When Trials Come... In the Center of God's Will

What do we do when we feel we're exactly where we believe God wants us to be, and intense trials come? I don't know about you, but if I'm exactly where I feel God wants me to be – even where God led me – I certainly don't expect the type of trials that might shake my faith. Little trials, yeah. But not ones that threaten to turn my whole belief system upside down.

In my reading in Exodus recently, this came to mind when I came to chapter 17. Moses had just led Israel out of Egypt, the Red Sea parted, the people saw the Egyptians perish, God had gone ahead of them in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and he miraculously fed them. You'd think witnessing those type of miracles would inoculate anyone from doubting their God.

Not so with the Israelites. And perhaps not so with us either.

If you don't have a Bible handy, I'll summarize the events. In verse 1, it appears that God was leading the people of Israel to each encampment. They settled at this point at Rephidim – where God appears to have led them directly – and they came upon two significant trials: lack of water and enemy attack. For the purposes of this blog, I'm going to focus in on the enemy attack.

I can't imagine the surprise the Israelites experienced when they were attacked. Here they were, exactly where God wanted them to be. Yet they were attacked. It must be noted that Israel had never experienced war in their lifetimes. In fact, the whole reason God didn't immediately take them into the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt was because God knew they would face war and wouldn't be able to handle it (Exodus 13:17).

So how did Moses their leader respond? He didn't panic. He didn't doubt God. He immediately took action and told Joshua to take an army of men and go fight. He assured Joshua that he would indeed be there with him watching from a hill with the “staff of God” in his hand. This staff was Moses's reminder to Joshua that the Lord would prevail. It was this staff that Moses used when God struck the plagues on the Egyptians. It was this staff that Moses lifted when God parted the Red Sea. It was with this staff that Moses had just struck a rock and provided water for the people at Rephidim. In effect, Moses was reminding Joshua of God's faithful acts so Joshua would continue in that faith during this uncharted territory of war. And Joshua (the leader-of-Israel in training, unbeknownst to himself) obeyed. And through God's power, he and his army were victorious.

So what can we take from this? First, we can be smack-dab in the center of God's will and still experience trials that we never dreamed of, never were prepared for, and never expected. Those trials can overwhelm us to the point that we have temporary spiritual amnesia and forget all that God has done for us. We should never believe our faith is unshakable. We must remain on our guard.

Second, when we come upon those trials, we must remember God's faithfulness. We must remember what God has done for us. When it seems like the hand of God is nowhere in sight, we must go back to those times where God's hand was clearly on our lives. When our emotions are uncontrollably spiraling, our mind has to recollect God's goodness. We must remember that without exception, God is good.

Finally, we must have faith in the master plan. The attack on Israel gave Joshua his first battle experience, experience he would draw upon when the larger battles – the ones he had to lead when Israel fought for their rightful occupation in the Promised land – ensued. This attack also reaffirmed the hand of God on Moses's life in the eyes of the people. Granted, like us, they would continue to struggle in their faith and would continue to doubt Moses, but this experience served to show Israel once again that they were God's people, and Moses was their leader.

Yes, God very well may lead us to a place where trials lie ahead. Even when we doubt whether we were in his will in the first place, even when we're too caught up in our pain to recollect his faithfulness, even when we can't see our next step much less the master plan, God may just have something bigger in mind than we can fathom.

Decisions, Decisions

Focal Verse: "During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the LORD" (2 Samuel 21:1b).

My husband paced across the hotel room in Mansfield, Texas, going back and forth between a big decision we had to make. After having been laid off in January from the company he worked with for the last 3 years, he landed his dream job at a company in Jacksonville, Arkansas. It was over an hour commute, but it was worth it for him. Then the unexpected came. The corporate office decided to close down the Arkansas branch, and as it turned out, Matt could either take the layoff or move to their Texas branch, over 6 hours away.

We decided to drive to Texas and visit the area, trying to seek God and his will concerning this dilemma. It was tough. We didn't want to move away from our entire family, but we wanted to be yielded to God's plan for our lives. Still, the decision wasn't easy. We didn't get that "feeling" that one way or another was right. Ultimately, we decided not to move and trust God with the rest. We believed that if Texas was where we were supposed to be, God would have made it crystal clear to us.

