Nurse Ratched

Personal reflections on Advent: Love
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
John 1:1-5; 1:14

In the 1975 movie, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, Nurse Ratched was a cold, heartless tyrant. She was the antithesis of what a nurse should be. 

Speaking of nurses…

I mentioned in my post last Saturday that I had major reconstructive foot surgery this fall. My wife has been a gem during my recovery. She got up in the middle of the night to give me my pain meds; she administered my daily blood thinner injection; she propped my foot up in the morning, the afternoon and night.

 

Eventually, I began to lovingly refer to her as… “Nurse Ratched”. She kind of liked the nickname, I think. When we got married 46 years ago, I had no idea who I was marrying. I thought I knew; but I didn’t. Turns out, she is so much more than I could have ever hoped for; which brings me to the Advent theme for this week… love.

 

John was known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. He wrote a lot about love; how much God loves us, how to love Him and how to love others.

 

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… ¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.                        NLT

 

When I think about the love of God... my wife, Nurse Ratched, comes to mind. During these past several weeks, for me, she has been the “word became flesh and blood”.

 

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.           1 John 4  NLT

 

During this Christmas season, continue to meditate on how God has shown His love to you. Not just as a baby two thousand years ago, but how He has shown His love to you today through those around you. And, how He can show His love to others through you.

 

 

Straight Toes and an Arch

 Personal reflections on Advent: Joy
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:22-35

Have you ever had to wait for something a long, long time?

 

I’ve had flat feet my whole life, and until a few years ago they didn’t cause me any trouble. However, the discomfort began slowly, gradually increasing to the point that I couldn’t even go grocery shopping with Debbie without experiencing severe pain. Even when sitting at my desk for an eight hour day, my feet hurt.

 

As a result, I decided to have reconstructive foot surgery on October 19. The recovery from this has been very slow and frustrating. I used a scooter to get around, which was certainly preferable, but fell several times and every little bump that I rolled over, became a battle. For two months, I’ve rode that scooter with a purple cast on my foot.

 

Finally, I switched from the cast, to a boot. That first night, when I lay in bed looking at my bare feet side by side… I started crying. It was a long anticipated event that surprised me with the rush of unexpected emotion.

 

It reminded me of something that occurred 2000 years ago. Luke describes in chapter 2 an older man by the name of Simeon who had waited all of his life for the Lord’s promised Messiah.

 

We don’t know what Simeon’s expectations were; whether he was looking for a political or military leader, or something else. Regardless, when Mary and Joseph went to the Temple in Jerusalem to dedicate their son Jesus, Simeon held him in his arms and said:

 

“Now, Lord, you have kept your promise,
    and you may let your servant go in peace.
³⁰ With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:
³² A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles
    and bring glory to your people Israel.”           GNT

 

Have you waited a lifetime for some great event? A wedding; the birth of a child; a graduation? Typically, these events are accompanied by a lot of emotion. Seeing my left foot with an arch and straight toes, is a far cry from seeing the Son of God; from celebrating the birth of Jesus.

 

What amazing joy Simeon expressed when he finally saw the Messiah; the son of God; God incarnate. It was the joy of waiting a lifetime for something monumental; something historical; something life changing.

 

May you experience this same joy as you celebrate the birth of Jesus.

 

When Angels Sing

 

When Angels Sing
Personal reflections on Advent: Peace
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:8-15

 Every time that an angel appeared in the Christmas story, the first words from the angel’s mouth was, “Do not be afraid”. It didn’t matter who it was… Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, the shepherds; all responded with fear.

Fear is not one of those feelings that we associate with Christmas. Hope, peace, joy and love; these are the themes of Advent. These are the nice warm feelings that we like to picture when we think about Christmas. Not fear!

 

In the above passage in Luke, the angels made their presence known to the shepherds.

 

¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”               NLT

 

Recently, our church choir sang a song titled, “When Angels Sing”. Here are some of the lyrics.

 

Within each lifetime an angel’s voice is heard;

celestial sounds pierce time and space.

For just a moment, the breathless beauty

of heaven’s song reveals God’s grace.

 

Peace in our hearts, peace when angels sing,

peace, be still and listen heart.

Listen when angels sing.

 

Despite our sorrow, the dawn brings life anew;

and raging storms begin to cease.

