JUST FOR LADIES – By Camille Stahl

JUST FOR LADIES – By Camille Stahl

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Pharaoh's Daughter Finds Moses Exodus 2:3-6

 

Today’s Passage – Exodus 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 11 – 12; Proverbs 20; Psalms 96 – 100)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 121

Read the “0120 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

  Pharaoh’s Daughter

 “And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.   And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.  And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.  And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”   (Exodus 2:1-6)

Today, in the world’s eyes, being important and well known is everything. But, is it really?  Pharaoh’s daughter was educated, powerful, and well known in her time.  She had all that anyone could ever have: wealth, servants, beautiful clothing….  Her father was the ruler of Egypt.  He just commanded, that all Hebrew boys 2 years old and younger be drowned in the Nile River.  When she saw the baby, the Bible says she had compassion on him.  She was brave enough to disobey her father and kept the baby.  She would later raise Moses in the house of Pharaoh.  The education, and training, helped Moses in many areas of his life; and God used him in a mighty way.

Even with the important role she played, and what she did, no one knows her name.  The Bible doesn’t say if she came to know the God of the Hebrews, but God placed the right woman in the right place at the right time.

How many people do you know that may be unsaved that performs good deeds?  A coworker, a family member, your friends.  God can use the unsaved to fulfill his will in our lives.  God can use different people to fulfill His goals.  However, He never forces them to have faith in Him.

There are many daughters of Pharaoh living among us.  They are guided by God and doing His will but lost.    We see them and think all is well.  They have it all, as Pharaoh’s daughter, and yet they have nothing.

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”     (Matthew 16:26)

Will you reach out to one today?  Will you give them a tract or invite them to church?  We can all rejoice when they come to know Jesus too!

“Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”  (Matthew 9:37-38)

Thank You

1 John 5:13

Judah – The Saturday Morning Post

Judah – The Saturday Morning Post

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Lion-of-the-Tribe-of-JudahToday’s Passage – Genesis 43 – 44(Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 5 – 6; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85)

Read the “0117 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.”

“Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.” (Genesis 44:18 & 33)

Good morning. In chapter 44 of Genesis, we find that Joseph had framed his little brother, Benjamin, in order to keep him in Egypt. Judah stepped forward and made intercession for Benjamin. Reading this had made me remember another member of the tribe of Judah. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Judah interceded for his brother, Jesus intercedes for us…

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)

When Judah stepped forward, his mind was on his father, Israel, and Benjamin. When Jesus went to the cross, His mind was on us…

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Judah was willing to leave his wife, family, everything he had to set Benjamin free…

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” (Hebrews 2:9-10)

“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:1-5)

And we could go on, but let me ask you, have you thanked God, and praised Him for what He has done for you, yet, today?

Peace! (John 3:16)

Are You Willing to Wait?

Are You Willing to Wait?

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Today’s Passage – Genesis 41 – 42 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4 ; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 92:1

Read the “0116 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s reading passage – “Saving for the Future”

“And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.” – (Genesis 41:38-41)

There are two questions that I would like to consider this morning:

1  Would you be willing to wait all of the years that Joseph waited if you new there was a marvelous and exciting plan for your life in the distant future?

2  Would you be willing to endure all of the hardship that Joseph endured and remain faithful to the Lord if you knew that those trials were necessary to advance the plans and purposes of God?

The story of Joseph begins in Genesis 37. In these chapters we discover that Joseph goes from being a favored son of Jacob to a slave in the house of Potipher, and then to a prisoner in Pharaoh’s kingdom. Joseph’s downward slide began with a dream that he had which revealed to him that God was going to elevate him above his brothers, and even above his father. His brothers would have none of Joseph’s dreams and sought to be rid of him, and for a long time they were. However, many years after they sold their brother into bondage, the sons of Jacob went down into Egypt at the request of their father to purchase food, and who do you think was the guy in charge of the food? You guessed it: Joseph. Egypt was the only place that had food in this time of famine, and the only reason they were prepared  was because Joseph had revealed to Pharaoh that he should store up food in the days of plenty, so that Egypt would have enough when times got hard. By the way, that’s not a bad idea for us, either.