Some decisions are tough. But some are not. As I was studying the book of Ruth for our Mom's class this week, I stumbled upon a very real truth about some decisions in the very first verse: "In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man (Elimilech) from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab" (Ruth 1:1).

My first instinct was to think that God may have used this famine to move Elimilech's family to Moab, so his future daughter-in-law Ruth would eventually come to Israel, marry Boaz, have a child, and ultimately become an ancestor in the line of Jesus Christ. However, after further study, I realized that this wasn't the case. I'm afraid too often we can look at a good result and attribute the entire process to God's divine plan, when in reality, God has used yet another case of our bad decision to create something of beauty. Now, that's something to praise God about...that centuries before Romans 8:28 was penned, God was busy acting it out in the lives of people in the Old Testament.

Back to Elimilech. There was famine in the land. He was afraid for his wife Naomi and two sons, so he decided to move to Moab for "a while." While his instinct to provide for his family can be admired, his decision lacked concern for the will of God. Elimilech made his decision without considering what God had said about such matters. In Deuteronomy 23:3, God had specified that no Moabite may enter into the assembly of the Lord. This was said because of the sin and idolatry of the Moabities; according to Numbers 25:1-3, the Moabite women had turned the Israelite men to idolatry. In Deuteronomy 7:3, the Israelites were commanded not to intermarry with people of the pagan nations. Again, this was because of their idolatry and because God knew that they would lead his people astray.

Elimilech didn't seek the counsel of the Lord before he made his decision to take his wife and his sons go to Moab. If he had, he would have been able to see that God's law forbade the intermarrying with pagan people, and by moving there, he would be exposing his sons to the temptation of the Moabite women.

It's easy to overlook this simple decision Elimilech made. After all, his decision brought about the great story of Ruth, whose actions are an example to us all. Yet we forget that before Ruth made the journey with her mother-in-law Naomi to Israel, to follow her God, Elimilech died, and his sons died at a premature age, childless. Naomi returned to Israel a widow who had lost her two sons and had little hope. It was God in his sovereignty, who used a bad decision to bring out a glorious result. He worked in spite of Elimilech's decision, not because of it.

Contrast our focal verse today, where a 3-year famine occured in Israel. Unlike Elimilech, who simply made a decision without regard to the Lord, David sought the face of the Lord.

When we are faced with a decision, the first thing we should do is follow in David's example and seek the Lord. In doing that, we should test our options agains the word of God. God will never call us to something that blatantly goes against his word. We should also ask God to reveal our motives. Perhaps the decision isn't wrong in and of itself, but perhaps our motivation is contrary to the pure and dedicated life he calls us to.

The bottom line is that some decisions are easy when we test them against the word of God.

And what about the others? I'm still working on that. Stay tuned. :)

How Did I Get Here?

Focal Verses: "From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD" (Genesis 13:3-4)

How did I get here? No, I'm not talking about how I felt last week when our airline mistakenly sent us to Chicago when we were headed to Orlando. I'm actually talking about how, one day, I can feel like God and I are walking joyfully side by side, and then another day, I realize he isn't as close as I remembered him being.

As disturbing as this can be, I'm afraid it's quite common. It is in my own life, anyway. It can happen for a number of reasons. The most obvious one is sin. If we're walking closely with God, allowing sin - unconfessed - in our lives, most definitely will create a space between us and our fellowship with God.

Another culprit in separating us from the closeness of God is not spending time with him. We can allow the busyness of life get in the way of our precious time with him, and the next thing we know, we aren't enjoying that intimacy with him that we did. Of course, that in itself can lead to our weakness to resist sin.

When we have one of those "How did I get here" moments, we have an excellent example in Scripture how we can get back to that closeness with God. Right after God called Abram (Abraham) and Abram set out to Canaan as God commanded, he built an altar between Bethel and Ai and called on the name of the Lord.

