Gen 9:8 "Then God told Noah and his sons, 'I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants...'"
When someone has wronged me severely, cheated me, or lied to me, I am usually done with them. I wouldn't say I hold a grudge or carry hatred in my heart for that person, but I will probably never deal with them or trust them fully again. I walk away. Why waste the time and the effort rebuilding the relationship? Why risk trusting them again? God could have taken the same approach in Genesis 6-9. He could have wiped the slate completely clean and started fresh. He could have walked away altogether. But he doesn't. The whole world had gone wrong and he doesn't throw in the towel. He doesn't give up. He saves a small family to preserve and after the flood, he reaffirms his covenant with them! He starts again. He begins a new covenant. What lesson can be learned here? I do think it is wise to not waste too much time with liars, cheats and deceivers, but on the other hand, maybe I give up too soon? Maybe I walk away too quickly? Who in my life have I given up on, or walked away from? Who deserves a second chance in my life? How can I reconcile with them today?
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Noah Gets It
Genesis 8:20 "Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose."
There are times in my life when I am faced with a challenge and I pray real hard to God. Maybe I am having car difficulty or an issue at work, so I pray really hard and ask God to "please please bless me and answer my prayer." And of course the issue gets resolved, things work out the way they are supposed to, and I forget all about God answering my prayer. As soon as things are OK, I go back to my normal every day routine. But Noah did something different. Upon emerging from the ark, he built an altar and gave a sacrifice to the Lord. He responded immediately and gave thanks! I need to be more grateful and thankful to God. I need to do a better job of showing my appreciation in good times and in bad. What can I be thankful for today? How can I show my love and appreciation now?
There are times in my life when I am faced with a challenge and I pray real hard to God. Maybe I am having car difficulty or an issue at work, so I pray really hard and ask God to "please please bless me and answer my prayer." And of course the issue gets resolved, things work out the way they are supposed to, and I forget all about God answering my prayer. As soon as things are OK, I go back to my normal every day routine. But Noah did something different. Upon emerging from the ark, he built an altar and gave a sacrifice to the Lord. He responded immediately and gave thanks! I need to be more grateful and thankful to God. I need to do a better job of showing my appreciation in good times and in bad. What can I be thankful for today? How can I show my love and appreciation now?
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Noah Alone
Gen 7:1 "Finally, the day came when the LORD said to Noah, 'Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I consider you alone to be righteous.'"
We spend so much of our life trying to fit in. We want to be a part of the crowd, be like everyone else, and be one of the cool kids. Noah didn't care too much for that. Noah chose to stand alone and stand apart from the crowd. While everyone else did what they wanted and ignored God, Noah followed him and obeyed him. He stood out. And he alone was righteous. Can the same be said for me? Do I stand apart? Am I different? Or do I blend in?
We spend so much of our life trying to fit in. We want to be a part of the crowd, be like everyone else, and be one of the cool kids. Noah didn't care too much for that. Noah chose to stand alone and stand apart from the crowd. While everyone else did what they wanted and ignored God, Noah followed him and obeyed him. He stood out. And he alone was righteous. Can the same be said for me? Do I stand apart? Am I different? Or do I blend in?
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Noah and the Flood
1 Peter 3:21 "And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
The flood was a great story of faith and perseverance by Noah and his family. It also was a foreshadowing of the saving work of Jesus. Just as God rescued and saved Noah's family, Jesus has saved all those who trust in him. And to symbolize this, we are dunked in water and raised in new life. The baptism itself does nothing, it is rather the power of Christ behind it that saves us. At the end of the day, Noah and his family were given a new life, new opportunity and a new day. Jesus offers us the same. Today I am grateful for new beginnings, fresh starts and a new life because of Christ!
The flood was a great story of faith and perseverance by Noah and his family. It also was a foreshadowing of the saving work of Jesus. Just as God rescued and saved Noah's family, Jesus has saved all those who trust in him. And to symbolize this, we are dunked in water and raised in new life. The baptism itself does nothing, it is rather the power of Christ behind it that saves us. At the end of the day, Noah and his family were given a new life, new opportunity and a new day. Jesus offers us the same. Today I am grateful for new beginnings, fresh starts and a new life because of Christ!
Monday, October 13, 2014
Noah
Genesis 6:8 "But Noah found favor with the Lord."
In a world full of wickedness, Noah found favor in God's eyes. He was the only good man left. The only man obedient enough for God to spare. If I were alive then, would God have found favor in me? Does he now? How can I make sure in a world filled with sin and disobedience, I am swimming upstream?
In a world full of wickedness, Noah found favor in God's eyes. He was the only good man left. The only man obedient enough for God to spare. If I were alive then, would God have found favor in me? Does he now? How can I make sure in a world filled with sin and disobedience, I am swimming upstream?
Thursday, October 09, 2014
A Nicer Car than Me!
Haggai 1:4 "Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?"
