Faith

Joseph’s heart

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Genesis 39:1-41:16; Psalm 17; Proverbs 3:33-35; Matthew 12:46-13:23

 

When Potiphar’s wife repeatedly seeks Joseph out to sleep with him, the Bible records how he avoided her, then finally runs away from her presence. He explains why he won’t commit adultery, out of respect for Potiphar, his master who honored him by placing Joseph in charge over his entire estate. Joseph also adds that he will not sin against God this way.

Instead of being rewarded for his integrity, Joseph is falsely accused and put in prison. Even this injustice does not cause him to turn away from God (Remember how his brothers faked his murder and sold him as a slave?). The Scriptures show how the Lord God was with him still. He never left Joseph alone in his trials.

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Joseph chooses reliance on God through all the ways he is mistreated by others. Psalm 17 written by King David hundreds of years later, could have been echoed by Joseph too in his situation. Wherever he served, the Lord blessed Joseph by setting him apart so that his authorities took notice.

Joseph demonstrates wisdom in interpreting dreams from the cupbearer, baker, and Pharaoh. He plainly tells these men that God is the interpreter of dreams, not him. Joseph is humble. He sees himself as a vessel to be used by God however the Lord sees fit. This is a heart God honors. This is what grace overflowing looks like. Joseph’s life is an example of growing deeper into the good soil as a faithful servant.

One who trusts God even when the circumstances are bleak.

One who relies on God’s perfect justice, in His infinite wisdom, according to His Divine Plan.

This is a heart that reflects Christ.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Jesus Is Greater

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Genesis 38; Psalm 16; Proverbs 3:27-32; Matthew 12:22-45

 

Jesus is among His Creation as a man. He condescends Himself by taking on our humanity, identifying with us, teaching the people by speaking in a language they understand. Christ used everyday objects like bread, water, and sheep to relate deeper spiritual truths. What great love is this that the Master identifies with us so that we can identify with Him?

God shows us that we can rest in His Sovereignty, His plan, even using our failures for His Glory. He chose Judah, the 4th son of Jacob to carry the line of Christ through the sinful act of sleeping with his daughter-in-law Tamar. She deceived Judah into going to bed with her in hopes of producing a child, which she did- twins! It’s good to keep in mind that these actions are descriptive and not prescriptive. Why? Because the Bible overwhelmingly tells us to not behave like the wicked, but seek to do good to others, reflecting the Lord’s merciful and compassionate nature.

 

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God can work through our sin but it isn’t a license to abuse grace either. Jesus died for us to be free from our sinful life. We are made righteous because Jesus is greater than any prophet, priest or king who has lived. Jesus tells the Pharisees He is greater than Jonah, greater than Solomon. He is fully God and fully man, not hiding His identity from the people. Many still rejected His claims because we see what we want to see. God must open our eyes to accept truth even when we can’t fully comprehend the mystery of it all.

But we know this to be true:

God is trustworthy.

God is faithful.

God pursues wayward people like Judah, Tamar, me and you. He loves us in spite of knowing how sinful we are, because God also knows what we are in Christ. The Lord is Greater, and has never given up on His Beloved Bride. This is the good news to rest in. Jesus is greater than our sin and it will not consume us.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Portrait of the godly

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Genesis 35; Psalm 15; Proverbs 3:21-26; Matthew 12:1-21

 

Jacob has a heart revival and leads his family to do the same: get rid of foreign gods, actively follow God, obey His commands. Jacob’s desire is to worship and remember the Lord who blessed him when he first ran from Esau. Jacob returns home to his earthly father Issac, but more importantly renews his relationship with his Heavenly Father.

When we abide with the Lord operating within the boundaries of His commands, there is peace. External circumstances still cause us trials but the righteous take the long view, an eternal perspective on life. Our confidence in the Lord remains. He can be trusted even when we don’t understand everything- especially when we can’t understand everything.

