We Have An Advocate.

Job 16-17

Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high. My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to God. Oh, that someone would mediate between God and me, as a person mediates between friends. – Job 16:19-21 NLT

There was a lot that Job didn't know in the middle of all that was going on in his life. He didn't know why he was suffering. He didn't know why his friends were attacking him and accusing him of sins he had not committed. He didn't know why all of his children had had to die. He didnt know what was going to happen to him. But he DID know one thing for sure: The answers to all of his questions and the solution to all of his problems was in heaven. He knew that his cries needed to be directed to God, not man. While men can and should provide comfort and support, that can't ultimately solve life's problems. Only God can.

Job cries out that God is his witness. Job may not understand why he is suffering, but he knows he is innocent and in the end, can count on God to testify to that fact. He is counting on it. In fact, he pleads that God would act as his mediator as well as his judge. He is asking God to perform both roles, because there is no one else he can count on. His friends think he is guilty. They wouldn't even be good witnesses, let alone mediators. So Job is left with God as his sole source of comfort and support. Which is right where God wants us. He wants us to lean on Him and no one else. He wants us to come to Him and no one else.

The interesting thing is that, in spite of all Job's uncertainty, he describes a relationship with God that each of us as believers enjoys because of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, He is able to stand before God the Father as the One who met the requirements of the Law perfectly, lived a sinless life, could then act as the sinless sacrifice in our place, and pay the penalty that sin required: death. The result is that we have eternal life and Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father acting as our advocate and mediator. "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5 NLT). We have exactly what Job was asking and longing for – an advocate, a representative who stands before God and speaks on our behalf and defends our righteousness. Because when God looks at us, He does not see our sin, but He sees us covered with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are righteous in His eyes. And even when we do sin, Jesus acts as our advocate, reminding God the Father that the price for that sin has already been paid. "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1 NASB).

Job inherently knew that God was the one to turn to in a time of need. He knew that God could be trusted to judge impartially and fairly. He knew that God was the only one who could be a reliable witness. Yes, Job was struggling with doubt and despair. He was questioning everything, but he knew that he could count on God in the end. How much more so should we? We have Jesus Christ as our advocate. He is our faithful representative, standing before God the Father and acting on our behalf, pleading our case before the throne of God. That is where we need to turn. That is who we need to trust. "For Christ has entered into heaven itself to appear now before God as our Advocate" (Hebrews 9:24 NLT).

Father, I can't thank You enough for this reminder that I can come right into Your throne room with confidence that I am well represented by Jesus. He is my advocate, but He is also my sin substitute. I stand before You as sinless and holy, because of what He has done. When things take a turn for the worse in my life, I do not have to stand before You in fear, wondering if You are punishing me for some sin I have committed. My sins have all been paid for. The punishment has already been meted out and Your judgment has already been satisfied. Keep reminding me that I can turn to You and I can trust You to act favorably or propitiously on my behalf. You love me. I am Your child. Amen.

The Destructive Power Of Words.

Job 14-15

Those who live by their own rules, not God's, can expect nothing but trouble, and the longer they live, the worse it gets. – Job 15:20 MSG

Over in Proverbs 15:4, we find the words of Solomon that seem to have been written with Eliphaz and his friends in mind. "Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim" (The Message). In Psalm 140:3 he says, "They practice the sharp rhetoric of hate and hurt, speak venomous words that maim and kill" (The Message). As the dialogue continues between Job and his three "friends," the rhetoric gets dialed up and the attacks on Job's integrity get more intense. Eliphaz is now attacking Job with a vengeance. He seems frustrated at Job's continued claims of innocence.

These guys are now on a mission to convince Job of his guilt and they will stop at nothing to accomplish their objective. Any concern they may have had for Job's feelings are long gone. This has gotten personal. They know they are right and that Job is wrong. He just refuses to admit it. But they are not going to give up easily. They tell Job he is wicked, deceived, defiant, stubborn, and doomed if he doesn't confess his guilt. They even go so far as to blame the destruction of Job's children on his sinfulness. They attempt to soften it by using farming metaphors (shriveled weeds, a vine whose grapes are harvested before they are ripe, an olive tree that sheds its blossoms so the fruit cannot form, etc.), but the pain hurts just as bad. Now Job not only has to mourn the loss of all his children, he must listen to accusations that he is the one responsible for their deaths.

What can we learn from this? What lessons are there in this passage for us? The simple one seems to be the destructive power of our tongues. We can use them to encourage and heal or to discourage and do lasting harm. Sometimes we may not mean to hurt others with our words, but when we fail to think before we speak, we can end up doing lasting damage. Job's friends could have used the advice of James: "My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry" (James 1:19 NASB). They weren't listening to Job and they didn't seem to be interested in what God might have to say about the situation. They had already reached their conclusion. And when Job refused to agree with their assessment, they became angry. And their anger led to even harsher words for their suffering friend.

These exchanges between Job and his friends remind me of the remarkable power contained in my words. With them I can bring about blessing or cursing. I can use them to build up or tear down. I can speak words of kindness and compassion, or I can speak words of criticism and accusation. Job needed true friends who cared more for his heart than for their need to be right. He needed compassion, not correction. I am reminded of that famous passage from the pen of Solomon: "There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 MSG). There's a right time for everything. And the time was right for Job's friends to shut up, listen up, and lift up. May I learn to know the difference.

Father, give me the wisdom to know when the timing is right. And then give me the discernment to know what to say so that may words will be uplifting and edifying to those You bring across my path. Amen.

Honest To God.

Job 12-13

Isn't it clear that they all know and agree that GOD is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand – Every living soul, yes, every breathing creature? Isn't this all just common sense, as common as the sense of taste? – Job 12:9-11 MSG

For Job, the idea that God was somehow responsible for his condition was a no-brainer. Whether or not God had caused it was not the issue. God was in control and so, ultimately, God was responsible. He could have prevented the disasters and disease that had impacted the life of Job, but He hadn't. Job fully understood the power and might of God. He knew that God was providentially in control over the affairs of all men – rich and poor, strong and weak, righteous and unrighteous. Job goes on to say, "True wisdom and real power belong to God; from him we learn how to live, and also what to live for. If he tears something down, it's down for good; if he locks people up, they're locked up for good. If he holds back the rain, there's a drought; if he lets it loose, there's a flood. Strength and success belong to God; both deceived and deceiver must answer to him" (Job 12:13-15 MSG). Job knew that God alone had the answer to why he was suffering. He was convinced that it had nothing to do with his sin. Job's friends kept blaming his condition on his sinfulness, but couldn't tell him what he had done to deserve it. Job knew he was innocent, and he knew God knew he was innocent. So there had to be another reason for his suffering. And all he wanted was the chance to ask God face to face, so he tells his friends, "I'm taking my case straight to God Almighty; I've had it with you – I'm going directly to God" (Job 13:3 MSG). He was done listening to them and he tells them so, "You graffiti my life with lies. You're a bunch of pompous quacks! I wish you'd shut your mouths--silence is your only claim to wisdom" (Job 13:4-5 MSG).

Job wants to go directly to the source of his hope and help – God Himself. His friends have proven to have poor bedside manners. They have been more hurtful than helpful. Job knows they can't answer his questions or solve his problem. So he turns to God and asks, "Please, God, I have two requests; grant them so I'll know I count with you: First, lay off the afflictions; the terror is too much for me. Second, address me directly so I can answer you, or let me speak and then you answer me" (Job 13:20-21 MSG). I love Job's brutal honesty. He doesn't hide his request with fancy "thees" and "thous." He doesn't mask his frustration with flowery prose or pious-sounding prayer-speak. He just tells God exactly what is on his heart. He asks for relief and answers.

What a reminder that we have a God who is big enough to handle our toughest questions. He can handle our frustration and the honest expression of them. In fact, I think God would rather have us honest with Him than to cover up our fears and frustrations with religious-sounding platitudes that we don't believe or understand. In the middle of a trial when things are going severely wrong and your frustration is mounting, I don't think God wants to hear you say, "Oh, Mighty God, maker of all things and ruler over all mankind, thank you for putting me through all this pain and suffering. Thank you for all the hurt and the heartache! You are a good God!" God knows our hearts. He knows what we are thinking. He wants us to confess what is on our heart to Him. He can handle our honesty, but He can't stand our poor attempts at fake faithfulness. If we can give God a heart-felt "I trust You!," so be it. But too often we express words to God that we don't feel or believe. Job was telling God exactly what he was feeling. And tough times tend to make us more honest. During trials, it is harder to keep up the fake veneer of faithfulness. Job's faith was being tested and he was looking for answers, for proof. So he turned to God.

Psalm 119 could have been written by Job. It is full of honest expressions of fear and frustration, doubt and disenchantment. But the writer of Psalms 119 knew he could turn to God and openly express his feelings. "I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner. I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me; GOD, don't let me down! I'll run the course you lay out for me if you'll just show me how. GOD, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course" (Psalms 119:30-33 MSG). Where do you turn in the tough times? Do you turn to God? Do you tell Him what you're feeling or do you try and cover it up with pious-sounding words and false expressions of praise? Be honest with Him. Tell Him what's on your heart. Share your hurts. Open up about your doubts. He can handle it.

Father, I want to come to you more quickly, but also more honestly. I am tired of trying to hide what I'm feeling and thinking as if, somehow, you might be surprised and offended. You know everything about me. You simply want me to come to you in complete dependence and trust, knowing that You love me and have my best interest in mind at all times. Amen

Good Advice, Gone Bad.