Then the Scripture says that Abram went to Egypt because there was a famine. Abram, because he was afraid, lied to Pharaoh and the Egyptians and said Sarai was his sister so as to protect himself. Of course it is easy to wonder what happened to Abram's great faith that we see only a few verses before. (But like Abram, we can - and do - trip up just as easily.) Shortly after, God intervened and Abram was sent away from Egypt. I'm sure Abram's faith was shaken, so what did he do? Look back at our focal verses for today. He went back to the last place he experienced the Lord, the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier.

Before I get to the point here, I want to point out the same lesson from another patriarch, Abraham's grandson Jacob. After Jacob fled from Esau, God appeared to him in a dream at Bethel, where he restated his promise to build a nation through him. (Genesis 28) In the course of time, Jacob married Leah and Rachel and had his children, and God told Jacob to go back to Canaan. During this trip, his daughter Dinah was raped, and his sons Levi and Simeon avenged her rape by killing every male in the city. After such tragedy and violence, you have to know that Jacob was questioning God's decision to use his family line. Yet God is faithful even when our circumstances seem uncontrollable. Genesis 35:1 says, "Then God said to Jacob, 'Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.'"

In both of these cases, you can see that the place we need to go when we feel estranged from God is to the place where we last encountered him.

Maybe it wasn't too long ago for you. Just a matter of days. What changed in that short time? Did sin creep in? Did you let other things crowd out your time with God?

Maybe it has been years. Maybe it was at a church camp in youth group or a small-group Bible study in college. What was different in your life then than now? Were you seeking God wholeheartedly then and now you are keeping a few corners of your heart just to yourself?

Maybe it has been since your surrendered your life to Christ and have yet to launch your exciting relationship with your Savior. I would encourage you, if this is the case, to get involved in a small group or seek out a trusted Christian mentor, where you can be discipled.

Or maybe you have no idea what it's like to be "close" to God. If this is the case, perhaps you have never come to the point in your life where you realize your need for Jesus and ask him to forgive you of your sins. Maybe you have never fully committed your life to him. I'm afraid many in our churches and even in our society believe everything we're supposed to believe, but never make a personal commitment to Christ. Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." If this describes you, please don't hesitate to seek out someone who can help you in your decision to commit to Christ. Feel free to even email me.

The bottom line is that God made us for a relationship with him. A living, walking, active relationship with him. And when we find ourselves out of close fellowship with him, the first thing we need to do is go back to the last time we encountered Him.

Be Careful Where You Visit

Focal verse: "And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah" (Genesis 38:1 NASB).

Through preparing for my Wednesday night Bible study lesson on Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah, I have been surprisingly enthralled with the story of Judah himself. Judah had a long period of rebellion, but overall my heart has been softened reading about the man whose descendants would include King David and Jesus Christ himself.

Looking at the opening verse of Genesis chapter 38, we see that Judah left his father and his brothers. The only clue we see of why he departed from his family is the timing: "at that time." Reflecting on chapter 37, you see the famous Bible story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers. Although the eldest Reuben is most known for wanting to spare Joseph's life, Judah is just as determined to prevent Joseph's murder. For some reason Reuben departs from the brothers temporarily, and it is Judah who comes up with a plan to save Joseph's life. Now I'm not excusing Judah's plan to sell his brother to the Ishmaelites. This was most definitely wrong. But you see in his argument to the brothers that his desire was to spare Joseph's life: "Judah said to his brothers, 'What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.' And his brothers listened to him."

After this, Judah along with his brothers had to share the devastating news with their father. The brothers lied to him, telling him Joseph was dead. Then Judah and the brothers saw what their actions did to their father. I can only imagine all of the emotions young Judah felt. Matthew Henry suggests that he was only 15 or 16 at the time. He felt guilt for his role in the ruse to get rid of Joseph. He felt sorrow for his father, who only about a year after losing his beloved wife, he had to lose his favorite son. Yet, he also could have felt bitterness that Joseph was loved so much more than he and the rest of his brothers were. Judah had had enough. All of this was just too much for this young man to handle. So he had to get away.

Circumstances in life sometimes make us want to do the same. Sometimes we just want to go so far away and come back when life is better. Feeling a need to withdraw after intense stress is completely natural. Even Jesus did it. But the difference between Jesus Christ and his ancestor Judah was to whom they went when they felt the need to withdraw.

