The Blessings of God

This morning I was reading about Jacob in the book of Genesis.  He had come to a place of desperation.  He was returning back to his homeland, and he was fearful of the reception he would receive.  He had fled twenty years earlier because he deceived his father into giving him, his brother's blessing.  His brother, Esau, wanted to kill him.  Now God had spoken to Jacob telling him to return home.

Jacob sent word to his brother that he was coming home and hoped that his brother would receive him.  The word that returned to Jacob was that his brother Esau was coming with 400 men!

Jacob was terrified and in great distress!

After dividing his people and animals into two groups and sending gifts to Esau, Jacob was left alone.  He had done all he knew to do, now he turned to God.  On that night, he received the response to his cries.  A "man" appears and wrestles with Jacob all night.  During the course of this wrestling match, the "man" tells Jacob to let him go, but Jacob refuses to let him go until the "man" blesses him.

And the "man" does.

As I read the statement, "Then he blessed him there," I pondered the thought, "What was the blessing?"  Here are some thoughts.

• He had an intimate, face to face encounter with the living God, and lived.

This "man" was God himself.  Jacob recognized the significance of this encounter.  It was not everyday that a person was able to see the face of God and live.  In fact, later God talks about the friendship that he has with Moses.  He spoke face to face to him, not in dreams or riddles, but clearly. Numbers 12:6-8, deut 34:10.  This special friendship was reserved for a select few.  Abraham was also called a friend of God.  James 2:23 God spoke directly to Abraham, face to face, revealing his plans and purposes.  And  let us not forget that Adam walked with God every day, in the cool of the day.

Jesus calls his followers, not simply servants but friends.  

John 15:14-17 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

Let us follow Jacob's example and cling to the living God, DON'T LET HIM GO.

• Jacob received a new name--Israel

Jacob's name meant deceiver.  Deceit was his way of living.  He obtained his brother's birthright and blessing that way.  He also left his father-in-laws's home through deceit.  This was how Jacob operated, through his wit.  Now God changed his name to Israel which means "he struggles with God."  Now Jacob's way of living and thinking was changed.  God was saying, "No more deceit, come to me. "

This story reminds me that I don't need to use wit, manipulation, or any of my devices to bring God's plans to fulfillment in my life.  I need only to look to God and fully obey Him.  It also reminds me that often my thinking is ALL WRONG, and God needs to completely change my thinking.

Humans live "trying to figure things out" for themselves.  We do what we think is right, or at least what we think will bring about the outcome we want.  God calls for a completely new way of living and thinking.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

If you know the rest of Israel's story, you know that God brought his plans and purposes to pass.  Israel was blessed and the entire world has been blessed through Israel.  God plans are always immeasurably bigger than we can fathom, and he gladly fulfills his plans if we will allow Him do his great work.  

Cling to God today and receive His blessings:

a special friendship

and

A new way of thinking and living

Do You Want a New Life?

Do you want a new life?
Jesus will give you life.
A  life of joy
A life of peace
A life of freedom
A life of beauty
A life of love
A life of healing
Just ask Him
He delights in giving new life
to all who ask.

Just ask Him.
and follow Him.
The life you've been looking for is in Jesus--alone.

Impossibilities

I desire to do the impossible
to walk on water
but...
that takes faith
Because the impossible is...
well...
impossible,
without God
He makes all things possible
when my focus is on me,
the impossibilities of the situation
overwhelm
and I begin to sink under the waves of
doubt and fear
When I focus on Jesus
His power
His might
His absolute control
authority
magnificence
glory
greatness
and his constant personal care and compassion for me
I can walk confidently on Mighty waves as though walking on flat dry land
With every step I take
My heart says
My God is able
My God is ABLE
It's so easy for Him
My God is ABLE
He won't let my foot slip
He redeems all my failures
My God is ABLE
My God is ABLE

Naked and Thirsty

I've been reading through the gospels this year and more recently the Gospel of Luke.  I've been learning so much as I've been studying about the life of Jesus.  Several weeks ago I read something Jesus said that has confounded me for years.

 

Luke 5:36 He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. [37] And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. [38] No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. [39] And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, `The old is better.' "

I've heard people talk about this referring to new paradigms.  Ok.  But I really wanted to understand this parable.  So I ask my Teacher to teach me.  And Oh boy!  The Holy Spirit opened my mind to understand this scripture, and spoke to me very personally.   I'd like to share what He revealed to me.

So Jesus gives two examples, to make a point.  First He uses clothes.  When your clothes or old, what do you do?  First, consider the culture in which Jesus lived.  The common person only owned one item of clothing--maybe two..  Believe it or not, many people around the world live like this.  Anyway, when clothes became worn, one would patch the holes, until it couldn't be patched anymore or until they were able to get a new garment.  Why would a person damage a new garment, to patch an old garment?  If you have access to a new garment, you would replace the old garment with the new garment, not patch up the old.  If a person were to patch up the old garment with the new cloth, the patch would be ineffective.  The new cloth would pull away from old cloth, and end up becoming an unwearable garment.  And guess what?  The new garment is ruined too!  The result:  No wearable garments.  

We end up naked!!!!

