Category: Daily Devotionals

WHAT GOD CONSIDERS TREACHEROUS

And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. Genesis 24:34

         Dinah has been raped by the son of the king of Shechem. Her brothers, the sons of Jacob, are bent on revenge. Their plan is to somehow compromise the physical strength of the viral men of Shechem so that they will have opportunity to do them harm without risking their own lives. The plot? To feign a treaty, to suggest that all the men of Shechem be circumcised, leading them to believe that both tribes will share the sacred rite of brotherhood. Commercially, both will benefit. Circumcision, the sign of the covenant between Jewish people and their God, was used as a weapon of treachery.

         To understand how serious this is, think of it this way. You invite a certain person to share communion with you on Sunday and after the service, you take advantage of his proximity to kill him. Shocking to think of it this way.

         There are lesser acts of treachery too; praying with someone to learn their secrets, buttering up the pastor for personal gain, marrying someone for money, and making a promise with your fingers crossed behind your back.

         Simeon and Levi were the two sons of Jacob that masterminded this scheme. Later, when Jacob gave his final blessing to his sons, each was given land as an inheritance. All except Simeon and Levi. Jacob could not forget what was in the heart of his sons. Rightly so – for these two brothers went on to plot unthinkable things against their own brother, Joseph. They seized him, considered murdering him, but instead, sold him into slavery. They dipped his clothes in the blood of an animal and proceeded to massacre the heart of their father by saying that a wild beast had killed him.

         When I perpetrate or even take part in deceitful acts, even small ones, they corrupt my heart. My response to wrongdoing is deadened. The next time around, it will be easier to sin. I will not be in touch with the regression either. Not until it’s too late.

         What is being done in the name of Jesus that God would consider treacherous? Where, in the name of God, am I manipulating others and justifying it?

Don’t let me read the stories in scripture, be shocked by their evil, and fail to see my own sin. Let the stories in Your Word be my teacher, Lord. Amen

SPIRIT-POSSESSION

And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.  Genesis 17:9

         I woke up very early this morning praying for each family member, that in each part of this day, their trust and faith in God would not fail.  I prayed that their hearts would be ruled by peace, not anxiety.  I asked for His Spirit to rise up strong in each of them, giving them direction, stability, and endurance.  One might ask if anything is particularly wrong – that this mother would wake up early and pray like this.  The answer is no.  Not really.  Yet, there are spiritual challenges just because life here is imperfect and every day brings spiritual struggles.

         In every part of Abraham’s blessing, his offspring was mentioned and included.  So it is with God’s promises to every child of the kingdom.  What good is it if I trust Christ and keep my faith to myself?  I must do all I can to love Jesus well while loving my family.  The decisions I make today have an outcome yet to be seen.  Every important decision reaps results within my family a hundred years from now.

         As God spoke to Abraham about the covenant He was making with him, Abraham fell on his face.  It was more favor than he could take in.  The love of God is like that.  It comes with promises that sound too good to be true.  Humility and awe are expressed on our knees.  And here’s the thing ~ He doesn’t lay the burden of the future of our family on us without promising the resources to help us get there.  The treasury of heaven is at our disposal and the Spirit of the very God who makes the promises lives inside of us.  When our hearts and bodies fail, we can rely on Spirit-possession to take over.   Who else that we serve today will be so kind!

         In the next 24 hours, I will be required to do a dozen things.  Those who ask, though they love me, will not empower me to do the job.  I will have to harness the internal resources to rise to the task.  Some think the same is true of God.  Every command in scripture causes them to strive.  Many then resent Him for being unreasonable.  Oh, for a paradigm correction.  What God requires, He enables on eagle’s wings.  Nothing is too hard when the wind of God’s Spirit propels our family forward – singing all the way.

Yes, I’m in covenant with You.  Yes, I pray for my offspring.  But You carry them on this day as I lift them to You.  No one is too heavy for me for they are not in my arms, but Yours.  Amen

BUT HE LOVES HER!

But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. Genesis 34:8

            How many times has sin been excused because of a love professed? Affairs are condoned because someone cried, “But I found my true soul mate.” A couple whom should never marry do so anyway because they insist that they love each other. Proclamations of love seem to provide valid excuses for most anything.

