His Banner Over Me is Love

By Machelle McDowell

February 25, 2024

In this week’s Bible reading format I found my feet planted in Exodus 17:8-14. I love picturing Moses standing on top of a hill with the “staff of God” raised in prayer for the Israelites and surrounded by brothers who he trusts and loves to give him strength, (literally).

We are also introduced to a young man named, Joshua! He is instructed to lead the Israelite army into battle.  Little does he know, God’s plan for his life is about to unfold in chapters to come!

But, for now he is being empowered by God through the prayers of Moses who by the way is surrounded by his brothers, Aaron & Hur for support! Yep, Christians, sometimes we need a little help when life hits those bumpy roads.

To bring you up to speed, the Israelites have been blindsided by Amalek, (apparently, Amalek is a grandson to Esau, the older brother of Jacob)…who knew?

God is not happy about this situation! This attack was not initiated by the Israelites. Moses instructs Joshua to go fight on behalf of the Israelites.

Moses raises his staff to God and God empowers Joshua in the battle against Amalek. When Moses grows tired he drops his hands and the Israelites begin to lose. So, Aaron & Hur took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it while they held his hands steady!

These are the kind of friends we need in our lives, Christians! Those that are there for comfort and strength in a time of weakness. To help hold us up when we can no longer fight the battle! AMEN?

Through the prayers of a Godly man, Joshua overcame Amalek and his people!

God told Moses to write down what had happened and recite it to Joshua as a memorial. The Lord told that he would blot out the memory of Amalek.

Moses built an altar and called it, “The LORD is my BANNER.”

The Lord was a banner to Moses and Joshua that day and continues to be a banner for the world!

Psalm 60:4

“You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow.”

How many of you remember singing the children’s song, “His Banner Over Me is Love?” The lyrics read:

Jesus is the rock of my salvation

His banner over me is love

Jesus is the rock of my salvation

His banner over me is love

Jesus is the rock of my salvation

His banner over me is love

His banner over me is love

The definition of banner- a long strip of cloth bearing a slogan or design, (hung in a public place), or carried in a demonstration or procession.

Remind you of anyone?  Who hung in a public place bearing the message of LOVE? His banner is over us today! He is the rock of our salvation!

Our Jesus, Our Savior, Our Lord! God loves the world so much that he sent His own son, Jesus to die for us that we may have eternal life with Christ. He paid the ransom for our sin through his blood. He hung on that cross to demonstrate that love while we were still sinners.

What a banner of love that God would wave for the the world to know the love He has for us that he would allow his own son to die for it!

Jesus….the son of God was displayed on the hill of Golgotha for the world to see.

His banner over us is love.

Equipped For The Task

 In our Old Testament reading this week, we began the book of Exodus. If there was ever a book in the Bible that would translate into an epic movie, or even a drama series on Amazon Prime or Hulu, Exodus would be at the top of the list.  As a matter of fact, there have been many films made pertaining to the events in the book of Exodus.  When we began reading Exodus this week, we see one of the most well known accounts in Scripture, and that's the account of God appearing to Moses in the form of a burning bush.  We read that Moses noticed this fire inside of a bush, and the bush wasn't being consumed by the flame. I assume in all my logic that would be something that would catch my eye as well.  When Moses approaches the bush, God speaks.  He informs Moses that He will using him to deliver the Israelites out of the bondage of slavery they were currently in under the rule of the Egyptians.  He tells Moses that He will be sending him into the presence of Pharaoh himself to bring his brothers and sisters of Israel out of captivity.  Imagine getting that type of assignment from God. This isn't simply God telling Moses to walk across the street to his neighbor and bring them some baked goods and invite them to church.   This is a major assignment.  And immediately, Moses has his reservations.  He also at first wants some details of how to somehow carry this task out.  He needs God to instruct Him in how to tell the nation of Israel that He will be leading them out of hundreds of years of slavery.  Just previously, Moses had killed and Egyptian in a fit of rage in the name of justice as the Egyptian was beating one of his fellow Israelites.  Pharaoh already wanted to kill Moses because of the incident.  Moses had some pretty serious concerns that anybody would follow him at all, or listen to what he had to say. And, on top of that, God just asked him to go in front of Pharaoh, the guy that wanted him dead, and demand that he let his people go.  Moses asks God concerning his fellow Israelites, "who do I say sent me if they ask?"
     
