Reflections in The WORD

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FEAR NOT: God’s Detours are not Dead-Ends

And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob.”
And he [Jacob] said, “Here am I.”
And He [God] said, “I am God, the God of thy father: FEAR NOT to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again… ” ~ Genesis 46:2-4a

A long famine in Canaan had made it very difficult for Jacob and his family to live in the land that God had given to them through His covenant with Abraham.

Jacob faced a dilemma: relocate to Egypt where there was food for his family, but give up the land of promise. OR remain in the land of promise, BUT (potentially) starve to death. Which approach was right? Which decision would honor God?

Detour

God appeared to Jacob in a dream (our text) and instructed Jacob to choose the first option. God, however, recognized Jacob’s fear of leaving the land of promise, that He had been bequeathed to Jacob and his descendants. So God reassured Jacob that the land would still belong to the descendants of Abraham, and that He would bring them back to it.

Sometimes we find ourselves in similar dilemmas. God had led us in a direction and confirmed it. Perhaps we believed God had sent us to a certain place to live/serve. Perhaps we believed God has given us a certain ministry to tend, or a career, or something else.

Perhaps, we were diligently serving God in that ministry, or career (or whatever task we were given). And it had been clear, we were sure, that that really was God’s plan for us.

THEN, unexpectedly, things went bad, like Jacob there is a famine of sorts: maybe the ministry falls apart, or there is job loss. Suddenly there is no money, and/or no means by which to remain on the path we had been confident that God had led us into. We have to make a detour.

How can this be??

Clearly not everyone will get the same answer that Jacob did. In some situations, God told His people to stay in it (e.g., during the Babylonian invasion of Judah: Jeremiah 41-44, esp. Jeremiah 42:13-19).

However, as our text shows, sometimes God does tell us to change course for a while. God told Jacob to leave (albeit temporarily) Canaan and go to Egypt. Sometimes God moves us away from what He had given us to do. Sometimes, He later brings us back. And, sometimes He doesn’t. The challenge, for us, is to hear His voice and trust His guidance.

Trust

Certainly, God no longer speaks audibly to His children as He did back then with Jacob. However, He has left us with His Word (The Bible). And, just like with Jonah, God often uses our circumstances to make His will known.

But, what can we do when His will does not seem clear from His Word, or from our situation? The answer is found in verses such as the following,

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

“Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” ~ Proverbs 16:3

When God’s will for us is truly not explicitly clear in Scripture, then we are instructed to pray, to commit our decisions to Him and trust that He will guide us. We must trust that when we step out in faith, that God will guide us onto the right path; even if our initial steps were in the wrong direction.

Change can be fearful and confusing, but God never stops guiding us. And God will keep His promises. God guided the Hebrews into Egypt where he Blessed them: he multiplied their numbers exponentially and made them into a nation. The he returned them to the land of promise.

FEAR NOT, when God changes the course of our lives, it is to enlarge us to make us stronger, not weaker.
FEAR NOT, when we seek God’s direction, He will guide us and reassure us.
FEAR NOT, safety is not found in familiarity, rather safety is found while walking in The Will of God.
FEAR NOT, change is not meant to hurt us, God-directed change is meant to keep us alive.
FEAR NOT, God has our new situation all planned out.

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: Salvation is Available: We can be FREE!

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“And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: FEAR NOT, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.” ~ Genesis 26:24

FEAR NOT: Salvation is Available for Everyone

God reassured Isaac that He will bless him. But here the Blessing is declared to be for “Abraham’s sake” and not for Isaac’s sake. In other words, Abraham’s righteous relationship with God yielded a Blessing for Abraham’s son, Isaac.

Similarly, it is by the Righteousness of Jesus that we (Believers) receive our Blessings from God. Isaac became a part of the covenant God made with Abraham, because he was Abraham’s son.

We become part of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:8-13) with God by being “born again” (John 3:3-8): becoming children of God, which was made possible through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” ~ Galatians 4:6-7

The point is this, if we were to depend on our own righteousness for God’s protection/blessing, then we would have none because our righteousness is worthless (Isaiah 64:6).

