Genesis 30 Which Path Are You On?

 

There is so much turmoil recorded over the rivalry between Rachel and Leah.  It is similar to the passage in 1 Samuel chapter 1 between Hannah and Peninnah.  Let’s look at the comparision:

Rachel:

Took her sorrow to Jacob                               

Made a proposition to Jacob (take Bilhah)     

Circumstance made Jacob more distant          

Husband’s angry response led to deeper sin    

Her response to barrenness resulted in sin      

Jealous of sister who had children                  

Barrenness brought her to sin more                 

God blessed the one she envied with six sons and one daughter

Rachel’s envious heart and influence were passed on to other children (Gen. 37:11)

Took matters into her own hands

 

                                                           

Hannah:

Took her sorrow to God

Made a promise to God

Circumstance made Elkanah closer, renewed his love

Husband’s godly response led her to God

Her response allowed God to work in her

Jealous (Peninnah) of Hannah who had Elkanah’s love

Barrnenness brought her to God

God blessed Hannah who was envied with four sons and two daughters                 

Hannah’s godly heart and influence were passed on to Samuel

Took matters to God’s hands

 

Both of these women were barren and completely overwhelmed with the “pain” of it.  They took two very opposite paths in dealing with it.  What “pain” are you facing today?  Will you choose a Rachel path or a Hannah path?  Dear one, take that sorrow to God; let it draw you closer to Him and renew an even deeper love.  Let God use it to work in your heart and teach you astounding and life changing lessons. Let that pain bring you to Him.  God will bless and reward your obedient heart.  This life message that He is preparing in you will deeply touch the lives of those around you.  Take that step today, right now, to put the matter into His hands. 

 

I vividly remember lying in a hospital bed, going through a miscarriage with our first child.  I was twenty- nine and desperately wanted a baby.  Like it was yesterday, I remember in the midst of my pain, that I surrendered to Him.  I recalled His Word and the saints in my life who had taught me about this surrender.  It was a sweet inner peace. Yes, my heart still hurt and I shed many tears but God began to use that experience to minister to many others that crossed my path who also lost their children.  I t was a life message that He implanted firmly in my heart.

Genesis 29 The Right Place at the Right Time

 

 

After God’s meeting with Jacob (Chapter 28) and his heart was revived, he went on in faith, believing that God would lead him.  God was faithful and blessed that faith.  We must put “feet” to our prayers.  Life will not always be a mountain top experience (like Jacob’s dream in Ch. 28). It’s one thing to study His Word and commune with Him.  The real test of faith and obedience comes when we get off our knees and begin to “walk” that truth that we learned.

 

1. Way – God will show us the right way just as he did for Jacob

Revival – His guidance comes clearly to a revived heart.  Jacob’s heart was revived on the  mountain (Ch. 28).

1. Where – He will lead us specifically to the exact place (vs. 2, the well).

Restoration – It is a place where He gives us spiritual nourishment.

1. When – The right timing (vs. 6)

Reward – Waiting on His will brings about reward.

1. Work -  Willing hands to provide for another (Vs. 10)

Revitalize those around us.  Bring them the water from the “well” that never runs dry, His  salvation, His love.   

1. Weeping -  Our obedience will bring tears of joy, and the deepest satisfaction.

Rejoicing – A heart full of rejoicing and peace is the result of obedience.

Genesis 28 Blessed, Instructed and Sent Out

Vs. 1-5  Isaac blesses, instructs and sends Jacob out to find a wife in another land.

We, like Jacob are blessed, instructed and sent out but God:

1.  We are blessed: with salvation through the death of Jesus; with family; with material possessions; with health; and with His Word.

 

2.  We are instructed: through His Word, our daily source of strength; by the Holy Spirit, guiding, teaching and leading us into obedience.

 

3.  We are sent out:  daily  by God from the classroom of our own private “prayer closet”, to  live out the lessons He teaches us; sent out to forget out past confessed and forgiven sins and failures and rejoice and glory in what He has ahead for us. 

