Open

…and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3 ESV)

Open

Clark Griswold’s family was bitterly disappointed when Wally World was closed.  I was disappointed when the Pharmacy was not open, and could not fill my prescription.  Many were disappointed when Wichita’s Baskin Robbins closed their doors permanently.

Not only because those who were disappointed could not fulfill their desires.  But those closed places feel like an indication that someone does not love us.

But God’s holy presence is always open for us.

We can always go to Him and learn from Him, because He loves us.

We can always go to Him and walk His way, because He loves us.

We can always approach Him, commune with Him, lean on Him, call out to Him, and worship Him, because He loves us.

God’s love keeps His doors open.

Cleaning

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;   though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)

Cleaning

One of the small but tedious ways that my wife displays her love, is the removal of stains on my shirts.  She does not care about my shirts, she does not care about dirt, she does not care about my style… she loves me, and so she cleans.

And God loves us more than she loves my shirts.  Isaiah tells us that no matter how deeply our souls are stained by sin, God cleans them.  No matter how hopeless we think our stains are, God has cleaned them.  No matter how difficult our stains of tomorrow, God will clean them.

And the cleaning was not accomplished through cheap detergent.  We are cleaned by the precious blood of God’s only begotten Son.  His red blood made our crimson stains into pure white.

God loves His people, so He cleansed us, is cleansing us, and will cleanse us.

Holidays

20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. (Esther 9::20-22 ESV)

Holidays

It is not quite the holiday season.  But it is not too soon to remember why we should celebrate every holiday.  Mordecai was not merely celebrating the protection of the exiled Jews, Mordecai was celebrating God’s love.

Every celebration, if it is honest celebration, can do the same things.

Your birthday is the celebration of your birth, yes.  But more than that it is the celebration of God’s pro-active love… He gave you life because He loved you already.

Resurrection Day is the celebration of death’s death, yes.  But more than that it is the celebration of God’s far-reaching love, in that He destroyed mankind’s biggest enemy because He loves His people.

Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation, yes.  But more than that it is the celebration of God’s limitless love, in which He gave His only begotten Son because He loves Christ’s brothers and sisters.

If we can not see that any holiday under consideration is a celebration of God’s love, we have no reason to celebrate.

But God’s love is always the reason to celebrate.

Blameless

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.  (Jude 24, 25 ESV)

Blameless

“It isn’t my fault!”

“I couldn’t help it!”

“It seemed like the best choice at the time!”

“The woman that you gave me, SHE gave the fruit to me…”

These claims have not been effective to assuage guilt, avoid responsibility, or remove blame.  And really, we know it.  We keep trying though, foolishly.

It is foolish because God, in His love for His people, gives us a better solution.

Jesus has already accepted our guilt, our failures, and all of our shame, embarrassment, and blame.  Christians have nothing to avoid anymore.

And Jude is overwhelmed with praise because of it.  He knew how much God loved him.  And Jude knew the cost of that love, the very life of Christ.

Maybe if Jesus had not suffered so much, Jude would not be so amazed.  Maybe if Jesus had simply ticked a box, filled out a form, and done a little penance, Jude would not have praised so loudly or eternally.  Maybe if Jesus had left part of our blame on our backs, leaving it for us to deal with, Jude would have been more bland in his praise.

But Jude knew how much God loved him.

We can be just as loud.

Unity

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3,4 ESV)

Unity

We disagree so easily.  At family reunions we are not supposed to talk about religion or politics, lest we have an argument.  When in the wrong location, we are not supposed to talk about our favorite team, lest we have an argument.  When choosing a restaurant, we are not supposed to be too open with our favorites, lest we have an argument.  When glancing at someone’s new coat, we are not supposed to be too loud in our enthusiastic support of our favorite color, lest we have an argument.

All in all, it is pretty silly.

None of those things, or so many things that we argue about, are important.

What gives true lasting heartfelt helpful unity is our common salvation.  God’s true people are saved by Grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.  When we have that in common, other things are tripe.

