Under The Shield of God

God did not allow him to hurt me.

Genesis 31:7

Uncle Laban has been using his authority and position to manipulate and change the rules on Jacob since Jacob moved to town. Jacob has discovered that God’s continual blessing of him, no matter what Laban does, has brewed some jealousies among Laban and Laban’s sons.

Depending on the condition of the heart, sometimes others respond to God’s blessings upon us with bitterness and hardness. This has been seen all through history; nations have enjoyed the presence of the blessing of God on His people. They have loved how it grew their kingdom, built their wealth, and provided them with their needs and luxuries. They have enjoyed the products developed and the hand of help in times of need, yet somehow, so many of their hearts have been moved to the jealousy of Laban and his sons.

In my opinion, this has never been more greatly seen in our time than in WWII through the Nazi regime. How easily Hitler stirred his people to hatred of the Jews still astounds me today.

The enemy of our souls knows hate, he knows lies, and he knows evil jealousy. Those who turn a deaf ear to the Word of God are easily stirred by the lies of the serpent of old. He stirs hate against the people of God, both Jew and Christian.

The Lord appears to Jacob and tells him to return home and He would be with him. Jacob is beginning to understand the power of his God for himself. He will learn more and more throughout his years, just as his fathers did. Jacob is getting a glimpse at the sovereignty of God; this God that promised he would be with him.

Jacob knows the power and might of the God of his fathers. He also knows that it is only by the hand of God that he has been protected from Laban and his sons. If God so protected Jacob, He will also protect us.

In Genesis 15:1, God told Abraham, “I am a shield to you”—a shield protects. We can know without any doubts that if God has called us to a place, He will protect us. “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him” (Psalm 18:30).

No one can touch us unless God has allowed it for the sake of His perfect will.

In John 7:30 we read, “So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.” How many times those who hated Jesus tried to kill Him, but they could not touch Him because it was not His time.

We see this truth illustrated again and again through the pages of the New Testament. We read in the book of Acts about the sufferings of Paul. How many times were attempts made on his life but they would not succeed because God was protecting him? We read of a time on the sea when a great storm arose but the whole crew was saved as they entered under the shield of God with Paul, His servant (Acts 27:24).

My precious one, God has not changed. Let us never forget that His name is a strong tower and when the righteous run in, they are safe (Proverbs 18:10).

Oh Father,

You are my God! You are with me wherever I go. Oh, that I would always be in the center of Your will. Help me, Father, to stay on the path that You have laid out for me. Forgive me for my lack of faith. I have no reason to fear and no reason to doubt, for I have You, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, dwelling within me. For what reason should I ever fear? “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
In You, my Jesus, there is even no fear of death. For You have given me victory over this enemy called death (1 Corinthians 15:57), and all things short of death You will give me the strength to endure. For You are my God and Your grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

Be A Blessing

But Laban said to him,

“If now it pleases you,

stay with me;

I have divined that the Lord

has blessed me on your account.”

Genesis 30:27

After Rachel bore Joseph, her first son, Jacob came to Laban and asked for his blessing and permission to take his wives and children and return to his own country. Laban had come to realize that the presence of Jacob had been good to him. Laban knew that the God of Abraham and Isaac had been blessing him because of Jacob.

Jacob carried with him the Abrahamic Covenant, which promised that God would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him. God is true to His word. This covenant is not conditional to the obedience or character of man; it is solely based on God.

Today we can still know that those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed. Oh precious one, do not think for one minute that God has forgotten His Israel, nor His covenant with them. “Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me” (Isaiah 44:21).

In Micah 7:20 we read that God will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham. We become a part of this unchanging love when we enter into the new covenant in Christ. We who are Gentiles must remember that when we were separate from Christ we were excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. It is only in Christ that we have been brought near (Ephesians 2:12–13).

God uses His people to be a blessing to those in the faith and to those outside the faith.

To those in the faith the Word declares, “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). In Philippians 4:18, Paul writes, “I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.”