We are sent out to:  our spouse and our children.  Many times our mission field is not even outside the doors of our home, but just on the other side of our “prayer closet” door.  They are our greatest mission field.  Oh that they may see Jesus only.  Are we a picture of Christ to them?  Even in our discipline of our children do they sense true love, calmness and gentleness? Do they see us serving and showing kindness to their Daddy? Do they see our sensitive heart, quick to ask forgiveness and admit our wrong in a heart of humility?  We are sent out to our neighbors, bosses, and coworkers, the saints in the church, homeless, widows, friends, the sick and shut-ins.  The list is endless.  Everyone can and should have a mission field.  There is never any reason in the world to feel useless and unneeded by God or others.  Most people are miserable because they are lonely, bored and feel unneeded and useless. The entertainment of the world brings so very little lasting joy.  Ask God where He wants you to serve.  Ask your pastor.  Nothing cheers the heart like obedience and service to Him. 

 

If you have not been in the habit of service to Him, start now and involve your children and grandchildren.  This generation has been almost exclusively taught that it’s a “gimme” world.  Let us teach our family what Christ, our perfect example, teaches in Scripture, that we are to be a giving and serving people.   Start each day (and with your children if they are still at home) by praying and asking God how you can serve Him?  Keep your eyes and ears open because He has plenty for us to do and He will show us.  Sometimes it’s as simple as planning a surprise for Daddy or Grandpa for when he comes home; letting them choose some of their toys to give to a needy child; shopping together at Christmas time for a needy family; taking banana bread to a sick or new neighbor; volunteering to mow a widow’s lawn; Adopting a nursing home and two or three specific patients there to visit regularly, taking their favorite cookies and singing to them or if permitted, taking your dog.   Talk about bringing someone joy, that will!!!! We will be teaching them and showing the incredible joy of giving.  It will be a life long lesson.  Sadly, most children are never introduced to this wonderful life calling, usually because we as adults were never taught ourselves or just don’t want to take the time to do it.  Often it’s because we don’t think we have the time, but usually that’s because our priorities or out of line and we are too busy doing and giving to our children all the things we think they need.  Take them out of that “gimme” world and put them in the giving world.  Similar to the words of J.F. Kennedy, let our motto be, “Not what the world can do for us but through Christ what we can do for the world.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genesis 27 The Great Deception

Rebekah took matters into her own hands.  Instead of letting God do His work in His way and in His time, Rebekah was not willing to wait.  He had promised that it would be Jacob, the second born who would get the blessing that the eldest would normally get. But she was not willing to let God work it out.  She stepped in with her own plan.  She also involved her favorite son, Jacob, in this deception.  Jacob fell right into the deception as well, lying to his father which led to blasphemy (Vs. 18-20).  The plan worked but Rebecah paid a great price for her deception.  To save his life she sent him away temporarily but never saw his face again.  Every day, for the rest of her life she must have agonized over her deed and stayed in great pain over the loss of her beloved son.  We can only imagine how the remaining son, Esau must have felt about her after this as well, not to mention her own husband.  She thought she knew better than God.  She wasn’t willing to wait.  She thought her own plan was better than His. 

 

Let us learn a great lesson from this chapter.  Never try to get ahead of God!  His ways are best, His timing is perfect.  The price is much, much too high to do otherwise. 

Psalm 27:14  “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.”

Isaiah 55:8-9  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Genesis 26 The sin we do in moderation, our children will do in excess.

 

Vs. 6-7  So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.  As the men of the place asked about his wife, and he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.”

 

Here we see that Isaac is lying just as his father did over the very same situation.  But Isaac is more deceitful than his father.  Rebekah was a relative but not a sister.  Both Abraham and Isaac were afraid for their lives.  They gave up honesty and integrity to save their own lives.  They were willing to put their wives at great risk of these strange men having a physical relationship with them.  They cared more for themselves than their wives.  One man’s sin carried on to another generation.  

 

Do we recognize ourselves in this story?  Have we picked up habits from our parents, who perhaps learned the behavior from their parents?  The chain has to be broken.  We can be the break in the chain.  For it gets even worse with the next generation.  What sin we do in moderation our children will do in excess.  Is it like a mirror looking into the heart of your child?   Do they gossip like you; live in worry and fear; lie to protect themselves; lash out in anger; build walls; have a spirit of bitterness or unforgiveness;  have no desire for the things of God perhaps because you failed to raise them up being faithful to worship in a godly church; have terrible eating habits or other habits that are destroying their minds or bodies;  laziness?

