29 March 2010 Devotion for Today "The Gift if Laughter" Genesis 21: 1-7

^{1 Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac [a] to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.}

 6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." 7 And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age." (Genesis 21:1-7)

 
 

The story is told of a preacher who went to his church office on Monday morning and discovered a dead mule in the churchyard. He called the police.

             Since there did not appear to be any foul play, the police referred the preacher to the health department.

             They said since there was no health threat that he should call the sanitation department.

             The sanitation manager said he could not pick up the mule without authorization from the mayor.

   Now the preacher knew the mayor and was not to eager to call him. The mayor had a bad temper and was generally hard to deal with, but the preacher called him anyway. The mayor did not disappoint. He immediately began to rant and rave at the pastor and finally said, "Why did you call me anyway? Isn't it your job to bury the dead?"

             The preacher paused for a brief prayer and asked the Lord to direct his response.

             He was led to say, "Yes, Mayor, it is my job to bury the dead, but I always like to notify the next of kin first!"

 
 

 
 

They say that God has a sense of humor. Indeed He does. Next to salvation, laughter is one of God's greatest gifts. The sinfulness and darkness of humanity would be too much to bear if God did not give us laughter to endure it. With laughter, God overrides the predictable and overcomes the routine-ness of our lives. When man thinks he has control of the world and his destiny, God often responds by demonstrating His power through laughter, such as in the case of Abraham and Sarah. When Sarah first learned that she was to become a mother, she laughed at the idea. She thought her laughter was in secret- although the heavenly visitors whom Abraham entertained knew about it. She may have been thinking, "What a cruel joke to play on an old woman! To give me a baby at my age?" But it was no joke. God indeed blessed Abraham and Sarah with a child of their own whom they appropriately named Isaac. This was a hope thought to be long since dead, yet once it was revived brought joy to this couple from the very depths of their souls. This was holy laughter indeed.

 
 

God's laughter is not unlike man's laughter except that it is pure. What we choose to laugh at may reveal what our spirit looks like. God's laughter is not slapstick, ridiculous, or silly- it is always appropriate and powerful, and focuses on His plans and His purposes. It is not risqué, dark, or filthy- as man's laughter tends to be. Again it is pure. It is the kind of laughter which brings tears to our eyes- not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. God brings laughter to help us not to take ourselves so seriously, but to realize that in our relationship with Him there is no one who can have a better time on this earth than a Christ-follower who has been given a good and godly dose of God's laughter. I find that the best way to sell a hard saying or approach a difficult subject is to look at the lighter side; for people listen far more with laughter than they will with their ears.

 
 

Today is Monday. Are you facing a long week ahead with little to ease the tension which you feel right now? Try a little laughter. Begin with a chuckle and work your way up to a big belly-laugh. As you do you can feel God's joy within you coming to the surface with love. Christ is always the way to joy as He said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." (John 15:11)

 
 

Prayer: Dear God, I admit that sometimes I take myself too seriously to often see what You desire to do in my life. You have created me to enjoy the life You have given me by opening my eyes to happiness. Make my joy full today. In Christ name I pray, Amen.

 
 

Have a blessed day!

 
 

 
 

 
 

24 March 2010 Devotion for Today "A Pattern Forming?" Genesis 20:1-7

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

7:48 AM

^{1 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.}

^{3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife."}

^{4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this."}

^{6 And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." Genesis 20:1-7}

 
 

