Genesis 50:20 - Transitions

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

God is bigger than us. He can use anything, even mistakes and sin to his purpose. I don't suppose it was God's plan for Joseph to be sold into slavery, but he was able to use this to propel Joseph to Egypt and eventually to Pharaoh. In a Bible class I attend, we have talked about Joseph and his life transitions. How would we have reacted? I expect most of us would have dealt with these transitions kicking an screaming, at the very least we would have assumed God had left us. Transitions are a part of our lives. In the end, we may be able to see the path God intended. Until we are given this clarity, our job is just to trust God and continue to be obedient to him.

Lord, thank you for always being with us. Thank you for using us to your purpose. Please help us to trust you and remain obedient no matter what. Amen.

PS - This verse is similar to one I have already blogged about Genesis 45:5 - Righting a wrong.

Genesis 50:7 - Influence

So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt—

Could Jacob have ever dreamed he would be so celebrated upon his death? What an honor to have Egyptian dignitaries and officials not just attend the funeral, but travel with them all the way to Jacob's requested burial location. We many never know how many people we have influenced, how many lives we have touched. This influence may not come from us directly, but maybe through our influence of our children, family or friends. Joseph was held in such high esteem by Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, they chose to honor the father in gratitude for the son.

Lord, thank you for giving us opportunities to show your glory and to be a blessing to others. Please help our spiritual influence to extend beyond the people we know. Amen.

Genesis 48:21 - GOD is in contol

Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.

Yes, God was with Joseph and the people of Israel (the you here is plural, more like "y'all") and they eventually make it back to Canaan, but I'm sure Israel (Jacob) never could have imagined what would happen and how long it would take. None of them expected to be in Egypt for over 400 years or for their descendants to become slaves. God's time is almost never our time. Discouragement comes easy when things don't happen the way we think they will. This story is evidence of God's faithfulness. Even when all seems lost, God is still in control.

Lord, thank you for being faithful and never leaving us, even when things are not happening the way we want them to happen. Please help us to be patient and remain faithful to you always. Amen.

Genesis 47:18 - Giving it all

When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.

I didn't remember this part of the story of Joseph. Joseph essentially puts all the people of Egypt into servitude, making Pharaoh even richer because of the famine. But, without Joseph's oversight, most of the people would have probably died.  The thing I like about this verse is how everything is given to Joseph/Pharaoh, just like everything we have is to be given to God: our money, possessions, our means to make a living, even our bodies. It all belongs to God. He has saved us, just like in verse 25 the people say “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”

Lord, Thank you for saving our lives. May we find favor in the eyes of our Lord; we are in bondage to you. Amen.

Genesis 47:7-10 - Bless you

7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed[a] Pharaoh, 8 Pharaoh asked him, “How old are you?”

9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers.” 10 Then Jacob blessed[b] Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 47:7 Or greeted
2. Genesis 47:10 Or said farewell to

I love the use of the word blessed in these passages. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. According to the footnotes the first blessing meant to greet and the second meant to say farewell to, but I like the idea of blessing people when we see them and when we leave them. I think of a blessing as a little prayer to God on behalf of a person. If we did this every time we greet or depart from a person, do you think it would make a difference in their day and maybe also in our attitude when interacting with that person?

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to come to you in prayer and to ask for a blessing for others. Please help us to think of every interaction with people as a blessing. Amen.

Genesis 46:30 - Are you ready to die?

 Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”

This phrase reminds me of my mother-in-law. She was so happy to see her son getting married, she said she could now die. Are we ready to die? For Joseph and my mother-in-law this may have just been an expression, but it's a good thing to think about. Are there things our life which are unsettled? Is there something we can to to settle them? Maybe we need to forgive someone or reunite with a family member. As a Christian, I hope to always be ready to die, to go home to my father. 

Lord, thank you for giving us hope of eternity with you. Please help us to be ready to die. Amen.

Genesis 45:24 - Don't quarrel on the way!

Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”

Why is it we seem to do the most fighting with family? These brothers have been through a lot together. They have dealt with jealousy, favoritism, a family secret, the disappointment of their father, the death of one of their father's wives and famine. Joseph must have seen them fighting among themselves to have made such a statement. We often do the same thing, arguing with those who are closest to us. Joseph gave his brothers and us some good advice.