To those outside the faith the Word declares, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:44–45).

He saved us that we might become a blessing (Zechariah 8:13). Let us live our lives in such a way that others, especially those outside the faith, see that they are blessed by the Lord on our account. May we always give all glory to God.

Oh Father,

I carry the blessing of Abraham through my redemption by Jesus Christ. I am an heir to the promise according to Your Word, “and if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). Oh Father, I pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may they prosper who love her. May peace be within her walls and prosperity within her palaces. For the sake of my brothers and my friends, may peace be within her (Psalm 122:6–8). May I live my life in such a way that I am a blessing to others. Oh Father, keep my hands strong, that I might be used by You to build up Your church and to bring others to the obedience of faith. Might Your blessing of forgiveness, hope, and peace be seen in my life with such magnitude that it moves others to seek these blessings for themselves.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

A Husband's Response Matters

Now when Rachel saw that she

bore Jacob no children,

she became jealous of her sister;

and she said to Jacob,

“Give me children, or else I die.”

Genesis 30:1

Jacob responds to Rachel’s cry with anger instead of prayer, which leads to what I like to call the “wife wars.” God has placed the husband as head of the household, and his choices and his actions affect the course of the family. We should never forget the importance of the role of husbands.

In Leah’s and Rachel’s desperation to be number one in the heart of Jacob, they force their two maids, Bilhah and Zilpah, to allow Jacob to go into them and bear sons for them.

I can’t help but wonder if the history of the nation of Israel might have been a little different had Jacob learned from the choices of his fathers; if he had learned from Abraham, who listened to the voice of his wife and went into her maid and refused to do so himself. If he instead had prayed for his beloved Rachel as Isaac had Rebekah, maybe things would be different.

However, I know that God is sovereign, and I know that from Leah came Judah, the father of David, the father of Mary, through whom Christ would enter this world in the flesh.

Jacob has such a long road ahead of him, and behind him lays the path of havoc wreaked by his choices. He has yet to place his faith in God. He has yet to seek righteousness. He is still just going through life, living according to his own strength, making choices according to his own flesh. He has yet to learn that he needs to trust in the Lord with all his heart and lean not on his own understanding, but acknowledge God in all his ways and God will make his path straight (Proverbs 3:5–6).

The good news is that one day he will learn.

Jacob also will learn that even in the mistakes of life—even in the sin, the rebellion, and iniquity—God’s purpose will not be thwarted. In our God there is always hope. He reigns supreme. God not only makes our path straight, but He also clears the way.

Oh Father,

I have made life-altering choices that not only affected me, but others as well, and they were made in the midst of sin, rebellion, and iniquity. I continue to suffer the consequences of those choices, but I have peace because I know I am forgiven. I have You as my God and Savior. In Christ I can forget about what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13). In Christ I am a new creation, and the old things have passed away and new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ all things work together for good for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). In Christ I can rejoice!

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

God's Hands Are Never Tied

Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved,

and He opened her womb.

Genesis 29:31

Jacob awakes the morning after his wedding to discover that it is Leah beside him and not his beloved Rachel. He goes to Laban and confronts him about this deception.

Laban offers Rachel for another seven years of labor. Jacob chooses to work seven more years in order to take Rachel as his second bride. Laban allows Jacob to marry Rachel after the completed wedding week of Leah.

Leah is immediately shoved to the wayside because Jacob’s heart always belonged to Rachel. The Lord, however, saw the hurt of Leah—after all, He is El-Roi.

The Lord opens Leah’s womb, and she conceives a son. Leah hopes against hope that this will win the affections of her husband, but it does not. She conceives and bears Jacob three more sons, and still her husband does not love her as he does Rachel. By the time she reaches the birth of baby number four, Leah says, “This time I will praise the Lord” (Genesis 29:35).

Leah had finally learned that the love of God was what mattered. “For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the Lord of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5).

Precious one, we cannot expect others to define our worth. Leah was unloved by Jacob, but oh, she was so loved by God. Leah had been the victim of her father’s deception of Jacob. God knew this.