But we don’t have to depend on our goodness. Instead, we rely on the PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS of Jesus our Lord and Saviour and through Him we we are blessed.

FEAR NOT, God’s blessing does not depend on how good we are. FEAR NOT, our weaknesses and mistakes won’t drive away God’s Blessings from our lives. FEAR NOT, because God Blesses us for Jesus’ sake. Hallelujah!

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” ~ Psalm 23:6

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: God Hears our Cries

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“And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? FEAR NOT; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.” ~ Genesis 21:17

FEAR NOT: God Hears our Cries

Hagar and her son Ishmael were outcasts. Hagar was a slave who had lost her usefulness. Ishmael, her son was seen as a threat to Isaac’s (the son of Abraham and Sarah) inheritance and was no longer wanted around.

They both were the products of disobedience: Sarah was given Hagar when she went with Abraham to Egypt, which was not where God had directed him. And Ishmael was born when Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to produce an heir; this, again, was directly opposite from what God had told them to do.

Now the illegitimate mother with her illegitimate child were cast out from their home, left to fend for themselves and they were starving in the desert, about to perish.

BUT God heard Ishmael’s cry and He heard Hagar’s plea.

Many of us find ourselves, like Hagar and Ishmael, a victim of circumstances beyond our control. We may be orphans, or children born to abusive/uncaring parents. Maybe we have been abandoned by a spouse. Maybe we are just misfits that find it hard to flow with the crowd at school: we’re just not cool. Maybe we are immigrants struggling in a new land/culture. Maybe we have been laid-off from our jobs.

Whatever the reason that we find ourselves in the wilderness facing (what seems like) certain death, KNOW this: The LORD hears your cry for help! FEAR NOT! Everyone else may have gone, but God hasn’t stopped loving us: God still cares. God has heard your cry: FEAR NOT!

Unbeknownst to Hagar, there was a well nearby and that well would sustain her and her son until their situation improves. Likewise, unknown to us, God has already put in place a plan to help us through our stay in the wilderness, until He is ready to lead us out of it.

Also, God had promised Abraham that his offspring would be great. Abraham had failed to obey God (hence the birth of Ishmael), but God still kept His promise. God keeps His promises: He will keep His promise to His Son Jesus even when we mess up. Philippians 1:6 assures us that God sustains the Believer to the end.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” ~ Philippians 1:6

And even when Peter messed up (Matthew 26:69-75) God kept His promise and Peter was not lost (John 21:15-19).

God has promised never to leave or forsake us. So even when things are dim, when we find ourselves in the wilderness, God WILL keep His promise to stand by us, to see us through (Isaiah 43:1-3) our greatest challenges, FEAR NOT!!!

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

FEAR NOT: God is our Shield and Reward

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‎”After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, FEAR NOT, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” ~ Genesis 15:1

FEAR NOT: God is our Shield and Reward

The Lord is our SHIELD, nothing can come into our lives to harm us or hurt us. This challenges our perspective on the “bad stuff” we experience.

If the Lord is our SHIELD of protection, then it means that the “bad stuff” we sometimes experience must be part of God’s master plan to bring about our good. As Romans 8:28 tells us, “ALL things work together for good” for those who belong to the Lord.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28

As hard as it is to fathom, the beatings and stonings that Paul received (2 Corinthians 11:23-33) were to His great benefit. 1 Peter 4:13 instructs us to “rejoice” when we share in Christ’s sufferings. And Jesus Himself calls those who suffer persecution for His sake “Blessed” (Matthew 5:10-11).

Clearly, suffering, pain, trials, are not pleasant: they HURT! But the Lord, our SHIELD, will not allow anything that will destroy us to pass by Him: ALL things that come into our lives are for our good.

The challenge for us is to believe, to accept in faith that God has not “let us down”, but rather that He is lifting us up and carrying us through the fire, the purifying fire that melts away all the dross, the impurities, from our lives (Malachi 3:1-4).

Finally, the verse tells us that The Lord is our “exceeding great REWARD”. The ultimate reward for the life we live is not money/wealth, popularity/fame, ease, good-health or anything else that life in the flesh offers. The reward for Believers is God Himself. What a reward!!!

