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

The Father's Plan for your Day

It is the plan and purpose of God this day to bring into your life people and circumstances that will make you more like Jesus.  Today you have awakened to His classroom.  He has prepared lessons for you to learn and work for you to do.

 His plans for you today are good and perfect.  You can trust His heart.  He loves you.  You can trust His Mighty power.  He is able to accomplish His lofty, and seemingly unattainable goals.  He has already seen this day.  Nothing will surprise Him.

He will bring to you today wonderful opportunities to see Him at work in your life, opportunities to join Him His beautiful work and opportunities for you to grow.  Often these opportunities come in the form of annoyances, inconveniences, unexpected interruptions, delays, pain and heartache.  They also come in the form of laughter, exciting surprises and enjoyable moments.  And yet it is also the plan of God to use the mundane, ordinary, experiences of life as well.  They, too, are a part of His perfect plan.  All of these things have been carefully chosen for you to experience  and masterfully woven into your life by our loving and perfectly wise, Supremely powerful Father so that you might experience His highest good.

 If you fully cooperate with our Heavenly Father, not fighting and resisting Him, not complaining and not trying to avoid the things you don't like, you will experience blessings in such HUGE MEASURE that you won't be able to hold it all!

Protection
Provision of every need
Power
Peace
Healing
Joy
Wisdom
Freedom
and every good gift

Or you can spend your day choosing the path that is most comfortable for you.  You can complain, whine, argue and resist our Father's PERFECT PLAN.

It's up to you.

He hasn't left you to go through life alone.  He's given all of His children a priceless,  gift--His Spirit.

I'm praying that you will choose the path that the Father has prepared for you today.

His plans for you today are perfect and good!

Have a wonderful day!

Right Now

It is a good thing to recognize that at the present moment Jesus is all I need. To personalize and make real for the moment, every promise that God gives us. I have everything I need, right now, for life and godliness. I have all I need, through Jesus, all I need for this morning and this day—whatever it may bring. Andrew Murraying, in Abide in Christ encourages us to not waste time in regret over past failures and mistakes, but instead to at this moment confess and ask for forgiveness and Abide again NOW.

Do it now

Abide now.

In this moment.

Do not wait for some special time, place or feeling.

Don't wait until you get it together.

Abide now.

Surrender now.

Don't worry about what you don't know or understand.

Don't worry about your struggles with sin.

Give yourself wholly to God right now.

Give all to Jesus in this moment.

Don't worry that you may not be able to maintain this abiding.

Abide now.

And every time you are reminded of this word by the Holy Spirit, again, give yourself completely to Jesus in the present moment.

Now.

He is able to do in you all that needs to be done.

You need only to give yourself to him.

Again and again.

In every moment.

Every "right now" moment is a new beginning

A new opportunity to choose to abide 

You are His.

And He is yours.

Say, “Yes, Lord, I will obey. My life is yours right now.”

Receive His thoughts.

Receive His heart.

Receive every good gift that he generously supplies.

Now.  

And when your heart strays

as it surely will

Say again

Oh, master I give all to you again

Right. Now.

This post is a combination of Andrew Murray's writings from Abide in Christ and my words inspired by the Holy Spirit.  

Jealous lover?

Our God is a jealous lover.  He intensely longs to have our hearts alone.  He desires our complete devotion.  He will not share our hearts's affections with another.  We CANNOT give ourselves completely to God and to __________(fill in the blank).  When He takes up residence in our hearts, there is no room for anyone or anything else-- because He completely satisfies.  But there is a lie that our enemy continually whispers.  That every other thing will satisfy and God will not.  Most of  us who claim to follow Christ want God and _____.  Just enough of God to get us to Heaven when we die, and to fix our messes when we're in a jam, but not ALL of Him.

That might mess up our world.

He just might take over, setting up His kingdom and ruling Supremely in my life.  That means we're no longer in control.

I like being in control.

And I like gods that I can control.  Though I often try, I know I can't control the Supreme, and Living God.  He will not bow before me.  And He will not enter into my life unwelcomed.  He stands at the door and knocks.

Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I wil come in and eat with him and he with me. Rev 3:20