The fact of the matter is that God designed the family as one man for one woman until death separates. A man’s heart cannot be divided. Jacob grew to care for Leah, but his heart belonged to Rachel until his death.

Yes, God allowed polygamy because He allows us freewill, but in this freewill comes consequences of choices. There never was peace in Jacob’s home. His home was always filled with bitterness, jealousies, and strife. He suffered the consequences of this “blended family” until his eyes closed in final sleep.

The glorious thing is that God’s hands are not tied or controlled by our choices. He is still God, and His will always is accomplished. When our hurts and even our mistakes are placed into the hands of God, good is always the end result.

Oh Father,

Once again, through the study of Your Word, I see that You are a God who sees. You see my hurts and my heart when it has been broken. You are my comfort and my peace. In You is my strength, and You are my refuge. As long as I know that You love me and that You care about the hurts of my heart, then I too can say as Leah said, “I will praise the Lord.” Life is not always fair, and sometimes we suffer because of the choices of others, but “if God is for us, then who can be against us” (Romans 8:31). You are the One from whom all blessings flow, and Your blessings are not measured by human measurements. You are sovereign over the womb and over the world. In You I can place my whole heart and never fear that You will break it.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

Reaping What Is Sown

And he said to Laban,

“What is this you have done to me?”

Genesis 29:25

Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” Jacob practiced in deceit and trickery. Both Esau and Isaac had experienced Jacob’s ways of deception, which it seems he might have gotten from his mother’s side of the family.

Jacob had served his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, for seven years for his beloved Rachel. The day of the wedding had finally arrived, and a huge ceremony was taking place. The dancing and food and, of course, the wine were in abundance. The time had come for Jacob to go into his bride, and he did, but when he awoke the next morning it was not Rachel beside him, but her sister, Leah.

If you look back just through the past twenty-eight chapters of Genesis, you can see time after time where drunkenness has led to huge, life-altering issues.

In Genesis 9:20–27, Noah’s drunkenness leads to his uncovering his nakedness in his tent, and his son Ham sees and ridicules him before Shem and Japheth, and he and his descendants are cursed for it.

In Genesis 19:30–38, the daughters of Lot make their father drunk and they allow him to go into them in order to get pregnant. Lot was so drunk that he did not realize he was going into his daughters. Jacob was so intoxicated that he did not realize that he was not consummating his marriage with the woman he had loved enough to work seven years to have.

Is there any wonder why Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise”? Can you even imagine the humiliation that flooded these men of Scripture?

Perhaps you have experienced it yourself. Perhaps you have been the victim of someone else’s drunken state. I have experienced both. I know the humiliation well. I know the consequences well.

My friend, do not miss the fact that these men’s drunkenness did not affect only themselves. We do not live to ourselves. Our choices in life affect others. One of the biggest lies whispered to us by Satan is “you’re only hurting yourself.”

Therefore be careful how you walk,

not as unwise men but as wise,

making the most of your time,

because the days are evil.

So then do not be foolish,

but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk with wine,

for that is dissipation,

but be filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:15–18

Oh Father,

The life of Jacob is such a reminder that we reap what we sow. Oh Father, help me not to sow to my own flesh and reap corruption, but to sow to the Spirit so that from the Spirit I may reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8). Forgive me for the times I have been a stumbling block. My Father in heaven, forgive me for the bad seed I have sown. Kill it before it has opportunity to spread and defile and dishonor Your glorious name. Help me, Father, to keep my way pure by keeping it according to Your Word (Psalm 119:9). Set a guard over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips and do not incline my heart to any evil thing and do not let my head refuse the reprove of the righteous (Psalm 141:3–5). Oh Father, might I never forget that I am always setting an example. Might I remember always that my choices affect those around me.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

Worth Waiting For

So Jacob served seven years for Rachel

and they seemed to him but a few days

because of his love for her.

