Tag Archives: Christianity

Genesis 43—Suspicious Grace

Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.” Genesis 43:18

Joseph had already been good to his brothers the first time they came to Egypt seeking relief from the famine. Of course, they didn’t know he was their brother just yet, but they did know that for some reason, they were receiving extraordinary treatment, and it made them uneasy.

Remember how the brothers responded to Joseph’s harsh words on their first trip to Egypt?

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.” Genesis 42:21

Guilt can make us assume that anything negative we are going through is a punishment, and cause us to suspect anything good that comes to us. That’s how I lived for many years, even after I was saved — assuming God was mad at me for all of the bad things I had done. And when something good did happen, I nervously waited for some mysterious “other shoe” to drop. Today, I can’t say that I fully comprehend the forgiveness that God has given to me, but I have learned to trust it.

Joseph’s brothers were unaware of how his heart was moved by the sight of his youngest brother, Benjamin, his brother from the same mother (I couldn’t wait to use that line). They has no idea the longing in Joseph’s heart to have his family restored. And because they don’t know his heart, they made assumptions that stirred up their own fears and suspicions. But perhaps it wasn’t just Joseph’s heart they didn’t know…

He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you.” Genesis 43:23

The kindness that Joseph showed his brothers in returning their money to them, was actually attributed to God, yet they remained fearful that something bad was happening to them because of what they had done to Joseph.

Sometimes, I think we struggle to see past ourselves enough to really see God. And when we do catch a good look at His grace, we see it through the filter of us, so it looks distorted. Suspicious. Like something we know good and well we don’t deserve.

If we want to see grace as it really is, we have to stop making it about us. He is full of grace. He is generous and He is kind, and His heart longs for restoration, not punishment.

He didn’t become that way for us. It was His image long before He made us in it.

Truth: Day 22—My Trials Will Be Good for Me

“ Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” 

James 1:2-4

I Will Have Trials. They Will Be Good for Me.

Sometimes the truth is hard to hear and what I need to hear the most.

Because like a child who only wants sweets for dinner, I want a life free from pain, free from discomfort, free from hard.

But sugar and a soft life do nothing to make me strong.

They will weaken me. Give me no stamina. Make me unable to stand. To fight. To stay the course.

Hard has come to my life, and will come again. My faith has been put through fire, and it will be again. But He never kept this from me, like a secret, a hidden thing meant to take me by surprise.

He is not out to catch me off guard. No tricks up His holy sleeve.

He has given me truth so that I can walk in truth.

I will have trials. I will not go through them alone. They will be be good for me.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Isaiah 43:2

Finish Better – Lessons from Solomon

Solomon became king, most likely as a teenager, after his father, King David died. He was known primarily for his great wealth, and his wisdom. Oh, and his many wives. The same wives who would be his downfall.

“When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been.”

1 Kings 11:4

This one verse holds two accusations against Solomon. First, he allowed his many wives to turn his heart away from following God alone and toward the worship of false gods. I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it – women have enormous power of influence. With it, we can either influence our husbands, or our leaders, toward God or away from Him. Both men and women need to be aware of how they are influencing or being influenced. Solomon, in all of his wisdom, could not see the danger his wives were presenting to him.

Second, while perhaps, and I’m just guessing here, Solomon thought that he could follow the gods of his wives and still be fully devoted to the one true God, he could not. None of us could. The question is, how many of us are trying to do the very same thing? Believing we are fully His, while giving ourselves to the pursuit of other things. Chasing our own hopes and dreams and far lesser loves. That kind of thing  doesn’t stoke the fire in our heart for God, it makes our heart, and our faith, lukewarm.

“The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had commanded him about this, so that he would not follow other gods, but Solomon did not do what the Lord had commanded.”

1 Kings 11:9-10

God did not overlook Solomon’s transgressions. In fact, I don’t believe there is a time recorded where God ever overlooked unbelief and/or idolatry in His people. One could argue that the two go hand-in-hand or at least, one begets the other. When we fail to believe (trust in) God, our nature will turn us to something else to trust in, and idolatry is born.

Our trust in something or someone besides God is no light matter. It would do us well to take stock. Are we trying to trust God and our bank account? God and our government? God and our retirement plan? God and …? What are the idols we don’t think we have? Because the greatest thing that brought
about the anger and discipline of God against His people was their unbelief and idolatry.

We stand in grace, you and I. But God does not change. Which brings me to the final point of all of this.

“So the Lord raised up Hadad the Edomite as an enemy against Solomon.”

1 Kings 11:14

“God raised up Rezon son of Eliada as an enemy against Solomon.”

1 Kings 11:23

It doesn’t say that God Himself became Solomon’s enemy, but that He raised up certain men for it. Solomon would pay the price for his idolatry, but it wouldn’t come from a lightning bolt from heaven, but from men. All of that birthed this thought for me:

How many times has God used other people to straighten my crooked ways? How many of the people who have been the hardest for me to bear, were raised up by God to correct me or bring discipline to me?

As His child, I know that God will not reject me, remove His love from me, or walk away from His covenant with me. But His Word is clear that He disciplines those He loves.

So now I must look back at those times when I believed I was treated wrongly or harshly, or had people who were just a general nuisance and thorn in my side, and see if perhaps God had raised someone up to be the instrument of change for me.

