Exodus 1-4

God's great story continues as we begin reading Exodus 1-4.  Joseph and his brothers all died, but God still has a plan.  The famous 12 tribes of Israel (the children and grandchildren of Joseph and his brothers- Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Nephtali, Asher, and Gad) live on in Egypt and continue to multiply and prosper.  The problem is, there's a new, evil Egyptian Pharaoh in town who is threatened by so many Israelites living among them.  He decides to enslave them, kill them, and make their lives miserable.  Pharaoh's plan, though, doesn't work, thanks to God and those who faithfully believe in Him.  We see God call Moses to action and use his life in a big way.

I love the whole story of Moses because, just like Moses, God calls each of us for His purpose.  What will we do?  

The scene with Moses and the burning bush speaks volumes about the measures God is willing to go to in order to get our attention.  And when we sense God's call, we can't deny that it's person specific.  Look how he calls Moses by his name. 

2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Exodus 3:2-4

Immediately I stop and think, "How is God trying to get my attention right now?"  

Like the burning bush, when something really grabs our attention and makes us stop what we're doing, we know it's more than just a weird coincidence.  God's call won't go away.  It begins to fill our hearts and minds.

God gives us all the direction and the resources we need each step of the way when we are living in His purpose for our lives.  But even with God speaking to us, we doubt.  We feel inadequate.  We have a tendency, by default, to focus on our weaknesses and use them as our line of excuses.    

Here's the thing God did for Moses, and He does the same thing for you and me- God uses our weaknesses to make us strong in Him.  Moses has the Israelite elders, who know God, for support.  He also has Aaron who can make up for the one area of his life that worries him the most, his communication skills.  And as if that wasn't enough, how about that powerful cloak and mighty staff God shows Moses how to use to his advantage?

We are never on our own when we follow God, even though we may feel that way at times.  He is with us.  He will prepare us for what we face.  He puts the right believers in our lives for the job at hand.  And best of all, we have God's power on our side in real time, as we need it.

11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

Genesis 4:11-12

So, the bottom line I got from today's reading...

When God calls me for His purpose, it's because He loves me, just like He loved Moses and the Israelites.  And when He calls me, I don't want to disappoint him or make him mad by asking Him to send someone else.  I want Him on my side.  God has all authority on Heaven and Earth.  He, himself, puts it this way,

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[a] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Genesis 3:14

We can't get any stronger or any more capable than when we choose to be with our almighty, omniscient, omnipotent, loving God in His purpose.  

Whenever He hand-picks me, I can be sure it's because He knows I am the one for job.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for knowing me, loving me, and calling me by name.  Forgive me for all the times I let my feelings of inadequacy be an excuse in my life.  Help me to hear Your voice and follow You.  Fill me with Your courage and strength.  ___________ (those on your mind) also need(s) to Your courage and strength today, Lord.  

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 48-50

We read about the death of Jacob and Joseph in Genesis 48-50, and we now know how God laid the faith foundation for His family of believers.  Abraham's family line of faithful followers reflect God's story even in their dying.  The focus remains on God through it all.  Jacob's death is sad, yes, but it is so beautiful the way he chooses to pray for his family and bless his children and grandchildren before he goes to be with our Heavenly Father.  What an everlasting gift!    

This family has been through so much over the years, from generation to generation.  We see God's promises repeated over and over again.  In hindsight, we recognize God's guidance and sovereignty in working out His bigger plan.  No one person plays a perfect part in the story, but that doesn't stop God from loving each and every one of His chosen people.  

God's love for us is so high, and wide, and deep that it has the power to heal all our wrongs (but on His timeframe, of course).

Divine love is full of glorious surprises, even beyond our expectations  As Jacob puts it, 

11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”

Genesis 48:11

If we stick to our faith, God will surprise us too.

And, Joseph teaches us that we have to hold onto our faith, and work on God's plan for us, not our grudges with others.  We see this come to life when Joseph addresses his brothers' guilt.

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

Genesis 50:19-21

We can take what Joseph says to heart and apply it to our own lives.  

Is there a part of your life in which you need to ask yourself the same question?

Am I in the place of God?

