Do You Know What Grace Is?

Could you explain grace, or is it just a churchy, religious word for something like forgiveness? 

Grace is related to forgiveness, but it is different. God forgives His children and wipes the slate clean. But grace is how God puts value in your life after sin has destroyed it. If you broke a crystal pitcher, your mom would forgive you. But the crystal remains broken. Grace crafts the broken pieces into something beautiful and often unexpected. 

For example, when Jacob stole Esau’s birthright and blessing, Gen. 27, he had to run for his life—what Jacob did, with the help of his mom, was deceitful and evil. Sinful, clearly. 

But God, in His grace, was able to work with that, and in the end, the Messiah came through the line of Jacob. Did God WANT Jacob to deceive his father, Isaac? No. But God’s grace can take failures and sins and redeem them. God takes the broken pieces of our lives and puts them back together, a master craftsman repairing a broken heirloom. And often He uses the pieces, the shards, to make something new and different from the original crystal, but beautiful nonetheless. That’s grace. 

Moreover, through His grace, God often does things so amazing that we are left in awe, slack-jawed at the mystery of the sovereign will of God versus the free will of man. That is, by the time He is finished, the beauty He has crafted out of our broken failures is so overwhelming we are tempted to think the failure was God’s plan all along—even when we know it was not. For example, a child born to a rape victim becomes such a blessing to her, she cannot imagine her life without him. THAT is the way of God’s mysterious grace.

Did God plan for Jacob to deceive Isaac? Was it God’s will for Samson to surrender his secret to Delilah? Did God want Saul to be a poor king so David could replace him? Did God want Paul to persecute believers to prepare Paul’s heart for the persecution he would one day face? Imagine the perspective of the former persecutor: when Paul’s life was shattered and rebuilt by God’s grace, he must have been overwhelmed by the mystery of God’s sovereign grace. And it left him nearly speechless:

“Oh, the depth of riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Romans 11:33.

God never, ever favors sin. NEVER. The Bible is clear. But God’s grace is so amazing that He can bring incredible, unexpected GOOD out of our evil. Rom. 8:28. And THAT is what He does through grace.

Consider the acronym: God’s Redemption [of our failures] At Christ’s Expense.

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Biblical Mysteries.

There are things in the Bible that are … peculiar.  A talking donkey.  People 900 years old.  A prophet swallowed by a fish. Ezekiel’s “street-theater” messages including lying on his side for more than a year.  A day when the sun stood still.  Jesus healing a blind man with spit and mud. 

And then there’s this wrestling scene:

“Jacob was left alone and a Man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the Man saw that He could not defeat him, He struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip.  Then He said to Jacob, ‘Let Me go, for it is daybreak.’

But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’

‘What is your name?’ the Man asked.

‘Jacob,’ he replied.

‘Your name will no longer be Jacob. It will be Israel because you have grappled with God and with men and have prevailed.’ … And He blessed him there” Genesis 32:24-29.

We don’t have a play-by-play, but somehow Jacob finds himself wrestling all night long.  At some point, he realizes he is literally wrestling with God.  Somehow the God of the universe has come in a vision or something, and decided what Jacob really needs is a good all-night wrestling match to humble him and prepare him for his new name.  The name ISRAEL can be defined as “he who wrestles with God,” “he who wins with God,” or “he who turns God’s head,” in the sense of when Israel prays, God listens.[1]

Have you ever wrestled with God?  Have you fought for something?  Have you prayed without giving up? Have you prayed with guts and boldness and determination, insisting God bless you and meet that need?  Why not?

You cannot drain God’s energy.  He will never get tired out!  He’s ready to wrestle with you!  It is we who get lazy and walk away.  DON’T GIVE UP!  DIG! FIGHT!  Work hard for your spiritual growth.  Jesus wrestled with the Father many times, often praying all night long.  Why don’t we?

God, teach us—CALL US—to wrestle with you!

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[1] https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/names/Israel.htm

Being the Right Person.

Someone once said, “Marriage is not so much FINDING the right person as BEING the right person.”  That’s a timely word in a culture that views both marriage and careers as some magical romantic fantasy where the person or occupation perfectly fits your every trait, satisfies your every desire, and renders you blissfully happy forever after. We raise our kids to expect fairy tale endings, though fairy tales never happen.  Marriage is HARD WORK.  ALWAYS.  And FAMILY is even harder work.

Remember the way Abraham’s servant found Isaac’s wife Rebekah? By finding a woman who would water his camels without him asking?

The same thing happened a generation later.  When Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, was looking for a wife for himself, he met the shepherdess Rachel and immediately watered her entire flock of goats.

