Looking to the future (Genesis 47:28 - 50:26)

Genesis 50:24 foreshadows the events of the book of Exodus as God led Israel out of Egypt. Joseph is speaking of a future time when God will lead His people back to the Promised Land. Why is it that Joseph can make this statement with any amount of confidence? It is because Joseph believes in the sovereignty of God. He experienced the hand of God in his own life and he was taught about the great promises God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so he has no difficulty in knowing that God will act on His promises.

God’s sovereignty is part of the reason we can have hope for the future. God’s promises concerning the future would be meaningless if He is not sovereign. His ability to bring about His plan of redemption would be subject to failure if He wasn’t sovereign. Joseph did not worry over the future of Israel for he knew God’s sovereignty. Do you worry or fret over the future? We all do at times, but those who trust in a sovereign God are not consumed by such worry. What a blessing to know that God is in control of our future.

The beauty of God’s sovereignty (Genesis 45:16 - 47:27)

There are many important truths that are related to or find their origins in the sovereignty of God. In today’s reading I am struck by God’s provision for Jacob and his family. God demonstrated his faithfulness to Jacob by providing a way of escape during these terrible years of famine.

From time to time I will meet someone who doesn’t want to acknowledge that God is sovereign. They want to ignore that God is indeed ruler of His creation. However, at the same time they are praying for God to provide for their needs. Ignoring God’s sovereignty and asking for his provision is a contradiction for God’s ability to provide is dependent on His absolute sovereignty. If God were subject to some external force, then His ability to meet our needs would be limited. I hope you see that it isn’t a restriction of our freedom to believe in God’s sovereignty. To the contrary, His sovereignty allows us to trust in His promises, care and provision, which will truly set us free.

To God be the glory; great things He has done. (Genesis 45:1-15)

Joseph gives God full credit for ending up in Egypt and for his position as second only to Pharaoh. He recognizes that it was the hand of God in his life all this time. When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, or when he was falsely accused and jailed by Potiphar, or when he was forgotten by Pharaoh’s cupbearer for two years, he knew that God’s hand was guiding his life.

Like Joseph, are you able to give God the glory for what he has done in your life? Joseph’s life was far from easy. There were good times and bad, but in it all, Joseph recognized that God was in control. Are you in a difficult stage of life? Do not despair, for God is in control. Is life seemingly perfect for you right now? Great, but don’t be proud, for all you have is from God. So no matter what stage of life you are in, you ought to give glory to God as Joseph did.

God's sovereignty in good and bad (Genesis 40:1 - 41:57)

The devotionals for this week are all about the sovereignty of God. The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology defines the Sovereignty of God as “The biblical teaching that God is king, supreme ruler, and lawgiver of the entire universe.”

It was a courageous choice full of integrity that landed Joseph in jail, but it was the sovereign hand of God that brought him out. Joseph had no ability to change his position. Through the series of events you read today, God brought about restoration for Joseph. However, it is not as though Joseph didn’t do anything. I see three key things Joseph did:

1) Joseph worked hard for the chief jailer,

2) Joseph exercised wisdom and the gift of interpreting dreams,

3) Joseph exercised patience, spending over two years in jail.

Indeed Joseph did his part and so did God. God orchestrated different meetings, gave dreams to people, and gave Joseph the wisdom and ability to interpret those dreams. Thus we see an important principle: God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility work hand in hand in our lives.

Extreme Faith (Genesis 21 - 24)

“I couldn’t do it, I just couldn’t do it,” Abraham said to Sarah. “Whatever do you mean, Abraham?” she asked. “Well, God asked me to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering and I just couldn’t do it,” he said.

Aren’t you glad your Bible doesn’t read that way? I have often wondered if it were my faith being tested, how the story would have turned out. Abraham had an extreme faith in God. It wasn’t that Abraham was calling God’s bluff or knew it was only a test. No, he was ready to do exactly what God asked of Him. Hebrews 11:19 says, “Abraham assumed that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again…”

Abraham had to trust God with Isaac’s life. Are you willing to do the same? Now, God isn’t asking you to physically sacrifice your life or the life of a loved one, but he is asking you to die to yourself and trust Him with your life.

“The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials” (Genesis 18:1 - 21:7)

You wouldn’t know by today’s reading that Lot “was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day” (2 Peter 2:8). Peter gives us that insight to Lot’s heart. Have you ever felt like Lot? Are you worn down and beyond frustration with the world around you? Well, if you are, then fear not. As the verse that serves as our title for today says, the Lord knows how to rescue people. All hope is not lost because God will have the final say.

God provided a way of escape for Lot from the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. God has also provided a way of escape for you from the wickedness of this world. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have the confidence in knowing that we will be with the Father when we die, or even better, when Jesus returns. So, reader, do not despair, if you have trusted in Christ, your day of escape is coming. You will only have to endure the wickedness of this world for a short season before you can enjoy eternity with God.