Job 10-11

If only he would tell you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom is not a simple matter. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve! – Job 11:6 NLT

Wow! What an encourager Zophar is. He steps into Job's miserable life and offers up carefully chosen one-liners designed to shake Job out of his self-righteous self-denial and forice him to confess his obvious guilt. Zophar, like his friends before him, has taken a look at Job's circumstances and concluded that Job has done something terribly wrong. He is being punished by God for his sins and all Job has to do is confess and turn back to God. God will forgive him and God will restore him.

Sounds great, but there's only one problem. Job is innocent. He has done nothing wrong to deserve all that has happened to him. He has nothing to repent of. He is confused, hurt, alone, and suffering from unimaginable grief. And all he gets from his friends is accusations of his guilt. Zophar takes the rhetoric to a whole new level, accusing Job of being deceitful, evil, and witless. "Surely he [God] recognizes deceitful men; and when he sees evil, does he not take note? But a witless man can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born a man" (Job 11:11-12 NIV). In Zophar's mind, Job is nothing more than a dimwitted, stubborn sinner who refused to admit his guilt. In Zophar's world, all pain and suffering was tied to sin. Righteous men don't suffer. Good men don't lose all their worldly wealth. Sinless men don't have all their kids killed in a single freak accident. Therefore, Job was NOT a righteous man. Case closed.

But once again, Zophar didn't have all the facts. He was operating off of conjecture and faulty conclusions. The one thing he should have known and somewhat assumed is that God is in control. But the issue was not whether God had caused what had happened to Job, it was that God was aware and that He cared. Zophar would have been much more help to Job if he had simply reminded Job that only God knew the real reason behind his suffering. So he needed to take his situation to God. Only God could help. If Job had sinned, God would reveal it to him. If Job was innocent, God would ultimately disclose the reason behind his suffering. Bottom line? There was a purpose behind it all. And God was behind the purpose.

In the midst of all his pain, Job knew that God was there. He called out to Him. He appealed to Him. He acknowledged that God had made him (Job 10:8-9). But Job was confused. He hung on to his innocence, but was having a hard time understanding why he was having to go through all this pain. He was going through a terrible time of questioning and doubt. He needed comfort and all he got was some pretty callous counseling. He needed empathy but all he got was impatient friends demanding that he confess. Job's suffering was so intense that he longed for death. At this point in his life, he needed friends who would point him to the mercy, grace, and sovereign power of God. He needed guides to God, not the grand inquisition. He needed to be reminded that God loves him, not loathes him. The only remedy for anyone's pain and heartache is God. We need to point them to Him.

When darkness falls Temptations call And all around me seems undone You hear my pleas Supply my needs And tell me of Your wondrous love

You are the joy in my morning You’re my song of praise Just like the new day dawning Flooding my world with grace

Though trials come And every one Can take me further from Your truth You calm my fears Dry all my tears And draw me closer, Lord, to You

In You there’s no shadow of turning Constant in all Your ways You’re growing my faith And I’m learning to lean On You all of my days

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Ministries

Father, help me a friend that points others to you, instead of always trying to point out their faults or their sins. You alone know their hearts. You alone can heal their hurts. I am simply a guide who can show them the way back to You. In the midst of the pain that enters my life, may I always turn to You first. And when I find it hard to do, please bring friends into my life who will remind me of Your love, grace, and mercy. Amen

Mercy In the Midst of the Madness.

Job 8-9

So how could I ever argue with him, construct a defense that would influence God? Even though I'm innocent I could never prove it; I can only throw myself on the Judge's mercy. – Job 9:14-15 MSG

Imagine yourself in Job's sandals. How would you have handled all that had happened to this man? He had lost everything, including his health, and now he was being "comforted" by his friends. They have looked at the circumstances of Job's life and logically, but wrongfully concluded that is all a result of sin – the sins of his children as well as his own. In the middle of a tremendous time of pain, loss, and suffering, Job finds himself having to defend himself against the attacks of his friends. I know they mean well and their conclusions seem logical, even biblical, but they seem to have overlooked a few of the character qualities of God. They stress His justice, but leave out His mercy. They have their God in a box. They have worked out their theology of God and it determines their interpretation of the world. Bildad begins his counseling session with Job with a rhetorical question, "Does God twist justice? Does the Almighty twist what is right?" (Job 8:3 MSG). Of course, the answer is no, so Bildad concludes that what has happened to Job is the result of God's justice. God is a just and righteous god and is simply dealing with Job's unrighteousness.

Job's assumed guilt is what drives the messages of each of his friends. Was Job sinless? No. He is a man living in a fallen world. But God declared him blameless. "The LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil'" (Job 1:8 NASB). Again, Job was not sinless. He was blameless. Lehman Strauss describes Job this way: "Job was known for being faithful. He was not sinless, as the word perfect in verses 1 and 8 might imply. A better word might be blameless, meaning that he was ethically upright, morally above reproach, and religiously devoted to God. Job had a deep and devout reverence for the Lord. His consistent practice was to hold God in highest awe and respect. He was faithful."

Yet something tragic had taken place in this man's life. He had suffered tremendous loss. Job's friends conclude that it is the result of sin. And they are partially right. Anything that happens in this world is the result of sin. It is the result of the fall. We live in a fallen world where sin reigns and even the creation is impacted by the presence of sin. Disasters happen. Earthquakes take place. Wildfires consume thousands of acres and hundreds of lives. And every person living on the planet is exposed to the affects of the fall. Good men and evil men all suffer. Righteous men get cancer. Godly women lose children. Faithful Christ-followers lose their jobs. Innocent children are born into abusive homes. That is life in a fallen world. In his commentary of Job, John Gill states, "Job's view in saying this is to observe, that a man's state God-ward is not to be judged of by his outward circumstances, whether he is a good man or a bad man, since they may both be in the same afflictions and distress, and which he opposes to the sentiments and sayings of Eliphaz and Bildad." We can't judge based on circumstances alone.

Job's greatest dilemma was that he couldn't defend himself. He knew he was innocent. He knew he had done nothing that would have led to this kind of suffering. But how could he prove it. Who was he to argue with God. If he tried, even his words condemn him. He would say something he would regret. How do you argue with a God you can't even see? How do you stop God from doing what He wants to do? God is just and can do whatever He wants to do. And because He is just, whatever He does is always right. So if God IS doing this to Job, then He must be right and Job must be wrong. But Job knows he is innocent. Do you see his point of frustration? Even if Job accepts his lot in life and puts on a happy face, his friends will never let him live in peace. "Even if I say, 'I'll put all this behind me, I'll look on the bright side and force a smile,' All these troubles would still be like grit in my gut since it's clear you're not going to let up" (Job 9:27-28 MSG).

So what is Job supposed to do? How is he supposed to respond. He appeals to the mercy of God. "I can only throw myself on the Judge's mercy" (Job 9:15 MSG). Rather than argue with God, he trust IN God. Rather than defend himself, he decides to let God defend him. Job turns to God as his merciful judge. "though he is a just God, and a righteous Judge, yet a Saviour; and it is one of the privileges of his people that they can come to him, not only as the God of all grace, and as their God and Father in Christ, but to him as to God the Judge of all, and lay their case before him, and entreat his protection; and this Job chose to do rather than contend with him" (The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible).

So what do we do in times of difficulty? Do we turn to God as our righteous, yet merciful God? Do we appeal to His mercy and "entreat His protection"? Or do we try to contend with Him? Job was worn out from suffering. He was beat down from his friends' words of wisdom. He knew he would lose a war of words with God. So he simply decided to turn to God as his ultimate judge. He knew God was righteous, but he also knew God was merciful. He could trust Him.

Father, life has a way of throwing us curve balls. It doesn't always work out the way I think it should. We live in a fallen world and are surrounded by sinful people. I sometimes screw up my own life and reap the results of my own stupidity and sinfulness. But I can always come to You as my righteous and merciful judge. And I can rest in the fact that I have someone Who stands before You as my representative - Jesus Christ Himself (Romans 8:34). Thank You for allowing me to come before You. Thank You for Your mercy. Amen

You Said What?!!!

Job 6-7

And so I'm not keeping one bit of this quiet, I'm laying it all out on the table; my complaining to high heaven is bitter, but honest. – Job 7:11 MSG

Can he say that? Is it OK for someone to talk like that? I mean, it sounds so unfaithful. This guy sounds so pessimistic. Where's his faith? Just listen to his words: "I hate this life! Who needs any more of this? Let me alone! There's nothing to my life – it's nothing but smoke" (Job 7:16 MSG). A believer isn't supposed to think like this, is he? Let alone talk like this. Just listen to the way he talks to God: "Let up on me, will you? Can't you even let me spit in peace?" (Job 7:19 MSG). How can he get away with that? Shouldn't we say something? Shouldn't I quote a verse to him? Doesn't he need a good dose of Romans 8:28? "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Or how about 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18? That's a good one. "Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." This guy just needs someone to straighten him out!