     God says "Tell them 'I AM' sent you."  Just think about that.  God calls Himself "I AM."  In our life, I'm fully convinced from experience of how much peace we can obtain from our Heavenly Father when we remember that He is Lord.  There's a reason He is called Lord.  Lord implies the truth that our God oversees and is in authority over every single thing in this universe He created.  

     God goes on to give Moses the ability to perform some pretty miraculous signs to prove that He was indeed sent from God.  Even when Moses tells God that he isn't an eloquent speaker, God reminds Him that He was the one that created him, and He was aware of all of Moses' challenges.  He then tells Moses to take his brother, Aaron with him, because Aaron could speak well.  God equipped Moses for the daunting task ahead of him.  

     So what about you and me? How do we respond when God gives us the assignment of being His hands and feet? Well, I can tell you that some things are easier to say "yes" to than others.  And, let's be honest, we feel ill equipped for whatever assignment is given to us sometimes. God will give us work to do that will make us question our ability to carry it out.  But, just exactly like Moses, God will equip us with all we need to accomplish his work.  Just like He did Moses, God created us, and knows our weaknesses and insecurities. He knows our abilities.  He also creates us with an inability to carry out His work within our own strength.  I firmly believe He does that on purpose.  I've often heard it said, and I believe, that God doesn't call the "equipped" to do His work, He equips those He has called.  Brother and sister, never look at your abilities and qualifications, or like Moses, look back on your past failures, as a reason why you can't carry out the tasks ahead of you given by God Himself.   Whether that's speaking truth in love into the lives of those in your life that need to hear where they have sinned and fallen short, or whether it's to pack up your stuff and become a missionary on the other side of the world.  Or, anything in between.  Maybe He's calling you into some kind of ministry, or maybe He's calling you to make your kid's spiritual growth more of a priority.  Whatever it is, He promises to give us all the tools to carry it out.  And, it will be nothing short of a miracle, because our strength to carry these tasks out is most definitely of the supernatural type. The Great "I AM" can and will accomplish His purpose in our life and in this world.  What a joy it is to simply be a part of it all. 

-Brandon Walker

Wisdom Wrapped in Opinion

“What did the wise book say to the reader? Chapter by chapter wisdom awaits.” (Trapp)

Wisdom Wrapped in Opinion

By Machelle McDowell

February 20, 2024

“Before I speak I have something important to say.” Groucho Marx

As we close out of the book of Job we patiently wait for God to speak wisdom into Job’s situation. We have sat through 37 chapters of listening to four men who claim to show wisdom into Job’s situation. Really? All of them had something to say! Was it wise?

Wisdom…what does that even mean? Wikipedia say: The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

I don’t see anything in this definition that points to opinion? These men base their arguments upon opinion, (in my opinion), LOL.

We sometimes get a skewed perspective on how wise a young person is. We presume that wisdom comes with age, does it? Logically speaking, it should, but there are times when exception is the rule. Elihu brings (some) wisdom to Job’s situation even though he did not see the situation clearly either.

This young man had a lot to say about the subject!  Have you ever shared a conversation with someone who cannot wait to speak. It’s like you can read the body language. They swell up like a tick feeding off of an animal. They are about to explode! (Too graphic?) LOL. You get the point.

Elihu had sat quietly and listened to Job and his friends debate over why Job was experiencing the level of suffering that he was. He could not keep silent any longer.

Once again opinion outweighs wisdom here. Granted Elihu is right about one thing, Job lost his perspective on the situation. It became more about proving his innocence and in the midst of it all he became arrogant towards God…which sparked a nerve in the listening bystander, ….Elihu.

Elihu reminds me of a balloon with a pin hole. Once he began to speak, his words lingered on for (5) chapters! He was very long winded. He spends one chapter just making an announcement he is going to speak! I don’t think Elihu realized how his wordy introduction made him look? I’m sure the others probably were thinking…is this wise or a know it all?

Elihu spoke with authority.  His main point of his address is that God is powerful and brings perfect justice. Job’s arrogant behavior towards God prompted Elihu to put Job in his place.

In his long and windy speech he succeeds in painting a picture for Job that points to the fact God did not owe him anything. Elihu wanted to remind Job just how great God is. He wanted to make Job see that he had stepped back and took his eyes off of his creator and placed them on himself. Elihu was right in his thinking but wrong in his conclusion.

