Genesis 29 -- Watching Jacob Grow

I enjoyed my commentary’s focus on how Jacob’s character was developed through his trials in this chapter.  “With Jacob, marriage wasn’t an option; it was an obligation.  The success of the covenant promises God gave to Abraham depended on Jacob’s finding a wife and with her, building a family … that would bring the promised Redeemer into the world.”

Jacob’s sighting of Rachel at the well wasn’t “a fortunate coincidence” as the world might say, but a divine appointment.  God used his attraction to her to initiate His plans for His covenant promises.  He was so enamored with Rachel that he never noticed that his future father-in-law made NO promise that he would give Rachel to Jacob at the end of his promised service.

Strangely, we see a father hurting his own daughter (Rachel) to fulfill his own schemes at the wedding.  And how awkward that next day must have been for Jacob, not to mention having to complete his marital duties during the marriage week, wanting only to be with the woman he really loved, yet having to instead spend bedroom time with her sister!  Yet in that culture, the bride’s father controlled.  Jacob “meekly accepted his lot and went back to work for another seven years,” but celebrated his second honeymoon the following week!  “Little by little, Jacob was learning to submit to God’s loving hand of discipline and was growing in faith and character.”

Laban didn’t realize the “the Lord was ruling and overruling in the entire event.  ‘There is no wisdom, no might, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.’”  Through it all, God was producing the beginnings of the twelve tribes of Israel – building a nation from which the Redeemer would come.  And God saw Jacob’s heart – that he naturally loved Rachel more than Leah, and He balanced things out by making Leah fertile (building the family, including the line of Judah from her), while Rachel couldn’t conceive.  If nothing else, that kept Jacob doing his marital duties, through which the redeemer would come, even though his heart and affections were elsewhere.

More evidence of Jacob’s spiritual growth come from this as “Leah and Rachel treated Jacob like a servant and used him as a pawn in their family bargaining, and he patiently bore with it,” my commentary said.

Father, help me to see Your hand working in my own family.  Show me how to help my sons see Your sovereignty in their own lives, even when they seem unwilling to let You lead.  I want them to grow to depend on You and not on themselves.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 28 -- A Sudden Life Change For Jacob

Life really changed for Jacob.  He’d always stayed at home and had a special link with his mother, but now the threat of retaliation from Esau would disrupt his world.  His mother used finding a wife for him as an excuse to hopefully save his life.  She likely hoped that a few months would pass, the whole thing would blow over, and Jacob would return to her with grandkids soon to follow, but Rebekah never saw him again.  when he returned some twenty years later, she would be dead.

Whereas Abraham had sent a caravan with his servant to find a bride for Isaac, Jacob seemed to be traveling alone, and one night he warily laid down on the ground, with a rock for a pillow, and dreamed.  God was revealing Himself to him in that dream, and when Jacob awoke, he remembered all that God had promised him:  that He was the God of Jacob’s grandfather and father; that He was giving Jacob the land where he slept – he wouldn’t be just passing through it; that this single guy WOULD have a wife and many sons and many grandkids; that everyone on earth would be blessed because of it; and perhaps what he really needed to hear on this very scary journey alone into an unknown land and future – that God was going with him, would protect him, and would bring him back home, never leaving him until every promise was fulfilled.

Jacob finally realized that God was present in his life, but he never knew it!  And hearing those promises, Jacob accepted them and agreed that God would be his God.  And he worshiped him there.

Father, I remember my own encounter with You, when I’d stepped so very far away, yet You kept after me and drew me back with Your love.  You’ve blessed me and I trust You to direct my life.  Before, I was afraid that You would take me where I didn’t want to go, but now I know that You change my heart so that by the time I am there, I am exactly where I want to be – with You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 27 -- A Bum Rap For Jacob?

I loved the way my commentary wove the characters together in this chapter.

Isaac, it said, was in decline and put himself ahead of the Lord by thinking he was surely about to die and then deciding to eat a feast of wild game and bless Esau.  He and Rebekah had caused the family feud, it said, by their selfish favoritism and instead of healing it, he was perpetuating it and destroying his family.  Knowing God had said before their births that Jacob would rule, Isaac still planned to overrule that.  He knew that Esau had despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob, and that he’d disqualified himself by marrying heathen women, yet he still tried to overrule God.

