Never Give Up

Written by A Prodigal, January 20, 2007.

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But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God?   Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. -Genesis 50:19-20

We end Genesis where we began: God is in control.  And here, right at the end, is the most startling and conclusive evidence of that fact.  Let’s review:

Jacob deceives Isaac and steals his brother’s blessing.  In fear for his life, he flees to his mother’s family where he marries and is blessed with eleven sons, 10 of whom conspire against the eleventh, the impetuous and somewhat insensitive Joseph.  They end up selling him to a group of Midianite traders on their way to Egypt believing they are finally done with his silly dreams.

But somewhere along the way, whether sitting in the well, on the desert trip to Egypt, or maybe on the auction block, Joseph becomes a man.  A man of God.  God’s instrument.

So here, at the end of the story, we see God’s purpose – the salvation of His nation.

Our lesson?  From the very worst the world and Satan throw at us; from the divorces and the bankruptcies;  from the addictions and prison terms; from the layoffs and the insensitivity of bosses and fellow workers; from the isolation from loved ones and seasons of apparent uselessness; what the world means for harm, God can – and will – redeem for our good and His glory.

Our job? Emulate Joseph, patiently endure and never, never, never give up.

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Don’t Be Afraid

Written by A Prodigal January 19, 2007

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Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there.  Genesis 46:3

Don’t be afraid.  God spoke to Jacob, while was on the road moving his whole life to a strange country and away from the land of promise.

As the Psalmist would pray centuries later, God searched Jacob’s heart and knew his anxious thoughts. (Psalms 139:23)  And right in the middle of the night and the anxiety, God spoke those wonderful words: Don’t be afraid.

How many times has He done this for me?  For you?  Moreover, how many times has He tried but found us distracted or disinterested.  He wants to speak His peace to us in the very midst of our storm.

Will we listen?

Will we trust?

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God’s Instrument

Penned by A Prodigal on January 18, 2007, from a prison cell.

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And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.  Genesis 45:5

God’s instrument.  Joy in a far away land.  Joseph was able to see the fulfillment of God’s plan and the reason for all his trouble.  He was blessed in this way.

Not all of us will be able to see and determine why we face the trials and tests that enter our lives.  But we can know, as with Joseph, that God has a plan and a purpose and will use each and every one to fulfill that plan.

There is nothing God can’t do with a surrendered life.

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Prison to Palace

Written by A Prodigal from a prison cell – January 17. 2007.

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So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”Genesis 41:39-40

From the prison to the palace.  God’s faithfulness and perfect timing works in a life committed to Him!

“Two years later….”  I’ve done twenty-four months in prison (more than that actually) but I deserved to be there.  Joseph didn’t!  I can’t imagine his fight to stay faithful to and focused on God in the face of such injustice and through such a lengthy internment.

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Kindness

Written by A Prodigal January 16, 2007, from the prison cell.

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“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness….”
Genesis 39:21a

Even in the darkest days, I’ve always been able to trace God’s hand in the situation, showing His kindness to me.  Joseph was a man of integrity doing what was right even when it was unpopular or met with disapproval from those around him.

And though his integrity landed him in prison, we know that this was all part of the Divine design – a stepping stone to the palace; a proving ground for young Joseph to be taught the lessons he would need later.

May I always be such a man of integrity.  Though my past is marred, my future can be marked by God’s presence and kindness.

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The 11th Son – Part I

This is a familiar story.  It’s the story of Joseph; he of the many-colored coat fame.  It is a story of a young man whose life was turned on its head for the purpose and the glory of God.

 

He was the eleventh son of the father, but the first son of the mother.  The mother was the favorite wife, so the eleventh son took first place in the father’s heart.  All the blessings, all the privileges, all the father’s love and a beautiful robe were given to the son.  And neither the doting father nor the privileged son bothered to keep quiet about it.  Always, flaunting, always dreaming, always in the face of ten brothers.

