Life's Q&A: How do you blend parenting styles that are different?
Q and A is your opportunity to ask questions regarding the Bible, church, or just about anything regarding Christian faith and life. Submit questions on the response form in your bulletin or E-mail the Church Office. Actually, this is a typical challenge in any family, not just stepfamilies – and for a variety of good reasons. Here are several principles I think are especially important in this life-long growing process. Men and women are different by God’s design. Are you ready for this? Dads think like…men; Moms think like…women! Isn’t it funny how easily surprised we are by this little “discovery” in family life? Despite cultural pressure to persuade us otherwise, God actually made us different on purpose, and the sooner we embrace this little fact of life, the better off our families will be. For example, rather than getting frustrated with each other because one parent is more permissive,while the other is more restrictive, come together (regularly) to discuss ways you might strike abalance between parenting styles. In our family, I tend to be the one who is tougher, with higher expectations, while my wife is the gentler, and the more gracious of this “Dynamic Duo”. The truth is sometimes our kids need “toughness”, and other times, they need grace, so we are learning to appreciate our differences and allow each other the freedom to be who God made us to be. Part of how we embrace our differences is by becoming intentional about what we call “face time” with each other. That’s when she’s on one end of the couch, and I’m on the other. On average, it’s about once a week, and this is when we share, listen, plan and pray concerning the needs of our children. If we didn’t do this, our natural differences would confuse our kids, and drive us apart. By facing each other on a regular basis, we avoid sending “mixed messages” to our kids. One of the most common challenges stepfamilies face is divided loyalties. Obviously, it is going to be natural for each person in this “new” family to give their primary allegiance to those with whom they share a biological connection. Aside from biology, the simple reason for this is that the parent/child relationship preceded the marriage. It is critical, however, for the husband and wife to remain unifiedin their parenting plan, without neglecting their child in the process. Although it’s natural for parents to feel protective of their own children, they won’t be doing their kids any favors if they begin to undermine their new spouse. If this marriage is going to last, it must be top priority, and this must bereassuringly communicated and demonstrated to all the children in this family. The truth is, most people are unprepared for the transition of blending two families, and thus, unrealistic in their expectations. It’s helpful to keep in mind that stepfamilies are born out of loss. This means, that there very well may be, especially for the children, a prolonged season of sadness, grief, and even anger. The reason for this is because when parents remarry, it is yet another loss for the child – at least in their understanding of things. That parent, who is now experiencing the joy of a newfound love, is often blinded by how threatened this can make their child feel. After all, that child is now losing, at least to some degree, the attention of their only remaining parent. It is common, but often puzzling, for these “seasons” of emotional distress to come and go. Often a child will seem to be okay, even excited about the new relationship…until the marriage actually takes place. All of sudden (it seems) they become antagonistic toward their new stepmom or dad, causing confusion for everyone. This is natural, because, until that point, secretly, the child is holding out hope that their mom and dad just might get back together. It’s unrealistic for parents trying to blend two families to expect their children not to go through some significant emotional struggles. The point is, sometimes the challenges that you face may not have as much to do with your different parenting styles, as is does unrealistic expectations. Anytime we drift away from God’s original design, we should expect a natural and necessary process of grieving and adjustment. Be patient. Some experts say that this process, depending on a variety of different factors, may take 5-7 years. Each person, along with their unique personality, perspective, and past are, in a sense, “tossed” together into this new mixture called a “stepfamily”. Without some patience and flexibility on everyone’s part, there will be a very real temptation to lose hope and give up. Note: None of this means that your stepfamily is destined to fail, or that you and your children cannot heal, grow, and move forward in life experiencing God’s blessing. It just means that you need to berealistic about how long it will take to form healthy new relationships of trust. Because of past hurts and failures, both parents and children in a stepfamily will have a tendency to be guarded, even fearful, especially in the beginning of this new family arrangement. As a result, honest, open, and loving communication will be another one of the great challenges in family life. Parents must take the lead in this area as well, demonstrating gentleness, courage, and humility toward the other family members. Be patient in the process, but vigilant as well. Good communication is paramount if stepfamilies are to succeed. Remember, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). Finally, I do recommend and excellent resource entitled, The Smart Stepfamily, by Ron Deal. You should also check out their website: www.successfulstepfamilies.com Jon Sanné is a Presenter for the National Center for Biblical Parenting, and the Family Life Pastor at Calvary Chapel in Olympia, WA, where he has served for the past 16 years. He believes that the family is God’s training ground for both parents and children as they learn and grow together in everyday life. Although there is no such thing as a perfect parent, Jon will share how you can be asuccessful one! How do you blend parenting styles that are different?
