REWARD SYSTEMS

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.  Romans 13:14-15

         Abram deferred to Lot out of sheer grace.  “Of all the land in front of us,” Abram said to Lot, “pick where you’d like to live!”  Lot chose with his eyes and picked Sodom, in the Eastward direction, because it was lush and green.  What happened next is so staggering that I can only gasp at the generosity of my Father.  God immediately spoke to Abram and told him that He would give him all the land in front of him; north, south, west, and east.  Hadn’t Abram just given the east to Lot?  Yet God is telling him that it will eventually be his.

         Why would I ever whine about how hard it is to follow God?  Why does He have such a bad reputation among His children for requiring unreasonable obedience?  Continue reading “Reward Systems” →

WHEN SOMEONE ELSE WANTS YOUR BLESSING!

And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” Genesis 13:5-9

               There is no way to write about Abram’s dealings with Lot without displaying the entire scripture passage which tells the story.  I know it’s longer than usual but would you take the time to read it now so that the rest of this devotional has a context?  It’s critical to spiritual understanding.  Thank you.

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               Abram did what goes against the grain of every human being.  He gave preference to the ones who wanted his blessing.  Abram and Lot were never unified in mission.  There had been friction from the beginning.  Now, conflict between them arises to the surface again.  The land is too small for both of them and all their flocks.  Their herdsman are fighting over pasture land and who should have rights to it.

Abram knows God has promised him the land and the blessing of prosperity.  But, instead of hoarding it and enforcing the blessing, instead of rising up to play God, he defers to Lot.  He lets him be the first to choose what part of the land he would like to make his own.  Abram showed a lack of self-interest.  Why would he be so generous?  Because he believed in the sovereignty and promises of God.  Deferring to Lot would not threaten what God had promised.  Abram didn’t need to fight for what God said was his.  That battle was God’s and Abram rested in future provision.

God has given each of His children a calling and a host of promises to accompany it.  No one can steal it.  God may be invisible but He is not inactive.  I do not need to come apart when it appears that I’m about to be crowded out of the picture.  I can defer, give another what they think they need to feel significant, or what they think they need to prosper, because a sovereign God is still pulling strings and ensuring my future.  I can step aside and be gracious, even to the unrighteous, feeling no need to fight for what God said is already mine.  I can choose to live in the confidence of God’s promises rather than the fear of being without.

From the time we are small, we cry when another takes away our toy.  When it is ripped from our hands, we cry out, “Mine!”  The sense of injustice takes over our emotions.  God’s ways are difficult and it takes the grace of God to choose to react differently in adulthood.  Like Jesus who laid aside glory to become a servant, we can choose to serve our enemies, too.  His future was not threatened even though it looked like it was for a time.  Today, He sits in His rightful place of rule and authority.  The supposed threats are dead and gone and virtually nameless.  So it is if we choose to follow Jesus.  Deferring is not losing.  Deferring is an act of faith and the pathway to the blessing and inheritance that can not be taken away.

When I’m clutching and hoarding, speak to my fearful heart.  Amen

 

WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER HUMILIATION?

And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4   to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.  Genesis 13:3-4

         What do you do after you’ve been humiliated?  After you’ve fallen from grace?  Perhaps you’ve wronged someone deeply and the thought of facing them again is too painful.  Instead, you go into seclusion and avoid them.

         Uncertainty plagues anyone about to give an apology.  History proves that not all are forgiving.  The propensity to hide is well founded as past apologies haven’t gone well.  Some people never let you make things right and forever hold your sins over your head.  Even if you’ve made restitution, they’ll be quick to remind you who you were twenty-five years ago.  This is emotional cruelty.

         It’s difficult to separate God from this mix of fallen humanity.  Does God forgive every time, even after repeated failures?  Yes.  Does God get weary of sincere apologies?  No.  Does He get as excited to see me return to Bethel and call upon the name of the LORD as He did the first time I built an altar?  Absolutely.  No matter how many times people have failed me, God’s loving-kindness remains is never in question.  In spite of how hard I try, I cannot fathom the love my Father has for me.  I must embrace scriptures about His love and ask Him to write them on my heart.

