Tag: Hebrews 12:4-11

Best Fatherly Practices, Learning From His Examples: “Our Father, Who Art in Heaven, Will You Reveal Who You Are?” Matthew 6:7-13

What comes to mind when you hear the term Father’s Day? Maybe you think about stereotypical gifts like neckties or #1 Dad t-shirts. Perhaps you have memories of the sights and smells of grilling together. Or maybe—like many people—the holiday provides an opportunity for you to celebrate your Father in heaven.

On this Father’s Day—and every day—I pray that your spirit would be refreshed, refocused, and renewed as you “see what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).

Matthew 6:7-13 The Message

7-13 “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
    as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes, Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

A Father’s Day Message to You … Set The Example.

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
    as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

Many of us approach Father’s Day with mixed emotions.

Some people have hands-on fathers who are available and deeply interested in their children’s lives; while others will have a somewhat distant, disinterested father; while still some others still were abandoned by their fathers altogether.

And like me, some have fathers who have died.

But one thing we all have in common, no matter what kind of dad or step dad we are or currently have or have had, is that we have an authentic Father in heaven.

And regardless of how your father, my father on earth has treated us, we have a Father in heaven who has always been there, always will, 100%, be there for us.

The Bible says that God is a “father of the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5 NKJV).

And David wrote,

“When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me” (Psalm 27:10).

We have an authentic heavenly Father, and the way in which we authentically communicate with him is through prayer.

The greatest prayer that was ever prayed is often called the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus taught us to pray:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9–13)

To address God as “Father” was a revolutionary thought to the Jewish mind.

The Hebrews feared God and attached such sacredness to His name, they would not even utter it.

In the Old Testament, God is referred to as “Father” fewer than seven times.

And when He is, it is either indirectly or rather remotely.

In fact, when Jesus referred to God as his father, he was accused of blasphemy.

One of the reasons Jesus was crucified was because he spoke of this radically special relationship he had with his father – not his earthly one, but heavenly.

Now, because of his death and resurrection, we can have that relationship, too.

After rising from the dead, he said to Mary Magdalene, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God” (John 20:17).

As you are now, were growing up, if your father was disengaged, disinterested and passive, you might think of God, talk to God, in exactly that self same way: disconnected, 100% oblivious to what is going on in your life, not really caring.

Then again, if your father was a thoroughly involved, nurturing and affirming dad, you might naturally apply those same qualities to your perception of God.

Whatever our experience was or currently is, we need to view God not the way we view an earthly dad; we need to view God as He is presented in Scripture.

Not only does the Bible tells us to address him as Father, but we are to do so in an intimate way.

The apostle Paul wrote, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15 NLT).

The word Abba speaks of intimacy, like calling your father “Daddy” or “Papa.”

The idea is that of an affectionate relationship.

My grandson call me “Papa.”

My sister’s granddaughters, when they were just starting to talk, would lift her hands up and say, “Nema” when they wanted to be picked up or get out of their highchairs. (How can parent or grandparent resist the innocent sound of that?)

If you want an accurate snapshot of God, a proper portrait of the Father, just look at the story Jesus told about the prodigal son (see Luke 15).

The story isn’t all just about the son, however; it is also about the loving father who stayed at home – anticipating, expecting, waiting, praying for that one day.

And who is more qualified to talk about a loving father than His own Son, Jesus?

In this story, Jesus presents him as an engaged, loving, affectionate father who loves his sons.

The father has two sons, the youngest of whom demanded his portion of the estate before the father has died.

The son went off to a distant land and lived like a fool – as a prodigal – blowing his money, consorting with prostitutes, literally ending up in a pig pen, and as he was finally coming to his senses, turned around and began returning home.

Back at home we see a father who stayed home, who longed for his son’s return and then ran to throw his arms around him, kissing him over and over again.

The conclusion of the story from a modern paraphrase goes this way:

The son started his speech: “Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.

But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, “Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here – given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!” And they began to have a wonderful time. (Luke 15:20–24 The Message)

That is your Heavenly Father. Although He is our God, there is an undeniable intimacy, there is relationship, there is closeness, there is 10000% affection.

If you want to know what kind of Father we have in heaven, just look at Jesus.

Because Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has as also seen the Father” (John 14:9 NKJV).

He also said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father …” (John 8:19).st look at Jesus with the little children in his arms, blessing them.

Look closely, with a father’s eyes, and a father’s broken heart, shattered soul at Jesus with tears streaming down all his face at the grave of his friend, Lazarus.