            For Hamor, the king of Shechem, the matter is pretty uncomplicated. His son loves Dinah, got carried away and raped her, and now wants to marry her to make it right. What is the problem? The mindset of the ungodly is simplistic. They follow their passions.

            For Jacob and his family, the matter is much more complicated. God wants a pure bloodline for the coming Messiah. He’s told them not to intermarry. To act honorably, Jacob’s family should honor the promise that they made to God and turn down the marriage offer. Instead, revenge will color their judgment and they will disgrace the sacred rite of circumcision.

            Is there a sin in my life that I excuse because doing it makes me feel happy? Or it brings needed funds? Or it brings me peace? Or helps me cope?   To honor my marriage vows to God, I will enter seasons of discomfort. I must ask for the grace to live through them. God promises grace, after all. I’m never allowed to take a vacation from God’s ways just because things got hard and doing something else makes me feel better. When the only way of escape is contrary to God’s way, I can be sure that God will make another way.

How well I remember my bad choices because I felt ‘I couldn’t take it anymore.’ Thank you for the suffering that increased my spiritual stamina. Give me the grace to never take sinful detours again. Amen

Question: Have you ever taken the easy way out because you followed your heart? Perhaps your relationship with God has been distant ever since. Go back to where you lost your intimacy and make things right today.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY TOO FAR

And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. Genesis 34:2

            How much responsibility did Dinah assume for the rape she suffered? Probably a lot. Maybe she embraced all of it. After all, if she hadn’t given in to her curiosity to explore Shechem, she wouldn’t have been there to be preyed upon. It was probably hard to separate her part – and the predator’s part. She may have been in the wrong place but she didn’t go there to engage in sexual behavior. The idea of a violent rape was the man’s idea, not hers. In eternal realms, God held him responsible for it.

            It is human nature to go to extremes when dealing with responsibility. Either I’m not willing to assume any, believing that everyone else is to blame, or I take every ounce of the blame.

            I’m 60 years old. I’ve made a lot of alliances over the course of my life. Some friendships have been seasonal and significant to my spiritual journey. Some others, I wish I’d never made. I was naïve and didn’t see the true nature of the one I let close. In one case, the damage done by the ‘friend’ was severe. I spent years assuming all responsibility for the fallout. I reasoned, “It’s my fault for making friends with this person.” I couldn’t see that my naiveté and their inappropriate behavior were two separate things.

            Maybe you’re in a business relationship gone bad. Maybe you married someone you regret. Maybe you chose to go somewhere once and had no idea that something awful would happen as a result. The only thing worse than grieving the loss is to punish yourself for what is not your fault. The guilt for other people’s sinful behavior lies with them. They conceived it. They committed it.

            What complicates this is what happens when others who love us hear what we suffered. Consider what went down when Dinah told her family about the rape. I can hear her father rage. “How could you have gone outside the camp to bring this on yourself!” This is often where misplaced responsibility is born. People in grief don’t think clearly and often speak things they regret. They play the ‘only if’ card.

            What can I do today if I am partly responsible for something bad going happening? How can I come to understand the truth about true guilt and over-responsibility? From personal experience, I would advise two things. 1.) Ask God to show you a safe person to tell your story to, someone who will listen like Jesus listens. 2.) Seek God in prayer, study, and meditation about your story. Ask Him to reveal your story ‘to you’ the way that He would tell it. I have found that my version of my own story and His version are two entirely different narrations.

            As long as I assume responsibility that isn’t mine, there is no healing. Letting go of false guilt opens the door of hope.

You promised that Your sheep would hear Your voice. Speak today, Lord. Be the counselor that each one of us needs. Amen

Question: If you’ve been wronged, are you the one who has beaten yourself until there’s hardly a person left? Would you entertain the thought that you’ve assumed responsibility that may not be yours? Start with this. Imagine another person coming to you with a story identical to yours. What feedback would you give them about who is to blame?

Do you live in fear of embarrassment and humiliation?

Do you struggle to find enough comfort to feel better?

Do you hide your pain because there’s no one to turn to?

 

Listen to Christine’s interview where she shares ten orphan ways of living.  She knows.  She wrote them.  She lived them all.

https://soundcloud.com/cwyrtzen/are-you-a-spiritual-orphan

HOW BOLD ARE YOU?