If you have been following this devotion series on Genesis you probably thought as you read this devotional passage that it seems familiar. Perhaps you are thinking, "Did I not just read this before?" Indeed you read of a similar circumstance in the latter half of Genesis 12, where Abraham went to Egypt and while he was there, he feared for his life because of the beauty of his wife, and lied about his relationship with Sarah, calling her his sister. Pharaoh inducted Sarah into his harem but before he could consummate the relationship, bad things began to happen to Pharaoh. When Pharaoh discovered that Abraham passed Sarah off under false pretenses, he ordered the pair to leave his kingdom. There seems to be a pattern forming here, doesn't there? Some liberal commentators have noted that the repeated story is a literary device used somehow to insert the beginning of another story of Abraham. I would rather say that Abraham fell back upon his character weakness in order to impress the king of Gerar . Abraham was now in new territory where he had few connections, and wanted to stabilize his business interests there. Not one thought is given to God or His expectations of Abraham as he closes this deal. Though the Scriptures do not say, Abraham uses his wife as a pledge to assure the king of repayment of his debt. Why doesn't Abraham tell Abimelech that Sarah was his wife? Possibly because the king would never have accepted her under those pretenses.

 
 

However , the circumstances were half true. Sarah was Abrahams half-sister. Still, Abraham lies in order to deceive the king. Not only this, but the king says that Sarah also lied about the relationship. God appeared to Abimelech in a dream one night warning him that he would certainly die if he followed through with Sarah. It is interesting how this noble king seemed so much godlier and noble than Abraham did. However, Abraham did prosper from the arrangement, possibly receiving much more from the king than he would have ever expected.

 
 

There are times when I am very naïve and will often take people at face value. I have little reason to doubt them, because I do not expect that they will do me harm. To manipulate anyone as Abraham manipulated this king is the furthest thing from my mind. But as I learn discernment, I will often note what people are saying to me. If they are "not playing straight" with me, many times a pattern of themes, circumstances, or complicated situations arise in the conversations I have with them. Many times I will call them "sob stories." Sob stories are dramatic situations in a person's life which they declare are beyond their control. The purpose of these stories is, of course, to evoke sympathy from the listener. It is designed to compel or manipulate the listener to respond by offering the sob-story teller a favor: usually (and in my case, most often) a gift of money. Following this, I don't hear much from the teller of sob-stories until the next crisis arises and the pattern begins again. The sob-story teller profits most when the one to whom he tells the tale has a faulty memory.

 
 

I would have expected Abimelech to have had more sense than to be taken in by Abraham. After all, Abimelech was a king and kings often talk although it is doubtful Abimelech would have had contact from with Pharaoh. But when I hear a pattern, an alarm goes off in my head. A red flag goes up telling me to proceed cautiously- a pattern is developing here. The best thing to do in a situation like this is run before we get taken in any further.

 
 

Do you have people in your life who circulate similar patterns? Be friendly, but by all means use good discernment and discernment. If you are incapable of doing this, take along your spouse or a trusted friend. When the sad-tale bearer realizes you are playing it safe or holding back, you will note how quickly he or she will back away from the relationship looking for more positive or lucrative pickings.

 
 

Prayer: Dear God, please help me to be more focused on You to the point that I do not need to earn the favor of those who desire to use me for their own purposes. Help me to use good judgment in dealing with all people. Help me to do so with Christ-mindedness and love. And when I see a pattern development, help me to deal with it graciously but firmly. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

 
 

Have a blessed day!

 
 

 
 

 
 

18 March 2010 Devotion for Today "Compromise" Genesis 19:1-11

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, "Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way."

And they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the open square."

^{3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.}

^{4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally."}

^{6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, "Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof."}

^{9 And they said, "Stand back!" Then they said, "This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them." So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.}

(Genesis 19:1-11)

 
 

Meanwhile, back in Sodom, Lot is about to discover that his life is about to change forever because of his infatuation with worldliness and popularity. Indeed it is catching up with him very quickly. It is interesting that as the heavenly travelers approach Sodom, they find that Lot is not only an occupant, but a political and commercial leader of the city. The city gates were the places where the prominent city "fathers" hung out to discuss matters of their community. It was kind of a city council and a chamber of commerce all rolled into one. It was also where judicial matters were decided. It is interesting how Lot became so prominent so quickly. Lot was the first to recognize these heavenly visitors and acknowledged them by his offer to provide them hospitality, but they refused his offer at first. This shows us that while Lot was living in compromise in a very sinful city, he had not forgotten his godly heritage. In fact, his conscience probably cried out against him at this point. Lot also knew that groups of marauding and raping homosexuals roamed the streets at night, and he certainly did not want these visitors to experience such an encounter. Apparently this lifestyle was so open and widespread that there were men of all ages practicing this "alternative lifestyle." These people not only wished to practice this openly and without prejudice, but sought to impose their brutal and obscene preference upon Lot and the visitors in his home. When Lot made the suggestion of offering his daughters to them, they bitterly denounced Lot as a "homophobe" and threatened Lot with the same fate.