Whoa! Wait a minute. Before we blow into another person's despair with our gems of wisdom and some ill-placed Scriptures, let's try to understand where they're coming from. Let's enter into their situation and feel their pain. Let's share their grief. Let's get into their shoes and try to experience what they are going through. Too often, we try to alleviate someone else's misery because we want it to go away for our sake, not theirs. We want the other person's pain to go away, because it causes us to doubt. It tests our faith. Listen to what Job said about his friends: "They arrive so confident – but what a disappointment! They get there, and their faces fall! And you, my so-called friends, are no better – there's nothing to you! One look at a hard scene and you shrink in fear" (Job 6:20-21 MSG). You see, pain is – well, painful. It is hard to watch. It is difficult to walk into someone else's heartache and simply be there for them. We want to fix it. We want to pray them out of their situation. We want to counsel them back into wholeness. And while there is nothing wrong with prayer or biblically based counsel, God may just want us to go through this moment with them to provide love and concern. He may not want us to fix them. He may just want us to care about them.

There is something uncomfortable about Job's words in these two chapters. He is being brutally honest and it attacks our Christian sensibilities. He is saying things that "good" Christians should not say. He is being TOO honest. And it makes us squirm. But in the midst of his pain, Job has lost all his pious inhibitions. He is beyond worrying about what others think about him. He is fighting for his life. Loss has a way of peeling away the layers of pretense and getting us down to reality of life. It causes us to question. And those questions make others uncomfortable. Why? Because we don't have the answers. Oh, we have the standard Sunday School answers. We know a handful of verses we can throw out there. But most of us don't know from experience. We haven't been there. Job's friends had never been through what he was experiencing. They couldn't relate and it made them uncomfortable. But if any one of them had suffered loss like he had, they would probably have said less and hugged more. They would have allowed him to vent, understanding that this is part of the healing process.

Is there a time to speak up? You bet. But sometimes it is enough just to show up. To give those who are going through tragedy a chance to express their grief, their anger, and to ask their questions. God can handle it. Why can't we? I think it is because, in the back of our minds, we don't like to see suffering or hear difficult questions. Because it causes us to doubt. It tests our own belief system. But that's OK. Part of the plan for the body of Christ is for us to go through difficulty together. I can learn from the heartache and hurt of others. I can grow from their difficulty – alongside them. Job's friends could have learned a lot – if they would have only listened.

Father, give me a compassion for those in pain. Help me to know how to share in the grief of others (Romans 12:15) without having to feel like I have to fix them. Let me understand that I don't have to be in a hurry to heal everyone. I just need to come alongside them and provide a listening ear and a loving response. You don't always fix my problems right away. You don't always quote Scriptures to me. And You are never in a rush to get me out of the situation I am in. But You ALWAYS patiently listen, love, and encourage me. May I learn to do the same. Amen

With Friends Like These...

Job 4-5

Can a mortal be just and upright before God? Can a person be pure before the Creator? – Job 4:17 NLT

We all have them – well-meaning friends who step alongside us during times of difficulty and seasons of suffering spouting sanctimonious sermonettes on our condition. They're the Scripture quoters who tend to quote passages they don't fully understand and draw conclusions based on scant information and little or no experience. These people don't intend to do hurt, but in their zeal to "encourage" they do more harm than good. Job's friend, Eliphaz, was one of these types of individuals. In the midst of all of Job's grief and suffering, he shows up on the scene lobbing all kinds of theological and psychological hand grenades into Job's pity party.

He has taken one look at Job's circumstance and reached a conclusion: Job is guilty of something! He has to be. Otherwise, why would he be suffering so much loss and pain? After all, he concludes, "evil does not spring from the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the earth. People are born for trouble as predictably as sparks fly upward from a fire" (Job 5:6-7 NLT). Bad things don't just happen he tells Job. They're the result of bad choices made by individuals. In other words, you reap what you sow. And Job must have sown some really wild oats at some time in his past. Sure, Eliphaz confesses, Job was a pretty good guy. He had be an encouragement to a lot of people over the years. He had been a source of comfort and strength to others when they needed him. He had always been there with a kind word and a listening ear. But he must have done something to deserve this bizarre turn of affairs. These things don't just happen.

The problem with Eliphaz's speech is that there is a lot of truth in it. He has a lot of good things to say. He just has bad timing and an even worse understanding of reality. He is speaking of things he doesn't know. He is making assumptions about things he doesn't understand. He is judging based on the circumstances, but can't see what God sees. He can't even see God working behind the scenes. And isn't that how we work? We draw conclusions. We make assumptions. And we pass out words of wisdom like they were so much Valentine candy. We mix a touch of biblical truth with a little bit of our home-spun wisdom and then baste our friends with this toxic marinade of self-righteous piety. Eliphaz was dispensing truth like a doctor handing out prescriptions for a condition he had yet to diagnose – making perfectly safe drugs potentially deadly. We do that when we reach hasty conclusions about the spiritual condition of others based on circumstances alone. It reminds me of the story in the Gospel of John. Jesus is walking with His disciples and they encounter a man blind from birth. His disciples reveal a lot about their theology when they ask Jesus, "Teacher, why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?" (John 9:2 NLT). To their surprise, Jesus responded, "It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins, he was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him" (John 9:3 NLT).

The truth is, we don't know what God is doing behind the scenes. We don't know why certain situations are as they are. But like Eliphaz, if we are not careful, we can hastily draw wrong conclusions and hand out poor advice. When Job needed comfort, he got unnecessary conviction. When he needed a listening ear, he got a lecture. Was a lot of what was said true? You bet. But it was misapplied and mistakenly meted out. In his commentary on the book of Job, John Gill says this about Eliphaz's little speech:

"and he "said" not anything by way of condolence or consolation, not pitying Job's case, nor comforting him in his afflicted circumstances, as they required both; but reproaching him as a wicked and hypocritical man, not acting like himself formerly, or according to his profession and principles, but just the reverse: this was a new trial to Job, and some think the sorest of all; it was as a sword in his bones, which was very cutting to him; as oil cast into a fiery furnace in which he now was, which increased the force and fury of it; and as to vinegar an opened and bleeding wound, which makes it smart the more"

A big part of ministering is learning to listen. A big part of providing comfort is in saying nothing. But if you're going to say anything at all, maybe we could take notes from the words of Isaiah. "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you'" (Isaiah 35:4-5 NIV). Strengthen, steady, encourage, and point them to God. Lift them up, don't tear them down. "A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need" (Proverbs 17:17 NLT).

Father, may I be a friend who encourages and lifts up. Give me discernment to know when to shut up instead of speaking up. May I wait for you to direct my words. May I not be hasty to hand out advice, but instead be quick to hand out love and compassion. Amen

Praise in the Midst of Pain.

Job 1-3

He said, "I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” – Job 1:21 NLT

We've all had seasons of pain in our lives. We've all experienced a time when we have had to face extreme disappointment, unexplained suffering, or devastating loss. And in those times of trouble, we are always tempted to question God regarding His love, power, faithfulness, or at times, even His existence. So the story of Job is one with which we can relate. Here is a man who had it all: Wealth, material possessions, a lovely family, and a vibrant relationship with his God. Then tragedy strikes. Not once, but four times. In a series of catastrophic events, Job loses everything. All of his livestock are stolen or destroyed. In a matter of hours, his net worth drops like a rock. He is broke. On top of that, he receives news that every one of his children are killed in a freak accident. All ten of them. Job's world was rocked. His life would never be the same. And everything he knew about his God was about to be challenged. Understandably, he sinks into a depression, even cursing the day he was born. "At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. He said: 'Cursed be the day of my birth, and cursed be the night when I was conceived. Let that day be turned to darkness. Let it be lost even to God on high, and let it be shrouded in darkness. Yes, let the darkness and utter gloom claim it for its own. Let a black cloud overshadow it, and let the darkness terrify it'" (Job 3:1-5 NLT).

Job even seemed to be ready to die. "Oh, why should light be given to the weary, and life to those in misery? They long for death, and it won’t come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure" (Job 3:20-21 NLT). Yet in the midst of all his pain and darkness, Job cursed the day of his birth, but NOT HIS GOD – even when his wife suggested he do just that (Job 2:9). No, Job did not turn against God, in spite of his personal loss and physical suffering. At the loss of all his possessions and his children Job exclaimed, "I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!" (Job 1:21 NLT). He was able to praise God even in the midst of it all. In fact, God testified that Job "still holds firmly to his integrity" (Job 2:3 NET). Even whenhe found himself covered with sores from head to foot, he responded, "Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" (Job 2:10 NLT). Through it all, Job held on to his integrity and His God. He understood something about the character of his God. He knew that God was good. He knew that God must have a purpose behind all that had happened. It didn't make it any less painful or any easier to accept. In fact, Job would spend the next days wrestling with his concept of God. He would be challenged by his well-meaning friends. Job's suffering was going to reveal a lot about himself and a lot about his God. Job would wrestle with concepts regarding God's sovereignty and His love. Job would have to come to grips with whether God could be trusted. As his suffering continues, Job will go from resting in God to blaming God. He will even accuse God of wronging him (Job 19:6-7). But God never blasts him for his doubt or punishes him for his hasty words. Instead, He comforts Job, and eventually restores him. All throughout this story, we see a picture of a faithful, loving God who is active behind the scenes. He is aware of our suffering and has a plan for them. He is not caught off guard or found asleep at His post. He is fully aware and He cares. Suffering is a part of life lived in a fallen world. Will we allow it to change our perception about God, or learn to see Him in the midst of it? "We take the good days from God--why not also the bad days?" (Job 2:10 MSG).

