Friday, March 26, 2010

Don't Help God With His Plans

Focus verses: Genesis 12:1-7

Abram was seventy-five years old when God told him to leave his homeland. In verse two of this reading He says "I will make of you a great nation." And then again in verse seven he says "To your offspring I will give this land." In these verses, God has twice said Abram would have children.

Abram and Sarai waited. It seemed like they waited forever. Years later, Abram complained to the Lord that he has only Eliezer of Damascus, his steward, as an heir. But the Lord assured Abram that his descendants will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore or the stars in the sky. God made a covenant with Abram. See Genesis Chapter 15.

Ten years passed, and Sarai could hear her biological clock ticking. She knew that she was growing too old for bearing children. She decided to take matters into her own hands and sent Abram in to Hagar to conceive a child for her. In a way, Hagar was the original surrogate mother. At least, that was what Sarai intended. But it didn't work that way.

Sarai was jealous of Hagar and mistreated her. Hagar ran away, only to be found of the Lord and told to come back into her servitude. But the Lord also assured her that her son would have many descendants. He told her to name the child "God Hears" - Ishmael. (Genesis 16)

The prophecy concerning Ishmael in verse twelve, however, forecasts an on-going feud between Ishmael's line and Isaac's line. Look at the middle east today. We have the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Isaac in constant conflict.

So let's play a game of "what if." What if Sarai had not become impatient, Hagar had not become pregnant, and Ishmael had never been born. Would the middle east be peaceful today? We'll never know.

Whenever we try to do God's will our own way, it results in a muddle. God can redeem our messes, but it is never as good as what He had planned originally. It all comes back to the arrogance of the intellect. We think we know how to help God out. We don't.

Our function is to believe His word and obey His commands. We are to do a thing only if God says so, not because we think it's the way to do it.

Father, God,

Help us to remember your wisdom is infinite and our minds are puny in comparison. Remind us that You do not need our assistance, only our faith and obedience.
In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Surviving On Your Feet

Focus verses: Job 1 and Ephesians 6:10-20

Jesus promised that in this world we would have troubles. But He also promised that He had overcome the world. You can see in the Book of Job that being a righteous man is no shield from the tragedies and problems of the world.

Job was a righteous man. In the King James Version, it uses the word "upright." Posturally that means standing on your feet. If you read further, you will notice that he continually thinks about the Lord and makes sacrifice for himself and his family, lest any of them had cursed God in their hearts.

Notice it doesn't say aloud. It says "in their hearts." The thoughts of his children were of concern. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Job had already done all that is in our Ephesians 6 passage. He knew the truth. He was righteous. He lived at peace with his world. He had faith in God.

Much of the source of his anguish was in trying to defend himself against the charge that when evil things happen, the person to whom they happen must have done something against God to have God punish him that way.

We can see that this is a battle against principalities and powers. Job's righteousness had built a natural hedge around himself and all that was his. God allowed Satan to penetrate that hedge because God knew that Job would remain faithful to Him under any circumstances.

If we are to survive the troubles promised us by Jesus Himself, we must cling faithfully to God.
As my Papa would have said "anti-un-dis-irregardless" of anything that goes on in this world. It is the rock of God's word upon which we can safely build. Anything else is quicksand.

Father, God,

Keep us always mindful that You are the safe haven in our world. No matter what the worlds says or does, turn our eyes always toward You and Your Word that we might be secure in our knowledge of Your faithfulness.
In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Apology

Whew!! That's done.

The manuscript for my devotional gift book As Grandma Says is finally off to the publisher, the contract is signed, and all I have to do now is finish the bio, the blurb and provide them publicity pictures.

The book should be available from Harvest House in January of 2011, if all goes well.

We will get back to our weekly posting on Friday of this week, March 20.

Thank you all for your patience and your understanding.

Grace and peace,
Judith