# 227 A Marriage Blessing For the Ages

The Book of Genesis

Day 227

  Ge 24:57 So they said, "We will call the young woman and ask her personally."  58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."  59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.  60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: "Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them."

The family had asked for ten more days with their darlin' daughter, but the servant wanted to take off for home now!  Hey! How about asking Rebekah? She had no say in who  she would marry, but at least she gets to say when she can take off to meet her groom! Before she leaves, the family sends her off with an ancient blessing. It's as ancient as the blessing first bestowed upon Adam and Eve, and then to Noah and his children, “Be fruitful and multiply!” This same blessing was also bestowed upon Abraham in Gen 22:17, and is almost word for word!  "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.”

What a great way to toast the bride and groom! A wish for many children and victory over all the enemies  that lurk in their future. Very real enemies  (the devil and his demons) who would seek to destroy their marriage, the “institution that God loves” (Mal 2:11) 

Of course this kind of blessing would likely be frowned upon today, especially by population alarmists who would have you believe that we are running out of real estate! Today's marital blessing might go something like this: “May you have just two planned children and no more, and may you and your children have many possessions.”  Legalized abortion has made this an unfortunate reality in our world today, but it is a short sighted approach to prosperity.  History has repeatedly showed us that a nation that kills it's children will not prosper long term.  Mother Teresa has rightly said,  “ It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.”

When will we wise up and look upon the fruit of the womb as a blessing? We “believe God” for so many other things, but we refuse to believe Him and His word as it concerns His gift of children!

 Ps 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

# 226 Delayed Obedience Is Sin

The Book of Genesis

Day 226

 Ge 24:51 "Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken."  52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.  53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.  54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."  55 But her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go."  56 And he said to them, "Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master."

One thing I really like about Abraham's servant is that he doesn't dilly dally around. There is no hem and haw in him when he is certain things are from the Lord! “What's the point of hanging around ten days if the Lord is in this thing?  Let's get going! I've got a mission to accomplish here!”

I wonder how many blessings of God I have missed by my own dawdling. You know the feeling I'm sure! You read something in God's Word, that really speaks to your heart, and the Holy Spirit has convinced you that God is calling you to action, but you hesitate. You really mean to do it, but for some reason you delay, maybe even at the suggestion of others such as the case here with Rebekah's family.  They mean well, but they convince you to delay your obedience. Maybe it's the busyness of life that hinders you from obedience, or a lack of finances. Whatever the reason, obedience delayed is always a recipe for trouble.

James put it this way:  Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";  14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."  16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.  17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Again, all parties involved here knew that the Lord was in this marital arrangement, therefore it was a good thing. Delaying obedience might bring in that old enemy, “doubt.” Second thoughts could have sabotaged this mission, and so the servant pleads, “Do not hinder me in carrying out my masters orders!”

Let us learn to guard against these hindrances in our own walk with the Lord. If it is of the Lord, don't delay! Carry out your Master’s orders! Delayed obedience is sin!

# 225 Quick To Be Thankful

The Book of Genesis

Day 225

Ge 24:52 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.

There’s that phrase again! One of 452 times it appears in Scripture, “And it came to pass,”  The Lord has given the green light to the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. Please note the reaction of the servant.  Wham! To the ground! Spontaneous worship from a thankful heart! Mission accomplished! All glory to God!

This servant can teach us a thing or two about prayer!  There was absolutely no hesitation in giving thanks!

I am reminded of the ten lepers that were healed by Jesus in Luke 17. He did not heal them immediately but called on them to exercise some faith in Him for their healing. He commanded them to show themselves to the priests. This was part of the Levitical law. A priest was the only one who could declare a leper truly clean. For a leper to head off to see a priest covered with leprous sores would seem to be a foolish thing to do. I mean what happens when you arrive and there is no healing?

