ODJ: provision
November 26, 2009
READ: Genesis 21:22-33, 23:1-18
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God (21:33).
Four years ago, Egypt was at the top of our list of dream vacations. Scheduling conflicts, however, left Egypt on our wish list as we chose another destination. We still hope to visit Egypt one day. I especially would like to see the Valley of the Kings, a series of tombs tunneled in the rugged and harsh mountainside. Having held their secrets for more than 3,000 years, the tombs’ discovery in 1881 revealed a wealth of knowledge about Egypt’s earlier dynasties.
While in captivity in Egypt, ancient Israel kept hope alive partly because of a tomb in Canaan (Genesis 50:24-25). Scripture tells us of two covenant transactions Abraham made while living in the land. Securing water for his livestock, Abraham dug a well and gave Abimelech seven lambs “to show [his] agreement” that the well belonged to Abraham (21:30). The second occurred when Abraham bought land for a burial plot after his wife Sarah’s death. In the agreement, a plot of land at Machpelah became Abraham’s possession (23:17-18).
A stranger in the land, Abraham was able to water his flocks and bury his dead as God had promised. Having been told of the captivity of later generations (Genesis 15:13), Abraham possessed by faith what would eventually belong in reality to his descendants. Centuries later, Joshua would lead Israel back to the Promised Land according to what God had spoken: “Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you” (Joshua 1:3).
Beginning with a well and a tomb in Canaan, the promises of God have become manifest in Christ. No visible well is required because the life He provides causes us to “never be thirsty again” (John 4:14-15), and a tomb becomes a promise because “anyone who believes in [Him] will live, even after dying” (John 11:25). —Regina Franklin
How does the life of Christ in you make your life a spiritual “promised land”? What are the specific promises you are waiting for God to fulfill? What are the manmade “wells” or “tombs” that keep you from seeing God’s promises?
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Loading ...ODB: confession and thanksgiving
November 26, 2009
READ: Nehemiah 9:32-37
They have not served You . . . in the many good things that You gave them. —Nehemiah 9:35
During a Sunday worship service, our congregation said this prayer of confession in unison: “Gracious God, like many believers before us, we complain when things do not go our way. We want abundance of everything rather than what is sufficient to sustain us. We would rather be elsewhere than where we are at the moment. We would rather have the gifts You give to others than what You provide for us. We would rather have You serve us than serve You. Forgive our lack of gratitude for what You give.”
Abundance is no guarantee of gratefulness or thanksgiving. Prosperity may even turn our hearts away from the Lord.
When a group of Jewish exiles returned from Babylon with Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, they gathered to confess their sins and those of their fathers. They prayed: “Neither our kings nor our princes, our priests nor our fathers, have kept Your law . . . . For they have not served You in their kingdom, or in the many good things that You gave them, or in the large and rich land which You set before them, nor did they turn from their wicked works” (Neh. 9:34-35).
Confession is a powerful prelude to a prayer of thanks-giving. Obedience is the Amen. — David C. McCasland
Confession opens the door to thanksgiving.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Bringing Good Out of Evil
By Fayemiwo, Oluwaseun Oluwatobi, 24, Nigeria
As a child, I seldom fell ill but whenever I did, I had to get an injection. That was the part I hated the most. I always imagined that the nurses were sadist who simply wanted to prick my tender skin.
However, I’ve come to realize that the pain was necessary for my own good.
When I read about the life of Joseph, I think I have it much better. I figured that it must’ve felt really terrible when Joseph was sold by his own blood brothers into the Egyptian slave market for a mere 20 pieces of silver. I can’t imagine the emotional setback he faced from feeling unwanted and hated by them.
Even upon his arrival at the civilized Egyptian kingdom, the nomad boy had his hard work repaid with evil by his masters’ wife. She seduced him to fulfill her own immoral pleasures and got him thrown into jail for a crime he didn’t commit.
But it didn’t end there.
After being locked up in prison, Joseph interpreted the dream of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and was promised help. Unfortunately, after the cupbearer left, Joseph was long forgotten.
For thirteen years of his life, Joseph faced a whole series of trials.
At the end of Joseph’s ordeal, God elevated him to the post of governor over the land, second only to Pharaoh. His role became especially vital when famine came upon the land of Israel. Many flocked from Israel into Egypt to purchase grain. Even Joseph’s family was not spared of this plight and soon enough, his betraying brothers came prostrate before their “slave” brother. But Joseph did not once abuse the power granted by God to take his brothers to task. Instead, he extended forgiveness and compassion and reconciled his relationship to his brothers.
The nomad boy turned slave boy, prisoner and then governor of Egypt went through these different phases in preparation of God’s planned purpose. Our God works in strange ways by letting His children go through trying moments to refine them as gold.
Psalms 76:10 reads “Human defiance only enhances Your glory, for You use it as a weapon.”
When fellow humans put us in difficult situations, we should remember Joseph’s story.
Moreover, Psalms 119:71 reads “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.”
Through trying times, no matter how long it takes, at the right time God will let us out of it, as His good purposes become clearer. Now, we should be grateful to our gracious God for His unrevealed purposes and patiently seek His ways.
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