Just look at Jesus, washing his disciples’ feet in the Upper Room.

That is what our Father in heaven is like – if we will still let him set the example.

Best Practices, Learning From Our Fathers Example

Philippians 4:8-9 The Message

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Most parents learn the best way to teach their children is by setting an example.

In healthy families, we learn a lot about right and wrong, good and bad, by simply watching our parents, grandparents or older “grandparent” siblings.

Ephesians 6:1-4 The Message

6 1-3 Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. “Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, “so you will live well and have a long life.”

4 Fathers, don’t frustrate your children with no-win scenarios. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.

Do you, Do I, do we, have a strong relationship with our (step) children?

The way we first think about God has much to do with how we were parented—especially by our father.

What image of the Lord are you portraying?

Many men will suffer alone, struggle in their role as dads because their own fathers were either absent—physically or emotionally— or poor examples.

But regardless of what a person experienced in the past, the #1 best thing any parent can do is first look to the Scriptures to imitate God the heavenly Father.

But how do we know who He really is?

We get our best glimpse of what the heavenly Father is like by looking at His Son.

Do we learn, do we see and witness and testify unto the Father’s Authority?

Speaking with the disciples, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me . . . He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:6, 9).

Not only is Christ our path to relationship with God; He is also the way we come to know the Father’s true character.

When we look at Jesus’ life, what do we see?

He was revealed to be merciful, patient, gentle, compassionate, merciful, forgiving, kind, and full of goodness toward all people (Matthew 9:10-13).

He was revealed to be a hard worker and a family provider – Matthew 13:1-9

The Savior healed the sick, provided for needs, and offered forgiveness—regardless of the offense (Matthew 14:14-21; Luke 23:34).

But in love, He didn’t hesitate to discipline or correct others when required.

Hebrews 12:4-11 The Message

4-11 In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don’t feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?

My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline,
    but don’t be crushed by it either.
It’s the child he loves that he disciplines;
    the child he embraces, he also corrects.

God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off big-time, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

More than a solid education or material possessions, your child’s greatest need is a role model of devotion to God, a steady revealing of their Heavenly Father through prayer, Bible reading, Bible Teaching and by steadfast and holy living.

Matthew 16:17-18 The Message

17-18 Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

If you make knowing and following the heavenly Father your first priority, you won’t have to worry about what kind of parent you will be – the child will see it.

It’s our privilege, responsibility as as parents, grandparents, fellow believers to be Godly, to teach Godly, and and live and model, set Godly examples to others.

Paul’s own life must have shown joy and gentleness for him to use himself as an example to follow.

It’s not a matter of just learning what the Bible teaches about such attitudes.

What counts is putting them into practice.

Like Paul, we’ve got to live in such a way that we can say,

“Learn what I teach—by example!”

A disciplined sense of what’s right and disciplined conviction of what’s wrong is a wonderful and necessary “GOD WHO IS OUR FATHER” thing to live into, to teach our children, to our grandchildren the way they should and should not go.

Proverbs 22:6 The Message

6 Point your kids [grandkids – my emphasis] in the right direction—
    when they’re old they won’t be lost.

What kind of “HEAVENLY FATHER” example are we exactly right now?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, we come before you today humbled and in awe of Your grace and mercy. Lord, we thank You for the way You have designed what a family is supposed to look like and the specific roles You have ordained to a mother and a father of how to lead their children. Yet Lord, through our sinful ways we have taken what You have made holy and created our own version of today’s families. Because of this, our children are suffering. It is for the fathers, families, and children of our nation that we do pray today. 

Lord, we pray specifically for fathers and fatherhood across our land. Your Word clearly instructs fathers to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). God, we thank You for the men who are leading according to Your statutes and the ones that are laying their lives down for Your purposes. We pray that You will continue to use these men to lead their families and other men. We pray You will strengthen the fathers of our nation and that You will continue to empower churches, organizations, and individuals to invest in fathers and fatherhood for the sake of our children.  

We pray for the single fathers out there; whether they are raising their children alone or even if they are doing the best they can with the time and gifts they have. We pray for strength, protection, wisdom, and discernment to help them through whatever trials they may be facing. Thank You Lord for these men and please guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, help meet all of their needs, that they may experience Your maximum peace that surpasses all of their comprehension. 