Earlier this week an Oklahoma man confronted a female panhandler he had been giving his lunch money to the past few days. He noticed she was getting into a very nice car all by herself moments after she took his donation. "You've got a nicer car than me!" he shouted at her. In his mind, she clearly did not need the money he had been so graciously giving her day after day. Now there may be more to this story, but the point is this is how God felt with his people. Why were they living in luxury while his house went unattended? More to the point, why were his people being so selfish and not caring for him first? The same can be asked of me. Why do I concentrate and focus on me, myself and I, before I ever give a rip about others or God? How can I put him first in my life today? How can I make sure his needs and his house are in order and exalted before mine are?
Earlier this week an Oklahoma man confronted a female panhandler he had been giving his lunch money to the past few days. He noticed she was getting into a very nice car all by herself moments after she took his donation. "You've got a nicer car than me!" he shouted at her. In his mind, she clearly did not need the money he had been so graciously giving her day after day. Now there may be more to this story, but the point is this is how God felt with his people. Why were they living in luxury while his house went unattended? More to the point, why were his people being so selfish and not caring for him first? The same can be asked of me. Why do I concentrate and focus on me, myself and I, before I ever give a rip about others or God? How can I put him first in my life today? How can I make sure his needs and his house are in order and exalted before mine are?
Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Re-Gifter
Malachi 1:14 "Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord."
I have a confession, I've re-gifted things before at Christmas time. It's usually just a gift card to a restaurant I know I'll never visit or a box of candy I pass on to the kids' teachers. In fact if I ever give you a Subway or Bath and Body gift card as a gift, you can be sure I've re-gifted. The point is, I don't always give my best. Like the subjects in Malachi I don't always give my best to God. And he doesn't refer to me just as a "re-gifter" or a "cheapskate." He calls me a "cheat." When I don't give God my best, I'm cheating him. How can I be sure to give God my best today? How can I make sure I am not just going through the motions, but rather giving God my whole heart?
I have a confession, I've re-gifted things before at Christmas time. It's usually just a gift card to a restaurant I know I'll never visit or a box of candy I pass on to the kids' teachers. In fact if I ever give you a Subway or Bath and Body gift card as a gift, you can be sure I've re-gifted. The point is, I don't always give my best. Like the subjects in Malachi I don't always give my best to God. And he doesn't refer to me just as a "re-gifter" or a "cheapskate." He calls me a "cheat." When I don't give God my best, I'm cheating him. How can I be sure to give God my best today? How can I make sure I am not just going through the motions, but rather giving God my whole heart?
Monday, October 06, 2014
Reaction Time
Gen 4: 7 "You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. But if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it."
Chuck Swindoll once said "Life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it." Life can be tough. Life sometimes throws curveballs at us and sometimes we find ourselves in a mess we've created all on our own. No matter the circumstances, the quality and value of our life is found in our reactions. When a driver on the road cuts in front of me, I am 100% responsible for how I react. When my child disobeys me or my coworker disrespects me, I am 100% responsible for how I react. I may not have had much control over their actions, but I am fully responsible for mine. My reactions and responses are mine. They affect the quality of my life and they say a lot about who I am. So how have my reactions been this week? Do I calmly and humbly respond to the circumstances around and make wise, rational decisions, or do I fly off the handle, act rashly, and run over everyone in my path? Or am I somewhere in the middle and if so, how do I become more Christ-like?
Chuck Swindoll once said "Life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it." Life can be tough. Life sometimes throws curveballs at us and sometimes we find ourselves in a mess we've created all on our own. No matter the circumstances, the quality and value of our life is found in our reactions. When a driver on the road cuts in front of me, I am 100% responsible for how I react. When my child disobeys me or my coworker disrespects me, I am 100% responsible for how I react. I may not have had much control over their actions, but I am fully responsible for mine. My reactions and responses are mine. They affect the quality of my life and they say a lot about who I am. So how have my reactions been this week? Do I calmly and humbly respond to the circumstances around and make wise, rational decisions, or do I fly off the handle, act rashly, and run over everyone in my path? Or am I somewhere in the middle and if so, how do I become more Christ-like?
Wednesday, October 01, 2014
Choices
Romans 1:28 "Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done."
My children are not robots. They have free wills and free spirits-trust me! They are free to make choices and decisions. Most of the time, they make healthy and wise decisions because they are one half Erin's! Every now and then, the Kerschner side of them takes over and they make a foolish decision that we are not too thrilled with. As they grow older I find I have less and less control over what they do and the choices they make. Our relationship with God is similar. As his kids, we have been given free will. We are allowed to make wise choices or foolish ones. And when we make a bad choice, God allows it. He may even let us wander from him, as in the case in Romans 1. But like a good dad, God is always right there next to us, always pursuing us, and always calling us back to him. Am I listening to his leading? Am I consulting him daily on the choices I make?
My children are not robots. They have free wills and free spirits-trust me! They are free to make choices and decisions. Most of the time, they make healthy and wise decisions because they are one half Erin's! Every now and then, the Kerschner side of them takes over and they make a foolish decision that we are not too thrilled with. As they grow older I find I have less and less control over what they do and the choices they make. Our relationship with God is similar. As his kids, we have been given free will. We are allowed to make wise choices or foolish ones. And when we make a bad choice, God allows it. He may even let us wander from him, as in the case in Romans 1. But like a good dad, God is always right there next to us, always pursuing us, and always calling us back to him. Am I listening to his leading? Am I consulting him daily on the choices I make?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)