a. Accept and embrace your differences.
b. Be unified.
c. Be realistic.
d. Be open.
About the Author
BobCaldwell: "OBEDIENCE TESTED"
OBEDIENCE TESTED
(DEUTERONOMY 2:1-37)
Moses tells Israel not to take anything by force from the land inhabited by the descendents of Esau and Lot. God had given the land to them and they are to honor it. Not only that, but they are to pay for any food or water they need. Then, after passing that test in obeying God, God tells them to totally destroy the people of Heshbon. Before God will call this new generation to possess the Promised Land, He tests them by asking them to obey Him in not using force upon two nations they must pass through en route to the Promised Land that they are to take by force (v. 16-25). By faith they had obeyed God exactly as He had prescribed and had shown they were ready to fight under their chief commander, God Himself. This principle will be tested many times once they begin to take the Land of Promise. Whenever they acted in obedient faith to the strategy God told them to use they succeeded (such as with the unlikely tactics used to defeat Jericho). But whenever they used their own plans or in sin, they were defeated, as in Ai (Joshua 6:1-7:26).
The principles of faith remain the same for us today. Though as a church we will not be called to take a nation by military means, we may be called to take a city, a region, or a nation for the kingdom of God. Christ is the Lord and King of that Kingdom and we must follow His lead. We are called by our King to go into this fallen world and to “possess the land”–the people He gave His life for. It will be obedient courageous faith that will enable us to extend His Kingdom into the hearts and minds of a world He loves and died for. Obedient faith is what must be the banner under which we proceed no matter how “impossible” God’s ways may seem.
NKJV BIBLE TEXT
Deuteronomy 2:1-37
1 “Then we turned and journeyed into the wilderness of the Way of the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke to me, and we skirted Mount Seir for many days.
2 “And the LORD spoke to me, saying: 3 ‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward. 4 And command the people, saying, “You are about to pass through the territory of your brethren, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Therefore watch yourselves carefully. 5 Do not meddle with them, for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one footstep, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You shall buy food from them with money, that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them with money, that you may drink.