In these verses, the common salvation even allows the author to be somewhat confrontational!  Because of the common salvation, he says they can disagree about the details.

And that common salvation centers around God’s love.  God’s love that is sacrificial in the death of His Son.  God’s love that is unconditional in the faith that saves.  God’s love that is boundless in His acceptance of who we are, knowing that His children will be like Christ in the end.

Arguments arise, but the Love of God brings unity.

Timing

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14 ESV)

Timing

The right timing is important.  It is not enough to know the guitar chord, the notes also has to be played at precisely the right time.  It is not enough to know the ingredients, they must be added to the recipe in the right order, and at the right time.  It is not enough to know the road directions, but sometimes the turn needs to be made avoiding other moving things… timing.

And the more important the situation, the more willing we are to focus on the right timing.

God loves His people.  And so He uses His perfect, exact, and necessary timing to bless us.

In this passage, Mordecai pronounces to Esther that perhaps she was in Persia at just the right time, for God’s wonderful salvific reasons.  And Mordecai was right.

God’s actions in our lives all involve perfect timing.  We often do not understand His timing, yet.  But because He is God, and because He loves His people, we can be assured that the timing is just right.

The timing is because of His love.

Christ was born at the exact right time.  He was crucified at the exact right time.  He arose at exactly the right time.  And every moment of our lives continues that exactly correct timing.

When things do not seem to be timed the way we would time them, trust God’s love and power to be better than our senses and understanding.  He loves us, and so gives us His perfect timing.

Philemon

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,  because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints… (Philemon 4,5 ESV)

Philemon

Philemon was a good friend of the apostle Paul.  And of all the ways Paul could have begun this letter, he points out that Philemon has the reputation of love.

The problem is, from our perspective, that Philemon did not seem personally very loving.  He was a slave-owner.  When that slave (Onesimus) ran away, it was expected that Philemon would be angry and vindictive.  Those things do not sound very loving to our ears.

But Paul writes that Philemon loved.  As a Christian, the love of Philemon did not come from Philemon’s personality, Philemon’s choices, Philemon’s maturity, or even Philemon’s actions.

Philemon had the reputation of being loving because Philemon was a child of God, a Christian.

And Christians are, by definition, loving.

Maybe your attitudes, words, and actions do not always seem loving.

But like Philemon, the love-roots are there.

By the end of Paul’s letter to Philemon, Paul displays confidence that Philemon will be loving in fact, as well as in Christian-reputation.  Because that is also what Christians do.

We learn to love, following the love of our God.

We almost can’t help it.

Because God is love, we, His children become love, too.

Look for it, yearn for it, practice it, reach for it, hope for it… and you will love, like Philemon.

God’s love is rich enough to drip down and fill us.

Good-er

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Genesis 50:19,20 ESV)

Gooder

Joseph was good to his brothers.  They had hated him, betrayed him, and given him into slavery.  But rather than seek revenge, he welcomed them to Egypt, provided for their needs, and arranged for their future well-being. 

But Joseph’s brothers knew that Joseph was only human.  There was a limit, perhaps, to how good Joseph would be toward them.

But Joseph understood the source of the goodness with which he treated those troubled men.  Joseph was not good because of Joseph’s character, mind, or heart.  Joseph was good because Joseph’s God was good, and Joseph’s God empowered Joseph in goodness.

Joseph chose to be like God.  And therefore Joseph knew that his goodness would continue.  Because God is good.

And whatever goodness Joseph had displayed, he knew that God was gooder.  I know that is not a word, but it communicates what Joseph is saying here.

God is gooder.  God is kinder. God is powerfuller.  God is knoweldgeabler. Go is holier.  God is Lover.

When, perhaps only for brief moments, God’s children can choose to be good, or kind, or holy, or even especially loving… we can rejoice because we see God acting through us, in us, by us, and around us.

God’s love is more than ours… and God’s love empowers ours.