Genesis 29:20

When I read this verse, I am reminded of my service to Christ. No matter the years of service devoted to my Savior, they seem only but a few days because I love Him so much.

This verse, even more so, leads me to think of Christ as He stands at the right hand of God the Father, interceding on behalf of the church and serving her to the point of death on a cross. Romans 5:8 tells us that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." God laid aside His glory, He laid aside His throne, and He came to this world in the form of man that He might reconcile us to Himself through the cross of Christ (Colossians 1:20).

Jacob left his home and went out to seek his bride. Jesus left his throne and came to not only seek His bride but to bring life to His bride. He serves for His bride. He has served her for over two thousand years, and yet He says, “Beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

Christ’s days of service for His bride are many years, yet they are only as a few days because He loves her so much. He still waits for His wedding day.

Christ made Himself ready; He has done all He needs to do. He stands at the end of the aisle by His Father, and He waits for His bride to enter through the narrow door and walk the path to Him.

True love is worth waiting for. True love is worth dying for—dying not just physically, but dying to our own self, our own wants, our own dreams, our own desires. True union begins in our commitment to one another, and the covenant binds that commitment.

A marriage is formed because two have committed their lives to each another before the ceremony. The ceremony is only an outward display of what has already inwardly taken place. It is a demonstration before witnesses, and it binds the commitment.

Jacob loved Rachel and demonstrated his love to her by his service. He willingly served Laban seven years for her. Jacob waited to be with the one he loved.

In this day, waiting is not popular. Many of us have believed the lie of the enemy and have allowed ourselves to be convinced that love does not wait. How often do we hear, “If we love each other, why wait?” How many have jumped into a marriage that was not God’s plan because they simply were tired of waiting? How many have become sexually involved before they were married because they were not willing to wait?

Oh, precious one, love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4).

True love is worth waiting for, and it is worth serving for.

Oh Father,

As the song “Amazing Grace” says, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we have no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.” Oh Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You, my Jesus, for loving me enough to die for me. You died for me while I was still an enemy to You. I was dead in my trespasses and sin against You, and yet still You died for me (Romans 5:6–11). I will never get over the grace You have shown me and continue to show me every day. My Jesus, might I serve You with my every breath, for I breathe only by Your grace. Oh Father, might I be presented to my Groom having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that I would be holy and blameless, sanctified, and cleansed (Ephesians 5:26–27). My Jesus, You are worthy of nothing less.

It is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

God Finishes What He Starts

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 28:15

Isaac sent Jacob to the land of Paddan-aram. This is where Rebekah’s brother lived. Isaac sent Jacob to find himself a wife. Rebekah would have no part of her favorite son being married to a Canaanite woman. This also was her excuse to protect Jacob from Esau, whom she had heard was out to kill him over the birthright blessing.

Isaac placed the blessing of Abraham on to Jacob before he sent him. However, it did not become concrete until God Himself spoke this blessing upon Jacob. Isn’t this the way it is with us? We can pray blessings over our children. We can raise them up in the ways and knowledge of God, but in all that we do, God does not become real to them until they have had their own distinct and personal encounter with Him.

In this chapter, the Lord appears to Jacob in a dream. This Lord, who was the God of his father Abraham and the God of his father Isaac, would now soon become the God of Jacob.

God promises Jacob that He will not leave him until He has done what He has promised him. I believe these words of God speak past the pages of Genesis. These words tell me that God is still with Jacob, still with his descendants, for God has yet to finish all of what He has promised.

Even though thousands of years have passed, do not think that God is slow concerning His promise, for God is always on time. The descendants simply are not yet all born.

Galatians 3:29 declares, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.”

In John 1:12–13 we read, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

No, precious one, God is not slow concerning His promise; He is patient. He is waiting for the birth of all His children, for He will see us all safe in the land He has promised.

Are you born in Him?