Lord, thank you for family and the people who are close to us. Please help us to cherish them and not take them for granted by fighting with them. Amen.

Genesis 45:5 - Righting a wrong

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

Joseph completely had the right to be angry and tell his brothers how horrid they had been, but he doesn't. Not only does he forgive his brothers, he comforts them and tells them how God was using them to his purposes. How do we react when someone had wronged us? What an opportunity Joseph had to shame his brothers! It is easy to take delight in this kind of circumstance. 

Lord, thank you for being there to comfort us when we have been wronged. Please help us to react correctly and see your hand in every situation. Amen.

Genesis 44:33-34 - True Repentance

 “Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come on my father.”

I think these were the words Joseph was waiting to hear before he revealed himself. His brothers were truly repentant. They were now thinking of their father before themselves. They loved their youngest brother and understood how much the father loved him. They weren't jealous of this love. They were willing to sacrifice themselves to return the youngest brother to their father. How do we show our repentance to God? Do we just do what he wants because we have to, or is there true love, understanding and thankfulness in our obedient actions. Are we truly repentant?

Lord, thank you for loving us beyond our comprehension. Please help us to move beyond our past sin and on to true repentance. Amen.

Genesis 43:30-31 - Reaction

 Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.

After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.”

Reaction. This is a word which keeps coming up for me. How do we react in difficult situations? The way we react is evidence of our relationship to God. When we jump before we think, we usually choose the wrong reaction or simply overreact. Our first thought is rarely the right one. In this passage, Joseph was carefully controlling his emotions in order to properly react to seeing his family again. How would we react to seeing the brothers who had sold us into slavery?

Lord, thank you for giving us minds to think things through. Thank you for allowing us to come to you to work through situations. Please help us to remain calm in any situation and thoughtfully react appropriately. Amen.

Jesus, The Word

(I wrote this lesson for a ladies class I am teaching this week.)

Jesus, the Word

Jeremiah 9:20

Now , you women, hear the word of the Lord;

open your ears to the words of his mouth.

Word, Said, Say, Tell, Told, Speak, Spoke, Truth, Testify, Testimony, Witness, Command, Hear, Language, Cried, Written, Answered, Prayed, Taught, Listened

As I was reading through parts of John studying for this lesson on Jesus as the Word, so many words popped out at me. Any word that had to do with speaking and language really came to my attention. It made me realize that Jesus as the Word is a much larger concept than I had first realized.

We usually think of the Word as the Bible, but the Word can also be thought of as the voice of God.

1. The Word as the Voice of God

In my simplified human terms, I like to think of the Trinity as a person. God is the mind, Christ is the body and the Spirit is the the soul. We think of a person as one who has all three, yet they can function somewhat independently. If the body is the physical manifestation of a human, then language is a part of that physical manifestation. Christ is God's physical manifestation. Therefore, the Word or voice of God is part of that manifestation.

According to John 1:1-4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life,and that life was the light of all mankind.

So, this physical manifestation of God we call Christ was with God in the beginning of the world. Genesis 1:2 says “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” So, there He is as evidenced by God's voice. His voice, which is Christ, spoke the world into existence.

The voice of God, which we can call Christ, is heard through out the old testament. God spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden. God told Noah to build the ark. He spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To Moses, Aaron, and Joshua. He spoke to various judges, kings, and prophets of Israel. Many of these are prefaced with “God said” or “the Lord said”, but sometimes, especially to the prophets the phrase used is “the word of the Lord.”

In the gospels, we have the Word, or the voice of the Lord spoken through the physical being of Christ Jesus. I love a red letter edition Bible which highlights the actual words of Jesus. Beyond this there are a few visions including Peter's vision, Saul on the road to Damascus and the Revelation revealed to John. But the Word is continually spread and active.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

During this time and today, I believe we can still hear God through the Spirit. We also hear his physical voice through the Church which is the Christians who are now the body of Christ in this world and through the written word, the Bible.

2. The Word as the Bible

Exodus 34:27 reads,

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.

