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Legacy

January 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Genesis 25: 27

Enough sermons have been made about the stark difference between these two boys who were the forebears of the Christian and Muslim religions. Let me just say the obvious one more time: God looks at people differently.

Outwardly, Esau was far better than Jacob in many respects. He was rough, more active, more aggressive, probably a better fighter. If the people of God were to survive the desert for forty years, Esau’s skills outdoors was something to look up to. They probably didn’t need much home making tips from the likes of Jacob.

What could a Momma’s boy do? Can he give a legacy that would fuel Israel to grab hold of their inheritance? Well, the answer is actually a big YES.

Jacob left a legacy of faith to his twelve sons. Isaac and Rebekah had no idea how it turned out for Jacob since they died before he embraced God’s plan for his life. The fact is no one in that era really understood the impact of Jacob’s legacy of faith on his children.

Only we can see that thousands of years later. Jacob’s contemporaries may have looked at him like he was a wimp. Now we look at him as a hero of our faith, a shining example of how God can use even the most ordinary home buddies whose résumé probably consisted of cross-stitching and healthy salad recipes.

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Eyes of Faith

January 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I purposely didn’t write anything this New Year. The internet world is already bursting to the seams with all the top tens, resolutions, countdowns, look backs and other related blog posts that I’m quite sure I didn’t need to add any more noise to the chaos. Or maybe that’s just my excuse for slacking but, well, here’s a post about facing the new year with a confidence that you’ve never known before.

While reading my email this afternoon, I came across a newsletter that mentioned the phrase “eyes of faith” and my mind immediately raced back to this old story found in the book of 2 Kings 6: 15- 17. It was about the time when Israel was about to be annihilated by its enemy. Elisha’s servant got up early that morning only to be struck with the horrifying sight of a huge army surrounding them. They were trapped in a circle. There was no way out. Death was inevitable.

Allow me to quote the Bible so you can capture the feel of this gripping drama:

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.”

Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

As we face the new year, some of us may be feeling trapped by the bad decisions we made in the past. Others think there’s no way out. Just when you think you have no other options, take time to pray and look again with fresh eyes of faith. Look beyond the veil of the flesh. See through the fog of your unbelief and see how God is doing a lot of the fighting for you.

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Discomfort Zone

December 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Obeying God is not always a walk in the park. Sometimes, it’s a flight for your life.

After baby Jesus was born, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him grab his family and flee to Egypt so they can escape the infanticide that Herod was going to order. If you think that story is simple and easy, imagine moving to a foreign country in a hurry. Chances are that you can’t do all the packing in one night, especially if your wife just gave birth to a child and your makeshift house is a mess after you got invaded by a herd of shepherds and philosophers you didn’t even know.

Joseph and Mary’s flight to Egypt was never easy. Was it even safe for a mother with a newborn child to ride on camels and cross the vast desert? Don’t babies need proper air conditioned rooms and soft baby clothes? Didn’t they need to sort out their bank accounts first, consult with the ob/gyn, and manage email forwarding?

Yet they did it all in the name of faith and obedience to the God who knew better than they did. No matter how uncomfortable it might have been. No matter how difficult it was.

Maybe we’re defining faith the wrong way today. I know a number of people who think that faith is getting what you want whenever you need it. To them, faith is like manipulating God to give in to your whims. If you’re not getting things your way, then you lack faith.

I don’t agree with them, of course. If Joseph and Mary’s story is any indication, I don’t think your comfort and discomfort about a certain situation is the true measure of being in faith.

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