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings Yet not welcome any pain Shall I thank You for days of sunshine Yet grumble in days of rain Shall I love You in times of plenty Then leave You in days of drought Shall I trust when I reap a harvest But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me In Your love I will abide Oh I long for nothing else as long As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper And true only when I’m filled Are You King only when I’m carefree And God only when I’m well You are good when I’m poor and needy You are true when I’m parched and dry You still reign in the deepest valley You’re still God in the darkest night

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Father, use this book to open my eyes to Your presence in my life – during the good times and the bad. Give me a heavenly perspective that lets me see You in ALL of my circumstances, not just the ones that I enjoy. You are a good God – all the time. Not just when things are going well. You're still God in the darkest night. Amen

Genesis 49-50

A Change In Perspective “As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil.” – Genesis 50:20 NLT

I think this is one of the most encouraging verses in the Bible. It is a comforting reminder of the fact that God is in control of the affairs of men. It may not appear that way, but as the saying goes: looks can be deceiving. When all appears lost and your world seems to be caving in all around you, this verse stands as a reminder that God is in control. But it takes a heavenly perspective to see it. Joseph had that perspective. He had learned to see things from God's point of view rather than from his own. He had developed the ability to see God's hand in the affairs of life – even the times when things didn't seem to be turning out too well.

Here, at the end of his long and incredibly remarkable life, he finds himself surrounded by his brothers as they confess the sin they had committed against him so many years before. Their father was now dead and they were afraid that his passing would now give Joseph the freedom to get back at them for their having sold him into slavery decades earlier. They were having a hard time imagining how Joseph could have ever forgiven them for what they had done. In spite of the fact that he was now the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. Even though things had turned out well for Joseph, they thought he was still holding a grudge. But nothing could have been further from the truth. Joseph assured them that their fears were baseless. He told them, "As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people" (Genesis 50:20 NLT). Joseph knew something his brothers didn't know. He knew that God was in control. He knew that God had been orchestrating the circumstances surrounding his life since the beginning. He knew that God didn't CAUSE his brothers to sell him into slavery, but that God USED their sinful action to accomplish His divine plan. Joseph knew that God was not responsible for their actions, they were. But he also knew that God was responsible for the outcome. What they had intended for evil, God had used for good. But Joseph hadn't just arrived at this conclusion at the end of his life. He had known it for some time. We see him sharing his heavenly perspective all the way back in chapter 45.

But don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation. Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh––manager of his entire household and ruler over all Egypt. – Genesis 45:5-8 NLT

God had sent Joseph to Egypt. He had an ultimate plan for Joseph's life and it was bigger than a single moment in time. It was larger than that dark day when Joseph was betrayed by his brothers. It was big enough to include his false arrest and imprisonment, but not be derailed by it. You might say that God's plan is flexible. It is not that He is surprised by any of our actions and has to improvise, because He is all-knowing and knows ahead of time what we are going to do. But God's plan has always had to include the actions of sinful man. He has had to write His script for the story of redemption with the fact that fallen men and women are involved. But the end of the story remains unchanged. It all turns out right in the end. God is in control. Joseph knew this from experience. He had had dark moments in his life. He had had times when he questioned and doubted. He had asked God the "Why?" questions on more than one occasion. But he had also learned to see God's hand in it all. He had developed a divine perspective. Oh, that I would do the same – to continually learn to see the divine fingerprints all over the pages of my life. To begin to understand that seemingly negative circumstances do not limit my God from accomplishing His will for my life. He has the ability to produce from the most difficult situations positive outcomes and powerful lessons on His faithfulness and love. Our God is large and in charge! He is in control. May we begin to truly see that and believe it in our lives.

Father, give me a divine perspective. Help me to see Your hand in my life. Forgive me when I allow the negative circumstances I encounter to make me doubt Your power and presence. You are there and You are in control. You are working Your divine plan to perfection, even when I can't see it. Give me a growing awareness of the role You are playing in every event surrounding my life. Amen

Ken Miller Grow Pastor & Minister to Men kenm@christchapelbc.org

God's Ways Are Not Our Ways.

Genesis 47-48

But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. So his right hand was on the head of Ephraim, the younger boy, and his left hand was on the head of Manasseh, the older. – Genesis 48:14 NLT

The danger in reading these Old Testament stories is to read them as just that – stories. In other words, we can end up reading them as simply some kind of ancient recounting of the lives of men and women who lived a long time ago in a culture and setting with which we can't relate. In doing so, we miss out on the real message behind the stories – the message of God's sovereign power and His redemptive plan for mankind. These are not the stories of Jacob and Joseph, they are the stories of God unfolding His divine plan for man's future restoration through His own Son. In these stories we are given a glimpse of how God was working behind the scenes to orchestrate His plan, in spite of the fallen condition of men. You see this in the story of Jacob (Israel) blessing the sons of Joseph. We are told that in his old age, Jacob requests that Joseph bring his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim to him in order that he might bless them (Genesis 48:8-9). But an interesting thing happens as he blesses the two boys. The text says that he crossed his hands, putting his right hand on the head of the younger son and his left hand on the head of the older son. The text emphasizes Jacob's extreme old age and seems to leave the read with the idea that he was just confused. Even Joseph sees what is happening and attempts to remove his father's hands and correct the situation. This shouldn't be happening! As the older son, Manasseh should be receiving the blessing. It was tradition. It was the way it had always been. Yet here was the old and seemingly senile Jacob giving his blessing to the wrong son!

Joseph was not happy with this turn of events. He wanted the blessing to go to Manasseh. But God had another plan. A plan that Jacob seemed to be in on. When Joseph attempted to remove his hand from the head of Ephraim and place it on the head of Manasseh, Jacob responded quite confidently, "I know what I’m doing, my son," he said. "Manasseh, too, will become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. His descendants will become a multitude of nations" (Genesis48:19 NLT). This was not a mistake. This was not a case of dementia. And Jacob was not showing favoritism. It was part of the divine plan of God. Matthew Henry makes this assessment in his commentary on the Old Testament:

Jacob gave him to understand that he knew what he did, and that he did it not by mistake, nor in a humour, nor from a partial affection to one more than the other,but from a spirit of prophecy, and in compliance with the divine counsels. Manasseh should be great, but truly Ephraim should be greater. When the tribes were mustered in the wilderness, Ephraim was more numerous than Manasseh, and had the standard of that squadron (Num. 1:32, 33, 35; 2:18, 20), and is named first, Ps. 80:2. Joshua was of that tribe, so was Jeroboam. The tribe of Manasseh was divided, one half on one side Jordan, the other half on the other side, which made it the less powerful and considerable.

God had a plan for Ephraim. It did not follow the plans of men. God's ways are not our ways. His plans trump our own. He may choose to do things differently than we would like. But in the end, His plans are always best, and His plans are always right. Matthew Henry goes on to say:

God, in bestowing his blessings upon his people, gives more to some than to others, more gifts, graces, and comforts, and more of the good things of this life. He often gives most to those that are least likely. He chooses the weak things of the world; raises the poor out of the dust. Grace observes not the order of nature, nor does God prefer those whom we think fittest to be preferred, but as it pleases him. It is observable how often God, by the distinguishing favours of his covenant, advanced the younger above the elder, Abel above Cain, Shem above Japheth, Abraham above Nahor and Haran, Isaac above Ishmael, Jacob above Esau; Judah and Joseph were preferred before Reuben, Moses before Aaron, David and Solomon before their elder brethren. See 1 Samuel 16:7. He tied the Jews to observe the birthright (Deuteronomy 21:17), but he never tied himself to observe it. Some make this typical of the preference given to the Gentiles above the Jews; the Gentile converts were much more numerous than those of the Jews. See Galatians 4:27. Thus free grace becomes more illustrious.

The real star of the Bible is God. This is about Him. It is about His plan. It is about His gracious interaction with fallen mankind and His orchestration of a flawless plan to redeem men from the effects of the fall. It is about grace. John Wesley said this about the story of the blessing of Ephraim over Manasseh: "Grace observes not the order of nature, nor doth God prefer those whom we think fittest to be preferred but as it pleaseth him." God always does what pleases Him. He always does what is best. We may not understand it or even like it, but we can rest assured that God's ways are always better than our ways. His plan is always better than our plan. And He is still working that plan out through our lives today, just as He did in the lives of Jacob, Joseph and Ephraim. Are you willing to trust God with your life today? 

Father, I want to grow in my trust of You. I want to become increasingly comfortable that things will not always work out the way I think they should, but that's OK, because You are in control. You are working Your plan. You are doing things that I cannot see. I don't have to panic or demand that You do things my way. I can even give up on my plans and expectations and not worry about it, because You are going to work out all things according to Your divine plan. You will do what pleases You and I will continue to learn that that outcome will always end up pleasing me. Amen

God's Plan Is Greater Than Man's.