         After Abram’s disgrace in Egypt with the Pharaoh, he doesn’t decide to throw in the towel.  He travels back to Bethel, the place where he met God the first time and built an altar.  This is the site of his spiritual homecoming and he is quick, upon arriving there, to call upon the name of the LORD.  There is no record of shyness.

         I must separate the actions of people from the actions and character of God.  I must if my faith is to survive.  People’s love is imperfect.  I have many scars to prove it.   I still have a scared heart where certain people are concerned.  I know they are judgmental and immovable, even certain Christians, unfortunately.  But God is not like that.  No matter where I’ve gone, no matter what I’ve done, no matter how long I’ve been gone, I can always go back to Bethel.

On the other side of repentance, You will never keep reminding me of my sins.  I can live in the joy of forgiveness.  No one loves like You.  Amen

WHAT MAKES THE NEWS?

But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?  Genesis 12:17-18

         When I act in a way that is different than my reputation, I become a topic of conversation.  If a gracious friend turns on me one day with venom, I will say, “I can’t believe it.  I’ve never seen her act like this!”  If a man leaves his wife after thirty-five years of marriage, a marriage others perceived as solid, people around them will be shocked.  “He would be the last man I would ever believe could abandon his family.” This is the stuff that makes headlines; when people act out what is opposite of their reputation.

         So when Abram, famous throughout our Christian history for his faith, distrusts God and lies to a king in order to save his family, we can’t believe it.  “Abram did that,” we ask? 

         In most cases, the places where I sin are not surprising to me.  I know my weaknesses.  I have a history of struggle in these areas.  Those who know me well also know the chinks in my armor and pray for me.  What can take me by surprise though – is a fall in an area I think I’m immune.  I don’t see the temptation coming, perfectly customized by an enemy who knows how he has to present it in order to appeal to me.  He crafts it, shapes it, times it, and when it appears on my radar, the sin feels like it was made for me in every way.  It feels so natural to partake that I can’t imagine not doing it.

         On Abram’s great journey of faith from Ur to the Promised Land, he was momentarily unfaithful.  He will be tested again.  He will fail over this same issue a second time but he will, by God’s grace, succeed later in one of faith’s greatest tests.  Though he couldn’t know it at the time, he will go down in history as the one who modeled faith in such a way that God credited him with being righteous.

         Is it important to remember that I am not above any sin?  Oh, yes.  But what is also important is to know the nature of a forgiving God.  He is still ‘for me’ while I’m sinning.  He is still in covenant with me.  He can still restore and redeem what I’ve broken.  The lessons I’m learning today through failure are providing an arsenal of wisdom and strength for the future.

I remember my sin and I shrink in humility.  I remember Your forgiveness and can’t portray you well enough in all Your glory.  I’m trying though, Lord.  Amen

SPEAKING TO A KING

I will speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame.  Psalm 119:46

Here’s yet another message about the mouth, about speaking truth in difficult situations.  Many leaders have been in a position where they’ve been forced to listen to God’s wisdom from a person of lowly means.  In most instances, the messenger was despised.  But not always.

Am I willing to be the messenger, knowing the odds?  How can I be sure of success, of gracious receptivity?  I can’t.  Only God knows who will listen.  Yet, I must realize that any benefit of speaking God’s words will not just be for the intended audience.  It will benefit me as well.  When my words are stuck in my throat, they can be released through  frequent practice into a speech a statesman makes for the kingdom.  It transforms me from one who trembles and retreats into one who trembles but advances.

