The Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. Genesis 39:3b
Joseph becomes a slave in Potiphar’s house Genesis 39:1-20
Could life look any bleaker than being left to die in a cold, dark hole in the earth? Can you imagine the despair you would have felt as a teenager in such a situation and the agony of knowing that your own family members had treated you this way? The sense of betrayal would be overwhelming. Taking the story further we see in Genesis 37:26-27 that Judah and all of Joseph’s brothers except for the eldest, Reuben, agreed to pull Joseph up out of that pit, not to rescue him but to sell him. Yet the scripture assures us that the Lord was with Joseph… in the pit and in slavery.
Even when we don’t feel God near, when we can’t see what He is doing in our lives, when we don’t understand why things are happening to us, we can rest in the knowledge that God is with us. The story of the Lord being with Joseph is an assurance of the Lord being with us too. Not because we are favored like Joseph but because the Lord is faithful and unchanging. He is an ever present God. We know this because He tells us this in Psalm 139:1-12
Psalm 139:1-10
O LORD You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty to attain. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.
If God is everywhere as He claims to be - where else could He be if not with us?
Joseph knew that the Lord was with him. His life reflects the knowledge that regardless of the trials he was facing and even in the triumphs he experienced; the LORD was with him always. Do you know this truth? How different would our lives be if we lived, walked, and breathed in the reality that the Lord is with us?
Being sold into slavery was devastating and yet, God was in control - God’s will for Joseph was not to be mistreated but He knew the free will of his brothers’ and made provision for Joseph in the tsunamis of his life. It’s like a spiritual chess match - and God is always ready to move and counter move on our behalf. God is the ultimate chess master - there are no stalemates or draws - we will ultimately hear our heavenly master say “Checkmate”. God orchestrated everything for Joseph - the timing, the trader and ordained his purchaser. Joseph was sold to a high ranking official in Egypt. He became the property of a man named Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. The best estimate of Joseph’s age at this time would probably have been between the ages of eighteen and twenty years old.
Joseph trusted God and while he waited on God’s promises to be fulfilled, he got busy. Joseph used the talents he had been blessed with right where he was. He was different from those around him and prospered in Potiphar’s household. Gen. 39:2 says he became a successful man. His master, Potiphar, was blessed through him Gen. 39:3. Because of Joseph’s blooming where he was planted, he became highly favored and was put in charge of everything Potiphar owned.
How can Joseph’s life show us how to live differently? Why does God tell us these stories? Why does God reveal details of people who lived thousands of years ago in distant lands? What are we to glean from these stories and apply to our own lives?
Joseph was faithful - to the LORD and to those in authority over him. Joseph was completely trustworthy. His master soon learned that Joseph was a man of impeccable integrity. Joseph was diligent and excellent in all his endeavors. His gained favor in his master’s eyes because of his work ethic.
Maybe the LORD uses these stories, the lives of people like Joseph to encourage us, to remind us that regardless of the messes we find ourselves in, He is with us and His ultimate plan for us will not be thwarted. How different would we deal with our trials if we kept our focus on the LORD and what we knew to be true? How much more humble would we be in our triumphs if we recognized and acknowledged that those mountaintops could not have been summited but for the Lord working out the intricacies of the most infinitesimal details of our lives?
LORD, thank You for the truths You reveal in Your precious words to us. I pray that we would be found faithful like Joseph, regardless of any stumbling blocks You allow to cross our paths. I pray that we would be found completely trustworthy by all who come into contact with us. I pray that we would be a people of impeccable integrity. Lord, prompt us to be diligent and excellent in every endeavor. LORD may we find favor in all those we have dealings with, whether they be high above us in position or rank, or the lowest of the low in society but most importantly, may we find favor in Your eyes. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
The Lord was with Joseph ~ Genesis 39:2, 39:21
Really?
Have you ever considered the life of Joseph? His story is told in Genesis; from chapters 30 through 50 and he is referenced throughout the pages of scripture. His story is one of the most significant in all of the Bible. Few lives have been chronicled as Joseph’s and have been given such focus so there must be much for us to learn from his life.
What do we know of Joseph?
In Genesis 30:24 we are told that Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, who was called Israel, and the eldest son of two sons by Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel. He was Jacob’s favorite son. Joseph’s story begins in Gen. 37:2 at the tender age of seventeen. We learn that he is a shepherd, a good son who is unwilling to participate in the misconduct he observes in his ten older brothers, is compelled to reveal that misconduct to their father and that he is highly favored in his father’s eyes. He is so highly favored that Jacob made him a varicolored garment commonly referred to as a coat of many colors.