It also said Rebekah wasn’t believing without scheming.  She apparently didn’t trust God to get the job done and eavesdropped and lied and connived.  She could have taken Jacob to Isaac and reminded him of God’s message, but decided to use deception instead.

Jacob had to compound lies with more lies to pull off the deception.  Afterwards, Isaac trembled greatly with agitation.  My commentary said it was because he knew that the Lord had overruled his own selfish plan so that his favorite son did not receive the blessing.

For Esau, who’d despised a godly life, he felt it wasn’t his fault, but his brother’s.  He loved blaming others.

A footnote in my commentary said it all:  “At no time do we find God rebuking Jacob for cheating somebody … Jacob was wrong in deceiving his father, but he was right in believing God’s Word and knowing that the covenant blessing was his.  He didn’t steal the birthright; he bought it … It was Laban who defrauded Jacob … Throughout Jacob’s life, God fulfilled the basic meaning of his name, ‘God will protect’.”

Father, thank You for a new perspective on this vital story.  Help me to believe without scheming, trusting that You will protect me as well.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 26 -- Redigging Old Wells

“True faith is always tested, either by temptations within us or trials around us, because a faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted,” my commentary said again.  And Isaac’s faith was about to be tested.  Isaac faced a famine as his father had.  God specifically told him not to go to Egypt, “but live in the land where I tell you to live.  Stay in this land…”

It’s hard to tell how well Isaac obeyed, because he traveled to Gerar, the Philistine capital.  Although technically he had moved, he was still within the boundaries of Canaan.  But like his father, he worried that he’d be killed to get his wife, and Isaac lied that she was his sister, too.  Isaac settled down after being found out, becoming a farmer, and God richly blessed him, to the point that the Philistines worried about his strength and influence and began stopping up the wells that Abraham had dug.  This finally forced him to move to Beersheba.

There God appeared to him and again blessed him, and Isaac built an altar and worshiped Him there.  Seeing how God was blessing him in spite of their best efforts, the Philistine king came and made an agreement with Isaac to avoid future conflict.

However, another conflict began at home.  “His worldly son Esau had married two heathen wives who caused grief to Isaac and Rebekah.”

Isaac’s experience with redigging the old wells his father had originally dug brought up an important message in my commentary for churches today:  “The church keeps looking for something new, when all we need is to dig again the old wells of spiritual life that God’s people have depended on from the beginning – the Word of God, prayer, worship, faith, the power of the Spirit, sacrifice, and service – wells that we’ve allowed the enemy to fill up.”

Father, help me, like Isaac to discern when to be confronter and when to be a peacemaker.  I know that my faith gets tested, and I must remember that it can’t be trusted until it is tested.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 25 -- Examining Isaac

After God used His resurrection power to enable Abraham to father Isaac, and after Sarah died, Abraham remarried and fathered other boys; but like Ishmael, these boys were removed from the scene.  They were given gifts, but only Isaac inherited his father’s wealth because he was the child of the promised covenant.  And as God had said, Ishmael fought against his brothers – these other sons of Abraham. 

Isaac was different than his father and not terribly remarkable.  My commentary said, “Discovering our own uniqueness and using it to the glory of God is the challenge that makes life what it is.”

Isaac is sometimes faulted for liking Esau more than Jacob.  My commentary said, “Whatever mistakes Isaac may have made as a husband and father, this much is true:  As a young man, he willingly PUT HIMSELF ON THE ALTAR to obey his father and to please the Lord.”  That says a lot!

Father, thank You for this fresh view of Isaac.  Help me to understand my own uniqueness and how it fits into Your will for my life, and help me to be obedient to that will.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 24 -- Four Elements

My commentary had a really interesting take on the story of finding Isaac a wife.  It noted four elements that are also involved in the marriage of Christ and His church:

                The will of the father

                The witness of the servant

                The willingness of the bride

                The welcome of the bridegroom

Some passages I particularly liked:

                “Just as Abraham wanted a bride for his son, so God the Father elected to provide a bride for His beloved Son.  Why?  The bride is the Father’s love gift to His Son.”

In speaking about Rebekah’s willingness to draw water for a stranger, his men, and his camels, I read, “Little did Rebekah know that doing a humble task for a stranger would make her the bride of a wealthy man who was in a covenant relationship with God … Make every occasion a great occasion, for you can never tell when someone may be taking your measure for a larger place.”

