Genesis 29-31

...And the family drama continues for Jacob (Isaac's son) in Genesis 29-31.  Despite all the ups and downs of life, Jacob still has God's favor as he gets married and begins his own family.  God's favor doesn't make for an easy road for Jacob, but it does come with blessings along the way.  Jacob works 20 years for his greedy father-in-law and gets stuck in the middle of two real sister-wives competing to see who can have the most children.  It gets ugly and blows up when Jacob finally decides he's had enough.  Remember God's promise to Abraham to make him the father of a great nation?  Slowly but surely, God is working out the details of His bigger story through Jacob.

Have you ever stopped to think about your struggles and weaknesses through the lens of God's promises for you?  It is a real eye opener for me today.

Let's look at God's promise to Jacob from the previous chapter of Genesis.  Jacob has a personal encounter with God, and commits himself to following God the way his father and grandfather did.

³ There above it^[a] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. ¹⁴ Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^[b] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Genesis 28:13-15

This is the same promise God has given the family before, lots of children and prosperity.  Does anyone else find it interesting that every single generation from Abraham to Isaac struggled to be parents?  The very things God guarantees them also serve as the source of their greatest hardships.  Look at all Jacob goes through to have what we all knew he was going to have...  

40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

Genesis 31:40-42

Hmmm.   Let's think about this for our own lives.  

God's plan, His promise to us, many times, isn't simple and straightforward, short and sweet.  Like Jacob, we can know the promise without having any idea how in the world it's going to happen.  But, it's still 100% guaranteed when we commit ourselves to following Him.  

What do you think God tries to teach us as we follow His promises for our own lives?  

A prayer-

Dear God,

Thank you so much for calling me to serve You.  As I follow You, give me the courage, trust, and discernment I need.  I pray for patience and a gentle spirit.  Open my heart to the experiences and people in my life that are all part of Your plan.  Continue to be my guide.  Lord, teach me Your ways, mold me, and shape me.  I want to be a blessing to others and a reflection of Your love.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Peace of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Genesis 25-28

Genesis 25-28 reads a lot like a soap opera, full of deceit, family drama, great blessings, and even death.  At the ripe age of 175, Abraham dies and passes on God's blessings to his son, Isaac.  Isaac is married to Rebekah, and together they are the second generation to carry out God's plan to make Abraham the father of a great nation.  Isaac works to follow his father's footsteps and God's will for His life.

Isaac's life and his family is not without its share of mistakes and problems.  And like Abraham and Sarah, it takes the couple a long time to conceive (20 years) the children they so desperately want.  Isaac prays to God for his wife, and she finally has two boys.  Our prayers for others really do make a difference!  

The birth of Isaac's two sons, Esau and Jacob, brings trouble and some sibling rivalry.  God gives the family His promise, His word, to be with them and bless them.  He tells Rebekah from the beginning,

23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

    and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one people will be stronger than the other,

    and the older will serve the younger.” 

Genesis 25:23  

In other words, God promises Rebekah that her younger child will take the lead in God's blessings in days to come.  Unfortunately, Rebekah, like many of us, is impatient for God's promises to come true.  She, like Sarah some years earlier with Hagar, takes matters into her own hands, showing a lack of trust and patience in God's ability to work out the details of His own plan. 

I don't know about you, but this scene, in all its doubt and impatience, has been a familiar one to me at times in my own life. 

So when Esau and Jacob grow up, and it's time for Isaac to give his blessings to his children, Rebekah deceives her husband and convinces Jacob to steal his brother's blessing.  It's clearly wrong.

As I read through these lies, it makes me mad, and I feel so sorry for Esau.  And in the end, Jacob still gets what he doesn't deserve.  He gets his father's blessing and God's.  Rebekah gets her way, and Esau and Isaac are hurt by the whole situation.  It just seems so unfair that I don't understand the story at this point.

So, this is where I stop and start talking to God.  I think, "God, what do you want me to learn from this awful story?"

Hey, you know what?  This situation happens all the time in the world today, doesn't it?  When we don't trust God and take matters into our own hands, we end up causing a lot of heartache.  That's part of our sinful nature, and we do have to face the consequences of choices we make without God's counsel.