At any rate, when the brothers finally come to Egypt, their little brother is no longer a slave; he is the prime minister of all of Egypt. However, it took a long times and a lot of hardship before Joseph was elevated by God to this prominent position. I am sure that there were times in those many years that he doubted God; but he never wavered. Joseph remained faithful to God. In God’s time, Joseph was delivered from his brothers, from the bondage, from the prison, and from the humiliation of it all; and all of the world could see that Joseph was God’s man. Though, Joseph certainly did not enjoy all of the days of trial and affliction, I bet that at the end of his life he would say that it was all worth what God finally gave him.

We sing a song that says “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus”. I bet when Joseph hears us singing that song from his vantage point in Heaven, he says “Amen. It was worth it all”.

Stay faithful to God. You may be in Pharaoh’s dungeon right now, but if you are a child of God, I promise you, that He will some day pull you out of that awful place. Trust God. He has a purpose and a plan for it all. God doesn’t often fill us in about all of the details of His sovereign plan, but we can trust that He will work it all out in the end.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” – (Romans 8:18)

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – (Romans 8:28)

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” – (Isaiah 40:31)

God’s Perfect Plan – by Issan Acosta

God’s Perfect Plan – by Issan Acosta

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Today’s Passages – Genesis 38 – 40 (Click on the references to listen to the passages. Click here to view today’s passage on Blue Letter Bible.)

(Second Milers also read – Mark 1 – 2; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 89:1

Read the “0115 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s passage – “What About Judah?“

“And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.” (Genesis 38:39)

When reading Genesis Chapter 38, I could not help but see God’s sovereignty through the Messianic line of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament clearly prophesied that the Messiah would come out of the Tribe of Judah.

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10)

Before Ruth, a Midianite woman; and Rahab, a harlot, were part of the lineage of Christ, there was a woman named Tamar, also a harlot who was part of our Saviour’s lineage as well.

“And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse” (Matthew 1:5)

“And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;” (Matthew 1:3)

Tamar was Judah’s daughter in law and she deceived Judah into sleeping with her. She stood where the harlots stood and dressed the way they did. Tamar ends up giving birth to Pharez and Zarah. She is named in the lineage of Christ with her twin boys. Although the Bible does not record positive things that Tamar has done, she was a great, great, great, great grandmother to King David, and was also in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though Tamar used a deceptive method, she was a woman who risked her life to bare a child for her deceased husband. She knew she had the right to a child, and she knew that her first husband (Er) had the right to an heir. It is amazing how God’s plans can develop through the deceptive means of a person. Not one person in this story knew what God was planning in the long term. They were just living their lives, but the mind of God had a plan of which they knew nothing. Christian, you may be living your life today without a clue of what the future holds for you. Know this, however, that God has a plan for your life. Walk with God and stay close to God and he may just unfold his plans for you as He wills.

JUST FOR LADIES – By Camille Stahl

JUST FOR LADIES – By Camille Stahl

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Today’s Passage –Genesis 33 – 35 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read –Matthew 25 – 26; Proverbs 13; Psalms 61 – 65)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 55:17

Read the “0113 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s reading – “Lead On Softly“

STAY HOME

“And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.” (Genesis 34:1)

This sad story begins with a young girl Dinah, who comes to a new country and unwisely goes out to seek friends.  Just a side note, some say she was between the ages of 12 and 16.   This is an age where most young people try to leave the ‘nest’ to make their own life.  The friends she sought were not of her own people.  They were daughters of a pagan nation.  While away from home in the world, she was raped by Shechem, son of Hamor the Canaanite, a ruler.  Shechem then wanted to marry Dinah, but we learn that her brothers went on a killing spree.

It’s not much different today.  Our young children are bombarded with all kinds of temptations.  It’s everywhere.  They are encouraged to rebel against the wishes of their parents.  Parents get so frustrated that they give in as their children draw away from them and their family values.  These young children, barely teens, enter a world they know nothing about.

