Terah's tragedy

Gen. 11:26-32 

26  After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27  This is the account of Terah’s family line.  Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.  And Haran became the father of Lot.

28  While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth.

29  Abram and Nahor both married.  The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah.

30  Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.

31  Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan.  But when they came to Harran, they settled there.

32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.

Out of so many people listed in the first genealogies in Genesis 4-5 and 10-11, only a few were truly noteworthy.  Some of those few were marked by abhorrent wickedness, such as Cain (Gen 4:1-11 murder of brother Abel and, Lamech (Gen 4:19-24 murder and adultery).  Others lived in extraordinary righteousness, such as Enoch (Gen 5:21-24  walking with God and never experienced death) and Noah (Gen 6:8-9, 22, 7:5 did everything God had commanded for building the ark and saving His creation).  Most names passed yawningly by without even a note about what they had achieved, except for having “other sons and daughters.”  However, Terah’s family was sadly significant due to the three tragedies that had fallen on him.  He experienced the death of his son Haran, which only 2 fathers written in the Bible had experienced, Adam and Jared (Enoch’s father).  The death of a child is one of the most heartbreaking trials a parent could ever experience, no matter what age.   Was Haran’s death from a mysterious fatal illness, a vengeance-filled murder, or an unfortunate accident?  We may never know.  Secondly, his daughter-in-law Sarai, Abram’s wife, was the first woman noted in the Bible to be childless.  While everyone else’s families were blessed with many sons and daughters, Abram and Sarai bore the daily stigma of childlessness. Terah could not enjoy being a grandfather to children of his oldest son Abram.  Perhaps to escape the wagging tongues and prying eyes of all the neighbors and relatives, or perhaps to flee from the many painful memories, Terah decided to take Abram and Sarai, and his grandson Lot, and move from Ur to Canaan.  But they never made it.  Instead, they settled in Harran, and there Terah died.  He never completed his goal of reaching Canaan. 

If the accounts in Genesis were an early indication of the state of the human race, then only a few of us live a life of significance in God’s eyes.  All this misfortune had caused Abram to seek the face of God and hear His voice.  From the long list of mundane lives, Abram’s life stood out.  God had turned Terah’s tragedy into a great spiritual blessing, both in reaching Canaan, the promised land, and for giving Abram a son named Isaac, and the godly lineage that followed, ending with Jesus the long-awaited Messiah. What kind of life do you choose to live?  What is your response to the tragedies that you faced in your life?  May you resolve to live a significant life before God.

 (Thanks to my husband Tim, for his matchless spiritual insight into this passage!)

A Righteous Life

Job 31:1-40 

I do not know how long Job suffered before God answered him and blessed him again.  In the meanwhile, Job’s days groaned with unceasing tears as he grieved over the loss of his 10 children (Job 29:2-6), all his servants, all his wealth and property, the loss of his health (Job 30:16-17, 30), the loss of his dignity and respect in his community (Job 29:7-25,30:1-15).  He felt he lost hope and favor with God (Job 30:20-23).  Yet through all of this, Job never doubted his righteous life before God.  He made a very clear and detailed examination of his life:

Job 31:

v 5- “If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit—

v 7- “if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled,

v 9- “if my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,

v 13- “If I have denied justice to any of my servants, whether male or female, when they had a grievance against me,

v 16- “If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,

v 17- “if I have kept bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless—

v 19- “if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments,

v 21- “if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,

v 24-  “If I have put my trust in gold and said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’

v 25- “if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained,

v 26-27- “if I have regarded the sun in its radiance and the moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

v 29- “If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him—

v 31-  “if those of my household have never said, ‘Who has not been filled with Job’s meat?—

v 32-  “if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart

v 38-  “if my hand cries out against me and all its furrows are wet with tears,

v 39-  “if I have devoured its yield without payment or broken the spirit of its tenants,

Job did not commit any of these sins.  If he did, he quickly took care of it before God.  Suffering as Job did, most of us would question how we lived our lives before God and if God was punishing us for some sin we had done.  But Job lived a righteous and exemplary life, and no one in his community could question that. 