 
 

It is easy to see that Lot was caught up into this darkness just as we are in this day. Compromise is the thing that brings such a situation to pass. Had Lot's own life had been the testimony it should have been, (though doubtful Lot would be living there), Lot's lifestyle, instead of the other, would have been what the men there would have admired and modeled. Even though Lot was a leader in the city, he feared to speak out about the sin going on around him because he knew he possessed little if any moral authority in his own life to challenge it. He decried the vicious gang that confronted him, yet thought nothing of offering his innocent daughters- who were already married- to them. This crisis of compromise exposed Lot for the man that he was.

 
 

Compromise is good so long as it helps people to work together toward a common goal, or when it brings greater light or understanding on a given situation. But we should never allow compromise to detract or distract us from our faith and from our Christian principles. One thing I have observed about this subject is that we can only sit on the fence so long before we will wear a hole in the seat of our pants. Those who are pushed into a corner will eventually be forced to chose where they will stand. Straddling the line is the most dangerous place to be because no one will be able to trust you. Better to be labeled on one side or the other than to have both sides shooting at you!

 
 

Prayer: Dear God, I've observed a lot about compromise, especially this weekend. I saw people claim to give away parts of themselves and what they believe in just to get what they want, and I am distrustful of that. Father I know that not everyone may not agree with me, but help me so live my life that while they may not agree with me, at least they can respect me but also the faith that I have in You. In Christ's name, Amen.

 
 

Have a blessed day!

16 March 2010 Devotion for Today "Yielded in Prayer" Genesis 18:16-25

 16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

 20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

(Genesis 18:16-25)

 
 

Driving down a country road, I came to a very narrow bridge. In front of the bridge, a sign was posted: "YIELD." Seeing no oncoming cars, I continued across the bridge and to my destination. On my way back, I came to the same one-lane bridge, now from the other direction. To my surprise, I saw another YIELD sign posted. Curious, I thought, "I'm sure there was one posted on the other side." When I reached the other side of the bridge I looked back. Sure enough, yield signs had been placed at both ends of the bridge. Drivers from both directions were requested to give right of way. It was a reasonable and gracious way of preventing a head-on collision (Stephen Beck).

 
 

Yielding to God is one of the reasons why we pray. When we pray we usually ask God for things that we cannot do for ourselves, but it is not as though God doesn't know the answer or equipped to do what He wills to do. He desires instead that we come to Him with a yielded mind and a yielded heart. Abraham was having such an experience of yielding to God in this passage today.

 
 

Out of hospitality Abraham makes some special travelers a nice dinner and invites them to stay for some time. He was just being a good host. It seems like later in the conversation he realizes that who he is talking with is more than just a group of men. The LORD lets himself be known when he tells of the child Abraham and Sarah are about to have. Abraham now realizes that this is more than a mere man. In v. 3 when Abraham initially addresses the men he says lord with a small "l" (like the way we would say "Sir."). However, Later his address indicates the realization he is speaking to God.

It seems that in many places in the Old Testament, men like Abraham speak to God when God appears to them. I find in my own life there are a lot of times when I am just going through the motions of praying. I have not really gotten to the point of speaking to God. It is more of an exercise than a personal experience. When we see Abraham speaking to God it is a personal experience. He is speaking to a living breathing being. It was personal.

