Given the Choice

Genesis 13:14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.(AG)15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring[a] forever.

Abram and Lot were both so prosperous that the land became too small for them, and they needed to part ways to make it work. Abram is the one who comes up with the solution and gives Lot, his nephew, the choice to look at the land and choose his destiny. Lot chose the best land, the plains of Jordan, for himself. Abram was left in Canaan to make the best with what he had. It seemed Lot got the better deal and Abram’s humble pie backfired on him, until God stepped in and told Abram to look around him and behold how God was going to bless him. I noted that Abram didn’t complain or become angry that Lot had taken what appeared to be the best. He had given the choice with a pure heart and did not look back. He seemed quite confident and comfortable with what God had given him. He simply moved on and continued to breed his flocks and carry on in the manner that had brought him great wealth to begin with. Not only did Abram get 100-fold what he gave up, but his inheritance is continuing today. Lot got only pain and heartache for his selfishness. I can’t help but wonder if Lot had chosen differently and Abram had been given the plains of Jordan, if history would have been different for Sodom and Gomorrah?

I think about how I feel when I give the choice to my neighbor (anyone in my path), and they take the best and leave me with what’s left. Somehow, I often seem to be lacking the kind of faith and contentment Abram had. I sometimes resent giving that choice at all, or I give it expecting the other person to give it back but when they don’t I resent it. Hum…? Not good. Conviction noted, forgiveness needed, but most of all more faith, confidence, and contentment, trusting God to take care of my needs Lots to still learn!

God, You have declared Your unconditional love for me and promised to meet all my needs according to Your riches in Christ Jesus!  I know that, in my head, and You have been pouring it into my heart, but there is still an empty spot that needs to be filled to overflowing. Please, Father, continue pouring until there is such an overflow that I do not even hesitate to offer and give generously in obedience to You, with joy and contentment!! Help me to leave my choices in Your hands.

Criticism or Compassion

Genesis 9:14. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 

 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked(AD) and told his two brothers outside.

Today, two truths jumped off the page as I read this chapter. First, is the rainbow. How can we not get excited when we see a rainbow! I realized the rainbow was not just so that we would remember the covenant, but for God who said He would remember each time He saw it.

Second, the verse and situation that really caught my attention was Noah’s nakedness when he was drunk, and Ham’s response.  When Ham saw his father’s nakedness (sin) he shouted it to the world, so to speak.  Come, look, he said to himself and then to his brothers, look at our father’s sin. How disgusting!  Immediately, we see Ham’s heart was far from pure. Probably with a measure of self-righteous pride, he announced his father’s sin. Shem and Japheth, on the other hand, responded with compassion and offered grace to their father by covering him. Maybe they were thinking Noah would realize his sinful behavior and seek forgiveness.  Noah recognized their behavior as righteous while Ham’s was reprehensible and thus, he cursed Ham and blessed Shem and Japheth.

Wow! How do I treat the sins of others? Do I purposely expose them to make myself look good?  Do I shout it out to shame them?  Or,do I offer the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ to cover their sinful nakedness. Do I cover them in prayer and offer compassion, since I am a sinner saved by the grace of that covering?  Will I be blessed for my compassion or cursed for my critical, self-righteous spirit.

Lord, Jesus, thank You for covering my sins with Your blood, so I can walk in faith and the righteousness of God. Thank You for having compassion on my soul and covering me with Your feathers and hiding me under Your wings of protection and love. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!  Help me to extend that compassion and love to others!!

Shut in or Shut out

Genesis 7:16b – The Lord shut him in.”

Noah had done everything the Lord commanded and now his family and all the animals were safe in the ark. “Then the Lord shut him in.”  God didn’t shut Noah out, He shut him in to keep him safe. Shut in on an ark with his family and hundreds of animals…Hum? Sound like Paradise?  Just imagine feeding all those animals, and when you feed animals, nature takes over and…well you know what I mean. Add a year with your grown children who think they know more than you do. Somehow, I imagine those were the most challenging 365 days of Noah’s life.

Have you ever been “shut in” by God?  You have done what He asked of you, and you feel pretty good about your obedience and then,” Wham!”, He shuts you in. Since You have been obedient, surely your “shut-in” (waiting) time will be spent on the beaches of Hawaii relaxing after all your hard work. Not!  At least not for Noah and often not for us either. Seems there are lessons that can only be learned during those uncomfortable “shut-in” days. But be reminded, you are not being “shut out,” but “shut in” with God. Only when the waiting is over, do we see the destruction He kept us from and the awesome future He was preparing for us.