Yet, the ten, by faith, go traipsing off, “and so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,  16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.” (Luke 17:14-16)

This one leper, a Samaritan by the way, responded correctly to his healing. He dropped all things and gave thanks! Then Jesus asks the question,  "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?  18 "Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:17,18)

In their defense, they were obeying Jesus and the Law of Moses to the letter, but Jesus seems to be saying here, that there would be time for that later, whereas the time for giving thanks is in the now!  1Th 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always,  17 pray without ceasing,  18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Let us learn to emulate the Spirit-led thankful leper and Abraham’s thankful servant, giving thanks for all the blessings of God. 

# 224 Trust God For the Results

The Book of Genesis

Day 224

Ge 24:49 "Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left." 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing comes from the LORD; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. 51 "Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken.”

This servant of Abraham doesn’t mess around does he? He tells the story and asks the father and brother of Rebekah, “Are you in or out?” “Tell me one way or the other, so I can make my next move.”

Wow! This wedding thing is moving along rather quickly! With the testimony of the servant ringing in their ears, Bethuel and Laban reply, “Whether this is good or bad for Rebekah and us, we really don’t know, all we know is that this is from the Lord and I guess we’ll let Him sort that out!”

Pretty good advice for us as well. When all the evidence points to the working of the Lord in your particular situation, and the call to act is placed before you, make sure it is in alignment with the Word of God, and go for it! No need to wring your hands as you try to figure out the outcome. “Will this be a good thing for me or a bad thing?” Face it, you really don’t know! Let the Lord work it out for you, confident that on the long run, it will be good!

This is God’s history! He works things out for good! Just ask Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers! Absolutely everything that happened to Joseph that seemed bad, (indeed was bad,) God used for ultimate good. Speaking to his brothers in Gen 50:20, Joseph said, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

Just ask the Israelites who had received the bad news that they were going to be taken into captivity as we read in Jer 29:10,11, “For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

And if you need further proof, listen to the words of Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Will it be good or will it be bad? Don’t let it concern you! Just make sure your actions, (whatever they might be) are in alignment with God’s Word, and let Him take care of the rest….confident that the end result is good!

# 223 Tell Your Story Every Chance You Get

The Book of Genesis

Day 223

Ge 24:36 "And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. 37 "Now my master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; 38 'but you shall go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.' 39 "And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' 40 "But he said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house. 41 'You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.' 42 "And this day I came to the well and said, 'O LORD God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, 43 'behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink," 44 'and she says to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also," -let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' 45 "But before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' 46 "And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.' So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. 47 "Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 "And I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.

Sometimes, we read the Bible and we just want to say, “OK I’ve heard this before! Let’s get on with it!Why is it necessary to repeat this whole story?”

But then 2Ti 3:16 comes to mind! “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

This repeated story is here for a reason! It is profitable for our instruction!

How so?

It’s profitable because it is the servant’s story! It is his testimony if you will. You and I also have stories to tell about God’s working in our lives! We have a God-given testimony!

The story of God’s faithfulness in blessing Abraham and leading the servant on this journey through answered prayer is just too good to not share! And your story is likewise too good not to share! Never mind that the food is getting cold! Tell your story! Don’t leave out any of the details of what God has done for you! No need to embellish! It is just as Sargent Joe Friday used to say on the old TV show Dragnet.” “Just the facts ma’am, just the, facts.”

You say, “well, my story isn’t as exciting as some of the other stories I have heard, I mean, I’ve been a follower of Jesus all my life. ” Maybe you didn’t have a spectacular conversion story of deliverance, like many others experience, but that may qualify you for an even more powerful testimony! Because how can you explain NOT walking away from the Lord with all that the devil, your flesh, and the world throws at you????????

Only the power of God could keep you in His tender care! Talk about it! Give God the glory! It’s what Abraham’s servant did throughout the retelling of His story, He kept giving God the glory and honor, and as we shall see, it had a tremendous impact on his audience!

