Graves' This and That

    I do not enjoy having animals because of the training of the animal that needs to be done. I hate being trained by an animal!  Years ago, we had a pony, Dusty, who was "green broken" only and it was a game for him to try to get rid of his rider. Needless to say, he was not a delight for three young boys.  One of my husband's favorite sayings, "I have been house-broken by the Lord."   In my reading of Jacob in chapters 45-47, Jacob is finally coming to the end of Jacob....maybe house-broken?  Of course he is 130 years old and that could account for his submission to the Lord.  Too bad, we waste so many years in "arguing" and "reasoning" with the Lord when we are younger.  Jacob and all his family have been reunited with Joseph and they are all going over to Egypt because of the severe famine.  God speaks to Jacob and once again reaffirms His covenant with Jacob and his progeny. "I am God, the God of your father, He said.  ...

The struggle continues and several other "shoes have dropped"!  Jacob's family has become so unhealthily complicated.  The struggle does not begin with Jacob and his family and it will not end with his family. The psychological term to describe Jacob's family is dysfunctional.  Medically, "dysfunction (Webster) is an abnormal, impaired, or incomplete functioning, as of a body organ or part."  However today, the term is used most often to describe human relationships.   The more I read of Jacob and his family, I surmise that the real struggle is within Jacob.  Even though he has had encounters with God...like us, who have experienced salvation, Jacob struggles with flesh responses from pride, fear, anger, selfishness, and lack of integrity.  He has too often modeled this to his family, and they are infected with the "virus".  Dyfunctional families began with the fall of Adam and Eve, their two sons, and have been very evident in readings of ...

"For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (Romans 6:6-7)  When I choose to return to the flesh/sin, I am basically giving CPR to the old self that is dead and rendered inoperative and allowing it to have control.   In my reading of the last few days in Genesis 31-34, Jacob, after 20 years is leaving dear ole Uncle Laban and taking his huge family and his herds of animals/his wealth with him. God has told him to leave and return to Bethel.  Along the way with kids of every age, can you just imagine the noise of the kids and the animals and WALKING?  Along the way, Jacob decides to reconcile with Esau and sends gifts on ahead with his servants to give to Esau....and hopefully to save his hide.  His servants return from their trip to Esau and report that Esau is coming to him with 400 men.  An overki...

  In several seasons of my faith-walk, I always want to get beyond the "first year of".  My "first year of" that I focus, more specifically, is the completion of the first year of a love one's Absence.  Today, January 22, at 7:10 pm is the completion of my "first year of"  the Absence of David, eldest son.   In my mind's eye, grief is like a mountain range with numerous valleys. For me, the victory is that by God's grace, I made it through the first year.  Personally, my climbing in and out of valleys, falling down, getting back up, and climbing higher has been the roughest.  Grief is not the easiest climb for me, but I do know that Father God, my Father of compassion and all mercies, has been so gracious to instruct, lead, hold me close, pull me out of the valleys where it can be dark with emotions of loss, and to encourage me to press on when hurt and tears want to be the schedule of the day.   This is not to say that grief is over, but...

Jacob is such an assurance that God does not demand "perfect obedience" to be used of HIM.  In Genesis 27-28, Jacob has been complicit with his "well-meaning" conniving Mother to cheat his brother, Esau, out of his birthright. God had already told Rebekah that she was carrying twins and that the older would serve the younger twin.  I guess, as we helpful Sarahs do, Rebekah plans a rouse to help God along and insure the blessing for Jacob.  Tragically, both Rebekah and Issac are guilty of favoring one son above another.  It never seems to work well!  The providence of God is at work again as HE prevails over all the scheming of Rebekah and Jacob. Tragically, Rebekah sends Jacob away to escape Esau's hatred, his wrath, and his threat to kill Jacob.  In all of Rebekah's conniving, she will not see Jacob again in her life. Esau is in full-blown rebellion and blaming Jacob for his loss of the blessing, yet not willing to see the part he played in the rouse from ...

   Do you remember trying to make a choice when you and a friend each chose a different game to play?  I well recall the phrase so very often  that we said, "eeny-meeny-miny-moe" to make the choice.  Of course, we didn't know the rock, paper, scissors phrase used today among kids.   I thought today again of choices we make and the consequences of them as I wandered through Genesis 25-26 and read of Issac and his marriage to Rebekah, the birth of two sons, Rebekah's conniving, and Esau "despising his birthright."   Exchanging a birthright which was a blessing from a father is a major choice and made so frivolously for a bowl of stew.   I found David Guzik's comment from Donald Barnhouse on Esau's choice : Why did Esau sell out? “History shows that men prefer illusions to realities, choose time rather than eternity, and the pleasures of sin for a season rather than the joys of God forever. Men will read trash rather than the Word of God, and ...

Every year I come to these chapters in Genesis, especially chapter 22, and I have very limited understanding of the event except the over-ride to my lack of understanding is my faith that God is good, He is Sovereign, and He knows how to bring about His purpose in a life.  Every step of Abraham's journey of faith has the evidence of the Providence of God.  As fallible as he is, Abraham is obedient concerning the command to sacrifice Issac.  Instead of the sacrifice of Issac, a ram is provided and verse 22 gives the promise of the fact, "Abraham called that place 'The Lord will Provide'. And to this day it is said, 'On this mountain of the Lord it will be provided."    The promise is again suggested in Philippians 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  God has been most faithful to His promise of provision, yet there is a caveat or two that must be understood.  God will provide in HIS timing....