Genesis 45-46

God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. – Genesis 45:7 NASB

These two chapters contain one of my favorite stories in the entire Bible. It is an amazing picture of the sovereignty of God and His amazing behind-the-scenes control over the affairs of men. We have seen all that has happened in the life of Joseph up until this point. Born into a large, God-fearing family, Joseph is loved by his father, but despised by his own brothers. Out of jealousy over his father's inordinate affection, they plan to murder their brother, but then decide to sell him to slave traders at the last minute. Then they spend years covering up their act with lies, leaving their father believing his favorite son was killed by an animal of some kind. Joseph is carried to Egypt and sold on the auction block and ends up in the home of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's bodyguard. But even in that, we saw that the Lord was with Joseph. He was watching over him. It was no coincidence that he ended up in Potiphar's house. There he would encounter Potiphar's wife, a woman who would attempt to seduce Joseph into committing adultery with her. But he refused, causing her to falsely accuse him of attempted rape. He ended up in prison, but not just ANY prison. He was placed in the prison where the prisoners of Pharaoh were confined. Yet another example of God's sovereign hand in the affairs of Joseph's life. And there in that prion, Joseph would meet two men who worked directly for Pharaoh. Joseph would end up interpreting their dreams – a skill Joseph demonstrated no where else before. God gave him that ability during his time in jail. One of those men was released and two years later would recommend Joseph as a possible interpreter for Pharaoh's disturbing dreams. So Joseph ends up in the court of Pharaoh himself. And after providing Pharaoh with the meaning of his dreams and a recommended course of action, Joseph ends up as the second highest official in the land of Egypt! In that position he would orchestrate a huge relief effort designed to feed the nation and protect them through seven years of drought.

And in all that had happened to Joseph, he recognized the unmistakable hand of God. He told his brothers, "God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance" (Genesis 45:7 NASB). He assured them, "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt" (Genesis 45:8 NASB). Joseph's entire life was a picture of the sovereign hand of God. It had not been easy. It had been filled with trials and difficulties, but God was there, working behind the scenes to bring about just the right outcome at just the right time.

The sovereign will of God is hard for us to grasp. Yet the Scriptures assure us of its reality. "You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail" (Proverbs 19:21 NLT). "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" (Proverbs 16:9 NLT). God is in control. He is ALWAYS in control. He says of Himself, "What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do" (Isaiah 46:11 NIV). And nowhere do you see that better illustrated than in the life of Joseph. God's plans for Joseph had been in place long before he arrived in Egypt as a slave. His brothers formulated their plan to sell their brother, but God's plan trumped theirs. God is able to use even what was meant for evil to accomplish His divine will. At the end of his life, Joseph would remind his brothers of his belief in the sovereign will of God: "As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day." (Genesis 50:20 NET). Our God is sovereign. He reigns over the affairs of men. He rules over all creation and all created things. He holds everything in His hands and has the power to do with it what He alone desires. His plans cannot be derailed, defeated, or delayed. He will do what He has set out to do. And even the mistakes, sinful reactions, and ungodly plans of men cannot alter His plans for even a moment. God is never worried. God is never surprised. God is never fearful that His plans might fail. Because He knows, "What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do" (Isaiah 46:11 NIV).

Father, what an assuring passage this should be to me. That you are in complete control of the affairs of men. You have a plan for my life and nothing I or anyone else can do will thwart that plan. You can even use my mistakes and sinful actions in such a way that Your will for me is still accomplished. I don't always know how, but I know You do. You move in ways I cannot see. You act behind the scenes – invisible to my eyes, but intimately involved in my life each day. What you have planned for me, You will do. Thank You!  Amen

A Changed Man.

Genesis 44

Please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. – Genesis 44:33 NLT

When we last left Jacob's brothers, they were taking part in a sumptuous feast as the guests of Pharaoh's right-hand man. Little did they know that they were actually eating with their long-lost brother. They were too busy enjoying the grace and mercy of this powerful, yet beneficent dignitary. They were happy to be alive and not in prison. But to be eating great food as the guests of the one man they thought was going throw them all in prison when they returned – that was too good to be true.

Now we come to chapter 44. And in no time at all their feasting will turn to fear. Joseph is about to give them yet one more test of their integrity. He has his steward fill their sacks with grain and hide a valuable silver cup in the sack belonging to Benjamin. Joseph is going to see just how honest these guys really are. Have they really changed? Or are they the same brothers who sold him into slavery out of jealousy for the favoritism that Jacob had shown Joseph all those years ago (Genesis 37:18-24). Just look how Joseph set all this up. At the feast, he gave Benjamin five times the amount of food than he did the brothers (Genesis 43:34). He was showing this younger brother favoritism. And in doing so, he was testing the reactions of his older brothers. How would they respond? What would they do?

After the brothers left to return home, Joseph sends his servant after them. When he found them he was to accuse them of stealing a valuable silver cup. They would end up denying the accusation, but upon searching their belongings, it would be found in Benjamin's sack. Just imagine how this must have hit these guys. In a matter of hours they had gone from a time of feasting to a time of fear. They must have been devastated. They were so sure of their innocence that they had vowed to surrender the life of the one caught with the cup and turn themselves over as slaves for life. Now they stood before his powerful Egyptian dignitary with no hope and the painful reality that they had just become slaves for the rest of their lives. But Joseph is not done with his test. Now he tells them that they can all go free – except for the one in whose sack the cup was found – Benjamin. This was their chance! They could all walk away as free men. All they had to be willing to do was sacrifice the life of their youngest brother.

But Judah spoke up. He recounts their trip home after their first journey to Egypt. He tells how his father had initially refused to allow Benjamin to accompany them on their return trip. But when they ran out of grain, he finally gave in – with much fear and heartache. Now Judah tells Joseph that he cannot return to his father without his younger brother. Even if it meant giving up his freedom. So he makes an astounding offer. He gives himself as the substitute for Benjamin. He will take the penalty intended for his younger brother. What makes this so unique is that years earlier, Judah had been the one to come up with the idea of selling Joseph into slavery. "'What can we gain by killing our brother? That would just give us a guilty conscience. Let’s sell Joseph to those Ishmaelite traders. Let’s not be responsible for his death; after all, he is our brother!' And his brothers agreed" (Genesis 37:26-27 NLT). He was quick to sell his brother up the river. Now, when confronted with the chance to do it all over again, he came up with a different solution. He would sacrifice himself. Judah was not the same man. He had changed. He now had a love for his father that he hadn't had before. He had seen the pain his first decision had caused his father. He had witnessed the loss and knew that to subject his father to that same thing again would kill him. Rather than obsessing about himself and his own needs, Judah put others first – maybe for the first time in his life. He was living out the very words that Jesus would speak years later: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13 NASB). Judah passed Joseph's test. He did what Joseph was hoping he would do. Joseph knew that God was behind this whole story of his life. We will see that clearly in the chapters ahead. He knew that God had orchestrated this whole situation in order to put him right where he was. But he wanted to see that his brothers had also learned from their mistake. He wanted to see that they had changed. And they had. God had been working in their lives as well.

God is great. God is good. He is above and beyond all our circumstances – working behind the scenes in ways that we may not initially see or comprehend. But He is there. He was working in Judah. And He changed his heart. Circumstances have a way of doing that. Especially when we see that God is in the midst of them.

Father, You are in control. You always are. I just don't always see it. You are even working in the lives of others in ways that I can't see. I may expect them to be the same old person I have always known them to be, but You have a way of working in ways that are out of my sight and beyond my ability to understand. Thank You for reminding me through this story that You are in the life-changing, heart-transforming business. You always have been. And You are in the middle of changing me.  Amen

The Unexpected, Undeserved Joy of Grace.

Genesis 42-43

So they all feasted and drank freely with him. – Genesis 43:34 NLT

If you had never read this story before, you would expect it to end in revenge and retribution. Joseph, the young man sold into slavery by his own brothers, had the chance to get even. He had every right and every opportunity to pay back his brothers for their treatment of him all those years ago. He could have had them imprisoned, beaten, permanently enslaved, or even killed. But instead, Joseph extends grace. He shows them mercy. This story ends in an unexpected way – with the brothers seated at the table of the one whom they have betrayed – eating and feasting together. In the midst of a time of famine, they are treated to a sumptuous feast. Instead of being treated as enemies, they are treated as special guests. They are given the royal treatment. Joseph's actions towards his brothers is a perfect illustration of grace. He showed them unmerited favor. They did not deserve what they were receiving. In fact, they deserved just the opposite. Not only did Joseph throw a party in their favor, he is the one who had filled their sacks with money when they departed the first time (Genesis 42:27). Joseph paid for their grain our of his own pocket and returned their money to them. When they tried to give the money back, Joseph's house steward informs them that their God must have put the money there, because he had their initial payment in his possession the whole time (Genesis 43:23). In other words, Joseph paid their debt. The grain they had been eating all this time had been a gift and had cost them nothing.

I can't help but read this story and be reminded of how many times I have offended my Savior, Jesus Christ. Yet He showers me with grace. I regularly betray Him and turn my back on Him, and His response if the invite me to feast with Him. He extends to me grace, kindness, and mercy. These brothers knew what they deserved for their treatment of Joseph, and they had lived their lives fully expecting the other shoe to drop. They were waiting for God to get even with them for what they had done. "This has all happened because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his terror and anguish and heard his pleadings, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why this trouble has come upon us. 'Didn’t I tell you not to do it?' Reuben asked. 'But you wouldn’t listen. And now we are going to die because we murdered him'" (Genesis 42:21-22 NLT). They were guilt-ridden and lived their lives fully expecting to be paid back for their indiscretion. But to their surprise, they found themselves being treated to a feast. And they don't even know the whole story yet! Tomorrow, we will see their shock when they discover who it is that is treating them to a feast and showering them with favor. But we should be reminded that our God is showering us with favor each and every day of our lives. He is showing us undeserved grace. He is extending mercy. We have the opportunity to feast at His table each day. It makes no sense. It seems illogical. But it is the way of our Savior. "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it" (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for reminding me that every day that I get to spend with You is a picture of the grace made available through Your Son. I can come boldly before Your throne and not fear retribution or revenge, because Jesus Christ has paid my debt in full. I owe nothing, but at the same time, I deserve nothing. And yet what I receive from Your hand is grace upon grace. Unbelievable!  Amen

When the World Sees God In You.

