All About Timing

One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)

“All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”

“Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”

But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.  Genesis 25:29-34

There are so many things that we will have the urge to want the moment we see it.  This weekend, I found myself looking at the newest iPad where my immediate impulse was to buy it even though I had another one at home.  “It’s the newest version,” I told myself.  Having realized that it is not within my budget to do so, I resisted, and turned away.  That being said, I looked back to find the genesis of my anxiety; Facebook.  One of my favorite past times found a way to identify my purchasing habits, and through it, inundated me with advertisements and suggestions that often times seem subtle and other times more direct.  Either way, it builds a desire that without its prompting may not have even existed.  Working for a technology company, you realize the benefits of technology.  For a day this past weekend, I also have found that it is not always a good thing.  Much like money is written about in 1 Timothy 6:10 (For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows), use of technology can either be good or bad.

We must be vigilant seeking God’s counsel in all things so that we properly guided spiritually.  Last week’s verses talked about the life of Jacob.  We go a little further back in his life not speaking of him but instead his brother Esau.  Esau’s birthright as the firstborn was to inherit his father’s responsibilities and authority.  However as we see in today’s verses, Esau was consumed with hunger and it is safe to say impatient.  As such, he sells his rights to his younger brother.  We often find ourselves doing similar things trading in future blessings for what we want now.  Speaking from experience, it is not easy to get out from under that habit, but if we learn to seek God’s counsel not only with obvious things like finances but with relationships with family members and friends and situations at work and home, we gain wisdom from the experience.  Furthermore, we keep ourselves available for much greater blessings from God down the road!

God’s time is very different from ours.  We often will want things our way right now.  While sometimes we are given such provisions, we must always ask ourselves if it is truly God’s provision or are we putting our timing ahead of His.  The answer lies in the relationship between God and you, but if we do not pray and seek His counsel, we risk like Esau the possibility of missing something far greater in the future.  What decision is God asking you to exercise more patience?  Do you seek God’s counsel on important decisions?  My prayer is that we exercise wisdom to understand that sometimes God’s blessings are all about timing.  Amen. 

Always There

Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” Exodus 3:10-12

It seems maintaining faithfulness in tough times has become a theme for the New Year as I have been inundated with stories of people dealing with tough times.  Not just your ordinary ‘have a rough week’ tough times. Instead, more of the ‘the husband and pastor of my church was killed by someone he was trying to help and I do not understand why God allowed this to happen’ tough times (not my pastor by the way). These are the times you find out how real God is in your life.  What do you do when you feel all of the prayers are unanswered and the words of friends trying to comfort you fall hollow?  I admit at those times I initially feel lost and a bit alone.  However, this does not send me to a place of blaming God for my woes.  Instead, it becomes a time to exercise patience and trust in His word knowing He is there with me.  Always.

Tough times are when God’s promises will give you comfort.  The story of God revealing Himself to Moses is always encouraging to me. It’s not just the knowledge of God existence as I mentioned last week.  It is Moses’ perspective here that is revealing.  We all have the moment where we look at a task or situation that we are in, and we ask ourselves, “How can we deal with this?”  How do I overcome the pressure where there is no relief? How do I deal with the pain that seems never ending or sorrow that won’t go away?  After being given the directive to lead the people of Israel out from slavery, Moses, understanding how massive an undertaking God was giving to him, asked a similar question; Who am I to do this?  God reassured Moses saying, “I will be with you.”  Thus, Moses’ perspective went from just the average guy to God’s personal messenger.  This would instill all the confidence he needed to follow God’s instruction.  We all have those moments where we are simply overwhelmed.  However, these are the times where we should remain faithful and be filled with the never ending hope as written in Romans 12:12 (Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying).

Our journey of faith is an ongoing story filled with both struggles and successes.  Our goal is not to run from challenges.  It is to continue looking forward and focusing on God. Furthermore, we must maintain our hope that the purpose of our current situation will revealed in the future. So let us remember the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 4 fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and remaining faithful.  How can assurance of God’s presence aide you in your current situation?  What challenge do you need to take to God today? My prayer is that we continue to look forward to God knowing He is always there.  Amen.

Thurs Devo: Opening the Seals

We’ve been studying recently in Revelation the worthiness of the Lamb, Jesus, to open the 7 seals of the scroll. What’s in the scroll, though, and what are the seven seals? Revelation chapter 6 begins to describe each seal as it is opened. Each seal seems to reveal preliminary events leading up to the culmination of God’s plan for redemption and justice.

Revelation 6:3-4 & 7-8        ³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword….

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

God only allows this fourth rider power over ¼ of the earth. He doesn’t let the rider wipe out everyone and everything. I think this indicates how patient God is. Even though God is just and sovereign, He is also slow to anger and abounding in love. As each seal is opened, only part of God’s wrath is unleashed. Each seal or event could be seen as warning signs of worse judgment to come. God holds back the full force of His wrath and continues to give people additional opportunities to recognize God, repent of their sins, and turn to Him.

How are you and I comforted, knowing all power on earth is subject to God’s timing and control? 

Alice