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The godly seek discernment and sound judgement as they pilgrim through this world. Jesus is our best example of godly character. He exemplified what it means to be human and still remain in God’s will. He too interacted with all kinds of people- those who loved Him, those who only wanted what He could give them, those who hated Him, plotting to take His life. Jesus was bold in confronting hypocrites, compassionate toward the needy, forgiving to sinners.

God’s commands for us today follow this same principle- imitate Christ. We can’t live this way on our own. So how is this relevant or even possible? Micah 6:8 gives us a good framework to start with: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Through faith and the power of His Spirit we mirror our Savior, abiding in Christ.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

 

Portrait of the godless

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Genesis 33:1-34:31; Psalm 14, Matthew 11:7-30

 

When we forget God or do not fear Him we regress to our flesh. We see an example of this with Jacob’s sons taking revenge on a whole town after their sister is defiled. Not relying on God’s wisdom leads to sin. Two wrongs never make a right.

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In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus pronounces “Woes” on the cities where He performed miracles and the people did not respond with repentance. Only the fool says in his heart, “There is no God”. Yet Jesus calls us to follow Him– His way is what it means to be truly human. Apart from Christ we can do no good thing and have no rest. Left to our own devices we are helpless and hopeless in sin. This was never meant to be God’s design for us. He is Lord of the living, not the dead. The spiritually dead cannot live in the power of the Spirit. All of us were once godless rebels. Those who recognize their need for God’s righteousness are washed in His limitless grace through the blood of Christ. Forgiven. Free. Righteous.

This is the transformative power of God.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Wrestling with God

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Genesis 31:17-32:32; Psalm 13

“Blessed in the man who does not fall away on account of me.” -Matthew 11:6

 

Jacob wrestles with the angel of the Lord. His life choices are questionable at times. But here’s the good news: God still uses imperfect people to glorify Himself and He blesses them. The Lord intervenes to protect Jacob and his family from Laban, then Jacob pleads for God to intervene in his encounter with Esau. He has not fallen away from the God of his fathers but actively seeks an audience with the Lord in prayer. Jacob acknowledges God by honoring His presence and holiness (Genesis 32:30).

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God invites us to come to Him and cry out like David in Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord?” We wrestle with our fears, sorrows, sinful habits, and situations beyond our control. Through these valleys our Father blesses us with His Presence in the form of Scripture, prayer, the Holy Spirit and our family in Christ. He equips us so we can go to Him honestly with our struggles, while professing belief in His Sovereign Goodness with the next breath. We can say “this is hard, but I trust you anyway”.

God teaches us in our weakness demonstrating His power, goodness and faithfulness. He will use your circumstances to encourage and refine your spirit. Wait on Him, lean on His strength for today.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” -2 Corinthians 12:9

Grace upon grace,

April

 

A Hostile Environment

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Genesis 30:1- 31:16; Psalm 12; Proverbs 3:13-15; Matthew 10:1-23

“The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.” Psalm 12:8

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

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Hostility is as old as time. Jealousy over one another’s blessings; resentment of the righteous. Human relationships are messy because we are sinners. We see the competition between Leah and Rachel in the baby race. My heart aches for both of them because neither had everything they wanted- a loving husband and a house full of children.

In this same passage Laban attempts to diminish God’s blessings on Jacob. The wicked freely strut about as the righteous are mistreated.

Jesus warns His disciples what to expect when He sends them out in His Name. Expect hardship. Rebels of God will not welcome His friends.

Christians live in this world with eyes wide open to the evil around us but also with hearts wide open to sharing the Gospel. We offer full hope even in the face of hostility. The hope-filled are not deterred because God’s promises remain true since the beginning of Time. God is with us and He is for His people. We are simply to be obedient with what we have been given and what we are called to do.

Grace upon grace,

April

Character Development

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Genesis 26:17-27:46; Matthew 9:1-17

 

Jacob steals Esau’s blessing from their father Issac. Rebekah even helps Jacob deceive Issac in his old age and diminishing eyesight. Was she more discerning than Issac in this matter? Clearly they both saw Esau’s poor choices in wives did not honor God. Perhaps this is a lapse of judgement for Issac, feeding his desire for food and favoritism over the Lord’s will.