Joshua 24: 25-26 reads,

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

God made it clear he wanted the words he spoke recorded along with the stories and linage of his people.

This quote from an article called How We Got the Bible from the Focus on the Family website does a great job of summing up how the Bible was written.

...human writers were inspired by God and moved by the Holy Spirit to record accurately what God wanted them to preserve. It does not mean God took control of people in the sense of some occult practices known as automatic writing, where the writer is in a trance-like state. It also doesn't mean the writers of the Bible were simply taking dictation. But it does mean that their words were divinely inspired and recorded. The Bible was written by real people, living in real places, recording real historical events, and also communicating God's real truths.

The Bible is a living, breathing document. It is the Voice of God, a part of the body or physical manifestation of God. It is Jesus.

Last Sunday a friend from college visited. It was such a great visit and connected perfectly to this lesson. Sharon is part of a Wycliffe Bible translation team in Senegal, the most west country on the continent of Africa. She told us all the steps involved in translating a passage of scripture. It is so detailed and laborious, it reminded me of the scribes, sitting and copying the Bible by hand. Accompanied by copious amounts of prayer, it is translated back and forth into multiple languages and read by many people to make sure the original meaning is imparted. We wondered, wouldn't it just be easier to teach them English? She said “Everyone deserves to hear the Bible in a Language they can clearly understand.” Since Jesus spoke in Aramaic and the New Testament was written in Greek, translation was part of the original writing of the scriptures. Although it is labor intensive, the Word of God is alive enough to be translated into any language (and culture) and retain it's original message.

So, what is the purpose of the word? Why does God need to speak to his creation?

God speaks to us to show us his love, to guide us and to instruct us.

3. The Word as our Teacher

Without the Word of God, we would be lost. We would simply exist without purpose, filling our lives with whatever we think makes us happy. We do have the Word, but so many people don't accept it and live this way.

In John 17:6-8, Jesus is praying for his disciples.

6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 reads:

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4:2

2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

James 1:21-22

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Psalm 119 is incredibly long; 176 verses, but I challenge you to read it. David loves the Word. He delights in it. Here are a few passages.

9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
    By living according to your word.11 I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you.16 I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.

43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
    for I have put my hope in your laws.74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
    for I have put my hope in your word.101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
    so that I might obey your word.103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.114 You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.133 Direct my footsteps according to your word;
    let no sin rule over me.147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I have put my hope in your word.172 May my tongue sing of your word,
    for all your commands are righteous.

Our instruction and teaching from the New Testament is a little different from the Laws of the Israelites, but the purpose is the same. Our goal is to live with God and bring glory to his name.

John 1:14 states:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

There are many facets of the concept of Jesus as the Word. Three of these are The Word as the Voice of God, the Bible, and our Teacher. What are some other ideas relating to Jesus as The Word?

Ultimately, all of this helps us to understand why words and language are so important to us. Words are so powerful. I am reminded of the song “Words” by Hawk Nelson. I would like to share the lyrics wth you.

They've made me feel like a prisoner
They've made me feel set free
They've made me feel like a criminal
Made me feel like a king

They've lifted my heart
To places I'd never been
And they've dragged me down
Back to where I began

Words can build you up
Words can break you down
Start a fire in your heart or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

You can heal the heartache
Speak over the fear
God, Your voice is the only thing
We need to hear

Words can build us up
Words can break us down
Start a fire in our hearts or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Let the words I say
Be the sound of Your grace
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

I wanna speak Your love
Not just another noise
Oh, I wanna be Your light
I wanna be Your voice

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Let the words I say
Be the sound of Your grace
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Words can build us up
Words can break us down
Start a fire in our hearts
Or put it out

I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Genesis 42:21 - Long term consequences

They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”

How can we avoid sin? One way is to consider the long term consequences. In addition to sinning against God, sin has a way of following us. If we lie, cheat, steal or harm someone, the truth may eventually come out. Even if it does not, we remember and it can eat away at us from the inside. So before we act, think...If I do or say this thing, how am I going to feel in the future? How could this potentially effect me and others I love? Am I prepared to face the possible consequences of this action?

Lord, thank you for giving us minds with the ability to think through situations before we act. Please help us to slow down our reactions and consider the consequences of our actions. Amen.