We pray for the dads out there who are being alienated from their children right now. We pray, oh Lord, that You would shield and shelter them from the pain and possibly the anger that may be rising up in them, for You to strike down the barriers that are hindering these dads from seeing their children. God, do not let this destroy them as men, fathers, or in their relationship with You. They need You in a mighty way and we pray You would show Yourself strong on behalf of anyone that is being alienated from their children and that You would reunite these families together. 

Lord, we lift up the dads right now that are not stepping up to the plate as fathers, for whatever reason. Once again, we have allowed the evil one to get into our lives and wreak havoc on what You have said is good. We pray for these men to come to their knees and repent, that they would turn from their ways, seek You, and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Father, we pray for their children and the moms who are parenting alone because of these men’s decisions. We pray You would step in as a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows in these situations, that their story would be another testimony that nothing is too hard for You. 

Finally, Father we lift up the men and women that are on the front lines in the battle for fatherhood and the war against fatherlessness. God, You clearly put leaders of all skills, gifts, calibers in positions of influence: from the highest ranks to the least of these. However we know with men these initiatives would fall short, but with You all things are possible. We pray for everything from the right funding for the programs to continue, to godly leadership from beginning to end. We pray for a revival of manhood, for fathers to lead their families by beginning each day on their knees. God Your Word says You will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:6). As our Creator, Savior, and heavenly Father, we believe this will bear eternal fruit- that generational curses will become generational blessings, restoring our families back to the way that You intended. 

We come into agreement as we read and speak this prayer out loud that this is a nation that is desperate not only for our earthly fathers to rise up to the challenge, but more importantly, that they need to follow You, Father, as their ultimate guide and example. It is in the wonderful, precious, matchless name of Jesus Christ we pray.

 

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes, Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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Alive and Our Being Alive in God: Part Two – Our Inevitable Struggle Between Faith and our Failures. Genesis 12:10-20

Genesis 12:10-20Amplified Bible

10 Now there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to live temporarily, for the famine in the land was oppressive and severe. 11 And when he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Listen: I know that you are [a]a beautiful woman; 12 so when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me [to acquire you], but they will let you live. 13 Please tell them that you are [b]my sister so that things will go well for me for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you.” 14 And when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. 15 Pharaoh’s princes (officials) also saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken [for the purpose of marriage] into Pharaoh’s house (harem). 16 Therefore Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

17 But the Lord punished Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and go!” 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him on his way, with his wife and all that he had.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum!

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

ABRAHAM’S FAITH AND FAILURES

The time between God’s promise to Abraham and its fulfillment spanned about twenty five years!  During that time, Abraham made several wrong attempts to help God fulfill His promise.  There were times, also, when Abraham made some decisions that revealed a definite lack of faith and decisive distrust in God. 

ABRAHAM FAILS! GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

Despite obvious failings amidst his successes, Abraham is a wonderful example of a man who lived by faith but continued to make mistakes in judgement.  The bottom line is we’ll fail yet God continues to remain faithful to His promises to Abraham, even in the midst of Abraham’s bad decisions and faithless choices. 

OUR FAILURES AND GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

We are told there are two ‘inevitables’ in life: death and taxes.

In leading with your life as a follower of Christ, I believe there are two other ‘inevitables’ we need to be more acutely aware of as well: faith and failure.

As Abraham’s descendants today, we will still inevitably and faithfully fail our God. Thankfully though God’s faithfulness in the face of our inevitable failures is, only but by the indescribable grace and faithful mercy of ABBA God still true. 

For His promise to us is still, “Let not your hearts be troubled” “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (John 14:1; Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5).

Our failures in our faithfully living for God will never deter God’s promises!

But now we come to Genesis 12 verses 10-20 to a time of failure in Abram’s life.

II. The Failure of Abram (Genesis 12:10-20)

Though he began with faith, a time of trouble leads to disobedience and doubt.

It all begins with growing, maturing sense of desperation, a time of famine.

12:10. Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

I do not know if Abram should have gone to Egypt or not.

The way this part of the story reads, it sounds to me like it was a bad decision on Abram’s part to go to Egypt.

Nowhere do we read in the scriptures is Abram directly or indirectly condemned for his decision to go down to Egypt, but later developments, as made evident in this passage from Genesis, makes it clear his actions did not stem from faith.

Abram did not consult God, but acted independently.

No altars were built in Egypt which are mentioned, nor are we told that Abram ever called upon on the name of the Lord that he and Sarai should journey there.

His request of Sarai [later in the passage] also reflects his spiritual condition. It would thus be safe to say that Abram’s faith failed in the face of that famine.”