Life isn't fair and blessings abound when we don't deserve them.  Thank goodness for endless amounts of grace.  That's why God's sovereignty and love for us are so powerful.  

Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau's family story shows us that even though we are not perfect (in fact very selfish), God is able to work both our good and bad choices for His glory.  We save ourselves from a lot of grief when we are willing to rely on Him rather than ourselves and our own perspectives.

Are there any areas of your life in which you need to let go and trust God more?

We will see how God continues to work in Jacob's life, strengthening his faith, despite his terrible mistake, in chapters to come...

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for Your complete sovereignty over Your creation.  Forgive me for being so impatient as You work out Your will in my life.   Help me to wait on You and Your timing.  ___________ is really weighing on my mind today.  I trust You with all my uncertainty, God.  Reassure me with Your love and grace.  I also pray for __________ (those on my heart).  May he/she/they feel the power of my prayers.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen  

In Christ's love,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.



    

Genesis 21-24

God follows through on His promises.  Always.  Abraham's faith is contagious, and others can see God at work in his life in everything he does.  God's favor is very obvious.  In fact, Abraham's relationship with God spills over and influences those around him.   In Genesis 21-24, Abraham is finally blessed with the son he and Sarah have always wanted.  Hagar and Ishmael are sent away, but God is with them too.  Even King Abimelek sees God's power through Abraham, and it inspires him to live in peace with Abraham and his people.  Abraham trusts God with everything that he has, and God shows us again and again that He will not let him down.  God rewards obedience.

Abraham's trust in God inspires me.  I mean, there was no question in my mind that Abraham was a good and faithful man.  He had already proved that to me in the way he picked up his family and started over in a new land for God.  It wasn't an easy journey, yet Abraham did it.  That's real faith.  And just when I think Abraham's faith couldn't get any stronger, God finds new ways to strengthen Abraham's faith through his son, Isaac.

Here's what I noticed about Abraham's great faith that is so special.  Abraham has taken the time to really know God over the years.  The more time he spends with God, the more confidence and peace Abraham has in God.  Abraham trusts God for the miraculous before the miracle actually happens.  He knows God is going to show up.  

Look at how Abraham handles God's call to sacrifice his only son,

5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you...”

7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

Genesis 22:5, 7-8

Now, if this was me, I am not sure I would handle the situation as well.  But, did you catch Abraham's certainty?  He knows before he offers his son to God, that everything will be okay and that the trial is an act of worshiping God.  He says, "we will worship and then we will come back to you."  That's confidence in God!

How can Abraham be so confident?  He's trusting God's promises for his own life to be the father of a great nation.  

So here's the thing.  Thank goodness it's not every day God asks us to sacrifice our children.  But, God does ask us to keep growing in our relationship with Him, just like Abraham.  

God wants us to be confident in Him.  He wants us to trust in His power to provide all that we need in every moment of our lives.  And, I believe He wants us to teach that to our children by example.

Think about your own relationship with God.  

What promises does He keep whispering to You about your life with Him?

What blessings has He used to build Your trust in Him?

Are there any ways God has tested your faith lately?  How have you responded?

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for all the blessings in my life.  Thank you for providing me with all that I need.  Forgive me for questioning Your direction in my life and being way too analytical in my thinking.  I pray You will continue to strengthen my relationship with You.  Help me to walk in confidence, following Your voice.  Lord, bless me, please, with Your peace that passes understanding, and I pray for this same peace to fill and comfort __________ (name those who need prayers today).

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Grace and peace,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

  

       

Genesis 17-20

Today in Genesis 17-20 we read more about how God shows up in Abraham and Sarah's life. They are proof that God's timing is everything.  Abraham is 99 years young and Sarah 90, and God promises them a son by the next year!  It's crazy good, hard-to-believe news.  Their son Isaac is all part of God's bigger plan to make the couple the mother and father of a great nation of God's faithful people.  God's just working out the details like He promises us He will.  Also in these chapters, God completely destroys Sodom and Gomorrah, the area where Lot (Abraham's nephew) lives.  Those cities are too full of wickedness and evil for God's liking.  God remembers Abraham,though, and saves Lot and his daughters.  Lot's wife is not so lucky, as her split second decision to look back (despite God's instruction) leads to her death.  King Abimelek even witnesses God's sovereignty for himself through his relationship with Sarah.  We learn just how much faith serves as the life line for Abraham and his family.