Yet God’s Sovereignty prevails despite Jacob’s deception and Issac’s temporal pleasure. The Lord preserves Abraham’s line and promise through Jacob the younger, not Esau.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus calls Matthew, the hated tax collector, to be His disciple. The Lord transforms the character of Matthew, like Jacob over the course of their lives.

This is the mercy of God, choosing unlikely candidates to participate with Him in His work. The Father’s grace is at work in hearts belonging to Him. His grace is on every believer, patiently sanctifying. Common grace is even on the unrighteous, as God reveals His power and provision by sustaining their life with each breath. God displays His handiwork in creation for all to see (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-20). These are acts of grace for unbelievers to seek God while there is time.

Our Father doesn’t ask us to come to Him with our act together. It is as we faithfully walk in fellowship with Him that our hearts are changed. We are softened as our spiritual vision sharpens. Our character begins to reflect His own.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Our Compassionate Shepherd

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Genesis 28:1- 29:35; Matthew 9:18-38

“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” -Matthew 9:36

 

Leah is not loved. God sees Leah’s loneliness and blesses her with sons.

Jesus shows compassion to the crowds of hurting, broken people. Sickness, death and disappointment are attached to this world. We are all in need of a Shepherd to see us, love us and tenderly care for us. God sent Jesus as the Lamb of God so that He could be our Shepherd, our Hope.

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Our Father sees the broken-hearted, whatever struggles you face. He mends us with truth, reminding you and me we are healed and we are being healed. Living between the two advents means becoming who we already are in Christ. Jesus has secured the place of every believer with Him.

Jesus went to the cross for sinners. He loves you and sees your need. His compassion for the helpless is still relevant today. Come ye sinners, poor and needy, Jesus will remind you of His love and power. Jesus makes us whole.

Grace upon grace,

April

 

Enemies of the cross

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Read Genesis 25:1-26:16; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 3:7-8; Matthew 8:18-34

 

The wicked are wise in their own eyes despising God and His people. Ishmael’s descendants fulfill prophecy as people who live in hostility toward others, rejecting the true God. Esau cared more for gratifying his flesh than protecting the spiritual value of his birthright.

Anyone who is not a friend of God is His enemy. Neutrality or indifference are also choices made to stand against the Lord, refusing to believe His promises. All forms of rebellion are pride- man’s desire to live apart from God, out from under His authority.

The contrast to rebellion is a life of faith in Jesus. Still, God proves His faithfulness to us over and over again so that we will trust Him. He calms the wind and waves, exorcises demons from two men, showing the world He possesses power over creation. He holds the key to life.

Here we know in part, living in the shadows. When it feels like evil is winning, and the weak are crushed we remember the Story isn’t over yet. What is yet to come will be the unveiling as we see Christ in full glory. God’s enemies do not have the victory. We are on the right side.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). 

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” -1 Corinthians 13:12

Wisdom

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Read Genesis 18:16-19:38; Psalm 8; Proverbs 2:6-15; Matthew 6:25-7:14

We read of man’s wickedness in Sodom and Gomorrah from Genesis. God’s wrath is on the unrepentant and this serves as a warning for those continuing in rebellion- God’s judgment is sure.

Then Psalm 8 describes the Lord’s majestic character. Such a contrast to the depravity of man and ugliness of sin! Sin kills, God gives life. The Lord revives, our sin is soul crushing.

What is the answer in pursuing the Lord, imitating Him rather than follow the ways of the world? Wisdom. The Proverbs passage speaks of wisdom for the way of the righteous. Relying on God’s wisdom provides the proper way to view all of life. We learn to trust Him with our circumstances. God gives us a right view of ourselves as we relate to others and Him. Our prayer life matures. Seeking wisdom is how you will grow in deeper fellowship with Jesus. He is Wisdom. 

Grace upon grace,

April