“As soon as Jacob saw Laban’s daughter Rachel with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone from the opening of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly” Genesis 29:10-11.

Again—HARD WORK.  You could say ‘well, sure, but he’s trying to impress Rachel.’  But later Jacob met her father Laban and offered, “I’ll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel” 29:18.  Seven years is a LONG time.  Say what you will about Jacob, he was a hard worker—and a patient man. 

When it comes to marriage, it is not so much FINDING the right person as BEING the right person.  Be a HARD WORKER.  Forget “self-care.”  How about a bit of self-analysis?  Examine yourself, your habits, your integrity. Do you possess traits that will bless a family for decades? Are you the sort of person you would want your child to marry? Do you love Jesus more than anything else? Can you endure when things become difficult? Or dull?  Do you have the backbone to endure anything that comes your way?  Are you selfless and servant-hearted?

If not, step up your game.

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Generations.

Americans are obsessed with independence.  We want to do OUR OWN thing, no matter what.  Period. Mic Drop.

It is impossible.  As John Donne wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself.” What we do affects those around us.  Your family is a life boat. We are in the boat together: paddling, steering, fishing, bailing water, or complaining. What each person does affects everyone.

Your life is tied to your family with bonds that cannot be broken. The choices made by each member of your family AFFECT YOU. Everything we do affects each other, even across generations.

“When Esau was 40 years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They made life bitter for Isaac and Rebecca” Genesis 26:34-35.

Esau, a man of immaturity and bad judgment, married two pagans who became difficult daughters-in-law. When a son chooses a difficult wife, he can “make life bitter” for his parents.

But good choices also touch other generations.  Isaac may have been hurt by his son, Esau, but he was blessed by God because of the obedience of his father, Abraham:

“All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My mandate, My commands, My statutes, and My instructions” Genesis 26:4-5.

Our choices have consequences.  WE will personally reap what we sow.  But we will also reap what our family members sow: YOU will suffer the consequences of your brother’s or sister’s actions. YOU will also be blessed by the good they do.  And your actions will touch them.  When a young person decides to “sow their wild oats,” they can’t just say, “It’s my life.”  What they do with their life touches everyone in their family, even generations not yet born.  

When you make good choices or bad choices, everyone in the family reaps the consequences. We are NOT independent—no matter how badly we may hope to be as Americans.

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What Are You Looking for in a Spouse?

Just as AMERICAN IDOL spawned a genre of TV talent contests, the BACHELOR birthed a litter of marriage contests.  What traits are these contestants looking for in the opposite sex?  Appearance, chemistry, and a sense of humor probably top the list, along with ambition, success, and money.

Abraham and Isaac looked at marriage differently.  Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac.  The requirement?  She must be connected to Abraham’s family and culture, not one of the local idol worshippers.  And 40-year-old Isaac?  He said nothing.  He had enough faith to leave the matter in the hands of his father and his father’s servant.

The servant had to make the choice.  But how?  He prayed.

“Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. …  Let the girl to whom I say, ‘Please lower your water jug so that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels also’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac” Genesis 24:12-14.

Rebekah showed up while the servant was still praying, and she offered to water his camels.  And the servant had TEN camels!

Ancient wells were different. “There was no rope … Rebekah would walk down a few stairs, bend over to fill her jar, lift the heavy jar onto her shoulder, walk back up the stairs, and dump the water in the feeding trough. 60 TIMES!  Rebekah would have seen the 10 camels and known the heavy lifting required to water them.”[1]

Was she pretty? Yes. Was she a virgin? Yes. Was she from Abraham’s family? Yes.  But the trait the servant was looking for was SERVANTHOOD.  This man who ran Abraham’s household understood family: it’s a lot of hard work!  Jobs, preparing meals, laundry, repairs, sick children, paying bills, cleaning house, and on and on.  FAMILY IS HARD WORK.

Look for a spouse who is hard-working and SELFLESS.

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[1] http://heatherjjonsson.com/watering-10-camels

Test Your Heart.

Abraham had it all—land, cattle, crops, gold, 300 employees—but no children. His peers might have had 60 descendants at his age, but Abe had none. SIX times God repeated his promise of a son—and of heirs that would outnumber the stars. Then at 86, Abe had a son, by Hagar.  Finally at 100, God gave the couple Isaac.

Then God asked Abraham to give him back. The two hike 60 miles. 

Little Isaac: “What’s wrong, Daddy?”

Abraham smiles and says, “I’m fine.” 