Blessings and Safety

Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.  (Genesis 47:27 ESV)

Blessings and Safety

An odd thing happened in Egypt because of Joseph’s God.  All of Egypt, in a way, was blessed and survived a drought because Joseph was Chief Administrator.  But while the Egyptians lived, they surrendered they possessions, income, and property.  They became slaves of the Pharaoh. 

In a way, God was giving them over to their foolish choice to follow other gods… slaves to their spiritual deafness, God made them slaves to Pharaoh.  Slaves to their wealth and power, God made them slaves to Pharaoh’s wealth and power.  Slaves to their short-sightedness, God made them slaves to Pharaoh’s vision.

And meanwhile Israel, technically outside of Egypt, remained free, retained their possessions, and were at peace for 400 years.

For one reason… God loved them.

Years later, Pharaoh cast his greedy eyes unto Goshen as well… but this happened only because it was time for God to manifest His love by taking the people to their home. 

God in His love of His people, arranged tragedy and political turmoil and tyranny right next door to Israel.  But God’s love provided for them, protected them, nurtured them, and kept them.

Just like He promised.

His love does the same thing for His people today.  Troubles around us are meant to draw our eyes to the Lord.  Tragedy and political turmoil and tyranny right next door are nothing more than opportunities for us to remember that we are HIS.

He provided a spiritual savior for us, of course.  But He also remembers His people physically.  Let us not mistake what God is doing to the world with what He does for us.

He loves us.

Unpopularity

When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.’ (Genesis 46:34,35 ESV)

Unpopularity

The Israelites lived in the fertile land of Goshen, on Egypt’s frontier, for nearly 400 years before they were totally enslaved.  During that time, the tribes became a tribe… the peoples became a nation. 

This was allowed to develop because the Egyptians despised shepherds, and therefore despised the Israelites.

Being hated is not pleasant.  But notice the implied contrast here.  Yes, the Egyptians hated the Israelites, but God loved them, show by God’s provision here.  Yes, the Israelites were mocked and belittled, but Israel was precious in God’s heart.  Yes, the world shook its head at Israel, but God embrace them.

God’s love is better than the hate of haters.  God’s love is necessary for survival, and the hatred of others is irrelevant.  God’s love nurtures, helps, enables, and provides… but the hatred of outsiders is nothing more than a chance for God to astound us with His love.

Let the light of His love, most shone in the gift of His Son, blind the shadows of ignorance, cruelty, and hatred.

Plans

Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.   I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes. (Genesis 46:3,4 ESV)

Plans

Our front doorknob was stuck.  We usually lock the door with a deadbolt, but the twisty button on the knob itself also had a lock, which was not working.  And now, it had become stuck in the locked position.

I took it apart, used logic and mechanical knowledge, but could not get the lock to disengage.  Finally, in near desperation, I found on the internet a description of the design notes for this kind of lock.

And somehow, because I could now determine the intentions of the designer, the intricate gears and stops made sense.

And my wife had a good suggestion, too…

Poor Jacob (renamed Israel) was afraid.  He and his family had settled in Canaan, in the area that God had promised him a homeland.  He was almost experiencing the fulfilment of God’s promises!  But the loss of his beloved son, years of draught, and neighbor-troubles had combined to give him doubts.

But God, in His love, gave Israel a glimpse of things to come.  Israel would have peace.  His body would die, not in conflict, danger, or shortages, but in rest, among family, and in God’s presence.

We do not always understand God’s plans as He works them out.  But like Israel, we know the end.  And because we are loved by God, that end is peace.

Do not be afraid, God’s love is at work.

Preservation

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” (Genesis 45:4,6 ESV)

Preservation

My mother used to can foods.  She canned corn, beans of various sorts, strawberries, blueberries, apples, and pears.  To some degree, my family liked or appreciated those foods.

My mother did not can beets, asparagus, brussels sprouts, or kale.  My family did not like those foods at all.