I feel, the story took a turn when God’s spirit moved Elihu to speak as he did in the last part of chapter 36. What a perfect stage to reveal God’s majesty and power than in a storm! I feel like It was through Elihu’s description of God’s power displayed in the storm that drew Job’s mind back to its rightful place with God.

Job has been in the worst storm of his life and did not feel God’s presence but all at once God speaks out of the storm as to say, “Look Job, I know you are in a storm and I am here with you!” “I have been with you all along!”  Elihu sees God in the storm-

Job 37:1-4 “At this also my heart trembles, and leaps from its place.  Keep listening to the thunder of His voice, and the rumbling that comes from His mouth. Under the whole heaven, he lets it go and His lighting to the ends of the earth.  After it his voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.  God thunders marvelously with HIs voice; He does great things within we cannot comprehend.

Even though things seem out of control God is in control of every little detail.

Elihu’s final advice to Job was to remind him that he did not know as much as he thought he did. Elihu has the right idea but his argument comes from the wrong motive. He too believes Job is struggling with sin.

Ironically, NOW Job is sinning by being self-righteous towards God, but this sin had nothing to do with his suffering! He remains blameless in it all! He instructs Job to stop trying to speak to God and fear him instead!

To wrap this up:  God hears enough. He confronts all involved, but He speaks to Job directly.

Interestingly enough God does not answer Job’s questions but turns the situation around and gives Job a laundry list of questions in which the answers to those questions points Job back to a position of humility and conviction.

“What did the wise book say to the reader?  Chapter by chapter wisdom awaits.” (Trapp)

At the end of the book of Job….WISDOM spoke. No opinion needed.

In 42 chapters of the book of Job, we are taught an important lesson about gaining wisdom. It all boils down to waiting on God to speak.

We spend so much time putting our trust in the opinions of man and ourselves that we miss out on the biggest blessings God has for us.

“What did the wise book say to the reader?  Chapter by chapter wisdom awaits.” (Trapp)

At the end of the book of Job….WISDOM speaks….God himself.

When You are at the End of Your Rope

Hanging By a Thread

February 13, 2024

By Machelle McDowell

“When you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”~(Franklin Roosevelt). This is where we find our friend, Job in this week’s Bible reading. He is hanging on by a thread!

We are unsure as to how long Job endured his time of suffering but at this point his rope is running out.

In chapter 31 Job reflects on his entire life in search for answers to his misery! Maybe he missed something? Maybe he has some sin that he forgot about and never repented of. He questions why God is being relentless? Job is making an appeal to God in this chapter. He is pleading for God to show him why he is under heavy enemy artillery.

Job goes through a lengthy list of possible culprits that may have slipped by his conscious. Something that may question his integrity. He begins in verse one, “Did I sin with my eyes?” He is addressing the issue of lust. Lord, show me, if I am guilty I will be able to endure this punishment.

He checks off a list: Did I minister to the poor, the fatherless, the widow?  Did I provide clothing for the needy? Did I demonstrate greed? Did I worship the sun?  Was my heart secretly enticed and I failed to recognize it?

In verse 32, he cries out, “If you have any words, answer me; speak for I desire to justify you.”

Job is saying he just needs to know what he has done to deserve this treatment…he requests God to give hime a reasonable answer.” Job is adamant that his integrity is in check, (I feel, he crosses the line, here).

We never have a right to demand answers from God using such arrogance and later in the book Job repents for his outbursts. At the same time I have to weigh in on the side of empathy for this man!

His rope is certainly getting shorter and shorter and he is feeling a sense of hopelessness in that he has nothing to hold on to but his innocence in all of this and his belief that God is still in control.

There are times in our own lives when we are at the end of our rope! We tend to forget that we do not see the things that happen in the spiritual realm. We react to what is evident.

This is where Job finds himself in chapter 31. He cannot see what God is doing on his behalf at the end of the rope.

The truth is… the shorter the rope the closer He comes to seeing God in all of this! How ironic!  He just needs to hang on a little longer!

We are all guilty of falling short of a blessing right before it comes! We often let go of the rope too quickly. A lot of the time a breakthrough is within reach but our flesh is weak and we cannot see the heavenly realm of things.

Psalm 30:5- “Weeping endures for the night, but Joy comes in the morning.” We get satisfied with small stuff and don’t hold out for the big!

Job is done listening to the abusive remarks of his friends!  God wants Job to hold on to the rope to the very end! But he is beginning to slip into his own vanity.