But he is in turmoil, remembering lonely years, promises from God, good times with Ishmael.  He relives good times with this delightful child, Isaac, whose name literally means ‘laughter.’  He remembers laughs they had, smiles, the way the boy listens and tries to please, the way he works hard, he’s game for anything.  Abraham is confused—God made a promise, surely He will keep it? Isaac must live, but Abraham must obey. He looks at his boy and treasures his face, memorizing every expression, every sound of his voice.

Too soon, they reach the peak.  Abe ties up Isaac.  Grief breaks him and he doubles over, hands on his knees, weeping.  But he is resolved.  He smiles at his son’s face. How can he make this painless for him?  He lifts the knife…

and God stops him.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy… For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me….  I swear… because you have done this, I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand of the seashore….” Genesis 22:12-17.

Sometimes God asks us to surrender things we love.  Some of them we get back—but not all.  Test your heart. Is there anything you cling to that you cannot give to God?

Let it go!

God, help us to sacrifice ALL to you. We give you our hearts, loves, dreams. Do your will.  You are the boss.

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Sacrifice.

What could you give up for God?

God promised Abraham descendants that would outnumber the stars, and land in all directions. He called Abe his friend, and told him about Sodom and Gomorrah in advance. But in exchange, God asked a lot of the ultimate “founding father.” 

“Take thy son, thy only son Isaac, whom you love, and offer him as a sacrifice to me on Mount Moriah.” Genesis 22:2.

Wow. That’s harsh. Who could obey that? And how? Well—you put one foot in front of the other and hope God changes His mind.

But it was 60 miles. They walked there in three days—20 miles a day. Carrying a lit torch and keeping it lit all day and all night. Pulling a donkey burdened with firewood, food, water, and supplies. And all the time Abraham was carrying a burden of his own that no one could imagine. And on the third day, Isaac asked him, “Where is the lamb?” I imagine Dad couldn’t even answer that for a few minutes.

Finally: “God will provide the lamb.” Wasn’t that PROPHETIC—in two ways? 

But Abraham didn’t know what was to come. He climbed the mountain. Piled the wood. Tied up his son. He TIED. HIM. UP. Can you imagine? And he’s over 100 and Isaac was at least a teen and some believe he was in his 20s or 30s—Isaac could have run or resisted. He may have been scared and confused, but this amazing young man honored his father and submitted.

Then Abe laid him down on the pyre. Took one final look. Wiped his tears so he could see. And in one final, desperate moment, said yes to God and grabbed the handle of his knife.

“Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Do your son no harm! For now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son from me!”

—And God revealed a lamb caught in the thicket. Abraham untied Isaac and sacrificed the lamb. And now God really heaps on the blessings and promises. No one—absolutely NO ONE in history has a role like Abraham’s. But no one else was tested the same way.

Is there anything you could not sacrifice for God? What are you holding back? Tie it up. Lay it on the altar. Pick up the knife. Surrender to God. And THEN His greatest blessings will come. Remember, God sacrificed His Son on the altar (and there was no other lamb that could take his place). What’s your sacrifice?

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Remember Lot’s Wife.

Jesus warns in Luke 17:33, “Remember Lot’s wife!” He makes it sound like life and death. But what does that mean?

In Genesis 19, God sends angels to rescue Lot’s family. The people are warned to run from the city. The sons-in-law ignore it. The family hesitates. The angels (who look like men) grab their hands and lead them out. They say, “Run! Don’t look back. Run for your lives!” But Lot’s wife looked back.

“And she became a pillar of salt.” Gen. 19:26.

(Say what!? Salt?) What is the point of this weird punishment? And why does Jesus bring it up 20 centuries later? He did not say, “Remember Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” They also died suddenly. He did not say, “Remember Nadab and Abihu,” who were burned by the fire of God. He did not say, “Remember Uzzah,” whom God struck dead in a moment.[1] Jesus could have named others. But the warning is, “REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE.”

Lot’s wife showed regret for the destruction of evil. God sent His holy fire of judgment on Sodom and she looked back on the city with fondness. She had a worldly heart. The Bible says, “Do not love the world nor the things of the world, for if you love the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in you.”

Mrs. Lot read questionable romance novels. She binge-watched stories that put her head in dark, ungodly places. When Lot asked her about her choices, she said, “it’s fine,” and ignored him. When she saw drunks passed out in the French Quarter, she giggled and said, “those are my people.” When her daughters were engaged to men without integrity, she never gave it a second thought. “It’s fine,” she told herself. “Time’s are changing.” And when God sent angels to protect her family, she was sad about the destruction of “sin city.” She lost sight of the holiness of God. She did not think He would really do it. By looking back, Lot’s wife proved that her ‘treasure’ was not in heaven, but in the world.

