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

A Favorite - In All Your Ways

 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

We all like a little recognition now and then for a job well done or for going the extra mile or doing something special. It’s not why we do the things we do, or at least it’s not supposed to be, but have you ever noticed that satan will come in with his little jabs, such as Why do you do that? They’re just taking advantage of you. Or something equally as ugly. Sometimes it’s an errant thought passing through your mind. Sometimes it’s satan trying to imitate God (Numbers 22:28) by using another donkey (two-legged, usually) to talk to you; but it’s all for the same reason – to try to keep us from doing what God has taught us to do…prefer one another in love (Romans 12:10 KJV).

God continues to teach me to acknowledge Him in everything – to recognize His touch in my daily living, both large and small. I’m getting better at it, although I lose sight of it sometimes. It’s all in conditioning myself to look for Him and training my eyes and heart to see. You might think with the world flying at us in breakneck speed from so many different angles, how could we possibly condition ourselves? How do we train our eyes and hearts to see?  It’s quite simple actually. You just have to know what to look for. Don’t roll your eyes…

Think about this. It’s all about the relationship. Think of someone in your life who you really care for. Would you know them anywhere? Do you know their walk? Without seeing them, do you know their voice? If you know someone well enough, you can hear footsteps and know who it is. You can hear a cough and know who’s coughing. 

How about this? Before the world became so infected with being politically correct, luxury cars were quite distinctive. You could spot a Jaguar a mile away. Mercedes, BMWs, Lincolns, Cadillacs. Why, even the lowly Nash Rambler and Corvair couldn’t be confused with anything else, because nothing had their distinctive shape. Or did you ever play 'Slug Bug?' Maybe you called it 'Punch Buggy.' Looking for VW Beetles and smacking whoever was playing with you when you spotted one first and called it? You knew what to look for then, didn’t you? 

James 1 tells us that every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights. There is a distinctive mark on those. Some are very easy to see – the raise or promotion at work. The car that does NOT break down. You stay healthy while everyone else is catching something. The IRS actually INCREASES your refund. (Don’t laugh – it happened to me before.)  Some may be a little less obvious. The car DOES break down, but you actually have the money to pay for it to be fixed because of some mandatory overtime or a “surprise” blessing you got in the mail. The tires that are on sale just when you need new tires. The friend of a friend who will come put Freon in your air conditioning unit because they owed your friend a favor and your friend wanted you to receive it. That’s all God’s touch.

Harder ones to immediately recognize might be that accident that did NOT happen when the 2 trucks in front of you almost collided with each other as you were driving 65 mph down the road directly behind them. Or something like losing a job that you love through no fault of your own, but while you’re out of work, you learn how to fully trust God as your source. How about when you’ve given a repeat performance of messing up - yet again­ -  and you don’t even know how God can forgive you, let alone not be mad at you? But the next morning, you get a sweet note from someone who acknowledges the evidence of God’s gift in your life even though they’ve never mentioned it before and you've known them a long time. Can you recognize Him now?  Then give Him the recognition and praise He deserves. Better late than never.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Prayer:

Father,
            Forgive us for all the times we failed to recognize Your acts of love and care. Give us Your understanding, Lord. We want to acknowledge You in all our ways because we need You to direct our every step. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Paying the Price

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13-14 NLT

It has been said, "When the will to be free is greater than the will of bondage, the way to freedom can be found."  However, the price of freedom has always been paid in heartache and blood - of the oppressed, of the oppressors, and of the liberators. 

It's been eye-opening to realize the percentage of the generations once and twice removed who seem to have forgotten and/or fail to recognize and acknowledge the freedoms we enjoy here in the states and the ultimate price that's been paid so we can enjoy them - freedoms many people in the world still today can only dream of. God help us all. 

For our Christian walk, Christ willingly paid the ultimate sacrifice to liberate us from our sinful nature. His Blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness and frees us to love others as He loved us. Have we forgotten? Do we fail to recognize and acknowledge what He has done so we may walk in it? 

Freedom was God's plan from the beginning. Even Isaiah prophesied, "I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me,  for I have paid the price to set you free.” Freedom isn't free.

Prayer:

Father, 
          Thank You for loving us more than enough to set us free from a lifetime of being slaves to sin. Thank You for setting our spirit free so that even in chains, we cannot be bound. Thank You for Your Word that assures us if Your Son has set us free, then we are free indeed. May we have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

It Isn't Free

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13-14 NLT

It has been said, "When the will to be free is greater than the will of bondage, the way to freedom can be found."  However, the price of freedom has always been paid in heartache and blood - of the oppressed, of the oppressors, and of the liberators. 

It's been eye-opening to realize the percentage of the generations once and twice removed who seem to have forgotten and/or fail to recognize and acknowledge the freedoms we enjoy here in the states and the ultimate price that's been paid so we can enjoy them - freedoms many people in the world still today can only dream of. God help us all. 

For our Christian walk, Christ willingly paid the ultimate sacrifice to liberate us from our sinful nature. His Blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness and frees us to love others as He loved us. Have we forgotten? Do we fail to recognize and acknowledge what He has done so we may walk in it? 