 

So envy was born in ten hearts, and that envy turned to hate.  That hate birthed a conspiracy.  No doubt you know the story of ambush, beating, slave traders and bloody robes; of a father’s grief, and the brothers’ guilt.  But God had a salvation plan; a rescue mission only God could conceive.

 

Joseph didn’t deserve the treatment his brothers gave.  Maybe he could have been a bit more discreet; could have saved the treasured coat for special occasions; could have pondered his dreams in his heart rather than broadcast them to his brothers.  But even considering all of that, he didn’t deserve to be sold, chained, enslaved, marched through the desert, probably beaten, surely deprived of water and nourishment, and placed on the block for auction.  But by all accounts, even if a bit prideful, he was a good boy, a dutiful son, and a God-fearing man.  So why did this seventeen year old have his life turned upside down in the desert that day?  Hold to that question for a moment.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

“But Laban said to him, “If you will allow me to say so, I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you;”  Genesis 30:27

What goes around, comes around.  A trite little saying that is generally thrown out upon the realization that someone has gotten the best of us.  Whether in a business deal or a realtionship, in our opinion, those who do wrong by us deserve a revisitation of that wrong.  We may very well be either powerless to affect the situation or we simply choose not to resort to retaliation.  But our sense of fair play almost requires that the “comes around” follow the “going”.

And, trite though it may seem, this idea is Scriptural.  The reaping always….always….follows the sowing.  In some form or another, we harvest – sometimes unwillingly or unwittingly – the fruit of our actions.  Examples of this are seen throughout the Bible.

David sowed adultry and reaped heartache.  Solomon planted excess and reaped near insanity and loss of a kingdom.  Joseph’s brothers sowed murder and deception and reaped half a lifetime of guilt and remorse.  Jacob sowed trickery and deception only to reap in kind.

Will God Change His Mind – Part I

It was a terribly hot day, hotter than was normal for the region.  The old man sat in the shade of the great trees that were to be found scattered throughout the area.

His wife was also out of the sun, but was keeping herself busy in the tent.

He couldn’t really say where they came from but he was suddenly aware of the three men standing out in the heat.

“Please, gentlemen, come in out of the heat and allow me to share my provisions with you.”

They had to be hot. 

On The Way

Before he had finished speaking,…
Genesis 24:15

There have been many times in my life when I desperately needed God to work – to solve a problem or resolve a conflict or make provision for my survival – but, being the in the very midst of the situation and often feeling overwhelmed by it, was unable to even know how to pray.

It has been during those times when I have fallen on my face before God and cried out for help.  Being unsure of how any solution could even be possible, my cries have rarely been specific but more akin to the groaning of a soul in need of the wisdom and guidance of a Creator even in terms of how to pray for and about the matter.

How comforting to know that God’s answers are on the way before we even utter our prayers.  In the Scripture, the servant is far from home, on a mission for his master and unsure of where he was going or who he was looking for.  But he trusted that God both knew where he was and that He had the answers to the questions with which he was dealing.  So he stopped.  He prayed.

And before he had even completed the prayer, the answer was walking up in the form of Rebekah.

We frequently feel abandoned and alone – stuck to deal with our circumstances on our own.  But the reality is that God is answering our groans and cries before we even know how to pray or complete the prayers on our lips.

Trust in Him.  He cares for you!

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God Provides

Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”So Abraham called that place “The LORD will provide”
Genesis 22:8, 14a