This all sounds good doesn’t it? To be so favored in a father’s eyes and the recipient of such an outpouring of love must have been wonderful. However, all was not wonderful with his older brothers. To complicate their relationship, Joseph was a dreamer (Gen. 37:5 and 9) and oblivious to the impact of sharing his dreams with his brothers. His brothers already disliked him (Gen. 37:4) because he was their father’s favorite but dislike turned to hatred when they understood that Joseph believed he would rule over them because of what he believed his dreams meant for the future (Gen. 37:9) Joseph even provoked the wrath of his father when he told him about his dreams of ruling over not just his brothers but his parents as well (Gen. 37:10).
His brothers hated him; Hated him passionately! They plotted to kill him and would have if his older brother Rueben had not experienced a moment of conscience in Gen. 37:21. Rueben didn’t want to kill him outright but was fine with dumping him alive in a pit and allowing him to die a slow death in Gen. 37:24. With their little brother in the pit with no food or water, the ten older brothers could enjoy a meal and as they were doing so, a caravan of the sons of Ishmael were passing by which birthed an alternate plan. Brother Judah devised a way to make a little money for the trouble their brother had caused them. Gen. 37: 26 reveals Judah’s plan to sell Joseph rather than let him die in the pit. The ten older brothers all agreed to sell him as a slave to a band of Midianite traders and then lie to their father - saying they had found his special coat bloodied and tattered Gen. 37:32.
It sounds pretty dismal doesn’t it? Do you see in scripture any details that would lead you to believe that Joseph deserved to be treated so badly? At the whim and sin of his brothers, Joseph went from being a beloved son of his father to a slave of strangers in a foreign land.
Theologians teach that the Bible uses character’s stories as symbols or metaphors which point us to Jesus. These stories are intended to resemble Jesus and provide food for thought on God’s plan for salvation. Joseph is often referred to as a “Type of Christ”.
We know that Joseph was loved by his father - Jesus, the Son of God, was and is loved by God the Father.
Joseph was hated by his brothers - rejected and betrayed by them as well. Jesus was hated by the very people He came to dwell among. Jesus was rejected by those whom He came to save and they betrayed Him and plotted to kill Him.
Money was exchanged as part of the betrayals of both Joseph and Jesus.
Joseph found acceptance in the the land of strangers; Egypt. The message, the blessings, the salvation of Jesus as Messiah would be and has been embraced and accepted by gentiles in every foreign land since His coming up to this very day.
As referenced, the Bible clearly states that the Lord was with Joseph. The Lord was with Joseph as a favored 17 year old shepherd. The Lord was with Joseph when he was hated by those who should have loved him. The Lord was with Joseph in the bottom of that pit too.
Have you ever been hated? Have you ever been treated unfairly? Betrayed? Pushed out of the life, the relationships that were rightfully yours and forced to start a new life among strangers in a foreign land?
This is life! It isn’t a fabrication or just a story pulled from the pages of scripture - This is as real to us as it was for Joseph… and yet the Lord was with Joseph - just as He is with each of us.
Joseph’s life can almost be divided into 5 seasons - please come back and read the next season of a remarkable man whose entire life speaks of complete faith and trust in His God regardless of his circumstances.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Do You Love Me Daddy?
I recently watched a movie about a young girl who had grown up in the home of her mother and step-father. She only had vague memories of her biological father because her parents had divorced when she was 5 years old. The movie starts with the young girl, now 17 years old and a high school graduate, deciding to visit her father during the summer before she begins college.
Her father is portrayed as a selfish loner; as a misunderstood man deserving sympathy but the circumstances failed to generate such emotions. This young girl was standing on the brink of womanhood with a huge void in her life created by his selfishness. Oh, and he drinks too much because he is such a troubled soul. He is abusive and manipulative. She deserved far better.
Another glaringly obvious characteristic of the movie dad was that he would have been content to live his life without her in it. He was perfectly happy to live his life, doing his own thing with other people he had collected, as if she had never existed. The pursuit of a relationship was all on the part of the daughter and was even rejected and resisted by the father for a time.