Jesus went to his Father. On the heels of the murder of John the Baptist, Jesus withdrew to pray. John the Baptist was not only Jesus's cousin, he was also his friend. He was the one person who knew Jesus the best at that time. He was his predecessor who had given his life to preparing the way for Jesus. The loss of John the Baptist hit Jesus hard. But what did he do? "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place" (Matthew 14:13). Although this verse doesn't specify he went to the Father, you can look at another time he went to a "solitary place" and be assured that this is most likely exactly what he did: "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35).

Whereas Jesus went to his Father when he needed to withdraw, Judah went the opposite direction. He went to Hirah, a Canaanite. This is the first mention of Hirah so we don't know where Judah first met him, but we assume they were friends. Going to our friends when tragedy strikes isn't a bad thing. It becomes a snare when those friends are not dedicated to God and can influence us in the wrong direction. According to the New American Standard Version, Judah "visited" his friend Hirah. This tells me that he didn't intend to settle there. He probably just wanted to take a "road trip" to get his head back on straight.

But something happened on his "visit." He met a woman and married her, and instead of taking her back to his family, he settled there. She birthed him 3 sons. The first one, Er, was so wicked the Lord "put him to death." This is the first account in Scripture of the Lord putting an individual to death for his sins. That tells me not only how evil Er was, but also that Judah didn't instill the fear of God into him. Then his second son, Onan, committed a wicked act, and the Lord put him to death as well. So much for one rebellious child. The fact that two of Judah's sons were so evil the Lord had to put them to death tells me that Judah - whose name meant "praise the Lord" -had strayed incredibly far from his God.

But God didn't forget him. After he refused to give his third son in marriage to Tamar, as was the custom, Tamar trapped him by disguising herself as a prostitute and slept with him. She became pregnant by him, and ultimately he repented for his actions and returned to his father's household, a respected leader among his brothers and blessed by his father on his father's deathbed.

The story of Judah is an amazing one to study. You see a hint of righteousness in the midst of bad decisions in his teen years. You see a long period of rebellion in a land away from his family. But then you see him return to his family and his God and ultimately be the father of the mighty tribe of Judah, from where the Messiah comes. Incidentally, the line of David and Jesus did not come from Judah's third son Shelah. It came from the son he bore through the incestuous tryst with Tamar. It is so amazing how God can and will still bring good out of our mistakes.

Judah's story and his weakness can be our example. Even if we just plan to "visit" somewhere that God isn't, we could easily be snared to "live" there a lot longer than we had ever anticipated. And although God is always there to rescue a repentant heart, we would save ourselves - and our Father - the grief not to go "visit" there in the first place.

But You Have Said

Focal Verses: Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.' " (Genesis 32:9-12, emphasis mine)

Have you ever received news of a possible impending tragedy that made you panic in fear? This type of thing isn't pleasant to think about, but it's even less pleasant to experience. My family has had its share of these instances in the last year. Last July, my father-in-law was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer, and at times the prognosis wasn't good. Then in January, in the midst my father-in-law's fight, my husband was laid off from his job. Six weeks later, he was blessed with a job, but then six weeks after that, he was told his office was shutting down. We had the option to transfer out of state but chose not to, so he is currently on the job-hunt again.

I'll never forget hearing my husband tell me about his dad over the phone. I can't forget the clarity of that day and every event, whether large or small. I'll never forget when my husband came to my work and told me he had been laid off. I'll never forget when he called me to tell me his office was shutting down and that he would be facing unemployment for the second time in 4 months. When those types of events happen, it's natural to panic. It's natural to question God. But in the midst of the panic, we need to be equipped to handle a tragedy when it comes our way.

I find so much comfort in how Jacob handled such news. He had been in Haran with his father-in-law, wives, and children, when God told him to leave Haran and travel back to his home country. Without question, Jacob did it.

At first glance, this journey seems to bear no significance except for Jacob to return to the land God promised him. But if we look a little deeper, we will see that this journey probably caused Jacob much anxiety. You see, going back to his homeland meant an almost certain encounter with his brother, who decades earlier wanted to kill him for deceiving their father and stealing Esau's rightful blessing as firstborn. Looking at the map to see Jacob's journey from Haran to Beersheeba, where he eventually settled, the land where Esau lived wasn't far off the path. And since his father Isaac was still alive in Beersheeba, a reunion with his brother was an almost certainty.

