Tag: Devotionals

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Fight So He Will Fight

Genesis 29:31

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

When Jacob first met Rachel, Jacob weeps. He then willingly works 7 years for her, and because of how much he loves her, it feels like just a few days. When it comes time for Jacob to marry Rachel, her father, Laban, tricks him by giving him Leah instead. This now puts Leah in an uncomfortable situation. A very difficult one.

Now, we know the rest of the story. Jacob finishes his marriage week with Leah and then he receives Rachel, his one true love, as his second wife. The LORD saw the trickery take place. He saw the deceit and deception of Laban, and defended the innocent in his schemes.

See, sometimes, the enemy schemes against us and is successful. Sometimes, he puts us in a situation where we are unloved, unseen, or under appreciated. Now, granted, sometimes we do this to ourselves as well, we put ourselves in situations we shouldn’t have. Here’s the thing. God still sees you, even if others don’t.

Leah could have easily allowed resentment and anger fill her and consume her, but instead she chose to love, even when he (Jacob) didn’t love her. She chose to not give up, even when she saw her younger sister receiving all of the love and attention.

Leah’s story is a sad one. She really did nothing to deserve the hand she was dealt, but that’s life. We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. Leah reacted with persistence and love. And the LORD saw her from above and blessed her.

Leah is blessed with seven children, none die during childbirth, and she doesn’t die during childbirth either. Jacob honors her in the end. She’s buried with him and his ancestors. In fact, the Messiah comes through her, but her sister.

Leah may not have been loved the way Rachel was, but the LORD wouldn’t allow her to be forgotten. He wouldn’t allow her to be overlooked and pushed to the side. God made sure she was honored as the wife of Jacob. And in the end, I do believe Jacob honored her as his wife, as well.

Sometimes we’re in difficult situations that make us want to give up, give in, and claim defeat, but when we fight for our marriage, God begins to fight with us. When we pray for our spouse and we love even when it’s hard, God sees. He steps in and does the heavy lifting that we can’t do on our own. He makes a way where there is no way, softens hearts, and changes minds. God does not overlook us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Fight So He Will Fight.

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Be Patient In Love

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ~ Genesis 25:19-21

Isaac is a patriarch who gets mentioned, but it’s almost like it’s by default. Like he isn’t mentioned because of something he did, but because of when he was born. He’s the son of Abraham and the father of Jacob. So, when we mention who God is the God of, it’s almost like we only mention Isaac by default because outside of that, he feels very overlooked. But Isaac had some great qualities.

One specific quality he had was that he truly loved Rebekah. He didn’t just brush off her feelings, her desires, her needs. When Rebekah was barren and couldn’t conceive, Isaac stepped up as a husband and prayed for her. He prayed to the LORD his God to open her womb so that she might have children. And because of that, the LORD heard his prayer and Rebekah conceived.

Now, let’s contrast this with Jacob’s response to his wife, whom it says he loved greatly.

1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2 Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” ~ Genesis 30:1-2

Instead of stepping up as a husband and praying for her to be able to have children, Jacob became angry with her. He scolded her. This is the woman he loves, whom he worked an extra seven years for, and they were as if only a few days to him because of the love he had for her. He didn’t have patience for her emotional breakdown. He couldn’t sympathize with her pain and her agony.

Yes, sometimes we, as women, are a little overemotional, but we were created by God to be more emotional than men. We were created to balance each other out. I personally believe that this is what Peter was explaining in his first letter.

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7).

Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church. Have patience with her. When something overwhelms her and makes her emotional, don’t be angered by that emotion; instead, take your place as the head of your wife and pray to God on her behalf. Love isn’t just loving when it’s easy. Love is for all times, especially in times that are harder and more stressful.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Patient In Love.

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Love God Above All

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. ~ Job 2:7-10

Job’s wife gets a bad reputation. She’s often the butt of the joke. The hidden villain. But when we look at this in context, she really wasn’t the villain. At least, she wasn’t trying to be. Think about it. She’s now lost all of her children. Her husband’s wealth is all gone. The lifestyle she was used to vanished. In a single day. Now, her husband’s health is under attack.

His entire body was covered in loathsome sores. Job describes his skin as turning black and falling off (Job 30:30). He was in agonizing pain. And the crazy thing is, they both seem to understand that it was a spiritual attack. His wife is probably in fear that he will die. That she will lose her husband just like she lost her children. So, she’s telling him to curse God and die from this. I don’t believe she meant a physical death. Otherwise, she’d have nothing and no one. I think she’s referring to spiritual death. Similar to the death threatened in the Garden of Eden. A death that would separate him from God but end his suffering.