7 “For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”’
8 “And when we passed beyond our brethren, the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir, away from the road of the plain, away from Elath and Ezion Geber, we turned and passed by way of the Wilderness of Moab. 9 Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’”
| The Desert Years v. 1 journeyed into the wilderness – Chapter 2 of Deuteronomy is a continuation of Moses’ review of the years and the events that had transpired since Israel had left Egypt. Through Moses, the Lord desires to remind them of all that had happened to their fathers of the previous generation, both as a reminder of His faithfulness and as a warning against disobedience. skirted Mount Seir for many days – The word “skirted” means “circled around.” It is a reminder that rather than entering into the Promised Land, they had traveled around the same mountain again and again until an entire generation had died in the wilderness. v. 4 your brethren, the descendants of Esau– On the way to the Promised Land, Israel had needed to travel through land of the Edomites, the descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau. Although they were brethren, Numbers 20:14-21 tells of the conflict that Israel had with the Edomites and how Edom refused them passage through their land. However, in this verse and in the next, the Lord reminds them of how He had instructed Israel not to begin an armed conflict with Edom because He did not intend to give Israel any of the land of Edom. This is an important reminder of God’s faithfulness. In Genesis 27 God had made a promise to bless Esau and his descendants, and here He demonstrates that He was not going to revoke His blessing over them, even to favor the people of Israel. | v. 6 you shall buy food from them – Even though God had fed Israel miraculously in the wilderness with manna from Heaven, this verse reveals that they also had the opportunity to eat meat and other food from time to time as they were on the way. Here, God instructs them again not to cause conflict with the Edomites, for He has a plan and promises for them as well as for Israel. v. 7 for the Lord God has blessed you – Even though Israel had acted faithlessly and disobeyed God by turning away from the Promised Land, He reminds them here that He had still taken pity on them and blessed them during their wilderness wandering. The account reveals that their livestock and cattle had grown while they were in the desert, and that God had always provided for them so that they would never have to resort to thievery or violence in order to obtain what they needed to arrive at the Promised Land. v. 9 do not harass Moab – Moab was another distant relative of the children of Israel, being the descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot (The story of their origins is found in Genesis 19:36-38). God also had blessed Lot’s lineage for Abraham’s sake and had made promises to them, which He intended to fulfill. Therefore, He commanded Israel not to begin a conflict with Moab. |
10 (The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. 11 They were also regarded as giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites formerly dwelt in Seir, but the descendants of Esau dispossessed them and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their place, just as Israel did to the land of their possession which the LORD gave them.) 13 “‘Now rise and cross over the Valley of the Zered.’ So we crossed over the Valley of the Zered. 14 And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the LORD had sworn to them. 15 For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were consumed. 16 “So it was, when all the men of war had finally perished from among the people, 17 that the LORD spoke to me, saying: 18 ‘This day you are to cross over at Ar, the boundary of Moab. 19 And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’” 20 (That was also regarded as a land of giants; giants formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21 a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before them, and they dispossessed them and dwelt in their place, 22 just as He had done for the descendants of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They dispossessed them and dwelt in their place, even to this day. 23 And the Avim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza—the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.) 24 “‘Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle. 25 This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.’
| v. 10 the Emim – Another race of giants similar to the Anakim (See note on Chapter 1:28) but called “Emim” by the Moabites, their name means “terror.” v. 12 the Horites – The name “Horite,” meaning “cave or rock dweller,” was given to a race of people that lived in holes and caves in rocks and mountains. This is a possible Biblical reference to some of the ancient people who are commonly called “cavemen” today. A remnant of these people was still around when the Greek civilization came into power, and the Greeks called them “troglodytes.” v. 14 consumed – The penalty for Israel’s disobedience was that all men old enough to go to war would die in the wilderness, leaving only children too young to have intelligently chosen disobedience for themselves to enter the Promised Land (See note on chapter 1:39). v. 19 do not harass the people of Ammon – Once again, the Israelites are instructed not to cause conflict with those nations that had also descended from their father Abraham. The people of Ammon were also children of Abraham’s nephew Lot, and the story of their origin is told in Genesis 18:36-38. These passages that describe God’s goodness to Edom and Moab are reminders of God’s faithfulness to His promises, even those He makes to unfaithful people. Israel itself had been and will again be recipients of God’s grace and faithfulness — as have all of us. | v. 20 giants…the Ammonites call them Zamzummim – The word “giants” is the Hebrew word “Rephaim,” which means “strong, vigorous giants.” They are originally seen in the Scriptures in Genesis 14:5 and were listed as among those people conquered by the pagan kings during the battle in which Lot was taken captive. Abraham had gone out and fought against them, rescuing Lot. In the process, the lands of that area were promised to the descendants of Lot in future generations. “Zammzummim,” the name which the people of Ammon called them, means “inventors of cruel and terrible things”, leading many to believe that they were a people who constantly terrified their neighbors by forming evil, hostile designs against them. In the following verse, we learn that they were judged and destroyed by the Lord. v. 25 dread and fear of you upon the nations– The Lord began to strike fear in the hearts of the nations, which would later try to stand against Israel and keep them from possessing the Promised Land. This would be an important step in Israel’s domination of them. Joshua 2:10-11 tells of how Rahab had spoken to the Hebrew spies and informed them that all of the nations that lived in Canaan had heard about Israel and how their God had caused plagues to fall on Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and caused them to defeat Sihon and Og. Thus, she said, the Canaanites were “fainthearted” at the thought of the approaching children of Israel. (It is noteworthy that these were the same people who had caused the Israelites to be fainthearted and turn back from entering into Canaan in Numbers 14.) |
King Sihon Defeated 26 “And I sent messengers from the Wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 27 ‘Let me pass through your land; I will keep strictly to the road, and I will turn neither to the right nor to the left. 28 You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on foot, 29 just as the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir and the Moabites who dwell in Ar did for me, until I cross the Jordan to the land which the LORD our God is giving us.’ 30 “But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is this day.