How about my life?  Is my life without fault before God and people?  Have I settled my accounts with everyone?  Lord God, examine my life and my heart for any wrongs I need to clear up and ask for forgiveness.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

inspirational verses from Job

I have been reading the book of Job using “Living Life” devotional journal every day for several weeks now.  This is my first time reading Job in-depth, and I was so struck by the beauty of many verses in this book.  God also had moved me recently to write a short song to help me memorize one of the verses.  In all, the Lord inspired me to pen four worship songs from various passages of Job out of my quiet time reading Job.  May you meditate on these Bible verses bore from the pain of Job’s suffering before God:

Job 1:21b-“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” 

Job 5:9 & 9:10- “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”

Job 5:17- “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.”

Job 16:20-21- “My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.”

Job 19:25- “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth.”

Job 23:10- “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

Job 23:12- “I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.”

Job 28:28b- “The fear of the LORD—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

A Complacent or a Convicted Life?

Luke 19:1-10 

1         Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

2         A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

3         He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.

4         So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5         When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at our house today.”

6         So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly.

7         All the people saw this and began to muttered, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8         But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9         Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

10     For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus’ salvation was evident by his lifestyle change.  Here he was, a grown man, wealthy and notorious in his community, climbing a tree!  He wanted to see Jesus so badly that he humbled himself like a little boy!  In verse 8, he proclaimed to the crowd, promising to offer half of his net worth to the poor, widows, orphans, homeless.  The crowd might have murmured half-hearted approval or disbelief, and then Zacchaeus cemented the evidence of his true faith by reminding the community whom he had swindled money out of.  Perhaps it was the poor old widow struggling to pay $100 in taxes; now Zacchaeus will repay her $400.  Perhaps it was that man whom he had a personal conflict with and slapped him with a $1500 tax bill; now he’s going to cough up $6000.  Multiply this by 10, and the total amount of money would be pretty staggering.  Zacchaeus might have to sell his possessions and even his house to repay all that debt!  He would be considerably poorer by the time he was through.  But I believe these are not just mere words but real actions, or else they would not have been recorded in the Bible.  His words were backed up by his actions.  Some years later, James thundered to this audience with these words, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”  (James 2:18)  Jesus recognized that Zacchaeus’ change of heart was proven by his actions, and He forgave him of his sins.

I’ve been re-reading Francis Chan’s first book Crazy Love, and I’m convicted, especially the chapters about lukewarm people.  Ouch!  True believers offered to God the first and the best, and that’s what Zacchaeus had done.  So often, we give God our leftover time, money, energy, and devote the best to ourselves.  Malachi 1:8 “When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong?  When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?  Try offering them to your governor!  Would he be pleased with you?  Would he accept you?”  says the LORD Almighty.   If you haven’t seen “Flywheel,” the first movie made by Sherwood Pictures, I’d highly recommend it!  The main character had to go through what Zacchaeus had gone.  He was a Christian who had to repent from cheating God on his offering (he puts an empty envelope on the offering plate), and then repaying back all the customers he had cheated and being honest with his business dealings.   Does my lifestyle reflect a true change of heart and real gratitude to God?  What is hindering my testimony to others?

Lord, convict us when we start to think we’re pretty good in Your eyes.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

To Serve or Not to Serve

Luke 10:38-42     

38  As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him.

39  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He said.

40  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”

41  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,

42  but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Often, I’d encountered Christian women who said they’re the Martha in the church, and they say this a little grudgingly.  I’m no slouch when it comes to Christian ministry, often juggling 6-7 different areas of service while raising my family.  I admit that serving God is like my full- or part-time job.  Some of my church sisters are indeed overworked and desperately need an extended time of renewal.  Others seems to be enjoying one conference after another, hopping from one Bible study and fellowship to another, or retreating from church life.  Why work?  Why rest?  Are we supposed to be a Martha or a Mary?  Jesus seemed to favor the restful Mary, and that doesn’t sit too well with the hard-working Marthas out there.  Perhaps I can offer another perspective, as one obviously in the Martha camp.  Inside, I’m a Mary, and I had to make time to be a Mary or else I can’t serve effectively as a Martha. The purpose of rest here on earth is to renew our passion, strength, and vision to serve God and extend His kingdom on earth.  But being finite frail human beings, if we don’t rest regularly, our bodies break down, as well as our souls, and in worse cases, even our families.  We’re not in heaven yet, so we’re not entitled to “rest” the rest of our lives away.