     A scene in a movie always jumps to mind when I read this great story.  Indiana Jones is standing on the edge of a great and seemingly bottomless chasm.  He needs to cross this span to complete the journey on which he has embarked, but there seems to be no way.  At one point we think he’s going to try to jump it using his own strength – how he does most things in those movies.  But he realizes just how futile that attempt would be.  Ridiculous to think he could cross that distance.  He’d have to be Superman.
     Finally he pauses for a moment and then quietly, if timidly, steps out on faith.  And just at the moment we all think he will plunge to his death, a bridge, hidden until that moment, appears to bear him across the distance.
     At the last minute.
     I can’t imagine the faith it took for Abraham to bind Isaac and lay him on that altar.
     How many times in our lives have we stood on the edge of a precipice, wondering how we would ever cross?  How many times have we contemplated our eternal predicament and fretted over how we would ever satisfy the Holy God with our puny little selves and our flawed and inadequate attempts?
     How many times have I visualized myself in the place of Indy and wondered if my faith would be stout enough to tap into the limitless resources of my Heavenly Father.The bridge is already there.  The provision has already been made.
     Truth produced and performed a song a number of years ago with the hook line of, “Step out and the bridge will appear.”  So true.  God wants – even demands – our faith and trust.  He’s standing there with the bridge in place waiting to see if we trust Him enough to step out when all we can see is the chasm.
     “God, I trust in your faithfulness to change both my attitude and my circumstances.”

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Fulfilled Promises

And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6

God is unpredictable.  His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts light years beyond our feeble capabilities.  So, with that in mind, it should not surprise us – it is the next logical conclusion – when promises He has made to us are not fulfilled in the way we expect them to be. 

But that head knowledge rarely translates into heart acceptance, does it?  And we plan it all out and become discouraged, disheartened and disgruntled when He doesn’t agree with us.

Choosing to believe God – to view Him as the ultimate promise-keeper – in spite of circumstances and failures and setbacks is the essence – the very definition of – faith.  Without faith no man shall see God is more than a promise dealing with eternity.  It is a promise that renews itself each and every morning.  Our faith allows us to see Him move in our lives and in the lives of those around us even when by earthly standards the situation seems hopeless.

By exercising our faith, we allow God to be God in our lives, in all that that entails.  We allow Him to use us to bless others.  We allow Him to use others to bless us.  These things are not possible without faith.  That is not to imply that unless we believe God is handcuffed.  Much to the contrary.  But it does prevent His blessings and provision from being manifest in our lives.  And it hinders the fruition of the amazing plans He has in mind for each of us.

Believe in the Lord.  Have faith in Him.  And watch how He will work.

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Too Hard?

Is anything too wonderful for the LORD?
Genesis 18:14a

The sun rises every morning.  A normal occurrence.  Overlooked.  Ignored. Even dreaded. But through my window it has taken on a new, more meaningful dimension.

Outside my window, across the fence and the cotton field stands a small grove of pine.  And each morning those few trees – sentinels in the otherwise barren field, filter the sun as it cracks open the fresh horizon.  And, as the seasons progress, this grove marks the march of this heavenly body as it paces back and forth across the sky like a sentient being entirely cognizant of its boundaries. 

 

This daily event and seasonal march thought by many to be common is in fact a daily reiteration that God is in control of the universe and that nothing is too difficult for Him.

The Bible is replete with accounts of His wondrous and awesome acts – the birth of children to the elderly and barren or the virgin, the dividing of seas and the vanquishing of giants, the walking on water and the springing open of jail cells – but they are merely anecdotal to those who choose to observe.  He marked off the boundaries of the sun and moon and carved their paths into the cosmos.  He set the stars in place and the earth on its axis.  He set the seasons.  He is in control.  Who can doubt it?  Who can deny that God sits on His throne and directs the movements and experiences of man?

 

So I ask the question the angel asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

No!

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Handling The Blessings Of God

I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. Genesis 12:2

What a promise!  A three-fold promise to the aging man.  A great nation.  Blessings.  Fame.  What a deal.  Where do I sign up?

But before we all pile into the line that is now forming, be sure to notice the requirement at the end of the verse.  How are we to handle the blessings of God?  Are we to hoard them, wallowing in the God-given gifts or are we to pay them forward and use those gifts to bless others?

Well, given those two choices, it’s obvious, isn’t it?

One other thing, though, I want you to realize here.  For those of us past the 40 mark in our lives, it is easy to believe that we are past our prime, over the hill, ready to be put out to pasture, or some other euphemism signing a general uselessness.  Don’t subscribe to that.  That is a whisper – or possibly a shout – from the devil. 