Regarding Rebekah’s decision not to wait 10 days, but to instead leave at once, I read, “What motivated Rebekah to make the right decision?  She heard the word about Isaac and believed it.  She saw the proof of his greatness, generosity, and wealth and wanted to belong to him for the rest of her life.  She had never seen Isaac, but what she had heard about him convinced her to go to Canaan with the servant.”

A really important quote: “We make our decisions and then our decisions turn around and make us.”

Father, thanks for this incredible picture.  Help me to use what I read today in my everyday life.  I want to be looking for where You are working and join You there.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 23 -- Sarah's Death

Sarah was 127 years old when she died.  That made Isaac 37 when his mom passed away.  At 90, she didn’t have a son.  What a wonderful miracle God wrought in her life those last 37 years!

My commentary focused on Abraham’s actions after her death.  Even though God had given Abraham all of the Promised Land, legally he owned none of it.  He had to bargain at the city gate for a burial plot.  He asked only to buy a cave, but the owner would only sell it with the field adjoining it.  In faith, Abraham promised to pay the full price before one was quoted, and then the owner requested a price of ten pounds of silver.  Abraham agreed, and this became the only land he legally owned in the Promised Land.

He could have taken Sarah’s body back to Ur for burial, but he believed God.  The Promised Land was to be his home.  He’d also come to understand about resurrection, and it was therefore important to him to be buried in the Promised Land.  My commentary concluded the chapter, saying, “We will take nothing with us; we will leave it all behind.  But, if we are investing in things eternal, we can send it ahead (Matt. 6:19-34).  If we live by faith, then we can die by faith, and when you die by faith, you have a wonderful future.”

Father, help me to invest for eternity, sending ahead what You’ve blessed me with already.  Help my boys to see the future You have planned for them, and to become a part of that future today. 

Genesis 21 -- Four Messages In Isaac's Birth

Fulfillment of God’s Promise – God keeps His promises, in His own way, and in His own time.

The Rewarding of Patience – Trusting God’s promises not only gives you a blessing at the end, but it gives you a blessing while you are waiting.

The Revelation of God’s Power – Abraham and Sarah experienced God’s resurrection power in their lives because they yielded to Him and believed His Word.  Faith in God’s promises releases God’s power.

Accomplishing God’s Purpose – God gives you the power you need to do what He wants you to do.  No matter how long you may have to wait, you can trust God to accomplish His purposes.

My commentary also noted the conflict between Ishmael and Isaac, and compares it to the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit in our own lives.  It says that conflict will continue in our lives until we see the Lord.

One other thing I hadn’t thought about before reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin this year with my son – Isaac was born free while Ishmael was the son of a slave.  Being the son of the slave owner does not automatically make you free, because you are still the son of a slave.  My commentary says, “Christian freedom is the freedom to be and do all that God has for us in Jesus Christ.  No man in this world attains to freedom from any slavery (to sin) except by entrance into some higher servitude, and that higher servitude is personal surrender to Jesus Christ.  No one is more free than the child of God who delights in God’s will and does it from the heart.

Father, thank You for freeing me from the bondage of the guilt of sin, and for making me a servant to Your will.  Help me to readily obey and not to return to my old master.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 22 -- Five Simple Instructions When We Are In The Midst Of Trials

My commentary speaks of five simple instructions from God to us when we are in the midst of trials:

     Expect tests from God

     Focus on promises, not explanations

     Depend on God’s provision

     Seek to glorify Christ

     Look forward to what God has for you

I also read that we must learn to distinguish between trials and temptations.  “Temptations come from our desires within us, while trials come from the Lord who has a special purpose to fulfill.” 

Also, “our faith is not really tested until God asks us to bear what seems unbearable, do what seems unreasonable, and expect what seems impossible.”

“There are some trials in life that we must face alone.  It is only then that we can see what our Father really can do for us.”

As to His provision, I read, “Where does the Lord provide our needs?  In the place of His assignment … We have no right to expect the provision of God if we are not in the will of God.  When does God meet our needs?  Just when we have the need and not a minute before …God is never late.  How does God provide for us?  In ways that are usually quite natural … To whom does God give His provision?  To those who trust Him and obey His instructions … Why does God provide our every need?  For the great glory of His name!”

“We find ourselves asking ‘How can I get out of this?’ instead of ‘What can I get out of this that will honor the Lord?’  We sometimes waste our sufferings by neglecting or ignoring opportunities to reveal Jesus Christ to others who are watching us go through the furnace.”