Who is my king, my potentate, who enjoys the power I’ve abdicated to him to shut my mouth?  It doesn’t have to be a president.  It can be whoever is in a position of power over my life; Continue reading “Speaking to a King” →

HOW A TRUTH IS REVEALED 

Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”   So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.  John 8:58-59 

If the intensity of a conversation could be graphed, this announcement from Jesus would be at the peak.  Tempers flared as the Pharisees heard His proclamation of deity.  Jesus was not calling Himself a mere prophet, or even just the Messiah, but God Himself.

This truth was not revealed at the beginning of this scene.  There were other conversations.  Jesus was intuitive and knew how to engage them to build toward this certain key point.  When He reached the climax and stated that He was God, unfortunately there was disbelief instead of saving faith. Continue reading “How a Truth is Revealed” →

FIXING IT MYSELF OR TRUSTING GOD

When he [Abram] was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you.  Genesis 12:11-13

         Abram makes a surprising choice, really.  He believes he’s got to fix things himself.  It was common for the powerful to seize and plunder another’s wife and belongings.  Surely an Egyptian king would take beautiful Sarai for his own.  To protect her, Abram sees deceit as the only answer.

         Why wouldn’t he count on God to change the king’s heart?  He had already made giant steps of faith to trust God with bigger things.  He had stepped away from everything familiar and comfortable to a life that could only be revealed by someone more powerful than himself.  On something this petty, by comparison, he will take control?

         While it may seem ludicrous when it’s about Abram, it’s not when it’s about me.  If I have a history of ‘making things work’ to go my way, I won’t even think of trusting God with something so small.  I’ll force things, make a mess emotionally, and then when relationships unravel and the stakes are high, I’ll turn to crisis prayers.

         There may be a situation today where I say, “Something has got to be done now!  I can’t let this go!”  It will probably be similar to other things in the past that I’ve stepped in to control.  But there will be a new choice available to me.  Instead of forcing people to comply, I can turn to God in prayer and wait for him to change another’s heart.  The first option brings stress.  The second option gives me wings.

         After Abram took matters into his own hands, things fell apart.  When it escalated to a life and death situation, then God moved.  How much suffering would have been avoided if trusting God had been his initial response.

You see my anxiety, Lord.  I want to do something rash to bring deliverance.  But I’m stopping.  I’m trusting You to and weave a plan that will bring wings to me and glory to You.  Amen

WHERE IS THE FREEDOM HE PROMISED?

Jesus said to the Jews who had believed on him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”  John 8:31

Abiding in the Word is not to learn a body of biblical knowledge.  There are many who fancy the stories of the Bible, are taken with the semantics and nuances of advanced biblical doctrines, yet they are not free at all.  Their personal lives remain unchanged.  Their family relationships are strained and impersonal.  Their inner world is fraught with deception and they are oblivious to it.  They are self-impressed and blind to their lack of spiritual power.  Because they are interested in spiritual things, they can not see their emptiness.  But just ask their spouses or their children.  They will tell you that they ache to experience Jesus in this person even though there is a lot of Jesus-talk.

Abiding in the Word is to live in Jesus, thrill to hear Him personalize His Word to my own life, and once spoken, to live in a new truth.  Freedom comes when I apply what I learned from sitting at His feet.  Here is the process of interacting with the WORD.

• I ask for Him to open my heart to His Word, to touch my ears, eyes, and understanding.
• I hear the Word and begin to meditate on it.
• I ask the Holy Spirit to personalize it to my current way of thinking, feeling, and living.
• Most often, I am put in conflict.  His Word challenges me and falls like a sword to my private inner thoughts.
• To settle the conflict, I abandon my way and embrace His way.
• I get up and apply His new way and only when I do that, does it become mine.
• Freedom is on the other side of application.

It is only as I make these steps a daily way of life that I will know freedom.  Many of God’s children believe that freedom comes simply by osmosis.  They are disenchanted with their lives and privately wonder why the claims of Christ haven’t brought them the freedom it promises.  They would argue that they occasionally read the Word, that they hearing rousing sermons on Sunday, that they ‘believe’ Jesus.  But there is no knowledge of what it really means to abide in the Word.  Freedom from our pasts, our guilt, our habits and addictions, our tortuous inner thoughts, will be elusive as long there is not consistent meditation and application.  Knowing a lot about Jesus just creates a divided kingdom between the head and the heart.  The head is puffed up and the heart is desperately wicked.