Our Bible is the source we can go to, to study out what it says about family, so we can have a successful plan.  It’s important to teach our children at a young age who to associate with.  Also that even a simple decision can impact a life forever.

Thank You

Proverbs 22:6

Moving Forward

Moving Forward

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Today’s Passage – Genesis 29 – 30 

(Second Milers also read –Matthew 21 – 22; Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55)

“And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.” – (Genesis 30:43)

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” – (Philippians 3:13-14)

Our passage today reveals the blessing of God upon the life of Jacob. Jacob was a man who was certainly not always deserving of the abundant favor of God upon his work and his family, yet God always took good care of him. In chapter 30, we see God increasing the livestock of Jacob. Notice in vv. 37 – 42 that Jacob devises a peculiar and rather devious plan in order to make sure that his cattle prosper. However, I do not believe that Jacob’s “scientific” methods were the reason for the increase. It was God that had His hand upon Jacob’s life. I believe that God blessed Jacob the way He did because God saw the big picture. He was not blessing Jacob because of the things that Jacob had done in the past to deserve the blessing, because Jacob really hadn’t done anything yet. Up until this point, Jacob is mostly a deceptive person who takes matters into his own hands rather than place his trust in God. However, God saw what Jacob would become. God will change his name from Jacob (which means trickster or deceiver) to Israel, which means a prince with God. God was going to do something someday with Jacob. He saw what Jacob would become.

When we look at people, we also need to look past what they have been in the past, and even what they may be right now, and we need instead to try to see what they could be in the future. God has a wonderful tendency to make something marvelous out of ordinary, sinful people like us. In order to do this God has chosen to forget about the sins that we have committed in the past, and He even chooses not to “impute”, or record the sins of today and tomorrow. God had a plan for Jacob in the future that was not yet apparent at this point in Jacob’s life. I bet God has a plan for us too. If God chooses to see what we can and will be tomorrow, why don’t we do the same thing. Let’s not let the past bog us down, and cause to stay where we are. Let’s move forward into that abundant life of God’s blessing.

There is a passage of Scripture regarding Abraham that supports this thought:

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” – (Genesis 18:19)

Notice in this verse that God knows some good things about Abraham, yet the things that He knows are all in Abraham’s future. God reveals His plan to Abraham, not based upon what He remembers about Abraham’s past, but what He sees in Abraham’s future. God saw what Abraham would be, and He did’t choose to remember any of the failures in Abraham’s past. We need to develop our spiritual eyesight so that we can see the possibilities of someone’s future rather than dwelling on what they were in the past. We have to learn to see people as God sees them.

SATURDAY MORNING POST – By Camille Stahl

SATURDAY MORNING POST – By Camille Stahl

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camels

Today’s Passage – Genesis 27 – 28 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read –Matthew 19 – 20; Proverbs 10; Psalm 46 – 50)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 48:1 & 2

Read the “0110 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage – “The House of God” and “Savory Meat“

Rebekah, From Triumph To Failure

“And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.   And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.   And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.   Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:  And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.   And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.   And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.   And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.   And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.   And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.”  (Genesis 24: 10-19)

“And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.   And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.   Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.   Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.”  (Genesis 27:5-10)

Rebekah was a hard worker with a kind spirit, excited about doing God’s will.  Her day started like most of ours.  She got up, got dressed, and went to work, but this day was different.  While at work she met a man.   She served him by giving him and his camel’s water.  Rebekah was friendly and invited him to meet her family.  There was no thought when she said yes to the question “Will you go with this man?”   This was a great step of faith.  She would leave her family to go into an unfamiliar land to marry someone she never met, but she was willing.  She loved and served Issac.  Isaac and Rebekah served the Lord together and later Esau and Jacob were born.

In chapter 27, the Bible tells us that Rebekah loved Jacob more than Esau.  This may have been because Isaac favored Esau.  I only had one child, so I don’t fully understand sharing love between two children, however, I’ve seen the results of parents showing favor towards one child.  This was Rebekah’s down fall.  What was it that turned the heart of Rebekah from a kind spirited servant of God, to a deceiver?  The Bible doesn’t say, but we all know who’s behind all evil.