So ladies (and gentlemen too!), are we to be both?  Let’s know how to rest like Mary so then we can serve like Martha.

Who am I?

Luke 7:24-28   

24  After John’s messenger’s left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed swayed by the wind?

25  If not, what did you go out to see?  A man dressed in fine clothes?  No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces.

26  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

27  This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’

28  I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

When John the Baptist was imprisoned by King Herod for his bold messages about repentance, he began to doubt about who Jesus was.  But Jesus was never in doubt about who John the Baptist was at all!  John was not a weak man shaken by every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14), and he was definitely not a rich man living in finery.  According to Jesus, he was the greatest prophet ever born! 

When we’re faced with an identity crisis, we should ask the Lord for His view of who we are: 

·         We are beloved children of God (1 John 3:1)

·         We are sinners saved by His grace (Romans 8:23-24, 11:18-20; Eph. 2:8-9)

·         We are disciples in the path to spiritual maturity (Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 4:14-15, 22-24)

·         We are His branches in need of pruning (John 15:1-4)

·         We are God’s workmanship created for good works (Eph. 2:10)

·         We are an important part of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:14-20)

·         We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14)

·         We are ambassadors for God (2 Cor. 5:18-21)

I could go on and on, but do you see the point?  God has the highest and most accurate view of ourselves, not what we or what others think of ourselves.  We may think of ourselves too lowly or too highly, but God’s view of us is 100% correct!

Father God, thank You for knowing us intimately.  You see potential for Your kingdom in us, and You see the areas where we need pruning.  Make us useful instruments in Your sight, and help us be fruitful in the kingdom of God.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Having the Favor of God

Luke 1:24-38 

25  “The Lord has done this for me,” she [Elizabeth] said.  “In these days He has shown His favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

28  The angel went to her [Mary] and said, ”Greetings you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you.”

29  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30  but the angel said to her, “do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

36  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

37  For no word from God will ever fail.”

38  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”  Then the angel left her.

Few people recorded in the Bible have a true abiding relationship with their Creator.  Not many enjoyed the Lord’s favor. Abraham was titled the father of faith (Heb. 11:8-12, 17-19).  Moses saw the face of God and lived, and God spoke to him as a friend! (Ex. 33:9-17) David was said to be a man after God’s own heart (Ps. 51:10, 17).  Daniel was considered highly esteemed by God (Dan. 10:11).

For a long time, Elizabeth must had felt that God passed His favor over her and bore the shame from the community, even though she was righteous and followed all the Lord’s commands (Luke 1:5-7).  Now, Elizabeth was ranked with the holy women of the past—Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah—by conceiving a son by the hand of God destined to be greatly used by God.  God did favor Elizabeth, but he did so in His time and in His way (Is. 55:9). 

Mary now had the distinction of being the only mother in human history to give birth through a truly supernatural phenomenon to the Savior of the world!    The Lord has chosen her for this awesome spiritual responsibility.  She humbly accepted her unique calling and bore all the joys and burdens that came with it.  If she did not have a close relationship with the Lord or have a deep knowledge of His Word and His ways, she could not have lived through the weight of Simeon’s prophecy (Luke 2:34), the wonder of Jesus’ future ministry starting at age 12 (Luke 2:45-52), the miracle at Cana (John 2:1-12) and all the other miracles that followed, the horror of seeing her son nailed on the cruel cross (John 19:25-27), the shock and unspeakable joy of His resurrection and His ascension (John 20:19-20. Luke 24:50-53), and finally the founding of the first Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 1:12-14).  What a spiritual roller-coaster journey Mary must had traveled through!  This favor from God carried much sorrow and opposition from evil men, but through her humble obedience over many years, the world is blessed with a Savior, and countless many have found favor with God through His salvation.

Do we find favor with God?  What prevent us from being used by God in a great and mighty way?