So we can’t be certain, but it seems that God wanted Abram to stay in Canaan – even with a famine.

Where God guides, He provides.

It was not God’s intention for Abram to leave Canaan and go to Egypt.

Now a time of testing had come upon Abram.

Not a time of plenty, but a time of wanting.

A time of famine.

Abram faced a choice.

He could stay in the land God had called him to, and trust in God to provide, or he could leave the land and trust in man, specifically the Egyptians, to provide.

Abram did what most of us do in times of trouble.

Abram trusted in man.

Abram stopped believing in God’s promises, and left for Egypt.

Through this whole chapter, we read of God speaking to Abram to tell him where to go.

We read of God appearing to Abram.

We read of Abram building altars and calling on the name of the Lord.

We read none of those things here.

In a time of trial, Abram ignored the promises of God, turned to Egypt for help.

This will become a pattern for Israelites.

Later, in another famine, Jacob and his entire family moves to Egypt.

This eventually leads to the enslavement of the Israelites to the Egyptians.

During the time of the kings, many of them made alliances with Egypt through marriage or treaties rather than trusting in God for help.

Many of the prophets warned the people of Israel about turning to Egypt for help rather than turning to God.

All of this began when Abram, the man of faith, turned to Egypt rather than turning to God.

This shift in trust leads to another failure.

He begins a pattern of lying.

Genesis 12:11-13. And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”

Abram knows that his wife is beautiful, and that Egyptians are notorious for wanting to marry the most beautiful women.

If there was a husband in the way, it was okay to murder that husband.

So Abram concocts a lie to tell the Egyptians.

He is going to ask his wife to lie for him, so he asks her by beginning with a compliment.

Hopefully, we men compliment our wives more often than just when we want something from her.

Here, Abram wants Sarai to lie for him.

It really is only a half lie, for Sarai is Abram’s half sister (Genesis 20:12).

This is how Abram justified his lie.

It’s a little white lie.

What could it hurt?

It is also a pragmatic lie.

If Abram tells the truth, he might end up violently losing his life.

But notice what this lie does.

It not only reveals a lack of trust in God’s promises, but it also threatens their fulfillment.

In Genesis 12:10, Abram begins to trust in the Egyptians to keep him alive, now Abram is trusting in his wife.

I heard one pastor preach, “Abram was clinging to his wife’s petticoat for protection and blessing, rather than to the promises of God.”

Not only this, but his actions were a direct threat to his wife’s purity and the fulfillment of God’s promises.

God promised descendants to Abram.

Inherent in this promise is a promise that neither Abram or Sarai would not die until this promise is fulfilled.

20/20 hindsight being what it is with all of the commentaries we have to judge,

We can probably say Abram was not wrong in considering the possibility that someone would appreciate his wife as more beautiful and desire her for a wife.

Absent the cultural, historical context, we can probably also judge that it was not even wrong to suppose that someone might even kill him to marry her.

If we were doing an after-action debriefing with him, Abram was wrong to assume that this would happen and that the only way to prevent it was to lie.

Nowhere is the sure, certain promise and the protection of God considered.

Sinful deception is therefore begun before any real danger is ever experienced.

Abram has stopped trusting in God, and is fearful of a some danger not even encountered yet, and so turns to his own plans to provide his own protection.

Notice from Genesis 12:12 that Abram only thought the Egyptian men would find Sarai attractive.

And it was a common occurrence for men to murder other men just to get their wives.

Abram wanted to avoid being murdered so he decided to use this half truth about Sarai being his sister.

In such a situation, Abram, posing as Sarai’s brother, could agree to a marriage, but would insist on a long betrothal period.

Then, when the famine in Canaan was over, they could just pick up and leave.

No harm done.

It was the perfect plan.

But as the saying goes, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”

In verse 14, things seem to begin just fine.

Genesis 12:14. So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.

Abram was right.

He had a beautiful wife.

The Egyptian men saw her and thought she was beautiful.

Many of them are probably thinking of marrying her.

So far, Abram’s plan was working out just right.

But something happens in Genesis 12:15 that Abram never counted on.

Genesis 12:15. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house.

It never entered Abram’s mind that Pharaoh might be interested in Sarai.

While Abram could put off the plans of other men, Pharaoh would not take no for an answer.

He took her into his palace, awaiting the time of the consummation of the union.

Part of this involved giving gifts to Abram.