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for your abundant and powerful love for me.  Thank You for filling my life with Your glorious surprises.  You, alone, are sovereign, in my life and the lives of others.  Forgive me for trying to figure out and fix wrongs when what I really need to do is hold onto my faith and let Your timing work things for Your glory.  I pray for Your Holy Spirit to guide my words and actions.  Give me patience, Lord.  I also pray for all those who need Your help in letting go so You can transform their hearts.

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 45-47

Joseph makes himself known to his family in Genesis 45-47.  Almost immediately, he forgives his brothers of their guilt because he is able to see himself as playing a purposeful part in God's bigger story.  Joseph not only saves his family from famine, he provides abundantly for their every need by moving them all to live with him in Egypt.  I love how Joseph's faith blesses his entire family.  We are able to see, even more, how God continues to use Abraham's family across generations.    

One person's faith makes a difference for many.  God's light is far reaching.  I can't help but notice the boldness that Joseph and his father, Jacob, have in sharing their faith and their blessings with those around them.  

Their faith crosses cultural boundaries.  Look at all the ways Joseph and Jacob bless the Pharaoh.  Joseph makes Pharaoh a very wealthy and powerful man, and Jacob verbally blesses Pharaoh in prayer.

7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[a] Pharaoh,8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

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.”

Genesis 47:7-9

This family makes it possible for others to know God and believe in Him through their faithful choices.  

How bold are you in your faith?   

How can you share your faith today in a powerful way that blesses others?

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank you for using me in Your glorious story.  Forgive me for getting distracted and passing up opportunities to be bold and share my faith with others like Joseph and Jacob.  Open my heart and mind to all the chances I have throughout my days to live in a way that reflects Your love and blesses others.  Give me the courage I need to overlook cultural norms and boundaries.  I want to pray your blessings for ___________ (name those on your mind) today.  To You, my God and Father, be glory forever and ever.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Love in Christ,

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


         

Genesis 41-44

Things just haven't gone Joseph's way for many years at this point in our Bible reading.  The poor man faces two more long years in prison after the cupbearer forgets about him.  But in Genesis 41-44, the tide changes for Joseph.  When the cupbearer finally remembers him, Joseph's God-given interpreting gift earns his favor with the Pharaoh and changes his life.  He goes from prison to being the Pharaoh's right hand man, in charge of all of Egypt.  Once again, he is adorned with a special robe, a new Egyptian name, his own house, a wife, and kids.  He saves all of Egypt from a terrible famine.  

I started thinking about God's gifts.  As believers, we are all blessed with our own personal, specially designed, gifts from God.  They go hand-in-hand with His purpose for our lives.  God-given gifts are powerful, and I am pretty sure our Heavenly Father needs us to handle them with tender, loving, care.

Everyday Reading Project: January 12-18

For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.

Genesis 37-40

In Genesis 37-40, Jacob is living in Canaan following the surprisingly loving reunion with his brother Esau.  Joseph is clearly Jacob's favorite son, and his special robe says it all.  Needless to say, Joseph's brothers are frustrated and angry, and Joseph's dream takes them over the edge.  Joseph is sold into slavery and ends up spending many years in Egypt serving Potiphar, the captain of the guard for Pharaoh.  He faces favor and trouble for many years.  Meanwhile, Jacob's son Judah ends up sleeping with his dead sons' wife.  It's all very scandalous.  I don't know about you, but I am feeling pretty good about my life after today's reading.  

Joseph's story is typical of God's work isn't it?  It seems unpredictable, contrary to the circumstances we would choose for a man who is going to follow in his father's footsteps of leading a great nation for God. 

Joseph has weird dreams, and it turns out that's a real God-given talent.  He's sold by his own brothers into slavery.  He's taken far away to serve in another land for a long time.  And as if that wasn't bad enough, he is thrown in prison for doing the right thing and NOT sleeping with his masters wife.  Everywhere Joseph goes, he prospers.  The more people get to know him, the more they realize that God's favor is with him.  Even in prison, Joseph uses his interpreting skills to help out the King's cupbearer.  The cupbearer goes free, and Joseph is forgotten.  That's where we stop today.  It doesn't seem fair. 