And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem and from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. Genesis 33:18-20

         Imagine moving to India, and just outside a major city, you erect a monument with the inscription, ‘The Mighty God Of Israel.’ As you do it, you know that everyone around you is a Hindu. Your proclaimed affiliation with any God other than Hindu gods marks you as different. In today’s world, that invites retaliation, even death.

         Jacob’s boldness is a challenge to every modern-day Christian. Timidity will not serve God well in these days when opposition is growing. While many have enjoyed walking in neutrality, never revealing their beliefs for fear of not fitting in, the time is here when we are being forced to choose publically whom we will serve.

         In Mosul, Iraq – this Saturday at noon – every Christian is facing a deadline imposed by ISIS. They have three choices. Pay the Jazeera tax and convert to Islam, renounce their belief in God, or die by beheading. This ultimatum was given less than 10 days ago and as I’ve been praying for our brothers and sisters, and their children, I’ve been envisioning what is transpiring behind closed doors. Parents are preparing their children for the end. They are comforting them with the promise that they will see Jesus in a few short days but also getting them ready for the short burst of horrific persecution.

         It is prudent for us to put ourselves in their place. By doing so, our heart is stirred to pray with an intensity born of identification and empathy. It also enables us to role-play for what may be coming our way. Are we bold enough to display our altars to the God of Israel in the midst of Shechem?

How long, Lord, before You come and reign? How long will the blood of martyrs spill on our streets? For Your honor and glory, may only Your sovereign plans for Your people prevail. Amen

WHOSE FACE DO YOU DREAD SEEING?

Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”         Jacob said, “I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Genesis 33:8-10

         The last time Jacob saw Esau, he feared his murderous rage. He threatened to kill Jacob for stealing his inheritance. Now, years later, it is clear that Esau moved on and relinquished his need for revenge. He accumulated a degree of wealth and saw prosperity as God’s favor. Only a shalom with God could prompt him to say, “I have enough favor. Keep what you have, my brother.” This moved Jacob so deeply that he called Esau’s face – the face of God.

         This wasn’t just poetry. The night before this meeting, Jacob had actually seen the face of God in his all-night wrestling match. When it had ended, Jacob named the place ‘Peniel’ which means ‘I saw God’s face and lived.’ What did Jacob wrestle with God about? Considering the timing, it was probably over Esau. Jacob was afraid of his brother, suffered from regret and shame, and needed peace in his soul. Before he could find peace with Esau, he needed peace with God.

         From whom are you estranged today? When it’s someone in the family, the fracture wears on you and takes years off your life.  You relive strained conversations over and over again. Regret hangs over the relationship like a dark cloud. The dread of seeing this person keeps you imprisoned in a place of fear. They don’t move toward you because of anger. You don’t move toward them because you’re afraid. What ends the stalemate? Seeing the face of God.

         “The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?” Ps.27:1 How can I move from a cold recitation of this bible verse to real peace and strength? A wrestling match with God. I must take all my regrets, my sins, my failures (and all the self-talk that comes with them), and relinquish them in the presence of God. I’ve had many wrestling matches in my life with Him. Some lasted days, others spanned years. God wanted to forgive. I couldn’t accept it. God wanted to love me. I objected because of my unworthiness. God wanted me to face a painful place by physically going there. I feared that would cause me to regress rather than heal. I have many spiritual monuments in my journey that are marked, “I have seen the face of God and lived.”

         Whose face do you dread seeing? What reunion have you been putting off? Seek God first and the strength of His peace will be the spiritual fuel you need to make a phone call or go and knock on the door of the one who despises you. Shalom awaits.

My relationship with you has been messy, Lord. You have been faithful to lead me through my own objections and unbelief.   Your face is beyond words. Amen

Journal Question: Who is it that you have dreaded seeing? Write down all your objections and take each one to God today.

SHOWING OFF YOUR ‘STUFF’

And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” GENESIS 33:5

         How humble Jacob was as he introduced his family to Esau. The unspoken message was this ~ “God has been very gracious to me even though I sinned greatly against you.” You might ask, “How could he feel differently? Look at what he did!” True. But entitled people overlook their own sin and expect to be blessed anyway. Many years earlier, Jacob had felt entitled to Esau’s blessing so it would have been natural for him to have an attitude when introducing his family.