When Job’s hands begin to slip, God uses Elihu to tie a knot so Job’s grasp would be secure to the end… He sends Elihu in as a breath of fresh air and a voice to reckon with.

Elihu rebukes Job’s (3) friends for their behavior towards Job.  He also gently reminds Job that God is greater than man.

It appears that Job was so righteous that it led him to be self-righteous, does that make sense? God allowed Elihu to give Job proper perspective.

Job had become so self absorbed in justifying himself he could not see the underlying rebellion he was showing God. Elihu called him out and basically accuses him of his own vanity being his problem.

The next few chapters Elihu unveils God’s greatness and His majesty that raises the curtain for the grand finale! The Lord answers Job!

Chapter 42 is one in which God flexes his muscles! Job confesses and repents. The Lord rebukes Job’s friends. God restores Job’s fortune twice as much as he had before.

And, the icing on the cake the Lord blesses the latter days of Job more that his beginning. He blesses him with seven sons and three daughters!

Job passes the test! He never let go of the rope, even when he could barely hold on. He came close to letting go but held out for the blessing of a lifetime!

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”

Franklin Roosevelt

A Friend Loves aT all Times

February 6, 2024

By Machelle McDowell

Proverbs 17:17- A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. This verse means that a true friend will love you no matter what, but when bad times come, they become as close as a brother or sister.

(We can learn much about how to be a good friend from the book of Proverbs.)

Back in the 80’s Michael W. Smith wrote a song that was popular among the youth around the world.  The chorus spoke these words- Friends are Friends Forever (if) the Lord is Lord of them.  There is so much truth in this thought. Everyone desires to have a true friend.

This week as we dive deeper into the life of Job, we meet his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. I find it interesting that we spend 21 chapters listening to Job & his friends discuss his situation? Doesn’t it make you wonder why such emphasis was placed on Job’s friends?

At first, Job’s friends seem to be super thoughtful! They get together and decide to go as a group and sit with their friend. Job ch. 2 tells us they cried, they empathized, they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. They spent time with him! They sat at his side for (7) days and didn’t say a word. They were just there for him! And then, the silence was broken.

Why do think we have to give our opinion on matters in which we know nothing about? Why do we spend 21 chapters listening to Job & his friends discuss his situation? All manner of this discussion is based on opinion and human perspective.

Proverbs 27:9- A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Well, that verse applies to Job’s friends at the beginning of the book. But, something starts to happen~

There is something to be said about friends influencing each other through constructive criticism. Job’s friends take Proverbs 27:17 to a whole new level- “Iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another.”

It is our responsibility as friends to hold each other accountable. But, that does not mean we put ourselves in the place of God and speak for Him in a manner unworthy. Job’s friends were convinced that Job was suffering because he had done something wrong. They pleaded with him to repent so God would bless him again. They accused him and belittled him.

Now granted, there is some wisdom in their advice if it were the real reason for this trial Job was placed in. But, as the story unfolds we learn it is far from why Job is suffering. The sweet behavior of Job’s friends at the beginning of the chapter de-escalates to a bitter attack on his character and added to his suffering instead of refreshing him!

The only iron being sharpened was the ones being used to stab Job with insults and untruths that hurt more than his diseased body was already hurting.

Sometimes God allows Satan to use our own friends as vessels in times of trial and tribulation. Unfortunately they may not be used in a good way. They may be more of a discourager than an encourager as in the case with Job.

A smart tactic on the part of the enemy because we trust our true friends.  We value their input. And (after all we are human) we all can be led astray at times, especially by our friends.

I feel like that is what happened with Job’s friends in this book. They had a weak moment in which they were unknowingly caught up in the enemy’s plan and when one spoke… a snowball effect took over and the next thing you know, an avalanche of condemnation occurred.

God sends a man of reason to the scene:

We certainly should not bring judgement on someone based on assumption.

I am assuming this is why Elihu shows up in chapter 32. He is also a friend but not one of the 3 who came to comfort Job in the beginning of the book.   

He not only lifts up the Lord but condemns Job’s 3 friends for their behavior and confronts Job about his behavior in all of this as well.

I love that Elihu deals with the the situation through Godly wisdom and not from a human perspective. He respectively addresses all parties and acts like a good friend!

I love how God stands up for Job in chapter 42! He addresses his anger towards Job’s friends because they did not speak with wisdom in that they voiced their own selfish thoughts and did not speak the truth.

