Seriously?

Twenty-five years is a long time to wait . . . to hope . . . to cling to a promise.

Twenty-five years is the amount of time that passed between Genesis chapter 12 when God gave a man named Abram a promise and Genesis chapter 21 when Abraham finally cradled that promise in his hands.

Here’s what I want to say to that: Who takes twenty-five years to fulfill a promise? Seriously. Twenty-five years? Was that really necessary?

Although these questions are coming from a woman who has earned the titled “The Queen of Impatience,” I think they’re valid.

God took twenty-five years to do what He could have done in nine months. Why?

Maybe there was more to the promise than meets the eye. Flipping back three pages (and twenty-five years) in my Bible, I read the promise again. Summed up, the promise reads: “I will make you great.”

Every other time I’ve read this passage I’ve focused on the tangible aspects of the promise . . . the nation . . . the land . . . the heir . . . the blessing . . . the greatness. Want to know what I saw this time? This time I saw a promise to make something of a man who was nothing. God promised to take a pagan idol worshipper and make him into a God follower. How did I miss that before?

In light of this aspect of the promise, the twenty-five year delay begins to make sense. It seems less cruel, even shorter somehow. After all, it takes a long time to truly make a man great.

Had God fulfilled the promise of a son right out of the gates, He would have dropped the promise right into the hands of a man who had a lot to learn . . . a lot to learn about patience . . . a lot to learn about God . . . a lot to learn about life . . . a lot to learn about death  . . . a lot to learn about true greatness.

It’s all starting to make sense now. Abraham was a different man in Genesis chapter 21. Duh! Although he was still flawed, he was twenty-five years further along in his journey with God. He was twenty-five years further along in his journey toward greatness.

This makes me consider my own “yet to be fulfilled promise.” You see, God has promised me greatness. Before you think me arrogant, read Romans 8:29-30:

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

The promise is right there in black and white. God has promised greatness. He has promised to make something out of nothing. He has promised to take an idol worshipper and make her into a God follower . . . an image bearer . . . a woman of greatness.

Knowing the woman as well as I do, I figure that’s going to take some time . . . a long time . . . a time so long twenty-five years may begin to look short . . . seriously . . .

Arise and Go

An encounter with the Living God is a powerful thing. In fact, it can be life-altering. At least it was for a man named Abram.

Prior to his introduction to God, Abram lived in the pagan land of Ur. He probably worshiped the sun. He had it all, including a wife so beautiful men would kill for. In essence, Abram was living an ancient form of the American Dream . . . lots of servants . . . lots of camels . . . lots of stuff. From all appearances, Abram was settled and satisfied . . . content and comfortable.

That is until God showed up.

Scripture doesn’t tell us how God appeared to Abram. It only says God spoke. And when God opened His mouth He did two things. He issued a command. And He made a promise.

The command was “arise and go.” Although the promise contained many elements, it was essentially a promise to use Abram to make God’s name great.

Abram was invited to become an active participant in the story of God.

In an instant a life was changed . . . a path was altered. And, armed with only a command and a promise, Abram began his journey with God; a journey into the unknown . . . a journey away from the Dream . . . a journey toward the unsettled and uncomfortable.

I too have had an encounter with the living God. I have been invited to participate in His story. I have been asked to join Him in the unknown. I have been given a command and I have been given a promise:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;

and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

An encounter . . . a command . . . a promise . . . an unmistakable desire to “arise and go.”

Like Abram, I’m not completely sure where my journey with God will take me. I only know I’ve decided to get up and go. I’ve decided to claim His promise. I’ve decided to become an active participant in the story of God. I’ve decided to allow my encounter with the Living God to change my life.

Have you had an encounter with the Living God? Have you allowed that encounter to alter your path? Have you heard God speak? Has He issued a command? Has He spoken a promise? Is there a desire to “arise and go?”

If so, welcome to the unknown. Welcome to the story of God. Welcome to the journey. Who knows where God will take us . . .

Signed in Blood

I used to think faith and doubt were mutually exclusive. But after reading in Genesis chapter 15 this morning, I am beginning to doubt that observation.

God had just promised Abram a son. Abram responded to God’s promise with faith and God “reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Then God promised to give Abram the land as his possession. But, instead of responding with a statement of faith, Abram responded with a question tinged with doubt. “O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?”

It’s as if Abram was saying: “I believe You can do it . . .  but just in case . . . as a backup plan . . .  just to be sure . . . can I get that in writing . . . signed in blood?”

At this point in the story, I completely get Abram. Maybe that’s because I tend to relate to heroes of the faith when they’re at their weakest.  

After all, I know what it’s like to walk the fence between belief and unbelief.

One minute I am walking in complete assurance of God’s promises and then the next minute I waver and wonder . . . will God really do it? What ensues is generally a great tug-of-war between faith and doubt. 

God’s response to Abram’s weak and wavering faith offers me hope. Instead of chastising Abram’s doubt, God offered a guarantee. And in Genesis 15:9-18, we get to watch God sign that promise in blood.

Although the ceremony recorded in this passage is unfamiliar to us, it would have been very familiar to Abram. It was a covenant ceremony. It was the sealing of a promise. It was two parties staking their lives on their word. It was sacred.