 Jesus uses wine and wineskin to illustrate the same point.  When a person was out of wine, they would need to make more wine.  If a person was to put new wine in an old wineskin, the wine would burst through the wineskin, leaving the person with no wine.  So instead of having wine, and a wineskin, they end up with nothing.  

They end up thirsty! 

So why would anyone do such absurd things?

Jesus answers that in His last statement.  "And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, `The old is better.' "  

No one wants "the new", because...

• The old is familiar
• The old is safe
• We think the good of the old will stay good

When we hold on too long to the old, being UNWILLING to change, we end up losing everything.  The good of the old is gone, and we don't experience the good of "the new" either.  We find ourselves in need of change, but instead of changing we want to patch our lives. You know, just fix the things in our lives that don't work.  

When "the new" presents itsself, take hold of the new.  Stop trying to make the new, fit into the old.

I'll be honest here.  The Holy Spirit is convicting me of this BIG TIME!  I've been praying that the Lord would change some things in my life, and I've been praying for a patch job.  God wants to give me a new garment.  Something I've never seen.  Something I'm not familiar with.  Something-- better.  Don't get me wrong.  The old garment wasn't bad.  It was good for a season, but now it's outdated and no longer provides the best for our family.  It's time to let go, before I lose all that I'm trying hold on to.  

Just as the old garment was good, I can trust that the new garment is good too.

Just as the old wine was good, the new wine will be just as good--maybe even better.

Are you in need of a big change in your life?

What are you refusing to let go of? 

 What are you asking God to patch in your life?  Are you asking Him to fix the things you don't like, so you don't have to really change?

Can you trust our Loving, and completely wise Heavenly Father to give you that which best for you?

Will you give Him permission to change anything He wants to change?  Anything.

 

He wants to replace your old and worn garments with a fresh new garment.  He wants you fully clothed, not naked.  He wants to replace your old and empty wineskins with new wineskins full of wine.  He wants you satisfied, not thirsty.

Let's encourage each other on this journey.

Let me know what big change you've been praying for, and how God surprised you (or is surprising you) with the most amazing blessings as you walked out into the unknown of "the new".  

I'll be sharing my story of change soon.  I think this post is long enough.  ;-)

Believe in Yourself?

I just realized something.  It goes along with my last post.  I trust in my perceptions more than I trust God.  I trust what I see, what I feel, what I hear, what I think, more than God's word.  Why do I do that?  It seems foolish as I ponder it.  How many times have I misinterpreted what I see?  How many times have I misunderstood what someone has said?  How many times have I misheard someone, or come to the wrong conclusion?  MANY TIMES!!!!!  Yet I still have faith in ME.  (I'm hearing the song: Believe in yourself as I believe in you... lyrics @ the end of the post) I say to myself, "God I don't know if your word is really true for me, because I see something different and I trust my eyes more than your words."  Well... I don't really say that, but my actions communicate it.

Have you done that as well?

God promises that He will NEVER leave nor forsake us.  But their are times when I feel forsaken and left by God.  And I ask the question, "God where are you?"  (Don't get me wrong, God wants us to be open about our feelings, so if you feel that way, ask the question.)  At that moment, what I feel takes precedence over what God has said.  I believe He's left me, because I don't FEEL his presence.  So I'm trusting in my feelings rather than His words.

His words are trustworthy, not my feelings.
He is trustworthy.

He promises to meet ALL OF MY NEEDS.  I don't need to spend one second worrying about needs.  But I worry all of the time about needs.  Why?  Because it doesn't look like my needs are being met. I don't know how my needs will be met.  The provision I have doesn't look like enough, so I worry or try to "figure it out".  Most times I do both.  Worry, pray and try to figure it out on my own.  Rather than resting in His promises.  If He said he would provide, I can trust Him.  Then I'm free to do His work:  seeking the kingdom and His righteousness.  When I trust Him, I can thank Him with the "not enough", and the "not on time" (not on my time), and the "not the way I expect".

I can trust that His ways are always perfect.
He's always acts at the proper time.
He's moving, even when I don't perceive anything.
He CANNOT fail.
He loves me for more than I can ever imagine.
He always brings about the HIGHEST good in my life.
He has the full capacity to execute every one of His promises.  In fact, it's easy for Him!
I cannot figure Him out or what He's doing, but I can trust His heart.  He loves me.

No more believing in ME, for I fail myself and others over and over and over and over again.  (At least, I'm consistent. ) But He NEVER fails me.   Instead...

I think I'll Believe the Words of the Most High God.

The song sums up the lie of believing in yourself quite well.  Have you believed these lies as well?

Believe in Yourself

(charlie smalls)

If you believe
Within your heart
You’ll know that no one can change
The path that you must go
Believe what you feel
And know you’re right because
The time will come around
When you’ll say it’s yours

Believe that you can go home
Believe you can float on air
Then click your heels three times
If you believe
Then you’ll be there
That’s why I want you to
Believe in yourself
Right from the start
Believe in the magic
Right there in your heart
Go ahead believe all these things
Not because I told you to
But believe in yourself
If you believe in yourself
Just believe in yourself
As I believe in you 

No thank you.  I'll believe God instead.