1Pe 3:15 says, “ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

Be short! Be thorough, and be truthful, and be sure to include those events in which God’s hand is evident. Will they believe you? It doesn’t matter! It’s your story! Tell it and let the chips fall where they may! You have done your part, now let the Holy Spirit do His!

# 222 An Attitude of Gratitude

The Book of Genesis

Day 222

Ge 24:28 So the young woman ran and told her mother's household these things.

29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well.

30 So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, "Thus the man spoke to me," that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well.

31 And he said, "Come in, O blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels."

32 Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told about my errand." And he said, "Speak on."

34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant.

35 "The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

A couple of things to note here. Rebekah runs to her MOTHER’S house, no mention of her father, only her brother Laban, which would indicate that her father , (though alive) was in the process of handing his duties and responsibilities over to his son Laban. Laban was now in charge of the household.

The first thing Laban notices, is all the new jewelry being worn by Rebekah. This could only mean one thing, someone was interested in Rebekah as a bride! And this someone was kinfolk! So Laban rolls out the hospitality mat and does some of the same things his great uncle Abraham would do. He unloads the camels, provides bedding and straw for them. He provides water for the weary travelers to wash their feet, and then sets food before them.

But the servant refuses to eat until he tells the whole story of his mission. Please note how he begins!

He speaks of the material blessings of Abraham but uses phrases like, “The Lord has blessed,” and He has given.” Immediately we see that this servant has biblical world view that starts with acknowledging God as the source of all blessing! He knew that , “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness.”

In the 104^th Psalm we read more of this “biblical world view”as the Psalmist proclaims, “O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions, these all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them, they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created.”

Passages like these remind us of our absolute dependence upon God. And if we find ourselves prospering in any way, we would do well to remember that it is the Lord who blessed us greatly. Never forgetting that the same God who created us is also able to bring about our final breath. So it is this humble, “biblical world view,” that gives us the spirit of thankfulness we ought to have.

This God acknowledging attitude of the servant of Abraham, ought to be the attitude that we as servants of the most High God have as well.

#221 Thanks Deferred Often Becomes Thanks Never Offered

The Book of Genesis

Day 221

Ge 24:16 Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher." 18 So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." 20 Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?" 24 So she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah's son, whom she bore to Nahor." 25 Moreover she said to him, "We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge." 26 Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. 27 And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren."

Before the servant can even finish praying, the Holy Spirit is presenting the answer to the servant!. Note the reaction of the servant. He RAN to meet her and then throws out his part of the fleece to see what she would do. He asks for a drink of water and she replies almost word for word according to his prayer and then offers to water his camels!

Note too, Rebekah’s willingness to do this. She quickly emptied her pitcher in the trough and RAN to start the first of many trips to fill the trough and the camels! This response of Rebekah’s caused wonderment in the servant…..he was literally stunned by it all! She had passed the first test in flying colors, will she pass the others? Is she the one that will “make his journey prosperous?”

The servant then gives Rebekah a nose ring and two bracelets of gold. This should tell Rebekah that this guy is well off, and that he is after a little more than water for his camels! Then he digs a little deeper. “Whose daughter are you?” Her answer is a “home run!” She is the the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor, the kinfolk his master had requested! She invites him to her father’s house, and upon hearing the news, the servant is so awestruck, that he immediately slips into thankful worship and prayer! Overcome by the turn of events and his answered prayer, he gives glory and honor to his God, the God of mercy and truth!

I wonder if we are as quick to give glory and honor to God for His mercy and truth and answered prayers in our own lives? Thanksgiving is a vital part of worshiping in spirit and in truth. Let us learn from Abraham’s servant today.

Has the Lord blessed you recently with answered prayer. Have you thanked Him? Thanks deferred often becomes thanks never offered, and that my friend can lead to the greatest enemy of faith…..pride.

# 220 So Why Bother Praying At All?

The Book of Genesis

# 220

Ge 24:12 Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 "Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 "Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' -let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master." 15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.