A crisis of faith (Genesis 15 - 17)

Have you ever found yourself really struggling in your faith?
If so, you have something in common with Abram. In spite of God’s powerful promises and constant provision for his needs, Abram was struggling to believe that God’s promises would materialize. God had already promised that Abram would “become the father of a great nation” (Gen. 12:2). However, after ten years (16:3), Abram was growing impatient (15:2-3).
Even though the Lord reassured Abram of his promises, Abram decided to take matters into his own hands. This led to Abram fathering a child with Hagar. Clearly, in the chapters we have read today, Abram was struggling with the Lord’s timing.
Are you struggling like Abram? Trust in the Lord’s timing. Exercise patience and remember what the Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

If you say go, we will go (Genesis 11-14)

In our church, we sing a song with that line it. As I think about what God asked Abram to do I thought about that song. Like many of you, I am prone to sing worship music without allowing the meaning of the words to sink in. Abram, as he was known at this point, embodied what this song is all about. God gave Abram a directive to go to a foreign land. He didn’t ask Abram to go or if he even wanted to go. God commanded Abram to go.
Amazingly enough, Abram responded in faith and obeyed God’s command. Genesis 12:1 reveals some of the magnitude of this move, “leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house…” Basically God told Abram to abandon all that he knew – every source of security and comfort and to stake his whole life on God.
It is hard to imagine a greater example of faith. If God were to tell you to go, would you go? Are you willing to step out in faith and stake your life on God and his promises? May you have faith like Abram to do just that.

Faith is believing without seeing (Genesis 7-10)

This last year our family watched the animated movie Chicken Little. In that movie the lead character, Chicken Little, warns everyone in town that the sky is falling. Of course he is ridiculed for taking a stand on this issue. I think Noah may have felt somewhat like Chicken Little. 2 Peter 2:5 says that, “Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment.” Can you imagine the response Noah would have received from these wicked people?
Noah had faith in God. He was unfazed by the critics. He was undaunted by the challenge of building such a large boat (without the help of Home Depot!). Noah was the only one who heeded God’s warning. Noah acted in faith. He didn’t need God to prove anything. He believed in God’s Word and acted accordingly. Are you willing to listen to God’s Word and act accordingly? Or are you still waiting for God to prove himself? Exercising faith means to take God at His Word and act appropriately. May you be doers of the Word and not merely hearers of it.

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Genesis 4-6)

So why exactly was Abel’s offering accepted by God and not Cain’s offering? Some have argued that it is because Abel sacrificed an animal while Cain only brought produce of the ground. However, both grains and animals are used in the sacrificial system of the old covenant.
To find out why God accepted one and not the other, we have to go to the New Testament book of Hebrews. In Hebrews 11:4 we see that it was a matter of faith that made Abel’s offering stand out. This issue of faith is one that comes up time and again in the scriptures. God is more concerned with our faith than with the externals of religion and public service. Certainly Cain brought an offering for the same reason as Abel. However, for Abel, it was an expression of faith, but for Cain it was religious duty. How do you approach the worship of God? Do you worship God from your heart because you have faith in His promises? Or do you worship out of duty or obligation or because someone is watching? May your worship be like that of Abel.

Paradise Lost (Genesis 1-3)

The devotionals for this week center around the issue of faith. We will talk about our need for faith in God and we will look at examples of faith in the lives of Abel, Noah and Abraham. My prayer is that, by the end of this week, your faith would be strengthened and maybe even challenged a little bit.

God’s creation was perfect in every way, shape, and form, “God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was excellent in every way…” (Gen. 1:31)
I have often pondered what life would be like if Adam and Eve had chosen obedience that day in the garden. I would imagine that Satan would have shown up the next day to tempt them again. After all, he is the deceiver and father of lies; he is in the business of tempting mankind.
However, no matter how many times I ponder this thought, the story never changes. On that fateful day, sin and death entered into the entire human race (Rom. 5:12). But by the grace of God that is not the whole story. In fact, you need not read past today’s reading to find hope for mankind. In God’s judgment upon the serpent is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ triumph over sin and death at the cross. The offspring or seed of the woman that will crush the serpent is the first mention of God’s redemptive plan for mankind. So, reader, take hope. There is more to the story, oh, and please keep reading.

Foolishness of the Cross (2 Kings 18:13-37; Isaiah 36:1-22)

Recently I watched an episode of Nightline, in which they moderated a debate between Christians and atheists. The atheists in the debate worked hard at making the Christian gospel sound foolish. Of course, this would come as no surprise to the Apostle Paul who declared in his own day that the message of the cross, the gospel, was foolishness to those who don’t believe (1 Cor. 1:18).
This dynamic seems to parallel the scene that is taking place in 2 Kings 18 & Isaiah 36. King Sennacherib’s representative mocks the idea of trusting in the Lord for Jerusalem’s deliverance. Even in the Old Testament, those who did not know the Lord were unable to comprehend His power to save and deliver His people.
Do not be surprised when you are mocked or scorned for trusting in Jesus for your salvation. Do not respond harshly, but rather may you “live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity (Col. 4:5).

