The Unexpected Blessing

Genesis 27:21

Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”

Jacob wasn’t expecting to get his father’s blessing. His mother persuaded him that dressing up like his hairy brother and serving the meal to his father to get the blessing was a great idea. Isaac was old and his senses were failing. It was risky, but Jacob believed he could pull it off.

When someone has a plan all figured out, he doesn’t want anyone messing with his plan. He doesn’t want surprises. I’ve felt this way recently when I planned out how to get a couple hours of errands done. However, my husband wanted to help out before the day was finished. When he took on some of the tasks I had delegated to my kids, I knew it wasn’t likely that all of my plans were going to be accomplished. I really enjoyed being with my husband, but that surprise, as wonderful as it was, meant that I’d have to reassign some tasks for the next day. Even though my plans were all messed up, my unexpected blessing was spending a little more time with my hunky husband.

Isaac had planned to give Esau his blessing, but when Jacob showed up instead, Isaac hesitated. Isaac expected Esau, but he heard Jacob’s voice. He asked the boy to come close so he could touch him just to make sure. I can imagine Isaac was trying to decide if his hearing was about to go out as well. He knew something wasn’t right, but he went ahead and gave the blessing.

When Esau finally came in to give his father the meal and receive his blessing, his father asked who he was. Not a good sign.

Isaac’s plan had been messed up. Jacob had to leave the area immediately to flee from his brother’s wrath. But he’d been blessed by his father in a way that left no room for Esau in that blessing. When you read places in the Bible like Exodus 4:5 (“This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”), you don’t read Esau’s name, but Jacob’s.

I wonder if God messes up our plans to give us an unexpected blessing.

An Unexpected Leader

Judges 6:15

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

How can Gideon,  the least in his family from the weakest clan in Manasseh, be a great leader? I think we all ask God that about ourselves sometimes. How can I be anything great when there are so many negative voices in my life? How can I overcome disadvantages and lead my family into prosperity?

There are many stories of surprising success. How many mothers have prayed for their children to rise above the limited successes achieved by the parents? How many great leaders have come from disadvantaged backgrounds?

When I hear about a “self-made man”, I know God had a hand in making that man. I know there are plenty of people who used principles given to us by God and achieved victories in different areas of their lives based on doing things God’s way.

Gideon is a man who was from an impoverished family. He lived in an area where the surrounding people trampled their crops and killed their livestock. They had been so beaten down that they called out to God for help.

Isn’t that usually how we humans do things? We try to handle things on our own, and we fail miserably. Then when we’ve had enough of our self-made poverty, complaining the whole time about all those other people who have been ruining our chances for success, we come to the point where there’s nothing left but to pray.

We’ve tried everything, and nothing has worked, so we pray to God and ask for help. I’ve done that. Have you?

When Gideon’s family came to the point of praying, God answered with a personal visitation. It kind of freaked Gideon out. But he wasn’t stupid. He knew to take advantage of this important opportunity.

He began obeying the instruction of God. God helped him organize a small army who would follow his leadership. The battle wasn’t fought with traditional weapons. The men who might’ve been saying “this will never work” were not allowed to join Gideon’s army.

Gideon was an unexpected leader who found success by departing from expected tactics. Sometimes success lies just ahead if we will change our ways. We have to be bold enough to take a risk. We have to follow God. And following God is never risky unless we’re seeking the approval of man.

Do you need God to help you find your victory? Try making changes to the way you’re doing things. God might lead you down an unexpected path that leads to your success.

Thanks for seeking God with me.  

Expectation of Heaven

John 14:2

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

I haven’t seen very many mansions, but I have seen a few large houses that have many rooms. This summer, my family took a vacation in beautiful North Carolina and stopped in Asheville to see the Biltmore Estate. This is an incredibly relaxing area, in spite of the millions of tourists it attracts. Even though there were a large number of people viewing the “house” while we were there, we were able to sit in some comfy chairs on a balcony and rest our feet for a minute.

There was so much beauty to enjoy inside and outside that house, yet I imagine when I see what Heaven is like, the beauty of the Biltmore Estate will pale in comparison. No one has ever prepared a place for me at the Biltmore Estate, nor do I ever expect that to happen. However, Jesus has announced that those who belong to him will  be welcomed into a place in Heaven that was prepared especially for them.

Eternity is a long time. Our generation will be on the Earth for only a little time. We can enjoy what we have here while we have it, but we can also look forward to where we’ll be when we leave this place.

What are you looking forward to the most about Heaven?

Thanks for seeking God with me.

Hiding From Evil

Psalm 34:14

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Have you ever been so afraid that you scooted down in your bed and pulled the covers over your head? I remember one time I was so afraid that I wanted to become invisible. Of course, I tried to act like I wasn’t afraid, but I felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. My hands were shaking. It was an awful feeling.

I would’ve appreciated someone reminding me of the prayer found in Psalm 140:1, “Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers; protect me from the violent.” In times like that when fear comes in like a tidal wave, God is the best shelter. We can run to him.

