Check Ourselves for the Difference

Suddenly, Yahweh [God] spoke his word to Abram again. He said, “This man will not be your heir. Your own son will be your heir.” He took Abram outside and said, “Now look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He also said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!" Then Abram believed Yahweh, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abram’s approval by Yahweh.
Genesis 15:4-6 NOG (Names of God Bible)

This is very often the Scripture reference mentioned when referring to God's promise of descendants to Abram, but it's not the first time God declared it.

Look at Genesis 12:7 NIV, "The Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'To your offspring I will give this land.' So he [Abram] built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him." By building the altar to worship, Abram acknowledged the Lord, but there is no evidence of believing Him.

Flip over to Genesis 13:14-17. Here God tells Abram again. "After Lot left, Yahweh said to Abram, “Look north, south, east, and west of where you are. I will give all the land you see to you and to your descendants for an indefinite period of time. I will also give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then he could also count your descendants. Go! Walk back and forth across the entire land because I will give it to you.”

This is the SECOND declaration of descendants for Abram and in the next verse, Abram built another altar to worship Yahweh the LORD. Again, he acknowledged the Lord, but there is no evidence of believing Him.

How do we know that? Abram speaks to God in Chapter 15:2-3 NOG, Abram asked, “Adonay Yahweh, what will you give me? Since I’m going to die without children, Eliezer of Damascus will inherit my household. You have given me no children, so this member of my household will be my heir.”

Verse 4 - "Suddenly, Yahweh spoke his word to Abram again. He said, “This man will not be your heir. Your own son will be your heir.” 

FYI - The only other English translations that include the word "again" are the Good News Translation and the ISV - International Standard Version. Perhaps people think Chapter 15 is the first mention because verse 6 states, "Then Abram believed Yahweh, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abram’s approval by Yahweh." 

I think acknowledging God is not the same as believing God. I think Abram acknowledged God's Word regarding his future descendants because he built an altar unto the LORD BOTH times, but it wasn't until Chapter 15:6 that Abram believed...

How often do we do that? Are we acknowledging what He says or do we believe? 

Prayer:

Father,
          Forgive us for the times You speak to us and we don't act on Your Word. We know You don't speak just to hear Yourself talk. Your Words are Light and Life to us. Open our ears, our eyes and our hearts to hear You, see You and fully believe what You say to us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Enabling...

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:12-14 NKJV

These days, being an enabler has a negative connotation. It implies allowing or helping an individual to do something that is detrimental to the individual's well-being. Well, let's see what you think about this...

Have you ever read the book of Genesis? God is the original Enabler. In the 2nd chapter of Genesis, verses 7 & 8, God formed a man from dirt and breathed life into him. That dirt could not have become a man - a living, breathing person - unless God enabled him.

Could David have been king without being enabled? Would Saul - persecutor of Christ - have become the Apostle Paul if God had not enabled him? Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 15:10, "But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace." Does any of that sound detrimental to you?... No, not to me, either.

Throughout Scripture, every story of victory, and overcoming, and living life to the fullest, and growing in the nurture and admonition of the Lord - all are because the LORD enabled. He enables us to do the things He planned long ago for us to do. He gifts us with the talent and skills and knowledge... He puts people on our paths every day to help teach us, to work Godly character into the very fiber of our being. The Word says every good and perfect gift comes from the Father! (James 1:17)

How can this be? Mark 10:15, NLT reads, Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”  Everything...EVERYthing is possible with God. He is such an Enabler! Praise His Holy Name!

Prayer:

Father,
          Without You, we can do nothing. Without You, we are without hope. Thank You for enabling us to walk in Your footsteps. Help us to faithfully follow You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder to Follow the Schedule

You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book!
Psalm 139:16 TLB

We deal with schedules every day - and not just our own, but those with whom we interact - the boss, the kids, grandkids. We call it keeping on track, being focused, staying the course. We follow the schedules of life.