Genesis 12:16. He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

During this time, Sarai would likely undergo a relatively long period of preparation for her presentation to Pharaoh very similar to the preparation Esther went through before presenting herself to King Ahasuerus (Esther. 2:12-14).

Can you or I imagine the lonely, agonizing nights Abram must have spent, wondering what was going on in the palace?

Abram had asked Sarai to lie so that it would go well with him (verse 13).

And it did go well.

Pharaoh sent many gifts to Abram and treated him royally.

The only thing which kept Abram from enjoying his treatment was the realization of what it meant.

Pharaoh was giving these things to Abram as a dowry.

It did go well with Abram, but without Sarai, his wife.

I believe you and I can see ourselves doing an intervention here: Prosperity is never a blessing without the peace which comes from being right with God.

But God is not thwarted by lies, doubt or our mistakes.

His promises are not so easily broken by man.

He made promises to Abram, and although Abram has stopped trusting in those promises, and is living in sin and deception, God intervenes, not only to protect Sarai and Abram, but also protect the faithful fulfilling of His promise to them.

Genesis 12:17-19. But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.”

Abram was confronted by Pharaoh and soundly rebuked.

Abram had no excuse or explanation.

So far as we are told, he did not utter a word in his defense.

No doubt this was the wise thing to do in the light of Abram’s offense.

Pharaoh was not one to be challenged or angered unnecessarily.

Today, we can see the raging irony of the situation is obvious.

Here is a pagan correcting a prophet (cf. 20:7).

It was a sharp royal rebuke that Abram would painfully remember.

How sad, however, that Abram could not dare to speak, for this no doubt hindered any testimony to his faith in the living God Who had called him.

Christian conduct in the face of adversity does greatly affect their credibility.

Genesis 12:20. So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.

We see here the patience of God with Abram, for Abram comes away from his mistake with more blessings and riches than when he came.

Abraham becomes richer than he was.

This is a curious discipline.

You would think that God would discipline Abram in a different way.

Rather than make Abram richer because of his lack of trust, you would think God would make Abram a bit more poorer and then to make him more wiser.

Well, these extra riches are double-edged.

Negatively, this is probably how Abram received Sarai’s maidservant Hagar.

When it comes down to it, every failure significantly impacts a relationship because any degree or measure of personal failure in life involves people.

We will read later his marriage to Sarai was negatively impacted. how Hagar inevitably becomes a great stumbling block to Sarai and Abram later in life.

for it is through Hagar that Abram risks making his greatest mistake ever.

But the positive aspect of this blessing is that it shows God’s great love and patience with Abram.

God is not out to destroy and punish Abram for his lack of trust.

No, God is showing Abram love and patience.

God is showing Abram longsuffering and kindness.

Even when Abram stops trusting in God, and makes his bad decisions, God continues to watch over Abram, and even bless him despite those decisions.

Today, we might even conjecture as to how foolish Abram’s fears must have appeared in the light of history.

In order to avoid a famine, Abram was forced to face down a Pharaoh.

The might of Egypt was not employed against him, but was commanded to assure his safe arrival in Canaan.

Indeed, Abram left Egypt even richer than he had come.

But none of this was the result of Abram’s faithless and dishonest actions.

It was the product of undeserved grace and mercy and providential care.

I am not saying you should go out and sin to see if God will bless you even though you’ve sinned.

That’s not the lesson of this story.

Possibly, Abram would have been much more blessed if he had stayed in Canaan.

Maybe many of the Canaanites would have left, and Abram would have received some of the land right then – we really don’t know what would have happened.

The point of this devotional account is God remains faithful to us, even when we are faithless.

Above it all, most of us literally have no desire to be known as ‘failure experts’.

And He can bless us, even when we are “experts,” have PhD’s in being wrong.

Hebrews 12:4-11Amplified Bible

A Father’s Discipline

4 You have not yet struggled to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have [a]forgotten the divine word of encouragement which is addressed to you as sons,

“My son, do not make light of the discipline of the Lord,
And do not lose heart and give up when you are corrected by Him;
6 
For the Lord disciplines and corrects those whom He loves,
And He punishes every son whom He receives and welcomes [to His heart].”

7 You must submit to [correction for the purpose of] discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons; for [b]what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 Now if you are exempt from correction and without discipline, in which all [of God’s children] share, then you are illegitimate children and not sons [at all]. 9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we submitted and respected them [for training us]; shall we not much more willingly submit to the Father of [c]spirits, and live [by learning from His discipline]? 10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for only a short time as seemed best to them; but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems sad and painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness [right standing with God and a lifestyle and attitude that seeks conformity to God’s will and purpose].