We don't know if worry consumed his thoughts like it does mine, but I have to think it probably did. But then on his way, angels of God met Jacob, and he received comfort from them. According to Matthew Henry's commentary, this comfort was preplanned by God: "The angels of God appeared to Jacob, to encourage him with the assurance of the Divine protection. When God designs his people for great trials, he prepares them by great comforts."

After this encounter, Jacob decided to be proactive in regard to Esau. According to Genesis 32:3-5, "Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.'"

At first glance this message from Jacob to Esau appears to be one big attempt to "kiss up" to Esau by offering him animals and servants. But as Matthew Henry points out, this message is probably designed for Esau to know that Jacob wasn't coming to demand his birthright. If you recall, Esau gave up his birthright for a pot of stew when they were younger, and since Jacob fled for Haran with nothing, he clearly hadn't "cashed in" on it.

I imagine Jacob probably had trouble concentrating on much else as he awaited his messengers' return. He had no idea how Esau would respond. But then, at last, the messengers returned, but it wasn't with good news. "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him" (verse 6).

Jacob panicked. All his worst fears were coming at him all at once. Esau's army will slaughter my whole family. God's plan for a mighty nation will be thwarted. Nothing good will come of this. The New American Standard Bible says Jacob "was greatly afraid and distressed." And in the same sentence he quickly devised a plan. He divided his family and everyone with him into two groups, so at least one group could possibly get away while the other was being annhilated. There didn't seem to be a favorable outcome here.

But then, after Jacob panicked, he did something that we all need to look to as the ultimate example. He prayed...but he not only prayed, he recalled God's promises. Look back again at the focal verses for today. Note the order of his prayer:

Verse 9: He acknowledged God and who God was. He "reminded" God that he was doing what God had commanded. Then he "reminded" God that He said if Jacob obeyed, he would prosper.

Verse 10: He humbles himself before God, acknowledging that everything he has is because of the grace of God and not of himself.

Verse 11: He presents his request.

Verse 12: He "reminded" God once again of His promise: "But you have said...."

Jacob's prayer is an excellent example of what we can do when terrifying circumstances present themselves. By acknowledging - and worshipping - God, humbling ourselves and recognizing everything we have comes from him anyway, presenting our request, and resting in God's promises, we can have a peace that truly transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

When Jacob did this, I believe he experienced peace. But his circumstances didn't go away immediately. He kept planning. He selected gifts for Esau, sent more messengers, and proactively worked to gain Esau's favor. That brings us to another lesson from this story. Trusting in God doesn't necessarily mean doing nothing. Yes, sometimes God will tell us to just be still and trust him, but other times we are to continue working to resolve circumstances. How do we know the difference? The first thing is to tune in to God, ask him what we are to do, if anything. Then we can look at our options. Does any action present itself as a way to end the circumstance? (With my family it was my father-in-law going for chemotherapy and my husband applying for jobs.) If nothing presents itself, that probably means that we are to be still and wait...and not give in to worry. When worry strikes, we whip out the promises of God. Satan uses worry to keep our focus on our circumstances and off of God. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." The last thing our enemy wants us to do is keep our eyes on God, trusting in His provision, and many times planting the seeds of worry and fear is his best weapon.

Two nights passed between his faithful prayer and meeting with Esau. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. Esau met Jacob with love and acceptance. Obviously not every situation is going to have a happy ending, and I don't have the wisdom or knowledge to even try to address the "whys." But what I do know is that God gladly gives peace to those who faithfully recall his promises and pray them.

Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." How do we attain - and retain - this peace in the midst of terrifying circumstances? According to this verse, we are to trust in God and keep a steadfast mind. How do we keep a steadfast mind? By filling our mind with God's Word. It's not easy, but through all of my experiences in the past year, I can testify that it works. God's Word is amazing.

Here are a few promises to get you started:

Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 37:5-6: Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

John 14:1: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

Deuteronomy 31:8: The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

My prayer is that we all will use the love letter of God's Word and his promises to keep our eyes on Him when terrifying circumstances arise.