Abraham received a new approval from God, a new son (They’d been to the altar together, and Isaac was now a living sacrifice), new assurances, and a new name for God and a deeper love for the Lord, my commentary added.

Father, help me now to process what I’ve been through this past year.  I know You directed it.  I don’t want to miss anything You were trying to show me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 20 -- Reliving Sin Again With Pleasure In Our Minds

Abraham for some reason chose to move to Gerar, which was the edge of Philistine territory.  The king of that area was Abimelech, who wasn’t a believer.  Once again Abraham let his fear lead him into sin.  He again feared the ruler might kill him to get his wife, so the old half-truth that she was his sister rather than his wife was trotted out again.  My commentary labeled it royal privilege that Abimelech chose to add Sarah to his harem, but I thought it was outright theft.  Left unsaid is why Abimelech would want a 90-year-old woman in his harem!

This sin cropped up again in Abraham’s life because “he had failed to judge this sin when they had dealt with it in Egypt.  They had admitted their sin to Pharaoh and confessed it to God, but the fact that it surfaced again indicates that they did not judge the sin and forsake it … People who remember their sins with pleasure and enjoy them again in their minds have never judged their sins or seen how sinful their sins really are,” my commentary said.

I hadn’t thought about that very much!  It’s like committing the sin all over again by reliving it in our minds, because after all, Jesus made it clear that it’s the thought that counts.  Remembering it isn’t not sinning just because we think we only sinned once with the original sin.  Instead, it’s sinning again because we didn’t judge it as sin and keep it out of our minds.  Jesus made it clear that it’s the thought that counts.

Once again I read, “God does not allow His children to sin successfully.  When we deliberately disobey God, we suffer both from the consequences of our sins and from the chastening hand of God, unless we repent and submit.  God in His grace will forgive our sins, but God in His sovereignty MUST allow sin to produce a sad harvest.”

Father, when I am tempted to relive old sins and enjoy them again in my mind, help me to understand deeply that I have not judged them as sin.  Stop me in mid-thought and lead me to judge them and never bring them to the forefront again.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 19 -- Not To Love The World

The two angels left Abraham’s tent and appeared in Sodom as Lot sat in a position of importance at the city gate.  “Lot’s heart was in Sodom long before his body arrived there.  No doubt he got his first love for the world when he went to Egypt with Abraham.  Worldliness is not a matter of physical geography but of heart attitude,” my commentary said.

The Lord had appeared with the angels at Abraham’s tent, but He could not fellowship with Lot and his family because even though Lot was a believer, his life was such that the Lord did not feel at home with him, my commentary noted.

Lot’s personal values had been effected by his worldliness, too.  The middle eastern code of hospitality required him to protect guests in his home.  He chose to offer his unmarried daughters to the mob outside his door to protect his guests.

With less than ten righteous people in these wicked cities, the angels were charged with destroying them, but they did not destroy the righteous with the wicked.  They rescued them in God’s mercy.  But Lot was so out of the will of God that “God had to take Lot by the hand and forcibly drag him out of Sodom.  First, Lot lingered; then he argued; then he begged to be allowed to go his own way.  Instead of being gratified for God’s mercy and obeying his rescuers, Lot resisted them and created trouble for them … Lot lost everything when Sodom was destroyed … Lot was conformed to the world.  All that he lived for went up in smoke and was buried under ruins … Lot is a warning to all believers not to love the world, because the day of reckoning finally comes.”

Lastly, my commentary quoted wise words from Isaiah 55:6-7.  “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy upon him; AND [return] to our God; for He will abundantly pardon.”

It’s not just our actions that pull us away from God, but also our thoughts, and both must be surrendered to God.  He is merciful and He wants to hear us apologize and ask forgiveness not just for what we’ve done, but also for what we’ve thought but not done.  Lot’s thoughts stayed with him from Egypt to Sodom, and though he was called righteous, his unwillingness to give them up and separate himself to God almost cost him his life.

Father, please examine my thought life and help me to admit to You what thoughts I have that don’t honor You.  Give me the strength I need to let them go.  Don’t let me ever believe that it isn’t a sin to just think about and not do anything that is out of Your will.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 18 -- Interceding, Not Bargaining

Abraham was now 99 years old.  Resting in the heat of the day, he was surprised to see travelers approaching.  His desire to fulfill the Middle Eastern law of hospitality was evident.  With his wealth and servants, he could have arranged for others to take care of the guests, but then he might have missed out on the opportunity to commune with the Lord.  He hurried to get arrangements made and attended to his guests himself, and he was humble in his service.