In the closing scene, my heart broke. The dust was settling between the father and the daughter after a shouting match and they hugged. What was poignant was her fearfully worded question “Do you love me Daddy?” When he didn’t answer her, she asked again “Do you love me Daddy?” The fear of rejection was written on the daughter’s face and it seemed he wouldn’t answer. He finally responded “Yes, I love you!” ~THE END~
I thought is was one of the saddest moments in the entire film. That a father could love so poorly that his child has to ask if he loves her, is tragic. A father’s love should be a guarantee. What devastation when children do not grow up in the confidence of their father’s love. How painful for a child, even an adult child when they become aware that something just isn’t right and they risk their tender feelings by asking their fathers if they are loved by them.
As I watched the movie I couldn’t help but wonder how often that same story plays out in real life and my heart ached for all the little girls who grew up or will grow up one day and allow themselves to be treated unfairly by boyfriends and spouses because of a dysfunctional relationship with their fathers.
I wonder if women would live differently if their earthly fathers had nurtured them as God intended? I wonder if they would have chosen a different man to marry and father their children if they not been exposed to an environment that made putting up with a lot of frustration for the sake of a relationship seem acceptable?
Were you one of the fortunate ones to have known the love of an earthly father? Or were you one of the ones less than fortunate in that regard?
No one should ever have to wonder if they are loved by their father. No one should ever have to ask “Do you love me Daddy?” and yet it happens every day.
So where does that leave the ending of this blog? Are we without hope?
No we are not without hope. We have the only truly faithful Father that anyone has ever known. He is the best and a perfect Father. Our heavenly Father! He is a father that tells us over an over that He loves us. We don’t have to ask. He has written an entire book called the Bible that is all about His love for us. He left heaven to show us His love. He shed his blood to reveal the depth of His love for us. He indwells us so that we never have to wonder where He is. He loves us so much that He died so that we could be with Him for all eternity. Love shows up! Jesus definitely showed up to prove His love for us didn’t He?
…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and how long and how high and how deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:17-18
Regardless of whether or not our earthly fathers loved poorly or loved exceedingly well, our heavenly Father wants us to know that He loves us enough to be beaten, stretched out on cross and nailed to it and die because He loves us so much.
No matter what, we do not have to tremble and ask the question “Do you love me Daddy?” of our heavenly Father. He has already answered that question and we can live securely in His love. He loves us and He always will.
Abba, Father, Daddy,
I pray that all who read this have been, will be and will continue to be rooted and established in not just any love, but Your love. I pray that they will be able to comprehend, to truly understand that they as part of Your family, Your bride, Your people that your love is wider than the east is from the west; that the length of Your love is infinite and cannot be measured; that it reaches from us to You in heaven at a distance unknown to our finite minds and that the depth of Your love for us cannot be understood because it is not of this world, it is divine. For this great love to be felt and grasped, we thankfully pray in the name of the One who loves so well, Jesus!
Her father is portrayed as a selfish loner; as a misunderstood man deserving sympathy but the circumstances failed to generate such emotions. This young girl was standing on the brink of womanhood with a huge void in her life created by his selfishness. Oh, and he drinks too much because he is such a troubled soul. He is abusive and manipulative. She deserved far better.
Another glaringly obvious characteristic of the movie dad was that he would have been content to live his life without her in it. He was perfectly happy to live his life, doing his own thing with other people he had collected, as if she had never existed. The pursuit of a relationship was all on the part of the daughter and was even rejected and resisted by the father for a time.
In the closing scene, my heart broke. The dust was settling between the father and the daughter after a shouting match and they hugged. What was poignant was her fearfully worded question “Do you love me Daddy?” When he didn’t answer her, she asked again “Do you love me Daddy?” The fear of rejection was written on the daughter’s face and it seemed he wouldn’t answer. He finally responded “Yes, I love you!” ~THE END~
I thought is was one of the saddest moments in the entire film. That a father could love so poorly that his child has to ask if he loves her, is tragic. A father’s love should be a guarantee. What devastation when children do not grow up in the confidence of their father’s love. How painful for a child, even an adult child when they become aware that something just isn’t right and they risk their tender feelings by asking their fathers if they are loved by them.
As I watched the movie I couldn’t help but wonder how often that same story plays out in real life and my heart ached for all the little girls who grew up or will grow up one day and allow themselves to be treated unfairly by boyfriends and spouses because of a dysfunctional relationship with their fathers.