| King Sihon Defeated v. 30 hardened his spirit – The parallels between this passage and the account of Israel’s struggle with the Pharaoh of Egypt are striking. Here God reveals that He had hardened Sihon’s heart so that he would not let Israel pass through his land. The Lord did this because He wanted to defeat Sihon and wipe his people off the earth because of their wickedness. He wanted to use Israel as His instrument to accomplish it. What is important to remember, however, is that just as in the account of Pharaoh, God did not initiate the hardness of heart. Sihon, like Pharaoh, already desired to resist the commands of the Lord; all that God did was give those men the strength of resolve to continue opposing Him so that God could accomplish His will. It is important to remember that God never overpowers a person’s free will. But on occasion, He will give him the added strength he needs to do what is already in his heart — if it matches His purposes. | v. 34 utterly destroyed – This is called a “herem,” or a holy war in Hebrew. In Deuteronomy 7:1-5, God describes the conditions of these unfortunate encounters, and reveals that the purpose for bringing such wholesale destruction upon entire civilizations was to prevent the spread of their infectious false religions that included such abominations as ritual sex, bestiality, and the sacrifice of live infants. As we read these accounts, it is also important to remember God’s words to Abraham in Genesis 15:16. He told Abraham that He would not destroy these people until they had over 400 years to repent of their wickedness. It would become clear by then that they would not. |
GodCalling: "The Ache of Love"
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TheDailyWay: A Life Filled with Praise
Posted: 11 Jan 2011 12:00 AM PST
We all have a choice—either we put God first or we put ourselves first. If we choose the latter, then we will not have successful prayer lives. To live successful Christian lives, we need to learn to praise God no matter how we feel. It is a life filled with praise that establishes the foundation of prayer. The key to hallowing the name of God is praise.
The apostle Paul knew the value of praise. In the book of Acts, Paul and Silas were arrested in Philippi for preaching the Gospel. Beaten and bleeding, they were still singing praises to the Lord. The result of their praise was an earthquake that shook the city and opened the prison gate. Even the prison warden wanted to know Christ.
Do you feel that God is not responding to you? Try praising Him. Praise is powerful and can change your outlook. Ask yourself if you are a person of praise or whether you have yielded to thoughts of doubt and negative thinking. You certainly can learn to praise God! How you act and talk is a reflection of the character of Christ within you. Regardless of your situation, praise comes as an overflow of His joy.
Practice praising the Lord by telling Him that you surrender to His power and authority, that you desire to place Him first in your life, and that you want to obey His Word. To honor and to uplift the name of the Lord brings delight to our heavenly Father.
Do you feel as if you are in a spiritual desert? Develop a life of praise by praising the Lord each day, regardless of how you feel or what you are experiencing. Can you praise God in the midst of pain and despair like Paul and Silas did? When you praise the name of God, you will feel the joy of the Lord!
Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (Psalm 66:20).Posted via email from ..................The Last Call Digest
TheBigPicture: "Sarah's Burial; Isaac's Marriage"
January 11
Sarah's Burial; Isaac's Marriage
References:-->Genesis 23:1-9,17-20; 24:1-27,61-67; Psalm 7:1-2; Proverbs 3:5-6
Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. So Sarah died in Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, "I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, "Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead."
Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth. And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your wish that I bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and meet with Ephron the son of Zohar for me, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he has, which is at the end of his field. Let him give it to me at the full price, as property for a burial place among you."
So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, wh ich were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?"
But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there. The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there." So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink'-let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."
And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher."
So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking." Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, and said, "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?"
So she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah's son, whom she bore to Nahor." Moreover she said to him, "We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge."
Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the LORD. And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren."
Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.
Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the South. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to the servant, "Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?"
The servant said, "It is my master." So she took a veil and covered herself.
And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Genesis 23:1-9, 17-20; 24:1-27, 61-67
WORSHIP
O LORD my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
Psalm 7:1-2
WISDOM
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
GregLaurie: "Practical Philip" Jan 11th
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Posted via email from ..................The Last Call Digest
OneYear: January 11th
January 11th One Year Bible Readings
Posted: 10 Jan 2011 08:17 PM PST
Genesis 24:52-26:16 ~ Matthew 8:18-34 ~ Psalm 10:1-15 ~ Proverbs 3:7-8
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on OneYearAudioBible.org or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~
Old Testament - Rebekah and Isaac meet and marry in today's readings! Below is Italian painter G.B. Castiglione's oil painting titled "Meeting of Rebekah and Isaac" circa 1640:
Before the meeting & marriage - I love the very opening verse 52 in Genesis chapter 24 today: "At this reply, Abraham's servant bowed to the ground and worshiped the LORD." This just made me think - when was the last time that I actually bowed to the ground and worshiped the Lord? I have to confess it was a long time ago. This may sound strange, but one time I was listening to the David Crowder song "Deliver Me" and for some reason I literally fell to the ground, bowed, and worshiped God. It was an experience that's hard to forget. But why is it so hard for me to get back down on the ground and worship God once again? When was the last time you bowed to the ground and worshiped the Lord?
Genesis chapter 25 has a lot going on in it today! We read about Keturah, the death of Abraham and the descendants of Ishmael. In verse 19 we begin reading about Jacob and Esau. Jacob we will read about for a large portion of the remainder of Genesis - there is actually not that many chapters we will read about Isaac. In verse 34 we read this about Jacob & Esau: "Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate and drank and went on about his business, indifferent to the fact that he had given up his birthright." Below is Dutch Baroque Era painter Hendrik Martensz Sorgh's beautiful "Interior with Jacob and Esau" painting from the year 1662 (the bright foreground almost takes away from the background with Esau swearing off his birthright):
In Genesis chapter 26 we can see where the old adage, "like father, like son" could have come from. Isaac like his father Abraham told foreigners that his wife was his sister. However, the artist Raffaello captured verse 8 from King Abimelech's perspective in this painting from the year 1519 below: "But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out a window and saw Isaac fondling Rebekah."
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Genesis chapter 25 titled "The Principle of Divine Election" is at this link and commentary on chapter 26 titled "Isaac Walks in His Father's Steps" is at this link.
New Testament - Matthew's readings in chapter 8 today are powerful in so many ways. The first section of our readings focuses on the costs of following Jesus. And I do think that we all probably realize that there are some costs associated with faith. However, there is also eternal reward, which outweighs all the temporary costs we might have to pay in this life. In some ways, I do ask myself this - are we really participating in a true faith if there are no costs associated with it? I have heard and read books and listened to speakers about how faith can bring us health & wealth & happiness. And I know there are many times when this is true (see our Proverbs reading today for a good truth to this) - but I do think these would be dangerous goals of faith in and of themselves - we could end up serving health, wealth and happiness as mini-gods of our own design if we're not careful. We could find ourselves following our own plans rather than God's Perfect Will for our lives.