So God turned her into a statue of salt, a bizarre but vivid reminder of the holiness of God. Why salt? Because salt destroys life. Nothing can live in salt. The grass will die all around it. There is nothing but death there. God is saying if you love the world, you are living in a place of death, and you are living under God’s judgment. He WILL NOT bless us if we are so fond of the world that we regret God’s judgment.

“Do not love the world or the things of the world, for anyone who loves the world does not have the love of God inside him.” 1 John 2:15.

Ask God to show you ways in which your heart is similar to that of Lot’s wife. Ask Him to help you love Him more completely every day.

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[1] See Bible Tools Commentary at https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/CGG/ID/1350/Remember-Lots-Wife.htm

A Story is a Map for Life.

When I was a little boy I was fascinated by the mailman.  Every day Mr. Richard walked our neighborhood dropping letters into mailboxes at the front doors.  I loved to see him coming because you never knew what he might bring.  And his daily walk blazed a trail.  In spite of the incredible rain and sunshine on the Gulf Coast, the grass could never erase his tracks. 

Stories do the same thing.  Each plot carves a path, and similar plots can turn a path into a highway.  If enough police officers on TV are corrupt, audiences assume officers in real life are corrupt.  If enough sit-com characters sleep together on the first date, audience members facing that choice may consider it normal.  To give a positive example, if fathers in the movies make sacrifices for their families, perhaps dads facing tough choices will choose to put their families before themselves.  Stories are maps that make certain options appear better than others.

Similarly, God gave us Old Testament stories in part to prepare us for the truths of the New Testament.  The sacrificial system helped God’s people understand the crucifixion.  But why does God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the Son of Promise?  Particularly knowing He will stop him at the last minute, and provide a sacrificial lamb instead? Yes, it is a test.  Yes, God reveals He is our Provider.  But there is more.

When Abraham places Isaac on the altar, He illustrates what God the Father would experience with His Son.  The near-sacrifice of Isaac creates a mental path helping us understand the death of the Son of God—who is both the Son of Promise AND the Sacrificial Lamb.  Down through the centuries, surely countless Jewish people have heard of the death of Jesus and understood that it was the Abraham and Isaac story all over again—only ‘for real’ this time.  Abraham’s obedience is an illustration, probably responsible for an incredible harvest of souls.

“All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command” Genesis 22:18.

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God’s Secret Sign.

There have always been secret signs, codes that allow you to trust a stranger. George Washington used a small band of trusted spies to fight the British, and he was known among them by a number “711.” Spies today often employ a series of passwords to vet each other. You’ve seen the scenes in movies—two meet on the street:

“The moles snuck into the garden last night.”

“What was the gardener’s response?”

“He said to send the exterminator.”

“May God have mercy on us all.”

After this exchange of unique dialogue, the two know they can trust each other, right?

God initiated a seemingly bizarre “password” in Genesis 17: circumcision. Everything about it seems weird at first. It requires surgery, blood, pain, healing. It’s permanent—and most of all, it’s in a vulnerable and most-personal location. Think about it—if it weren’t in the Bible, it would sound like something invented to mock God—it would be a dirty joke and we would hide the story from children. 

But it is in the Bible. And here’s why: surgery, blood, pain, healing—it’s permanent—and most of all, it’s in a vulnerable and most-personal location. 

By placing the mark of His covenant where He did, God ensures that virtually NO ONE will fake it. After all, it is in the MOST intimate location. If anything is done to surgically alter the appearance, a man is mortified with embarrassment. And it hurts for days. This is the ultimate sign of the tribe. Forget Indian War paint or Polynesian tattoos, or facial scarification (signs of tribe or clan), or stretched necks and lips and earlobes on various indigenous peoples. Those things are bush league compared to carving the genitalia. 

With circumcision, God initiated the ultimate password, secret code, gang sign, or membership card. His followers would be forever identified as children of the covenant, believers who have “cut away” the old, worldly life of sin and walk by faith. 

MORE IMPORTANTLY, CIRCUMCISION IS AN OUTWARD SIGN OF A HEART THAT UNDERSTANDS IT IS GOD WHO SHARED HIS CREATIVE POWERS WITH US: IT IS GOD WHO GIVES A MAN THE POWER TO FATHER CHILDREN. 

We are encouraged to “circumcise our hearts” in Deuteronomy chapters 10, 30, and Jer.4. Cut the worldliness out of your life. Reduce your intake of media—all media—and increase your intake of God’s word.

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