In looking at chapter 42, God rebukes Job’s friends and instructs them to repent. Then, a beautiful reconciliation takes place in Job 42:10 “The Lord restores the fortunes of Job when Job had prayed for his friends and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

Job forgives his friends! His true heart reflects God in that he modeled how we must forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us.

Maybe there have been times you did not give the most Godly advise to a friend and leaned on your own human opinion. I am guilty, you?

We can learn a lot about being a good friend in a time of suffering in the book of Job. Sometimes, our physical presence is all that is needed.

“There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family.” (Anonymous)

God of the Unknown

By Machelle McDowell

February 1, 2024

The book of Job defines the God of the Unknown. This book unfolds an age old question as to why bad things happen to good people. The answer is simple: We serve a God that is in the unknown.

What do I mean by the unknown?

It is in the times when a reason cannot be explained, it is unknown to us as to why we are going through such a time of suffering, but known to God.

Is it is based on unconfessed sin in our lives? Is suffering brought on through the consequences of sin? That is what we think of first when terrible things happen to us. But, rarely do we ever consider assigned suffering to us as a tool to build character in us and bring glorification to God…who wants that, right?

It is in the times when we have no answers. It is in the times when we ask, “Why?”

Job was a model citizen. Not only faithful to God and well respected in the land and shared his blessings with others as mentioned throughout the book.

The book begins by stating that Job is blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. He was considered the “greatest of all the people in the East.”

Job fathered 7 sons and 3 daughters in which he rose every morning and lifted up a burnt offering for each of them! What an example of a Godly father. A prayer warrior that lifted his children up to God each day by name!

He was wealthy and owned livestock beyond measure along with servants to attend to his estate.

So what is the problem, here?

In the book of Job we witness one of the most unfathomable displays of a brutal attack from Satan allowed by God.

A matter of fact, it was God’s idea! What? Job 1:8- The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”

Satan was convinced he could break Job! His argument was that God had placed a hedge of protection and blessing around Job and that he had no reason to curse God. So, God gives him permission to attack. And, attack he did. Full blown war! No warning, the only stipulation was that Satan would spare Job’s life.

A situation unknown to Job was about to happen and his life would be turned upside down. He would experience a new meaning for the word, “suffer.” Suffering becomes real! Suffering becomes a spiritual scalpel in Job’s life.

All hell breaks out against him. EVERYTHING he has and loves is taken from him, except for his wife, (which Satan uses later as his own tool).   All 10 children are murdered! He is stripped of his wealth, all of it, property and livestock.

Our first inclination is to ask, why? Our first thought is that Job must have some unconfessed sin and God is punishing him in some way. Never do we entertain the thought, Job is a blameless man and God shows him honor in allowing him to suffer for the sake bringing God glory.

Job 1:22- “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

Satan did not let up he turned up the flames and he attacked Job’s health; he was infected with sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. It is uncertain as to how long job suffered  but it must have felt like an eternity.

He was in such pain he cursed the day he was born, but he did not curse the creator that gave him life. He questions why these things are happening to him. It is unknown to him, but he trusts that he serves a God of the unknown and never waivers.

Fast forward- As the story unfolds, his character is attacked over and over and his friends try to convince him he has sinned in some way and is being punished. His own wife tries to convince him to curse God and die.

The people left in his life he thought would share a kind word turn against him.

He shares with his wife in the midst of losing his children, “Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?” God was behind it all along but not for the purposes everyone thought and accused him of.

Job gets it! He sees the God of the unknown.

I love the end of this book! Job addresses God in chapter 42:

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can bet thwarted.

Who is this that hides council without knowledge?

Therefore have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did no know. “

It wasn’t the brutality Satan poured out upon Job’s life that caused him the most pain but it was that he felt God had abandoned him. He goes as far as to repent for thinking such a thought. Job cursed his own birth through pain and ignorance of the situation. He feels shame for cursing his birth and repents.

Ironically, Job was being honored in a twisted kind of way. His suffering brought honor to God and to himself. What glorifies God is good for us even when we are the vessel being used to survive suffering!

I am definitely not Job and I would like to think I would react in the same brave manner, but my flesh is weak and I can’t even fathom what he encountered!  But I can say, I love Job’s God, (my God), and fully trust him to be in my own unknowns!

