Jacob (Part Two)

Praise God for His transforming grace. Apart from His grace and His power, there would be no hope for change in our lives.
Let’s continue on now with Jacob and see what we can glean from His conversion story.

His Transformation…
In a dream Jacob has an encounter with God; the God of Abraham and Isaac. God speaks to this fleeing son of Isaac, and says….

“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac, the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants…Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28

In spite of how poorly he has behaved, God still chooses to come to Jacob in a dream and speak His transforming Word into Jacob’s heart.
When Jacob wakes up, he is so shaken by the dream that right then and there he makes a decision to make God his God. “Surely the Lord is in this place.” says Jacob.

He takes his stone pillow, anoints it with oil and sets it up as a memorial altar; a place of worship to God. Then Jacob makes a vow to give God one-tenth of everything that God will ever give him.

Thus begins Jacob’s conversion story and the beginning of ongoing relationship, relationship, relationship with God.
Did you notice I said relationship three times? If you read the rest of Jacob’s story, you’ll find that he finished well. He is committed to honoring God with his whole life.

This was only possible because Jacob never forgot God in his day to day life. He never forgot his promise to God, nor did he waver from his decision to make the God of his father Isaac and His grandfather Abraham, the God he loved and served.

Does he do it perfectly? No. Just like you and I, Jacob makes many mistakes -mistakes which have consequences- but his heart is bent toward honoring the Lord in his life until the day he died.

I encourage you to take the time to read the biblical account of Jacob’s life and find in it hope and encouragement for your own life. Whatever your mistakes have been; whatever the ways are that you believe you have messed up or blown it, take courage and know that the same God, who sustained our brother Jacob, can, will and does sustain you through each and every moment.
Jacob was a regular person; a simple person, like you and I, who trusted God in and through it all.
Stephanie

Jacob (Part One)

“When the time came for her birth, there were twin boys in her womb…After
this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was
named Jacob.” (Gen 25:24, 26a) Now get this. His name means grasps the
heel; figuratively meaning, he deceives. How about that for not beginning
well?
Jacob and his twin brother grew, and from the beginning were divided
by their differences. We know that Esau was a skillful hunter, while Jacob
was a quiet man. Esau was loved by his father and Jacob, by his mother.
Time passes and Jacob becomes a pretty good cook, as well as good at getting
what he wanted. We know this from verves 29-34 of Genesis 25. Jacob
convinced his brother to sell his birthright for a bowl of stew. Boy, that
must have been some good stew, and Esau must have been pretty hungry to give
up his birthright, simply to fill his belly. Hmmm? Have we ever done
anything like this?
Anyway, time passes and we find Jacob, once again, scheming to take
something of value from his brother. This time its Esau’s blessing! Sadly,
Jacob accomplished this with his mother’s encouragement and help. Jacob has
not yet learned to wholly trust God in the details of his daily life.
Up until now, Jacob’s sin is pretty obvious. We see his struggle for
position and identity. We see the steps he’s willing to take, to get what he
wants. We also see how easily he was led astray to participate in the sin
of others, namely his mother. We see how Jacob allowed his circumstances to
predict his plans, rather than trust, or even seek God.
At this point in Jacob’s life, it appears that he has no relationship
with the God his father serves.
Isn’t that just like us? So quick; so eager to get what we want, when
we want it that waiting on God and trusting Him to be God, is not given any
consideration.
As a result of Jacob’s deeds, Esau’s anger is murderous and he vows to
kill his younger brother. Once again, Jacob’s mother intervenes and
convinces the son she loves to flee to her brother Laban’s hometown in the
land of Haran, and tells him to stay until his brothers anger subsides.
Thus, with his father’s blessing Jacob leaves the home of his birth.
Amazing love! In spite of his willful deception, his father still sent him
off with a blessing! How cool is that!! Grace! Grace! And more grace!
That’s all I have space to write today. So come back tomorrow and see
how Jacob is transformed and renewed for this new journey he is on.

Question: When you think back over your conversion story, can you see
the clear hand of God in your life? Can you see a life covered by many
moments of glorious sustaining grace? Pause, ponder, and then praise the
Lord, your God for all that comes to your mind.

Stephanie

I have been reading Ed Welch’s book, Depression: A Stubborn Darkness for professional development. I was reading chapter 9 when I read this C.S. Lewis quote,
“[Screwtape warns Wormwood] Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s [God’s] will, looks around upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” (From the Screwtape Letters)
Now if you are familiar with The Screwtape Letters you know that Screwtape and Wormwood are demon characters in Lewis’ book.
When I read this quote the first time, I breezed through it but didn’t quite catch it; so I went back and reread it more purposefully. The second time it stopped me in my tracks. Please reread it, carefully.

