Praise
the Lord indeed for this, in the words my British friends, "Fantastic
Friday". It is going to unusually balmy and gorgeous today.
This for my overseas friends and family - Today ushers the celebration of
the Memorial Day weekend. Monday is the official Memorial Day. The
nation pauses to remember the brave men and women of the armed forces who have
given the ultimate sacrifice in defending the freedoms and liberties. I like
to watch the movie "Saving Private Ryan", by which I get moved
and humbled. People around the nation head out the beaches, lakes ,
summer cottages, and mountains. This is the unofficial beginning of the
Summer season and the camping season. Thank you Jesus. We are
getting ready for Sunday. We will meet for Sunday School at 10 AM and for
worship at 11:00 AM.
My
wife Alice whispered to me loudly that she has only 9 days of teaching
days in School including today - but who's counting?. The High
School class of 2016 is gearing up for Baccalaureate services, graduation
celebrations, and gatherings. These are rituals we go through as a part of
the passages of our lives on earth.
Last night was the awards ceremony and
celebration for the high school and junior high students here in
Marathon. My wife joined the presenters who called the students to the
stage in front of a crowd of proud parents, grandparents, and
well-wishers. Two students who were honored with many awards could not
attend because they were walking up to a different stage - to receive their
associate degrees from TC3. What an honor!
I
heard the story of Jacob when I was 4 years old. It was told to me by my
uncle during our evening prayer time. It left an indelible mark in
my memory lane, inscribed and in scripted with love.
The early chapters of Jacob's life mirror the lives of many
young adults around the corner and around the world. Life had been
pretty good for Jacob. He had grown up to be a shepherd and he lived a serene
existence. Jacob had not had much need for God. We never read about
any conversations he had about God or with him. We never read about him
worshiping, nor any encounters with God in all of his life up until he met God
at Bethel, but Jacob was desperately in need of God then. He had swindled
his brother out of his birthright and inheritance, and the conflict between him
and his brother has escalated to the place where he was in fear of losing his
life. He needed to go home to God, but he did not seem to know
the way.
The good news is that when we cannot "find" our way to the Lord God, the maker of Heaven and earth, God in Jesus Christ comes to us. Jacob was running from his brother and his problems — problems of his own creation. Finally, as he was on the run, night came and he fell asleep. A rock became the pillow under his head, and above his head were the open heavens. As he slept, God revealed himself to Jacob. In his dream there was what appeared to be a large ladder, almost like an escalator of light, the top of which reached to heaven and the very throne of God. God revealed himself and promised Jacob that he would inherit the promises which God had made to his father and his father before him. The Lord repeated those promises to Jacob personally saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth... All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13-15).
Jacob called the place “Bethel,” which in Hebrew means ‘House of God.’ This special place seemed to him to be the very dwelling place of the Lord. Jacob had met God. He wasn’t expecting to meet him. He wasn’t even thinking of God. It was purely grace. Meeting God was probably the last thing on his mind. He did not even want to meet God. He was only thinking of getting away from his brother. His mind was full of thoughts about where he was going and what was ahead of him, but God broke into Jacob’s self-absorbed world in a dramatic way. God opened his world to Jacob, even when Jacob had closed his world to God.
This whole incident tells us something very important about God. Isaiah the prophet quoted God as saying, “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I’” (Isaiah 65:1). God is full of surprises. Just when you do not expect to meet him, he comes to you. God can interrupt our self-centered lives in the most amazing ways, even if you do not want to hear from him....
The good news is that when we cannot "find" our way to the Lord God, the maker of Heaven and earth, God in Jesus Christ comes to us. Jacob was running from his brother and his problems — problems of his own creation. Finally, as he was on the run, night came and he fell asleep. A rock became the pillow under his head, and above his head were the open heavens. As he slept, God revealed himself to Jacob. In his dream there was what appeared to be a large ladder, almost like an escalator of light, the top of which reached to heaven and the very throne of God. God revealed himself and promised Jacob that he would inherit the promises which God had made to his father and his father before him. The Lord repeated those promises to Jacob personally saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth... All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13-15).
Jacob called the place “Bethel,” which in Hebrew means ‘House of God.’ This special place seemed to him to be the very dwelling place of the Lord. Jacob had met God. He wasn’t expecting to meet him. He wasn’t even thinking of God. It was purely grace. Meeting God was probably the last thing on his mind. He did not even want to meet God. He was only thinking of getting away from his brother. His mind was full of thoughts about where he was going and what was ahead of him, but God broke into Jacob’s self-absorbed world in a dramatic way. God opened his world to Jacob, even when Jacob had closed his world to God.
This whole incident tells us something very important about God. Isaiah the prophet quoted God as saying, “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I’” (Isaiah 65:1). God is full of surprises. Just when you do not expect to meet him, he comes to you. God can interrupt our self-centered lives in the most amazing ways, even if you do not want to hear from him....
In
his book The Spiritual Life of Children, the famous Harvard psychiatrist Robert
Coles, tells the story of Alice, a ten-year-old girl who came from a family
that did not believe in God. She expressed her doubts to him with these
words: “I remember... I saw the people next door coming home from church, and I
looked out the window after they’d left and I tried to ask God if they were
right and we were wrong, because we never go. But how can you talk with
God? I said, ‘All right, God, please, I’m young, and I’d like to know, so
give us a signal, me and my mommy and daddy. I knew he wouldn’t — and he
didn’t.” But then she says, “Later, when I went to the park, I thought
there might not be a God, but somehow we have this park and the flowers are
out, and how did all of this begin, that’s what I’d like to know!”
God met her in the park, when she least expected him. He answered her prayer and astounded her with the miracles that were all around her. Don’t miss the signs that are pointing the way home. He is there and he is longing for you to come home.
God met her in the park, when she least expected him. He answered her prayer and astounded her with the miracles that were all around her. Don’t miss the signs that are pointing the way home. He is there and he is longing for you to come home.
In Jesus
the " Hound of Heaven".
Brown
No comments:
Post a Comment