Let’s continue looking at the prayer of Abraham’s servant today. He prays for success for his mission and that is certainly cause for prayer, but I like his motivation. He wants success because it will bless his master! I am reminded of the passage in James that tells us: ”You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. (James 4:3)

Another thing that strikes me about the servant’s prayer is how quickly it was answered! BEFORE he finishes, God’s answer in the form of Rebekah, arrives on the scene with her pitcher on her shoulder! What an affirmation of the words of Jesus in Mt 6:8 " For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” God knew what the servant needed even before he asked, and Rebekah was on the way to the watering hole even before the servant arrived!

Well, if that’s the case, why do we even bother to pray?

Fair question.

For one thing, we pray, because we are commanded to pray. 1Th 5:17 says, “pray without ceasing,” and still another reason is prayer is a discipline of the followers of Christ. Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, “WHEN you pray.” He didn’t say IF!

The term prayer comes from a Hebrew term which signifies “appeal, “ or “to make earnest request,” or “to plead with in order to persuade,” or “to intercede, or intervene between two parties with a view to reconciling differences.” As you can see, prayer is a very broad term that invites God into a myriad of circumstances!

Prayer is serious business! No wonder Jesus cautioned us to “not pray as the hypocrites do!” Don’t pray with the idea of solely being seen or heard by men, but pray with the idea of being seen and heard by God! He is the only one to whom we should appeal. He is the only One who can do anything about our requests, and He is the only One who is able to reconcile circumstances and people in accordance with His will!

Do not use vain (empty) repetitions or formulas, thinking that your many words and grasp of language will make an impression upon God. If you really want to impress God, then understand what it takes to be a righteous man, and to pray fervently. For it is the fervent prayer of a righteous man that avails much! (James 5:16) When a righteous man, prays fervently, the answer is set in motion even before he ceases! Righteous men pray fervently because they are intimately acquainted with the One who can really make it happen when they appeal to Him!

You want powerful prayer? Then seek to become intimately acquainted with God! Get into His Word and let His Word get into you!

# 219 We Are Family! Pray Like It!

The Book of Genesis

Day 219

Ge 24:12 Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

13 "Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

14 "Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' -let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."

15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.

Let’s continue looking at the prayer of Abraham’s servant today. His master has given him a mission, and now he finds himself at the eharmony.com of his day….the city well. This is where all the eligible women of the city would show up to draw water. He has followed his master’s orders thus far (returning to Abraham’s homeland) and has put himself in a position for the possibility of accomplishing his mission.

Hmmm, a lesson here? Follow the Masters orders (Jesus) and put yourself in position to succeed!

Now, it’s time to be more specific in his prayer requests. Note how he addresses God. He addresses Him as the God of his master Abraham. I think this is a great way to pray for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. As you pray for other believers, why not pray something like this: “O God of my brother (or sister) so and so.....” Using this kind of terminology turns the prayer into a family prayer, and as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s what we are…..family.

Come to think of it, it’s the way we (the church) have prayed our “family prayer” from the New Testament and on….we say ”OUR Father, who art in heaven!” not MY Father who art in heaven!

I think many times as we pray the Lord’s prayer, in our heart of hearts, we are praying the various petitions with only “ourselves” in mind, and that’s okay to the extent that as a believer we ARE part of the family of God, but if that’s the way Jesus wanted us to pray it, He would’ve said MY Father, who art in heaven, and “give ME this day,” and so on.

No, when we pray this prayer, we are praying for the church! We are praying also for our brothers and sisters in the Lord, that they may receive this kindness from the Lord and enjoy this kind of success!.

The next time you pray the Lord’s prayer, don’t just pray it for yourself, be thinking of at least one other person and bring them along for the ride!

“Our Father, (my God and the God of this other person )Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give (yourself and the other person) this day our daily bread, and forgive (yourself and this other person) us our trespasses as we (yourself and the other person) forgive those who trespass against (you and the other person) Lead (you and the other person) not into temptation, but deliver (you and the other person) from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever , Amen!