Our obedience has much more to do with the “Colossal worthiness of God” (as one Pastor put it) than it does with us.
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Romans 13:14 Every time we begin to debate with ourselves (or God) whether we will obey or not, we have made a provision for the flesh. Chances are high we will fall to the temptation. If only we would obey regardless of how we feel today, regardless of our attitude, situation or emotions. Our call and ability to obey is rooted in the person and power of Jesus Christ not in us.
You may wonder what this has to do with the other 4 Victory Calls from this week. Our illustrations this week were of people that started well but did not finish well. They started their walk of obedience but got off track and finished in dishonor. They allowed their feelings, emotions, personal wants, desires and purposes to supersede their desire to obey Almighty God.
To finish well, we need to finish each day well. And over time we will string together days, then weeks, then months and then years of finishing well so when we see our Father face-to-face we will hear from His precious lips, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Next week Stephanie is doing a series of individuals in the Bible that did not start well, but finished well.

Diane

This week we have been looking at Bible characters that started well but did not finish well as a reminder to each of us that finishing well is not a forgone conclusion. Each day we make choices to obey God or to disobey God. Not choosing is also a choice. Each time we choose obedience we take a step towards finishing well. Each time we choose disobedience we take a step towards finishing poorly. I think sometimes we buy into the lie that we’ll get more spiritual when we get older! Ha! I used to think that. Scripture tells us in Galatians 6:7-9, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Each of our illustrations thus far have been individuals who reaped what they had sown. They didn’t wake up one day and loose their way. They lost their way one baby step at a time. Today, as we consider Judas, He was no different. We may think we are very different from Judas, but don’t we betray Christ every time we choose sin?

Judas, the disciple started well: “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” Matthew 10:1.
There are multiple references that indicate he did not finish well:”Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you? ‘And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.” Matthew 26:14-16 “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying , “‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’…Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.” Matthew 27:3-5 (excerpts)
What was it that drew Judas away? Was it the money? Was it jealousy? Was it fear? I don’t believe the Scriptures clearly tell us. Satan is subtle, he’ll use anything to draw us away from heart devotion to Jesus Christ.
BUT we have the Holy Spirit by whom we can discern right and wrong, truth and error. Praise God we can be aware of Satan’s scheme’s and be watchful. Let me close with with this truth to infuse you with strength and courage to stand against the enemy. “Finally, my brethern, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13
Amen. Amen. and Amen.

Diane

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5

As we wander through the Old Testament, considering the people in the Bible that started well but did not finish well, how could we not consider Solomon? Just like Saul which we considered yesterday, Solomon had numerous issues in his life from a father who murdered one of his servants to a brother that raped his sister, probably the epitome of a dysfunctional family. In reading the story of Solomon’s life, he had many great successes yet he did not finish well. His downfall appears, at least in part, to stem from his lust for women. Although warned against doing so, Solomon had many foreign wives who turned his heart away from God. He failed to love the LORD God with all his heart.
There is no doubt that Solomon started well: “And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David,…then god said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, not have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, h0nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 1 Kings 3: 3,11-14.
However, Solomon did not finish well: “But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites- from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.”
Just about anything or anyone can draw our hearts away from God. Is there anything in your life that consumes you more than Jesus Christ? Is there anything or anyone that you lust for that distracts you from your devotion to Christ? It can be very subtle and left unchecked will overwhelm you and draw you deeper and deeper into idolatry.
How will you demonstrate your obedience to the first great commandment today? “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.'” Matthew 22:36-38.

Diane

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not
to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think
soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3

This week we are giving consideration to people in the Bible that
started well but did not finish well. I am hoping it will be an
encouragement to you not to make the same mistakes they did, to stand firm
and finish well. I selected this verse because I think it is an area in
which our next illustration derailed. As I read through the Old Testament
account of Saul, it seemed to me that among many other problems, one of his
downfalls was pride, thinking more highly of himself than he ought.

He started well: “There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the
son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a
Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a choice and handsome son
whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the
children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the
people…As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said
to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” And he went on. “But you
stand here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God.” 1 Samuel
9:1, 2, 27.

But Saul did not finish well: “Now the word of the LORD came to
Samuel, saying, ‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he
has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.’
And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night…But Samuel
said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of
the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 1
Samuel 15:10-11, 26.

Pride can get us off course. Thinking more highly of ourselves then
we ought will derail us every time. If we want to persevere, stay the
course, finish well, it requires a pervasive attitude of humility. “Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:10.