I genuinely don’t believe this was from a place of evil. I think Job’s wife couldn’t take anymore of the suffering she’d endured, and she’d seen her husband endure. We often talk about Job’s suffering but never his wife’s suffering. It was her children as well. It was her wealth as well. She carried and bore each and every one of those children. She nursed them. Raised them. Watch them grow up, and then in a single day, they were gone. All of them. Not a single one spared. Now her husband is under attack. Do you not think she was desperate to save him?

Sometimes, our love for others can make us arrogant towards God, even if we don’t intend it to be. Even if we don’t mean to do so. Yes, it may have been with good intentions, but what is wrong is still wrong regardless of intention. When we go through hardships, when we suffer loss, when we are struggling to watch our loved one go through a test, we have to make sure our love for God is never lowered below the love of them. We can’t sacrifice following Him for the sake of the physical comfort of another. God must come first. When He comes first, we learn true love for others.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Love God Above All.

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Find Comfort In Each Other

62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. ~ Genesis 24:62-67

Sarah has died. Isaac is now a fully grown man. So, what does his father do? He sends his servant to the land of his fathers, to the city of Nahor, to find a wife for his son, Isaac. Now, fast-forward to the servant returning with Rebekkah, Isaac’s future wife. She sees him in the distance, immediately dismounts, and asks who he is. Then she covers herself with her veil when she finds out who he is.

What does Isaac do after he finds out who she is? He takes her to his mother’s tent and marries her. He finds comfort from the loss of his mother in Rebekah. Usually, men are the comforting ones in the relationship. Usually, it’s wives who go to their husbands to be comforted, and that’s the way we see it being at all times, but Isaac, the strong one in the relationship (as we see men), was comforted by his wife.

Love is a two-way street. It’s give and take. No one can be strong 24/7. No relationship can survive on just one person being there for the other every single time. We have to find comfort in each other. We have to be there for each other. We have to learn to be one.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Find Comfort In Each Other.

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Unique Love

19 We love because He first loved us. ~ 1 John 4:19

Christianity is a unique religion. It’s the only religion in the world that makes it a point to say that God loves all of His creation. That He loves all of mankind. Not just those that follow Him. Not just those who are doing good and obeying the rules. Not just those who are worthy and pure, but all of His creation. Everyone.

That’s unique. That’s specific to Christianity. Why? Because no other God has gotten off of His throne to make a way for all of humanity to be saved. For each and every person, regardless of their past, to have an opportunity to be saved. That is why we can boldly say our God is love (1 John 4:8). Because He is love, He loves. And because He first loved us, we in turn can love.

This is the difference between our God and all other gods. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by a loving God. That is something to rejoice over. It is something to praise God for. We serve a God like no other.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Love Because He Does.

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Dwell In It

Jeremiah 31:3 – “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

Sometimes we feel unworthy, lost, or overwhelmed. But God’s love doesn’t depend on our performance, our moods, or our past mistakes. It is constant, steadfast, and personal. God’s love is never-ending. There will never be a day that God’s love is just not enough.

Therefore, today, take a moment and rest in the knowledge that no matter what happens, God’s love is chasing us, guiding us, and never letting go. Take a breath and remember that no matter what happens, as long as there is breath in our lungs, there is hope of forgiveness and dwelling in God’s unfailing love.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Dwell In It.

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A Foreshadowing To Remember

1 Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” 4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ~ 2 Samuel 7:1-13

I’ve seen many people say that Solomon was a type of antichrist because the weight of gold that came to him in one year was 666 (1 Kings 10:14-15). Now, while Solomon definitely made many, many mistakes as king, he also wrote two books of the Bible. How can Solomon be an antichrist, but also write two books of the Bible? How does that work exactly? Short answer: It doesn’t. Solomon wasn’t a type of antichrist. Solomon actually had a lot in common with Christ.

The LORD told David that his son would build the Temple. Solomon was that son. It was Solomon who built the Temple for the LORD. Solomon, the son of David. Do you see the connection yet? Jesus, before He was crucified, said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Solomon, the son of David, built the first Temple for the LORD. Jesus, the Son of David, built the final Temple for the LORD. What is that final Temple? Us. The Church. We are the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-23 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pay Close Attention To The Foreshadowing.

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Go To The Storehouse

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of His saints. ~ Proverbs 2:6-8

Solomon implores the people that the LORD has a never-ending, vast supply of knowledge and wisdom. It comes from His mouth, and He stores it up for the upright. You know what that tells me? That tells me that the LORD doesn’t just wait for us to need His wisdom or understanding; He prepares in advance before we ever have the need for it.

James, the brother of Jesus, encourages us that this wasn’t just for one time or for one group of people. This applies to us today. The LORD isn’t bound to time the way we are. He sees it before it happens. He prepares what we need before we need it. So, when the time comes, we need only ask because it’s already there for us.