I wonder if women would live differently if their earthly fathers had nurtured them as God intended? I wonder if they would have chosen a different man to marry and father their children if they not been exposed to an environment that made putting up with a lot of frustration for the sake of a relationship seem acceptable?
Were you one of the fortunate ones to have known the love of an earthly father? Or were you one of the ones less than fortunate in that regard?
No one should ever have to wonder if they are loved by their father. No one should ever have to ask “Do you love me Daddy?” and yet it happens every day.
So where does that leave the ending of this blog? Are we without hope?
No we are not without hope. We have the only truly faithful Father that anyone has ever known. He is the best and a perfect Father. Our heavenly Father! He is a father that tells us over an over that He loves us. We don’t have to ask. He has written an entire book called the Bible that is all about His love for us. He left heaven to show us His love. He shed his blood to reveal the depth of His love for us. He indwells us so that we never have to wonder where He is. He loves us so much that He died so that we could be with Him for all eternity. Love shows up! Jesus definitely showed up to prove His love for us didn’t He?
…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and how long and how high and how deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:17-18
Regardless of whether or not our earthly fathers loved poorly or loved exceedingly well, our heavenly Father wants us to know that He loves us enough to be beaten, stretched out on cross and nailed to it and die because He loves us so much.
No matter what, we do not have to tremble and ask the question “Do you love me Daddy?” of our heavenly Father. He has already answered that question and we can live securely in His love. He loves us and He always will.
Abba, Father, Daddy,
I pray that all who read this have been, will be and will continue to be rooted and established in not just any love, but Your love. I pray that they will be able to comprehend, to truly understand that they as part of Your family, Your bride, Your people that your love is wider than the east is from the west; that the length of Your love is infinite and cannot be measured; that it reaches from us to You in heaven at a distance unknown to our finite minds and that the depth of Your love for us cannot be understood because it is not of this world, it is divine. For this great love to be felt and grasped, we thankfully pray in the name of the One who loves so well, Jesus!
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Who's Your Daddy?
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus ~ Galatians 3:26 NLT
The world we inhabit has changed. The role of the Father is often not being fulfilled as it should be in so many instances; the family has deteriorated and so has the culture. In America many homes are now headed up by single and sometimes overwhelmed mothers. The family is increasingly without benefit of a father as its spiritual leader. Even when there is a father present, he may be not be a godly influence due to the misconception perpetrated by the culture that he only needs to bring home a paycheck.
The modern father in Western civilization is depicted unfairly as ineffective and inept. He has been so emasculated in our society - his calling as a man, a husband and a father, the way God intended him to be - is going the way of dinosaurs. How sad and inaccurate a message is that for the future of families? In reality, the modern father is often distracted, disconnected, unwilling, unavailable and remote; An equally sad but truthful representation of fathers.
Many who read this grew up without a loving father. Other readers may be the women who raised children in homes where the father was remote and did not fulfill his god-given role to love his children. Others still, who read this may have had to be both mother and father to their children because the father simply wasn't in the picture. The good news is God still reigns!
There are some men who were and are faithful fathers - men who understood what they had been called to do in order for the word of God to be honored. We praise God for men who teach their children about the Lord and make it easy for them to believe in a loving Heavenly Father. There are still wonderful men who have compassion for their children and nurture them in the truth of God's word. Many men still live out the mandates of fatherhood of being slow to anger, abounding in love and of faithfulness to the Lord and to their families. For those men, we have reason to rejoice. They are worthy of honor.
But what about the rest? Who is their daddy? I contend that God Himself stands in the gap.
1 Corinthians 4:15b tells us "For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers....
Where does that leave the rest? Where is the daddy for us? Better - Who is the Daddy for us?
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1-2)
The Heavenly Father adopts us into His family. Hallelujah! What a promise and a provision!
I pray these written words should not be perceived as ones of doom, gloom or man-bashing. The world we live in is a painful one and to ignore the truth of the condition of the modern family is dangerous. So what is the remedy? Where can we look for good news? What balm will soothe our souls? What gives us relief from the painful reality that our fathers and the fathers of our children might not have been all they were called to be?
Regardless of the questions in our lives, the answer will always be Jesus. Always! And let's not forget to be grateful for and extend honor to the many men who loved and continue to love their families well and for those men who stepped in to fill the abdicated spaces.
On this Fathers' Day, to all my siblings in Christ I say: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2 NIV
I hope you are indeed happy on this Father's day knowing you have a faithful Father Who loves You so much that He died for you so you could be with Him for all eternity.