For just a moment, the breathless beauty

of heaven’s son brings us peace.

 

Think about that last verse. Listen when angels sing, and despite your sorrow… despite a worldwide pandemic; despite your isolation; let the breathless beauty of Christ bring life anew, cease your raging storms and bring you peace.

 

Listen when angels sing, and fear not, for this is Christmas.

 

Highs and Lows

 Personal reflections on Advent: Hope
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 2:1-20

 

Life is full of highs and lows!

 

For the past several years, I’ve been making an annual list of my own personal “highs and lows”. Typically, a high might include a vacation or singing in choir or visiting friends or family. Whereas, a low could include losing a job or putting our kitty down.

 

In the year of 2020, the number of lows is significantly more than the highs. On a macro scale, my lows include the COVID pandemic, racial unrest and a contentious presidential race. On a more personal level, my wife had a stroke; I had reconstructive foot surgery; and a decades-long family friend passed away.

 

Indeed, 2020 has been a tough year for all of us. And now we come to the Christmas season. Earlier in the fall, I noticed Christmas trees and outdoor decorations going up; maybe in an effort to change the momentum of the year.

 

But truthfully, can the “HO, HO, HO” of Santa Clause bring you true hope? Can the melodious voice of Bing Crosby singing White Christmas, bring you lasting hope? Can buying and wrapping presents for your children, grandchildren or spouse bring you hope that endures?

 

Mary found true hope that first Christmas. She must have experienced some profound highs and lows in that season of her life. Read about her response to the shepherds.

 

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.        NIV

 

True hope starts with the baby in the manger, continues with the man dying on the cross and culminates with the empty tomb. Maybe in the year of 2020, with all the craziness and chaos, we can find and experience the true hope of Christmas now and throughout the year.

 

 

 

 

“Are You Kidding Me”!?!

 

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Joshua 2:1-24; Hebrews 11:31

[Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

 

Did you have a childhood friend, who when they grew up, really surprised you at what they accomplished? I did.

 

He was a high school class mate who skated through school with high grades, but never seemed to take anything seriously; except sports maybe. In fact, in many ways, he was the class clown.

 

But as an adult, he went to college, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree plus two masters and his PhD. He was a professor at a Christian college and served as the Provost for a number of years. I don’t know what a Provost does, but it’s capitalized and sounds very impressive. He has also written six Christian books to date.

 

I could tell you stories about him from high school that would make you say, “Are you kidding me”?!?

 

You could make the same statement about Rahab. She was a Canaanite woman; which for the Jews meant she had two strikes against her right off the bat. Then there was the matter of being a prostitute. It’s possible that from her traveling clients that she learned about the Jewish God, and the Jews military victories.

 

Whatever the case may be, based on her background, you would never have expected her to be praised for her faith and for her works.

 

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.         Hebrews 11 NIV

 

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?                      James 2 NIV

 

Her crowning achievement though, the one where you would say, “Are you kidding me”; is that she was an ancestor of Jesus. Think about it. The Lord Jesus was a descendant of a Canaanite prostitute.

 

This just goes to show you that our Lord is not restricted by the expectations or prejudgments of others. He can, and often does, take people who are just ordinary, and works in their life to accomplish great things through His love and grace.

 

Therefore, you might ask yourself, “How is the Lord working in your life”? Do others look at you and ask, “Are you kidding me”?

 

 

Questions that Define You

 

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Exodus 2:10-15; Hebrews 11:24-27

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

What defines who you are? Is it your job; your family; your personality; your financial wellbeing? For some, their addiction defines them, or even one single event in their life; good or bad.

 

In the beginning, your family is most certainly where you get your identity from. In the small town where I grew up in Mid-Michigan, I would tell people that “I am Dwight and Marge’s son”. That was my most basic identity. Before anything else, I was the son of my parents.

 

Because of the circumstances surrounding Moses’ birth, his Mother gave him up so that he could live. Eventually he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. She raised him as her own, even naming him. In fact, the New Living Testament translates that “Pharaoh’s daughter, adopted him as her own son”. 

 

Moses was the biological son of Hebrew slaves, but grew up in the house of Pharaoh. So how did Moses answer the question, “Who are you”? Where did he get his identity from?

 

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.      NIV

 

The Passion Translation, makes an even stronger statement.