Oh Father,

What peace this promise gives me—to know that You will not leave me until You have done what You have promised. Philippians 1:6 says, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Oh Father, You have promised to bring me to Yourself, so I wait for You and I long for the day that I will be with You. Father, I am so thankful for Your personal call on my life. It is an intimate and personal salvation. You are not simply the God of Israel, the God of the church, the God of my parents; You are my God. I know You, and You know me. I must worship You in solitude before I can worship You corporately. I must worship You on this earth before I can worship You in heaven. Oh Father, I walk with You even if no one else walks with You because I know that with You as my God, I never walk alone.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

Worldly Sorrow vs Godly Sorrow

So Esau lifted his voice and wept.

Genesis 27:38

In Genesis 25:27–34, Esau gave us an example of the power of the flesh when he chose the bowl of stew over his birthright. Esau chose the temporal over the eternal. He despised his birthright and considered it of no more value than a single meal, and now he is experiencing the consequences of his choice.

Esau returns from the hunt to receive his blessing to discover that the blessing has already been given to Jacob. Esau then begins to weep, yet his sorrow is worldly sorrow, not heavenly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:9–10). Esau cries the same tears that Cain cried in Genesis 4:13–14. He weeps only for himself and the consequences he will suffer. His sorrow is not one that leads to repentance, but one that comes from selfishness and leads only to death.

In Hebrews 12:15–17 we are warned to be sure that no one comes short of the grace of God. We are warned that there be no immoral or godless persons like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. When he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, no matter how many tears he cried, because his tears were not tears of repentance.

How many of us will stand before the throne of God on the day of our judgment and pour out tears of sorrow without repentance, having despised our birthright through the blood of Jesus Christ, having chosen the pleasures of this present world over the eternal kingdom of Christ?

Esau didn’t realize that the birthright was the blessing. He only saw the loss of ownership of his father’s earthly treasures. Our birthright is eternal life through being “born again” (John 3:3), our adoption as God’s child through the redemption of Jesus Christ on the cross (Romans 8:15–17).

When we refuse Christ, we refuse the Holy Spirit and we deny our birthright. “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking” (Hebrews 12:25).

Oh precious one, what blessing of your Father do you seek?

Do you seek the blessing of health, wealth, and prosperity?

Or do you seek the blessing of God in Christ Jesus?

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!” (Psalm 32:1–2).

Oh Father,

How I thank You for my life, my new life in Christ. Oh Father, help me to keep my heart soft and quick to repent. May my tears be tears of repentance and Godly sorrow. In those moments that I fail You, this is the promise You have given: that is if I confess my sins, You will be faithful to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I know that You know my heart, and in this I rejoice and in this I fear, but more do I rejoice.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

How Good Is Your Word?

Then Isaac trembled violently,

and said,

“Who was he then that hunted game

and brought it to me,

so that I ate of all of it before you came,

and blessed him?

Yes, and he will be blessed.”

Genesis 27:33

This chapter in Scripture is one that hurts my heart to read. Isaac has grown old, and he feels his time of death is drawing near. He calls in Esau to give him the blessing of the firstborn. Rebekah overhears this conversation, and she desires that Jacob have this blessing, not Esau. She then goes to Jacob and begins to scheme to take this blessing from Esau.

I hate the deceiving of Isaac. I am sure that had Jacob gone to his father and told him of how Esau had sold his birthright for a bowl of stew, Isaac would have willingly blessed Jacob with the right of the firstborn. Jacob, however, with the encouragement of his mother, chose to deceive his father.

Rebekah had been told by God in Genesis 25:23 that Esau would serve Jacob, yet once again we have another example in Scripture where we try to “help God out” and end up making a huge mess. When will we come to the full understanding that we can take God at His every word?

What I find even more staggering in this chapter is that once Isaac had spoken his blessing, he couldn’t and wouldn’t take it back. Isaac knew the power of his word. He knew that blessings come from God alone. He knew that he could not take back the blessing that had been uttered because he knew that God had given it.

The Scripture says that Isaac “trembled violently”(Genesis 27:33). I do not believe that he trembled on behalf of Esau’s lost blessing. I believe Isaac trembled from the hurt and disappointment that comes from a parent deceived by his child.