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:14

Friends, Brothers and Sisters, let us keep our eyes on that prize, on that REWARD. As we do, The Lord Himself will shield us through to the finish line in victory (Philippians 1:6): FEAR NOT!!!

This post is a part of a series on several of the “FEAR NOT” sayings in the Bible.

Grow without the Mire

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“Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?” ~ Job 8:11

The rush is spongy and hollow, and even so is a hypocrite; there is no substance or stability in him. It is shaken to and fro in every wind just as formalists yield to every influence; for this reason the rush is not broken by the tempest, neither are hypocrites troubled with persecution. I would not willingly be a deceiver or be deceived; perhaps the text for this day may help me to try myself whether I be a hypocrite or no.

The rush by nature lives in water, and owes its very existence to the mire and moisture wherein it has taken root; let the mire become dry, and the rush withers very quickly. Its greenness is absolutely dependent upon circumstances, a present abundance of water makes it flourish, and a drought destroys it at once. Is this my case? Do I only serve God when I am in good company, or when religion is profitable and respectable? Do I love the Lord only when temporal comforts are received from His hands?

If so, I am a base hypocrite; and like the withering rush, I shall perish when death deprives me of outward joys. But can I honestly assert that when bodily comforts have been few, and my surroundings have been rather adverse to grace than at all helpful to it, I have still held fast my integrity? then have I hope that there is genuine vital godliness in me. The rush cannot grow without mire, but plants of the Lord’s right hand planting can and do flourish even in the year of drought.

A godly man often grows best when his worldly circumstances decay. He who follows Christ for his bag is a Judas (John 12:2-6); they who follow for loaves and fishes are children of the devil (John 6:25-71); but they who attend Him out of love to Himself are His own beloved ones (John 6:66-69, John 14:15, 21, 23). Lord, let me find my life in Thee, and not in the mire of this world’s favour or gain.

Adapted from “Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening for December 27: Morning Devotional“

Simeon’s Swansong of Salvation

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“²⁵And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. ²⁶And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, ²⁸Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, ²⁹Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: ³⁰For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, ³¹Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; ³²A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” ~ Luke 2:25-32

The Bible doesn’t give us much information about Simeon, he seems to have been just a “regular guy”. However, the Bible clearly tells us that Simeon was “just and devout… and the Holy Ghost was upon him” (v. 25). And it reveals a central purpose in Simeon’s life: “it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (v. 26).

Simeon, then, had spent his years looking for the Messiah, waiting for The Saviour to show up. And now that he was old, Simeon had seen many days come and go without seeing the Messiah he was promised to meet. Yet still Simeon waited, and waited, and waited… Until finally one day he did! And out came a song of praise: a poem of rejoicing (vv. 28-32).

Here are three things we can learn from Simeon’s life:

(1) God sustained Simeon until God’s promise was fulfilled. God will do the same for us… if we will wait on Him.

(2) Simeon rejoiced in his death, for he had completed his task: he had done the job God had set for him. When we die, will we be able to say the same? Or, will we have unfinished business because we worked on our plans for our lives, instead of God’s plan for our lives? Will we be able to say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7)?

(3) Simeon, just like Methuselah (though not as old) was waiting for God’s “reboot”/”reset” for the world. Methuselah, Noah’s grandfather died when the flood came (Genesis 5:25-29, 7:6): God “reset” the world with judgment: everyone died except for Noah and his immediate family (Genesis 7). Conversely, Simeon died when God “reset” the world with mercy: instead of all men dying, Jesus came so all men could live!

Hallelujah!

We live in a time of God’s mercy. Let us use this opportunity to turn to Him, to yield our lives completely to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Because, we also know this time of mercy will not last forever. The Holy One will judge mankind again, and for the last time. Let us board the Ark of Mercy while there is time.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

There was No Room in the Inn: Just so the Shepherds could Fit In

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“⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” ~ Luke 2:7-12, 15

Why was there was no room at the inn for Joseph and Mary about to give birth to Jesus? Joseph and Mary had found favor with God. They had accepted God’s will for their lives and were humbly performing the tasks set before them. Why didn’t God prepare a nice comfortable room for them in Bethlehem?