Job dies a a man who was known to have won a great battle for God’s glory. Job is doubly rewarded for his faithfulness. His fortune is restored. The Lord gives him twice as much as he had to begin with.  He is blessed with 7 sons and 3 daughters. His daughters were the most beautiful in the land.

There is much to be said for the Christian that submits their unknown future in the hands of a KNOWN God.

Living on the Outskirts of God's Promise

Living on the Outskirts of God’s Promise

By Machelle McDowell

January 24, 2024

Have you ever been on a journey totally trusting your GPS for directions? For whatever reason you decide to take a different route? Your GPS becomes alarmed and tries to warn you and even gives you instructions on how to get back on task, not to mention the annoying voice that is programmed to speak audible instructions is not quiet until you disconnect from your GPS.

This is a good analogy of what has happened in Genesis 35:1! Jacob gets direct instructions from God to go to BETHEL, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; make an altar there to God,” how much more direct could he have been? That sounds pretty clearcut.

Jacob drew out his own map. God made it clear and gave him every opportunity to obey but Jacob disconnected his spiritual GPS. He went rogue!

Just shy of his destination, he takes root in Shechem. Shechem was a beautiful city but Jacob’s actions displayed sinfulness and failure to honor God. Interestingly, at one time Shechem was the location where Abram stopped at the tree of Moreh and received God’s promise of the land, (hmmm).

Maybe Jacob fantasized about a repeat visit from God like his grandfather experienced? We are unsure (exactly) why Jacob chose to stop here. It has been said that possibly he was still harboring some fear of his brother, Esau or maybe feared the Canaanites themselves? Only our God knows the motives of our heart.

Here we are just outside of God’s will once again. Jacob seems to be a repeat offender!  Jacob was living through an unfulfilled vow he made with God- he was suppose to go to Bethel! God said nothing about settling in Shechem. Another compromise that led to years of heartache.

He apparently became very comfortable in his sted and once again lived a life dabbling in the things of the world that cost him dearly!  Through his disobedience he suffered greatly.

Jacob tolerated foreign gods. He spent many years with the Canaanites which undermined the purity of his chosen race. But, I feel that his children received the greatest damage of all.

Think about it, they were young when arriving in Shechem and grew up in a household divided, idol worship versus Godly worship. A household of confusion which leads to identity issues. I can hear the questions in my mind that were asked by the young men, “Father, who or what do we serve?”

And, possibly this confusion may have played a part in the lack of character Jacob’s sons displayed in the next few chapters of this book!

The heartache began in Shechem when Jacob’s daughter Dinah was raped! And, follows with his two sons, Simeon & Levi going Rambo! Through deceit and murder brought revenge for their sister and a bad name to their father.

Soon after these events, God summons Jacob to go to Bethel! Even though Jacob obeyed, the damage was done. The character flaws of his sons continued to show themselves.

Genesis 37- We can see that at the very least 10 of Jacob’s 12 sons bore serious character flaws. Where did they learn such callous behavior? Could it have been the fact that their mothers brought idol worship into the home? They reflected hearts of stone in this chapter. Hearts that could only be carved from not knowing their true God.

Ironically, Joseph & Benjamin, Jacob’s youngest and son’s of Rachel were favored by God and remained steadfast? Did Jacob make more of an effort to instill God’s truths to them?

The older brothers turned against their younger brother Joseph. Joseph had the hand of God upon his life. He began to have visions/dreams about his family bowing down to him. He was 17 at the time. Due to lack of maturity, he began to boast as any teenage boy would and naturally the older brothers did not find it humorous to say the least.

It did not help that he was his father’s favorite and Jacob did not go out of his way to deny it. He even went as far as to give him a special robe! Caution: parents this is a terrible idea!

The plot thickens when Jacob, (now called Israel) sent Joseph to check on his brothers who were tending to the flocks near Shechem, (of all places).  His brothers saw him coming towards them and envy gave birth to hatred!

Quick summary: They wanted to kill him at first but thank goodness the older brother, Reuben convinced them otherwise. He told them to throw him in the cistern, (thinking someone might rescue him).

So, they stripped him and threw him in. Their actions that followed display the condition of their calloused hearts, they sat down to eat.

A caravan of Ishmaelite's came by headed to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “Let’s sell him!” The thought was that they could make a profit and get rid of their pesky brother at the same time.

Little did they know, they had just provided the processional that led Joseph to his promised purpose. His dream and what they thought to be their worst nightmare was being unveiled.