We take God at His word when He offers salvation, and He takes us at our word when we ask to receive that salvation. I was raised to not make promises I could not keep, and if I made a promise, no matter what, I was to keep it. I was always told that I was only as good as my word. There once was a day when a person’s word was solid and binding. There once was a day when a verbal contract was as binding as a written one and a handshake confirmed an oath.

In Matthew 12:36 Jesus says, “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.”

Precious one, God has not changed. Our world has changed, but God has not. God’s word is solid and binding, and I believe that He still holds us accountable for the words of our mouth.

Oh Father,

Help me to remember that I need to be careful not to allow careless words to proceed out of my mouth. Oh Father, forgive me for the times that I have spoken out of ignorance and anger and frustration. Help me, Father, to always be a person of my word, a person that others can trust with security that my word will be kept. Oh Father, may I honor You with the words of my mouth; may my speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6).

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

It's Personal

The Lord appeared to him the same night

and said,

“I am the God of your father Abraham;

Do not fear, for I am with you.

I will bless you,

and multiply your descendants,

for the sake of My servant Abraham.”

So he built an altar there

and called upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 26:24–25

In Genesis 26:2 we have the first recording of the Lord appearing and speaking directly to Isaac. God himself passes on the Abrahamic Covenant to Isaac. This covenant is an unconditional covenant. It is not man’s to earn, man’s to pass on, nor is it man’s to lose. God himself is the guarantor of this covenant. God also lets Isaac know that the fullness of this blessing is being passed on to him because of the obedience of his father, Abraham.

In this section of Scripture we see how God honors obedience, even to the point of honoring our children and our children’s children. Have you ever considered the impact that your present obedience is going to have on the future, especially the future of those who watch you and walk with you in your everyday life?

It is through God that all blessings flow. Isaac had been living in the blessings of the God of his father. However, Isaac still needed to call upon the name of the Lord and for himself receive the greatest blessing of all; the turning of his heart from his own wicked ways (Acts 3:25–26).

Romans 10:13 declares, “for whoever will call on the name of the Lord-will be saved.” Paul is quoting Joel 2:32, a prophet in the Old Testament Scriptures. The way of salvation has never changed.

From the beginning, all the way back to the salvation of Adam and Eve, only those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Salvation is an individual experience. I cannot save my children. I cannot force them to call upon the name of the Lord. I can show them the way, but I cannot make them walk in it. This decision is one they must make alone with God.

Isaac had been living in the blessings of God given to his father Abraham, just as our children live in the blessings that God has given us. We may be able to pass on the physical blessings of God to our children (material things, relationships, stories), but we cannot pass on the greatest blessing of all, the turning of their hearts from their own wicked ways.

Our children and those around us—and maybe even we ourselves—might be presently living in the blessings of another’s obedience, but the blessing of eternal salvation is personal.

We can be living in the midst of a godly home, or we can be members of a Spirit-filled church and be covered in the love of its members and feel great every time we walk out the doors from the experience, but this does not save us.

We can experience the Holy Spirit of God, but experiencing Him does not save us. We must humble ourselves before Him and call upon the name above all names, the name by which all men may be saved, the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12).

Our parents’ obedience can’t save us, and neither can our obedience save our children. Individually we must walk in obedience to His Word, receiving His offer of salvation by faith.

As Abraham was able to set the example for his son, for his nation, for the world, so we are able to set the example to those around us. Through our obedience we show those around us that God’s Word is true, but we can only be saved through our own personal obedience from the heart to the things we have been taught. We each must individually stand in the gospel of God.

Do you stand in the gospel of God (Romans 1:1–6)?

Have you become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were committed (Romans 6:17)?