Rebekah’s life is much like the Christian life.  We are out and about doing our daily routine, when we meet someone who asks the question “Will you go with this man (Jesus)?”  We willingly say yes and except the Lord Jesus as our Saviour and begin to serve Him.  We work by serving others in church and in the community and are excited about it.  We lose the old man and start allowing the “New Spirit” to take control.  We do things and go places where we’ve never been before.  We invite strangers into our lives to help them find their way to the Lord.  But as we get on in our Christian lives, like Rebekah, we allow satan to creep in.  We love the Lord (Esau) but we really like the way of the world (Jacob).  We are divided.  Be careful not to make bad decisions when stepping towards the world.

I pray that if you find yourself in Rebekah’s shoes, that you will turn your attention back towards the Lord.  Remember “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”     (1 John 1:9)

“My eyes are dry, my faith is old, my heart is hard, my prayers are cold.  And I know how I aught to be, alive to you and dead to me.  But what can be done, for an old heart like mine, to soften it up with oil and wine.  The oil is You, Your Spirit of love, please wash me a new, in the wine of your blood.” (A Song By: Keith Green)

Thank You

1 John 5:13 – 14

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree

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Today’s Passages – Genesis 25 – 26 

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45)

“And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said,

She is my sister: for he feared to say,

She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah;

because she was fair to look upon.” – (Genesis 26:7)

In order for you to fully understand this morning’s thought, you might want to go back and read Genesis chapter twenty. If this account of Isaac lying about the true identity of his wife sounds familiar to you, it is because we read back in Genesis 20 that his father, Abraham, did the exact same thing to Abimelech. It appears that the apple doesn’t fall very far the tree. Isaac apparently had picked up some of his father’s bad habits.

There is an old expression which states that parents don’t get what they want in child-rearing, they get what they are. I have observed that to be true. Our children definitely begin to emulate our values, character traits, and even our mannerisms. As a school teacher, I have closely observed the children in  my charge, and it is amazing how much the children are like their parents. It’s kind of scary to think that we are also passing on our bad habits. Isaac learned how to lie from his dad.

As parents, we must be very careful to remember that our children are always watching us; almost analyzing us. They mistakenly think that everything we do is right, so they have no reason not to mimic who we are. Even later when they are taught with words regarding bad behavior, the message that they received from the life of the parent will often leave a stronger impression. Parents, and mentors, need to be very careful to watch their own behavior, especially around those young ones that are so impressionable. We need to be what we want them to be. Be the right example to your children.

JUST FOR LADIES – By Camille Stahl

JUST FOR LADIES – By Camille Stahl

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Sarah with Isaac

 

Today’s Passage – Genesis 17 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Proverbs 6; Psalm 26 – 30

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 25

Read the “0106 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage –”Don’t Look Back“, “Abraham Did a Little Walking With God, Too” and “The Prayer of a Friend”

THE STUDY OF SARAH

 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (Genesis 18:9-14)

Abraham and Sarah lived a secure life in Ur, with friends and family. One day God appeared to Abraham and told him to leave his land and go to a place which He would point out to him. Most women would find it hard to leave their home to face an unknown future, but Sarah got on board and stood behind her husband, obeyed God and went willingly. After moving over 600 miles away, God told Abraham to move again. All the while Sarah was waiting for the promise of God to bear a child.

Abraham and Sarah continued moving around, and because of a famine, they decided to move to Egypt. For the first time Sarah saw Abraham not take council from God. She must have really questioned her husband when he asked her to tell the people she was his sister. Here was a man who walked beside God now running ahead. Sarah honored her husband, and God honored Sarah by protecting her in Egypt. Sarah knew from experience that to live a life of faith she would need to be patient. Faith and patience go together. You can’t buy them, you have to experience them. But Sarah was growing older and now past her days of child bearing. She suggested to Abraham that he take a Hagar as his concubine. Although these things happened frequently back then, it was still wrong because of her lack of faith.

A year after God appeared to them again, Sarah conceived and gave birth to a child. Finally the promise from God.