Joseph makes the best of the worst of circumstances.  I wonder how he does that?  What kind of attitude do you think he had?  What do you think he did day to day in order to get through the ordeal?

Joseph seems to use what God gives him to do what is right, and he suffers in spite of himself.  There's a pattern here from Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, and now to Joseph.  Being a main character in God's plan is not an easy path to follow.  It doesn't entitle us to what we think is "right."  In order to realize God's big promises for our lives, God needs us to be humble and serve others, even to the point of being a slave.  

I think that's where our faith has the biggest impact on the world and God gets the most glory.

God uses our circumstances to teach us what it means to really love the way He does.  He gives us what we need to get us where he wants us to go in the future.  

Later in God's story, Jesus, the king of kings, the Messiah, shows us what that looks like again and again.  He says,

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:26-28

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to be my Savior and a perfect example of what it means to love and serve You.  Forgive me for acting as if I know how things "should be."  I pray you will open my heart to humbly serving You by serving others in all circumstances. Help me think of Jesus first and what He would do, before I act.

____________ is/are on my mind today.  Show me ways to shine your love into his/her/their live(s).

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

Amen

Love of Christ,

   

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

Genesis 32-36

In Genesis 32-36, Jacob is following God’s instructions to return home with his wife, children, and possessions, and his drama continues.  No sooner had Jacob recovered from a big run-in with his father-in-law, he has to start thinking about facing his brother for the first time in a long time.  Remember Esau, who wanted to kill Jacob for tricking their father and stealing his blessing?  The two weren’t exactly on good terms.  You and I know God is with Jacob, but that doesn’ t stop him from being overcome with fear.  In the end, all is well, and the two brothers work it out.  It’s a good thing because a short time later, Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, is raped.  Jacob’s sons are angry and take matters into their own hands to get revenge on the local people who wronged their sister.  Like I said, drama, drama, drama.  And from it all, God establishes the 12 tribes of Israel, His chosen people.  Interesting isn’t it? 

Like his grandfather, Abraham, Jacob has many encounters with God in his lifetime, and those experiences help him grow in his faith.  As he faces the drama in his life, Jacob learns to rely on God more and more, and God changes him for the better, even his name changes to Israel.   

Don’t we all have drama to face at times in our life?  I know we have in my family.  We can really be one big, hot mess of a crew.  The thing is, God can really use drama to be a reflection of his perfect love for us.  

I love how Jacob handles the situation with his brother, who happens to have an entourage of hundreds of men.  He’s scared to death and filled with dread, but he doesn’t run.  He spends time with God.  He makes a plan, and he prays.

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulnessyou have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

Genesis 32:9-12

Jacob’s conversation with God is crucial.  Jacob reminds God (and himself) of His promises.  He humbles himself, and gives God all the credit.  He shares his problems and his fears about them.  Then, Jacob is very direct in asking God for what he needs.  To close, he, again, reminds God (and himself) of His promises.

Then Jacob sleeps on it.  He makes plans for approaching the encounter with gifts as a respectful loving servant (that’s the really hard part).  Jacob wrestles with God some more, and then he comes face to face with his brother.  He follows through with his plan. 

What do you know?  The past wrongs are forgiven.  They are never even mentioned.  The reunion is an emotional, beautiful hug, overflowing with love.

So the next time I am in the middle of a “situation” or a potentially disastrous mess, I am going to think about Jacob.  Walk with God.  Spend lots of time with Him.  Plan.  Sleep on it.  Pray my heart out.  Wrestle with it some more.  Give and serve with all my pinned up energy instead of talking about the conflict.  Love.

God's love heals.   

Good advice.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for using all of my circumstances to draw me closer to You.  Thank You for hearing my prayers, guiding my steps, and working out the details for Your glory.  Forgive my hot-headedness and my selfish reactions in the midst of life’s drama.  Help me to be a peacemaker.  Fill me with grace and forgiveness.  Guide me in giving to and serving others, even in the middle of conflict.  Be with me especially as I deal with _____________(talk to God about any current conflicts).  I want to be a reflection of Your healing 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 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.