Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
I'm going to be one verse behind now, but that's ok.
Once again, I've pulled a verse from our lunch group to commit to memory. One I should've memorized by now, to be sure, but it struck me as particularly pertinent to this season.
Because the first part of the verse, which is what was listed on our study sheet, is a promise:
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chron. 16:9a, NIV 84)
And, I'll confess, I didn't go back and get the context of it as I considered it; that really had enough right there to give me pause.
He's looking for fully committed hearts.
Where in that is there room for 'I'm a Christian, but...'?
We have forgotten the origin of the term 'Christian'.
We have forgotten that it was originally a derogatory, marginalizing term meaning 'Little Christs', only not in a good sense. The New Testament authors never referred to themselves as Christians, although they did acknowledge that they would suffer in being called Christians. The closest equivalent phrase we would have today is 'Jesus Freak'.
How much sense would it make to stand up and say 'Yeah, I'm a Jesus Freak, but...' ? To claim radical commitment to following Jesus, and yet point out that one really isn't any different than the popular culture?
God is looking for people whose hearts are fully committed to HIM. When I read the whole verse in context, all that feel good about God looking for people to strengthen takes on a whole 'nuther concept, because it actually is part of a prophetic scolding. Asa, the king of Judah, had hired Ben-hadad, the king of Aram, and his army to come and fight with him against Baasha, king of Israel, who was blockading Judah. Asa and Ben-hadad had actually conquered several cities and ended the siege.
But Asa had not relied on God, and the prophet took him to task, reminding him of the time that he had been under attack by a large army and had been delivered by the hand of God and pointing out that now he would not be able to defeat Ben-hadad. The rest of verse 9 shows the consequences:
You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.
Asa aligned himself with an unbelieving nation in order to strengthen himself, when God was waiting to give him the strength necessary to not only conquer those who were against him but also to conquer the very pagans to whom he had paid tribute.
God says it's a foolish thing to align oneself with those who do not follow Him. For those who are fully committed to Him...no 'ifs', 'ands' OR 'buts'....there is strength.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Selfie anyone?
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
I'm trying to learn about successful blogging from the blogs I read.
Only, I don't really read successful blogs. I read blogs that stir a sense of connection between me and the author.
I don't read blogs for edification, I guess. I read blogs because I don't get to go have coffee with friends often.
And that statement just hit me...in my mom's generation, friends went to each other's homes to have coffee. Now they go to Starbucks. But that's a digression.
Anyway, I often find myself skimming by posts that describe events people attended. And if that's the case...there's not much point into going into details about this year's women's conference. At least, not from the standpoint of providing information for my readers. So I'll skip the details of an absolutely amazing conference and cut to my take home message.
There was a big difference in my conference experience last year and my conference experience this year. If I had any doubts about the growth and healing that has taken place in the past twelve months, all I have to do is look at the mess I was in virtually every session last year. Last year I was dealing with a wound that was still raw. This year, I found myself contemplating other areas in which I need to grow and mature and open up.
Several areas were addressed, but the one that resonated in me as MY take away had to do with isolation.
And I know it is my take away because it surfaced last weekend; it was already on my heart before the Friday night speakers spoke to it and prayed over it.
Last week, we did a video shoot in the mountains in Tennessee for background video for our conference closer. There were about 80 of us that rode vans and carpooled and such up to a wedding venue on a really back road. We all got various stripey designs on our faces; I took a rather bad selfie of myself with the paint on:
This is supposed to be a 'Not on my watch!' face; I cropped the photo really tight because otherwise it looked kinda lame. In the background were other ladies taking selfies as well.
But...here's the deal...I'm in my selfie by myself. All around me, ladies were taking photos of themselves with their friends, sharing the experience.
I'm in my selfie by myself.
Part of this is a technical difficulty; I don't have a smartphone so I have to use my tablet, which is two-handed awkward and, at best, takes rather grainy photos. So it would have taken some effort for me to grab someone and take a photo and I just couldn't muster the oomph to mess with the tablet enough to get a picture. And I was reluctant to try to explain my camera to someone so I could get a photo of me with anybody.