 
 

It becomes especially personal when these travelers share with Abraham that God is about to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Even though these cities are terribly wicked cities, Abraham is driven to the point of desperation because he knows that his nephew Lot and his family are living there. So Abraham prays in such a yielded way, and pleads for the lives of these cities. He asks God if God would not destroy them for the sake of fifty, and each time he hears an answer and yet prays again- "will you not destroy them for the sake of forty-five, twenty-five, how about ten, God?" Each time Abraham prays because he knows that the members of Lot's family, including his wife, daughters, and their husbands do not even equal that number. But each time Abraham prays, it is personal. He speaks to God on a personal level.

 
 

Praying personally with God and speaking to Him on this level is one of the things which makes and keeps prayer real. We might also expect God to speak to us on the same level. All of our prayers ought to be personal and yielded to God; even when we are praying for vast numbers of people- like those victims in the recent Haiti earthquake whom we do not know- when we cry out to God for them, we make it personal. God already knows them, but He wants us to enter into their anguish and heartache at the same time. This will cause us not to go through the motions, but to offer to God prayers that are personal and yielded to Him for the answers we know God is capable of giving. For example, when we hear of events like what happened in Haiti and we pray for the victims, they often feel like statistics. But when we know of someone involved in it, living there or helping with the relief, then it becomes personal. However, it can always be personal to us, because God is there and we know Him.

 
 

When you pray today, yield yourself to God. Pour out your heart to Him. He does not desire a formal, stained glass-window prayer designed more for others to hear than for God. God wants a personal prayer from our heart that acts as though there is a personal stake in the outcome. Will you be willing to do that?

 
 

Prayer: Dear God, I yield myself to You today and offer my prayers personally to You, because You are a God who cares much more than we do about the outcome of every situation. Father help us to realize how important our prayers are not just to You, but to ourselves. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!

 
 

Have a blessed day!

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

15 March 2010 Devotion for Today "Don't Laugh!" Genesis 18:1-15

^{1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre,[a] as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, "My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant."}

They said, "Do as you have said."

^{6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes." 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.}

^{9 Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?"}

So he said, "Here, in the tent."

^{10 And He said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son."}

(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.[b] 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

^{13 And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."}

^{15 But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid.}

And He said, "No, but you did laugh!"

(Genesis 18:1-15)

 
 

Have you ever been sitting a formal occasion, such as in church or in another place where you are supposed to be listening attentively, if not politely, when something strikes you funny and it causes you to laugh. I must be warped or something, but it happens to me many times: and I am the preacher! Here I am, sitting up in front of the entire congregation, supposedly sitting there reverently, spiritually, trying to lead by example that I'm worshipful and focused on God and I want to break out laughing or snickering. Usually the actions of a small child will cause this, or the sour expressions of a church member who doesn't know I am looking at them, or watching a certain member falling asleep as their mouth falls open and a stream of drool leaks over their lips and down onto the floor. After witnessing things such as this for about an hour, it is all that I can do to regain my composure. Only thank the Lord for the singing, that helps me to diffuse the giggling and keeps my mind focused on the Lord until the next time something happens. Sometimes a funny memory will get me laughing. This happened to me yesterday at church when I allowed my mind to wander back to the previous evening when we went to the grocery store to pick up a few items for dinner the next day. As my wife and I were picking up a gallon jug of milk, I heard a tremendous commotion in the direction of the cereal aisle. I watched as some stock boys scrambled to the scene and a few bystanders gawked. As we made our way to the scene, we found our teenage daughter getting up from the floor, cereal boxes laying scattered all around her. Thankfully she was laughing. But a stock clerk had walked through the aisle with a large broom as he carried it on his shoulder. The broom head hit the cereal display perched precariously high above the shelf, dislodging the entire display- causing about two dozen or more boxes to come crashing down on Jinger as she was walking by. The sight of her picking herself off the floor with all those boxes of cereal sitting around caused me to want to laugh almost uncontrollably as I sang with the choir during the special music. I hope that no one noticed.