Sometimes He does discipline us, for He disciplines those He loves.

But sometimes He wins us over with grace and mercy.

He teaches us to be faithful to Him by revealing His faithfulness to us.

This is a step forward in Abram’s faith development.

He has learned that God is a God of love, not of fear.

He has learned that God is a God of abundant blessing, not of destruction.

He has learned that God keeps His promises, even when we do not.

When our faith no longer knows where to look, God’s eyes are 100% upon us!

When our faith slides, slips and stumbles, God does not!

When our faith falls asleep, enters a coma on us, God remains awake!

When our faith plants us on our faces on the ground and fails, God does not!

Abram has learned when God promises the end, He also provides the means.

You and I do not, and cannot, accomplish God’s will with evil methods.

These are wonderful truths for Abram to have learned, and will aid him as he continues to grow and develop into the father of faith we all know and love.

As we close out 2022 and prepare ourselves to enter upon a New Year in 2023;

Are you and I anticipating, expecting, facing a time and a season of testing?

Can you and I safely say God has called you and me to something, and all it seems is He has called you and me into a time of true faith versus famine?

Keep trusting.

Do not short circuit the test.

If you and I try to bypass the test, God will just make you and me face a different test in a different way in a different place to achieve the same outcome for God.

If Abram had been given the choice of tests – a life lived through a famine or his wife in a Pharaoh’s harem – we can rest sure he would have chosen the famine.

And then in the end, Abram had to go back to living through a famine anyway.

Of course, he had been abundantly blessed by God with more animals and more servants to aid him, but the famine just made it more difficult to feed them all.

When God puts you and me in a faith versus famine test, do not try to bypass it.

Just pass it.

Do not sidestep it.

Walk through it.

Abram has gone from faith to failure, and now back to faith.

It is an oft-repeated, much cyclical lesson, we can learn much from ….

by our inevitable faults, the magnitude of our failings and failures ….

– by our faithfulness to God in prayer – we will see how long it lasts.

Immanuel, Immanuel, His name is called Immanuel ….

God with us,

God within us,

God revealed in us ….

God being revealed through us ….

His name is still, to this day and beyond, called Immanuel ….

John 17:6-12Amplified Bible

6 “I have manifested Your name [and revealed Your very self, Your real self] to the people whom You have given Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept and obeyed Your word. 7 Now [at last] they know [with confident assurance] that all You have given Me is from You [it is really and truly Yours]. 8 For the words which You gave Me I have given them; and they received and accepted them and truly understood [with confident assurance] that I came from You [from Your presence], and they believed [without any doubt] that You sent Me. 9 I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and [all things that are] Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; yet they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name  which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and protected them, and not one of them was lost except [a]the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

Do not fear becoming a ‘failure expert’ and allow it to paralyze you from learning to lead with your life.

Faith-filled, Faithfully Learn through all degrees of failure how to lead your own life well by recovering from your failure for Jesus has prayed for you.

There is nothing more beautiful to Jesus than to see His prayer to His Father answered in and through you, through your failings and through your raisings.

He knows there is a source of strength to be found in those who recover from their failure. 

All because they have come to know through recovery that their source is Him.

The One who prayed for firm faith to remain in Him before they ever wiped the fruit of the vine from their “leaking lips” and promptly went out and failed.

Our Struggle between Faith and failure is always an inevitable one for all of us.

Genesis to Revelation – all the promises of God remain 100% faithful and true!

The war has already been won so you may win your battle.

If maybe today, you are one who feels like a ‘faith in God failure expert’

I now join with God, the Father, Son, Spirit, in praying that you recover well.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

O Lord, Mighty in Power, equally mighty in grace and mercy and forbearance, You say that I should have faith in You so that I will be upheld. I do, Mighty Lord. I give over the full measure and weight of my failings and failures over to you. I place all my faith in You. You strengthen me. Your divine life force keeps my spirit alive and burning fiercely for You. I know that with You I can overcome anything. Thank You for remaining faithful to Your chosen people. Thank You for guiding me in my life and helping me to become a vessel for Your will. I pray that I may continue to put my faith and trust in You because You know all things. You know what the hearts of Your people need, and I believe You will help me through whatever this life brings. Amen.

Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum!

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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