 

²⁴ Faith enabled Moses to choose God’s will, for although he was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he refused to make that his identity…            TPT

 

Moses could have lived his whole life in the privilege and luxury of Pharaoh’s household; but he chose not to. Instead, Moses chose to identify with his people; his culture; his birth parents; and ultimately, his God.

 

Many years ago, at a men’s retreat, my Pastor spoke about, “Who are you? Whose are you? Whom do you serve?” For Moses, when he answered those questions, his life took a totally new direction.

 

Like Moses, you make decisions every day of your life based on your answers to these questions. As a result, what direction is your life trending?

 

 

A Mother’s Love

A Series on Living by Faith

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

Exodus 2:1-10; Hebrews 11:23

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

A mother’s love will lead her to defend her children no matter what the circumstance. I don’t have to look any further than my own Mom. The story is told in our family about the time when my Big Brother was driving her home to South Carolina from Michigan.

 

During the trip, my brother was stopped by a state highway patrolman for speeding. When the officer came to the window, my Mom leaned over, looked the officer in the eyes, and in no uncertain words, told him that he should be chasing real criminals, not innocent tax paying citizens.

 

Moses’ Mother was a lot like this. She actually risked her own life to protect him from Pharaoh. In order to understand how it came to this, we need to look at the back story.

 

Following the death of Joseph and his brothers, a new king of Egypt came to power and became the Pharaoh. He didn’t have the history with Joseph that the preceding Pharaoh did. Therefore, when the Israelites grew significantly in numbers, he saw them as a threat, and decided to enslave them, working them ruthlessly.

 

But the people of Israel continued to grow in numbers. So the Pharaoh told the Israelite midwives to kill all the baby boys. But the midwives feared God, and didn’t obey the Pharaoh’s orders. So then he gave the order to all of his people that, “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

 

It was into this world that Moses was born; it was into this world that his Mother defended him at the risk of her own life as mentioned in Exodus 2.

 

About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. ² The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months.       NLT

 

It was more than her parental instinct that led Moses’ Mother to hide him from the killing order of Pharaoh. It was her faith that the God of Abraham; the God of Isaac; the God of Jacob; would ultimately fulfill his promise. The promise that He would lead the Israelites back to the Promised Land. Little did she know that her son, Moses, would be called to lead them.

 

The example of Moses’ Mother is still applicable for us today. We make decisions every day by faith, not knowing how the Lord will use us in fulfilling His perfect plan; not knowing how He will use us to demonstrate His love, grace and faithfulness; not knowing what great results might come by our small acts of faith.

 

 

 

 

Flying Above the Clouds

 A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 50:15-25; Hebrews 11:22

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

Flying above the clouds is fascinating. The weather can be dark and stormy on the ground, but when your airplane gets above the clouds, it’s bright and sunny. Of course, the trip through the clouds can be pretty bumpy and scary, but through it all, you have the hope and expectation of flying above the clouds.

 

Joseph knew what it was like to live in the dark and stormy weather of the world. His brothers sold him into slavery, and then lied to their father about it. He was falsely imprisoned when Potiphar’s wife accused him of attacking her. While in prison, he interpreted Pharaoh’s cupbearer’s dream, but was forgotten when the cupbearer was released.

 

Despite all of the adversity that he faced, Joseph knew how to fly above the clouds. He knew who was in control. He knew the promises of the Lord, and what his role was in fulfilling them. When Jacob died, Joseph spoke these words to his brothers who had sold him into slavery.

 

²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.    NIV

 

And later when Joseph was about to die, he said this.

 

²⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”         NIV

 

We’re living in unprecedented times when life can easily feel chaotic and overwhelming. The pandemic, racial unrest, political antagonism, economic uncertainty and a frantic pace of life can all lead to feeling like the dark and stormy weather of the world seems to be in control.

 

Take heart. God has a plan. Despite the adversity of the world around you, or whatever adversity you are personally experiencing, God is at work. The Lord has promised to be with you; to never leave you; to love you always so that, like Joseph, you can live by faith; flying above the clouds.

 

 

 

We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder

 A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 28:10-22; Hebrews 11:21

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

As a teenager I remember singing the song, “We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder”. It might have been at church camp; or youth group; or maybe both. It’s a repetitive song, but there are several levels of interpretation that make it quite interesting.