Consider Abram.  At the ripe old age of 75 he started his journey.  At the advanced age of seven score and five, he receives the Word from the Lord that he – Abram – will become a great nation.  At three-quarters of a century, Sarai’s husband is told to expect an heir.

We are never too old to obey God or experience His blessings on our life.  Look for it.  Listen for it.  Expect it.  You’ll know when God’s finished with you.  You’ll be in heaven.

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Confusion

Therefore it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:9
Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there. Genesis 11:31

Is there still any doubt about God being in control? 

If there is, the story of the Tower of Babel should dispose of it.  Man can make his plans, dream his grand dreams and bask in his illusions of grandeur, but at the end of the day, God has the final say.

We start out on many journeys throughout life.  Careers, marriages, missions and purposes.  Yet so many times we fail to persevere and see our dreams realized.  The family of Abram set out for Canaan, but somehow became distracted along the way so “they settled”.  Sadder words were never penned.  How many times have I been in the midst of a good thing only to become distracted?  How many times have I settled for less than my dream or forfeited a goal in exchange for the substandard?  Less than God’s plan.  Less than my potential.  Less!! 

Well, I’m through with less.  I want more.  I want far beyond anything I could ever ask of even think.  I want abundance and fullness and richness of life here and eternity in heaven with Jesus.

Is that asking too much?  I don’t think so.  Neither does God!

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Blood For Life – God’s Covenant

For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life. “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you…”  Genesis 9:5, 9 

We have a covenant-making God – One Who can be trusted. 

At the very beginning of time He initiated the requirement for blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin.   Blood had to be shed to pay sins’ penalty.  When the sin of man became too great for Him to endure, He sent the great flood to obliterate all life on the earth – all but that of the godly Noah and his family.

After the ark was reopened and the voyagers released from their floating home, He made a promise and put a bow in the sky to seal that promise with a visual sign.  Never again would the earth be destroyed by water and He has kept that promise.

When the repetitive offerings required by the law became burdensome and ineffectual, He graciously sent His Son to be the “Once and For All” blood sacrifice to, like the ark of old, save all the people in the world.  And this same Jesus, with a radiance that will pale the most vivid rainbow, will come again from heaven to take us home, once and for all.

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Good or Best?

^“…and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,…”  Genesis 4:4

One brother brought a gift from his excess.  One brought a gift of his best. 

Reminds me of a credit card statement.  These things come in every month and offer a choice.  I can choose to pay the minimum payment and live under the rule of debt or I can sacrifice and give from the deeper pocket and strip that burden from my life.

Through this time I have reaped the benefits of a lifetime of choosing not to deal with the minimums when dealing with God.  Even though I fell away from Him and chose the wrong life path for a while, He has protected and provided even here. 

Give of your best to the Master.  You’ll never be sorry you did for you will surely pass through the deep waters at various stages of life and you will need His protection and provision, regardless of how self-reliant you may feel at the moment.

Deep waters….I’ve been through some pretty impressive floods these past years.  And He has been true to His Word: my troubles have not overwhelmed me.  By and through Him, I will overcome this thing, living under His control, in His plan and because of His forgiveness and gracious forgetfulness.

He didn’t wait with crossed arms and a scowl on His face.  Mercy came running to this prodigal.  The prisoner of sin has been set free!

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God Is In Control

And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.  And God saw that it was good.  Gen. 1:14-15, 18b

In the beginning God was in control.  Complete control.  He set the world on its axis and spun it by willing it to happen.  All creation was under His control and everything still is. 

But the ultimate evidence of the extent and completeness of His control came from His relinquishment of that control to His creation.  He created the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and set in down in the middle of His garden.  And He considered it a good thing. 

And by this act of His will He gave us a choice.  He gave us the ability to embrace and accept Him or to shun and ignore Him. 

As the new year starts and the unmarred days of a fresh year unfurl before us, what choice will we make?  Remember Who is in control.  We may have the choice but the end of the story has already been written.  It was written before the first created thing was spoken into existence.  We already know Who wins. 

So choose wisely.

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