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Beauty and grace from our mess…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.   

When I first pulled up today’s scripture, I was tempted to find a different chapter for my devos this week. But I decided to read commentary on Genesis 28 to see if I could discern why God sent me here. One section of commentary stuck out to me: “Each of the four parties in the whole birthright mess acted in an unspiritual manner somewhere along the line. The amazing thing is that God brought any good out of all this. This was a triumph of God’s sovereignty.”

Genesis 28:2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

Humans acting in an unspiritual manner. God’s triumphant sovereignty bringing good from the mess. THAT is a tale as old as time. Humans mess up. A lot. God is sovereign. Always. He can bring beauty and grace from our mess. He DOES bring beauty and grace from our mess. Thank You, Jesus.

Genesis 28:3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.

Lord, Even when my heart is in the right place, even when I try, I can still make a grand mess of things. Thank you for Your mercy, grace, and sovereignty. Thank you that You can use ALL things for my good and Your glory. Thank You. Amen.

Genesis 28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”

Have a blessed day.

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Being vs Doing…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

I often get caught up in the idea that my worth, my value is in what I do, not who I am. If you were struggling with that idea, I’d tell you it’s bananas. Your life is of worth. Period. Full stop. But for some reason, I feel like my own value is connected to my productivity and output.

Genesis 2:2a By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing…

But when my worth becomes only my output, I become a cog in the machine, easily replaceable, easily replaced. But my life, my spirit, my being cannot be duplicated. It is unique and irreplaceable. It is valuable just because it is. And so it is with you.

Genesis 2:2b …so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

Lord, It is so easy to get caught up in the hamster wheel of life, cranking out work, nose to the grindstone. And while what we do is valuable and important, it isn’t who we are. We are Your deeply loved children. Our spirits need rest. Our souls need tending. Help me never to forget that I am a human BEING, uniquely created by You, and I need to nurture my spirit, to rest, renew, and reconnect with You daily. Amen.

Genesis 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Have a blessed day.

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The spirit of Sabbath…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

My church has been focusing on the theme of the Sabbath in this week’s devotional reflections, which has always been an interesting subject to me. Of course, you don’t mow grass on Sundays, but fishing is ok, right? Golf is fine because it’s leisure. And of course I can exercise. Running/walking…that’s not work. And we’ve got to eat, so cooking is ok, right?

Genesis 2:2a By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing…

It quickly becomes clear to me that legalese won’t work for the Sabbath. Each person needs to create a Sunday culture that allows them to disengage from the world and reconnect with the Savior. Doing that requires intent and intentionality, but it is possible.

Genesis 2:2b …so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  

Lord, I want to be intentional about connecting with You on the Sabbath. I don’t want to get lost in trying to follow the world’s “Sabbath Rules,” I don’t want to get caught up in legalese, I don’t want to lose the spirit of Sabbath–rest in Your presence. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Genesis 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Have a blessed day.

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Room for the unknown…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

It is hard for me to fathom the scene described in today’s verses because it is so far outside of the realm of my experience. At no time in my life has the earth been formless and empty, so I just can’t conceive of what that must have been like, which brings to mind a quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Here’s the trouble, though: I like to think I know a lot, so when I make judgments and assumptions, I don’t usually leave room for all that may exist outside of my realm of understanding. I don’t even leave room for that possibility. Jesus, Help me.

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Creator of the Universe, Thank You for reminding me that my knowledge is finite, limited, that there is so much in this life (and the next) that I don’t understand. Help me to leave room for the unknown, the unexpected. Help me leave room for You. Amen.

Genesis 1:4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Have a blessed day.

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Try again…. (devo reflection)

Amos 9:4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. “I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good.”

As I read the second part of verse 4, Gen 50:20 came to mind: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good….” I want God to keep His eyes on me, but I want His intentions to be good, and thankfully, under the new covenant of Christ, they are.

Amos 9:8 “Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom. I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord.

Gone is the old covenant of obey and you will be blessed. Disobey and you will be cursed. But even in that covenant, God strove for mercy and renewal. The disobedient Israelites didn’t get what they deserved, they weren’t treated as they treated God. His goal for them was repentance, renewal, restoration.

Amos 9:11 “In that day I will restore David’s fallen shelter—I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins—and will rebuild it as it used to be….

Precious Savior, Thank You for not treating me as I deserve. Thank You for Your fierce love and deep compassion. Thank You for the new covenant of Christ. Thank You that every day I get to try again to be a better person than I was yesterday. Forgive me when I fall short. Help me to forgive myself. Draw me closer. Amen.

Amos 9:15 I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

Have a blessed day.