The Lord and two angels had come from heaven, appearing as regular men, to personally deliver the news that Sarah would bear Abraham a son within a year.  Sarah heard and laughed at the impossibility, saying to herself, “My husband and I are too old.”  They were as good as dead and finally to a point where only God could take the credit for the pregnancy.  She even denied her unbelief when the Lord noted it.  When she lied and said, “I didn’t laugh,” the Lord said, “No.  You did laugh.”  Who are we to ever think we can pull one over on the all-knowing God?

Abraham then was privileged to hear the Lord’s deliberations regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, and he interceded on behalf of Lot and his family and the unsaved in these wicked cities.  While he may come across as a humble but shrewd Middle Eastern trader, God knew how many righteous people were in the cities, and it was less than Abraham’s final bargaining number.  God hadn’t lost any ground.

Often we worry that our prayers may be for nothing, but I loved a quote from Charles Spurgeon in my commentary:

“If they (lost sinners) will not hear you speak, they can’t prevent your praying.  Are they far away so that you can’t reach them?  Your prayers can reach them.  Have they declared that they will never listen to you again, no see your face?  Never mind, God has a voice which they must hear.  Speak to Him, and He will make them feel.  Though they now treat you despitefully, rendering evil for your good, follow them with your prayers.  Never let them perish for lack of your supplications.”

Father, don’t ever let me give up in praying for those I love.  Help me to remember that I may be one prayer away from Your decision to move.  Thank You for hearing my prayers and responding.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 17 -- Three New Names

My commentary says three new names were revealed in this chapter:  Abraham – father of a multitude; Sarah – a Hebrew name for princess; and El Shaddai – “The all-powerful and all-sufficient God who can do anything and meet any need.”

“God seems to have been silent for 13 years.  God now says “I will” twelve times in this chapter; He is about to do the miraculous.  After Abraham’s battle with the four kings, God came to him as a warrior and told him He was his shield.  When Abraham wondered about his refusal of Sodom’s wealth, God told him He was his exceedingly great reward.  Now when Abraham and Sarah are as good as dead, God assured them that He was more than sufficient to bring about the miracle birth.  God comes to us in the ways we need Him most.”

This revelation of God to Abraham brought a responsibility on Abraham’s part.  “Abraham was to walk before God, that is, live in the knowledge that the eyes of God were always upon him – single-hearted, without blame, sincere, and wholly devoted to the Lord.”

Abraham would have been content and to settle for Ishmael being the promised son, but God wouldn’t.  Isaac was to be the son of promise.  And my commentary says, “When God is preparing a bright future for you, don’t cling to things of the past.  Ishmael represented the past.  Isaac, the future.  Ishmael symbolized man’s fleshly was of accomplishing something for God, but Isaac was a miracle baby, born by the power of God.  Ishmael brought dissension into the home, but Isaac brought laughter.  If you have an Ishmael in your life, yield it up to God.  God has a perfect plan, and what He plans is the best.  It may pain you to give up your cherished dreams, but God’s way is always the right way … The old nature can be disciplined, subdued, and even to some extent controlled, but it cannot be changed.  Until we receive our glorified bodies in the presence of the Lord, the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit will continue.”

Father, show me my Ishmael, and help me to give it up.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 16 -- Four Truths

The warning for us here is that it is dangerous to depend on your own wisdom.  Sarah tried to second-guess God, and Abraham passively accepted her decision, which led to a detour in their pilgrim walk, and my commentary said, “The detour is always worse than the main road.”

Waiting:

It continued, “Faith is evidenced by four things:  Being concerned with the glory of God, a willingness to wait on the Lord, acting in obedience to God’s Word, and having God’s joy and peace within about the decision.”

Scheming:

God’s Word here was what He’d told Abraham – that he’d have a son.  God had not yet identified the mother though, and Sarah, using her wisdom , said, “It may be …, instead of “thus saith the Lord.”  Faith is living without scheming and Sarah was scheming.  “Sarah was not concerned about the glory of God; her only goal was ‘that I may obtain children by her … God’s delays are not God’s denials, but Satan whispers to us, ‘God is holding out on you!  If He loved you, things would be different.  Blame Him!’” 

