1Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” 4So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Genesis 12:1–4 (NASB95)
Have you ever found yourself to be “unsettled?” Maybe it was in a position of indecision. Maybe you were in a move or launching into a new season of marriage. We all find ourselves from time to time in between where we were and where we are going. We struggle to understand the uncertainty and instability of the land between those two points.
One of the questions I seem to answer a lot these days is, “How are you settling in?” I’m kind of a “word nerd,” so against all good “Southern conventions” of just responding, “We are doing great,” I find myself responding that we are blessed and experiencing something new nearly every day. In other words, we are not yet settled. Meditating on this reality recently, I was drawn to Abraham’s experience in Genesis 12. The passage may be familiar to you but consider it once again. God told Abraham to leave his home. Home (particularly in that day) represented security, stability, and power. In Haran, he and his family were known. They had possessions. They had property. They had family. It was outlandish for anyone to leave the security of home.
These promises were not based on a place but on a Person. It was not in the ground but in the God who rules sovereignly. Furthermore, the cost Abraham was to bear would be paid upfront and amounted to a wholesale surrender by faith. Faith to leave. Faith to listen. Faith to follow. We see in just a few pages that Abraham did not do this perfectly. The human side of man struggles to release control to anyone, including God. I, for one, am encouraged that perfect faith is not the price of entry but the byproduct of entering into God’s promise.
By the way, God’s fulfillment of the promise was not fully realized by Abraham. God fulfills promises across the generations, not just in the present moment. One of our shortcomings as people is expecting God to just microwave a fulfilled promise according to our timetable. He does not. And the fact that He doesn’t do so in no way diminishes the validity or reliability of His promise. He is still God, and He is still true to His Word.
So, where are you? Are you in between? Maybe you have heard from the Lord, but the outcome has not yet come clearly into focus. Perhaps you have shifted in your career, and the new place has not yet felt like you have arrived. Perhaps you have started a journey with Jesus, and you realize that you have a long way to go to look like Him. You are in between. I want you to know that God does some of His best work in between. It is there that you learn about yourself. It is there that you are confronted with your shortcomings and start to get a glimpse of your strengths. It is in the land in between that you learn to lean in and lean on Jesus for things that you thought you could do alone when you were back home. It is in between where you develop the patient longing for the other side.
Remember that the land in between is often the longest part of the journey. It is the most difficult. It can seem insurmountable. It can feel lonely. It can provoke anxiousness. It can wear on your soul. You cannot speed it up. All you can do is continue to move forward as you progressively traverse the land in between on your way to the promise of the other side. You are not alone.
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Proverbs 16:33, NASB95
It’s a coincidence!
What are the chances?
It just worked out!
Each of these phrases describe our human response to circumstances. From our perspective, it is like the matters of life will at times randomly just align and everything is better. But is that true?
Solomon, the wisest man to live, had a way of looking at the world. He believed that what appeared as random to us was actually the work of a knowing, loving, and powerful God. The theological term for this view is Providence. It is the belief that God is working in and through every circumstance in a world He sovereignly rules to accomplish a prescribed purpose. From our perspective, things just happen, but from God’s perspective, these same occurrences are shaped and moved into alignment to bring about a result He designed all along. Providence.
Solomon illustrates his view of Providence in this proverb. An event as seemingly random as the rolling of a dice or the casting of a lot is actually controlled to the minutest of details by a good and reigning God.
Some view this perspective in a negative light. They think, “If God is controlling everything and it only comes out as He is planning, why should I even bother?” That’s a fatalistic view of the world. It sees us with no control over anything. However, God providentially gave us a manner of control. We call that Free Will. It is our ability to make choices based on our understanding of the matters before us. In other words, we do not simply jump in a car, rev the engine, and tear down the street with our eyes closed and claim, “Whatever happens is God’s providence!” While the outcome is fully known to God, He has providentially given us the ability to process information and given us a compass within (conscience for all…and for believers, the Holy Spirit) that helps us to choose how to act in light of the circumstance. This ability to choose freely, according to our own will, is part of God’s providential design.