License to Sin? (Micah 2:1-5:15)

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” – Romans 6:1-2
In the days that Micah prophesied, Israel was proud and arrogant of their standing before the Lord. They had ignored the need for obedience and holiness and had relied on their position as God’s covenant people. They believed they could act however they wanted without any consequences because the Lord had chosen Jerusalem as His dwelling place (3:11).
A false understanding of grace and our assurance of salvation can lead us into a similar way of living. However, Paul makes it clear in the above verse that grace is not a license to sin but, on the contrary, the new man in Christ is to have nothing to do with sin and is to live by righteousness.
This is not to say that we must be perfect or that our salvation or sanctification is totally based on our obedience and holiness. Rather, the way in which we live is not a means to righteousness, but rather is in response to the great salvation we have in Christ.

Salvation is in Christ Alone (Isaiah 30:1-33:24)

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” – John 14:6
In today’s reading, Isaiah warns God’s people about relying on outside help for their salvation. Israel as a small nation was weak at this point in history because of civil war and rebelliousness toward God. It was tempting to rely on Egypt’s help in battling the Assyrians instead of relying solely on the Lord.
These international relationships and the need for Israel as a nation to rely on the Lord (Isa. 31:1) is representative of our need to rely on the Lord for our own salvation.
Our salvation is based in the Lord and our standing as righteous before Him is because of the work of Christ and His imputed righteousness in our life. However, many times we attempt to attain righteousness through our own efforts. Any time we add lists of dos and don’ts to our relationship with God, it makes our faith about earning righteousness.
May you begin to see your salvation as complete in the work of Christ, and that you cannot do more than He has already done.

Free Gift of Salvation (Isaiah 24:1-27:13; 29:1-24)

Starting today I am going to be posting some devotionals from our Faithbuilders Devotional Series that Pastor Mike and I wrote together in 2007. I hope that you enjoy these posts.

“God saved you by His special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” – Ephesians 2:8-9
I was once asked how I respond to God for His gift of salvation, considering that not everyone will receive that gift. I think that the gratitude and joy expressed in Isaiah 25:9 sums it up well. There is nothing more and nothing less that can be done in response to God’s salvation than to just praise Him. You cannot claim credit for your salvation, for you did not earn it. And it is not that your faith is greater than the next person, for the faith to believe is from God Himself (John 6:44, 65).
Any time you find yourself feeling proud and satisfied about your faith when standing before God, instead of feeling humble and gracious, that is an attitude that should be repented of. The only right response toward our salvation is one of worship and gratitude for the free gift that God has given us.

God's Pottery

Every summer Kristi and I enjoy watching the show Last Comic Standing on NBC. And while there are comics that we don't necessarily care for because of their crude humor there is a lot of good comedy that takes place on the show. This year was especially interesting because of a Christian Duo from Brooklyn New York who sang funny songs about issues that teenagers face. Their name is God's Pottery. These guys were over the top goofy and it was absolutely hilarious. I never was quite certain if they were always that goofy or if it was always just an act. The video clip on this blog is actually from a performance at Michigan State University, but it is a song that they did on last weeks episode of Last Comic Standing. They have a number of post on youtube. I would encourage you to check out their website at godspottery.com

An American life worth less today

I came across an interesting article today on the Yahoo News service that was published by the Associated Press. You can read the full article here. To summarize the article, it was about how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has lowered the "value of statistical life." The value of a life is now placed at 6.9 million dollars instead of the 7.8 million dollars that it was just five years ago. The EPA said that people shouldn't think of the number as a price tag on a life. However, to me that is exactly what it sounds like. When we begin to ask the question if something that would save lives is cost effective because of the value of a human life then this is exactly what the number means. I am not going to ignore the fact that government agencies must have some way to make a decision about the practicality of certain policies but it is troublesome at some level to place a dollar figure on a human life.

God made it very clear that human life is precious. In Genesis 9 God states that because people are made in his image, that murder is strictly forbidden and should be met with the severest of penalties. Now I am not going to start a debate on the death penalty, I am just pointing out why God has said that human life is of infinite value. When God sent Jesus to die on the cross he also made a statement about the value of human life. Because we are of infinite value to God, Jesus willingly gave up his life to provide for our salvation.

God has never skimped on the value of human life and neither should the church. Yes the church should make wise decisions as stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. But far be it from us to place a dollar value on the salvation of someone's life. I don't think that a church should ever decide not to do something that is impacting eternity because the cost per salvation is too high. I am not saying that programs will come and go because they will. But it just doesn't fit with God's view of people to ever say that there is a limit to value of a human life.