Kind of clumsy I know, but you get the point. As believers, we are family.....pray like it.

# 218 A Crazy Prayer

The Book of Genesis

Day 218

A Crazy Prayer

Ge 24:12 Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 "Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 "Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' -let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master." 15 And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.

Let’s look today at the prayer of Abraham’s servant . He has put himself in a good position to succeed on his mission to find a bride for Isaac. The daughters of the men of the city were all coming out to draw water, but which one would be right for Isaac? How will he know?

He comes up with this idea to ask one of the ladies for water, and if she gives him water AND volunteers to water his camels, then she will be the one! Think about it! What are the odds of finding a beautiful woman, who volunteers to water your ten camels in light of the fact that one camel is capable of drinking 40 gallons of water in one session! That's a lot of haulin'! I mean if I'm praying, I'm looking for something a little easier! I'm praying, “Lord, let the first one who says “hi,” be the one, in Jesus name, Amen.”

Excuse me, but this was servant's prayer strikes me as a crazy prayer! It was about as crazy as Elijah’s prayer for a drought found in 1Ki 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word."

A crazy prayer that was answered. Where do these kinds of prayers come from? They come from ordinary men who put there pants on one leg at a time just like you and I. Jas 5:16b,17 “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

These kinds of prayers come from the Holy Spirit. The servant and Elijah likely had a God-given picture of what God was going to do, and so they prayed it back to Him. These same kind of Spirit led prayers are spoken even today. Ac 2:17 says, 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

I don’t claim to be a righteous man or even an effective prayer warrior. Quite frankly many of my prayers have been generated by my flesh and not the Spirit. But I remember one specific ridiculous request that I made at a time of corporate prayer. It was for the restoration of a family that, (given their circumstances) seemed impossible. But I had a picture put into my mind, while we were praying as to what that restoration would look like. It was a picture of a restored family gathered once again around a table enjoying food and each other. I don’t know where it came from, but I blurted out this picture in prayer…. And you know what? It came to pass!

In God’s mind, this restoration was already a done deal. (As was the drought with Elijah and the servant’s prayer for the willing wife to be Rebekah.) He just gave me a glimpse of what it would look like.

These are rare and blessed moments and we need to cherish them, and at the same time guard against turning them into displays of the flesh, where we manufacture scenario’s for itchy ears for our own gain.

So pray! Pray with others. You never know what kind of a “done deal” God will show you. Just remember as you pray, that all answered prayers are meant for the glory of God and not your own! 

# 217 Making Your Boss Look Good

The Book of Genesis

Day 217

Ge 24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 "Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

This was a trusted servant of Abraham’s. Much like Joseph ruled over Pharaoh’s household, this servant also ruled over everything that Abraham had. He could take whatever he deemed necessary for his mission. He brought ten camels along, and as we shall see later, he also brought along jewelry of silver and gold, and fine clothing for the bride to be. He also brought precious things for other family members.

The journey itself was uneventful, (but then, remember an angel sent by the Father had gone before him!) When the servant arrives at the city of Abraham’s brother, he does a couple of very wise things in keeping with his mission. First of all, he stops by the well outside the city and waits there with his camels. His mission was to find a bride for Isaac, and the women of the city normally came to the well in the evening. This would be a good spot to check out who’s available. It was the eharmony.com of Nahor!

Then he does an even wiser thing…..he prays! He bows before the Lord and asks for success in his mission. And check out his motive! It was not to make himself look good, but that his boss would be blessed!

Think of this passage in terms of your own work relationships. Your boss has given you a task. Use the material at your disposal to get the job done! Put yourself in position where you are most likely to succeed, then pray that the Lord will give you success, not for your glory, but that in succeeding you will bless your boss! This kind of an attitude will go a long way in fulfilling the admonition found in Eph 6:5,6. “ Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

As you have opportunity, bless your boss….it is the will of God!