Removing a Hindrance

Focal Verse: "Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.'" (Genesis 32:28)

This summer the ladies in our Wednesday night Mom's Bible Study are studying Women of the Bible. While I was preparing for a lesson on Leah and Rachel, I couldn't help but see something peculiar in my reading as I was studying about Jacob, Leah and Rachel's husband. The conclusion I've made about this peculilarity may or may not be correct, but I am certain the lesson is absolutely applicable. Bear with me a little on this one. We'll be going through a lot of necessary background before getting to the point.

In Genesis chapter 32, nestled between Jacob preparing to encounter his estranged brother Esau and his meeting up with Esau in chapter 33, is the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Although the passage isn't the easiest to understand, the point I want to focus on is God renaming Jacob, whose name means "he grasps the heal" or "he deceives." His new name, Israel, is what God chose to call his beloved nation.

Looking back a few chapters, we see that God renamed the patriarch of this nation, Abraham (who was Abram) and the matriarch Sarah (who was Sarai). Immediately after renaming them, they are both referred to by the narrator with their new names.

However, if you look at the events after Jacob wrestling with God and being renamed Israel, he was still referred to as Jacob. He wasn't referred to as Israel until Genesis 35:21. Looking at the placement of this change, it came on the heels of Jacob burying his beloved wife Rachel, who tragically lost her life in childbirth. He wasn't called Israel until after Rachel died.

Go with me on a sidenote for a second for a little more background on Rachel. You see little of Rachel's character in the Scripture, so it's hard to know if she was a godly woman. I have my doubts. What you do see of her is fighting with her sister Leah over having children. Even her motivations for wanting children seem questionable. After all, when her servant Bilhah had Jacob's second son, Rachel named him Naphtali, because she had "struggled with her sister and won." Also, when she finally was able to give birth herself, she named her son Joseph, which means "may he add," because as soon as Joseph came out she was wishing for another. But to cap it all off, Rachel stole her father Laban's gods as they were about to flee from him. And when her father came to look for them, she deceived her father to hide them. This doesn't sound like a woman who is dependent on God Almighty.

So that brings us back to Jacob. Jacob was in love with Rachel and in total worked 14 years just to have her as his wife. Even as Rachel was dying in childbirth and named her second son Ben-Oni, which means "son of my trouble," Jacob named him Benjamin, which means, "son of my right hand." Although Rachel's devotion to God may be a little hard to distinguish according to Scripture, Jacob's devotion to Rachel was crystal clear.

That brings me to a truth that is absolutely Scriptural, whether or not my theology on this particular instance is correct. Sometimes God may need us to sever a relationship with someone close to us for him to do his complete work in us. It's a very real possibility Rachel was a stumbling block to Jacob. She had his heart, but her own heart was divided in any kind of devotion to God.

(Now, before I go any further, I want to make it clear that I am NOT talking about severing a marital relationship. I firmly believe Scripture is clear that divorce is only permissable with infidelity, and even then I believe God desires to restore and heal the marriage in a way only He can. God is clear on His stance on marital vows. Instead, here I am talking about other relationships that may be a hindrance to us.)

Jesus said in Matthew 5:30, "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." Obviously Jesus was using the hand as a metaphor, but his point was clear. Whatever causes us to sin, or separates us from God, or keeps us from doing God's work, needs to be cut off.

That might mean putting distance between a good friend and yourself. It might be ending a relationship entirely. It might mean finding another job if you're tempted to pursue an extramarital relationship in the workplace.

And on the opposite spectrum, it could mean separating from a spiritual colaborer so you can each be more effective in God's work if you worked separately.

After Jacob left Rachel's tomb, he traveled and settled in the Promised Land, the place God had planned for him all along. One reason I question my example of Jacob and Rachel is because even after he is referred to as Israel, the narrator switches back and forth between both names in the events succeeding this one. However, I still believe we can gain a valuable lesson through this presumption. Sometimes we will be required to give up that to which we cling in order to flourish in our spiritual Promised Land, being mightily used by God.