God called for the animals of the covenant. Abram slew them and laid them opposite the other. What resulted was a blood path. It would have been customary for the two parties of the covenant to clasp hands and walk the blood path together. As they walked the trail of blood, these two individuals would be linked by a promise unto death. “May my blood be shed if I fail in the terms of my promise. Should I fail to keep my word, you have the right to call for my blood.”

The interesting thing about the ceremony in Genesis 15 is that God failed to clasp Abram’s hand. And as Abram fell into a fitful sleep, God walked the blood path alone. By doing so, God not only guaranteed His faithfulness to the covenant, but He also promised to cover any covenant failure on Abram’s part. “May My blood be shed if I fail in the terms of My promises. Should I prove Myself unfaithful, you have the right to call for My blood.  And, should there be any covenant failure on your part, I offer My blood for that as well.”

There’s the gospel again. God doing for us what we could not do for ourselves . . . God covering our covenant failures with His own blood . . . God promising to be faithful, even in the face of our unfaithfulness and doubt.

God’s faithfulness is not dependant upon my belief. Somehow this truth helps dispel my doubt. So, whether I’m on the fence . . . or walking by faith . . . or wavering in unbelief, my faithful God will do as He has promised.

And, as we will see throughout Abram’s story, faith and doubt continue to co-exist, but God’s faithfulness never waivers. He has sealed His promises with His blood. He has walked the covenant blood path with Himself and He alone is faithful.

He has signed His promises in blood. May we take Him at His Word.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,

for He who promised is faithful.”

Hebrews 10:23

Why?

At first reading, it appears as though God missed the question. But it wasn’t like Job hadn’t asked it clearly. In fact, he had posed it several different ways. Why do the righteous suffer . . . Why do the wicked prosper . . . What have I done to offend the Almighty . . . Why Lord, why?

When God finally opened His mouth in Job chapter 38, He didn’t provide a single answer. In fact, He was full of questions Himself.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? (v. 4)

Have you ever commanded the dawn? (v. 12)

Where does light hide? (v. 19)

Who sculpted the deep? (v. 25)

Is God hard of hearing? Confused? Disinterested? Why isn’t He answering the question? He’s missing the point!

Or maybe I am . . .  

You see, like Job I’m pretty good at asking “why.” Why that? Why now? Why me? Why her? Also like Job, the why’s in life leave me exhausted. If I ask them long enough I usually end up in a heap on the floor spent from my ponderings.

During one such episode I clearly heard God speak from the whirlwind. (Don’t worry, it wasn’t audible. Just undeniable.) In the vacuum of silence God asked me two pointed questions: Do you trust me?  Am I enough?

Although I wanted to shout “Yes Lord yes,” to both of these questions, I had trouble forming the words. Did I lack faith? Was He enough? Did doubt lie beneath my questions of why? As these thoughts swirled in my mind God continued to speak:

I laid the foundation of the earth . . . I command the dawn . . . I control and enclose the seas . . . Do you trust Me . . . Am I enough?

Yes Lord, but . . .

I hear the cry of the raven . . .  I give the horse his power . . .  I cause the eagle to soar . . . Do you trust Me . . . Am I enough?

Yes Lord . . .

I possess heaven and earth . . . I am your Creator . . . I am your King.

With those words I understood why Job promised to shut his mouth in response to God’s interrogation. I too was silenced by the reminder of who God is and what God does. How could I not trust the Creator King who possesses all wisdom and power?

He alone calls to the dawn. He alone carved the deep. He alone is God.

"I know that You can do all things,

and that no purpose of  Yours can be thwarted."

Job 42:2

Silenced

His lips fell silent today. For almost 30 chapters a man named Job and his three friends debated. They argued. They questioned. They looked for answers but found none.

Today Job fell silent. He defended his integrity one last time and then, “The words of Job ended.” (Job 31:40) Just like that, Job stopped talking. He stopped asking questions. He stopped seeking answers. In what was probably utter hopelessness, he shut his mouth.

To summarize the past 30 chapters of the Book of Job:

Job had it all.

Job lost it all.

Job worshiped.

Job whined.

Job wrestled with God.

Job wanted to die.

And now, in silence Job waits.

Why is it so hard to fall silent before God? Even when my lips are still, my heart and my mind continue to race. They continue to wrestle. They continue to contend with the Almighty.

I think it’s interesting that although God had the answers all along, it wasn’t until Job closed his mouth that God actually began to speak. It’s almost like God was waiting for Job to fall silent so He could speak truth to him.

I’m thinking there is a lesson I need to learn here. So many times I allow my words to fill the space between me and God. I want God to fill the space between me and Him.

When I pray I wonder if God is up in heaven with his arms folded saying, “Are you done yet?” Not that God doesn’t want to hear my prayers, He does. He’s probably just wondering when it’s going to be His turn to talk.

Like Job, I don’t usually fall silent until I’ve exhausted myself. And even then the quiet only lasts long enough for me to catch my breath. Job’s silence lasted long enough for a fourth “friend” to add to the conversation. Then . . . finally . . . it was God’s turn.

A part of me wants to hurry up and get to chapter 38 where God answers Job out of the whirlwind. The other part of me wants to sit here in the quiet for a minute. I want to hear what silence sounds like. I want the space between me and God to be filled with Him.

So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to sit here for just a minute and listen to the silence. I wonder what it is that God wants me to hear . . .

“My soul, wait in silence for God only,

for my hope is from Him.”

Psalm 62:5

Naked and Unashamed

I love weddings. I think God must love weddings . . . and brides. After all, the Bible begins with a wedding in Genesis Chapter 2 . . . marriage and wedding symbolism is used throughout the Old and New Testaments . . . and the Bible ends with the marriage feast of the Lamb and his Bride.

My favorite part of a wedding is when the wedding march begins and the bride makes her appearance. As everyone turns and faces the back of the sanctuary I do just the opposite. I face the front and try to get a glimpse of the groom at just the right time: the moment he sets eyes on his beloved. I always know when the bride arrives. The groom’s face lights up.

As I continued reading through the Bible this week I began to wonder about the first wedding. Once again, not many details are recorded in Scripture, only a simple phrase in Genesis 2:22: “and God brought her to the man.”

Although it doesn’t sound like much of a wedding, I bet it was beautiful. Do you remember the scene in Sleeping Beauty when Princess Aurora sings Once Upon a Dream in the forest? The little woodland animals line the path. Tchaikovsky’s waltz is heard in the background. Everyone watches the beautiful princess, including her future groom, Prince Phillip. His eyes light up.

I wonder what look Adam had on his face when God arrived with Eve.

Remember what had just happened prior to this scene. Adam had acted as Grand Marshall at the first parade after which he found himself newly aware of a thing called loneliness. While Adam slept, God stole a rib and fashioned it into a women . . . (a drop dead gorgeous woman I’m sure.) Now fully awake, Adam responds by claiming Eve as his very own. God switches roles from Father of the Bride to Priest. In this role He consecrates the union and deems it holy . . . irrevocable . . . sacred.

Then comes my favorite verse:

“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

No, I’m not a nudist.

I just love the thought of Adam and Eve standing naked before God and one another. They stood in absolute freedom and complete acceptance. Nothing hindered their relationship. There was no baggage. No remorse. No guilt. No shame. (I can almost hear Tchaikovsky’s waltz playing in the background.)

I often have to remind myself that when I stand before God I too am naked and unashamed. Naked because all of my thoughts and ways are known by Him. Unashamed because He assures me there is “now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). Despite God’s intimate knowledge of me, there is no condemnation. No shame. Nothing but nakedness.

In a sense, God looks at me with that “I just got a glimpse of my beloved” look in His eyes. His face lights up not because I’m stunning. Not because I’m lovely (or even loveable). He looks at me that way because I belong to Him. I am His beloved. I am His bride.

My relationship with Jesus allows me to stand before God naked and unashamed.

Sometimes I have a hard time remembering that.

Day One

As I finish Genesis chapter 2, I glance at my Bible reading schedule. I’m supposed to move on. I need to read chapter 3 before I can mark “Bible Reading” off my list of things to do. I can’t get behind already. It’s only day one.

Despite the pressure to move on, I find myself wanting to linger. A lot has just happened in the last 10 minutes. Light appeared out of nowhere. The heavens parted. Dry land appeared. God hung the stars and called them by name. Sea monsters enjoyed their first plunge. Creatures of all shapes and sizes tried out their new legs.

God exhaled. Adam inhaled. A soul was created.

There was a parade. The hippopotamus got his name. Adam took a nap but woke up in time for the wedding. God complimented Himself on a job well done. Then, He called for a holiday.

As I pause after chapter 2, I begin to understand God’s desire for the first Sabbath. If I’d been in the garden that day I would have wanted to stop and take it all in . . . the sights . . . the sounds . . . the beauty. With all the commotion of creation, rest would have been a welcomed respite.

Although the Bible doesn’t elaborate on what happened on Day Seven, we do know that God issued a blessing. He proclaimed the day holy and then He rested. When the Bible is light on details, I immediately begin to ask questions. Questions like:

What does God do when He rests?

(I’m pretty sure He doesn’t nap, so what does God do when He takes a break?)

Where did Adam and Eve go on their honeymoon?

How much time passed between Genesis Chapter 2 and the events recorded in Chapter 3?

Why are some animals so ugly?

Apparently answers to questions such as these aren’t necessary or God would have filled in the blanks. I guess I’m just going to have to rest in the fact that God rested. He stopped. He took a breath. He brought the beginning of creation to an end.

But as we’ll learn in Genesis Chapter 3, just as the story of creation ended, the story of redemption began. In fact, they’re practically seamless.

The gospel message doesn’t start in the New Testament. It started in Genesis with the words: In the beginning God.

I guess I should move on and read Chapter 3. But, since I know what happens next, I think I’ll just rest here for a minute and take it all in. I have a feeling I’m going to appreciate a few minutes of Sabbath rest before I turn the page.

 “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.

By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done,

and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,

because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

Genesis 2:1-3