But part of it is also that I am not selfie-close-buddies with anyone. I rode in the van, and I made new friends whom I enjoyed talking with very much, but they were part of the groups of other folks.
I actually looked around at the other ladies laughing and taking photos, and found myself wishing I was 'selfie-close' friends with someone.
Now, I knew nearly all of them at some level. And we are smile-and-greet-and-hug compatible. But I have somehow not gotten past that.
I have written about this before, my seeming inability to let my walls down enough to be close and vulnerable and mutually supportive with others. I did not have this issue when I was younger; it's definitely a product of aging. And it rests entirely on me.
Somehow, I have gotten so busy and so consumed with all that is to be done on so many areas that I've totally forgotten how to be a friend.
One of the speakers reminded us that we had to be intentional to leave space in our lives for other people.
Yes.
For me, this was my assignment as I left.
Make space.
Be intentional.
Embrace friendship again.
A friend of mine got this on her camera; it's not a produced video so the technical quality detracts considerably from the experience of being in the sanctuary, but you can get an idea of the closer and how the video footage worked with the live presentation to send everyone out:
I'm trying to learn about successful blogging from the blogs I read.
Only, I don't really read successful blogs. I read blogs that stir a sense of connection between me and the author.
I don't read blogs for edification, I guess. I read blogs because I don't get to go have coffee with friends often.
And that statement just hit me...in my mom's generation, friends went to each other's homes to have coffee. Now they go to Starbucks. But that's a digression.
Anyway, I often find myself skimming by posts that describe events people attended. And if that's the case...there's not much point into going into details about this year's women's conference. At least, not from the standpoint of providing information for my readers. So I'll skip the details of an absolutely amazing conference and cut to my take home message.
There was a big difference in my conference experience last year and my conference experience this year. If I had any doubts about the growth and healing that has taken place in the past twelve months, all I have to do is look at the mess I was in virtually every session last year. Last year I was dealing with a wound that was still raw. This year, I found myself contemplating other areas in which I need to grow and mature and open up.
Several areas were addressed, but the one that resonated in me as MY take away had to do with isolation.
And I know it is my take away because it surfaced last weekend; it was already on my heart before the Friday night speakers spoke to it and prayed over it.
Last week, we did a video shoot in the mountains in Tennessee for background video for our conference closer. There were about 80 of us that rode vans and carpooled and such up to a wedding venue on a really back road. We all got various stripey designs on our faces; I took a rather bad selfie of myself with the paint on:
But...here's the deal...I'm in my selfie by myself. All around me, ladies were taking photos of themselves with their friends, sharing the experience.
I'm in my selfie by myself.
Part of this is a technical difficulty; I don't have a smartphone so I have to use my tablet, which is two-handed awkward and, at best, takes rather grainy photos. So it would have taken some effort for me to grab someone and take a photo and I just couldn't muster the oomph to mess with the tablet enough to get a picture. And I was reluctant to try to explain my camera to someone so I could get a photo of me with anybody.
But part of it is also that I am not selfie-close-buddies with anyone. I rode in the van, and I made new friends whom I enjoyed talking with very much, but they were part of the groups of other folks.
I actually looked around at the other ladies laughing and taking photos, and found myself wishing I was 'selfie-close' friends with someone.
Now, I knew nearly all of them at some level. And we are smile-and-greet-and-hug compatible. But I have somehow not gotten past that.
I have written about this before, my seeming inability to let my walls down enough to be close and vulnerable and mutually supportive with others. I did not have this issue when I was younger; it's definitely a product of aging. And it rests entirely on me.
Somehow, I have gotten so busy and so consumed with all that is to be done on so many areas that I've totally forgotten how to be a friend.
One of the speakers reminded us that we had to be intentional to leave space in our lives for other people.
Yes.
For me, this was my assignment as I left.