You go to a seminar and they hand you a schedule to follow so you can accomplish everything you came to do and get your money's worth. Well, what do you do if you lose your schedule?

I have seen the meltdowns (and experienced a few) when the app doesn't sync properly or the PDA is lost or misplaced, or the DayMinder organizer is left somewhere (yes - there are still a few who use them!). Then there's the infamous computer crash and you hear the wail, "My whole life is in that thing!" and we are lost. You know what I'm talking about. It makes no difference if you work outside the home or your home is your work. There's a schedule to follow.

All day long we're bombarded with thoughts and tasks and assignments and project schedules...and life. I don't know about you, but I have been attention deficit since before they had a name for it. If I hope to get anything done, I have to have a schedule. Do I live rigidly? Oh, no no no. Only on those things that are important. But I do tend to have a hard time staying focused. In the morning, I use my old cell phone as my schedule reminder. I set it as my alarm clock to wake in the morning, and then hit the 10-minute snooze button until I actually leave the house. Some mornings, it drives me crazy, but 99% of the time, it keeps me on task.

We all know how easy it is to get off task. Someone comes to your desk and asks, Do you have a minute? and what they really mean is, I want at least 15 minutes of your time to explain what I need that will take more of your time. Oh, well, depending on your job, it all pays the same, right? The point is, a little behind here, a little behind there, and the next thing you know, the reminder on your Outlook calendar pops up with the note, TWO weeks overdue... 

What DO we do when we're that far off schedule? Stress out? Work horrendous hours to try to catch up? Have "the talk" with the powers that be? Ask for help? Revise? Cry 'Uncle'? Quit?

In many ways, it's very much like our Christian walk. God has already laid the schedule of our days. We get however many days He decided before we were born. If we're off-task, off-schedule or just have blown it so bad we think there's no hope for recovery, I've got Good News for you. God is different. There is ALWAYS redemption. There is ALWAYS recovery. There is ALWAYS a way to revise and get us back on schedule. We simply cry out in Prayer...

Father,

          I am so behind on the schedule of my life. Worse, I can't even seem to find the schedule You have laid out for me. And I want that more than anything else. Please forgive me for losing it and getting so far behind. Help me, Father. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. 

Reminder that It's All Good

"The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground."
1st Peter 3:7 The Message

Don't worry - just breathe. I'm not going to jump into a male vs. female or equal rights soliloquy. Actually, Peter went on to say some really good things this day. Wise things. Things we should embrace in our everyday life. Read on.

1st Peter 3 continues, "Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing."

"Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
Run after peace for all you’re worth."

"God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things."

"If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought."

"Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath."

"It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God."

Hmmmmmm. So then, in Christ, it's definitely all good.

Prayer:

Father,
            Let Your Words soak deep into our Spirit. Let us see and understand that You were the first to tell us, "Have a Good Day!" and be good enough to tell us how to do it. You are amazingly awesome! Help us to follow the pattern You laid before us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Basic Instruction for Praying

 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 

1st Thessalonians 5:16-18

I used to be so intimidated to pray aloud. I was afraid of what people would think. I was afraid I would somehow misspeak. And then one day, Steve Fender, in San Antonio - a man who could pray the roof right off a building - preached the most liberating message about prayer. He said, "Stop worrying about what the person next to you thinks about your prayer...unless, of course, you're praying to them. And if you're not praying to them, what does it matter what they think?"

God judges our heart - the inside of us - not the outside.

There's a story about a preacher who was walking out of church one day and noticed a little boy kneeling down behind one of the bushes on the church property. Suspecting foul play, the preacher began to sneak up behind him. As he got closer, he heard the boy reciting, "A B C D... A B C D... A B C D... "

The preacher stood up and demanded with a booming voice, "Boy, what do you think you're doing?"

The little boy looked up from his kneeling position, then stammered, "I...I...I'm praying, sir."

With a snort of derision, the preacher declared, "That's not praying - all you're doing is reciting letters."