As the next few chapters unfold Joseph’s dreams come true.  Not only do they come true but this 17 year old boy demonstrates God’s favor pouring out on his life and everything he touched.

God’s plan and purpose cannot be undone.  We may change the route and get lost along the way but His will be done.  What an example of Christ Joseph was.  First, humbled and then exalted.

(2 Cor 4:18) - “What is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal.”

I encourage you today to plug into your spiritual GPS and seek God’s plan and direction for your life.  Give thought and prayer to every decision you make. Ask questions, “Will this make my relationship with God stronger or weaker?”  Step back and reflect on the lifestyle your are living and how it is effecting your family as a whole. It matters! It can change the trajectory of your entire life.

The trickle effect of Jacob’s decision to redirect his spiritual GPS took him on the most treacherous ride of his life. Living outside of God’s will is not a good place to be.

Are you living on the outskirts of God’s promise?

Don't Look Back

Are you the salt of the world or a pillar of salt?

Don’t Look Back

By Machelle McDowell

(Genesis 19)

There is so much we can glean from the story of Lot and his family found in Genesis 19. A chapter that lays out how compromise can lead you on an undesirable journey.

When I was a sophomore in high school I loved rock music! I am reminded of a song that hit the billboards back in 1978 by a rock group called, Boston. The name of the song was, “Don’t Look Back,” the song, “Don’t Look Back” was not really about looking back but pointed to the “the road that lies ahead.”

Lot had no clue what lay ahead for him when he chose a life of compromise. Obviously, he was a righteous man who strayed from God at the pace of a slow fade. How is this possible? Maybe because of his wealth and prestige? Maybe, he liked fitting in with the crowd?

The Bible does not say for sure, but indirectly leads us to believe he lived a life of compromise. God may allow us to dabble in sin but as this story reflects; it was costly! Is it possible to be guilty of sin and not be directly engaged in it? I will venture to say, “Yes;” it is no different when a person decides to be the driver in a bank robbery but actually never does any of the dirty work….are they guilty?

Quick recap:  If we look back to Genesis ch.13, we find the life of compromise lining up already as Lot chose to live near Sodom when he and Abraham separated from one another because the land was not able to support their flocks. Out of love for Lot and trust in God, Abraham let Lot choose his spot first and then he went the opposite direction.

Lot chose the land by what he could see firsthand and that was that it was well watered even though he knew the people of that area were ungodly. So the Bible says that he pitched his tent near Sodom. Sodom and Gomorrah were known for wickedness in more ways than one and he never considered the consequences of his choice. Sound familiar?

Let’s jump ahead one chapter, Genesis chapter 14 we learn that Sodom has been attacked and Lot has been taken along with all of his possessions. In God’s Sovereign plan, Abraham rescues Lot (again) and retrieves all of his possessions and people.

Did Lot learn anything from this experience?…..Apparently not.

Jumping forward to Genesis 19 we now find Lot not only moved his tent from the outskirts of Sodom but living in Sodom and sitting at the town gate which leads us to believe he had some sort of leadership role in Sodom?

Side bar- So it seems, men found sitting at the gate were important decision makers. They would help bring judgments in certain disputes or confrontations amongst the town people. So ironic….the men at the gate had no control over the judgment and wrath God brought on this city.

Lot did not think about how his choices along the road would affect his family in the future. So, here we can already see the road that lies ahead. Lot and his family are right dab in the middle of compromise. The slow fade began and continued to spiral.

2 Peter 2:7-8 tells us that Lot was grieved by what was going on in the city but because of his actions to accept behavior that was ungodly and not take a stand against it tarnished his testimony. Are we guilty of the same? How often are we grieved by sin but fail to stand up for God boldly? How often do we stake our tents just outside of sin?

But there is hope friends. If we read the very next verse in 2 Peter 2:9- the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment. Praise God he loves us even when we are skirting around sin that can be detrimental to us!

As the story unfolds judgment was unleashed. Lot and his family were spared. But, even then, Lot’s wife could not help but to look back at what she was leaving behind or maybe just out of curiosity but failed to keep her eyes on the God that came to save her.

Don’t look back at what you’ve left behind, (good or bad), but look forward to where God wants to lead you.

We are to be the salt of the world and spread his light into the darkness; we are not to become a pillar of salt-useless.

Moral of the story: We cannot blend in with the world and compromise God’s standards. Simple truth friends