Make space.
Be intentional.
Embrace friendship again.
A friend of mine got this on her camera; it's not a produced video so the technical quality detracts considerably from the experience of being in the sanctuary, but you can get an idea of the closer and how the video footage worked with the live presentation to send everyone out:
Saturday, September 5, 2015
The Cookie Notice
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent.
As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies.
You are responsible for confirming this notice actually works for your blog, and that it displays. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third party features, this notice may not work for you.
So I did a little more checking and found that a really ugly notice pops up at the top of the screen if you happen to be visiting from the European Union:
This is a generic notice provided by Google to comply with the EU's requirements. So I thought I'd do a little 'splainin' :
The only use of cookies THIS blog makes is to see who's visiting. I use a hit counter that generates a list letting me know who visits (IP/ IP address; city/state/country; the link they came on, the page they landed on, the page they left on and how long they were here; all of which can be blocked if you're savvy enough) .
I check the list periodically just to see if anyone is reading. It shows me that only a few folks have found their way over, and that over half the visits are my mother. Seriously. A busy day is one in which I have more than six visits. And of those six who are not my mother, most land on the post, glance at it, and leave. Guess it wasn't what they were looking for. Sometimes I think I should ditch the stat counter and then I can maintain the illusion that there are folks who are reading. ;-)
That's all the use I will ever make of cookie information. I am very honored that anyone would click through from where ever you found a link...face book, a search engine, whatever...and allow me to share a bit. If you'd like to leave a comment letting me know you stopped by, that'd be great, but really, I'm just glad you're here.
Now I must go eat a cookie, because I have suddenly developed a craving...
European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent.
As a courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies.
You are responsible for confirming this notice actually works for your blog, and that it displays. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third party features, this notice may not work for you.
So I did a little more checking and found that a really ugly notice pops up at the top of the screen if you happen to be visiting from the European Union:
This is a generic notice provided by Google to comply with the EU's requirements. So I thought I'd do a little 'splainin' :
The only use of cookies THIS blog makes is to see who's visiting. I use a hit counter that generates a list letting me know who visits (IP/ IP address; city/state/country; the link they came on, the page they landed on, the page they left on and how long they were here; all of which can be blocked if you're savvy enough) .
I check the list periodically just to see if anyone is reading. It shows me that only a few folks have found their way over, and that over half the visits are my mother. Seriously. A busy day is one in which I have more than six visits. And of those six who are not my mother, most land on the post, glance at it, and leave. Guess it wasn't what they were looking for. Sometimes I think I should ditch the stat counter and then I can maintain the illusion that there are folks who are reading. ;-)
That's all the use I will ever make of cookie information. I am very honored that anyone would click through from where ever you found a link...face book, a search engine, whatever...and allow me to share a bit. If you'd like to leave a comment letting me know you stopped by, that'd be great, but really, I'm just glad you're here.
Now I must go eat a cookie, because I have suddenly developed a craving...
Friday, September 4, 2015
All Things New: Israel, the 'Face the Music' Road, part 2
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
When we last left our hero, he was standing on the shore of the Jabbok, having just sent the last of his family and possessions across.
And then what has always seemed to me to be one of the strangest events recorded in the Bible takes place:
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak -- (Gen. 32:24; NIV 84 on hand today).
The narrative in Genesis is extremely abbreviated in places, just conveying the most pertinent information. This is one of those places. There was more to the story...much more, I'm sure...that Jacob never told a soul. Where the man encountered him...what passed between them...why they wrestled. I kinda think it was something Jacob didn't understand himself...something he kept private for the sheer awe of it. But, as that encounter left him limping for the rest of his life, he had to tell something of the story.
So all we have recorded is that a man suddenly was there in the wilderness and they wrestled until daybreak.
Perhaps Jacob had seen him approaching as he sent the last of his goods over the river and remained behind for the purpose of engaging the man to keep him away from his family and belongings. Perhaps he had stayed behind to spend the night in prayer again and suddenly found himself confronted with someone who could not give a credible account of himself...and Jacob was alarmed and wrestled with him rather than run the risk of having him go tell Esau that Jacob was alone on the far side of the Jabbok.
We just do not know what the context of the wrestling match was...but we do know that Jacob was determined to win. Even after having his hip put out of socket, Jacob would not let go of the man and let him go free unless he blessed him...which may have been synonymous with promising to do him no harm. They took those things seriously; if the man pronounced him blessed, Jacob may have reasoned that he would not be likely to act contrary to that blessing and so bring judgement on himself.
Jacob received more than a blessing; he received a new identity. No longer would he be known as 'heel grasper' ...he would now be known as 'He struggles with God'. Jacob didn't really start using that name until it was confirmed to him later, but after he let the man go he stumbled across the brook, limping, exhausted, but strangely exhilarated...I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.
If he had not only survived a meeting with God but had been blessed as well -- what could he possibly fear from his brother's hand? It was a massive paradigm shift, and Jacob/Israel was still processing it once he got across the water and saw Esau and his army approaching.
There was no time now to decide what to do next; he just had to go with his first instincts. Quickly he put the children with their mothers and lined them up...servant and their children first, then Leah and her children and lastly Rachel and Joseph. Then Jacob/Israel turned his face towards his brother and began limping towards him, bowing to the ground a total of seven times as he approached to show his brother honor.
This was it. The watershed moment. Esau would either kill him and his family...or not.
I think he was shocked when Esau ran up to him, threw his arms around him and began to weep. His fear and dread washed away with relief as he realized his brother did not hold the old injury against him and he wept with relief and joy. The 400 men blinked at the array of women and children they'd come against. Esau may have very well assumed that Jacob was coming back with arms to assert his rights to the inheritance and was himself surprised that there was no army, no showdown...only a lot of livestock and ordinary folks.
When the initial flood of relieved tears had subsided, Esau looked up and asked who the women and children were. Jacob/Israel introduced them in turn, and they all came and bowed to their kinsman.
Then Esau asked him about the droves of animals he had met, and tried to convince Jacob that he really didn't need them... I have already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself. (Gen 33: 9).
Jacob/Israel insisted, however, If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. Please accept the present that was brought to you; for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.' (vs. 10 - 11).
Eventually, Esau relented and accepted the gifts his brother had sent ahead. He wanted Jacob/Israel to come to Edom with him, but Jacob declined, reasonably stating that he had herds and flocks and women with children and would not be able to travel fast. Esau wanted to leave some of his men with them, but Jacob also declined that, saying he just wanted Esau's good will.
They agreed that Jacob would eventually come to Seir, and Esau and his posse turned around and headed home.
Now, Jacob/Israel had faced and gone through the second confrontation that he had feared on his journey home, and he was finally his own man with no threat hanging over him. He took his herds and family to Shechem, and bought a plot of ground within sight of the city.
There he built an altar to the Lord and called it El Elohe Israel...'God, the God of Israel'.
It was a new day.
What is the thing I fear most? How can I confront that and move through it to the other side? How will I embrace the changes God will bring about in that process?
When we last left our hero, he was standing on the shore of the Jabbok, having just sent the last of his family and possessions across.
And then what has always seemed to me to be one of the strangest events recorded in the Bible takes place:
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak -- (Gen. 32:24; NIV 84 on hand today).
The narrative in Genesis is extremely abbreviated in places, just conveying the most pertinent information. This is one of those places. There was more to the story...much more, I'm sure...that Jacob never told a soul. Where the man encountered him...what passed between them...why they wrestled. I kinda think it was something Jacob didn't understand himself...something he kept private for the sheer awe of it. But, as that encounter left him limping for the rest of his life, he had to tell something of the story.
So all we have recorded is that a man suddenly was there in the wilderness and they wrestled until daybreak.
Perhaps Jacob had seen him approaching as he sent the last of his goods over the river and remained behind for the purpose of engaging the man to keep him away from his family and belongings. Perhaps he had stayed behind to spend the night in prayer again and suddenly found himself confronted with someone who could not give a credible account of himself...and Jacob was alarmed and wrestled with him rather than run the risk of having him go tell Esau that Jacob was alone on the far side of the Jabbok.
We just do not know what the context of the wrestling match was...but we do know that Jacob was determined to win. Even after having his hip put out of socket, Jacob would not let go of the man and let him go free unless he blessed him...which may have been synonymous with promising to do him no harm. They took those things seriously; if the man pronounced him blessed, Jacob may have reasoned that he would not be likely to act contrary to that blessing and so bring judgement on himself.
Jacob received more than a blessing; he received a new identity. No longer would he be known as 'heel grasper' ...he would now be known as 'He struggles with God'. Jacob didn't really start using that name until it was confirmed to him later, but after he let the man go he stumbled across the brook, limping, exhausted, but strangely exhilarated...I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.
If he had not only survived a meeting with God but had been blessed as well -- what could he possibly fear from his brother's hand? It was a massive paradigm shift, and Jacob/Israel was still processing it once he got across the water and saw Esau and his army approaching.
There was no time now to decide what to do next; he just had to go with his first instincts. Quickly he put the children with their mothers and lined them up...servant and their children first, then Leah and her children and lastly Rachel and Joseph. Then Jacob/Israel turned his face towards his brother and began limping towards him, bowing to the ground a total of seven times as he approached to show his brother honor.
This was it. The watershed moment. Esau would either kill him and his family...or not.
I think he was shocked when Esau ran up to him, threw his arms around him and began to weep. His fear and dread washed away with relief as he realized his brother did not hold the old injury against him and he wept with relief and joy. The 400 men blinked at the array of women and children they'd come against. Esau may have very well assumed that Jacob was coming back with arms to assert his rights to the inheritance and was himself surprised that there was no army, no showdown...only a lot of livestock and ordinary folks.
When the initial flood of relieved tears had subsided, Esau looked up and asked who the women and children were. Jacob/Israel introduced them in turn, and they all came and bowed to their kinsman.
Then Esau asked him about the droves of animals he had met, and tried to convince Jacob that he really didn't need them... I have already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself. (Gen 33: 9).
Jacob/Israel insisted, however, If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. Please accept the present that was brought to you; for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.' (vs. 10 - 11).
Eventually, Esau relented and accepted the gifts his brother had sent ahead. He wanted Jacob/Israel to come to Edom with him, but Jacob declined, reasonably stating that he had herds and flocks and women with children and would not be able to travel fast. Esau wanted to leave some of his men with them, but Jacob also declined that, saying he just wanted Esau's good will.
They agreed that Jacob would eventually come to Seir, and Esau and his posse turned around and headed home.
Now, Jacob/Israel had faced and gone through the second confrontation that he had feared on his journey home, and he was finally his own man with no threat hanging over him. He took his herds and family to Shechem, and bought a plot of ground within sight of the city.
There he built an altar to the Lord and called it El Elohe Israel...'God, the God of Israel'.
It was a new day.
What is the thing I fear most? How can I confront that and move through it to the other side? How will I embrace the changes God will bring about in that process?
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
SSMT verse 16: Ps. 34:3
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Yeah, I know, I know. This is supposed to be verse 17 this week.
But we were on vacation on Aug. 15th; the instructions allow for two missed weeks. So I decided to cut myself some slack and not worry about making the post on 8/15.
So here's what's actually my 16th verse:
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. - Ps. 34:3
We've started a lunchtime Bible Study at work; we are to choose a passage and journal about it. My passage this week was the first 3 verses in Ps. 34, but this verse kinda jumped out at me.
I've been doing a bit of songwriting this year; I gave myself a challenge to write a song a month. So far I've managed to come up with something...certainly not polished or even really developed beyond just the roughest basic plan..but something...for every month.
This verse struck me as the motivation behind the writing. It's to invite folks to come and join me in glorifying God.
Whether the songs ever make it out of my notebook onto anything else, it's still an invitation to come and glorify God.
Who knows? Maybe I'll craft some lyrics around Ps. 34... ;-)
Yeah, I know, I know. This is supposed to be verse 17 this week.
But we were on vacation on Aug. 15th; the instructions allow for two missed weeks. So I decided to cut myself some slack and not worry about making the post on 8/15.
So here's what's actually my 16th verse:
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. - Ps. 34:3
We've started a lunchtime Bible Study at work; we are to choose a passage and journal about it. My passage this week was the first 3 verses in Ps. 34, but this verse kinda jumped out at me.
I've been doing a bit of songwriting this year; I gave myself a challenge to write a song a month. So far I've managed to come up with something...certainly not polished or even really developed beyond just the roughest basic plan..but something...for every month.
This verse struck me as the motivation behind the writing. It's to invite folks to come and join me in glorifying God.
Whether the songs ever make it out of my notebook onto anything else, it's still an invitation to come and glorify God.
Who knows? Maybe I'll craft some lyrics around Ps. 34... ;-)
Friday, August 28, 2015
All Things New: Jacob: the 'Face the Music' Road - Part 1
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
With Laban's reluctant blessing, or at least his promise not to do anything that would cause him or his family problems, Jacob was now able to quit looking over his shoulder for pursuit.
But now he had to face the very threat from which he fled twentyish years earlier.
Esau.
If he were to return to his inheritance, to the land of his fathers, he was going to have to make peace with Esau.
But he had God's instruction, so he put his camp in motion again and continued moving south.
In Geneses 32 today; my ESV is the translation that's handy....
Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God's camp! So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
(Gen 32: 1- 3, ESV)
Jacob has an angelic escort waiting for him as he approached home.
Do you suppose they were there to encourage him? Protect him? Warn him?
Maybe all of the above?
Jacob saw them and, to all appearances, camped there for a while. The atlas I consulted said the exact location of Mahanaim is unknown, but it was definitely to the east of the Jordan and the north of the Jabbok.
Before he crossed any rivers, he wanted to get an idea of what kind of welcome he would get. I don't know how he knew to send his messengers to Seir in order to find his brother; maybe word of Esau's move had come back to the family while he was in Paddan-aram...maybe he just did some asking around in the area after he stopped. But he parked his flocks, herds, servants and family there until he heard back from his messengers.
And the word they brought him was not exactly what he was hoping to hear.
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him." (v. 6)
Apparently Esau had already heard of Jacob's journey home and was headed his way. Four hundred men...that was a small army.
Jacob had flocks and herds and women and children...there was no way to run from his brother, even if he had had anywhere to go.
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed (v.7)
'Greatly afraid and distressed' is probably a gross understatement. Jacob had God's promises, he was acting under God's instruction...and he was terrified. That's not weak faith, that's just being a real human being. There was an army coming to possibly annihilate him and his family. He'd seen the angels earlier..where were they now? He had run from Esau once; he could not run a second time.
So he began to plan. The first thing he did was to split his entire entourage into two parts and sent them to camp well away from each other. If Esau attacked him in the night, Jacob reasoned, he would not expect two camps and might only wipe out one...and at least some of his people and possessions would survive.
Then he stayed at Mahanaim and prayed. There's no time frame on it, but I kinda think he prayed all night. Part of what he prayed is included in the narrative...or maybe he just repeated the same prayer over and over, in various iterations.
O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good.' I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. (vs. 9 - 12)
Jacob reminded God...and, incidentally, himself...that he was here in this threatening place because he had obeyed God. He told God what he was afraid of, asked for deliverance from that threat, and reiterated God's promise.
It was a long night, but when the day dawned Esau had not attacked.