Freedom was God's plan from the beginning. Even Isaiah prophesied, "I, the Lord, made you, and I will not forget you. I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me,  for I have paid the price to set you free.” Freedom isn't free.

Prayer:

Father, 
          Thank You for loving us more than enough to set us free from a lifetime of being slaves to sin. Thank You for setting our spirit free so that even in chains, we cannot be bound. Thank You for Your Word that assures us if Your Son has set us free, then we are free indeed. May we have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In All Your Ways

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

We all like a little recognition now and then for a job well done or for going the extra mile or doing something special. It’s not why we do the things we do, or at least it’s not supposed to be, but have you ever noticed that satan will come in with his little jabs, such as Why do you do that? They’re just taking advantage of you. Or something equally as ugly. Sometimes it’s an errant thought passing through your mind. Sometimes it’s satan trying to imitate God (Numbers 22:28) by using another donkey (two-legged, usually) to talk to you; but it’s all for the same reason – to try to keep us from doing what God has taught us to do…prefer one another in love (Romans 12:10 KJV).

God continues to teach me to acknowledge Him in everything – to recognize His touch in my daily living, both large and small. I’m getting better at it, although I lose sight of it sometimes. It’s all in conditioning myself to look for Him and training my eyes and heart to see. You might think with the world flying at us in breakneck speed from so many different angles, how could we possibly condition ourselves? How do we train our eyes and hearts to see?  It’s quite simple actually. You just have to know what to look for. Don’t roll your eyes…

Think about this. It’s all about the relationship. Think of someone in your life who you really care for. Would you know them anywhere? Do you know their walk? Without seeing them, do you know their voice? If you know someone well enough, you can hear footsteps and know who it is. You can hear a cough and know who’s coughing. 

How about this? Before the world became so infected with being politically correct, luxury cars were quite distinctive. You could spot a Jaguar a mile away. Mercedes, BMWs, Lincolns, Cadillacs. Why, even the lowly Nash Rambler and Corvair couldn’t be confused with anything else, because nothing had their distinctive shape. Or did you ever play 'Slug Bug?' Maybe you called it 'Punch Buggy.' Looking for VW Beetles and smacking whoever was playing with you when you spotted one first and called it? You knew what to look for then, didn’t you? 

James 1 tells us that every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights. There is a distinctive mark on those. Some are very easy to see – the raise or promotion at work. The car that does NOT break down. You stay healthy while everyone else is catching something. The IRS actually INCREASES your refund. (Don’t laugh – it happened to me before.)  Some may be a little less obvious. The car DOES break down, but you actually have the money to pay for it to be fixed because of some mandatory overtime or a “surprise” blessing you got in the mail. The tires that are on sale just when you need new tires. The friend of a friend who will come put Freon in your air conditioning unit because they owed your friend a favor and your friend wanted you to receive it. That’s all God’s touch.

Harder ones to immediately recognize might be that accident that did NOT happen when the 2 trucks in front of you almost collided with each other as you were driving 65 mph down the road directly behind them. Or something like losing a job that you love through no fault of your own, but while you’re out of work, you learn how to fully trust God as your source. How about when you’ve given a repeat performance of messing up - yet again­ -  and you don’t even know how God can forgive you, let alone not be mad at you? But the next morning, you get a sweet note from someone who acknowledges the evidence of God’s gift in your life even though they’ve never mentioned it before and you've known them a long time. Can you recognize Him now?  Then give Him the recognition and praise He deserves. Better late than never.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Prayer:

Father,
            Forgive us for all the times we failed to recognize Your acts of love and care. Give us Your understanding, Lord. We want to acknowledge You in all our ways because we need You to direct our every step. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* Acknowledging God

John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.”

John 3:27 NLT

It’s time for a refresher course in an Attitude of Gratitude. In our flesh, it’s too easy to see the down side of life. A friend of mine sent a message a while back that clearly showed her CHOICE to look for something for which to give thanks. 

She had been working mandatory overtime for several weeks. She was tired and wanted to whine about it, but that day she came home, her A/C had gone out… on one of the hottest days of the year. She chose to thank God that she had the extra money on hand to pay for the repair. She had to put her uniforms in the dryer for work the next day (while the A/C was down); she chose to thank God that she has a dryer AND that it works! She also chose to thank God that she was perspiring enough to cleanse her body from toxins (also God’s design). 

How many times do we miss the opportunity to acknowledge God in all our ways? The old car/van/truck – that still runs faithfully with no car payment. The flat tire that happened in the parking lot at work could just as easily have happened on the freeway at 70mph. You might say that NO flat tire would have been better. Let’s see, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.” Perhaps you needed an opportunity to practice an Attitude of Gratitude or find a way to acknowledge God…

Prayer:

Father,

         We haven’t the words to properly praise You for all the ways You provide for us – spiritually and physically. Forgive us for the times we don’t acknowledge You. We love You, Lord. Help us to be more aware. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen