Scripture:

Genesis 19:26

26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

"No Looking Back"

The dangers of looking back, reminiscing about our past is that we may end up falling back into them.  Jesus in (Luke 17:31–33) warns about being ready for His return, then He references lots wife.  James says it is our desires that drag us away, and that was true with Lot's wife; she was told not to look back, but her desire for her old life led to destruction.   Jesus said it is for "Freedom" we have been set free (Gal 5:1).  This is why we should always keep our eyes on the future we have because of what we are "Free From."  Not what we are free to do, see Lot's wife was free to look back, but here looking back ended in freezing everything in her life.   The enemy plans to "Kill, Steal & Destroy," and getting us to fall backwards would steal our future, kill our present, and destroy the victory we had.   

The application here is: "never look back", to press on, move forward in the freedom God has given you.   To seek the Kingdom in your life, to use your freedom to become everything that He intended you to be.   Our freedom is not what we are free to do, but rather what we are free from, and today we can learn from Lot's wife and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, fixed on the future He gave us, and pursue eternity, not earthly treasures.

Lord, I pray for those who are just barely out of their past, their circumstances, that they would have the strength and the wisdom to keep their eyes on you, on the future and the freedom you have provided, that they would become all that you intended them to be, in Jesus' name, Amen! 

Scripture:

Genesis 16:13

13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen[a] the One who sees me.”

"El Roi" 

Ever feel like no one "sees you?"  That you and your problems are invisible, that you are alone in your trouble, your circumstance, your struggle.   We have all felt like this, but again, this is a ploy of the enemy to make you think you are alone, disconnected from God and His powerful presence, but this is a reminder that has never been true.  Hagar is the only woman, in fact, the only person to give God a name, "El Roi,"  the God who sees me.   

Listen, this story is a reminder that even though you might think you are insignificant and not seen, not heard, not important.  You are, and the God of the Universe sees you.

Let's summarize the story:

Hagar is a pregnant slave girl brought into a plan that is broken (sin) because it is trying to play God, help God along, running ahead of Him.  She is alone in her situation, now alone in the desert without anything or anywhere to go, but that is where God met her, because, even though your situation makes you feel insignificant, alone, and abandoned, God has never left you or abandoned you, and as Hagar came to know the God who sees you.  You and I can rest assured, He is still "El Roi," the God who sees us, Emmanuel, the God who is with us.

The application here is to remind yourself when the struggle is real, that God is with you, that He is still "El Roi" the God who sees you, is with you in your circumstances, working on your behalf, changing the outcome.   Where God is, everything changes, everything is better, He has our best in His sight, He is working for our good (Romans 8:28.) 

I pray that we would have a greater sense of His presence, no matter where today finds us, no matter what struggle we are in, that we would find comfort in that He is with us, working on our behalf, working for our good, working to change the outcome, trust Him, know that He is "El Roi," the God who sees you, Emmanual the God who is "With You."  In Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

Job 38:2

Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?

"His Way is Better"

As the Father of 3 Beautiful Children and 9 Grandchildren, I know a little about them. One of the funny phenomena is when they are young, mom and dad are the smartest people in the room, they are the source of wisdom, but somewhere around 12-13, you somehow lose your brain, or at least they think you do. Somehow, they become the smartest people in the room, knowing better than you; they take their lives into their own hands.  When I read these words, I am reminded of how life without Christ is taking my life, my future, into my own hands, and when I gave my life to Christ is about slowly giving it back... let that sink in...  What I discovered is His way is better, He knows, and I should trust Him.

Simple or not so simple: "His way is Better."   

I should give in to the process of giving my life over to His control, His care, I should seek His wisdom not my own, I should follow His path, pursue His purpose in my life.   Because He knit me together, He put the stars in place, He breathed life into all that we see and experience, and "His way is better."

Lord, let us all surrender to the process of giving our lives back to you, to your care and control, to your purpose and plan. May we find strength, and peace, and joy, and most importantly, life and life more abundant, in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

Job 37:5

God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend,

Paul reminds us in Romans 1:20 that the invisible God has been visible since the beginning of time through creation, everything we see and hear, smell and taste, even the breath in our lungs speaks of a living, powerful God of the possible.   Elihu is conveying that we cannot even imagine or comprehend the wonder of Him, how great He is, or what He is capable of.   You and I have one problem: we often look at how big our situation is, rather than seeing that our God is bigger than any situation.  

The application here is to know you, and I serve the God of the possible. We have breath because He spoke it into existence, He breathed into us, and we are. He said let it be and it is to this day.   When life gets tough, we should remember that it is not too difficult for Him. When we need wisdom, it is not beyond His ability to give it. When we need direction, He has it.  When we need anything, He can supply it so, the application here is to include in all the bits of our lives the God of the Impossible.

Lord, help us to lay before you everything in our lives, to know you are a loving father who wants to give us good things, lead us in right paths, take us to heights we never would have reached on our own, let us not be knocked off course by our limits, but be strengthened by the limitless God of all creation, in Jesus' name, Amen!

Scripture:

Job 34:8

But it is the spirit[a] in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.

"Wisdom"

Elihu reminds us that it is not age that makes us wise, even though much of our wisdom, decisions, and direction does tend to arise as we get older; it is not the source of it.   One of the things that I have learned from life and serving the Lord is that He can give me the wisdom and ability I need to do what He has sent me to do (Exodus 36:1-2)  I know this because all the things I can do are because of God's provision in my life.  Solomon asked for wisdom and understanding to lead God's people, and God gave him that and so much more.

Don't let what you "think" you can do limit your ability to do it.   Ask the Lord for wisdom and understanding, and the ability to do it.  Remember that it is the spirit of God that breathes not only life into us, but sustains us with it. He can also breathe wisdom, understanding, and ability today. This is a fact; it was true for them, it is true for me, it is true for you. 

Prayer:Lord, I pray that we would lose the "Buts" of this life, that we would not allow excuses to hinder what you want to do in and through us, let us be great because we have a "Great God."   A God who can supply everything we need to do what He has sent us to do (His Will.)   That old saying, "Where God guides, God provides."   We are standing on it, in Jesus' name, Amen!