So Jacob came up with another strategy. Now, I don't think the fact that he did this indicates he did not trust God to take care of him...it may have been that God inspired him to deal generously with his brother. Esau had been angry with Jacob for what he took...Jacob decided to counter that by giving.
And he seriously gave. I don't know what percentage of his flocks and herds that all worked out to be, but it was a substantial number of animals that he selected: goats and sheep and camels and cattle and donkeys. And he split them up into droves, with distance between, so that Esau would encounter massive gift after massive gift as his army drew closer to his brother.
Then, Jacob took his wives and their maids and all his children and all the rest of his goods and sent them across the Jabbok. Whether by design or by accident, Jacob was the last one left to cross the stream.
Tomorrow would be the day.
How do I encourage myself in the face of an unknown or fearful situation? Where have I recorded God's promises and instructions and past blessings, so that I can remind myself of them in a critical moment? How ready am I to believe that when I ask God for wisdom in a particular situation, He will give it to me?
With Laban's reluctant blessing, or at least his promise not to do anything that would cause him or his family problems, Jacob was now able to quit looking over his shoulder for pursuit.
But now he had to face the very threat from which he fled twentyish years earlier.
Esau.
If he were to return to his inheritance, to the land of his fathers, he was going to have to make peace with Esau.
But he had God's instruction, so he put his camp in motion again and continued moving south.
In Geneses 32 today; my ESV is the translation that's handy....
Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God's camp! So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
(Gen 32: 1- 3, ESV)
Jacob has an angelic escort waiting for him as he approached home.
Do you suppose they were there to encourage him? Protect him? Warn him?
Maybe all of the above?
Jacob saw them and, to all appearances, camped there for a while. The atlas I consulted said the exact location of Mahanaim is unknown, but it was definitely to the east of the Jordan and the north of the Jabbok.
Before he crossed any rivers, he wanted to get an idea of what kind of welcome he would get. I don't know how he knew to send his messengers to Seir in order to find his brother; maybe word of Esau's move had come back to the family while he was in Paddan-aram...maybe he just did some asking around in the area after he stopped. But he parked his flocks, herds, servants and family there until he heard back from his messengers.
And the word they brought him was not exactly what he was hoping to hear.
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him." (v. 6)
Apparently Esau had already heard of Jacob's journey home and was headed his way. Four hundred men...that was a small army.
Jacob had flocks and herds and women and children...there was no way to run from his brother, even if he had had anywhere to go.
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed (v.7)
'Greatly afraid and distressed' is probably a gross understatement. Jacob had God's promises, he was acting under God's instruction...and he was terrified. That's not weak faith, that's just being a real human being. There was an army coming to possibly annihilate him and his family. He'd seen the angels earlier..where were they now? He had run from Esau once; he could not run a second time.
So he began to plan. The first thing he did was to split his entire entourage into two parts and sent them to camp well away from each other. If Esau attacked him in the night, Jacob reasoned, he would not expect two camps and might only wipe out one...and at least some of his people and possessions would survive.
Then he stayed at Mahanaim and prayed. There's no time frame on it, but I kinda think he prayed all night. Part of what he prayed is included in the narrative...or maybe he just repeated the same prayer over and over, in various iterations.
O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good.' I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. (vs. 9 - 12)
Jacob reminded God...and, incidentally, himself...that he was here in this threatening place because he had obeyed God. He told God what he was afraid of, asked for deliverance from that threat, and reiterated God's promise.
It was a long night, but when the day dawned Esau had not attacked.
So Jacob came up with another strategy. Now, I don't think the fact that he did this indicates he did not trust God to take care of him...it may have been that God inspired him to deal generously with his brother. Esau had been angry with Jacob for what he took...Jacob decided to counter that by giving.
And he seriously gave. I don't know what percentage of his flocks and herds that all worked out to be, but it was a substantial number of animals that he selected: goats and sheep and camels and cattle and donkeys. And he split them up into droves, with distance between, so that Esau would encounter massive gift after massive gift as his army drew closer to his brother.