Matthew 6:13 is part of the prayer many believers pray together in church, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” In this prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, he emphasized that protective nature of God.  Also in John 17:15, he prayed in front of his disciples the same thing, “ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” God is able to gather us up in his protective arms and hold us while we’re afraid.

If you find yourself in a dangerous place, know that you have a job to do and God has a job to do. Your job, and mine, is to avoid evil. We are to speak to God about it and move forward, trusting him. Starting off Psalm 64, verse 2 is the request. “Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the plots of evildoers.”

Verses 7 through 10 show the response from God.

“But God will shoot them with his arrows; they will suddenly be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done. The righteous will rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; all the upright in heart will glory in him!”

There is evil on the Earth today. But we don’t have to be afraid of it. That’s why God gave us the words of Psalm 34:14 in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Our job is to avoid evil. We can put our focus on the good things we’re supposed to be devoted to. In order for us to hide from evil, we should be keeping our eyes on God and going about the business of obeying him. If we are continually seeking God and his peace, if we are loving God and loving people, we will be in his protective and gentle arms.

Thank you for seeking God with me.

 

Hiding From Yourself

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Have you looked in the mirror and not recognized yourself as a hero? Many of us don’t think of ourselves as heroes. But we were created to be heroes. All of us have special skills, just like heroes.

How do you recognize a hero? Not by the cape and mask, but by the way he acts. How does a hero act? He uses his abilities to help others.

Romans 12:6 reminds each of us that we have a valuable gift that is to be used and not ignored. Having the gift doesn’t make you special. Using the gift does.

Romans 12:3 reminds us to think of ourselves with sober judgment. That means to use your gift with all humility. Yes, you are important and special, but you’re not the only one who is. Verse five reminds us that we are all members of one body, and we belong to each other. Do long arms help the hands reach for something on a high shelf? Do fast feet help the chest cross the finish line? Your gift is important to the rest of the body.

Galatians 6:9 warns us not to tire of helping others. Give diligently and tirelessly. Why? Because volunteers are needed. Look around in your community at the many opportunities to volunteer. Do you have carpentry skills? You can volunteer at Habitat for Humanity. Do you have people skills? You can help out in a nursing home. Right now is the perfect time to give your abilities to help others.

Many of us hear about the opportunities and think we can’t do a good enough job. When we do that, we’re hiding from ourselves, hiding behind an excuse. The truth is simply that we have skills that can benefit others.

Recently, my daughter and I used our artistic abilities to help nursing home residents create roses out of modeling clay. We gave up some of our free time this summer to help out people who really appreciated it. They wanted to visit with us, so we chatted. They were delighted with our company and our artistic instruction. It was a time of mutual enjoyment and encouragement. I’m sure we’ll be back there to help a few more times this summer.

So now it’s up to you. Are you someone’s hero already? If not, you can be. Stop hiding and act like the hero you were created to be.

Hiding From Chores

Psalm 104:13-14

He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—  bringing forth food from the earth

It’s summer. It’s hot outside and much more comfortable inside. However, if you have a garden, you must weed it. If you have a pet, you must feed it. We all want to be lazy and relax all summer long, but chores must be done.

I knew when I became a mom that I would one day spend many hours trying to get my little ones to do their assigned chores. But even I have things on my To Do list that I’m purposefully closing my eyes to. I’m to the point where my To Do list is becoming my To Ignore list.

So when I recognize that my break time is taking longer than necessary, I can go to various Bible verses and look at some encouragement. Among the many places I can go is Psalm 104. God shows us that part of bringing forth food on the earth for man to eat is God’s job. And part of that process is man’s job. God causes seeds to grow in the dirt. He waters the soil and shines the light of the sun on the plants. Our job, according to Psalm 104:14, is to cultivate the plants. I see farmers working their fields, planting, harvesting, and bringing food to market. If a farmer decides to be lazy, he’s also going to be hungry.

However, if God does his part and we do our part, we’ll never be hungry.

When God’s people were going to experience a famine in Joseph’s day, God worked it out for Joseph to have a place prepared for his family. God’s people didn’t starve during the famine, but they weren’t lazy either. In Moses’s day, the people were given bread from Heaven. But they had to gather it and prepare their meals.

There are always chores to do. People who want to eat will not have their hands out, they’ll have their hands busy.

It’s so much easier for God to bless his people when we’re listening to him and obeying him. There is a time to rest and a time for chores. I know God loves to bless hands at work.

Hiding from the Heat

Daniel 3:19

“Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual”

Fourth of July is tomorrow. Many families are planning to participate in neighborhood parties, cookouts, and local parades. My family is used to being hot on this national holiday. We took our children to the zoo when they were in the single-digit age range. Watching elephants was one of the hot highlights of the event, but the snake house was one of the cool highlights. I treasured the air conditioned building and didn’t pay much attention to the creepy residents winding through their small grassy habitat. That wasn’t my favorite place, but it was a great place to hide from the heat.

Another place to hide from heat is the presence of God. Just ask three young men who were thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to worship the king’s gods. The king found out they weren’t following his orders and asked them about it – giving them a chance to change their minds.