 
 

In the scene we read about in the Scripture lesson today, Sarai snickered, yea laughed, as she heard the heavenly visitors telling Abraham that he would soon be a father, and that his wife would bear a child in her old age. The thought nearly caused Sarai to laugh uncontrollably, to think she would be giving birth well past her child-bearing years. We would not think this too difficult to do today; unusual, yes, but impossible? Never. Thanks to modern medicine, we have seen women in the sixties have children at a time when they should be having grandchildren or great-grandchildren. But as the heavenly visitor said, "is anything too hard for God?"

 
 

A few moments later, after Sarai pulled herself together and began serving Abraham's company, she was reprimanded for her laughing spell. Embarrassed, Sarai denied laughing in front of these men, but they let her know that they knew even when Sarai was sure she was hiding in a place where no one could possibly have seen or heard her giggling in the tent. This revelation was given not just to reprimand Sarai, but to help her know that they were not ordinary visitors and that the promise that they gave was true and serious. She would have a child, and the child would be the beginning of the fulfillment of God's blessings.

 
 

You may be laughing, but remember God has the last laugh. God is serious in His promises and will prove to you that He is right and undeniable. Kneel down and thank Him. Even in your most incredulous moment, God always breaks in to show us how powerful and mighty He is. Is anything too hard for God? Never.

 
 

Prayer: Dear Lord as I begin another week I thank you for the gift of laughter. But I also thank you for showing me that there is nothing too difficult for You. I pray my sense of humor will always keep me from taking myself too seriously, but never to the point where I no longer take God seriously. In Christ's name, Amen.

 
 

Have a blessed day!

10 March 2010 Devotion for Today "A New Name " Genesis 17:1-9

^{1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."}

^{9 And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. (Genesis 17:1-9)}

 
 

Most people in western culture do not change their names to fit their character. Usually they may change their name to fit their status. For example, my wife changed her last name-her maiden name-Hathaway, to fit her new married status as my wife and took my name. There was nothing wrong with her maiden name- in fact it was a very good name. Rock stars and celebrities often change their names, but not to match their character, but to make their celebrity status more marketable, catchy, or to sound strange in order to stand out. For example, singer Engelbert Humperdinck was born as Arnold Dorsey in India. But he adopted the name of an obscure German composer and was propelled to stardom. Sometimes criminals will change their name, usually as an alias or a.k.a. in order to evade police investigations.

 
 

Why would someone give up the only name they had known for 99 years and go with another one? Its because God gave him a new name- one that would signify a new era and a new covenant with God and His people. To the Hebrews, the meanings of personal names were significant. They were often descriptive of a person's character, or what their parents hoped that it would be. Abram's name changed from "Exalted Father" to "Father of Many Nations." Abraham would one day realize that promise from God as he saw his children being born even in advanced age.

 
 

Has God given you a new name? Your name may be the same, but if you are born again in Christ, you have a new life and a new purpose. It might be fun to pick out a new "spiritual name" to go along with your new character in Christ. It may not be one you would necessarily ask to be known as to people in public, but between you and the Lord to identify the new personality you are now as opposed to who you used to be. This may sound strange, but it may help you to identify who you are now in Christ.

 
 

Prayer: Dear God, no matter what name I am called by here on earth, I am thankful for the new life that You have given to me. Help me, by Your grace, to live up to the Holy Name by which I am known, through my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

 
 

Have a blessed day!

 
 

08 March 2010 Devotion for Today "It's All Your Fault" Genesis 16:1-16

Monday, March 08, 2010

10:11 AM

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.

^{5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between you and me."}

^{6 So Abram said to Sarai, "Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please." And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.}

^{7 Now the Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?"}

She said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."

^{9 The Angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand." 10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude." 11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her:}

      " Behold, you are with child,

      And you shall bear a son.

      You shall call his name Ishmael,

      Because the LORD has heard your affliction.

 12 He shall be a wild man;

      His hand shall be against every man,

      And every man's hand against him.

      And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."