So... now tell me .... Who's Your Daddy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovIaa-lmSeg
The world we inhabit has changed. The role of the Father is often not being fulfilled as it should be in so many instances; the family has deteriorated and so has the culture. In America many homes are now headed up by single and sometimes overwhelmed mothers. The family is increasingly without benefit of a father as its spiritual leader. Even when there is a father present, he may be not be a godly influence due to the misconception perpetrated by the culture that he only needs to bring home a paycheck.
The modern father in Western civilization is depicted unfairly as ineffective and inept. He has been so emasculated in our society - his calling as a man, a husband and a father, the way God intended him to be - is going the way of dinosaurs. How sad and inaccurate a message is that for the future of families? In reality, the modern father is often distracted, disconnected, unwilling, unavailable and remote; An equally sad but truthful representation of fathers.
Many who read this grew up without a loving father. Other readers may be the women who raised children in homes where the father was remote and did not fulfill his god-given role to love his children. Others still, who read this may have had to be both mother and father to their children because the father simply wasn't in the picture. The good news is God still reigns!
There are some men who were and are faithful fathers - men who understood what they had been called to do in order for the word of God to be honored. We praise God for men who teach their children about the Lord and make it easy for them to believe in a loving Heavenly Father. There are still wonderful men who have compassion for their children and nurture them in the truth of God's word. Many men still live out the mandates of fatherhood of being slow to anger, abounding in love and of faithfulness to the Lord and to their families. For those men, we have reason to rejoice. They are worthy of honor.
But what about the rest? Who is their daddy? I contend that God Himself stands in the gap.
1 Corinthians 4:15b tells us "For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers....
Where does that leave the rest? Where is the daddy for us? Better - Who is the Daddy for us?
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1-2)
The Heavenly Father adopts us into His family. Hallelujah! What a promise and a provision!
I pray these written words should not be perceived as ones of doom, gloom or man-bashing. The world we live in is a painful one and to ignore the truth of the condition of the modern family is dangerous. So what is the remedy? Where can we look for good news? What balm will soothe our souls? What gives us relief from the painful reality that our fathers and the fathers of our children might not have been all they were called to be?
Regardless of the questions in our lives, the answer will always be Jesus. Always! And let's not forget to be grateful for and extend honor to the many men who loved and continue to love their families well and for those men who stepped in to fill the abdicated spaces.
On this Fathers' Day, to all my siblings in Christ I say: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2 NIV
I hope you are indeed happy on this Father's day knowing you have a faithful Father Who loves You so much that He died for you so you could be with Him for all eternity.
So... now tell me .... Who's Your Daddy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovIaa-lmSeg
Thursday, June 18, 2015
What about those who are lost?
Do we have the
same sense of urgency for those who are lost and separated from God? Do
we understand that God desires for all to be found?
I remember hearing of a family who went camping in a wilderness area. Their toddler somehow wandered away from the safety and security of her parents and their campground and was never found. She was but 3 years old. What was she thinking when she took those first steps away from safety? When did she know she was lost? Did she experience fear? What were her last moments on earth like? What ended her life? It's frightening to think about is it? A beloved child - safe one minute and in the blink of an eye too far from her parents to be protected and saved. Never to be seen again. No little body to bury. Leaving only a void that will never be filled. An ending known only to God.
The Bible shares examples of things being lost in Luke 15. Verse 1 tells of a single sheep out of a flock of one hundred that wanders away but describes a determined shepherd who does not rest until that precious sheep is found. Verse 8 relates the story of a woman who misplaces but turns her house inside out looking for a lost coin - rejoicing when she has finally found it. Verse 11 beautifully tells the well known story of the Prodigal son who demands his inheritance and trades the love of his father for the cheap imitation to be found in immorality. He chooses licentiousness instead of a righteous life. His father let him go - and grieved for the son, loved him, and was overjoyed when his son came to his senses and returned home.
Sometimes we choose to be lost. Like the Prodigal son made a personal choice to walk away from all the goodness of his home and his family. There are those who deliberately choose Sin and turn their backs on God and His people.
Sometimes we find ourselves lost and far from God because we aren't diligent and become careless. We are so distracted by the things of this world, we wake up one day and wonder what happened; we ask ourselves "How did I end up here?" We may be like that lost sheep who simply wanders away or we may be more like Rehoboam who ended up choosing evil because he did not prepare his heart to diligently seek the Lord. 2 Chronicles 12:14.
Other times, circumstances beyond our control jolt our lives and cause us to stumble. A devastating illness distracts us. A family crisis that comes out of nowhere can derail us. We have been betrayed by others and for a time we are reeling emotionally and can't seem to find ourselves. We are like that coin that was not handled with care - through no fault of our own, we lose our way because the path was disturbed by others and we were detoured without realizing it.
Regardless of the reasons for being lost - God doesn't want us to stay that way. That one lost sheep had a shepherd who was willing to secure the other ninety-nine then go and find that one sheep. Not only did the shepherd seek until he found the lost one, he saved it and rejoiced over it's being found more so than for the ninety-nine who never strayed.
In much the same way, the woman who lost the single coin took no comfort in the nine remaining coins she held securely. She would not rest until she recovered the lost coin and was so overjoyed at finding it, she had to tell all her friends about it.
The pain of the father of the son whose chose to leave him is implied. We know the father had another son and great wealth but he loved the son. He loved him but let him go which must have been excruciating beyond description. Can you imagine the father's heartache when his beloved son demanded his inheritance and rubbed his ingratitude in the father's face by walking away from him? Can you imagine the father's joy when the son came to his senses and came home? The father had been looking for him - no one knows how long the father had waited and hoped to see his son but we know he was waiting and looking and saw the son coming home from a great distance. The son came home to a loving father who had been waiting with arms open wide. The father's focus was not on the wealth he had retained or the son who had been faithful but on that precious prodigal who found his way back.
What kind of lost were you? What kind of lost are you? Look around you. You don't have to look very far to see many who are lost. The Lord wants them to be found.
Do you agonize with the Lord over the many who are like the toddler who wanders away? Are you concerned for people who are like that one lost sheep who unknowingly leave the safety of the flock and the protection of the shepherd? Are we like the woman who has lost that single coin? Do we turn our lives upside down to find someone who has been carelessly treated and has been misplaced? What about that Prodigal who rebelliously chooses to leave all that is good and righteous? Do we become dedicated and vigilant while we hope for their return? Are we like the older brother - resentful if they do return to full fellowship without being penalized for their rebellion?
Remember this: God rejoices when the Lost become the Found. Luke 15:5 says that when a lost sheep is found, the shepherd rejoices and holds them close. When the lost coin is found due to the diligence of the woman, she is overjoyed. Luke 15:10 Jesus says, "In the same way, I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." In Luke 15:32 Jesus tells us to celebrate and rejoice for those who were once dead and lost who have begun to live and have been found.
Lord God, may we share your sense of urgency for the lost. If we can rejoice as ones who were once lost but are now among the found we praise Your Holy Name. May we be diligent in finding the lost and sharing the good news that they have a choice of being found. May we desire to see them reclaimed for Your Glory above all else. May we pray for those who have chosen to leave You - that they will one day return and when they do, please Lord let us welcome them home. In the name of our Shepherd and Savior we pray, Amen!
I remember hearing of a family who went camping in a wilderness area. Their toddler somehow wandered away from the safety and security of her parents and their campground and was never found. She was but 3 years old. What was she thinking when she took those first steps away from safety? When did she know she was lost? Did she experience fear? What were her last moments on earth like? What ended her life? It's frightening to think about is it? A beloved child - safe one minute and in the blink of an eye too far from her parents to be protected and saved. Never to be seen again. No little body to bury. Leaving only a void that will never be filled. An ending known only to God.
The Bible shares examples of things being lost in Luke 15. Verse 1 tells of a single sheep out of a flock of one hundred that wanders away but describes a determined shepherd who does not rest until that precious sheep is found. Verse 8 relates the story of a woman who misplaces but turns her house inside out looking for a lost coin - rejoicing when she has finally found it. Verse 11 beautifully tells the well known story of the Prodigal son who demands his inheritance and trades the love of his father for the cheap imitation to be found in immorality. He chooses licentiousness instead of a righteous life. His father let him go - and grieved for the son, loved him, and was overjoyed when his son came to his senses and returned home.
Sometimes we choose to be lost. Like the Prodigal son made a personal choice to walk away from all the goodness of his home and his family. There are those who deliberately choose Sin and turn their backs on God and His people.