"Yes, sir, I know, but didn't you tell us that God knows everything?"

"Of course He does!"  the preacher pontificated.

"Well," began the boy in his explanation, "If God knows everything, He knows what I need to say, but I don't. So, I figured I'd give Him the letters and He could put them together to make the right words."

If ever in your life you've had a conversation with anyone, then you have the necessary rudiments to prayer. Someone to talk to. Someone who will listen. Someone who will answer.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for establishing an open line of communication. Thank You that You hear our prayers. Thank You that there isn't anything...anything...that is taboo when it comes to talking with You. Keep us ever mindful to include You in all our conversation. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder to Take a Letter

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."
2nd Corinthians 3:5-6 NKJV

I have a hard time reading contracts. All the legalese drives me to distraction. To me, it's a perfect illustration of our text for today regarding the letter kills... I'm sure glad I don't do it on a full-time basis. I'm not saying contracts aren't important - they are for many reasons, but sometimes contracts - or contract disputes - kill a "guaranteed" project. The client has the work they need done, and you are qualified and trained to do that work, and they want you to do the work, and you want to do their work. Sounds like a perfect solution...unless you can't agree on the contract terms - all the what ifs and contingencies, etc...

The legal eagles on both sides will argue the letter of the law, the literal letter - an S or not an S - sometimes to the death. But once in awhile, there's a champion who can come in and breathe life back into the contract, based on the compatibility of needs with the ability to meet those needs - the spirit of it, if you will - and the champion convinces the two parts to drop the letter of the law (or at least provide a little grace for it.)

What's in one letter that would make that much difference? Well, I'll show you just a few sample pairings.

Change - Chance; Aspirins - Aspiring: Wise - Vise;

And if you leave a letter out, it can be devastating.

Life - Lie;

And satan is banking on it. his lies are subtle. he knows the Word well enough to mess with it. Do you know it well enough to counter his lies with the life that's in the Word? Hey, take a letter.

Prayer:

Father,
           Teach us to walk in Your Spirit so that we don't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Help us to know when to fight to the death of something and when to pray for life to be breathed back on it. But Father, may it always be Your breath that brings it to life, and not our own. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Reminder to Make Sure You Hear

 The Lord said to Moses, “Write this reminder on a scroll, and make sure that Joshua hears it, too: I will completely erase any memory of the Amalekites from the earth.”

Exodus 17:14 God's Word Translation

This particular battle (where Joshua defeated the Amalekites while Moses was on the mountain with Aaron and Hur holding up his hands) took place about 1446 BC; 40 years before the death of Moses and the subsequent transition to Joshua's leadership. There was no mention of Joshua being the next in line to inherit Moses' position with the Israelites; there was no defined rite of passage.

One particular phrase of this verse leapt out at me this morning. I remembered the part about writing it down and erasing any memory of the Amalekites, but I didn't remember the part about making sure that Joshua would hear it, too. I researched in several translations and it was in all of them - to be certain, to tell it in the ear, to rehearse it, to make sure Joshua heard it, too.

Moses may not have known, Joshua may not have had any inkling, but God's plan was already set in motion. He knew the faithfulness of Joshua. His level of obedience to the letter. Joshua's passion to believe and act on whatever He said without question. Forty years beforehand - 40 years being the symbolism of a time of trial and testing, a type of probationary period. However, Joshua did not know it was a probationary period. It was Joshua's daily choices that allowed him to fulfill God's purpose in and for his life. Joshua CHOSE a lifestyle of faithfulness, obedience and faith.

What is God saying to us in our seemingly insignificant (to us) times that have great bearing on our eternal purpose? Know this - God does not waste words. There is absolutely NOTHING insignificant when it comes to God's plan. Are we listening? We better make sure we hear - and obey!

Prayer:

Father,
            We love Your Word. Remove from our lives the people, places and things that distract us and detract from Your plan and purpose for us. We want to be faithful and obedient like Joshua. We want to fulfill our purpose for You. Help us, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen