A Woman of Inspiration

 

We all are familiar with Jacob and Rachel story.  I always felt complex with how Rachel’s father did him.  Yet it always showed me the lengths a man would take for a woman he truly desires. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until recently another element of the story was highlighted to my heart.  That is Leah.

We tend not to think much on the surface with Leah.  We are told how she was not highly desirable as her sister Rachel, and how Jacob wasn’t really doing labor to be with her.  It’s mentioned how Rachel became jealous of her when she was able to do something she couldn’t, which was produce children. However, Leah’s story thickens as you dive deeper into the contents of the story.

Leah’s friends were rejection, jealousy, and mockery.  Imagine sleeping with a man you know doesn’t really love you.  Imagine your own sister despising you for something that is not your fault. Imagine having to live with being told you are less than with your looks.  Leah even started off giving her sons names based on her circumstances.  Yet something happened to Leah along with way.  She got to know El Roi, the God who sees.  Leah realized that even though her life journey didn’t seem fair, God was yet there with her.  She went from focusing on her circumstances to a I will praise the Lord attitude.  This was even shown with the name of one of her sons Judah, which means praise. 

Out of son Judah came the birth of King David who linkage will be to Jesus, the Messiah.  In addition, let’s take a moment to think about the linkage.  Christ too experienced rejection, mockery, and not even being recognizable on the cross.  Think about that, Christ can relate to Leah’s circumstances. In her choice to praise the Lord, she became linked to our Messiah.  What beauty came out of her ashes!!

Leah story has become my inspiration.  We can decide to look beyond our circumstances and focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!  For He can truly do above we can even ask or think!  Just look at what He did for Leah.

Be encouraged!

 

Shortcomings

It’s the elephant in the room that the church world doesn’t seem to want to really address-shortcomings.  Yes, we can love the Lord with all our soul and yet find ourselves in moments of weakness.  Selah

I am reminded of this when I think of Peter.  There he was experiencing Jesus up close and personal in a way we will only get to be either when we transition or when He returns.  Yet when the going got tough, Peter denied Him three times.  Not because He didn’t love Him, but because of fear.  David is known as a man after God’s own heart.  We see his intimacy with Him displayed throughout the Psalms.  Yet David found trouble surrendering his lustful desires.  We are blessed to be the seed of Abraham. Yet Abraham didn’t rebuke Sarah when told to sleep with Hagar.  He may have obeyed his wife for peace sake but cause a complexity that is going on till this day.

Facts:  some of us struggle with sexual desires that are not always covered by God’s grace.  Some of us can be revengeful. Some of us can carry around pride.  Some of us can even be envious towards our brother and sisters in Christ.  Nevertheless, how does God yet view us?  Selah

1Peter 3:8 (NLT)

Finally, all of you should be of one mind.  Sympathize with each other.  Love each other as brothers and sisters.  Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

How many of us truly put this scripture to action?  It appears when one of our brothers or sisters get caught in a wrong, we crucify them like the Pharisees desired with Jesus.  We don’t sympathize or show tenderheartedness.  Could this be why the church has learned to mask such issues so well?  Selah

Facts are I have shortcomings.  I have struggles, and yes there are times I want to cater to my fleshly man more than my spirit man.

1Peter 1:10 (NLT)

Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people.  Once you received no mercy, now you have received God’s mercy.

Truth:  God mercy is new every morning towards us.  Think about where we would be without His mercy!  Eventually Jesus restored Peter for the three times he denied Him. So just as God grants us mercy every single day, we should grant our own brothers and sisters in Christ mercy as well.

The hour is drawing nigh Saints!  It’s time we allow the church to be the spiritual hospital that it is supposed to be and be real with each other.  Let’s practice the greatest gift we can give one another, LOVE!  For its in love that we can forgive shortcomings.  It’s in love that we can pray for each other strength!  It is in love that we can display mercy and be tenderhearted.

As we reflect on the Cross this weekend, let’s truly reflect on what was going on at that time.  For God so loved the world that He gave…   Since our identity now is within Him, let us give the love that he gives to us!

 

 

 

Can We Be Faithful To Him?

 

Lamentations 3:22-23

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I love this scripture so much that I quote it all the time to the start of my morning prayers.  As I was doing a devotional journal study for the day, the study brought up a good question that convicted me:

Can we be faithful to Him?

Think about it, every single morning when we rise God is faithful.  The sun rises, the day comes and the nights’ sets.  We can always count on Him to make a way out of no way, to be with us in the midst of a storm in life, to be our protector and Abba.  We know He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Yet can our God say the same about us?  Selah

When I saw that question, it cut down to my soul as I have to admit there have been times I haven’t always been faithful to Him.   Sometimes my flesh wanted to hop on the Lot’s wife syndrome by looking back when God was just trying to protect me.  There’s even been times when I had to rebuke myself by wanting to go Job’s wife way when she suggested for him to cuss his God and die.

The facts are we as a body of Christ we can do better with being faithful to Abba.  Is it always easy, no!  I truly love how Paul says in Romans chapter 7:15:  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not, but what I hate I do.  Oh how I can relate to this scripture!  I think the key to staying faithful to Abba is by staying in His word.  Not just on a Sunday morning, but every single day.  It’s His word that renews our minds and transforms our hearts. 

So I challenge your thoughts today…what actions can you take to be better in being faithful to Abba?

Whatever He Says Do!

John 2:1-11

Just picture this popular Bible story. Everyone is having a great time at the wedding feast. As the host your heart is all warm from watching people enjoy one another at your event. The music is playing, the people are dancing and laughing, and then out of nowhere an issue arises. You run out of wine. You start to panic as not only will this dampen the feast, but ruin your reputation as the host. Your heart starts pounding and sweat begins to develop as you the question of what am I going to do comes to mind.

Yet picture having a guest at your feast like Mary who knows who to go to when a problem appears. She went to Jesus. Imagine her telling you to look to Jesus! The key part to the storyline in this sentence, do whatever He tells you. Even in the midst of a problem, a choice has to be made. Do we obey the scriptures or stay in our emotions? Do we look to the Spirit or stay in our flesh?

 As you may already know, they decided to do just what Jesus said; although it did not make any sense. Just fill the jars with water. Um, Jesus, we don’t need water but wine. Nevertheless, when they put emotions aside and obeyed by faith, there ended up being plenty of wine. The guess never knew there was a problem and the feast went on to be a wonderful event.

Facts are it feels easier to stay within our emotions based on what we are seeing externally. It feels normal to panic when a problem arises or feels good to cater to your flesh when it comes to pleasures. Here's a thought, if we remain in our emotions, can they be linked to unbelief?  We are bless with the gift of choice.  Do I stay within my emotions and own strength that can equal spiritual death, or do I acknowledge what I’m feeling but turn to Jesus and do whatever He says for life and peace. These decisions are not always easy and sometimes we will even have our shortcomings depending on the matter. Yet those words pierced my heart today; whatever He says do.

He that has an ear let him hear!