Oh Father,

I desire no blessing more than I desire the blessing of belonging to You. I will seek to know You more and strive to be as close to You as I possibly can while in this body of flesh. My Jesus, fill me; may Your Holy Spirit consume me. Oh Father, I am a stranger in this land, an alien on this earth. The kingdom I belong to is not of this realm (John 9:36). Yet while I am here, may I be an accurate ambassador for the kingdom of Christ. Oh Father, might I live this life in obedience to You, not just for my own sake, but for the sake of my children and all who are watching me. May I be set apart through my obedience to Your truth so that others may be able to trust in my word and believe in Christ for salvation (John 17:19–20).

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

Choices

Esau said, “Behold I am about to die;

so of what use then is the birthright to me?”

Genesis 25:32

In Genesis 25, we meet Esau and Jacob, twin brothers, sons of Isaac, and sibling rivals from the womb. We meet them as newborns and then immediately as men, or at least no longer boys.

We read of Jacob tempting Esau with some stew. If you have more than one child, I bet you have witnessed a scene similar to this played out in your own home. For that matter, you might recall having been a part of a moment similar to this one that we read about in the Scriptures.

We can go all the way back to the garden and see that from then until present day, the way of temptation has not changed. When the enemy of our souls is able to get us focused on our appetites, on our emotions, and on our pride, we stumble and oftentimes we fall. Esau falls for the temptation.

Esau is a man completely focused on the temporal. His main concern is the here and now and his immediate satisfaction. He is only focused on the growling of his stomach, and he doesn’t even contemplate for a moment the price he is about to pay for this one bowl of stew, that “red stuff.” Esau is a man who makes his decisions according to the pleasure of the moment and the gratification of his flesh. He is not concerned about the possible consequences that could come as a result of such hasty decisions.

How many of us are living in the consequences of decisions made focused on immediate gratification?

God’s Word tells us that we are not to look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). He warns us in Romans 8:6–8 that the mind set on the flesh is death and is hostile toward God and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Our flesh demands immediate gratification. Our flesh wants to feel good, but if we are in Christ, we are not to obey our flesh. In Christ we have the power to say no when before Him we were completely helpless.

Our flesh doesn’t see the big picture. It is not concerned with the future. It is not concerned about anyone or anything. Our flesh simply wants its own way, and it wants it in the now.

Esau’s desire for this one bowl of red stuff changes the history of his entire future and his children’s future. Esau’s decision cost him his birthright, his claim to be the leader of the family after the death of Isaac. It cost him his right to receive a double portion of the inheritance of Isaac. Esau’s choice went deeper than just a bowl of stew.

Esau’s choice gives us insight into the condition of his heart, just as our choices give us insight into the condition of our own hearts. What do your choices in life tell you about your heart?

Oh Father,

When we have called on Jesus Christ for salvation, when we have repented and turned to You through Him, we are filled with Your Holy Spirit, and through Him we receive power to not be slaves to our flesh. Oh Father, help me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and to focus on the things above and not the things that are on this earth Oh Father, might You give me a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of You

(Ephesians 1:17).

My Jesus, it is in Your name that I pray,

Amen.

Power of a Praying Husband

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren;

and the Lord answered him

and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Genesis 25:21

Once again we see the power of prayer, this time through Isaac as he prayed on behalf of his wife. I believe Isaac was interceding on behalf of his wife and not asking on behalf of himself. Here we see how a godly man is to respond to the concerns of his wife.

I am sure Rebekah’s heart was aching over her inability to conceive. Isaac, especially at this point in history, could easily have chosen to put Rebekah away and choose another wife that would bear him a son, but Isaac loved Rebekah.

Isaac also knew the miracle of his own birth. He knew that the God of his father, Abraham, had the power to open and close the womb and the power to give man strength and the power to take it away. Isaac also knew that through him all the nations of the earth were to be blessed. He knew that his father’s descendants were to be as many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

In this knowledge and in this faith, Isaac sought the mercy of God upon his wife. God honored his prayer, and Rebekah did conceive.

As her belly grew, she felt a great struggle within her, and Rebekah went to inquire of the Lord. This is the first recording in Scripture of a woman seeking God in prayer.