What can we do to stop the chain?  Search our hearts, let Him reveal to us the true condition of our hearts and fall before Him in full repentance.   Then go to each of our children to seek their forgiveness for the wrong that we have done.  Ask them if there is anything else that you have done to them that you have not yet made right.   Ask them to tell you if they see other areas in your life that is not pleasing to God.  Don’t defend yourself in any way no matter what they tell you.  They may see things that we have been blind to or held things against you that you have forgotten about completely.   Thank them and proceed to ask their forgiveness in deep humility.  Tell them that you will commit to the Lord to seek His help to become what He wants you to be.   The damage we may have done to our children does not have to be permanent. 

Isaiah 61:3-4, 6 “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.  And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.” But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God.”

 

Dear one, He can and will give us beauty for our ashes, He will turn our mourning to joy, He will exchange our heaviness for the spirit of praise.  We can, along with our children be called trees of righteousness!!  We can be His ministers who bring His hope to waiting and needy people.

 

I love the book, Lord, Change Me, by Evelyn Christensen.  The lesson in it is that we pray for and want so much for those around us to change. We do things and say things to try to change them.   But the truth of the matter is that it is our hearts that need to change first and as a result, others will see His light and our “salt” will cause a thirst in their hearts.  Let us be about the business of begging God to change us and leave the changing of others to Him.

Genesis 25 The Fateful Trade

 

Vs. 30-32 And Esau said to Jacob, “Feed me, I pray thee….for I am faint.”

And Jacob said to Esau, “Sell me this day thy birthright.”

And Esau said, “Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?”

Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of food.  He wasn’t thinking rationally. His heart was not prepared for the devious trick in front of him.   It changed the entire course of his life.  Some things in life have such a grip on us that it can completely destroy us.  We must prepare our hearts to face the trials that will come our way.  Nothing in life should so grip us that we are willing to “sell out” His will for us.    One bowl of soup changed forever the life of Jacob.  Is food or some other vice in our lives about to destroy our us?

 

I teach a weight loss class at our church and this is the lesson I have prepared for tonight’s class.  It goes right along with this lesson in Genesis.

 

 

 

 

 

Plan for Successful Eating

Thirty-one verses for  thirty-one days

 

The P’s of the Program

 

 

Our Provider

Praise- Psalm 34:1  I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  Psalm 139:14  I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Remember that you are very special to Him.    Praise is a powerful weapon in the face of any battle. It reminds of who is on our side in the face of temptation.

Pray- Pray for His blessings on you each day.    I Chronicles 4:10   Oh that you would bless me indeed, enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me and that You would keep me from evil that I might not cause pain.

 Protection Pray for a hedge of protection from sin.  Hosea 2:6

Plead- Cry out to God for help in your desperation to conquer this food battle.  Blind Bartimaeus knew God could help him:  Mark 10:47, 52  He began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many tried to quiet him but he cried out these same words again.  Jesus answered, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” Have that same kind of deep faith and perseverance in crying out to God.

Purify your hearts-  I John 1:9   Plow up the fallow ground of sin (Hosea 10:12); Put away all that hinders us. 

Power- lean on His power alone and not our own. Philippians 3:10  That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformed to His death.

Promise, pledge to do His will. Be determined.  Know that what you are doing is His will and stick to it by making commitments to Him. I Corinthians 2:2  For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 

Peace-  Seek His peace and let that be your daily goal,  that comes by a life of obedience and righteousness.  John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

 

Passages- claim Scripture passages to get us through the battles.  Hebrews 4:12  For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

 

Personal

Priorities  Living with our priorities out of line will result in an undisciplined and confused life. Our very first priority should be to put God first.  Spend quality and time in His Word and prayer.  Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His Law doth he meditate day and night. 

Plunge in with both feet, wholeheartedly, don’t be off and on about your plan. Joshua 22:5  Love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him will all your heart and will all your soul.   