# 215 Angels Unaware

The Book of Genesis

Day 215

Ge 24:5 And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?" 6 But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7 "The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 "And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there." 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

“He will send His angel before you.” Sometimes I think we blow these kind of statements off as we read them in Scripture. Abraham had a much higher view of God than most of us do. He didn’t say, “God could” or “God might,” he said “God will!” There was no doubt in Abraham’s mind about God’s ability or willingness to use His invisible army to carry out His will on earth. This is not some sort of eerie superstition embraced by new age zealots. This is physical reality, and we as Christians would do well to embrace it! God has angels and they are at His disposal!. But remember, they are angels, they are not to be worshiped. Rather the One who dispatches them is to be worshiped!

In Re 22:8,9 we read, “Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, "See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."

Angels, are nothing more than fellow servants. The only difference is they are never reluctant to carry out God’s commands as we are. ( I might add here that the only reluctant angels in this world are demons, and when push comes to shove, (as Jesus so often demonstrated) they too must obey God!)

I think we all would be amazed at just how often God’s angels engage the enemy for us and help clear obstacles out of our way in order for “God’s will to be done!” Every now and then we are given glimpses of the work of God’s heavenly army on our behalf. Doors are opened, barriers are either put in place or laid low. The work is done in supernatural fashion and God loves doing it for His precious children!

Heb 1:14 describes angels in this manner: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister (to get the job done if you will) for those who will inherit salvation?”

In Abraham’s case, some woman in the city of Nahor was going to be an heir of salvation with Isaac because of the work of an angel that God was going to send to clear the way for Abraham’s servant.

Some woman was going to marry Isaac, and the Promised Seed in the line of Adam and Abraham would continue to move forward. The Seed that would make it possible for you and I to also be “heirs of salvation,” and to be beneficiaries of God’s ministering spirits while we are on this side of heaven!

Pray: Father, help us to be thankful for Your “angels unaware” that minister to us in ways we do not yet see. In giving thanks let us guard against worshiping the messenger, but rather worship You the One who sends them to our aid!

# 214 You Are Not A Dog

The Book of Genesis

Day 214

Ge 24:5 And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?"  6 But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there.  7 "The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.  8 "And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there."  9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

I can almost hear the protestations of the servant:  “You want me to travel 500 miles, to find a woman from your kinfolk to marry Isaac. You expect her to just leave family and home, hop on a camel and come running to marry a man she never met?”

Abraham: “Yup.”

Servant: “Well what if she says, “I won’t come? Should I bring Isaac to her?”

Abraham: “Don’t even think about it” Isaac is not to go back to where he came from. The Promised Land is his home now and he is not to leave it!”

Abraham didn’t want Isaac to return to Ur and be tempted to stay there and consequently lose out on his promised inheritance.

In a sense, we are a lot like Isaac. Born out of the sheer grace of God….a miraculous spiritual birth. Born into an eternal inheritance. As the loins of Abraham and the womb of Sarah were dead, so were we! Eph 2:1-5 reminds us: “ And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,  2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,  3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.  4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

And once we have tasted of this new life, we are not to return to the old as the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter reminds us: “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.  22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Pet 2:20-22)

Friend, you may be living in this world, but your true home is the Promised Land…….. you are not a dog! Live like it!  

# 213 Stake Your Claim

The Book of Genesis

Day 213

This entire chapter of Genesis deals with the purchase of a burial place for Sarah. One thing that jumps out at me is the asking price of the field that Abraham sought to purchase. Verse 15 lists the field at 400 shekels of silver. By comparison in Jer 32:9 we read of the going price of another similar piece of property: Jer 32:9 "So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money-seventeen shekels of silver.

17 shekels! That’s a 383 shekel difference! Either the real estate market crashed or Abraham was being taken. Well, we know he wasn’t being taken because God used this purchase price for a piece of the Promised Land as an example of the high price His only Son would pay, so that fallen man, (you and I) could have a stake in heaven.