I love reading all the ways God is with His people in Genesis.  The almighty, powerful God who can destroy entire cities in seconds also chooses to show up and hear, assure, guide, and encourage His believers in real ways.  

So far in Genesis, God has been there for Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and Lot.  God is interested in establishing and nurturing a family of believers.   

God has a great love for His people.  He really wants to be in relationship with us, doesn't he?  Our God is a conversational God.  Notice all the ways He reaches out to people.  Our God can do anything and everything.  I don't know about you, but I want Him on my side.

14 Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Genesis 18:14

Yet, as humans, we hesitate at times.  We do not always listen to our all-knowing God and His perfect plan.  We make mistakes and get off track.  The world is a busy, noisy, distracting place.  We need God to grab us by the hand and show us His direction and mercy, like He did for Lot and his family.

16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.

Genesis 19:16

What is too hard for you?  Give it to God.

Are you hesitating in any area of your life?  Ask God to grab you by the hand.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I am so thankful for my relationship with You.  I know nothing is too hard for You.  There are things in my life that are really hard for me ____________________.  Forgive my hesitation.  I pray for Your mercy.  Help me listen to You.  Grab me by the hand, and show me where to go and what to do for You, Lord.  I also pray you will hold ___________'s (those on your heart) hands.

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,

Amen

Grace and peace,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

  

Genesis 13-16

Abram is traveling for God in Genesis 13-16.  God is really changing Abram (meaning noble father) and Sarai's (meaning princess) life through this journey, so it's no surprise that He changes their names too.  They become known as Abraham (father of many) and Sarah (mother of nations).  God keeps reminding Abraham of His promise, but there's lots of in-between time with hard work involved and some very scary moments.  Abraham rescues his nephew, Lot, from some allied kings, and he ends up being blessed in the process.  He and Sarah also make some mistakes along the way, but God doesn't give up on them.

I love seeing the relationship evolve between Abraham and God as time goes on.  God senses Abraham's need for reassurance.

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.

    I am your shield,[a]

    your very great reward.[b]”

Genesis 15:1

Abraham has questions for God.  There are things he doesn't understand.  He talks to God about it, and God answers very directly.

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring[a] be.”

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:4-6

I am sure this huge promise still didn't make total sense, but Abraham trusted God.  And did you catch what the scripture says about belief?  God credited belief as righteousness.  

I think sometimes we just have to believe without understanding everything.

Even though Abraham's faith is clearly very strong, he is still prone to mistakes.  

I have to be honest, it makes me feel better to know Abraham and his wife made mistakes too.  It gives me hope and shows me how great God's love is for His believers.

Genesis 9-12

The big flood is over and Noah and his family are safe in Genesis 9-12.  God blesses them and promises He will never flood the earth again.  The rainbow is a sign of that promise.  Noah's son's- Shem, Ham, and Japheth are the beginnings of the twelve tribes of Israel and God's chosen people.  Everyone speaks one language and seems to get a little too big for his/her britches so God solves the problem with the tower of Babel.  Then, we read through Noah's whole family tree and fast forward a few hundred years to meet Abram (a descendant of Shem and later called Abraham) who does another crazy big thing for God in his faithfulness. 

Abram's faith is where I want to zoom in today.  Abram and his wife, Sarai are pretty old.  They've never had children.  They're settled in their hometown of Harran, but God asks them to follow Him and do something bigger and very different than what they know.

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 

“I will make you into a great nation,

    and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

    and you will be a blessing.[a]

3 

I will bless those who bless you,

    and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

    will be blessed through you.”[b]

Genesis 12:1-3

When God spoke, Abram listened.  His wife supported him.  Together, they followed God, and God blessed them beyond their wildest dreams.  That's faith.  And their story is the beginning of how God's power can work in our lives if we will follow His call for us.