Instead of declaring some fatalistic ramblings as the cause of everything good or bad in the world, we would be better served to ask the questions as we weigh out circumstances before us: “What is God doing or showing me at this moment? What would God desire for me to do in this instance.” When we begin to see ourselves as active agents of the Lord and as stewards of moments He provides, we are able to exercise the freedom of choice He gives us to act in a manner that glorifies Him. Furthermore, we can rest in the confidence, that God is not surprised or limited by our actions. They too are part of His good and providential design.
Lord, help me today to see every event, every circumstance, every interaction as a moment to act as your agent of reconciliation in a world that you love, while resting in the fact that while I may cast my lot into the lap, the answer comes from you. Amen.
28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (NASB95)
Growing up, I have early memories of my parents teaching me about sin. Not “how to” sin…because I already had an advanced degree in the subject. My parents tried to teach me about sin’s consequences. Their analogy made sense at the time, as a child, but I have come to realize its shortcoming as God reveals in the Scripture.
My folks told me that when I sinned, it made God sad. When I did right, it made God happy. Their explanation reduced my relationship with Jesus to a string of Emojis with me in control.
Again, I am not throwing shade at my parents. The explanation connected when I was a child, but as we grow in our understanding of God, so must our grasp of His redemption. The Lord’s redemptive care toward us does not vacillate based on our actions. Jesus doesn’t smile when we pause to let a person cross the street in front of our car, and then frown or turn his back when we lose our minds in the Walmart parking lot. He doesn’t extend redemption to us when we behave and then pull it back or begrudgingly leave it on the edge of the table when we mess up.
The goodness, sufficiency, and graciousness of God’s redemption does not shift and Christ’s love toward us does not ebb and flow according to some transactional exchange. If so, we ARE ALL DOOMED! Why?
Because we all sin (Romans 3:23). Not, “we once sinned but have given it up,” but our nature is one bent toward sinning. If that word seems harsh…. our nature is bent toward “self-interest and appeasement” rather than “God-interest and worship.” And this does not surprise the Lord one bit. In fact, He knows and knew about our sinful nature before we were ever born and Jesus came to redeem us…not in spite of our unfaithfulness, but precisely because of it.
21For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He watches all his paths.
Proverbs 5:21 (NASB95)
21“For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.
Job 34:21 (NASB95)
Friend, to state it differently, you cannot make Jesus love you more or love you less. You cannot cause Him to rejoice or second guess when He considers your salvation. This truth does not promote sinful license of bad behavior; rather, it empowers us to live freely and to freely choose to worship a God who came to seek and to save that which is lost.
These words from a book of Puritan prayers that I use in my personal worship time, The Valley of Vision…really grip my heart and I hope will be an encouragement to you today:
Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
Walk in freedom brothers and sisters. Live your life as one of exuberant worship before the King…for His Redemption is not a quid pro quo transaction, but is sola gratia (by grace alone), flowing like a merciful river from the heart of love that can only be His.
Have you ever heard a sad tale of a Christian who blew it? Maybe as you heard the story, you asked yourself, “How could anyone fall for that?” I have certainly asked that question. On both sides: As it relates to others and with myself, “How could I fall for such a simplistic temptation?” I have often said that spiritual warfare would be fairly easy if the devil knocked on your door in the morning with a pitchfork, a red suit, and a long pointy tale. The problem is he, in many cases, wears a dress.
The Bible says that the devil disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). Sometimes, the schemes of the enemy are simply to baptize sin in spiritual waters and present it to us as if we were the Judge of the facts.
Proverbs 7, one of the ten introductory chapters of Proverbs, expresses wisdom from Solomon (for the most part) as addressed to his son in order to equip and provoke his son toward godly living. Here he addresses the weak-kneed response toward sexual temptation. You could really insert any temptation into the story because the tactics are similar across the spectrum.
10The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart…
13She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said,
14“I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows.
15You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are!
Proverbs 7:10, 13-15 (NLT)
The writer positions the teacher as a wise onlooker observing an unfolding scene involving a naïve young man and a cunning woman. This woman is stunning in appearance and seductive in her demeanor. She is outgoing as she sought out the man (vv.11-12). When she spots him, she seizes and kisses him, appealing to his senses and feelings, not reason, logic, or worship. She exudes confidence (v.13), taking full charge of the situation, and then makes the case that this is not only not bad…but is a gift from God. The man is precisely what she prayed for earlier in the day! She answers his mental objections…not objecting to the immorality of the situation but to the potential consequences of the sin. Her home offers privacy and comfort. Her arms offer fulfillment, enjoyment, and sensual adventure (vv.16-18). The deed will be a secret as the husband is away (vv.19-20). The liability of her coming back to tell tales is minimal as she is married, after all. And she continues to persuade and entice (v.21).
22Suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,
Proverbs 7:22 (NASB95)
I am always arrested by the “suddenly” of this verse. For us, we see the situation unfolding over several minutes or maybe hours. But at some point, the decision is made, and the consequences are attached. Certainly, the husband may never learn of the unholy liaison. The man, however, is immediately aware. And God is righteous in judgment.
How can one combat such overwhelming attacks? Solomon says to be attentive to the Word of God, guard your heart, and avoid dark alleys on the wrong side of town (vv.24-25). Choose to pursue the Person and Presence of God through His Word. The Scriptures not only explain the expectations of discipleship but offer wisdom on navigating the distracting schemes intended to take us off the path we were made for. We must choose not to let the consideration of sin enter our hearts, and we must recognize our weaknesses, avoiding situations that could exploit them.
Effectively battling for holiness involves both pursuit and avoidance. Otherwise, we will find ourselves suddenly facing the consequences of yielding to the enticement of the devil in a red dress.
What comes to mind when you think about the blessing of God? For many, the mind races to those things of material significance. A new car, a promotion, a fat retirement account, or perhaps increased influence among men. These are all potential evidence of God’s blessings. After all, James tells us that every good thing comes from God (James 1:17).
But what if the evidence of God’s affirmation, the outpouring of His benevolence, the portrait of His effusive grace was something more subtle?
Notice the words of the Psalmist:
1How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways.
2When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you.
3Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine Within your house, Your children like olive plants Around your table.
4Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.
One condition and the exhibits of God’s blessing:
The Condition– Fear God and walk in His ways. These are one and the same thing. I know we like to separate them in modern culture and create some spiritual category for those who might claim to love God but walk in willful rebellion. This is a foreign idea to the Scriptures. While all people do, in fact, sin against God…the disciple of Jesus looks to Christ’s atoning work for that sin, repents of sinning, and pursues holy living. This is an ongoing and ever-progressive work for the disciple. As Martin Luther wrote and nailed to the door of Wittenberg Chapel, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ‘Repent,’ he intended that the entire life of believers should be repentance.”
The Exhibits:
You shall eat of the fruit of your hands (v.2). This speaks of God’s provision for all our needs and our enjoyment of them. These provisions, contextually speaking, were not only personal but familial. It speaks of the ability to provide for one’s family through his labor. Now, before you @me and start quoting Miley Cyrus lyrics about buying your own flowers, the idea in biblical times was clear. Part of God’s blessing was evident in man’s ability to care for those in his household.
Your wife shall be a fruitful vine within your house. This image would connect with the agrarian mindset of the audience. God’s blessing will be evident through many children from your wife. Large families were considered a blessing from the Lord. Furthermore, the imagery of the vine is used elsewhere to speak of refreshment and lavish enjoyment.
Your table will be surrounded by children like olive plants. Both olive plants and vines are rich in biblical imagery and communicate rich blessings. The children around the table are not commodities to be used or consumed but plants that take quite some time to grow to maturity. They must be tended, nurtured, and cultivated. When this is done, they produce blessings in abundance. This picture communicates to us both responsibility and reward. Children are not inconveniences. They are not interruptions to our otherwise fruitful lives. They are not a means to a particular end. They are blessings that have been entrusted to our stewardship of developing and shaping to know and love God.
I know that the image of success and the evidence of God’s blessing may look different in the mind of the novice or the unbeliever. But for God’s people, satisfying provisions, a fruitful marriage, and the opportunity to develop our children into followers of Jesus, as we walk in the fear of God, are evidence of a life well-lived and God’s gracious blessing.
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