Verses 16 through 18 tell us, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’”

Verse 19 tells us the king’s orders were his way of challenging the young men’s ideas of being saved from instant death. However, after they were thrown into the furnace, it was instantly apparent that they were in the presence of God. God not only saved them from the heat, but joined them in it.

The king got an education that day and made it known that he’d changed his mind about the young men and their refusal to worship other gods. He learned that the God these men had been willing to die for was the only God who could save them.

If you’re in the heat this week or weekend, remember that it’s cooler in the presence of God.

Thanks for seeking God with me today.

Rest from Vacation

Colossians 3: 15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

We’re back from our family vacation, and we’re enjoying a few photos and videos that we took. The images remind us of all the fun we had. Frankly, we need that reminder while we’re doing all the laundry and cleaning up and getting back into the routine again. It’s a lot of work to come home from a road trip.  

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has said, “I need a vacation after my vacation.”

Our trip was packed with places to go and things to do and see. We even stayed in a couple of places that had a laundry room so we’d have clean clothes to wear for the next few days. We’d been hiking so laundry facilities were quite a blessing. But the early/late hours, physical exertion, and almost constant activity were enough to wear out anyone. By the time we got home, the one thing I looked forward to was my bed.

Peace and rest are very closely connected. When the chaos of fun gets to us, we can rest in God’s presence and find His peace.

During our trip, my daughter and I went on a five-mile walk instead of a two-mile walk because we passed up the ice cream store. I want to be reminded of the peace of Christ when my feet hurt. I asked her to sing to me on the way back from getting her an ice cream cone because I thought it would help distract her from her own foot pain. We ended up thankful for the extra-long walk.

When you take an exciting vacation and come back exhausted, you probably welcome the peace of Christ just like I do.

Thanks for joining me. Please come back and seek God with me again.

Rest from Struggles

Hebrews 4: 10-11

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.

Have you been dealing with personal struggles so long, you just don’t know what to do? Many people have personal struggles. Parents struggle with raising kids to be a consistently kind and productive member of society. It’s hard work because kids are notoriously resistant to rules and discipline. Good parenting takes plenty of time, money, and dedication. Some view their “empty nest” days as the light at the end of the tunnel.

God wants you to continue in your work until it’s time for the baby bird to leave the nest. When you’ve finished preparing your young one for the “real” world, your rest should begin. This is when you put your faith to the test. Do you really trust God? Do you think he can look after your children better than you can?

There will be a time of resting from your current struggles. When that time comes, relax and trust God to do what you no longer can do.

Rest from School

Genesis 2:3

Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Is there someone in your home who just finished a year or a semester of school? Whether you’re a teacher or a student, you need a break from all that hard work. I have good news.

It’s okay to rest when you’ve given your best.

God spent days creating this masterpiece we live in. He carved out lakes and created mountains. God gave us beautiful flowers and trees for our landscapes. He populated our landscapes with interesting animals He created delicate butterflies and cuddly bunnies.

And on the seventh day, he rested.

God says it’s okay to rest when you’ve done your best.

Now, it’s summer, and we’re celebrating. My kids have studied and tested, and now they’re getting rested. We plan to have a summer vacation with lots of activity and discovery. They’re not taking a break from learning, just worksheets and testing.

What do you do to rest after months of hard work?  

Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:2-3

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

I cannot imagine being Bathsheba’s friend, hearing her confide in me about her troubles. How could she say no to King David when he sent for her? He was the king. Her husband, Uriah, was at war. She had no one to stand up for her or protect her. She submitted to the king, and then she told him later that she had become pregnant. After the king had her husband placed in the most dangerous place so he would surely die in battle, Bathsheba grieved her husband’s death. After her mourning, David sent for her to be his wife.

Her life changed because David had seen her bathing at night. If David hadn’t gotten out of bed that night, would her life have changed? If David went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk instead of to the roof for a midnight stroll, would her life have changed?

Bathsheba’s life changed because she was born beautiful. If she had been ugly, nothing would have happened. But she was a beautiful woman who caught the eye of the king.

Sarah

Genesis 20:2

And there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

What would you feel like if you were a guy dating a beautiful girl introduced to you by a friend, but your friend didn’t tell you she was married? This happened (sort of) in the book of Genesis where Abraham told a king that Sarah was his sister. Genesis 20:3 explains what happened. “But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, ‘You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.’”

Abimelek wasn’t used to having God appear to him in dreams, so he took the message very seriously. He called Abraham in for a meeting and asked him why he would do such a thing.

Why would Abraham lie to the king? Did Abraham really lie? No. Sarah really was his sister because his dad was Sarah’s father with another mother.

The reason he told the king Sarah was his sister was because he was afraid they would find her irresistibly attractive and kill Abraham in order to have her. But instead of killing Abraham, the king listened to God in his dream and asked Abraham to pray for healing for his household. Sarah ended up with her husband, and the king's household was healed.

Come back next week for more about beautiful women. And find out about men who made mistakes because they didn't seek God first.