Genesis 41

As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, "Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the spirit of God.” – Genesis 41:38 NET

Let's face it. There are a lot of people out there today who are turned off by Christians and anything having to do with Christianity. They talk about our hypocrisy, our judgmental spirit, our it's-my-way-or-the-highway mentality, our self-righteous behavior, and the overall lack of difference between our lifestyles and those of every other person in the world. Sure, some of it is unfair and uncalled for, but sometimes they have a point. When the world looks at our lives, what do they really see? Do they see Christ in us or do they simply see us trying to fake a Christ-like lifestyle?

In this story of Joseph, we see a young man who made an impression on everyone he met. There was something about him that was different. We see it in his reaction to the sexual advances of Potiphar's wife. We see it in the way he handled himself in Potiphar's house as his servant. We see it in his behavior even while in prison. Joseph was different. And the one thing that made him so different is pointed out to us by the author of the book of Genesis: "The Lord was with Joseph" (Genesis 39:2 NASB). God was with him and others were able to SEE the difference that the Lord's presence made in Joseph's life. We're told that Potiphar "saw that the Lord was withhim and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands" (Genesis 39:3 NASB). Even after his imprisonment, Joseph was given charge over everything in the prison by the chief jailer. Why? Because he saw that the Lord was with Joseph. He saw something different in the lifestyle of Joseph. He wasn't just kind and gracious. He was intelligent and resourceful. He wasn't just loving and patient. He was wise and had a way with people. There was just something about this young man that made him stand out from the rest. God was with him!

We see this most clearly in chapter 41 when Joseph is brought before Pharaoh himself. Two years earlier Joseph had successfully interpreted the dream of Pharaoh's chief cupbearer, who had been imprisoned alongside Joseph. This man had promised to remember Joseph, but had said nothing for two long years. But now he recalled this special young man who had told him the meaning of his own dream, and he recommended him to Pharaoh. Joseph is cleaned up and brought before the great Egyptian leader. After listening to Pharaoh's description of his dreams, Joseph gives him the meaning. But before doing so, Joseph told Pharaoh who the real interpreter of the dream was: God Himself. "It is beyond my power to do this," Joseph replied. "But God will tell you what it means and will set you at ease" (Genesis 41:16 NLT).

Joseph told Pharaoh the meaning of his dream, then gave him a recommended course of action. Pharaoh was blown away by this young man. He saw in Joseph something he had not seen in any of his other leaders. He saw the Spirit of God. "Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?" (Genesis 41:38 MSG). Even Pharaoh, a pagan king of a godless nation, recognized the Spirit of God in Joseph's life. This was not ordinary wisdom at work. This was not magic or sorcery he was witnessing. He clearly saw, as others had, the presence of the Almighty God in the life of Joseph. Pharaoh saw what he had in this young man – an opportunity to access the wisdom of God. He said of Joseph, "“Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are!" (Genesis 41:39 NET). So he put Joseph on his payroll. He wanted this guy on his team. He knew Joseph was something special because of his relationship with the Lord.

So what about you and me? Do others see God in us? Are they attracted to us because the see something in us that is not of this world? Or do they only see our abilities, our attitudes, our intelligence, our wisdom? The story of the life of Joseph is NOT the story of the life of Joseph. It is the story of the presence of God in the life of Joseph. God's fingerprints are all over this story. God's presence can be seen in every circumstance and situation in the life of this otherwise ordinary man. It is the presence of God that made Joseph special. And His presence made those around Joseph sit up and take notice. The world is looking for the same thing today. They would love to see men and women who have the true presence of God in them. They would love to see those of us who claim to know Christ, live as if we are under the control of Christ. And if we were, they would see a marked difference in our attitudes and actions. They would recognize that there is something greater at work in us than we could manufacture ourselves. Pharaoh was surrounded by the best and brightest Egypt had to offer. But when he encountered Joseph, he saw something he had never seen before – the power and the presence of God in the life of a man. And he couldn't get enough of Joseph and his God.

What if that were to be the case for you and me today?

Father, may my life reflect that of Joseph. May I so allow the Your presence to live in me and direct me, that others would see You and not me. May they see Your power and not mind. May they witness your wisdom in place of mine. May they easily conclude that there is something radically different about me. And it is You!  Amen

Out Of Sight, But Not Out Of Mind.

Genesis 39-40

...the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful. – Genesis 39:23 NET

In the previous three chapters, God seemed no where to be found. He was mentioned only once in the entire text, yet He was there – behind the scenes orchestrating and controlling events that to us looked completely out of His control. And now, as we pick up the rest of the story of Joseph, God seems to be everywhere. And there is a phrase that is repeated over and over again in this passage that should be a real source of comfort and encouragement to those of who are children of God and Christ-followers: "the Lord was with Him." This story is full of the ups and downs of a young man's life. It all started with Joseph being sold into slavery by his own brothers – all out of jealousy and the desire for revenge. He did nothing to deserve their actions – other than share with them a dream that they didn't particularly like the meaning of. Yet they sold him to a band of Ishmaelite slave traders. They take him to Egypt, bound in chains, and sell him to Potiphar, the caption of Pharaoh's bodyguard. But what does the text tell us? "The Lord was with Joseph." Not just at this point, but He had been with Joseph all along the way. It is no coincidence that Joseph ended up in Egypt and was sold to this particular man. God was with Him. God was in complete control of the circumstances. And He made Joseph "successful." We are told that "the Lord made everything he was doing successful" (Genesis 39:3 NET). Now keep in mind, Joseph was still a slave. He was still a long way from home. He was still suffering the injustice forced upon him by his own brothers. But the Lord was with him.

Everything was going great for Joseph. His presence in Potiphar's house was even having a positive impact on his master. Things were looking up. Then the bottom falls out again. This time he is falsely accused of attempted rape by Potiphar's wife – all because he turned down her sexual advances. But wait a minute! Wasn't the Lord with him? Had the Lord left him? No. The Lord was with him and knew exactly what was going on. He had other plans for this young man and it was going to include imprisonment. The next thing we know, Joseph is in prison under false charges. He is innocent, but incarcerated none-the-less. His stock had dipped, but His God had not abandoned him. "But the LORD was with Joseph there, too, and he granted Joseph favor with the chief jailer" (Genesis 39:21 NLT). Now be honest. If you had been Joseph, wouldn't your natural reaction to these circumstances have been to conclude that God had somehow left you or abandoned you? How could this be in God's will? Why would a good and loving God allow this to happen to you? But the Lord was with Joseph there – even in the middle of prison. And the Lord made everything he did successful – even in prison!

But God was not done. Because in chapter 40 we are introduced to two characters who would have a profound impact on Joseph's life. They would used by God to help introduce another new chapter into the story of Joseph and the story of God's redemptive plan for His people. Chapter 40 ends on a negative note. It simply says, "Pharaoh’s cup–bearer, however, promptly forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought" (Genesis 40:23 NLT). Joseph had done this man a favor, and asked him to extend a favor in return. But he forgot all about Joseph. We are left with a picture of Joseph sitting in prison – forgotten and alone. But was he? No, the Lord was with him. The Lord had always been with him. The Lord was directing his path and determining his destiny. God was not done with Joseph yet. But if we stop here in the story, we will wrongly conclude that all is lost. We will falsely determine that Joseph has been abandoned by God. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Now think about this. Is God with you? Is He part of your life story? Is He behind the scenes orchestrating events and determining outcomes? It might be easy to conclude that He is not because of how things have turned out. But what if Joseph had done that? What if Joseph had decided that God was nowhere in his life story just because he had been wrongly imprisoned and unjustly forgotten? We can't judge the presence of God based on our circumstances. He is there, regardless of how things may appear to be going for us – and He can prosper us even in the midst of difficulty. He has a bigger and better plan for you than what your current circumstances seem to indicate. In fact, difficulty can be a lousy determiner of God's proximity. Things may not look like they're going too well, but that does not mean God is uninvolved or out of control. The loss of a job does not indicate the loss of God's favor. It may just be the opportunity to learn to trust Him. It could be your opportunity to see Him work in ways you never would have expected. Would Joseph have chosen to be sold into slavery? Did he enjoy being falsely accused and unjustly imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit? Was he happy at the prospect of being left to die in prison? NO! But he was learning a valuable lesson. He was learning to see the hand of God in his life. Did he fully recognize it at this point? Probably not. But there would come a day when he would look back over the span of his life and see the unmistakable hand of God over every event and circumstance he had ever encountered. God had been with Him. And God is with you!

Father, You are with me. I can't always see you, but You are there. Thank You for reminding me that my circumstances cannot be the tool by which I determine your presence. Things are not always as they appear when You are involved. Because You are behind he scenes working Your plan to perfection. Prison could be a step towards promotion. Slavery could be a precursor to salvation. Help me rest in the reality that You are intimately involved in every circumstance of my life – whether I can see You or not. You are with me! Amen

When the One Who Sees Is Hard to See.