God holds no partiality for male or female.

I believe God is the originator of women’s rights. He created male and female, both in His image. His ears are equally open to the prayers of men and women. He hears our prayers, and He always give answers to those who have truly sought his grace.

Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

God is available to all and will answer any who seek his face. God’s ear does not open or close according to our gender, race, or nationality. God’s ear opens and closes according to our hearts and according to our attitudes.

James writes that we do not have because we do not ask, and when we do ask it is with the wrong motives (James 4:2–3). Isaac would not complain about his wife being barren when he had not yet asked God for a child. Rebekah did not complain about the pain in her belly without first inquiring of God. God’s ear was open to them both. Our sin is the only thing that separates us from Him, male or female.

Oh Father,

Help me to keep my heart pure so that when I come before Your throne in prayer, I come with the right motives. When others’ concerns come before me, may I immediately come before You and lift them up to You in prayer. Oh Father, may I not be guilty of  complaining about not having when I have never even come before You and asked.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.

Answered Prayers

He [Abraham’s servant] said,

“O Lord, the God of my master Abraham,

please grant me success today,

and show lovingkindness

to my master Abraham.”

Genesis 24:12

God answers our prayers. He sometimes answers our prayers before we are even through praying. Abraham sent his servant out to find a wife for Isaac, but not just any wife, God’s choice wife. Abraham’s servant prayed for the Lord’s guidance. Before he had finished speaking in his heart, God sent Rebekah, the woman who was to be Isaac’s wife.

We have asked our youngest child many times if she would like to pray and have had her respond, “I prayed to God in my heart.” It amazed her when she learned that God could hear her heart.

In 1 Samuel 1:13 we read of Hannah in the temple praying, and “she was speaking in her heart.”

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

I believe this inner room, this secret place, is our heart.

These words of Christ are relevant even to those who are praying out loud. Anytime we pray, whether in silence or out loud, so that others might share in our prayer, we need to first go into our “inner room,” our heart. We can say beautiful, fluent words out loud for others to hear, but God hears what is in our hearts.

How many times have we been a hypocrite in our public prayers, praying words we did not really believe God would hear or asking for help that we really did not expect God to give? Oh, precious one, might the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in God’s sight (Psalm 19:14).

The desire of Abraham’s servant was to please his master. His prayer was offered from a sincere heart. His prayer was offered in sure expectation that God would hear and answer. When Abraham’s servant understood that God had immediately and obviously answered his prayer he bowed before God and worshiped. When we get such immediate responses to the cries of our heart, are we as quick to bow down before our God?

 “Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him” (Psalm 28:6–7).

May we never forget to give God all the glory for our answered prayers. May we not for one minute think that our answer came out of any ability of our own. Let us not give credit to chance or coincidence. Let us not boast in luck. Let us know that it was our God and give Him His praise.

We cannot leave this chapter without taking one more look at our hearts. Let us ask, how are our hearts in response to a call from God? The servant shares his answered prayer with Rebekah and with her family, who just so happened to be relatives of Abraham. Rebekah doesn’t look at the servant of Abraham and say, “Let me pray about it, and I’ll get back to you on that.” She is quick to respond to this opportunity with obedience and goes with the servant to meet the man who will be her husband.

How many times have you asked God for a sign to confirm something that he was speaking to your heart? How many times have you then asked for a sign to confirm the sign? May our hearts be more like the example that Rebekah gives us here. The signs were clear, and she did not hesitate. When we hear our God call, may we say, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

Oh Father,

How deserving You are of our worship. I thank You for Your guidance. I thank You for Your provisions. I thank You for Your faithfulness. How great You are, my God. You are worthy of all my praise. I bow before You, for I know that You hear all, see all, and know all. My heart is open and laid bare before You. Oh Father, may the prayers of my mouth come from the prayers of my heart. May I never wait to give You the glory for the prayers You answer. May I learn to respond with ready obedience to every opportunity that You have placed before me.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.