Sometimes we find ourselves lost and far from God because we aren't diligent and become careless. We are so distracted by the things of this world, we wake up one day and wonder what happened; we ask ourselves "How did I end up here?" We may be like that lost sheep who simply wanders away or we may be more like Rehoboam who ended up choosing evil because he did not prepare his heart to diligently seek the Lord. 2 Chronicles 12:14.
Other times, circumstances beyond our control jolt our lives and cause us to stumble. A devastating illness distracts us. A family crisis that comes out of nowhere can derail us. We have been betrayed by others and for a time we are reeling emotionally and can't seem to find ourselves. We are like that coin that was not handled with care - through no fault of our own, we lose our way because the path was disturbed by others and we were detoured without realizing it.
Regardless of the reasons for being lost - God doesn't want us to stay that way. That one lost sheep had a shepherd who was willing to secure the other ninety-nine then go and find that one sheep. Not only did the shepherd seek until he found the lost one, he saved it and rejoiced over it's being found more so than for the ninety-nine who never strayed.
In much the same way, the woman who lost the single coin took no comfort in the nine remaining coins she held securely. She would not rest until she recovered the lost coin and was so overjoyed at finding it, she had to tell all her friends about it.
The pain of the father of the son whose chose to leave him is implied. We know the father had another son and great wealth but he loved the son. He loved him but let him go which must have been excruciating beyond description. Can you imagine the father's heartache when his beloved son demanded his inheritance and rubbed his ingratitude in the father's face by walking away from him? Can you imagine the father's joy when the son came to his senses and came home? The father had been looking for him - no one knows how long the father had waited and hoped to see his son but we know he was waiting and looking and saw the son coming home from a great distance. The son came home to a loving father who had been waiting with arms open wide. The father's focus was not on the wealth he had retained or the son who had been faithful but on that precious prodigal who found his way back.
What kind of lost were you? What kind of lost are you? Look around you. You don't have to look very far to see many who are lost. The Lord wants them to be found.
Do you agonize with the Lord over the many who are like the toddler who wanders away? Are you concerned for people who are like that one lost sheep who unknowingly leave the safety of the flock and the protection of the shepherd? Are we like the woman who has lost that single coin? Do we turn our lives upside down to find someone who has been carelessly treated and has been misplaced? What about that Prodigal who rebelliously chooses to leave all that is good and righteous? Do we become dedicated and vigilant while we hope for their return? Are we like the older brother - resentful if they do return to full fellowship without being penalized for their rebellion?
Remember this: God rejoices when the Lost become the Found. Luke 15:5 says that when a lost sheep is found, the shepherd rejoices and holds them close. When the lost coin is found due to the diligence of the woman, she is overjoyed. Luke 15:10 Jesus says, "In the same way, I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." In Luke 15:32 Jesus tells us to celebrate and rejoice for those who were once dead and lost who have begun to live and have been found.
Lord God, may we share your sense of urgency for the lost. If we can rejoice as ones who were once lost but are now among the found we praise Your Holy Name. May we be diligent in finding the lost and sharing the good news that they have a choice of being found. May we desire to see them reclaimed for Your Glory above all else. May we pray for those who have chosen to leave You - that they will one day return and when they do, please Lord let us welcome them home. In the name of our Shepherd and Savior we pray, Amen!
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
The King is Coming! by: Debbie McGrath
God is in Control - yesterday, today and tomorrow!
As we are living in this godless society, it challenges me as a believer to lead a careful, watchful, Godly live and to evangelize to a hopelessly lost world headed for destruction.
I am not anxious about the days we live in because I know God is in control.
Actually, He is in absolute control of every detail of my life. I do not need to worry about the future because God has it planned - even before I ever opened my eyes on this earth. And He tells me thru Scripture, it is going to be all right. In the scripture, God says when you see these signs lift up your head and rejoice because I (God) am in control.
One day soon, we all will be sitting in heaven with Isaac, Jacob and Abraham.
We will live were the streets will be gold, the walls will be jasper and the gates will be solid pearl. I do believe Heaven is for Real! Can't wait to be there because in heaven we will never say goodbye and we will never see another tear. In heaven there will be no sickness nor disease. I can't wait till the day we cast our crowns at His feet and we lift up our heads and rejoice. I believe the King will come - I believe the King is coming soon. As a believer in Christ, we are all called to get ready - because the King is coming!
As we are living in this godless society, it challenges me as a believer to lead a careful, watchful, Godly live and to evangelize to a hopelessly lost world headed for destruction.