He watches over our way, guarding the paths of justice, protecting us as our shield. We are never alone. Never forgotten. Never do we have to face anything by ourselves; He is with us always. So, be encouraged by this. Let this build up your faith. Our God has stored up wisdom, knowledge, and understanding for us before we even need it. Before we even get to that level. Therefore, never be timid, afraid, or feel unworthy of asking the LORD for His understanding; He has already prepared it for you. He’s just waiting for you to ask for it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Go To The Storehouse.

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Believe In Who He Is

1 The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the people of Simeon, according to their clans, and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance of the people of Judah. 2 And they had for their inheritance Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah, 3 Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, 4 Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, 5 Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, 6 Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen—thirteen cities with their villages; 7 Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four cities with their villages, 8 together with all the villages around these cities as far as Baalath-beer, Ramah of the Negeb. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Simeon according to their clans. 9 The inheritance of the people of Simeon formed part of the territory of the people of Judah. Because the portion of the people of Judah was too large for them, the people of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance. ~ Joshua 19:1-9

Psalms 23, written by David, is one of the most recognized verses in the entire Bible. It’s verses that we teach to our children from a young age. One of the greatest examples of this in the Bible is the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon. See, Simeon, because of his fierce anger, deceit, and vengeful behavior, he lost out on his inheritance. The Messiah didn’t come through him. In fact, Jacob prophesies that they would be scattered throughout Israel (Genesis 49:5-7).

Do you know where a good amount of Simeon’s land came from? From the land of Judah. In fact, it says that the portion for Judah was too large for them, so the people of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of the people of Judah’s inheritance. See, Simeon’s heart was unrepentive. His descendants did nothing to repent for his actions. Nothing to make up for the past mistakes and break the generational curse, as the Levites did. Judah, however, repented for his sin (selling his brother into slavery) and did his best to make up for it. Because of this, Judah received a great inheritance, both spiritual and physical. The Messiah came through his bloodline, and his physical inheritance of the land was so large that his brother was allotted some of it.

This is a great example of Psalms 23. See, David said, “My cup runneth over.” His cup ran over, not out of waste. Not for no reason, but so that he might bless others. So that others’ cups might be filled through his overflowing. Through his abundance.

The LORD will always bless His people when His people are faithful to Him. But He will also punish those who are disobedient. The saving grace, however, is that He doesn’t forget them. His anger is just for a moment, but He always makes a way for us to be restored. His love is everlasting, and His mercies are renewed each morning.

You might have a child who has rebelled. You might have a friend or loved one living in sin, but I want you have hope because the LORD hasn’t forgotten them. If you remain faithful in praying for them, placing their name before the Throne of Grace daily, you will see the LORD change them. You’ll see the LORD begin to move their heart and make a way for them. He is a faithful God. We just need to make sure we are faithful to Him. Therefore, make sure your cup is overflowing so that you might be able to bless those people around you, and they might see the goodness of God and His great faithfulness.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Believe In Who He Is.

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You Will Lack No Good Thing

[10] The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10).

That is not necessarily only about financial or material “good things.” I’m sure it includes financial or material good things, but not just limited to that. I believe Solomon was painting a bigger picture with broader strokes and a broader brush. He was looking into the spiritual through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. He was looking toward a time when the worshipers who worship the Father would be worshiping in spirit and in truth. He was seeing our time, the time of grace.

I believe he is, without doubt, also speaking about the “good thing” to come through Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Jesus said that anything that two believers agree on earth about and ask for, it will be done for them by His heavenly Father (Matthew 18:19).

The Acts-chapter-2-believers, the early Christians, took Jesus at His word and not only believed but let their mouth voice their faith. This is their prayer: 29 And now, LORD, look upon their threats and grant to Your servants to continue to speak Your Word with all boldness, 30 while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the Name of Your holy servant Jesus (Acts 4:29–30). And in response to their prayer of faith, the place in which they were gathered and were praying was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to preach the Word of God with boldness. And guess what? Signs, and wonders, and incredible acts of healing continued to follow their ministry.

This is a promise that, as they say, we can take to the bank, because God is good for it. Therefore, “No good thing will be withheld from them that diligently seek the LORD.” Signs, wonders, miracles, and healing will accompany those who seek and believe. It was prophesied about and promised to us; therefore, as believers, we can claim that promise. Paul said that all of God’s promises are yea and amen. So, let us lay hold of it with both hands and claim our promise, in Jesus’ Name.

Father, increase our faith that we might believe for the miraculous so that Your Name is glorified among the nations, and that unbelievers may know that there is a God in heaven, and that You still sit upon Your throne, in Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.

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