^{13 Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?" 14 Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi;[a] observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered.}

^{15 So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.}

 
 

Comedian Anna Russell once wrote:

 
 

I went to my psychiatrist to be psychoanalyzed

To find out why I killed the cat and blacked my husband's eyes.

He laid me on a downy couch to see what he could find

And here's what he dredged up from my subconscious mind.

When I was one my mommy hid my dolly in a trunk

And so it follows naturally that I am always drunk.

And when I was two I saw my father kiss the maid one day

And that is why I suffer now from kleptomaniae.

At three I had the feeling of ambivalence toward my brothers

And so it follows naturally I poison all my lovers.

But I am happy now I've learned a lesson this has taught

That everything I do that's wrong is someone else's fault.

 
 

We see our society in these lines so much, especially when it comes to abdicating personal responsibility. We have gotten to the point that we honestly believe that "everything we do that's wrong is someone else's fault."

However, all we need to do is to read Genesis 16 to realize that this displacement of personal responsibility is not a modern symptom- it is as old as man himself. In fact, what played out in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were tempted is a case in point. Eve blamed the serpent for giving her the forbidden fruit. And Adam blamed God for the fact that He created Adam's wife who caused her to tempt him. In the present chapter, Sarai was overcome with anxiety for not yet having a child, so she insisted that her husband sleep with her servant Hagar- the Egyptian. We wonder first of al if Sarai had secured her services when they lived in Egypt. Egypt is a symbol of worldliness- a problem which Abram and Sarai battled since they were expelled from there. Abram did not seem to protest too much about the arrangement, but he did tell her that Hagar was Sarai's property- she could do what she wanted with her. Then Hagar got pregnant, and diminished her respect for her mistress. The situation precipitated an atmosphere of excessive competition between the two women that Sarai decided to turn Hagar into the wilderness.

 
 

At first, Sarai blamed God for not having any children. Then she blamed Abram for the fact that Hagar got pregnant- which is, after all, what she desired to happen in the first place. Abram was clearly in a no-win situation for having listened to his wife. However, Sarai does not own any of the responsibility for the result which was clearly neither in the will of God nor was it in anyone's best interest. Sarai's way of dealing with the consequences and the guilt she felt was to blame everyone else for the fact that her maid Hagar getting pregnant. She blamed Hagar and treated her spitefully. She blamed Abram for being so eager to listen to Sarai's idea. Sarai blamed God for the fact that she was childless.

 
 

The problem with finger-pointing and assigning blame is that it eventually produces a vicious backlash. From the offspring of Abram and Hagar was produced in Ishmael the greatest enemy the Hebrews, and then the Jews, would ever have. Ishmael grew to be the father of the Edomites and the Palestinian-Arab people. Our own backlash, when we refuse to own responsibility for our bad decisions, or our sins, is when the consequences come back to haunt us. Relationships are broken, trust is destroyed, and families and marriages are weakened. We still have the tendency to blame others. When a whole nation has that mentality, it produces governments such as our own that is so divided it cannot effectively cope with our problems or make any progress.

 
 

But when we take responsibility for our own problems, everyone is then free to work on their own problems. Our own pride is our own worst enemy, but we can be free to confront it as long as we trust God enough to know how best to help us deal with it. Resist the tendency this week all of us have to assign blame when things don't work out the way that they should. Instead of asking "What's wrong with these people?", ask "How did I allow this to happen?" Remember, when one finger points at another, there are three other fingers pointing back at you.

 
 

Prayer: "Dear God, I admit today that I am responsible for many bad decisions. When I see others make them, and when they affect me, I get angry. But that is only because I am angry mostly at myself. Help me to do what is right and to bring the most right to the situations in which I am involved this week. Help me also not to accept the blame for someone else's problem's, either, God. This is just as wrong as abdicating my own responsibility. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

 
 

Have a blessed day.

