Each January, like most of us, I find myself reading through Genesis as a part of a daily Bible reading plan. I’m reading today from Gen 25:19-26 – the story of Isaac and Rebekah having their twins Esau and Jacob.
January is a great time to be reminded of this truth — there is a war inside of you! Do you ever feel like your sin nature and your inner spirit are “wrestling” (v22) inside of you? Esau is a symbol of evil, sin and wickedness. Jacob is symbolic of the true prince (or princess) of God that rests inside each of us — our destiny to become great in God’s eyes!
But TAKE HEART in the truth that “the older will serve the younger” (v23). Our old sin nature was “born” on day 1 when we landed in the hands of the kind doctor who delivered us in the birthing room and our wonderful mother kissed us and welcomed us into this world. But in that beautiful picture of joy and happiness, an ugly sin nature entered the world as well. Sin is the older brother — “born” first.
When you give your heart to Jesus Christ, you are born again. Your spirit is born through the Holy Spirit. Each and everyone of us who are Christians — our sin nature is older than our spiritual life in God. But THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER!! The Holy Spirit will empower you to win this wrestling match with sin. You will overcome!
Day 6 – Lot’s Delayed Obedience
Gen 19:16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.
I’ve always heard it said before “Delayed obedience is disobedience.” Lot hesitated, yet the Lord was merciful. This is something that sort of doesn’t make sense to us about God — but I am so glad that He is MERCIFUL to us. Part of us reads this story, and logically, Lot should not have survived due to his hesitation.
But God’s heart is always merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:13
But there were consequences in this story due to delayed obedience — Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt. She lost her life, and Lot and his children lived the rest of their lives with the pain of this significant loss.
Obey quickly. Remember God’s mercies. Don’t look back!
Day 5- Abram’s Obedience
Gen 17:9 Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant… 11 You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.
To OBEY God’s commands sometimes brings temporary PAIN. Circumcision has a NT meaning for us today of CUTTING AWAY sin and disobedience from our HEARTS. Maybe it is the “pain” involved in obeying God’s Word to you of giving financially, maybe it is the “pain” of humbling yourself and apologizing to someone you have wronged or offended… or confessing your sin to a trusted friend for accountability.
What “PAINFUL” thing is God asking you to do today? Will you OBEY?
During the first few days of Bible reading in 2010 I’m noticing a huge contrast among the beginning characters of Genesis in terms of their OBEDIENCE to God.
Day 1 – the Disobedience of Adam and Eve
Gen 3:4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.
Disobedience begins when we are CONVINCED in our minds that God’s Word is somehow not true for us or for our situation. This gives birth to LUST [beholding sin with our eyes] and LONGING [wanting sin in our hearts]. Then Eve, and finally Adam, made a choice to eat the apple.
Day 2 – Obedience of Abel; Disobedience of Cain
Gen 4:3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift.
Obedience takes FAITH. Abel’s gift required faith — to bring the first of his flock. Hebrews 11:4 says: “By faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain.”
Day 3 – Obedience of Noah
Gen 6:22 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.
Gen 7:1 When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.
OBEDIENCE triggers REVELATION. Noah and the ark is a two part story of obeying God. In Chapter 6, Noah builds the ark according to God’s instructions. Once Noah finishes obeying the first part of God’s command, and “everything was read” (Gen 7:1) God then gave Noah further revelation as to what was next [Go into the boat] and a prophetic word of encouragement [I can see that you alone are righteous].
Day 4 – Obedience of Abram
Gen 12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed.
OBEDIENCE requires ACTION. Abram was asked to take a RISK and leave his comfort zone and family and he did not hesitate. This step of faith also required REVELATION because Abram had to believe that God would indeed show him the land at the right time. I’m sure Abram asked himself – “How will God show me?” – but he went none the less.
I know the feeling this guy is experiencing… but I have never crawled into Reyah’s crib
Today we took Reyah to Total Pet and The Sea Horse. She loved the birds, she talked to them and the birds talked back.
