 |
| Mountain Farm is a sustainable 24-acre lavender, blueberry, dairy goat farm just up the road from Mt. Celo Church. The annual Lavender Festival in the early summer is attended by thousands of visitors. |
Lessons and Applications from Today's
Readings
1) Deceiving
Jacob becomes the deceived - for 20 long years - by another family
member. The trials and sufferings transform His life and impact the world for God's kingdom.
•
There is a personal
effort vs. scheming now - regardless of the consequences - "You
know that with all my might I have served Laban...yet he has deceived me and
changed my wages ten times". Gen. 31: 6-7
•
There is acknowledgement
that God is Sovereign and Providential in his life - "God has been
with me; God did not allow him to hurt me; God has taken away from and given
me; God has seen my affliction". (Gen. 31)
•
There is communion
with God and obedience to Him - "The Angel of God spoke to me
in a dream (v.11)...arise, get out, return (v 13)...Jacob rose...to go".
(17-18)
•
There is covenant-making and humbling
with those who have wronged him and with those whom he has wronged (v 44, Gen.
32) - and, most importantly, a humbling before God: "I am not worthy of
the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your
servant..." (Gen 32:10)
•
There is now wrestling
prayer with God (Gen 32: 24-30) where there was once anger instead of
prayer (when Rebekah could not conceive and demanded a child from him.) Gen.
30:2
2) There is a reason for the term
"Prayer Warrior". Sometimes the
hardest battles are fought in our wills before God. This is
another lesson and model we will see in our year through the Bible -
persevering prayer.
3) Wrong
deeds are not always punished immediately; blessings do not always come on the
heel of obedience. God's timing is not ours, but sins do have
consequences, and "all things do work together - not always singly
- for the good of them that love the Lord - for those who are the called
according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
4) Father of a Nation - the deceiver
Jacob becomes the father of the 12 tribes of Israel and is given the new name,
Israel. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has
gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor
5:17. Most NT Biblical scholars think the "Man" with whom Jacob
wrestled was the Pre-incarnate Christ. We are no longer the same persons once
we have seen Jesus.
5) The Psalm is an
interesting parallel to Jacob's tending of the flocks and God's abundant
blessings on Jacob in this: "You have made him to have...You have put all things under his feet...All sheep and oxen, even
the beast of the field...(Psalm 8:6-9). The Proverb is an extension of
this: The LORD by wisdom founded...by understanding He established...by His knowledge the depths were
broken up... Prov 3:19, 20. It
is all about God, from God. All glory and praise belongs to Him.
6) God considers us, as
believers, greater in His kingdom of heaven than even John the Baptist
("among those born of women there has not risen one greater"),
according to Jesus. We are so
very loved by the God of the Universe - eternally, assuredly! (Matthew 11:11)
7) And this
soul-comforting invitation from Jesus: " Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-29. This
is our time to come alone to God - like Jacob; this is our Peniel - when we study, wrestle, learn
with Him, let Him lead us with His yoke (His Holy Spirit) into that rest
(confident trust) in Him.
These are my most treasured moments.
Personal contact with
Jesus alters everything...The attitude of coming is that the will resolutely lets go of everything and deliberately commits all to Him. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His HIgh
No comments:
Post a Comment