 

The first level has to do with its origin. It is a traditional spiritual, originally written and sung by slaves. Apparently slaves were not allowed to talk when they were working, but they could sing. This song was a means for them to express their desire and hope for freedom from a life of slavery.

 

“We are climbing Jacob's ladder… Every rung goes higher and higher… Rise, shine, give God the glory… Keep on climbing, we will make it… Do you want your freedom? Soldiers of the Cross.”

 

Secondly, the song is obviously about Jacob who was leaving home under the guise of going to his uncle Laban’s to find his future bride. In reality, he was running away from his brother Esau, whose blessing he stole by lying to their Father. Jacob was a scoundrel who couldn’t be trusted. As a result, he was “run out of Dodge”.

 

However, one night during his trip, he had a dream about stairs, not a ladder. Those stairs led him to Heaven; to the God of Abraham; the God of Isaac, his Father. Most important, they led him into the presence of the Living God.

 

For the first time, the promise of the Lord for land and descendants became much more than something for Jacob to steal; much more than his family heritage. There is reason to believe that this experience was a spiritual turning point in Jacob’s life.

 

¹⁶ Jacob woke up and said, “The Lord is here! He is in this place, and I didn't know it!” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “What a terrifying place this is! It must be the house of God; it must be the gate that opens into heaven.”… ¹⁹ He named the place Bethel.    GNT

 

Finally, the third level of interpretation lies in what it means to you and me? How do we apply it to our lives? Have we had an encounter with the Living God? Has He become real to us? Are we experiencing his presence in our life?

 

Jacob is one of the few mentioned as a Hero of the Faith because, by faith, he passed along the blessing of his father and grandfather. His dream about climbing “Jacob’s ladder”, was an important step of his faith journey.

 

What about you? Are you climbing Jacob’s ladder?

 

 

Well Done My Son

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 26:1-25; Hebrews 11:20

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

Sibling rivalry. If you grew up in a family with more than one child, you may be intimately familiar with what this phrase means. In fact, you may have experienced it for much of your childhood, and maybe even as an adult.

 

My oldest sister and brother had a fierce sibling rivalry. Although I wasn’t born yet, they tell stories of how they competed with each other. The one that sticks in my mind the most took place while riding in the car when Susan would say, “Dwight’s looking at me”! They knew exactly how to push each other’s buttons.

 

Isaac may be best known for the sibling rivalry of his twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Their rivalry started while they were still in the womb of their mother Rebekah, and continued throughout their adult years. It culminated in Jacob stealing, not only Esau’s birthright, but his blessing too. Out of this family mess, Isaac is mentioned in Hebrews 11 as a Hero of the Faith. But why?

 

When a famine came, the Lord told Isaac to not flee to Egypt, but to stay. Isaac obeyed, and it was during this difficult time that the Lord confirmed Abraham’s covenant with him.

 

³ Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. ⁴ I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed…       NIV

 

Because of Isaac’s faithfulness, his crops grew a hundredfold; and he had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. In fact, he became so wealthy and powerful, that the king of the Philistines asked him to leave.

 

It was another setback that Isaac had to face. Even more difficult was finding water. His Father Abraham had previously dug wells in the area, but the herdsmen had filled them with dirt. Then when Isaac’s servants would dig and find a new well, the herdsmen would claim the water was theirs. Finally though, he found a well that he could call his own, and made his home there.

 

Clearly Isaac wasn’t a perfect person. He had faced adversity throughout his life. From the time his father was about to sacrifice him; to living in the land of the Philistines homeless; to dealing with a son who lied to his face to steal his blessing. And yet, he is recognized as living “by faith”.

 

I find great hope in Isaac. Hope that someone like me who is far from perfect; who has dealt with adversity; who has struggled to live faithfully… will someday find the love and affirmation of his Heavenly Father when he says, “Well done my son. Well done”.

 

 

 

Waiting

 A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 17:15-19; Genesis 18:10-14; Hebrews 11:11-13

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

It feels like I spend a lot of my time waiting. I wait for my computer to respond. I wait on hold to be transferred while the voice tells me, “due to the pandemic, wait times are longer than normal”. I wait in line at the grocery store; at the McDonalds drive through; at the traffic light. Nothing seems to happen when I want it to happen… so I wait.