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A startling and beautiful revelation…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 14:27 For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? (NIV)
A quick Google search turned up two examples of when God changed His mind. In Genesis 18, after Abraham pleads with Him, He says that He will not destroy Sodom if there are even ten good people there (Gen 18:32). And in Jonah 3, Jonah’s warnings (sent as a direct message from God), caused the people to turn from their evil ways, and “He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened” (Jonah 3:10).
Isaiah 14:27 The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has spoken— who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?” (NLT)
These examples paint a stark contrast to the wrathful, angry God of yesterday’s scripture. This is a God of mercy, a God who would rather see change and repentance than destruction. For me, this is a startling and beautiful revelation on the heels of yesterday’s descriptions of anger and wrath.
Isaiah 14:27 For the LORD of armies has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” (NASB)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your presence, Your wisdom, and Your mercy. Thank You for helping me to uncover layers of Your personality as I study Your word. Draw me closer. Always. Amen.
Isaiah 14:27 I, the LORD All-Powerful, have made these plans. No one can stop me now! (CEV)
Have a blessed day.
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Your unfailing love…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 94:18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,” Your unfailing love, LORD, supported me.

Commentary on this verse talks about how “…the very things which assault faith, and threaten to produce despair, may be made the opportunity for praise….” I love that idea, and it seems in keeping with the way God works. “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Gen 50:20).

Psalm 94:19 When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy.

I’ve centered myself on this verse time and again since anxiety pops up far too often in my life. Maybe I don’t use it as an opportunity to praise Him, but I absolutely try to use it as an opportunity to turn to Him, to lean into Him instead of my anxieties. It’s not easy, I’m still really bad at it, but I continue to try to lean in to Him instead of fret, and I count that as positive progress.

Psalm 94:22a But the LORD has become my fortress….

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You that You take the ways of this world and turn them toward You. Help me to lean into You, to praise You, to trust You always. Draw me closer. Amen.

Psalm 94:22b …and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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The schemes of man…. (devo reflection)

Psalm 64:1a Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint….

Who can understand the schemes of man? Personally, I can’t even understand my own actions and reactions half of the time. I certainly don’t have any insight into why other people act the way they do. But I cling to the sovereignty of my Savior, and I claim the power of Genesis 50:20: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good….”

Psalm 64:1b …protect my life from the threat of the enemy.

Just like David in this psalm, I cry out to God to thwart the schemes of my enemies. What else can we do in times of trouble but call on our Savior and trust in His provision and protection, clinging to Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Psalm 64:10a The righteous will rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him….

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You that even when life doesn’t makes sense, You do. Thank You that I can pour out my heart and my fears to You and You hear me. Help me, Lord, to understand Your will for me in all circumstances. Use all things for Your glory. Draw me closer. Amen.

Psalm 64:10b …all the upright in heart will glory in Him!

Have a blessed day.

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Wrestling with God…. (devo reflection)

Job 6:21 “Now you too have proved to be of no help; you see something dreadful and are afraid.”

Commentary on this chapter made me chuckle a bit. In chapter 5, it said: “Eliphaz preaches a God who can be figured out.” However, commentary on chapter 6 feels like it is explaining Job 6 in light of a God who can be figured out. I find it quite ironic. Eliphaz charges that this is happening to Job because of some unacknowledged, unrepented sin within him. Job maintains that is not the case.

Job 6:28 “But now be so kind as to look at me. Would I lie to your face?”

I find myself, as I struggle with this book, with Job’s loss and suffering for no discernible reason, thinking back to Genesis 32 where Jacob wrestles with God. Coming to terms with unimaginable loss and suffering for no identifiable reason involves, at least for me, wrestling with what I know to be true of my Savior. Sometimes there is no understanding of the pain and loss, there is simply the knowledge that God loves me deeply, He loves those I love, His ways are far beyond anything I can imagine, and I can trust Him, His goodness, and His sovereignty, even when I don’t understand.

Job 6:29 “Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my integrity is at stake.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to draw closer to You as I read Your word. For someone who likes to understand the why of life, it is difficult and frustrating to not understand, but I know You love me fiercely, and I choose to trust You, even when I don’t understand. Draw me closer. Amen.

Job 6:30 “Is there any wickedness on my lips? Can my mouth not discern malice?”

Have a blessed day.

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Insecurity and wounded pride… (devo reflection)

Esther 3:2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

The final line of commentary about this chapter echos in my mind this morning: “…all of this came to pass because of the insecurity and wounded pride of one wicked man.” All we need to do is take a good look at yesterday’s top US news story to see exactly what kind of damage the insecurity and wounded pride of one man can do. 

Esther 3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews….

Interestingly, the word that trips me up is “wicked.” I’m not saying Haman is not wicked. His actions certainly indicate that he is. But wicked seems to imply beyond repair, and as God’s deeply beloved, I don’t think any of us are beyond God’s reach. We all know folks who have done wicked things. Sometimes those folks lead wicked lives for years and years. But I also know folks who turned from those ways and have come out on the other side, folks who are good, loving people.

Esther 3:8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different…and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. I am struggling with what to do with wicked, proud, insecure people, people whose actions hurt others, destroy property, disrupt democracy. We are all Your deeply beloved; we are all Your masterpieces. Show me how to see and love You, even within those who don’t acknowledge Your sovereignty. Help me cling to Gen 50:20 and Romans 8:28, knowing You are in control and can work all things, even things meant for evil, to our good and Your glory. Draw me closer. Amen.

Esther 3:10-11 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman…. “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

Have a blessed day