In Jeremiah’s case, the land was completely overrun by the enemy, yet Jeremiah purchased the land  because he recognized God’s call to illustrate louder than words, how certain it was that the land would one day be reoccupied by the Israelites who were being carried off into captivity.

Both purchases illustrate pure examples of faith.  Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Abraham did not own any property before this purchase and this should cause us to consider that the Lord Jesus Christ never owned any property either!  Lu 9:58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

The only property that Jesus ever staked out was when He was staked to a cross on a hill called Golgotha! (The place of the skull) And  after  His resurrection from the dead, that claim was a declaration of ownership over death!  1Co 15:55 "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.  57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Stake your claim in the Promised Land! Abound in the work of the Lord! And the work of the Lord is to exercise your God-given faith, trusting the promises of God, just as Abraham and Jeremiah did!

Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

# 212 The Exhorbitant Price

The Book of Genesis

Day 212

This entire chapter of Genesis deals with the purchase of a burial place for Sarah. Allow me to make a few comments in parenthesis along the way:

Ge 23:5 And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,  6 "Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; (As a follower of God, Abraham had made an impression upon these people. The question begs to be asked,  As sons and daughters of the King of Kings are we  are we making a similar impression in the world in which we live?” Is there anything about us that would be deemed as princely?)

“bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead." (You are free to bury Sarah in any one of our choicest cemeteries)

 7 Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.  8 And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me,  9 "that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you." (“Thanks for the offer boys, but I don’t want to be beholding to any of you, I want to purchase the property so it is my own.”  Ro 13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.)

 10 Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying, (Gate of the city? OK that’s where the legal affairs of the city were handled. This transaction was going to be official!)

 11 "No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field and the cave that is in it; I give it to you in the presence of the sons of my people. I give it to you. Bury your dead!"  (Abraham could’ve called his bluff and taken him up on his offer, but this is not the way of bartering in the days of Abraham.)

 12 Then Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land;  (Showing respect to the civil authorities)  13 and he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will give it, please hear me. I will give you money for the field; take it from me and I will bury my dead there." (Thanks for the generous offer, but I insist on paying you for this property.)

 14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him,  15 "My lord, listen to me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between you and me? So bury your dead."  (An exorbitant amount of money for this property, it really wasn’t worth that much, but that’s what he was asking. Then he makes like that amount of money is nothing between he and Abraham, it’s like, “But what is that amount of money between friends.”)

 16 And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants. (With the naming of a price, Abraham had Ephron. He couldn’t back out now as Abraham counted out the silver in the presence of witnesses and made his first official stake in the Promised Land!)

 17 So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded  18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. (The field, the cave, the trees, everything within the prescribed border now belonged to Abraham. )

 19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.  20 So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.

This little piece of property would serve as a testimony to Abraham’s descendants that he believed God’s promises concerning ownership of the land that were first given to him back in  Ge 15:18, “On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates-“

This promise is like the promise we have of the Promised Land of heaven.  It was paid for by the exorbitant price of the death of God’s only Son, and it is inherited by all who have the faith of Abraham, who “believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.”  Jesus has purchased your stake in the promised land. Receive Him as Lord and Savior and the Promised Land awaits you!

# 211 How Then Shall We Live

The Book of Genesis

Day 211

Ge 23:4 "I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

A teachable moment here as it concerns our status as believers on this earth!   Abraham’s statement about his status among the Hittite should remind us that we too are strangers in this world. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are pilgrims just passing through on our way to heaven.

As New Testament believers we have the advantage of hindsight, whereas the Old Testament believers only had the promises of a coming Messsiah. But in believing these promises they understood their status here on earth as they, in faith, looked forward to their permanent home!

Heb 11::13-16, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.  15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.  16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

 As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we join with believers of all time, looking forward to our ultimate destination and permanent home……heaven!  Php 3:20 reminds us: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

While we wait, we are to live as Abraham lived. With the help of the Holy Spirit we are to live our lives with standards that are different from the world’s practices!