I am not anxious about the days we live in because I know God is in control.
Actually, He is in absolute control of every detail of my life. I do not need to worry about the future because God has it planned - even before I ever opened my eyes on this earth. And He tells me thru Scripture, it is going to be all right. In the scripture, God says when you see these signs lift up your head and rejoice because I (God) am in control.
One day soon, we all will be sitting in heaven with Isaac, Jacob and Abraham.
We will live were the streets will be gold, the walls will be jasper and the gates will be solid pearl. I do believe Heaven is for Real! Can't wait to be there because in heaven we will never say goodbye and we will never see another tear. In heaven there will be no sickness nor disease. I can't wait till the day we cast our crowns at His feet and we lift up our heads and rejoice. I believe the King will come - I believe the King is coming soon. As a believer in Christ, we are all called to get ready - because the King is coming!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Is there a Goliath in your life?
Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:45-47
Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."
Objective:
Everyone has a Goliath or several, seemingly unsurmountable challenges, in their lives. Goliath was a Philistine giant who intimidated and humiliated all of Israel and insulted their God. No one wanted to take him on and their fear of him rendered them ineffective to either defend God's name and honor or to live a normal existence. A man of great faith, a very young man, who had found favor with the God of Israel was the exception. He was empowered by God to deal with Goliath and willingly accepted the role God would have him play. Because David knew God, he had the confidence to speak boldly to Goliath and predict that his God would prevail against him and that all the earth would know about his demise.
Application:
Using the example in this passage of Scripture as our example, wouldn't our Goliaths be cut down to size and be more manageable if we measured them by how big our God is? How differently would we approach our seemingly unsurmountable challenges if our perspective was similar to David's as he confronted his Goliath. Goliath's weapons were nothing compared to what David had - he was prepared to do battle in the name of the Lord of hosts. There are very serious struggles to be faced in this life - to be sure - are any of them too big for God to handle? And when He does handle those struggles for us - do we allow His handiwork to be seen so that all the earth knows that there is a God on the throne? David boldly stepped into the valley of Elah and we should do the same in our own valleys. Goliath was dead before he crashed to the ground from a small smooth stone thrown from the righteous hand of a shepherd boy. How different would our outcomes be if we looked at our own Goliaths and declared they were powerless against our all-powerful God?
Prayer:
Lord I pray that You will give us a fresh perspective on how much bigger You are than any problems we might face. I pray that You will give us a bolder spirit in approaching our challenges so that Your power and glory outshine all fears and that we make You and assured victory the focus. Lord, help us to slay the giants in our lives and live a life of triumphant faith. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who will defeat all enemies. Amen.
Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."
Objective:
Everyone has a Goliath or several, seemingly unsurmountable challenges, in their lives. Goliath was a Philistine giant who intimidated and humiliated all of Israel and insulted their God. No one wanted to take him on and their fear of him rendered them ineffective to either defend God's name and honor or to live a normal existence. A man of great faith, a very young man, who had found favor with the God of Israel was the exception. He was empowered by God to deal with Goliath and willingly accepted the role God would have him play. Because David knew God, he had the confidence to speak boldly to Goliath and predict that his God would prevail against him and that all the earth would know about his demise.
Application:
Using the example in this passage of Scripture as our example, wouldn't our Goliaths be cut down to size and be more manageable if we measured them by how big our God is? How differently would we approach our seemingly unsurmountable challenges if our perspective was similar to David's as he confronted his Goliath. Goliath's weapons were nothing compared to what David had - he was prepared to do battle in the name of the Lord of hosts. There are very serious struggles to be faced in this life - to be sure - are any of them too big for God to handle? And when He does handle those struggles for us - do we allow His handiwork to be seen so that all the earth knows that there is a God on the throne? David boldly stepped into the valley of Elah and we should do the same in our own valleys. Goliath was dead before he crashed to the ground from a small smooth stone thrown from the righteous hand of a shepherd boy. How different would our outcomes be if we looked at our own Goliaths and declared they were powerless against our all-powerful God?
Prayer:
Lord I pray that You will give us a fresh perspective on how much bigger You are than any problems we might face. I pray that You will give us a bolder spirit in approaching our challenges so that Your power and glory outshine all fears and that we make You and assured victory the focus. Lord, help us to slay the giants in our lives and live a life of triumphant faith. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who will defeat all enemies. Amen.
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