04 March 2010 Devotion for Today "Starry, Starry Night" Genesis 15:1-6

Thursday, March 04, 2010

10:23 AM

^{1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."}

^{2 But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!"}

^{4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."}

^{6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:1-6)}

 
 

I seldom read this passage without thinking of Don McClean's song "Vincent" that I remember listening to in junior high school. He sings of Vincent Van Gogh's impressionable capture of a starlit sky. Although his attempt is breathtaking and marvelous, the artist finds himself frustrated and incapable of capturing the night sky's brilliance totally on canvas as he gazes toward the heavens. Abram feels somewhat the same way as the Lord appears to him in a vision one night, telling him not to fear for God reveals to his servant the two things that Abram fears the most- a lack of security and a lack of posterity. You remember Abram's fear of insecurity caused him to compromise his integrity and lie about the true identity of his wife. Abram also feared that, though God had caused him to prosper greatly, the only one to whom he would leave his legacy of great wealth would be a servant and no one of his own flesh and blood. God calls Abram's attention to the dazzling brilliance of the night and relates a promise of a descendants as many as the infinite number of stars up in the sky. Even though Abram by this time was old, he refused to discount the promises or the God who made them. By faith Abram trusted God and because he did this, Abram receive another reward in the mix- the righteousness of God.

 
 

In other words, because Abram believed God, he trusted. And because Abram trusted, Abram was saved. By definition, salvation depends upon reaching out for help beyond oneself and accepting the help that is offered. Before one can be rescued from a capsizing ship on a storm-tossed sea, one must grab the hand of the rescue swimmer lowered from the winch of a Coast Guard helicopter. He will be pulled to safety even though all that he owns is swallowed up by the waves. If someone in that position could save himself, he would not require the services of the rescue team at all. The reward of having accepted the help is not only being able to live another day, but also valuing one's life in a way one has never seen before. Like a canvas full of gleaming diamonds, the gift of life takes on more brilliance than ever. One's prospects in this way become endless.

 
 

Do you see your life as having very little to look forward to, or to have another take from you what they did not earn or value? Looking inward does not hold for us very promising prospects, does it? It is not until we look to God by faith to we truly find hope and promise the way that Abram did. We will find our potential in Christ limited only by the infinite number of stars in the sky.

 
 

Prayer: Dear Lord, I lack the courage and the confidence to realize my potential until I see it in You. Thank you for the promise of such future prospects in spite of the way that things look right now. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

 
 

Have a blessed day.

 
 

 
 

 
 

03 March 2010

My Father, Who is in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name

 
 

Praise the LORD. [a]

       Praise the name of the LORD;

       praise him, you servants of the LORD,

 2 you who minister in the house of the LORD,

       in the courts of the house of our God.

 3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;

       sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

 
 

Psalm 135 1-3

 
 

I praise You, Lord for this week You are so good to us.

Better than we have a right to expect.

You are great, because we have a great God who loves us

And cares for all of our needs.

Thank you, dear Father for all of Your wonderful deeds.

You make Yourself still known to us even in a world

That does not regard You at all.

Though the earthquakes rattle the islands and the coasts,

And floodwaters and high winds pour over the lands,

The blizzard and great storms prolong our winters,

Causing us to long for the spring;

Just other ways to remind us all that You are still there,

That if we do not regard You, to acknowledge You

You will humble us, and break us so that we will learn

Never to put ourselves first or to deny You.

 
 

Yet, You display Your awesome work in the hearts of those

Who show Your compassion and Your love.

I bless You today as we go out and attend to those

Who need to see that great love of Yours.

Magnify Your love within my heart.

Let them see less of me and more of You

In a world that desires more excuses than answers

And refuses to be honest with itself.

Draw their hearts back to You, dear God.

Let them see the true emptiness of their ways.

Let those who seek to silence You

And those who try to still our mouths be confounded.

Keep them from prospering in their blasphemies, O God;

Til every face falls prostrate by Your feet, dear Lord.

O vanquish us, our conquering King!

 
 

 
 

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, On Earth, as it is in Heaven