Prayer of the Righteous

Focal Verse: "So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived." Genesis 19:29

My son is now at the stage where he wants to talk but only can enunciate a handful of words. As much as I can't wait for his vocabulary to increase, I've been warned that once he starts to talk, he won't stop. I've been warned of the barrage of incessant questions a curious toddler throws at a defenseless parent.

In Genesis 18, Abraham's conversation with God bears a resemblance to the conversation of a curious toddler. God tells Abraham he is going to go see if the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is as bad as the outcry against it. Abraham, knowing his close relative Lot is living in Sodom, starts questioning God, "What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" God answers that he will not. Not content with that answer, Abraham goes on to ask God the same questions over and over. "What if there are 45 righteous people?... 40 righteous people?... 30 righteous people?... 20 righteous people?... 10 righteous people?" With each question, God gives the same answer, ending with "For the sake of 10 righteous people, I will not destroy it."

Humor me for a side note here. We know that God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah the very next day, and looking at Abraham's conversation with God, we know that God promised he wouldn't destroy the cities if he found 10 righteous people. The very fact that the cities were destroyed tells us that there were not 10 righteous people in the city. I find it interesting that God showed no signs of impatience with Abraham and his repeated questioning. He knew Abraham's heart was pure, and he was only asking because he was worried about his dear nephew Lot and his family. In the last verse of chapter 18, it says, "When the Lord has finished speaking with Abraham...." I just wonder if Abraham wasn't finished with his questioning. Looking forward, we see the the only ones spared were Lot, his wife (for a short time), and his two daughters. My count is 4. Unless Abraham was thinking of Lot's other daughters and sons-in-law (which we don't know the number), perhaps he was going to keep going from 10 to 8 to 6 to 4 to 2 to 1, in his questioning. But after 10 righteous people, God ended the conversation. God knew he had to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and he also knew Abraham's heart.

We can look at Abraham's prayer like this. He wanted to convince God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He knew Lot and his family had built homes there. He was concerned for their safety. He didn't want them to lose their homes and their way of life. We can assume Abraham thought of Lot as a righteous man by this prayer. (Also, looking forward to chapter 19, the angels were greeted by Lot at the city gate. Not a small detail, the men sitting at the city gate in that time were elders in the city and sometimes judges. Even though the city was wicked, for some reason - we hope because of his righteousness - he was held in high regard.)

God went to great lengths to save Lot and his family, even though I tend to think that the righteousness Lot had when he was in Abraham's company had probably been marred by living in the sinful city of Sodom. Not unlike us, he was easily influenced by the wealth and promise that Sodom offered. You know his heart wasn't completely devoted to God even at the moment God was trying to save him. Although he tried to convince his sons-in-law to escape with him, when they wouldn't and the angels said, "It's time!", Lot hesitated. He had to be pulled away from the city by the angels. And when they told him to go to the hills, he argued with them, asking to go to a small town. Lot wasn't reacting righteously at the most critical moment.

That takes us back to why God spared Lot. Clearly he didn't want to go. His heart was divided by what he knew he should do and what he wanted to do. I believe Abraham's simple child-like prayer is the key to Lot's survival. Read Genesis 19:29 again: "So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. (emphasis mine)"

It did not say, "So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Lot's righteousness and brought Lot and his family out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived."

Even though it took some background to get to this point, I believe it is well worth it. The words of James thousands of years later rings true to Abraham's prayer: "The prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)

How many times do we say we're going to pray for someone but the prayer never makes its way from our minds to our God? How many times do we want to pray for someone but don't even bother because we don't think it will make a difference anyway? I have to admit I'm guilty of both.

Yet we look at Abraham's simple, child-like prayer, and we see that God honored it. He didn't do exactly what Abraham asked. Abraham wanted the cities to be spared, but God had a different plan. He had to destroy the cities, but he saved the ones that were on Abraham's heart, even though the Bible doesn't show any evidence that Lot's name was even mentioned in this prayer.

I'm hoping that by remembering Abraham's humble prayer, I can have the faith to approach the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," with the people I need to pray for. I can also have the peace of mind that although God may not answer my prayer in the way I had in mind, he will honor the prayer of his child.

I'll conclude with a verse from 1 Samuel 12:23a: "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you."