Monthly Archives: February 2015

A NEW LIFE… Genesis 38 and 44: 14-34

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I’ve given you quite a bit to read today.  Well worth the effort.  Genesis 37 begins a long section telling of the ups-and-downs of the life of Joseph.  Joseph is one of the rare characters in the Bible who is righteous through-and-through,  obeying the Lord in the face of temptions and obstacles.

Genesis 38–the story of  Joseph’s brother, Judah, the 4th son of Jacob and Leah.  Judah’s story is in stark contrast to that of his younger brother, Joseph.  Remember, the brothers sold Joseph into slavery while hatching a scheme eating dinner to make a few bucks off of Joseph.  And who is the one who hatches this money scheme?  Yes… Judah(Genesis 37: 26-28).  Why kill Joseph?  Let’s make a few shekels!

Now comes chapter 38.  Years later.  Judah is away from his family,  far away.  Living among pagans who worship gods other than the One true God.  His friends are unbelievers.  His wife is from a people that God warned them against.  ‘Who cares.  I’ll do what I want’.   Chapter 38.  It’s in your face… sin.  No candy-coating.  No excuses.  No shading or spinning of the truth.  The truth about Judah.  Lying, scheming, vengeance, excess sexual adventures way out of God’s plan for His people.  Judah is one bad dude!  No role model.

But this is not the end of the story.  Genesis 44.  Here is Judah years later, having had lots of time to examine his life.   But, miracle of miracles, the Lord has actually gotten through to him.  He’s a changed man.  Judah?  Did I hear right?  Yes,  standing before Joseph, who is now second in command to Pharaoh in Egypt, Judah begs for the lives of his family;  and is especially concerned for the well-being of his aged father, Jacob, who cannot take yet one more shock in his life.  Judah has compassion.  Judah exhibits repentance.  Judah  is a new man.

The same God exists today to do the same for us, who have strayed and wandered away, but who want to be the person God wants us to be.  We lack the inner strength and willpower.  We come to Him, asking for His help.  Regardless of your past, God can make you…and me a new person.  I’m no Joseph.  Somewhat like Judah.  But more like Jesus…because of His being in my life.  Praise God…new chance, new life, new everything!

Prayer:  Lord, there is a new name written down in glory, and it is mine!  Thank you in the name of the One who gives us our new names, Jesus the Christ.  Amen!

HOW ABOUT AN EARLY THANKSGIVING THIS YEAR?… Psalm 30

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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  No, not because of all the food, though I will not deny that’s part of it!  But rather for the lack of Easter Bunnies, tinsel and Santa.  All the things that don’t make Christian holy-days special,  only excuses for a day off of work.  Think I’ve been reading Dicken’s Christmas Carol too many times!  Bah, humbug!   I want  to dig deeper, peeling back the layers to the actual event celebrated about our Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone.

Thanksgiving Day does that for me…a time to give thanks.  To the Lord, first and foremost–‘Sing praises to the  Lord, all you His saints, and give thanks to His holy name'(Psalm 30:4).  It doesn’t take a lot of concentration to discover what to thank the Lord for.  I think of those roosters crowing every morning when we were in Hawaii.  So early too!  Bright and early, for the sun has barely begun to shine.  Then we have breakfast of eggs… and thank the Lord for what chickens give us.  And the chicken dinner we had the other night.  The Lord’s creation for us to enjoy and be nourished by.  Told you it wasn’t all about the food!

Every night we’d go down to the beach to watch the whales that are spouting in the Pacific Ocean, jumping/twirling in the air making a big splash with their tales as they hit the water.  Thank you, Lord, for the whales.  We enjoy seeing them.  And the sunsets every night were glorious.  Different every one in some way.  Thank you, Lord, for the sunsets.

Or think of your family and thank the Lord for them.  For all His providing for us, thank the Lord.  For our friends, we thank the Lord.  For a wonderful and loving church family, we thank the Lord.  For the Bible that we can be nourished with daily unlike any other ‘food’, we thank the Lord.

I could go on and on, and probably should.  But I’ll do it on my own time.  Now it’s your turn to think of all that you would like to thank the Lord for in your life.  Have an early Thanksgiving.  Have it often.  How about all the time?  ‘…that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever'(Psalm 30: 12).  Forever seems like a long-ways off…think I’ll start right now!  You too?

Prayer:  Dear God, we could never thank you enough for all the blessings in our lives.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.