I needed the reminder that “whatever is not of faith is sin,” and “In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably, or succeed MORE miserably.”

Fighting:

Joy and peace certainly weren’t there.  “Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar were at war with each other, because they were at war with the Lord, and they were at war with the Lord because they had selfish desires warring within their own hearts.”

Submitting:

Hagar had to submit to God by returning to her mistress, unsure of how she would be treated.  Sarah had to submit to God by not mistreating her or her child.  Abraham had to submit to God by acknowledging Ishmael as his son.

Despite this detour, it’s important to remember that “God is never caught by surprise.  When He cannot rule, He overrules, and He always accomplishes His purposes.  Satan wants us to think that our disobedience detours must become permanent roads for the rest of our lives, but this is a lie.  Like Abraham and Sarah, we can confess our sins, accept God’s cleansing, and then learn to live with our mistakes.  Yes, there will be pain and regret, but God’s grace will overcome in the end … The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.”

Father, You have reminded me of so many unintended detours I’ve caused for myself in this life.  Please help me to use these four truths to stay on the main road from now on.  And help me to communicate these truths to my sons so that they can avoid painful detours themselves.  Help them to hear and listen, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 15 -- What God Said

Wow!  To hear God say to you, “Don’t be afraid!  I will defend you and I will give you a great reward!”

I hadn’t thought about it, but my commentary mentioned that Abram could have been worrying that the defeated kings might regroup and seek revenge r his victory over them.  As to the reward, what would happen to the promise of the Redeemer if Abram were killed?

There was a lot of discussion in my commentary about emotions – that we are made in the image of God, and this includes our emotions:  “While it is unwise to trust your emotions and bypass your mind, or let your emotions get out of control, it is also unwise to deny and suppress your emotions and become a religious robot.”

The Bible is filled with stories of men who told God honestly how they felt, and God didn’t treat that as unbelief.  In verse 2, when Abram tells God, “I have no son,” my commentary says he’s not only concerned for just himself and his wife, but also “for the working out of God’s plan of salvation for the whole world.  God had a glorious plan, and God made a gracious promise, but God seemed to be doing nothing.  Abram and Sarai were getting older, and time was running out.”

“God’s will must be fulfilled in God’s way and in God’s time” it said.  “What Abraham and Sarah did not realize was that God was waiting for them to be as good as dead so that God alone would receive the power and glory … He walked with God for a century.  In spite of Abraham’s occasional failures, he accomplished the will of God and brought blessing to the whole world.”

Yesterday, we were all made aware of the horrific ISIS burning-alive of the Jordanian pilot.  I couldn’t help but think how it was directly related to Abraham’s efforts to help God out coming in the next chapter.  We’ll never know what harm our own such actions might someday cause down the centuries.  It’s best not to hurry Him or doubt Him.

Father, help me to be steadfast in my trust in You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 14 -- Character In Conquest

Lot had allied himself with the world and it cost him his freedom in the first war recorded in the Bible.  He was captured in the Jordan Valley and taken to what would one day become the northern edge of Israel.

“Abraham did not get involved in the war until he heard that Lot had been captured, and then he began to act.  Abraham was separated, but not isolated; he was independent, but not indifferent,” my commentary said.  Despite Lot’s desire for the world, Abraham went to rescue him.  “Neither the Lord’s chastening nor the Lord’s goodness in rescuing Lot did him any good.  The goodness of God should have led him to repentance, but instead of repenting, Lot returned to Sodom … Lot was the father of all such as are scarcely saved,” my commentary added. 

After defeating the enemy kings and rescuing Lot, Abram was met by the king of Salem and the king of Sodom, who offered to let him keep the spoils if he’d just return the people of his city.  But Sodom’s treasures were not what Abram wanted, and he returned everything except what his soldiers had eaten, for it was important to him that nothing of Sodom’s could be said to have enriched him.  The king of Salem – also the high priest – Melchizedek, offered him the blessing of the Most High God, offering to strengthen Abram after the battle, for the victory, for temptation so often occurs after a spiritual victory.  In not keeping the spoils of Sodom, which were rightfully his to claim, Abram was following the wise counsel, “Others may – you cannot.”