We asked if we could pet a rabbit, so the store clerk got a rabbit out. I pet the rabbit first, then Reyah pet the rabbit THEN !!!! SHE CLUBBED IT ON THE HEAD!!!! The rabbit was fine.
Then we went to The Sea Horse. We played with the puppies, and the kittens. I picked up the puppies and showed them to Reyah, she backed away. She loved the fish.
Of all the birds, fish and animals we saw today, Reyah was waiving and saying hello and “bye” to all of the animals. I had fun today with Reyah!
What a beautiful author the Holy Spirit is! He is so much smarter than us & always knows what He’s doing! Let me pick up our story where I left off last…recovering from surgery this past weekend. Saturday, Sunday & Monday – I slept ALOT. Thanks to our families who came over to help with Reyah – I averaged 3-5 naps a day & focused on replenishing my body with the rest I needed to bounce back. Finally on Tuesday, I woke up with alot more energy & started feeling more like my normal self. Yesterday (Wednesday, November 25) was a major turning point in our Mountain Moving Adventure… 
When I woke up, I felt strong inward promptings to humble myself, state my complete & utter dependence on the Lord & prepare practically for whatever our next steps might be. It was time to think through a tentative schedule for next week. So, I took a deep breathe, picked up the phone & called Dr. Yip’s office. This is where the curve ball came. Instead of hanging up with a 2nd surgery (if needed) on the calendar…the administrator told me some unexpected news…my pathology results were in early & Dr. Yip would get back to me with the results as soon as she got out of surgery! So…we didn’t have to wait until Monday to find out – I would know today what was next in our journey! (Even if the news wasn’t what we were hoping for, I couldn’t wait to exit the world of the “unknown” & have some clarity). Needless to say…I spent alot of the day pacing, praying & telling myself to calm down & “embrace the waiting”…
6 long hours later, at 5:05 PM – Dr. Yip called to inform me of a 3rd OUTCOME we didn’t know existed. As it turns out, the Holy Spirit entered the equation & came up with his own formula & outcome! There was cancer on the 1/2 of my thyroid they removed – but it was contained & small enough that it is no more & no radiation or additional action is necessary – cancer is defeated & we move on with life! HALLELUJAH!
If that wasn’t already a good enough end to this chapter, I had plans to play the keyboard at our Thanksgiving Service & Chris was scheduled to preach last night! God was going to receive the Glory publicly in a matter of 2 hours after we got the call! What perfect timing! The whole entire night I felt like I was raptured into the 3rd heaven! We sang For All You’ve Done, Amazing Grace (my chains are gone), Healer & When I Think About the Lord. I can’t even count how many times I sighed RELIEF & GRATITUDE in that worship service (& the last16 hours since we got that news).
Then, Chris preached a prophetic message that will resound in my Spirit for many weeks & years to come. I am amazed that God gave him this message the day before any of these circumstances with my health occurred. Here is the main idea: Not alot of “worship” words (glory, praise, honor, exaltation) have to do with our natural circumstances – but rather a decision we make to lift our eyes off of ourselves & bless God. Thanksgiving, however, is a word that IS directly connected to our circumstances & natural situations.
Thanksgiving is an act of worship that is born out of both hardship & blessing.
1. Thanksgiving STRENGTHENS us for what lies ahead. (The story of Daniel. Daniel 6:10)
2. Thanksgiving STARTS us on a path of breakthrough & blessing. (The story of Jonah. Jonah 2:1-10)
3. Thanksgiving STABALIZES us in the midst of hardship. (The life of Paul. Phil. 4:5-7)
It’s the low moments of life – when we face challenge, hardship, trial & loss that often define us the most. Thanksgiving that is born out of hardship & blessing gives God an opportunity to receive Glory.
Wow, wow, wow. This has already been my most memorable Thanksgiving, by far.
Psalm 126:1-3 “When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
Lincoln’s Declaration of Thanksgiving as a National Holiday, 1863
It is the duty of nations as well as of men to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.
We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven, we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a Day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.
(signed) A. Lincoln
October 3, 1863
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