me even when I fail you. I pray that my faith does not fail and that it will continue to grow. But it is so reassuring that you do not require perfection from me and that I need not fear that you will abandon me when I falter. You are patient with me. Thank you so much! I love you, Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Our Humorous Side

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 23,24; Luke 9

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 24:12-21 (emphasis added)
¹² Then he prayed, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. ¹⁶ The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

¹⁷ The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”

¹⁸ “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

¹⁹ After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. ²¹ Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.

OBSERVATION: This cracks me up. The servant prays and God answers him with the exact sign he prays for but he still has to watch closely to see if God had answered his prayer!

APPLICATION: I think God put this story in the Bible to show us how we all are. I can think of many times I have done the same thing. Why are we so thick? How clear does God have to be? I need to learn to take a "yes" from God without questioning whether I've got a "yes" (or a "no" for that matter). We must give God quite a chuckle sometimes with our silly little doubts and questions.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for answering my prayers so faithfully. May I learn to not question as much as I do and to trust your word and your faithfulness to answer when I call and ask for wisdom. You have never failed me. Why would I ever think you would? In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Extraordinary Living

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 15, 16, 17; Luke 6

SCRIPTURE: LUKE 6:27-36
²⁷ “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.

³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

OBSERVATION: When I became a Christian and started reading the Bible this passage was the first one that struck me like a ton of bricks. It still catches my attention every time I read it. Jesus makes it clear in his words that we are to live extra-ordinary lives. No one forgives his enemies and blesses those who wrong him. But that is what Jesus calls us to. We have to live differently from sinners. He makes the point that sinners love those who love them and lend to others when they expect to get repaid. Christ is glorified only when we avail ourselves of his power to live a completely different quality of life from those who don't have relationship with him.

APPLICATION: The application is simple: Forgive those who hurt you and those who purposely do you harm. We really aren't "allowed" as Christians to hold grudges.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to live the extraordinary Christian life. I need your Holy Spirit to do it. May I bring glory to you by causing others to note the difference between how I respond to offenses created by others and how most people respond. Thank you so much for the amazing grace and forgiveness that you pour out on me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Parental Pain and Mercy

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 6, 7, 8; Luke 3

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 6:5-8 (emphasis added)
⁵ The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. ⁶ The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. ⁷ So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

OBSERVATION: God is love. We are told this over and over again in the Word. Yet here God says he is grieved that he has made man because of all the evil in their hearts and actions. God is described as having a broken heart. He was a Father who loved his children deeply and yet was filled with grief as he saw the suffering they brought on themselves and others because of their refusal to listen to and obey him. As a parent, I can understand this. It is possible to love your children with all your heart and yet be so grieved by their actions that you think it would have been better if they had never been born. That extremity of emotion does not mean you stop loving them. In fact, someone you don't love deeply has very little power to hurt you. I think of the parents of the young man who shot Congresswoman Gabby Giffords nearly killing her and killing nine other innocent bystanders. His parents are suffering the worst kind of pain. They love their child but realize that he has irreparably harmed others by murdering their loved ones. How does one handle that? I think it is perfectly logical that even with all the love they feel for their son that they would think it better if he had never been born. The two emotions are not inconsistent with one another. In this example, God searches for anyone who hasn't gone completely "dark" inside. He finds Noah. Though Noah wasn't perfect, he still had a heart that honored God and desired to obey him. God has mercy on him and finds a way to save even one family on the earth while having to destroy the rest before the world was completely destroyed by wickedness.

APPLICATION: It is a comfort to me that God has experienced what it is like to love and lose those you love. He is able to comfort the brokenhearted in ways no one else can because he understands completely what it is like to have a heart full of pain. From him, I can not only receive comfort when I have a broken heart but I can learn mercy and forgiveness, and when it is time to cut off relationships. He did all of that and it compromised neither his love nor his mercy.

PRAYER: Father, you understand the times when I am brokenhearted. I am so imperfect. Teach me how to respond in each situation. My I be full of love and forgiveness while still having discernment as to when it is time to cease fellowship with those who have rejected you or who would cause me to compromise my commitment to you in any way. I also thank you that you have the power to speak to the heart of any profligate person and to bring back and heal the prodigal. Heal your people, Lord. Heal me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

THE PATHOLOGY OF SIN

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 3, 4, 5; Luke 2

SCRIPTURE: Gen. 3:8-13; Gen. 4:2-15
⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” ¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” ¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” ¹³ Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. ³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. ⁴ But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵ but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. ⁶ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. ¹¹ Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” ¹³ Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. ¹⁴ Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” ¹⁵ But the LORD said to him, “Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. ¹⁶ So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

OBSERVATION: Every disease has it's own particular pathology and sin is no different. These passages present a good deal of the typical pathology that humans fall prey to when they engage in sin. In the first example we see "the blame game". When God asks Adam how he know he was naked, he takes no responsibility for his own choice to disobey God. He blames the woman and he also in a roundabout way blames God (the woman you put here with me, Lord; in other words, it's your fault for giving her to me), the woman then blames the serpent. Neither of them wants to take personal responsibility for their bad choices. They both have excuses for their sin. In the second story Cain and Abel both bring an offering to God and Cain's offering is not accepted. He is bitter, resentful, and jealous of his brother Abel because his offering was accepted by God. The Lord even warns Cain that he is in danger of being overcome by sin and tells him he needs to master it by simply doing what is right so that he will be accepted too. As with Adam, Cain finds fault with God for "playing favorites". He adopts the identity of a victim. God was unfair to him and he is angry at Abel for getting a better deal. He ends up murdering his own brother to assuage his anger and when God brings his actions to light and decrees a punishment, does Cain have sorrow for his sin and confess his wrong? No! He complains that his punishment is too harsh! He still has a "victim" mentality and is upset with God for what he considers to be unfair consequences of his actions. We hear not one word of remorse from Cain.

APPLICATION: What does this teach me? If I see any of the following symptoms I can be sure that I must somewhere have an infection of sin in my life that I need to confess and repent of:
1) Making excuses for my choices; blaming others
2) bitterness toward God or others
3) feeling others are getting a "better deal" from God than I am
4) lack of remorse when someone confronts me with a wrong I have done
5) feeling like a victim in life

PRAYER: Father, it's so much easier to see the symptoms of sin in others than it is to see them in myself. I am often blind to the beginnings of the sin infection in me. I pray you would reveal to me by your Spirit when the first signs of any such infection show up in my life so that I may go through a cleansing process before it gets a strong hold on me. I so want to have a clear conscience and a clean heart before you. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, my Lord and my God. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Yes, Lord

TODAY'S READING: Gen. 1, 2; Luke 1

SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:38
³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

OBSERVATION: The Lord spoke to Mary through an angel of his plan for her life. It would entail both glory and whispered salacious gossip and slander. She would become pregnant through the Holy Spirit and still claim to be a virgin! This was not an easy calling, but she said "yes" to it without reservation.

APPLICATION: Oh, how I want to be like Mary! I want my answer to be "yes" whenever God reveals his will to me. No hesitation; just "yes", even if there is difficulty and some personal humiliation involved. If I truly trust in Him that answer should be no problem.

PRAYER: I know my answer to you has not always been "yes", Lord. Forgive me for that. I want to be an obedient servant, always trusting that you know what is best for me even if I don't always understand the "whys" of every situation. I know that if I submit to your will for my life that whatever else may come along with it, I will be fulfilled and full of joy at the wonder of being used by you to advance your kingdom. Use me, send me, my answer will be "yes". In Jesus' Name, Amen.