Saturday, February 6, 2010

Don't delay

To many times in our life we wait for just the right moment to do something. We know it needs to be done, we just choose to wait till some other time...just not now.

There can be many blessing that we miss or are delayed simply because we wait & wait. I remember delaying taking my Pastoral exams. I delayed them because of wellll.... fears... that I should not have worried about anyway.

After finally, taking and passing them a good friend chided me... "see now, what were you waiting for".

We Rebekiah heard how God brought all the events together she chose to go immediately with the servant and meet her new husband.

If God is calling you to obedience, Don't Delay, Obey Today!

Gen 24:54-59
54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." 55 But her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go." 56 He said to them, "Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." 57 And they said, "We will call the girl and consult her wishes." 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." 59 Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men.
NASU

Friday, February 5, 2010

Obedience to Whom?

As we go through life we need to know to whom we will be obedient. Once we understand that issue everything else will fall into place. Or maybe I should ask the question another way, "Who is your "boss"? Who do you follow?

Abraham's servant was given the task of finding a wife for Isaac. In that task he had specific instructions, "Don't take Isaac back to Canaan." But Abraham wasn't expecting the servant to follow his instructions. He was expecting him to follow God's instruction.

If you are a teacher, parent or leader in any capacity you should be helping people to obey God. Teach them the truth of God.

If you do not know what God's truth is then I encourage you to open the Bible and start reading. It might be easiest to start in the New Testament. Or you can post a comment and I would be delight to help you find God direction for your life.

Gen 24:5-9
5 The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?" 6 Then Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there! 7 "The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. 8 "But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there." 9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
NASU

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Do Not Abuse Power

When someone becomes rich or famous many people want to be around them. They are willing to give things to them because there can be an attitude that they deserve this stuff. What is even more dangerous though it that there are individuals that assume that because of who they are they deserve these benefits.

Remember the phase: Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Abraham is showing us that despite the fact the many in the country where he lived felt he was worth receive a burial site "free" he was unwilling to have something given to him. He knew that this could offer leverage to them to get him to do something he might regret later.

Consider how you can serve rather than be served.


Gen 23:4-20
4 "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight." 5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, 6 "Hear us, my lord, you are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our graves; none of us will refuse you his grave for burying your dead." 7 So Abraham rose and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish for me to bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and approach Ephron the son of Zohar for me, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he owns, which is at the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in your presence for a burial site." 10 Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth; even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, 11 "No, my lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead." 12 And Abraham bowed before the people of the land. 13 He spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "If you will only please listen to me; I will give the price of the field, accept it from me that I may bury my dead there." 14 Then Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, 15 "My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you? So bury your dead." 16 Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, commercial standard. 17 So Ephron's field, which was in Machpelah, which faced Mamre, the field and cave which was in it, and all the trees which were in the field, that were within all the confines of its border, were deeded over 18 to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field at Machpelah facing Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that is in it, were deeded over to Abraham for a burial site by the sons of Heth.
NASU