January 27

GENESIS 28
I tend to be grumpy on occasion, just ask my wife. When my kids started having kids, they asked me, “What do you want your grandchildren to call you?” I told them, “Grumps.” For some reason or other Caedie in particular has attached herself to me. They were with us this weekend. Caedie wasn’t feeling too great. Often she would call out, “Gumps! Gumps!,” (she can’t pronounce the ‘gr’ yet) or, “Gumps, help!” Often times she just wanted to be held. She just wanted to know that I was with her. There is something about knowing that you are not alone that really helps, especially when you are sick or in new situation, or in a situation that challenges you.
I am not sure exactly how old Jacob was when he set out for Padan Aram, but consider this: He was 130 years old in Gen. 47:9. Assuming that this occurred shortly after Jacob moved into Egypt, Joseph was roughly 39 years old at this point. That would mean that Jacob was roughly 91 when Joseph was born. Jacob was in Padan Aram 20 years. Joseph was born toward the end of that time. It would appear that Jacob was around 71 when he left home for Padan Aram. Depending upon how one interprets the description of how long Jacob worked for Laban, the youngest that Jacob could be when he left home is 57, most likely he was 71. Not exactly a spring chicken in either case! Hmm. . . So, here we have a single 71-year-old Jacob, who has just embarked on a mission to obtain a wife with whom he may produce heirs to the Abrahamic Covenant. He is leaving because his brother is mad enough with him that he is contemplating killing him, but the official reason is to find a wife suitable for the covenant.
Yet in the midst of this horrible conflict with his brother, a conflict caused by his own conniving, being on his own for the first time at the age of 57 or 77, God meets him in a dream. There God promises him, “I will be with you!” I am sure that was welcome assurance. What mercy on the part of the Lord! Jacob in no way deserved such comfort. Yet, God extended it. This same phrase is used to describe Joseph’s lot when he was made a slave and in jail, “God was with Him.” That promise alone should be enough. Often, it is not enough. For this reason the writer of Hebrews tells us, “Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The God, who created the universe, is with me. That should be enough! But, like Caedie, sometimes I cry out to him, “Help!” Sometimes I just want Him to be there. Sometimes, I need some specific help, but it is to His glory that He is always there. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

PSALM 27
I have never experienced warfare. I am part of that generation that watched Vietnam on the nightly news. Every night they would give a body count of US, Vietnamese and Viet Cong. While the Vietnamese counts were almost always a couple of times higher than the US and the Viet Cong were almost always multiple times higher than the US, it was still wearing upon the soul to hear the nightly counts that went on for years. Occasionally the news would bring footage of battle that occurred recently. I have listened to the stories from my son, who spent 15 months in Iraq and lost many friends and acquaintances. I have read the histories of the Civil War, in which the nation lost more soldiers than all the other wars combined. My great grandfather fought at Cold Harbor, which one general called, “Not war but murder.” I think about the ancient wars in which it was not uncommon for 50-80,000 soldiers to die in one battle. I think about David, who led his men into battles all through his life. He said:

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.

How can any man not fear and be confident when surrounded by the enemy?
The answer can only be, “Either he is not in touch with reality, or he is filled with blood lust, or he really knows what it means for the LORD to be his light and salvation.” When I know that the LORD is my light and salvation, I can smile at my enemy and say, “I know something you do not know. I am not left handed.” (That’s for you Princess Bride aficionados.) Yes, I can say, “I know something you do not know. I am not alone. The God of all creation is with me.” Why should I ever be afraid?
We are in a spiritual war. The casualties are all around us. The enemy seeks to eat our flesh. He is destroying our families, our children, our friends and our enemies. He wins when we cease to keep our eyes on our light and salvation. He wins when we focus on periods of calm in between the battles. He wins when we set our swords (the Word of God) and shields (our faith) down to enjoy the calm. His ambushes are always unique. But our LORD ever remains our light. In His light we can identify the ambushes of the darkness. In His light we can forge forward in confidence. In His light we can gaze upon His beauty. He is our salvation. We need nothing else. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

ESTHER 4
Who and what does God use to glorify His own name? In Esther 1 we saw that He uses even the immorality of man to accomplish His plan. In Esther 2 we saw that He uses our own helplessness—when we are in trouble. In Esther 3 we learned that He is working even in the midst of our own perplexities. What about Esther 4? He desires most to use obedient people. He designs and places us in positions where we must trust Him. In that position He asks that we put everything on the line. He asks that we obey. What would you be willing to do for Him? Oh it is easy to say that I would die physically for Him. Most of us will really never have to make that kind of choice. But he always asks us to die to our own desires.
It would have been easier for Esther to just stay in the Harem and never say anything to the king. After all, would anyone really try to kill the queen? To enter the king’s presence without being bid to come could result in her own execution. It would be easier to ignore the plight of her people and do nothing. But as Mordecai told her, “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Her response was one of obedience and acceptance of whatever would be the outcome. She simply put it, “If I perish, I perish.” Hmm. . . Am I so enthralled with God displaying His glory in me that I can say in any situation, “I will obey God, no matter what the result. If I perish, I perish.” I think the glory of God is so great that if I really grasped it, I would emphatically obey! When I disobey, it only proves that I am not clearly seeing the glory of God. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 18:1-20
I remember in college hearing the testimony of a fellow student concerning how the Lord has spoken to her about her attitude toward children. She said she didn't like children. But as she was reading a passage (perhaps it was this one) the Lord convicted of her attitude. She said He revealed to her through many passages how much He loves children. She was humbled by it. Part of the glory of Jesus is the special place He holds in His heart for children.
A few days ago, I heard George Barna on the radio. He gave some staggering info about children. Did you know that statistically, what a child believes at 13 years of age they will believe until the day they die? Did you know that very few churches in the United States put much of their resources into children's ministries? Did you know that many of the churches that do children's ministries do so by undermining the home by not training the parents how to lead their children spiritually? Yet it is the glory of our Lord that He cherishes children. He tells us that we must become as little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Why would that be humbling? It is humbling because a little child is so dependent upon others to live. A little child needs desperately to be taught. We each must see that need and place ourselves in that position before God in order to enter His kingdom. The glory of Jesus is not only that He commands us to place ourselves in that position, but He Himself took that position. He left the throne room of heaven, was born of a virgin, was in complete dependence upon His parents. As a man, He grew in wisdom and stature--He was taught. During His ministry, He did what He saw His Father doing. He was obedient. His Father treated Him as His child, even announcing from heaven, "This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well-pleased." Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John