Abram tithed part of the bounty to Melchizedek, giving out of the heart to God in thankfulness for His provision.  In our own giving, it’s important to remember that our giving is a true act of worship, and we are not giving to a church but to the Lord, so we want to give our very best, and 10% is only a good place to start, since it is all His anyway.

Father, help me to pattern my responses to Your workings in my life after what Abram did here.  Allow me to acknowledge Your watchcare and provision, and help me not to spoil my witness by keeping what might be legal, but not of You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 13 -- Test #3 Passed

Abram came away from Egypt a very rich man.  Despite failing his first two tests, God blessed him.  He and his nephew Lot had so much livestock that the land could not support them together.  It was God’s way of taking Lot out of the picture.

Abram had the right to choose where he would live and therefore where Lot would live, but he determined to be a peacemaker.  “The heart of every problem is the problem of the heart … Lot’s heart was really in Egypt,” my commentary said.  He was letting possessions become his god.

My commentary pointed out what Abram did differently than Lot:

                Abram lived for others, not for self.

                Abram lived by faith, not by sight.

                Abram let God choose for him.

                Abram gave thanks to God.

Abram had learned to say what I also learned while adopting my son:  “I trust You, God!”

It was interesting reading that “the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time,” for these two men were unconcerned about them.  Lot didn’t mind joining them.  Abram knew that God would take them out of the equation.

Abram also knew that God was in control and would bless him wherever he was, and he built altars wherever God moved him to worship God.  There’s no record of Lot ever doing that.

I noticed a strange sentence in my commentary:  “Lot was a righteous man, but not devoted to God.”  It called him “carnal (saved but living for the world and the flesh).”  That just doesn’t seem to fit with my idea of righteous.

Father, I know there will be many more tests of faith in my own life.  Please continue to direct me.  Help me to listen to You and not to my own heart.  I want to be a man after Your own heart.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Genesis 12:10-20 The Trials Begin

Abram made it to Canaan only to encounter famine.  He’d passed his first test of faith by leaving his land and people, the half-passed the next test by settling in Haran until his father died and then taking Lot with him.  After arriving in Canaan the famine became his next faith test.  My commentary said they can come through circumstances, people, and things.

It also said God allowed the famine to teach Abram and Sarai a basic lesson in the school of faith – tests often follow triumphs.  “After you have won a great victory of faith, expect the enemy to attack you or the Lord to test you, or both.  This is the only way you can grow in your faith.  God uses the tough circumstances of life to build the muscles of your faith and keep you from trusting something other than His Word.  Don’t try to run away from the problem.  It won’t work.”

But that’s what Abram did.  “When circumstances become difficult and you are in the furnace of testing, remain where God has put you until He tells you to move.  Faith moves in the direction of peace and hope, but unbelief moves in the direction of restlessness and fear … In times of testing, the important question is not, ‘How can I get out of this?’, but ‘What can I get out of this?’”

I also read a very profound statement I’d heard before:  “God alone is in control of circumstances.  You are safer in a famine in His will than in a palace out of His will … The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”

Epic Fail #1 brought another test – people.  Pharaoh might desire his wife (he did).  So Abram decided to lie.  My commentary noted changes in Abram’s life that took place because he went to Egypt:

                He moved from trusting to scheming … When you find yourself scheming in order to escape problems with people, beware; worse trouble is coming.

                He moved from confidence to fear.  When you are in the place of God’ choosing, you don’t ever need to be afraid.

                He moved from others to self.  He lied and put his wife in danger to protect himself.  He should never have taken his wife there in the first place.

                He move from bringing blessing to bringing judgment.  If you want to be a blessing to others, then stay in the will of God.

The wrap-up was this:  “God graciously watched over His servant and brought him out of a difficult situation.  If Sarai had become one of Pharaoh’s wives, what would have happened to the promise of the Redeemer?  When we don’t let God rule, He OVERRULES and accomplishes His purposes, but we pay dearly for our disobedience … When you disobey the will of God, the only right thing to do is to go back to the place where you left Him and make a new beginning.  No failure is permanent in the school of faith.

Father, I so hate myself when I fail to trust You and choose to willfully sin against You.  I know that I can trust Your will for my life, and I guess my sin-nature just makes me stupid.  There is no excuse.  When I do fail, thank You for taking me back, brushing me off, and forgiving me.  These faith tests are tough, but without taking them, my faith wouldn’t grow.  Help me to remember in those tough times what I learned as You called me to adopt Josh – “I trust You, God!”

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford