Keep on Trucking

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.” — Genesis 12:10

The Torah portion for this week, Lech Lecha, is from Genesis 12:1—17:27 and Isaiah 40:27–41:16.

The Torah portion begins with all sorts of promises to Abraham if he takes up the challenge to journey to the Holy Land. God will bless him and make him into a great nation. He will be the recipient of every imaginable blessing.

Abraham listened to God’s word and made the difficult move to an unknown land. And then what happened? He wasn’t there very long and “there was a famine in the land . . .” Abraham had no choice but to move to Egypt.

Huh? What happened to the blessings that God promised? Abraham kept his part of the bargain. Why didn’t God keep His?

This story comes to mind:  There once was a farmer who owned a horse. One day the horse ran away. All the people in the town came to console the farmer. “Oh, I don’t know,” he said, “maybe it’s a bad thing and maybe it’s not.”

A few days later, the horse returned to the farm accompanied by 20 other horses. (Apparently the horse had made some friends!) All the townspeople came to congratulate the farmer:  “Now you have a stable full of horses!” “Oh, I don’t know,” said the farmer, “maybe it’s a good thing and maybe it’s not.”

A few days later, the farmer’s son was out riding one of the new horses. The horse got wild and threw him off, breaking the son’s leg. All of the people in town came to console the farmer because of the accident. Again he said, “Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s a bad thing and maybe it’s not.”

A few days later, the government declared war and instituted a draft of all able-bodied young men. They came to the town and carted off hundreds of young men, except for the farmer’s son who had a broken leg. “Now I know,” said the farmer, “It was a good thing my horse ran away!”

Abraham knew that he didn’t know. He didn’t know God’s plan. He didn’t know what was really good for him or what was really bad. All he knew was that God had made a promise and that somehow it would be fulfilled. Ultimately, Abraham and Sarah come out of Egypt, completely unharmed, and now, very wealthy.

Friends, when life takes us on all sorts of strange twists and turns, let us remember that it’s not we who are driving the car. The Lord Almighty is guiding us, and He knows exactly where we need to be. Sometimes it seems that things aren’t going the way that they should be, but we must have faith that it’s all part of God’s plan. Our job is to keep on trucking, and God will take care of the blessings.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/keep-on-trucking

Get a Haircut

“These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” Matthew 15:8

There we were, sitting in the middle of a statewide meeting for ministry leaders when the pastor of a large church leaned over and said to me, “You know, Joe, your hair is too long for you to be able to sing in my choir!” Actually there were probably better reasons that I couldn’t sing in his church choir, but I just smiled and said, “Oh really?”

The guy, who in so many words had told me to “get a haircut,” was a household name in our denomination, was nationally sought after as a preacher, and was what every aspiring minister hoped he could become. So, given how strict he was, you can imagine how shocked I was to later hear that he abandoned his church and family to move in with a woman he had been counseling.

I want to be careful not to sound holier-than-thou, but there is an important lesson here. If we are not careful, we can conform to a bunch of rules that keep us looking good on the outside while ignoring the condition of our hearts. It’s like buying good-looking peaches only to find out that when you cut them open they are bad on the inside.

Jesus confronted this “we’re-OK-because-we-keep-our-rules” attitude when the Pharisees pointed out that the disciples were not washing their hands before they ate. It’s not like the Pharisees were worried about any kind of sanitary issue. No, they had their tunics in a twist because the disciples were breaking a tradition, that is, not following their rules. I’m sure you could have heard a pin drop when Jesus stopped them cold by saying to these keepers of man-made rules, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me’” (Matthew 15:7-8). What a gut-wrenching indictment!

So in light of Jesus’ strong words on this point, how do we know when our hearts are far from God? One of the ways we know is when we see our Christianity in terms of the externals. Authentic Christianity is not about the right haircut, being at church every time the doors are opened, serving as an elder or using all of the “Christianese” lingo known to man. You can be all cleaned up on the outside while pride, jealousy, greed, and a dozen other internal demons happily feast on your heart. Let’s remember that “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Jesus longs to have a real heart-to-heart connection with us that expresses our love to Him in heartfelt acts of devotion instead of just living a life of dutifully keeping all the rules. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:3, “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

My pastor friend found that he ended up with nothing when his heart was far from God—no ministry, no family, no devoted relationship with God. Fortunately, he repented and ended up reconciling with his wife. He would be the first to tell you that a true love for Christ cannot be replaced by a squeaky clean record of conduct according to “the rules.” When we let the rules rule, our faith is reduced to something like grocery shopping—it’s just another thing on our list of things to do.

So the choice is yours. Your life can be all about the burdensome duties of your Christianity or about the blessings of a heart that is devoted to Jesus. And, by the way, if your heart belongs to Jesus, the rules will take care of themselves!

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Pray and ask God to give you His perspective on the man-made rules in your life. Does He want you to follow them as a sign of respect to people in authority, for the safety of others, for your own safety?
• Divide a sheet of paper into two columns. List five or six of God’s rules in one column and five or six man-made rules in the other column. How are God’s rules different from man-made rules?
• When you interact with people, are you more concerned with what’s on the outside or what’s inside? How does this compare with God’s perspective?

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/get-a-haircut/

The Power of One

“This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” — Genesis 6:9

The Torah portion for this week, Noach, is from Genesis 6:9 – 11:32, and Isaiah 54:1 – 55:5.

This week’s Torah portion is mostly about the story of the flood and ends with the story of the Tower of Babel. Which begs the question:  Why is this portion called “Noah”? Shouldn’t it have been called something like “The Flood” or maybe “The Ark and The Tower”? This is the story of all humanity. Why name it after one person?

The Torah portion begins, “This is the account of Noah and his family” because the story of human history comes down to one person and one family. And isn’t that how it always is? History is never determined by the masses. It always comes down to a few people who make a world of a difference.

That being the case, it’s ironic that many people feel too small to make a big difference. When it comes to the upcoming elections in the United States, for example, almost half of eligible voters won’t make it to the voting booths. Why? For many people, it’s because they don’t think that it will matter. Why bother voting if their vote won’t make a difference? The fact is most people think that one person is powerless. But the reality is that there is no limit to the power of one determined individual.

A quote from the Talmud was made famous by the movie Schindler’s List. At the end of the movie, the Jews who Schindler saved during the Holocaust give him a gold ring, made from teeth that the survivors happily donated for the cause. On it, these words were engraved:  “He who saves a life, saves a whole world.” That’s the value of one human life. It’s equal to an entire world! Why? Because one person has the power to influence a whole society.

The Torah portion about Noah describes the history of all of humanity. But like all important moments in history, it is the story of one person – one person dedicated to the Lord and to obeying His Word even though those around him were determined to go against God. Our future is being written the same way. It will all come down to a few individuals who are faithful to the Lord. Will you be one of those people?

Never underestimate your power. Individuals like you and me write the story of the world.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/the-power-of-one

Tozer Devotional-Truth that Seeks Lost People

Truth that Seeks Lost People

Our Lord said, I am the Truth, and again He said, The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Truth therefore is not hard to find for the very reason that it is seeking us. Truth is not a thing for which we must search, but a Person to whom we must hearken. This is taught or taken for granted in the record of Gods dealings with men throughout the Sacred Scriptures. After the sin in Eden it was not Adam who cried O God, where art Thou? but God who cried Where art thou? as He sought for Adam among the trees of the Garden. Abraham heard God speak and responded, but it was God who was the aggressor. God appeared unto Jacob before Jacob came to appear before God. And in the burning bush God revealed Himself to Moses. Again and again did God take the initiative. He sought for Gideon and found him on the threshing floor of Ophrah. He showed Himself to Isaiah when there is no evidence that Isaiah was seeking Him. Before Jeremiah was born God laid His hand upon him, and He opened heaven to let the discouraged priest Ezekiel see a vision and hear a voice. Amos said he was not a prophet neither a prophets son, but the Lord took him as he followed the flock. Again God was the aggressor. In the New Testament things are not otherwise. True, multitudes came to Christ for physical help, but only rarely did one seek Him out to learn the truth; and even that rare one usually turned away when the truth was told him. The whole picture in the Gospels is one of a seeking Savior, not one of seeking men. The truth was hunting for those who would receive it, and relatively few did. Many are called, but few are chosen.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=710

Watching And Waiting

In Isaiah 18, it appears that the whole world is set to battle God’s people. Yet what is the response of the Almighty One? “I will take My rest, and I will look from My dwelling place” (v.4). His stillness may appear to have been an acceptance of the conspiracy against them. But it wasn’t. God’s response was His reminder that He acts in His timing—at just the right time according to His will.

I think of Jesus waiting 4 days while Lazarus lay in the grave (John 11:39). Was He unaware? Did He not care? Of course He cared! He was waiting for the right time to act and to teach the lessons He wanted to teach.

The Bible records God’s “delays,” many of which seem at the time to be inexplicable from our point of view. Yet every delay flows from the depths of His wisdom and love. If nothing else, delay, if we accept it, can produce the quieter virtues—humility, patience, endurance, and persistence—qualities that are often the last to be learned.

Are you in distress? Does the Lord seem distant and detached? He is not indifferent to your plight, nor is He unmoved by your pleas. He is waiting while His purposes are achieved. Then, at the right moment, He will intercede. God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time.

Turn not aside, discouraged one; Stir up your gift, pursue your goal; In God’s own time you’ll see Him work; He’ll give you hope and lift your soul. —D. DeHaan

God is worth waiting for; His time is always best.

http://odb.org/2012/10/20/watching-and-waiting/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+odb%2Ffeed+%28Our+Daily+Bread%29

Witness to God

“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me’.” — Isaiah 43:10

The Torah portion for this week, B’reisheet, is from Genesis 1:1–6:8 and Isaiah 42:5–43:10.

Every Saturday in the synagogue, just after the weekly Torah portion is read, we read a portion from Prophets. The verses from Prophets are always connected to the portion from the Torah. You don’t have to search hard to find the connection between Isaiah 42–43 and the beginning of Genesis. Genesis begins with the story of Creation. The portion from Isaiah ends with these words:  “‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD . . . ‘Before me no godwas formed, nor will there be one after me.’” We need to bear witness that God is the eternal being Who created the world.

How do we serve as a witness for God? The Sages explain that we do this by observing the Sabbath.

Take a look at the fifth of the Ten Commandments:  “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God . . . For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 20:9–11).

By observing the Sabbath, we acknowledge that God created the world in six days and then rested on the seventh. One day, every week, we remember that while we spend most of our lives working and creating, there is only one true Creator and He is our God.

A few years back, Benjamin Netanyahu was interviewed on Larry King Live. Larry said to him, “You live in the center of a hostile world. Do you ever get to really relax?” Netanyahu answered, “Yes, and I’ll tell you when. Every Saturday we have a day off. I take an hour and a half and I read from the Bible with my younger boy. I relax then and I draw a lot of spiritual strength.”

Many people mistakenly think that the Sabbath is merely a day of physical rest. But they are missing the whole point. The Sabbath is a day of spiritual connection. It’s a day to recognize God as the Master of the Universe and to study His Word. We don’t refrain from working just so that we can have a short break before we go back to the grind the next day; we rest from activity so that we can exercise our soul.

Everyone needs to recharge their batteries. But make sure that you revive your soul as well. Take one day a week to concentrate on all things spiritual. That one day a week will give direction to the other six and give more meaning to your entire life.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/witness-to-god

What Cain said to Abel

“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” — Genesis 4:8

The Torah portion for this week, B’reisheet, is from Genesis 1:1–6:8 and Isaiah 42:5–43:10.

The first two brothers in history didn’t get off to a great start. One attacked the other, and we end up with the world’s first homicide. Talk about sibling rivalry!

Let’s recap:  Both Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God. Cain’s was rejected because he brought second-rate goods, while Abel’s was accepted because he brought God the best. This upset Cain greatly, but God told him to cheer up — Cain could fix his mistake! ^“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7).

The next thing we know, Cain was talking to Abel. Now, in later versions of the Bible we read that Cain said: “Let’s go out into the field.” But in the original Bible, that sentence is missing. The verse reads:  “Now Cain said to his brother Abel. While they were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” No wonder words were added to this verse. Without them, it makes little sense. What did Cain say to Abel? The information is missing!

And that’s just the point, say the Sages.

It doesn’t matter what Cain said to Abel. He could have said nothing at all. The murder of Abel had nothing to do with the conversation he had with Cain. It had everything to do with Cain himself. Cain was upset because his sacrifice wasn’t accepted. He was angry with himself and he took it out on his brother.

What a haunting insight into human relationships. How many fights between two people are really fights that a person is having with him or herself? When we get mad at other people, is it possible that we are really angry with ourselves? Is it possible that when someone lashes out at us, they are really upset with themselves?

A woman comes home from a long hard day at work. Her boss tore into her all day long. Her husband makes the mistake of asking what’s for dinner. Boy, is she ready to give it to him! But — wait! She stops and thinks. Did he do anything wrong? Is it his problem or mine?

The next day, the woman goes back to work. Her boss is just as grumpy and eager to criticize. But then a thought occurs to her. Maybe he’s going through a tough time. Is it his problem or mine?

Sometimes we don’t see the whole story. Sometimes, it’s buried deep beneath the surface of the words being said. So choose to be compassionate and forgiving. A wise man once said:  “Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle” — including you.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/what-cain-said-to-abel

The Making of Man

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground’.” — Genesis 1:26

The Torah portion for this week, B’reisheet, is from Genesis 1:1—6:8 and Isaiah 42:5—43:10.

Bible critics have a field day with the 26^th verse of the first chapter in Genesis:  “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind …’” Who is “us” ? Who is God speaking to? Can it be that there is more than one God?

The Ba’al Shem Tov, a Hassidic master in the 18^th century, offers the following explanation:  Who is God speaking to when He creates man? God is speaking to man himself.

Imagine if you will, God turning to the soul of man and telling him about this great opportunity to take on a physical body and enter into a material world. Then, God continues, man will become something extraordinary — even greater than angels. He will become the first person of the human race.

Now, everyone knows that the first man’s name was Adam. But do you know how he got that name?

Adam has two meanings. The name can mean “earth,” like the Hebrew word adamah. Adam was made from earth. But it can also mean “similar,” like the Hebrew word adameh. Adam was intended to be similar to God. God and Adam had a joint mission — to take the material earth and turn it into something spiritual and God-like. God would start the process, but Adam would have to finish it. Together, they would create the amazing creature called “man.”

Human beings are created unfinished, so to speak. Together, with the help of God, we have the opportunity to become the greatest of God’s creations. Or, heaven forbid, we can turn ourselves into something that is lower than a bug. The choice is ours. God has given us a magnificent opportunity to have a part in the creation and direction of our lives. It’s up to us to create godly lives and become closer to Him.

Try this:  Design your ideal self. Every building needs a blueprint, and every person needs one too. What would a blueprint of your life look like for you?

Describe the person that you want to become. Then make an action plan. What kinds of things do you need to do in order to become your ideal self? What kinds of tools will help you reach your goal? Are there people who can help you? Advice you can seek?

Like any great masterpiece, we are works in progress that will take a lot of time to finish. But with patience and persistence we can accomplish a little more every single day.

http://www.holylandmoments.org/devotionals/the-making-of-man

Getting into God’s Stride

Enoch walked with God . . . —Genesis 5:24

The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (seeJohn 1:35-37 and John 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him— it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God’s stride and His power alone are exhibited.

It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus— “He will not fail nor be discouraged . . .” (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now— get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.

http://utmost.org/getting-into-god’s-stride/

Holding Out For A Hero

“He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

 

It’s not uncommon to see some familiar heroes come back to the silver screen. Sylvester Stallone was back in action as Rambo, reprising his role from over 20 years ago. And Harrison Ford dusted off his fedora and leather jacket, and reintroduced Indiana Jones to a new generation of fans. There’s something about our longing for a powerful figure to solve the problems of the world and to restore justice and harmony to mankind in a way that captures our hearts and imaginations. Of course, getting the job done takes them about two hours on the silver screen, but in real life it’s a different deal.

Thankfully, in real life there is a “real hero.” Not the “two-hour” kind, but the kind of hero that ultimately gets the job done in a way that settles the issue of life finally and forever. I’m sure you’ve guessed it: I’m talking about Jesus. In fact, according to the prophet Isaiah, He has several names, all of which describe His capacity to finish the task and to satisfy the longing of our souls for life as it ought to be.

Among these compelling names, Isaiah includes the name, “Mighty God.” Jesus is the ultimate of heroes, infinitely strong and eternally mighty. But that extends far beyond bulging biceps and quick-trigger fingers. In fact, in the original language this name meant something far more specific. It’s the name El-Gibhor, the warrior God, the hero who will always prevail.

It’s the name for God used in the song of Moses found in Exodus 15. The Israelites have just seen God at war. He has brought a series of 10 miraculous plagues to Pharaoh—plagues that each, by the way, debunked a specific “god” of the Egyptians. To the Egyptians who worshiped a frog god, the warrior God brought hordes of frogs. It’s kind of like He said, “You like frogs? Watch this!” And the Egyptians worshiped the Nile, so the warrior God turned it to blood. And now Moses and the people are singing because this warrior God, El-Gibhor, has allowed His people to cross the Red Sea on dry land before pouring the waters over the pursuing Egyptian army.

What I find staggering about this name being included in the prophecy of the Messiah is that Jesus is the El-Gibhor, the Mighty God in the flesh! Actually dwelling in us, He’s not just some fictional wonder of a movie producer’s imagination. And, as the ultimate hero, He would face the hordes of hell, sin, and death on our behalf and emerge as the victorious champion over our greatest enemy. In fact, the prophecy of Isaiah comes full circle in the book of Hebrews when the author describes Jesus as the “author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The original phrase for “author and perfecter” is one word in Greek, it’s the Greek word archēgos, and it means the “ultimate man” or the “champion”—or I guess in street talk it’s “He’s the man.”

So take heart today, He is our Mighty God! He is never at a loss, never overwhelmed, never surprised, never defeated, and never ashamed. You and I may feel powerless, helpless, and even hopeless at times, wondering if there is anyone who can rescue us. But in the midst of it all, Jesus is our ultimate hero! So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6).

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Read Exodus 15:1-12. How does the song of Moses trace the miraculous deeds of the Mighty God?
• How do the other names given to Jesus in Isaiah 9:6 (Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) fit with His identity as the Mighty God?
• In what areas of your life do your sense a longing for a hero: finances, physical health/safety, emotional health, spiritual battles?

http://getmorestrength.org/daily/holding-out-for-a-hero/