Our faith must simply be about following Jesus and God's Perfect Plan & Will for our lives and accepting the costs - and the benefits - that come along with this Walk. What are the costs in your life of following Jesus? Do you believe that suffering might be part of the package in this life of following Jesus? I do believe the costs are all worth it - no matter what they may be. Here's a really really heavy question to put out here... but I think it is something that at some point we need to ask ourselves. I hope you don't mind this blog bringing this question to you if you've never asked this of yourself before... :)
The question is this: Are you willing to die for your faith? This would be the ultimate cost in this life for any of us. Our life. And it may well be that this cost will never be asked of you. But - many people in our world today are indeed paying this cost of their lives for their faith in Jesus. There have been martyrs throughout the centuries, and there still are martyrs in our world today. Certainly, as we proceed through this gospel of Matthew we will see that Jesus is willing to die for his faith. So, again, it's a tough question - but are you willing to die for your faith? I think if you can get to an affirmative answer to this question between you and God, you will be able to more readily accept all other "lesser" and temporary costs that will come your way in this life by following Jesus. And you will know without a shadow of a doubt that the costs are well worth the reward of an eternity spent with God. Will you follow Jesus no matter the cost?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Matthew chapter 8 titled "Peace, Be Still" is at this link and "The Demons and The Pigs" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 10 is a prayer for rescue from attacks from the proud and wicked. Wisely, you'll note that this Psalmist is not taking punishment into his own hands - but asking God for punishment. We would do well to remember that punishment is the Lord's... For some reason much of this Psalm reminded me way too much of our world today - and I realized that not much has changed over 3,000 years! Verse 4 in particular rang true to me about much of our world today: "These wicked people are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead." Only about 100 years ago the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche uttered those exact words - "God is dead." And I know that this viewpoint of many expressed in this Psalm 3,000 years ago, and 100 years ago by Nietzsche, is still a viewpoint of many in our world today. What a sad thing. What can we do in our lives today to show the world that God is not dead? How can we live our lives to demonstrate that God is alive? Let us share with this hurting and dying world with all that we are that God is not dead. Obviously, He Lives. What are you doing with your life today to show others that He Lives?
Psalm 10 verse 1 also stood out to me today: "O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I need you the most?" Have you ever felt like this? I know I have. However, I also have realized later on that just when I thought God was no where near me, he was actually as close as could be taking care of me. Even though it may have seemed that God was "hiding" from me, he was actually right there with me all along!
Proverbs - Today we read this in Proverbs 3:8 (just after the verse on fearing the Lord and turning away from sin): "Then you will gain renewed health and vitality." I think this is so true. I have been a much healthier person - mentally, physically, spiritually, etc. - since I came to faith in Jesus. Through God's wisdom and grace, I have been able to discern what is healthy for me and what is not. I have let many bad habits go. How about for you? Has your faith brought you renewed health and vitality? Are there some areas in your life where you still have room to turn some bad habits over to God, and to let them go? Will you do so this year? Will you pray to God for renewed health and vitality in those areas of your life where you need God’s grace and healing?
Worship God: Today's readings in Matthew Chapter 8 about the costs of following Jesus, remind me of the awesome new song "Lead me to the Cross" by Chris and Conrad. Here they are performing the song recently on K-LOVE live:
Have you been led to the Cross? Click here and be led!
Please join me in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3:7-8 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you won't be wise in your own eyes. Pray that all you do today brings glory to God, and not to self. Pray that you will truly be healthy in your body and soul through your following Jesus and by shunning evil.
Comments from You and Questions of the Day: Based on our readings in Matthew today, do you believe there is a cost to following Jesus? Is it worth the cost? Are there any limits to the cost of following Jesus that you couldn't agree to? Would your life be too much? At the same time, we see in Proverbs today that in addition to costs, faith brings benefits - renewed health and vitality being two mentioned in today's Proverb. Is it fair to say that faith brings with it both costs and benefits? Do you think that the benefits outweigh the costs? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless,Mike