The Nutshell Version:

  • Be careful of what or who is influencing you. And be just as careful how you influence others.
  • Are you wholeheartedly devoted to God? I know it may feel like you are, but does your life demonstrate that your feeling is true?
  • Is it possible that God has raised up others in your life as a correction, or discipline, of your ways? 

Solomon started well, but he did not finish well. May you and I take notice, and determine that we will finish not only well, but better than we started.

I for one want to be more on fire, longing for Him more than the deer pants for water, seeking Him with all of my heart, and have eyes that are fixed only on Him for the rest of my days. Don’t you?

Truth: Day 21—The Blessing is Worth It

“ Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 

Matthew 5:11-12

The Blessing Is Worth It

Just today, it hit me. I am in little danger of the blessing this passage promises.

I’m pretty non-confrontational. Quiet about my strongly held convictions, in certain circles. The circles that could make me unwelcome. Insult me. Speak ill of me.

But lately I’ve taken notice of the glaring avoidance in my life.

I avoid uncomfortable, for me or anyone else.

I avoid taking the unpopular stance, unless I’m around other people who are also taking the same stance, so that we’re all standing in our little stance circle, nodding at one another as though we are setting the world on fire right where we stand.

I don’t believe Jesus was recommending that we go out of our way to pick a fight. If we are following Him close enough, the fight will pick us. The choice we have is to avoid the fight, or to wade in with our shield of faith raised and our sword at the ready, knowing it will likely cost us.

John the Baptist is a good example. He spoke his message of repentance without apology. Said harsh truth to the religious leaders. Called out a king’s sin.

For that, he lost his life. But John inherited the blessing of “great is your reward in heaven” and I’m willing to bet he wouldn’t trade it for all the comfortable places on the planet.

I want to speak truth so that I will live truth.

There is a blessing for those willing to live a life of faith that draws insults and persecution.

It is worth every risk.

Truth: Day 20—I Am Called To God

 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Honestly? I’m not a “go” kind of person. I’m a stayer. I like the familiar, the comfortable. I like not risking humiliation. Weird, I know.

I like to believe that others are going, so my going isn’t all that necessary.

I would prefer that God would send people to me. People who are ready, who don’t need to be convinced of anything. Hungry people with soft hearts.

I don’t want hard ground, hard hearts, or a hard time. And please, no hard questions.

I just want it to be easy, and if it can’t be easy then I want to convince myself that evangelism isn’t my gifting, or my calling, and that there are plenty of people going, and I can “go” by praying for them, or giving them money.

But I am prone to entertaining lies, so I have to speak truth so that I will walk in truth.

I am called to go. To make disciples. To tell the story of God in my life. To tell His good news. To trust the Holy Spirit to do the saving. To desire that none should perish, just like my Father. To take what He has entrusted me with, and give it away. At work. In my neighborhood. At the park. In the grocery store. In line at the DMV. In my city. Wherever I am.

I am called to go.

The only valid question surrounding that command is, will I obey?

Truth: Day 19— My God Is Able

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

The thought has been that more prayer equals a more vibrant prayer life. So I’ve lived with an internal push of more, and then more again.

But what if the call of heaven isn’t pray more, but pray bigger?

What if all of my more prayer has been a lot of safe prayer?

Moses asked God to show Himself to him. God did what Moses asked.

Peter asked to walk on water. So Jesus called him out of his boat.

Elisha asked God to open the eyes of his servant.

Then he asked God to blind the eyes of the enemy.

So God made the unseen visible and the seen invisible, because someone dared to ask.

Elijah asked God to bring a widow’s son back to life. A grieving mother received her son back.

James and John asked Jesus if they should call down fire to kill a bunch of Samaritans. That brought a hard no from Jesus, but the point is they had the audacity to ask, and believe it could happen!

This is truth: Whatever I am asking of Him, He can do far more. So I tell myself…ask.

Ask Him to save the far off one who looks too far gone.

Ask Him to provide for a need that feels too big.

Ask Him to move in ways that sound crazy, even to you.

Remember truth so that you will pray in truth.

My God is able.

Truth: Day 18—He Is Worthy

 “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

Revelation 5:12

The One who was slain.

The perfect Lamb, sacrificed for my sin.

Heaven’s Son, who came to bring me back to the Father.

He is worthy.

Every earthly thing that claims my attention.

Every accolade, every crown, every platform.

All of my allegiance.

Every ounce of devotion.

The first of all I have and all I am.

Every idol I am reluctant to cast down.

He is worthy.

Every song. Every bow of my head and bend of my knee. Every raise of my hands and confession of my tongue.

Every shout of praise, whispered prayer of thanksgiving, every groan of my spirit and reach for His hem, and every cry of faith.

He is worthy of all that is within me.

Because He is the King of kings who conquered death and the grave and the devil.

Because He is almighty God with no beginning, no end, and no rival.

And when this world gets hard and suffering comes and I am tempted to look for what is easy and what costs the least, I will remember.

He is worthy of every trial, every bit of suffering I may endure. He is worthy of my life. Of every breath He chooses to give me.

So I will remember truth so that I can walk in truth.

Many things will claim to be worthy to take from me.

But Jesus is the only One worthy.

To Him, I gladly give it all.