Diane

Let me give you a picture of where we are going for the next two weeks. I
am going to write a series on people in the Bible that started well but did
not finish well. Next week, Stephanie will share a series on people in the
Bible that started poorly but finished well. Then we will cap off the week
with encouragement to live daily so we can finish well; a call to be
overcomers and delight in the promises of what is yet to be.

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were
faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter
into the joy of your lord.'”

Matthew 25:21

Recently, I was speaking at a women’s retreat on the topic of
perseverance and was thinking through Biblical illustrations. In doing so,
I realized there are numerous individuals that started well but did not
finish well. It is unlikely that they heard these words from Matthew 25
when they met the Lord.

The first person that comes to mind is Samson. He started well.
Judges 13:24-25, “So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and
the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began
to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”

But He did not finish well. Judges 16:18-20, “When Delilah saw that
he (Samson) had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of
the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his
heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money
in their hand. Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a
man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to
torment him, and his strength left him. And she said, “The Philistines are
upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as
before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the
LORD had departed from him.”

Lest we loose our way, remember we need a fresh supply of God’s grace each
day. We need to avail ourselves of His grace, daily, and not try to live
off yesterday’s victory.

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always
having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good
work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

Diane

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

We have looked briefly this week at some thoughts about spiritual warfare and I thought it would be appropriate to close the week with this verse from 2 Corinthians. So much of our battle is won or lost in our minds. Our thoughts have powerful influence over our emotions. Thoughts precede emotion. If I think depressing thoughts, I will feel depressed. If I think anxious thoughts, I will feel anxious. Our bodies do not know the difference between reality and fantasy. We know the difference in our minds but our bodies do not know the difference. Our body is like a thermometer. It simply registers the emotions connected to our thinking. As an example, have you ever watched a scary movie and felt your heart racing or watched a love story and cried? Why is that? It is not real, it’s make believe, but you body doesn’t know that it reacts as if it is reality.
Much of our battle whether it is self-inflicted or spiritual warfare is going to be won through the renewing of our minds through right thinking, by thinking truth. Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Some days it is battle to cling to truth when error is screaming in our ear, when error is what we feel. But ladies, we can choose to believe truth even when we feel the lie. Let me repeat that because I need to be reminded of that today. We can choose to believe truth even when we feel the lie. Our weapons for warfare are not carnal but MIGHTY in God for pulling down the strongholds of error.
I have been asking God to destroy a stronghold in my life and in any others in my family that struggle likewise in this bondage. I am learning that the process God goes through to destroy a stronghold requires opportunities to face the stronghold and to apply faith and walk in obedience. So I have to remind myself that when I am tempted once again, God is giving me another opportunity to break another link in the chain that shackles me. Step by step victory is won!! Step by step freedom is found and delighted in.

Diane

Balance.
In the realm of discussion about spiritual warfare, it is easy to tend towards one extreme or another. “We tend to give the devil either far too much credit or not nearly enough.”1 I have experienced churches and individuals that have either lived as if Satan was not real or that he lurked behind every bush and rock. A number of years ago, I came across a statement in Beth Moore’s book, Praying God’s Word that I believe gives balance to this question. “The Bible has much to say about fighting the good fight of faith and becoming well-trained soldiers…but it also has far more to say about the pure pursuit of God, His righteousness, and His plan for us. I believe a wise conclusion to draw from the emphases in the Word of God is: give much time and thought to becoming well-equipped victors in the battle that rages, but give more time to the pursuit of the heart of God and all things concerning Him. Much about warfare. More about God Himself.” (pg 311)Much about warfare. More about God Himself.

Diane

1 Beth Moore, Praying God’s Word, Broadman and Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN, 2000.

Ever have one of those days or weeks where you feel like you are the target of Satan’s attacks? Perhaps your season was more along the lines of months or years. Often, we hear, “I’m really under attack”. I know I have felt that way.
Recently, in working through the Beth Moore study, “A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place”, I ready the following Henry Blackaby quote; “In every generation there seem to exist certain clich�’s used by members of the body of Christ. No doubt, on the top of the list for this generation are the words ‘I’m under attack!’ Every difficulty seems to be labeled ‘spiritual warfare.’ Without question we fight wars in the heavenlies’ but before we can be sure it’s spiritual warfare, we must be able to answer three questions negatively: 1) Am I living outside the will of God? 2) Do I have any unconfessed sin? 3) Is God simply working His completion in me? Far more often, our difficulties originate from one of these three realms.”
I think this is a good reminder for all of us to not be too quick to jump to the conclusion that we are under attack by Satan and his demons. Considering the questions Blackaby offers can give hope. There is something we can do about at least the first two situations. We need to get back on track and live within God’s will and we can confess our known sin. If God is working His completion in us, we can be grateful that He is in the process of conforming us to the image of His Son. 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Diane