Then, Jacob took his wives and their maids and all his children and all the rest of his goods and sent them across the Jabbok. Whether by design or by accident, Jacob was the last one left to cross the stream.
Tomorrow would be the day.
How do I encourage myself in the face of an unknown or fearful situation? Where have I recorded God's promises and instructions and past blessings, so that I can remind myself of them in a critical moment? How ready am I to believe that when I ask God for wisdom in a particular situation, He will give it to me?
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Breaking Free
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Our annual Women's Conference starts next week and we have been having weekly prayer meetings leading up to it.
I missed the first few...transportation issues and then we were out of town...but I was able to go to last night's meeting and was sorry I'd missed the earlier ones.
The conference this year is titled 'She is Brave' and is really about identity.
One lady related a illustration she'd envisioned the week before...of women coming in and old, ragged, disguising clothing falling off into a pile around their feet.
I was reminded of another kind of transformation...the cicada coming out of its shell.
I journaled about it last year as it was the picture I had in my head of what I had to do. That there was another plane for me to move to, but I couldn't get there in the form I was in.. I felt I had to clamber out of the old shell and emerge as something different, something I couldn't even imagine. It was a challenge I didn't know I could face.
And I'd kinda forgotten that, until last night.
And then I was just a little amazed, because My Sweet Baboo and I had come across a molting cicada on a walk just a few weeks ago. I happened to have my camera with me; I posted the photo on Facebook.
Molting takes a lot of energy. And...here's the deal...those insects can't eat at all during the process. I remember seeing a nature show dealing with spiders that discussed how much energy it took to molt. They had a camera on a tarantula as she began the molting process but...she didn't have enough calories in her body and she literally starved to death before she completed it. She died trapped in the husk of her own body.
It gave me the creeps all around...firstly, spiders just weird me out by themselves, and then the idea of being caught like that made me claustrophobic.
But...there comes a time when the constriction of self...what about me? what will they think of me? what if they think I'm like THAT? How do I keep their good opinion?...literally begins to choke, strangle and oppress.
When it's time to shed that skin, it is TIME. It inhibits growth, and it's gotta go. There's no movin' on until it's left behind.
Sure, it's risky. It's hard. It takes all available focus and energy. But if it's delayed too long, it's even harder and more draining.
It's time to break free and be who God created us to be.
...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another... 2 Cor. 3:17b - 18a, ESV
Our annual Women's Conference starts next week and we have been having weekly prayer meetings leading up to it.
I missed the first few...transportation issues and then we were out of town...but I was able to go to last night's meeting and was sorry I'd missed the earlier ones.
The conference this year is titled 'She is Brave' and is really about identity.
One lady related a illustration she'd envisioned the week before...of women coming in and old, ragged, disguising clothing falling off into a pile around their feet.
I was reminded of another kind of transformation...the cicada coming out of its shell.
I journaled about it last year as it was the picture I had in my head of what I had to do. That there was another plane for me to move to, but I couldn't get there in the form I was in.. I felt I had to clamber out of the old shell and emerge as something different, something I couldn't even imagine. It was a challenge I didn't know I could face.
And I'd kinda forgotten that, until last night.
And then I was just a little amazed, because My Sweet Baboo and I had come across a molting cicada on a walk just a few weeks ago. I happened to have my camera with me; I posted the photo on Facebook.
It gave me the creeps all around...firstly, spiders just weird me out by themselves, and then the idea of being caught like that made me claustrophobic.
But...there comes a time when the constriction of self...what about me? what will they think of me? what if they think I'm like THAT? How do I keep their good opinion?...literally begins to choke, strangle and oppress.
When it's time to shed that skin, it is TIME. It inhibits growth, and it's gotta go. There's no movin' on until it's left behind.
Sure, it's risky. It's hard. It takes all available focus and energy. But if it's delayed too long, it's even harder and more draining.
It's time to break free and be who God created us to be.
...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another... 2 Cor. 3:17b - 18a, ESV
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