 

Waiting! We don’t like it, but it’s a part of everyday life. We get impatient and we want to take control. We want to make things happen. We want to be in charge.

 

Despite the Lord’s promise for descendants to fill the Promised Land, Abraham and Sarah didn’t have any children for decades. Like most of us who don’t get what we want when we want it, they decided to take things into their own hands by having a child with their servant Hagar. Bad idea!

 

As a result, Abraham and Sarah grew tired of waiting for the Lord. So much so that that they laughed at the Lord’s promise of a son.

 

¹⁶ I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

¹⁷ Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”  Genesis 17 NIV

 

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

¹² So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”                Genesis 18 NIV

 

And yet, in Hebrews we read that Sarah gave birth to Isaac, “by faith”.

 

¹¹ And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.            NIV

 

So if you ever find yourself in a situation where you are tired of waiting… then remember Sarah. Remember too that the Lord is faithful, and then… wait some more!

Why? Because sometimes living by faith means waiting by faith.

 

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.   Hebrews 11 NIV

 

Here are a couple of other cute pictures that I found that I just had to add.

 

The Eleventh Hour

 

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:17-19

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

Life is full of tests. The important question about tests though, is not whether you pass or fail, but how do you handle them.

 

My wife taught school for twenty-three years, and we always depended on her job for our health insurance. When she decided to retire though, there was a deadline of September 30 when the health insurance would run out.

 

She spent the whole summer looking for a job without success. Finally, at the eleventh hour, when panic was beginning to set in, she got a job that would start on October 1. And, unlike most jobs, the health insurance kicked in immediately.

 

Abraham had a lifetime of tests, to many of which, he did not respond well. But, there seemed to be no end to God’s faithfulness as time and again He would reiterate the promise of descendants. However, most of us will never face the final test that Abraham did.

 

² Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”            NIV

 

On that mountain, Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son. He stacked the wood, bound Isaac on top of it, took the knife in his hand and raised it to kill him.  It was literally at the eleventh hour when the Lord provided another sacrifice.

 

¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”         NIV

 

Besides health insurance, the Lord has provided a wife and daughter who have stood beside me during my darkest hours; a church family who supported us when we had our still born; financial support for my twenty-five year career in faith ministry; a retirement portfolio when I never had a 401-k.

 

What is your mountain? Tests, trials, adversity… we all have them. It’s a part of living. But the Lord will provide even when you are in the middle of a seemingly hopeless situation. And like Abraham, we are to live by faith, and trust in the faithfulness of the Lord and His promises.

 

Too Good to be True

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)

Genesis 12:1-9; Hebrews 11:8-10 

[Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

My Dad used to say, “If something sounds too good to be true… it probably is”. Turns out, he was a pretty smart man. My wife and I enjoy traveling, and in the past we’ve been a sucker for a sales pitch involving travel.

 

During a vacation to Mexico, we were promised a $200 voucher for a day trip of our choice. All we had to do was sit through a “brief presentation” at a new resort. We were told the whole thing would take only two hours; no pressure. Four hours later, with a knot in my stomach, they finally relented to our repeated answer of “NO”!

 

We’re not the only ones who are a sucker for a promise. It turns out that Abram was susceptible to a promise of something that sounded too good to be true. All he had to do was move to Canaan.

 

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a land that I am going to show you. ² I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing.        NLT

 

Funny how the Lord didn’t mention the people who already lived there; who would need to be displaced in order to inherit the land. Nor did the Lord mention the impending famine; Abram’s conflict with Lot; having a child with his servant and the resulting family strife; and, when Abram finally did have a son of his own, the request to sacrifice him. Yes, it sounded too good to be true.

 

When I think back on my own life to when I made my decision to follow the Lord… there were promises. However, with them, the Lord didn’t tell me that living by faith would include struggles and sacrifice; pain and suffering. He didn’t tell me about our still born baby, or the multiple miscarriages; or pulling us out by the roots from a lifetime in Michigan to move to Ohio.

 

As believers in the Living God, we live by faith in His promises, and based on who He is; His character. You don’t need to know everything that lies ahead. You don’t need to know about the pain and suffering that the future holds. You don’t need to know about the temptations and trials that are around the corner.

 

 Let us live like Abraham did. Let us live by faith in what we do not see.

 

⁸ It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. ⁹ And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. ¹⁰ Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. NLT