Today, we have two nations from the loins of Abraham: the Arabs, the descendants of Ishmael; and the Jews, the descendants of Isaac. They are still at war with each other, all because Sarah ran ahead of God.

We too must follow by God’s side. Never running ahead or dragging behind. Move when God moves us, wait when He is working. Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  If you ever walked in the woods at night with a flashlight, you know you must walk next to the one holding the light. Too far behind or ahead, you are in darkness. You might go down the wrong path, stumble or fall. So let’s take the Saviour’s hand and walk together by His side.

In conclusion, I do not want to leave Sarah on a sour note. Sarah’s had experienced many sacrifices. Her faith grew after the birth of her son Isaac.  She experienced hardships and disappointments all without complaints. She was flexible with the changes that were made in her life. By her obedience to Abraham, she allowed him to obey God. In Hebrews 11, she was honored for the faith she did have, not because of her failures.

Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy Blood was shed for me, And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God I come…

Thank You

1 John 5:13

Don’t Move – Unless God Moves You

Don’t Move – Unless God Moves You

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Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 

“And Abraham journeyed, going on still toward the south” (Genesis 12:9)

There has only been two times in my life that God has clearly revealed His perfect will to me. I am not referring to the will of God that is revealed to all of us in the Word. What I am referring to is when God miraculously showed me where He wanted me to go and what He wanted me to do. The first time was when God showed me where to go to Bible College. I had been searching for His will regarding my training for the ministry and frankly I was not sure what to do. I won’t go into to all of the details, but after spending a lot of time in prayer, God made it crystal clear to me where He wanted me to go.

I will tell you a little bit more about the second time. I was in my last year of Bible College and the day of my graduation was at hand. I did not know at that time what God had planned for me after I finished. I had some thoughts about what I wanted to do, but I wanted to make sure that I was following God, not trying to get Him to follow me. I was out on my bus route in Texarkana one Saturday, and again I was praying about what to do. All of a sudden I thought about Pastor Charlie Clark, a preacher that I had known back in New Jersey. I decided to give him a call and ask his advice. I remember that he had once told me that he wanted to help start twenty new churches in south Jersey. Maybe God would allow me to be the pastor of one of them. I called 411, got his number, and then called him, and surprisingly Pastor Clark picked up the phone. I shared with him my dilemma, and after a long conversation, he agreed to help me start a church when I returned home. I later found out that as soon as he hung up the phone with me, the phone rang again. This time it was Pastor Dan Owens, the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church. Pastor Dan had been called by God to become a chaplain in the military, and he needed somebody to take the church that he had started in Galloway. God used Pastor Clark to connect me with Dan Owens, and the rest, as they say, is history. I never candidated anywhere else, and I didn’t really candidate here at Jersey Shore. I just met with the pastor, and preached a couple of times for him; and upon his recommendation, the church voted me in. I believe with all of my heart that God, through those circumstances, revealed His perfect will regarding where He wanted me to go after I graduated from college.

Now I told you all of that to tell you this: it was thirteen years ago this week that the people of Jersey Shore Baptist Church voted me in to be their pastor. But before they chose me, God did. Now through these years there have been many good days, but there have also been many times of trial and testing. However, because I knew that I was where God wanted me to be, I did not quit. Though I have been tempted to do so many times, I did not move away.

In Genesis 12:6 – 8, Abraham entered into the land of Canaan, and God appeared to him and told him this was the place where He was going to bless him. X marks the spot. You don’t need to go anywhere else, Abraham, because this is the place of God’s blessing. How sad it is that in verse 9, Abraham is leaving the place of God’s calling. Verse 10 reveals that when a famine comes, he moves further away into Egypt. Do you know that God does not speak to Abraham again until he gets back to the place where God had told him to stay? (Genesis 13:14)

Christian, be very careful about the decisions you make in life. Things like where you live, whom you marry, what school you go to. All of the major decisions should be carefully prayed over, and counsel needs to be sought after. Don’t move unless you are sure you are in the perfect will of God. All of these decisions have long-term consequences. Make sure you get it right.  And once you find God’s perfect plan for your life, don’t move, unless you are absolutely sure that God is moving you.