Plan your day, grocery list, food, packed lunches  Proverbs 31: 15 She rises also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household.  Be disciplined and determined.  

Persevere, plod on even when you think you can’t go on any longer.  Galatians 6:9 Be not weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.

Patience- It will take time to loose weight and form new habits. Don’t despair.  Psalm 37:7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Phone a friend- for prayer, encouragement.  Ecclesiastes 4:12   And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord in not quickly broken.

Path- Choose your path carefully, according to His will.  Isaiah 55:8-9

Pass us food and places that cause too much temptation.  Psalm 101:3  I will set no wicked thing before my eyes. 

Physical exercise   Proverbs 31:17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms.

Pamper, primp, pretty- look your best.  It will encourage you and make you feel better about yourself.   Proverbs 31:22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. But we must keep in mind that beauty in vain. Our priority is to fear the Lord. Prov. 31:30 Beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Play- God rested on the seventh day.  Take time to rest, relax, worship Him and do the things you enjoy.   Hebrews 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Patterns- establish new habits, and steer clear of the old ones.   2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

Purge your home of foods that sabotage your diet.  Purge your body of toxins that are clogging up your body.  I Corinthians 6:19  Do you not know that your body is the  temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Practice incredibly healthy eating habits.  1 Corinthians 9:25 Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. 

Pace yourself-know that you must be consistent with diet and exercise and seeing results.  Don’t expect it to happen overnight.  1 Corinthians 9:26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air.

Pull in the reigns of self indulgence, laziness. stubbornness, unhealthy comfort zones and apathy.  Proverbs 13:4  The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing. 

 

 

 

 

People

Pronounce your intentions to everyone around you that you are dieting.  Don’t be afraid that you will not be able to hold up to your intentions.  Philippians 2:13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and do of His good pleasure.

Pave the way for others to follow your example by your new habits of eating and exercise.   1 Corinthians 9:27  I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest when I have preached to others I myself should be a castaway.

Protect your loved ones by feeding them healthy foods too.  Rid your home of foods that you know are destroying your bodies.  Proverbs 31:14 She is like the merchant’s ships;  she bringeth her food from afar.  Search, study and do whatever it takes to bring into your home the best food. 

Practice what you preach. Don’t just say you are going to do something, do it and stick with it!!!!   Paul could say these words to the Philippians because of his godly example.  It can be true of us too.  Philippians 4:9  These things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, do. 

People pleaser   Don’t be one.  Don’t be afraid to turn down Aunt Gertrude’s killer food even if it makes her unhappy.  If you know it will take you off course, stand strong.  She will get over it, but you may not.  Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Polite- Be polite  and patient with others concerning your new plan.  Don’t be pushy and preachy.  Proverbs 31:26 She openeth mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

Genesis 24 Devoted Servant

 

 

 

Abraham called for his oldest servant (could very well have been Eliezer- Gen. 15:2) to go to his country to find a wife for his son, Isaac. 

This was a selfless servant and one that we can learn much from:

1. He promised to fulfill his commitment (Vs. 9)
2. Prays for God to bless Abraham. (Vs. 12)
3. He waited on the Lord and did not depend on his own judgment.  (Vs. 21)
4. He acknowledged the Lord’s doings and worshipped Him.  (Vs. 26-27)
5. Refused his own needs (food set before him- vs. 33) and thought first of his master.
6. He did not keep his master waiting. (Vs. 56)

 

In return, God greatly rewards this faithful servant:

1. He ruled over all that Abraham had (Vs. 2,10)
2. Abraham put his trust in him.
3. He was respected even by strangers (Vs. 50-51)
4. God answered his prayers.  (Vs. 61)

 

God has taught us that being a servant is the key:

Mark 9:35 And He sat down and called the twelve, and said unto them, “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

Our life’s goal should be to be a faithful servant.  In so doing our greatest reward will be to someday hear from Him these words: (Matthew 25:21) “Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.  Enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”

 

Serve Him, serve that spouse, your child, that stranger or your neighbor.  Serve with the fervor of Abraham’s servant.  There is nothing that can bring us any greater rewards or joy.