Genesis 36-38

Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into a deep pit. We can tell our father that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what becomes of all his dreams! – Genesis 37:20 NLT

These three chapters are filled with genealogies, stories of jealousy, hatred, and family dysfunctionality. It would be so easy to read these chapters and conclude that God is nowhere to be found. His name is just mentioned once, and only in reference to the evil life that one of Judah's sons lived before Him. There is no renewal of the covenant like we have seen so often before. There are no visions of God or visits from angels. No, there are only seemingly pointless lists of the generations of Esau, the shockingly sinister behavior of the sons of Jacob toward their younger brother Joseph, and the sad story of Judah and his treatment of Tamar. Where is God in all of this?

But if you know much about the Bible at all, you know "the rest of the story." You know that what happens to Joseph has the hand print of God all over it. This extremely sad story would have a very happy ending. Even the story of Judah and Tamar, as dark and depressing as it appears to be, has a glimmer of light within it. Because one of the sons born to Tamar from her incestuous relationship with her own father-in-law, would end up being listed in the genealogy of the Messiah (Matthew 1:3).

I am reminded that while it is sometimes difficult to see God in the midst of the circumstances of life, He is there. God is ALWAYS there and He is always orchestrating and overseeing the affairs of men. At no time are we out of His sight or operating outside of His sovereign authority. We may violate His plans and disobey His law, we may act in unrighteous ways and do unconscionable things, but God is still there and He is still in control. We may not see Him, but He sees us. We may feel like things are completely out of His control, but time will always prove us wrong. While we may have a hard time seeing God in these three chapters, He is there. The story of Joseph may sound like a twisted tale of sibling rivalry gone bad, but we will learn that it is really the story of the sovereign hand of God over the affairs of men. God is behind the scenes putting in place His plan of salvation for the people of Israel, and setting the stage for His miraculous deliverance of them from slavery and bondage. Little did the brothers of Joseph know that they were setting in motion an incredible series of circumstances that would result in the Exodus, the great Old Testament foreshadowing of the coming Messiah and His deliverance of mankind from slavery to sin.

As you read through the Old Testament, always look for God. He is there. You may not see Him immediately, but rest assured that He is there, hidden behind all the scenes and shadows of deception, hatred, moral failure, and human sinfulness. He is there. And He is the God who sees. Do you see Him in your life today? Look for Him. He is not always obvious. But rest assured that He is there behind those circumstances that appear so bleak and foreboding. He is there behind that relationship that looks hopeless. He is there behind your feelings of helplessness. He is there behind all your doubts, fears, and feelings of weakness. He is there. But we must look for Him. And sometimes we will not see Him clearly until time has passed and we are able to look back and see His fingerprints all over that portrait of our lives.

Father, You are there. You are here. You have not gone anywhere and You are not busy somewhere else. You are intimately and powerfully involved in my life and, while I may not see You clearly right now, the day will come when I will. Open my eyes today so that I might see You in the midst of my day. And when I can't, give me the faith to believe that You are there. Amen

A Faithful God Among Unfaithful People

Genesis 34-35

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. – Genesis 35:2 NLT

These two chapters continue to document the sad saga of mankind's downward spiral into sin and and depravity. As we follow the lives of God's covenant people, we are exposed to the flaws and failures in their lives as well as the lives of the others inhabitants of the planet. And the picture is not a pretty one. Chapter 34 begins with the rape of Jacob's only daughter, Dinah, by Shechem, one of the "princes of the land." Dinah is probably 14-15 years old when this tragedy occurs. Having defiled this young girl, Shechem begs his father to get her for his bride. No shame. No remorse or regret. Just unbridledlust. His actions lead the sons of Jacob to seek revenge. And like their father, they do so by deceit. They trick their enemies, convincing them to agree to have all the males in their community circumcised. Three days after going through this ritual the men of Shechem's family are slaughtered by Simeon and Levi. Then the rest of the sons of Jacob loot the city and take everything in it. Revenge, greed, murder, deception. Sin breeds sin – both inside and outside of the family of God.

Then right in the middle of all this wickedness, God enters in. He calls Jacob to return to Bethel, where God first confirmed His covenant with him (Genesis 28:10-19). But before Jacob can obey, he has to instruct his household to do a little housekeeping. "Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes" (Genesis 35:2 NIV). I find it fascinating that Jacob has to instruct his own family to purge their tents of any and all foreign gods. This would have included the household idols that Rachel had stolen from her father (Genesis 31:19). Jacob collects all the idols, rings, amulets, and other cultic tokens and then hides them under a tree which was near the city of Shechem. Notice that he doesn't destroy them, he just conveniently hides them until they return from worshiping God. In the face of God's faithfulness we see the constant faithlessness of men. The passage seems to infer that Jacob had every intention of returning to that tree and digging up the idols and pagan trinkets and returning them to their rightful owners. He was working both sides of the street, keeping his relationship with Yahweh intact, but also hedging his bets by allowing the worship of other gods as well.

Yet in spite of the unfaithfulness of men, God once again confirms His covenant promise to Jacob, reminding him of his recent name change and confirming the promise made to Jacob's grandfather years earlier. “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you” (Genesis 35:11-12 NIV). God is faithful. God is a covenant-keeping God who never fails to keep His word, regardless of the fickleness and failings of fallen men. He tells Jacob that He is God Almighty, El Shaddai, the mighty or overpowering One. He is great, powerful, strong, and in complete control of any and all circumstances. Yet He is gracious, merciful, and faithful. It should be a comfort to us that in the midst of all the sin and corruption surrounding us, there is a God who loves us faithfully and fully. He will do what He has promised to do. He will never fail us or let us down.

Father, You are faithful in spite of my unfaithfulness. You stay true to Your word, even when I tend to break mine. I can count on You to be there for me, even in the middle of all the sin that surrounds me. Thank You for reminding me that You are the almighty God, powerful and true. Amen

A Mighty God.

Genesis 31-33

Then he built an altar there and named it El-Elohe-Israel (Mighty Is the God of Israel). – Genesis 33:20 MSG

Here at the end of chapter 33 we have a different Jacob than the one we saw leave under less-than-perfect circumstances 24 years earlier. On that day, he left a deceiver and a runaway, attempting to escape the wrath of his brother Esau, for having cheated him out of his birthright. He had left alone and in fear for his life. But now, 24 years later, he returns home, a very wealthy man with a very large family. But he still has lingering fears and doubts about how he will be received. He still has the heart of a deceiver. He struggles with deception and dishonesty. He wrestles with fear and doubt. He even wrestled with God. And that seems to be the main difference between the old Jacob and the new Israel. His awareness of God in his life. All throughout these three chapters we are given a glimpse into his growing awareness of and experience with God. God had been with him from day one. Back in chapter 28, we saw God make a promise to Jacob long before he got to the land of his uncle Laban: "What’s more, I will be with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. I will someday bring you safely back to this land. I will be with you constantly until I have finished giving you everything I have promised" (Genesis 28:15 NLT). And God had kept His promise. He had prospered and protected Jacob for 24 years, and Jacob recognized it. He saw the hand of God in his life. "...the God of my father has been with me..." (Genesis 31:5 NASB). "Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me" (Genesis 31:7 NASB). "Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me" (Genesis 31:9 NASB).

Jacob had a growing awareness that the Lord God had been with him during these "wilderness days." God had been watching over him. In fact, God confirms that fact when He tells Jacob in a dream, "I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you" (Genesis 31:13 NASB). God had been watching Jacob the entire time. And He had been working behind the scenes to direct Jacob's paths. So when God appeared to Jacob and commanded him to return home, Jacob obeyed. Sure, he still struggled with doubt and fear. He allowed his old deceptive self to take over, refusing to tell his uncle he was leaving and clandestinely departing without saying a word. The old Jacob was alive and well, but he was growing in his awareness of and trust in God. He even went to the mat with God – literally. He got to go hand-to-hand with the pre-incarnate Christ Himself, refusing to let Him go until He blessed him. Which reveals the Jacob we all know and love. In spite of God's verbal promise to watch over and keep him, and Jacob's personal testimony that God had done just that, he still was not satisfied until he got a verbal blessing from the mouth of God. So he wrestled with God and got his blessing, along with a name change and a limp. From that point forward he was to be called Israel – "he fights with God." What a perfect name for this guy. Jacob knew he had seen God and said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared" (Genesis 32:30 NASB). Jacob had seen the face of and felt the hand of God in his life. And he would never be quite the same.

Fear and doubt would still be his constant companions. He would still struggle with deception and deceit. He would tend to take matters into his own hands. But he knew that God was there. When returning to confront his brother Esau, we see Jacob relying on his own scheming, but he also couples it with prayer. He recognizes his unworthiness and asks God to keep His promise to protect him (Genesis 32:9-12). Jacob bounced between faith in the promises of God and his fear of men. But don't we all? Don't we all see the hand of God in our life, but still doubt and fear? Don't we all wrestle and contend with God, and then take matters into our own hands, doubting that He can really do what He has promised to do?