Foods we liked, she preserved.  Foods we did not like, she did not preserve.

God preserves what He loves.

Here, it was Jacob’s family. 

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, it is you.

For the simple reason that he loves His people.

Without His love, there would be no need for preservation.

But because His love is deep and profound, He does amazing work in the world to preserve us.

You are preserved because of God’s love.

Success

The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. (Genesis 39:23 ESV)

Success

It is said of bacon, that it makes every food better.  Bacon improves hamburgers, bacon improves casseroles, bacon improves vegetables, bacon improves corn chips… bacon even improves ice cream!

But even more than bacon, the Lord’s presence improves every aspect of His children’s lives.

Joseph found that even betrayed by his family, the presence of the Lord made everything better.  Even locked up in prison, Joseph was successful because the Lord was with him.

More than His presence, it is the love of God which brought Joseph’s success.  For God is present everywhere, all the time.  But Joseph, whom God loved, found unique success.

Because God is omnipotent, all-knowing, omnipresent, and sovereign, HIS presence, HIS attention, and HIS love guarantees Joseph’s success.

Not Joseph’s cleverness, not Joseph’s pleasantness, not Joseph’s passion… but God’s loving presence.

The love of God is not simply a benefit for believers… it makes all the difference in the world.

Surrender

“Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” (Genesis 35:10 ESV)

Surrender

Jacob was a tough hombre.  During most of his life he fought against those stronger than him, wealthier than him, and more powerful than him.  But, even when he fled some of those fights, he did not really give up.  He struggled and strove and contested every problem he had.

Until finally, unbelievably, he found himself actually fighting an angel!  God’s messenger!  In a sense, a symbol of God Himself!

And Jacob finally lost.  Jacob finally gave up.  Jacob finally surrendered.

And at that moment, Jacob reached peace with the God who loved Him.

Before we can respond to God’s love, we surrender to Him.

God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel,” which meant basically, “he fought with God,” to remind him of that for the rest of Jacob’s life.

God allowed Jacob to fight with Him because God loved Jacob.  God knew that losing THAT wrestling match would enable Jacob to surrender.  And to therefore know God’s love.  And then to be able to finally love God, too.

As hard as it is for us to comprehend or accept, God does the same thing with us.

When we object to God’s plans, God’s actions, God’s intentions, and God’s will… we, too, contend with God.

And we lose, like Jacob.

And when the dust settles, when we are able to see that we lost, we notice His love.

Tomorrow, maybe I can surrender before the fight, because God’s love is worth surrendering for.

Love Multiplied

But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. (Genesis 33:4 ESV)

Love Multiplied

I enjoy Star Trek, and therefore I desire the rest of you to enjoy Star Trek, too.  I enjoy bacon, and therefore I desire the rest of you to enjoy bacon, too.  I enjoy Christmas, and therefore I desire the rest of you to enjoy Christmas, too.

But I do not have the power to cause you to like those things.

God, however, does.

God loves, and therefore He desires His children to love, too.

And He can bring our hearts to love even our bitterest enemies.

No one would have thought Esau and Jacob would weep with joy at their reunion.  But God changed them.

In a bigger way, no one would have thought that a rebellious sinner like me would be ever growing in my love of the One True Living God.

God is love, and He multiplies that love through His people.

So love more.

More

Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the Lord add to me another son!” (Genesis 30”22-24 ESV)

More

Rachel did not write a book of the Bible, did not found an empire, did not start a university, nor have more children than her sister, or their two servants.

She complained a bit, was jealous, was manipulative, and often untrusting.

But she understood at least one thing about God better than I usually do.

When God blessed her, she expected that God would bless her more.

Perhaps that was greedy, but I believe it was hopeful.  Perhaps it was selfish, but I believe it was trusting.  Perhaps it was childish, but I believe her knowledge of God’s boundless love was mature.

God does not distribute blessings to His beloved stingily.  God is no miser or cheapskate.

Rachel believed, and was right, that when God blesses His children, it means we can expect more blessings.