Genesis 23 A Prince Among Them

 

In this passage we read that at the age of one-hundred and twenty-seven Sarah dies. Abraham requests land from the people of Kirjath Arba (in Canaan) so that he could bury her.  The people respond: (Vs. 6) “You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places…..” They tried to give him land but he refuses, insisting that he would pay for it.  Perhaps he thought that if it was given to him they would perhaps change their minds and take it back later.  It was the only land Abraham ever owned and where he was eventually buried himself. 

 

Abraham was a foreigner in this land but obviously had made a great impression on these people.  They called him a mighty prince and offered him any land that he might choose.  As we live in this world, we are called to make that same impression on the lost around us.

Matthew 5: 14-16  “Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid; neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick: and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they man see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

 

Let us strive daily to be a bright light to those around us by going out of our way to show them love, friendliness, acts of kindness and service.  It seems that through the years the world has lost the art of being a good neighbor, stopping to chat on the “porch” as was popular in past days.  As you are mowing your lawn, why not mow your neighbor’s front yard, especially if it’s a widow.  Make an extra loaf of banana bread and take it to them.  Make an effort to stop and chat when you see them out. Take a tray of cookies to them at Christmas time.   When their children graduate send them a card with a monetary gift.  (I just bought a card yesterday to do that for my neighbor).  They need to know that we love them.  One evening I went to a neighbor’s house for a Pampered Chef party.  I usually turn down those invitations but went to this one simply to be able to interact with our neighbor.  She introduced me to her friends and family as their nice neighbor.  That touched me and made me want to continue to reach out to them.

 Let us let our light, the light of Christ clearly shine. 

 

 

 

 

 

Genesis 22 Tune In

 

Vs. 1  Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

 And he said, “Here I am.”

God then proceeded to give him the greatest test of his life: being willing to sacrifice his son.  Without debate or argument, Abraham immediately began to carry out this demand (vs. 3).  At the final moment, God instead provided a ram for the sacrifice once he saw that Abraham had passed the test of complete devotion and obedience to Him. 

Vs. 14 “And Abraham called the name of the place, “The Lord Will Provide” (Jehoavh Jirah).

 

God will perhaps call upon us to take a test.  Are we prepared and studied up for His test?

Or are we even able to hear or recognize His voice when He calls or speaks to us.  We must get in the habit of daily tuning our heart’s “channel” to the place where we can easily recognize His voice and directions.  We must be frequent about it.  So often our frequency is too tuned into the world’s advice and chatter that we can easily drown out His voice.

He is the great Provider.  No matter what He calls us to do, even in the things that will bring us the most pain, He will provide.  For Abraham, the provision (the ram) was right behind him. We may not see it but He has it all planned out.  Let us step out in immediate obedience and  without debate to follow Him. 

 

Abraham passed that great test and as a result was given incredible blessings and ministry.  Just think what we could miss out on in this very short life if we are not daily tuned in to the voice of God as we study His Word and commune with Him.  

Genesis 21 God Has Made Me Laugh

 

Vs. 6  And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”

Isaac means “God is laughing now.”  Both Sarah Abraham both laughed when told they would have a son in their old age.  With the birth of Isaac, laughter took on a whole new meaning.  I am sure that their home was filled with much laughter with that dear baby added to their home. 

Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

What about us, are we filled with laughter each day?  Do we enjoy the episodes that can conjure up that sweet medicine to our soul?  Laugh often and freely.  It will heal your heart and those around you.  The alternative is that our broken spirit will “dry up our bones” and  the “bones” of those we touch.  JOY IS A CHOICE!!!!!  Choose joy.  Joy is contagious.  Others catch it.  What are others catching from you? 

Joy may not always involve laughter.  We may be in so much pain or mourning that it is impossible to laugh.  But we can still choose joy in those times, a joy that comes from resting in Him, surrendering to Him and pouring out our hearts to the Great Healer and giver of that deep sustaining joy. 

Practice joy in your life, whether it  is that joy causes the outer laughter or the deep inner joy of peace in the middle of your “storm”.  It is catching.  Let’s cause an epidemic!!!!!!!!  Let it spread like a wildfire.  Too many “broken spirits” need healing.