The Pharisees knew a lot but missed Jesus.  Their life-long spiritual education blinded them to a personal need of a Savior.

I wait for Your Word for today.  Search me, prove me, challenge me, and then give me the grace to apply Your personal message.  Amen

HEALING FROM HURTFUL WORDS
 
For thus saith the Lord, “Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.”
Jeremiah 31:12

Truth and love are always paired in the context of the Gospel and that is the reason we are asked to speak to others in this way. It is because God speaks that way.  The only cure for the deep pain of others’ words is to allow God to speak the truth – and in the context of love and tenderness.  I must be willing to disown the hurtful words and no longer have them define me in any way. These injurious words should be dealt with severely at the cross, in prayer.

What do I do with the hurtful attitude of the one who originally spoke it?  I ask God to remove the injury of their heart’s intent.  If their comment came with anger or revenge, Jesus will deal with the spirit that came with the words and cleanse me from all their effects.

“Lord, nullify the effects of these comments under the power of Your shed blood. Take these words from my mind and my heart.  Remove the arrows that wounded my soul so deeply.   Make it as though the words had never been spoken.  I forgive the person who spoke them and give up my right to take revenge.  I put this person in Your hands for You to rule righteously.  Arise on my behalf.  Hear my prayer.  Hold me, breathe over me, kiss my heart with Your living Word and may I live in abundant life.  Because of Jesus, I pray…Amen
 
Lord, I stand today on Your promise.  “The Sun of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings.”  Malachi 4:2

FAMINE COMES TO YOUR PROMISED LAND

And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.  Genesis 12:9-10

         Abram finally arrives in Canaan.  He is anxious to make it ‘home’ for his people but it turns out they can’t settle there yet because there is severe famine. Talk about disappointment!  But there is no indication that Abram was confused and that famine shook up his faith. His faith sustained him when, at that moment, God’s character could easily have been questioned.

           Famine will drive Abram and his family to Egypt and his faith will be tested there.  Circumstances will present the ‘perfect storm’.  The one who has not wavered yet from an almost perfect obedience to God will falter.  Is this the reason God sent the famine?  Is it important for Abram to face a time of spiritual testing?

         I believe the answer is yes.  God is all about growing me up to a mature kind of faith, the kind Jesus had.  How does faith grow?  By testing what I know in the hard experiences of life.  I can say I trust God but to what extent is that true?  Under what circumstances will my trust erode?  I can easily tell others that God is a faithful Father but will I believe that when God leads me right into the center of a famine?  What would it take for me to malign God’s character?

         My first response to a famine in Canaan can be to second-guess the decision I made to obey God and move there.  That conclusion is spiritually immature.  God can, and has, made promises to His chosen servants that were accompanied by adversity.  He promised favor but led them to pitch their tent with enemies.  He spoke of blessing but led them to the place where giants ruled.  God spoke of a promised land but then afflicted it with famine.  What kind of God is this?

         Up to this point, Abram has been nearly perfect and someone hard to identify with.  That is about to change.  Our patriarchs were great men of faith but they were also human.  The scriptures don’t white wash their sins nor do they hide them.  The lives of our forefathers were as messy as ours and yet we get to see God bless, correct, forgive, and then restore, time after time.  It is a Father/child relationship after all.

         If I have heard God’s call, followed at great personal cost, and found myself in times of hardship, I know to hold on.  This is not the end of the story.  God is in the process of transforming my faith while still being good to His promise.

And I should know better than to expect perfection in Canaan.  Canaan is not heaven, after all.   Help me adjust my expectations, rise above blaming, and call You good.  Amen