The answer to this question is found in their first visitors, the shepherds. Shepherds were outcasts: they were scorned and considered filthy, unclean: unfit to inhabit the same space as normal people

If Jesus had been born in a room in an inn, no shepherd would have been permitted to visit him. They would not have been allowed through the door. But God sent Jesus for everyman, so Jesus had to be born in a stable that even the lowliest, even the outcast, even the scorned could come to Him.

Are you an outcast? Have you been rejected? There is nothing that stand between you and God. No matter how lowly our station in life, God loves us and wants to save us. Indeed, nothing can an nothing will separate us from the love of God… if we will accept Him (Romans 8:31-39). He is here for us: He wants to save us from the wretched consequences of sin and sinfulness.

Finally, sometimes it is difficult to know why we face challenges/difficulties/obstacles even when we are walking in God’s will doing the work He set before us. But rest assured, even when there is no “room for us at the inn” even when it is hard for us to find God in the storm… He is there. He is working out a plan that might be hard for us to understand. But He has not abandoned us.

Mary and Joseph would likely not have known that Shepherds were to visit Jesus, who was their Saviour too. But as Joseph and Mary put their trust in God, His perfect plan was revealed to them… And as we wait on God, He will reveal His perfect plans for us in just the same way.

When life gets confusing, when we don’t understand, let us continue to trust in God… He might just be preparing a way for Shepherds to come for a visit.

Have a Blessed Christmas.

The Taker and The Giver

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“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee… To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there… she brought forth her firstborn son…” ~ Luke 2:1, 3-4, 5-7

The ‘king’ of the world was Caesar Augustus, the emperor of the Roman Empire. Caesar had the power to demand that everyone in his kingdom travel from wherever they lived to a special city for taxation: to give him as much money he required. And he did.

Joseph, like all the other common men in the Roman Empire had to travel (some for very long distances) to ‘family’ cities and pay taxes to Caesar.

However, while Joseph was in Bethlehem, The KING of the Universe made His presence known. Instead of asking for men to give to Him, God gave Himself to men in the form of Jesus, our Saviour. And, rather than asking us to physically journey to Him, He sent His Gift to us.

The earthly king (Caesar) was focused on taking from mankind, and they would have to bring their ‘gifts’ to him. The Heavenly King was focused on giving His Gift to mankind and He would send His Gift to them.

Whose example should we follow?

This Christmas let us first accept the Gift of God: Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus. Then let us follow the example of the King of Kings and focus our attention on carrying a gift to others in need. Especially, let us tell others about Jesus, the greatest Gift of all.

Finally, the earthly kingdom in which we live is always trying to take from us:

→It tries to take away our time (how much time do we spend doing things that don’t matter);
→It tries to take away our thoughts (there are so many useless things to think about: what color scheme will your house be decorated in this Christmas?… Does it really matter?);
→It tries to take away our focus on Jesus (How much of Christmas will we spend ‘in the manger’ with Jesus? How much of Christmas will we spend ‘in the mall’ with Caesar?)

On the other hand, in God’s Kingdom life is about giving. Let us spend this Christmas giving our time to the lonely and let us give our thoughts to Jesus (meditating on Him). And let us spend this Christmas loving each other instead of things.

A Poem for the Children of Sandy Hook, Newtown, CT

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Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
When 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.
Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy; they didn’t know what to say.
They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
“Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
“This is heaven” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house”.

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
But Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring,
Those children all flew into the arms of their King…

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
One small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.
And as if He could read all the questions she had,
He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.

Then He looked down on earth, the world far below…
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe…
Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!

“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools”
“I’m taking back this nation. I’m taking back the schools!
“Then He and the children stood up without a sound.
“Come now my children let me show you around.

“Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran…
All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
In the midst of this darkness, “I am still the Light.”

~ by Cameo Smith

Broken Dreams

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As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He was my friend.

But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried,
“How could you be so slow”
“My child,” He said, “What could I do?
You never did let go.”

– Lauretta P. Burns

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31