But when Jacob finally arrived safely home, having been restored to a right relationship with his long-estranged brother, he put up an altar and worshiped the One who had made it all possible. Jacob knew he had little or nothing to do with his success those 24 years or with his brother's warm reception. It was all the work of God. So he called the place where he built his altar, El-Elohe-Israel – "a mighty God is the God of Israel." It had taken 24 years, but Jacob had learned a valuable lesson about his God. Because this name was a personal statement. He is Israel and the God of whom he speaks is HIS God. He, Israel, served a mighty, powerful, personal God. His God was involved in his life. His God saw everything going on in his life. His God was a promise-keeping God. His God was a God who was willing to wrestle with him and not destroy him. His God was involved in every area of his life, behind the scenes, orchestrating every event and every circumstance. So what about your God? What about my God? Can I say, "a mighty God is the God of Ken?" Do I see Him? Am I wrestling with Him? Is my awareness of Him growing with each passing day? Do I trust Him to keep His promises to me?

Father, You are a mighty God. And You are trying to show me just how mighty You really are. Not just in history, but in my life every day. Give me a growing awareness of Your presence and power in my life. You are there and You care. You are working behind the scenes in ways I can't even see. You wrestle with me virtually every day. Sometimes You leave me limping. But never let me miss Your presence in my life. Amen

God's Way Vs. Man's Way.

Genesis 29-30

Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by giving her a child. – Genesis 29:22 NLT

These two chapters are like watching a television soap opera. There is so much scheming, drama, deception, revenge, hatred, and gratuitous sex, it's almost unbelievable. And the amazing thing is that you are seeing the twelve tribes of Israel come about right before your eyes. In chapter 29 you have the deceiver getting deceived. Jacob, the guy who had tricked his own brother out of his birthright, then deceived his father into giving the blessing intended for his brother to him, gets hoodwinked by his uncle Laban. He agrees to work seven years for his uncle in order to gain the hand of his daughter, Rachel. But after seven years of faithful service, on the night he is to consummate his marriage to Rachel, he is given her older sister Leah instead. The deceiver got deceived. A week later he is given Rachel as well, but he must work another seven years for his uncle.

Then the fun begins. Rachel is barren. But Leah is prolific. She bears him a number of sons. But Rachel bears him none. Jealousy ensues. And Rachel comes up with a plan much like her grand-mother-in-law did. She gives her handmaiden to Jacob so she might bear him children. And like his grandfather, he agrees. Rather than seek God's help regarding his wife's barrenness like his father Isaac had done for Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), Jacob just gives in to Rachel's wishes. And so Jacob has another set of sons through his wife's handmaiden. Not to be outdone, Leah gives her handmaiden to Jacob and she bears him sons. Do you see the competition, jealousy, pride, and lack of leadership displayed in these two chapters. It is almost painful to watch. Rachel and Leah even bargain over their husband and their right to have sex with him (Genesis 30:15-16). Jacob is a pathetic figure in this story. He is a pawn in the hands of his wives and displays no spiritual leadership at all. And the entire story is another display of men and women attempting to do God's will their own way. But they are all out for number one. Everyone is concerned for themselves. They could really care less for what God is interested in. But in verse 22 we see that in the midst of all this deception and intrigue, Rachel had been praying to God. She had yet to conceive. She had yet to give her husband a son. She had come up with her own plan, but it had not satisfied. She was still discontent. So she prayed. And God heard. And He answered. In spite of all the unfaithfulness, scheming, jealousy, revenge, and deception, God showed grace and intervened. He opened Rachel's womb and she bore Jacob a son. And what an important son he would prove to be. This child would prove to be the savior of the descendants of Abraham. He would be God's chosen one who would become the second-in-command to Pharaoh and who would one day provide Abraham's descendants a safe haven in the land of Egypt. Little did Jacob, Rachel, and Leah know the significance of this one birth. But the same is true for us. In the midst of all our scheming and attempts to live life our way and on our own terms, God is at work behind the scenes. He is the God who sees. He is the God who knows what is best. He knew Rachel's problem and He had a solution. He heard her prayers and He had an answer prepared. Oh, that we would learn to wait on God and call out to God in the midst of our problems. But like Jacob, Rachel, and Leah, we are always trying to solve things on our own. God is in control. He has a plan and His plan is perfect. He really doesn't need our help. He wants to show us His power, but we are too busy trying to show Him our power. We are too busy working our plans to stop and ask Him what His might be. But when Rachel prayed, God heard. When Rachel called out, God responded. And He gave her a son. A son who would prove to be a literal god-send in the years ahead. God's way is always the best way.

Father, Your way is always best. Your will is always right. You have a plan and You are working that plan out in perfection Forgive me when I try to help you out by implementing my own plan. I am just as guilty of scheming as Jacob, Rachel or Leah. Too often, my plans end up being in direct conflict with Yours. But I am thankful that Your plans are unstoppable. And that even when I have messed things up, you hear me cry out and You answer. You are faithful Father. And I am grateful. Amen

Like Father, Like Son.

Genesis 26-28

And when the men there asked him about Rebekah, he said, "She is my sister." He was afraid to admit that she was his wife. He thought they would kill him to get her, because she was very beautiful. – Genesis 16:7 NLT

Have you ever noticed how it is that our kids seem to pick up all our worst habits? In fact, the things I get most frustrated about with my kids are usually habits they picked up from me. Like sponges, they seem to absorb character traits they see in us. And sometimes they take them to a whole new level. My wife has a saying she likes to use whenever she sees one of our kids emulating a habit or attitude of mine that is not exactly flattering – it's "what parents do in moderation, children do to excess."

You see this statement lived out in these three chapters of the book of Genesis. Abraham passed down to his son, Isaac, a certain predisposition to deception. All the way back in chapters 12 and 20, Abraham had convinced his wife Sarah to lie about being married to him, in order to protect himself. Because of her beauty, he was afraid that they would kill him in order to get to her. So he had her lie and say that she was his sister. Neither time was this sanctioned by God. And both times it nearly ended in disaster. Now here we are years later, long after Abraham has dies, and we find his son, Isaac, following in his footsteps. He repeats the sin of his father Abraham by commanding his wife Rebekah to lie and say that she is his sister. This was deja vu all over again. Similar situation. Same results. There was a famine in the land and Isaac is forced to move to a new place in order to keep his flocks alive. He is even directed by God where to go. But in spite of the fact that God was directing his path, he panics and allows fear to get the best of him. Instead of trusting God for his safety, he comes up with his own plan, involving deception and lying. But his deceit is quickly exposed and he is confronted about it by the citizens of the land in which he has settled. He only confessed it when confronted about it. Otherwise he would have continued living the lie – leaving his wife exposed to potential harm the entire time.

Yet in spite of all this, Isaac, like his father before him, is blessed beyond belief. We are told that "That year Isaac’s crops were tremendous! He harvested a hundred times more grain than he planted, for the LORD blessed him. He became a rich man, and his wealth only continued to grow" (Genesis 26:12-12 NLT). But the blessing of God was not a reward for his behavior, but a reflection of God's faithfulness. He was going to keep the covenant promise He had made to Abraham.

And while he was blessed and prosperous, Isaac would find that his deception would have long-term consequences. First of all, his deception caused the people of the land to distrust him. He was an unwelcome guest in their land. And his increasing affluence caused them to be jealous of him. They resented him. So much so that they tried to ruin him by filling in all his wells so that his herds would have no water. This conflict finally resulted in Isaac leaving their land and settling elsewhere. But in spite of Isaac's mistakes, God was still in charge and ordering his future. God even reconfirmed His covenant with Isaac and restated His intent to give he and his descendants a land, a seed, and a blessing (Genesis 26:24).

But the gene of deception was going to get passed down yet again. This time to Jacob, Isaac's son. We see this sad story in chapters 27-28. Jacob had already deceived his brother Esau once, having convinced him to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. Now Jacob and his mother conspire to deceive his father Isaac. They come up with a plan to deceive him into giving Jacob the blessing that was meant for Esau. The interesting thing is that God had already told Rebekah that Esau would serve Jacob. The younger son would rule over the elder son. But she decided God needed help in making this happen. And she chose to use deception to make it happen. Jacob was completely complicit in this whole affair. He played his part to the tee. He deceived his father and received the blessing. But once again, it was to result in less-than-perfect circumstances. Jacob would be forced to leave his father's home and journey to his mother's homeland, where he would live with her family. She intended this to be a brief stay, while Esau got over his anger for having been deceived. But it would actually be many years before Jacob returned, and she would never live long enough to see her son again. Their deception would prove incredibly costly. And Jacob the deceiver would find that a life of deception breeds deception. But that is a story for another day.

I guess the main message is the power that a life of deceit has over all those with whom it comes in contact. It is like a cancer, having a negative influence on the deceiver as well as the deceived. It produces discord, anger, resentment, jealousy, and results in disunity and further deception. Our intentions may be noble and our desires pure, but any time we choose deceit as our primary means of accomplishing our objectives, the results will always be negative. Deceit is antithetical to trust. We tend to deceive when we refuse to believe. We lie when we find it hard to rely on God. The Proverbs warn us, "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death" (Proverbs 14:12 NLT). Our deceptions may look good in the planning stages, but the results are always disappointing. Trusting is always better than deceiving. Just ask Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob.

Father, how easy it is to try and deceive those around us. We don't intend to deceive. We don't even see it as deception. We just think we are coming up with a good plan to get us through the circumstances we are in. But instead of trusting You, we rely on our own faulty reasoning to deliver us. Show me how to trust You more. A lie of deception is deadly. Not only to me, but to all those around me. Especially my children. Amen