Lord, I have been shut-in by You and I remember the pain and confusion. I knew I had been obedient, but You stopped me in my tracks and seemingly put me in an ark of testing. Then, when the time was right and the way was safe, You released me to an even greater and more fulfilling work than I could have imagined. Thank You for the ark of safety and testing. The beauty of the ark is that it kept my focus on You. Thank You for knowing just the right time to release me for service. The rain only lasted 40 days, but the rainbow is a forever reminder of God’s grace. Every time I see a rainbow may I remember my personal ark and rejoice in Your awesome promise and protection.

Blessing or Curse

Genesis 4 

Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain and Abel both had a choice in their offering to God.  Abel brought fat from the firstborn of his flock, “his best”. Cain brought “some” fruit from his labors.  When God asks Cain this question, He is giving him a chance to repent to make it right. God warns Cain that the way he is proceeding will lead to sin because the enemy desires to trick him just like he did his mother and father. Cain, like Eve doesn’t take God at His word.

Once again God is confirming the gift of choice.  Even after we have sinned, He offers the opportunity to choose life. Here we find man again doing his own thing and expecting God to bless it. When God confronts Cain, He does so as an act of loving compassion and offers him the opportunity for a do-over.  If Cain truly desired to have fellowship with God, he would have repented on the spot and asked how to please God with his sacrifice?  Instead, he walks away intent on taking matters into his own hands. Thus, he suffers for his wrong choice.

Every choice we make brings blessing or a curse. My experience has taught me that God is compassionate and forgiving, but I always suffer physically, mentally, or emotionally for my wrong choices. The blessing is, when I repent of those choices, He often turns my wrong choices into lessons that lead to a blessing.  Even when I bear the scars of those wrong choices, He uses them for His glory. The scars are actually a sign of repentance and healing.

Thank You, Father, for offering life and blessing, forgiveness and restoration. Thank You for not giving up on me but offering hope and a second chance.  I gladly proclaim, “You are good, and Your mercy endures forever.” I will sing of the goodness and mercy of my God!!

One of my favorite oldies. Listen and give thanks for your scars.

Choose Faith not Doubt

Genesis 3:4-5 NIV “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The walking, talking serpent tempted Eve with something good, knowledge. She already knew about her world, and she knew God who walked and talked with her daily. She could have asked him any question at any time and gotten an answer, but she did not know about tomorrow; she only knew today with God.  The idea of knowing what God knew was not only tempting, but dangerous. With temptation comes choice. We understand that man at creation had the gift of choice breathed into him along with the gift of life.  So, when Eve was tempted, she had the choice to trust that God was good and would tell her what she needed to know or accept the serpent’s temptation causing her to doubt.

Since Eve, men and women have doubted God. In fact, I believe every act of disobedience stems from doubt. Will He do what He promised, if I do what He asks? Will He provide for my needs if I give Him my tithe? Will He be there when the world comes crashing in on me? Will He still love me if I fail Him in some way? The question is how have I doubted God in the past, and am I doubting today? When I choose faith over feelings, doubt is defeated. “Choose” means I MOVE in the direction of my faith, rather than chewing and stewing on my doubt.

Father, give me courage to choose faith when doubt is hovering over me. Help me to act on the fact of Your Word, not my fickle feelings, and to wait for You to move the mountain or provide a path around, over or through it. May memories of over 70 years of your faithfulness to me take precedence over every and any temptation to doubt Your sovereignty and grace in my life.

Happy Birthday

Today begins my 80th year on this earth and my first official post. The sun is shining, my husband and grandkids have blessed me with a cake and two beautiful Fall mums, and my dog, Daisy, is resting at my feet. I am praising God for another new beginning. What lies ahead for me on this leg of the journey I do not know, but I do know Jesus has the destination with GPS with ETA already loaded and ready to go. I’m sure there will be rest stops and traffic (distractions) along the way, but He will help me navigate each situation and work all things for His glory to get me to my destination. I hope you will join me on this journey as each day God calls me into a deeper relationship with Him through His Word and opportunities to bless other travelers along the way. He is in the driver’s seat and the engine is revved and ready, so join me as a passenger and let’s enjoy the journey together.

Join the Journey

My name is Joyce and Jesus loves me.

At 78 years old, I’m still falling more in love with Jesus every day. What began at 7 years of age with the support of my Catholic father and Nazarene mother, was a journey of faith that would take me through a blended upbringing, Christian college, marrying a preacher, raising 2 daughters, decades as a classroom teacher and ministry leader, retirement, and now ministry in the golden years.  I’ve experienced the greatest blessings one could hope for and yet, my worst fears have also been reality. Jesus never left my side and I’ve clung to His words of life.  With journals and devotionals full from my quiet time with God, my daughter encouraged me to start this blog.

Over 70 years of following Jesus, and I’m still only scratching the surface of His goodness and grace. So even now, I’m still learning to love myself as Jesus loves me so I can love you as Jesus loves you. Jesus loves me and you!

Join me as I continue this journey with Jesus!