Because that is how much He loves.

More than we think.  More than we expect.  More than we notice.

From the immense blessing of cross-purchased forgiveness, to the incredible blessings of not merely a long life, but eternal life… God blesses more.  God blesses again.

God blesses as big as His love.

Generations

God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham! (Genesis 28:3,4 ESV)

Generations

My parents used to tease me, saying that I had been an accident.

But babies of God’s people are never accidents.  They might not be born according to our plans or expectations, but God works through generations to bring His people into being, nourish us, and complete His kingdom.

Here, Isaac is telling Jacob about God’s blessings.  And Isaac mentions Abraham, himself, and now Jacob as participants in God’s blessings.  It is God’s normal method to pass blessings from parent to child, to child, to child, and right down to tomorrow. Sometimes through physical birth, sometimes through adoption, sometimes through mentoring.  And God even does this generational work through the family found in the Church, communities, and particularly the family of God.

Even if the blessings are not obvious.  Even if the lineage seems disrupted.  Even if our generations seem to fail.

God is working His plan, founded in His love for His people.

I am eagerly anticipating God’s blessings continuing on… from my grandparents, to my parents, through me, to my children, to my grandchildren.

God’s love is shown through generations.

Repeat

So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because she was attractive in appearance. (Genesis 26:6,7 ESV)

Repeat

The concept of repeating is a common idea in Scripture.

Jesus preaches nearly the same sermon over and over.  The primary message of every Biblical book is the same.  We find some phrases (e.g. fear not, I will never leave you nor forsake you) repeated repeatedly.

We are instructed to repeat our forgiveness 490 times.

God forgave the thick-necked Israelites over and over and over.

What do all those repeats have in common?

The same thing that certain TV shows, certain desserts, certain books, certain road trips, certain conversations, certain hobbies are repeated.

We repeat what we love.

And God does, too. 

This story of Isaac lying about Rebekah is a repeat of the story of Abraham and Sarah.  And the story occurs twice for Abraham.

God repeats this story to us because just like Star Trek, cherry pie, The Hobbit, camping at Big Bear Lake, discussing our children, and collecting stamps… love is involved.

God repeats Himself to us, a lot.  Because He loves both His Message, and His people.

Connections

Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. (Genesis 25:3 ESV)

Connection

Cynical historians may doubt it, because of a lack of archeological evidence, but it seems to me that in the midst of this Biblical list of descendants of the Patriarchs, many of the listed names were the ancestors of tribes, nations, and people groups. 

And there, nestled hidden in one of the lists, is Sheba.

Was this Sheba the ancestor of the Queen of Sheba who visited Solomon years later?  Eager to learn not merely about the Israelite King, but perhaps also about the God of Solomon?

Maybe her journey to Jerusalem was the other end of a beautiful thread, woven first here in Genesis.  Maybe Sheba was not just coming to study wealth and power, but maybe she was also coming to be returned to the fold.

It’s possible.  Because God connects His loved ones.  Miles and years mean nothing to Him.  He promotes unity in Himself, and in His people.  Because He loves all of His children.

Most of us are not interested in someone else’s family reunion.  But we probably feel differently about our own.

God reunites.  Because He loves.

All Things

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. (Genesis 24:1 ESV)

All Things

I was in a play recently, in which I had to read a last will and testimony.  And as I read of the division of a character’s worldly goods and chattel, I thought of how difficult writing such a legal document really is.

We give, in our wills, to those we love.

And what we really want to do, is leave everything to ALL of our beloved.

But our lives do not work that way.  We have too many limits.

But wow, oh wow, God does not!

He blessed Abraham in ALL things!  And somehow He had also blessed Sarah in ALL things!  And Isaac! And Rebekkah!  And somehow every child of His, in every way, throughout time.

We can not do it.

Not only because we are not powerful enough.  But more importantly, because God alone loves us THAT much.

He loves, as only He can.  And so He can give all blessings!