Genesis 41:36 - Saving for famine

This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.

This verse reminded me of the importance of saving for the future and/or catastrophe. I am a Dave Ramsey listener and my husband and I are working the baby steps. Here is a quote from Dave about saving:

If you have savings and then experience a car wreck, a busted heater or A/C unit, or a job layoff, money works for all three. It causes you to relax because you have cash saved up for Murphy visits. It's like being in a fender bender and having your seat belt on—you don't get hurt because you had something in place to protect you.

Lord, thank you for giving us jobs so that we can earn the funds we need to live, give and save. Please help us to have the wisdom to do all three. Amen.

Quote from:
http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/when-and-why-to-save-dr/

Genesis 41:14 - In the presence of royalty

So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

This verse makes me think of comming into the presence of the Lord. How do we prepare for such a meeting? Fortunately, because of Christ, we are granted access to God any time. Most of the time we don't concern ourselves with our appearance before we approach God in prayer, but we may need to clear up our mind. Sometimes we "clean up" physically (and hopefully mentally) before we go to worship. There may be times in our lives when we have been in the dungeon or come through the valley. These times may merit an actual physical, spiritual and mental cleansing before approaching the throne of God.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to come before you. Please help us to be physically, spiritually and mentally ready to approach your throne. Amen.

Genesis 41:16 - I can't, but God can

“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

Pharaoh asked Joseph if he could interpret his dream. This was the perfect answer. Joseph was humble enough to know that he was not the source of the interpretation. Do you think that maybe he tried to interpret some dreams and realized he couldn't do it on his own? We make that mistake all the time. We try to do things and get through difficult times without God. Once we realize and accept I can't but God can, God will use us to do great things and will bring us through any difficult times we face.

Lord, thank you for being there for us and for having the ability to do so much more than we can even imagine. Please help us to turn to you first and to let others know the source of our strength and abilities. Amen.

Genesis 41:9 - Remember when...

Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.

It had been two long years since Joseph had interpreted the cupbearers dream. Pharaoh's dreams reminded him of Joseph. Sometimes we remember things from our past just at the right time. God may be using this memory for a purpose. Maybe it will be an opportunity to help someone. Maybe it is a cautionary tale to avoid making a similar mistake. Maybe it is a memory meant to give us strength in a difficult time. God can use anything to his purpose, even our memory.

Lord, thank you for using every part of us to your glory. Please help us to know when to pay attention to the memories you remind us of and know how to use those memories. Amen. 

Genesis 40:6-7 - How are you?

When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”

I am so impressed that Joseph even cared about the other prisoners. He was unjustly in prison, but because he was so trustworthy, he had been given responsibility over other prisoners. It is a rare person who would actually care about the prisoners in his care enough to notice they were sad. Do we care about the people around us? It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own problems and not even see those who are struggling. A co-worker of mine every day asks, "How are you doing today?" and she asks it in such a way that I really believe she cares about me and recognizes when I am having an off day. 

Lord, thank you so much for those special people who really care about us and thank you for caring about us. Please help me to care about others and notice when they need some encouragement. Amen.

Genesis 39:20-21 - Thriving in difficult situations

Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Through no fault of his own, Joseph was sent to prison. How would you react? He could have thrown a fit and demanded justice. He could have sulked and been angry with God. Instead, Joseph apparently accepts this new situation and thrives. The Lord was with him each step of his journey to this point and will continue to be with him. The Lord also promises to be with us on each step of our journey. We only have to trust in him and allow him to guide us no matter the situation in which we find ourselves.

Lord, thank you for taking care of us and for being with us. We know we can expect hard times in life, but you promise to get us through these times. Please help us to rely on you. Amen. 

Genesis 39:5 - Success at work

From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.

Sometimes I feel like God is leading me to the same topic over and over, and that is true of this topic: work. When we are Christians and work as Christians for our earthly masters (bosses), they prosper because of us. Potiphar knew the Lord was with Joseph. He put Joseph in charge of his household because he saw the Lord gave him success in everything he did.

Lord, please make me successful in everything I do. Please allow my employer to prosper because of this. Thank you for my job. Amen.