1Pe 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;  1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

As sojourners we are to live in the world, but not embrace any of its sinful practices! Jas 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 It is as the old hymn has stated, “I am but a stranger here, heaven is my home!”

Let us purpose to live that way here on earth.  Let us be civil visitors on this planet, who live our lives confident of our arrival to our perfect future home in heaven!

# 210 The Mystical Miraculous Union

The Book of Genesis

Day 210

Ge 23:1 Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,

A little Bible trivia for you. Sarah is the only woman in the Bible whose age at the time of her death is recorded. Having given birth to Isaac at the age of 90 (possibly 91) Isaac was 37 years old when his mother passed.  She was a special woman indeed. She had been through a lot with Abraham and now he weeps and mourns for his loss.

Even though this weeping and mourning can make bystanders a little uncomfortable, nonetheless, it is a beautiful thing to observe.  I still remember the reaction of my father-in-law when his wife of many years passed away. Oh the sadness. Oh the pain as he wept and sought to touch her body one last time as she lay in the open casket.

This is the way it should be. This is the natural reaction of a married couple who by the power of God in holy matrimony have become one flesh. The death of a spouse is a ripping away, a virtual separation of two souls who had become one! 

Jesus, speaking about this mystical union in Mt 19:4 said, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,'  5 "and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?  6 "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

Any separation of the union of man and woman, whether it be death or divorce is painful, and we would do well to understand the depth of this pain. It ain’t easy folks. It’s one of the reasons God hates divorce because it does violence to what was suppose to be the seamless garment of the union between man and wife. And it causes great pain to both parties.

Mal 2:16 says,  "For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously."

We may put on a bold front, but underneath it all, there is an inexplicable pain that accompanies the tearing apart of man and wife. So weep and mourn my brother! Weep and mourn my sister. This is a natural reaction to the ending of a marriage.

Seek reconciliation whenever possible. The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul in  1Co 7:10,11 reminds us “ A wife is not to depart from her husband.  11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.”

In Abraham’s case, reconciliation was impossible, he was widowed.  Note what he did then after a time of weeping and mourning. “He stood up from the dead,” that is he moved on with his life when reconciliation was impossible. He mourned and moved on.

This is not to say that the pain and tears won’t return, they likely will, and each time they do, they reminds us of the power of the mystical, miraculous union of man and woman in holy matrimony!

# 209 The Great Matchmaker

The Book of Genesis

Day 209

Ge 22:19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.  20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, "Indeed Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:  21 "Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,  22 "Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel." 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.  24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

Curiously, the story of the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice Isaac ends with a report on the family status of Nahor. (Abraham’s brother) This genealogical note serves a good purpose at this point. It reveals how God has been at work, behind the scenes preparing a bride (Rebekah v23) for the son of promise…… Isaac.

Actually the entire story of Isaac marrying Rebekah is meant to be a picture of the day our Lord will send His servants, the angels, and fetch the bride of Christ for the royal heavenly marriage feast!

It might be well for us at this point to consider how much God is in the business of matchmaking. If you are married, look back at your own life and consider all the circumstances that went down in order for the two of you to meet and eventually marry! Pretty amazing stuff when you consider it all!

Some of you have not yet met your mate. This passage should serve as an encouragement to you. It should be an incentive to you to be in prayer about God providing that mate He desires for you!

Even as parents of young children, you ought to be in prayer at an early age for them, that God would lead them to the mate He has planned for them. This is not too big a task for God! He created the gene pool, He knows what He is creating, and he knows what He wants to create or not create through you and your mate.

Our part in all of this is to wait on Him and to trust Him in obedience to His Word. He has set down guidelines in His word for the selection of a mate and we would do well to follow them. So pray! If you are single pray for patience and discernment in this matter. If married, pray in thankfulness for the mate provided, and if God has blessed you with children, pray for their future marital status as well.