What Girls Want - Gen. 29-30 & Matt 9:1-17

Genesis 29:20 - So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

Things like this scene are what make guys around the world seem unromantic. How are we supposed to compete with that?! This is one of the few scenes in the Bible that make Jacob look good.

Remember Jacob? The twin of Esau. He came out of the womb grasping his brother's heel. When they were older Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright and more importantly his father's blessing! But the tables are turned on Jacob when he moves to Haran to live with his uncle Laban. Jacob falls head over heals for Laban's younger daughter Rachel. So he tells Laban that he'll work for him for 7 years for his daughter's hand in marriage. And he does! But on the wedding night, the veiled bride comes into the bedroom and Jacob takes her as his wife only to wake up to....Rachel's older (and not as pretty) sister Leah!!! A little taste of his own medicine...

Jacob's life was blessed by God, but it was not easy or stress-free because Jacob continually tried to make things work on his own instead of trusting God. I'm afraid I relate to Jacob all too well. Not in the deception arena, just on the trying-to-make-things-work-on-my-own field.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (again) - Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

Even the Demons Knew - Gen. 27-28 & Matt. 8 cont'd

It's getting late, so here's a quick thought for today...

Isn't it interesting that anytime Jesus ran into demon-possessed people, the demons knew that He was (and is) the Son of God? Why is it so hard for humans to get that? And perhaps upon all things that may prove to us that He is indeed the promised Messiah, the Son of God, this remark from the mouths of demons should be great proof.

We might've thought that simply in spite of Jesus they would try to make Him look bad and yell out, "You're a wimp" or "You wish you were God." But they can't, like the rest of us (eventually) the only response they could give in Jesus' presence was recognition of who He is.

How powerful!!!

Trust and Obey - Gen. 25-26 & Matt 8:1-17

Trust and Obey, for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.

Ok, sorry I'm on a hymn kick here lately, but they are the first things to pop into my head when I read some of these stories. Interesting that no praise songs have popped up yet...

In today's Scripture we read about the death of Abraham, the birth of Jacob and Esau, God renewing His covenant with Jacob, and Jesus healing several people. In the midst of all of these stories it seems that there is one common theme - faith (or trust) and the outward sign of faith, which is obedience.

In Genesis 26:5 God tells Isaac that He is continuing His covenant with Isaac "because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions." That is a small sentence that packs a huge punch! God is going to bless Isaac (and his descendants) with land, numerous descendants, and God will bless all the nations of the earth through their family by allowing Jesus to come from their line! Wow. And why do they get this amazing blessing? "Because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions."

Then we read the beginning of chapter 8 in Matthew and we see a Roman (no, not Jewish) officer come up to Jesus and ask if He would heal one of his young servants. Jesus says, "I will come and heal him." But the officer says, "Lord I am not worthy for you to come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed."

This is one of the few times we see Jesus surprised. He reacts with joy and amazement saying, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!" and then later to the Roman officer, "Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened."

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Proverbs 3:5-6 which reiterates the above lessons. It says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

If we would simply start trusting what God leads us to do and faithfully obey those things are lives would be so much easier and I imagine our descenedants and those around us would be blessed through our faith and obedience.

Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus.

The Solid Rock - Gen. 23,24 & Matt. 7

If you're not aware, I'm from Monroe, OH, which is just south of Middletown, about 45 minutes north of where we currently live in northern KY. Although a once proud native, it is somewhat embarrassing to drive past the Monroe exit and tell people that's where I'm from because it is kind of an infamous exit now. Monroe is now known for two huge flea markets (yee-haw), a porno magazine place, and a giant statue of Jesus that some refer to as "Touchdown Jesus" or "Drowning Jesus." This huge statue is located at a church called The Solid Rock, which is pastored by a guy whose daughter went to my elementary school. Unfortunately, this huge Jesus statue is one of the first things that comes to my mind now when I think of Solid Rock.

But on a brigher note, the next thing that comes to mind is another good hymn...

My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness,
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

That's a hymn I grew up singing and it comes from the idea found in Matthew 7 where Jesus said that, "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Through the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the wind beats against the house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock."

Matthew 7 is a great chapter where Jesus teaches about judging others, praying, and living out our faith. I highly recommend you reading and re-reading this chapter. May it move you to place Christ as your foundation so you won't become broken down and weary from life's storms.

I Surrender All - Gen. 20-22 & Matt. 6:19-34

I Surrender All, I Surrender All
All to Jesus, I Surrender,
I Surrender All

That has always been one of my favorite hymns, and if my memory serves me, the hymn of invitation that I responded to when I accepted Christ as a child. But as is typical with many songs we sing in church, it's so easy to sing the words and so hard to live out.

Today's Old Testament scripture tells one of the most incredible stories in all of Scripture, perhaps only trumped by that of Jesus' sacrificial death for us. In Genesis 22 the story of Abraham continues. We've been told that God promised Abram and Sarai a child and descendants too numerous to count despite their age, and after many years we see that miraculous birth of Isaac take place. If this story were an opera Isaac's birth would be a very loud, and celebratory sequence. And then we hit chapter 22. God does the unimaginable. God tells Abraham to offer this promised child, this miracle baby, this only child of the elderly Abraham and Sarah from whom the earth would be blessed, as a burnt offering.

A WHAT?!?!?!? Yes, a burnt offering.

Then what happens? Abraham doesn't ask questions, he doesn't curse God, he doesn't mourn, he saddles up his donkeys and begins his journey.

I cannot imagine this level of obedience and faith. I meagerly try to surrender all to God - I don't mind not making a lot of money, I don't mind having a humble house, I don't mind not having cool cars or clothes, but when it comes to my children's safety or my safety or several other things that I consider off limits, it's hard to surrender. I can give you great excuses and even argue for how God would understand, but Jesus demands it all. We aren't allowed to have boundaries for God.

This is a huge part of the reason Abraham is considered the Father of our faith. He is indeed the father of the line of descendants from which Jesus would come. But He is also the father and great example of the fear of God, which is what God desires. Not fear in such a way that you don't trust someone. Rather fear in a respect way. Fear of something so much greater than you that you can't for a minute imagine that you can compete with or have anything to offer. The type of respect you have for the Grand Canyon or the ocean or space.

I imagine that even Abraham couldn't have explained it very well and perhaps that's why we don't hear Abraham do much talking in chapter 22. He hears God's command, he couldn't possibly have understood why, but because of his fear (respect) of God, he simply obeys.

May we continue to move towards that kind of faith and respect and trust of God. He is certainly worthy of it.