Genesis 37:29,34 - Tearing clothes

When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days.

Ok, so what is the deal with all this clothes tearing? I did a search of tearing clothes in mourning and found that because of this and other examples, it becomes part of Jewish tradition and law.

"The ancient practice of tearing clothes (called kriah) is a tangible expression of grief and anger in the face of death."

"This has a dual symbolism. We are recognizing the loss, that our hearts are torn. But ultimately, the body is also only a garment that the soul wears. Death is when we strip off one uniform and take on another. The garment may be torn, but the essence of the person within it is still intact."

Interesting Jewish fact of the day. :)

Lord, thank you for allowing us to grieve when loved ones pass away. It is hard for us to have them taken away, but if they are a follower of  you, God, we know that they are bound for a home with you in heaven. Amen. 




Quotes taken from:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-basics-of-kriah-or-tearing-a-piece-of-clothing/
and
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/248163/jewish/Why-Do-We-Tear-Our-Clothes-After-a-Death.htm

Habakkuk 3:17-18 - God is good, all the time

Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

This reminds me of a phrase I have heard many times from my sister-in-law, "God is good, all the time." This same sister-in-law taught a class about the song Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman. From a post on June 18, 2015, "God is worthy all the time regardless of our current situation. In good times and in bad we must choose to praise and worship God. When the Lord gives and when the Lord takes away we must choose to praise and worship God." Habakkuk is prophesying and complaining to God about permitting the evil in Judah to go unpunished, then using an sinful nation to execute judgement.Yet in the midst of these complaints, Habakkuk remains in awe of the Lord and says he will rejoice and be joyful in God.

Lord, Thank you for allowing us to come to you with our complaints and sorrows. We will honor you and rejoice in your name in all situations. Amen.

Genesis 35:18 - What is your name?

As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[a]But his father named him Benjamin.[b]

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
2. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.

What is your name? Careless. Stupid. Idiot. Pain In The Rear. Complainer. Underachiever. Useless. Unlovable. Son of my trouble. Sometimes our parents, spouses, children, work associates, etc. give us names. The names may reveal our most unflattering traits or they may be more a reflection of the giver rather than you. Fortunately we have a father who will give us a new name. Forgiven. Loved. My Child. Saved. Part Of My Family. Part Of My Body. Peacemaker. Conqueror.

Lord, Thank you so much for naming us as your children. Help us to tune out the derogatory names flying around in our head and live up to the names you give us. Amen.

Genesis 35:3 - Do you have a story?

Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”

God asked Jacob to this location and build an altar. Jacob had a testimony. God had been with him in the day of his distress and continued to be with him wherever he went. Do you have a testimony? How do you share it? If God has been there for us and continues to be with us, we need to let people know. We need to build and alter, probably not a pile of rocks in our front yard where we make sacrifices, but something that people may ask about and will help us remember our story.

Lord, thank you for your faithfulness, for being there for us in our time of distress and wherever we go. Help us to share our story with others. Amen.

Hebrews 10:24 - Spurred on!

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds

Today I attended a ladies day at Webb Chapel Church of Christ. The theme was "Team Sisterhood." The speaker was Amy Bacon. Amy challenged us to find and use our gifts, work together in love by knowing each other, and to not fear new ideas. I especially liked the idea of spurring each other on in the verse above. This is not gentle encouragement. When you jab a horse in the flanks with metal points it is not gently encouraged! Today I was spurred on to "find a hole and minister to the ones that are missed". Where is there an open position? What group is being missed? How can I help? 

Lord, please help me to find my gifts, know and love my sisters, and be willing to try something new. Use me to reach those we are not reaching. Amen.

Genesis 34:7 - Evil for Evil?

Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

It was an awful thing. Jacob's daughter, Dinah was raped. Her brothers repaid this evil by deceiving and destroying an entire city, killing all the men and taking all the children and women and property. In the end Jacob rebukes his sons for their actions. How do we repay evil? When an atrocity is committed, that does not give us license to commit a further atrocity. Prayerful consideration is always the best way to react to any situation. Let God guide us.

Lord, thank you for being our sounding board, for hearing us and showing us what to do in every situation. Please protect us. Amen.