Gen 27:4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”
I often find myself seeking God’s will for my life by using the words of Acts 9:6 … “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” … But this family already knew God’s will. In Gen 25:23, the LORD told Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” Yet even with His word on the situation, they schemed.
Gen 27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau….”
Isaac schemed to bestow his blessing on his favorite not God’s chosen. Rebekah schemed to be sure her favorite received the blessing (even though God had already said it would be his). Esau schemed to gain his father’s blessing, especially in material goods, knowing that he had sold his birthright for a bowl of stew (Gen 25:34). Jacob schemed to not get caught deceiving his father so as not to call down curses on himself instead of blessings. In the end, despite all the scheming and dysfunction, the LORD’s will was achieved.
Gen 27:11-12 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, … “I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this example of how not to act as a family and of how You can act even through dysfunctional families. Thank You that even in the midst of scheming and dysfunction, You can still accomplish Your will. Help me never to get so caught up in what I want, what I think should happen, that I disregard You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 27:13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say….”
Have a blessed day.
Flashing neon signs from God…. (devo reflection)
Acts 9:6 … “Lord, what do You want me to do?”…
I’m a big fan of flashing neon signs from God: “Beth—THIS is what I want you to do.” As you can probably imagine, those don’t usually happen. More often, I pray and fret and wait, and agonize over whether I’ve missed or misinterpreted something, and pray and fret and wait.
Isaiah 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it….”
And then there are the times when the only way to go is glaringly obvious—forward, through the pain, through the fear, through the chaos and confusion. Those are the times when I struggle—Why, Lord? Why this? Why us? Why now?—but they are also the times when I cling most closely to His promise in Matt 28:20: “…And I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
Lord, Thank You for this day, this scripture, Your guidance and direction. Thank You for understanding how difficult life can be and for giving us strength, wisdom, and discernment to understand Your will for us. Thank You for Your willingness and ability to use everything, even our missteps, for our good and Your glory. Draw us closer. Amen.
Proverbs 3:6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
Have a blessed day.
Life abundantly…. (devo reflection)
John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever….
My default these days seems to be grumpy, and that is not good. “Choose Joy” is more than a gimmick, it is a life philosophy, and my precious Savior has given me what I need to choose joy, no matter my circumstances. He has given me the Holy Spirit, who is always with me, to help me navigate life on earth. The Holy Spirit can and will help me tap into my Savior’s joy. I just have to make the first move. Jesus, Help me.
Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised….You always resist the Holy Spirit!”
With this grumpy disconnect between my head and my heart, I feel stiff-necked and resistant. My Savior came to give me life abundantly (John 10:10). He does not want me in this grumpy space. I cannot glorify Him if I don’t open my heart to His joy. Jesus, Help me.
Eph 3:16 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this message. Thank You for the Advocate, the Helper, the Holy Spirit inside me that keeps me connected to You despite the best efforts of this world to draw me away. Help me to breakdown the interior barriers keeping me from embracing Your joy fully and completely. Adjust my attitude. Draw me closer to You, Lord. Help me to claim Your joy in my life and to glorify Your name. Amen.
Eph 3:17 …so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith….
Have a blessed day.
The state of my heart…. (devo reflection)
Acts 24:16 So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
This scripture put me in mind of a poem entitled “The Man in the Glass,” which basically says that you can fool everybody but yourself when it comes to who you are and how you got where you are in life. To me, Acts 24:16 speaks to being able to look at yourself and know that who you are, who the world thinks you are, and who God knows you to be match.
Acts 23:1 … “I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
I know my caustic inner critic often makes a squeaky clean conscience difficult, but sometimes a stinky attitude can be just as bad as motives that are less than honorable. One devotional I read today did not equate blamelessness with perfection but rather with doing the correct thing in all situations. If you mess up, apologize. If your attitude is stinky, change it (and apologize if you offended while you were in that mindset).
1 Cor 10:32 Do not become a stumbling block….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that my attitude is important and that You and I both know what my heart looks like, even if I can fool the world. Help me always to be honest with myself and with You about the state of my heart. If my attitude is stinky, help me to be aware and to actively seek to change it. Help me not to be a stumbling block to others but instead to point them to You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Have a blessed day.