So today, Abram and Sarai's faith reminds me of a few thing's about God...

Genesis 5-8

Did you know Genesis means "origins" or "beginnings?"  What a perfect way to begin our Everyday Reading Project for the New Year!  This book (as told by Moses who we will meet later) in the Bible is where we learn all about God's creation, and His special relationship with man.  In Genesis 5-8, Adam and Eve's family line is mapped out for us, all the way to Seth, the father of Noah.  Over time, God becomes deeply troubled by all the wickedness and sin humans bring to the world.  He decides to start over with a big flood, and Noah is His man for the job.  This is where the story of Noah's Ark comes in... 

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

Genesis 6:9

Noah was doing things right with God even when the world around him was not.  God used Noah and his family for His great purpose.  God needs Noah to obey Him and trust God's promises.  In the end, Noah and his family are safe from the devastation that wipes out all air breathing creatures from the face of the earth.

Noah's Ark is one of those stories we hear as children again and again, but it takes on so much more meaning as an adult.  

Because of Noah's close relationship with God, He is saved and blessed.  You know what else I noticed?  Noah's relationship with God pushed him beyond his own limits to get from here to there.  Let's think about it.

Genesis 1-4

Today is the beginning of a New Year, and a great time to jump in and start reading with the Everyday Reading Project.  We start with the story of God's creation in Genesis 1-4.  It's amazing really.  God's Spirit hovers over the water and speaks everything into existence, light, day and night, land and sky, plants and animals, and man.  God did all of this in six days, and He made the seventh day Holy, for resting from His work.  Think of all the details that make up God's beautiful, perfect creation.  Talk about power and glory!  Wow!  

It fills me with awe to think that God made you and me in His very image.  And not only that, He made us, men and women, for each other.   

27 

27So God created mankind in his own image,

    in the image of God he created them;

    male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Genesis 2:18

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones

    and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called ‘woman,’

    for she was taken out of man.”

Genesis 2:24

It was "all good, " literally, until the famous "fall."  Adam and Eve, though made for each other, also found trouble together.  They ate fruit from the exact tree God explicitly told them was off limits in the Garden of Eden.  Eve gets the blame, but Adam ate without question.  Now, sin is a part of our everyday life in this world.  None of us are perfect, except by God's grace in Christ.  Thank goodness we know about Jesus today.  I can't imagine what it would have been to live in fear, without Him.

The forbidden fruit that the original couple faced is not unlike the sin we face day in and day out. Our reasoning, over-analytical minds often tempt us to question God's will and go off course, ending up in a load of hurt and trouble. 

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Genesis 3:1

As believers, our biggest mistake is not considering the source of our guidance when we make decisions, right?  Even small decisions can lead to big trouble.  What does God want us to do?  That's the real issue.  God gives us clear direction, if we will ask Him for it.  What if Adam and Eve had asked God what to do when the serpent crept along and played with Eve's mind?

I have a bad habit of over-thinking God's guidance for me.  I don't need to understand what God wants me to do.  I just have to do it.  It doesn't have to make sense.  I just have to hear God clearly and trust Him above all the other powerful influences vying for my attention in this life.

We are all tempted at times.  God knows best and wants the best for us.  His voice is there to protect us and guide us.  So when deciding what to do, when there's any question between right and wrong, God's my mighty counselor.  

Don't get me wrong.  I make plenty of bad decisions, but God never makes a bad decision   And the good news for today is that there's always good news with God.   God is always there for us.  Even after Adam and Eve admitted to doing the opposite of what God told them to do, God was there clothing them and providing for their every need.  

He does the same for us.  He knows we are sinners even before we are willing to admit it.  He loves us unconditionally with open arms.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me even though I am a sinner.  Forgive me for all the ways I fail to hear Your direction.  Help Your Word come alive in me and be my guide.  Give me the good sense to distinguish Your way from all the distractions in the world around me.  You are my Mighty Counselor.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Blessings,

 *This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.