         Humility is becoming. How do I view everything I enjoy today? Just because I’ve always had it doesn’t mean I always will. God does not owe me. Every good thing comes from above from a gracious God who gives me, not what I deserve, but what I don’t deserve. Every breath is a gift. My salvation is a gift. Momentary grace to live in the difficulties of these times is a gift.

         Spiritual arrogance is unbecoming. Perhaps you’ve witnessed it in others. They talk about themselves and their family incessantly. They brag on each member and are quick to tell you everything they did right in raising them. (Spiritual formulas abound on child rearing.) All of this unfolds as you are held hostage. There are few questions about your life – only story after story about theirs. When the topic finally turns to you and your family, there is the feeling that you are under inspection to see if you measure up. If everything isn’t perfect, you’ve clearly done something wrong and you feel their displeasure. There is no compassion for struggle of any kind.

         How much do you enjoy their company? How would the reunion between Jacob and Esau have gone if Jacob had approached confidently and said, “This is my extensive family. Isn’t it impressive? I told you I was the one who should have the blessing and obviously God agreed! Look at what I own.”

         I know many who have been faithful yet struggle. Their pain can become a wedge in their relationship with God. After their faithful service to God, shouldn’t he bless them with health? After raising their children in church, shouldn’t their kids love Jesus? Disillusionment with a God who is perceived as stingy plagues them. Bad theology was a set up for this disaster.

         How do I show off my ‘stuff’ today? After all, I may have it all today and none of it tomorrow. Either way, God has been gracious toward me and given me way more than I deserve.

Help me see every single thing I enjoy as a gift from you. You are Grace. Amen

OVER WHAT AM I UPSET?

He [Jacob] himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. Genesis 33:3

         When I’ve wronged someone, I can have many reactions. Picking one, I can obsess over the wrong thing. Am I upset about what I did? Am I upset because the other person is angry? Am I upset because the consequences seem out of line with the offense?

         I see the miracle of Jacob bowing down to Esau after all that has transpired between them. They were never close, not even as children. Yet now, Jacob treats him as one treats a royal in Near Eastern culture. In court protocol, one bows seven times, refers to himself as a servant, calls the royal ‘lord’, and brings gifts of homage. Jacob did all these things.

         When I’ve wronged someone, it is easy to be more upset about their response than my own sin. Not knowing what to do with their anger, I am tempted to hide. Jacob didn’t have the luxury. God told him to return to Canaan and to obey, he had to pass through Esau’s territory. There was no escaping the reunion. What is astounding though is that when Jacob sees Esau, he doesn’t defend himself in any way nor does he blame Esau for the seething anger he felt.

         When God is the One I’ve offended, I can have complicated reactions. Instead of remorse, I can be angry that God is displeased. I can condemn his law and call it unreasonable. Who am I to judge the One who is righteous? Am I arrogant enough to think He’s making a mountain out of a molehill? Do I dare say to a holy God, “What’s the big deal? I was just doing __________!”   Even if I don’t say it, do I feel this way?

         There is one more complicated reaction. I can be angry because God’s forgiveness is so radical. While it would seem this is good news, if I despise myself, I will be angry when God wants to forgive yet I want to punish myself and make myself pay over the course of a lifetime.

         It will do me well to remember court protocol when I’ve sinned. I come before the throne in prayer and bow low. I call Him, “Lord”, and refer to myself as His servant. I bring Him the gifts of my heart and my service.

         If God is at a distance because of sin, over what are you upset today? It would be good to isolate the reason because anything other than remorse puts your relationship in cobwebs. Satan is always nearby to weave the strands and encourage estrangement.

Your reactions to me are always holy. I am always Your servant. Amen

Journal Question: Are you experiencing distance with God because of a certain issue? Ask God to help you sort out the cobwebs of your heart. Find out where you are in the wrong and make things right. You’ll be glad you did.

I HAD MY LAST BAD DAY

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.  I Peter 1:8

         The quote, “You just had your last bad day!” is still getting a lot of attention. You remember it from a previous devotional?  I told the story of Mollie, our newly adopted golden retriever.  I shared how we rescued her from a shelter not long ago.  Just after Ron and I picked her up, I caressed her face and whispered to her, “You just had your last bad day!”

         This morning I woke up thinking about why this is touching so many.  I believe it’s because it is a fairy tale story.  Each one of us longs to experience what it’s like to be the object of such a beautiful rescue effort.  Continue reading “I Had My Last Bad Day” →