The God of Jacob

There are many titles for God given throughout his word. Some of these are "The Lord of Armies", "The Lily of the Valley", and "Everlasting Father", to name a few. Of all these titles my favorite is when he is referred to as the "God of Jacob." That's right, the God of Jacob. Why is this so significant to me? Because I can identify with Jacob.

 I can understand God being called the God of Abraham and Isaac. They were pretty righteous men, for the most part. But Jacob was a conniving liar, thief, and flat out con artist. He had a lot of faults that most of us wouldn't want listed on a resume. I guess that is why I can identify with Jacob a little more than with his father and grandfather. We seem to have more in common. :) My life has been far less than perfect and I have done a few things I wish I could undo. Yes, I can identify with Jacob.

Yet Jacob, with all his faults, had something that God admired. He loved God and was always in pursuit of him. He loved the birthright that identified him as a Son of God as much as Esau despised it. This later moved God to say, "Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated" (Romans 9:13). God loved Jacob in spite of his faults. He loved Jacob because Jacob loved God. No, he wasn't perfect, but he never gave up trying.

Jacob had some of the most remarkable experiences with God in all the Bible. Jacob saw a vision of angels and had God appear to him and speak to him several times. The last was when he was afraid to go into Egypt after learning that Joseph was alive. God appeared to him, called him by name, and assured him that he would be with him and his seed in Egypt. He also promised to bring them out again. Yes, Jacob had a remarkable relationship with God.

The Psalmist David invoked the name of the God of Jacob in Psalm 20:1 with these words: "The name of the God of Jacob defend thee." The God of Jacob is to us the God of imperfect humanity. Do you feel like you have made too many mistakes to count? Wish you could erase something in your past? You are in good company. Jacob felt the same way when his brother Esau came after him for stealing his birthright. Be encouraged! The same God who helped Jacob make peace with his past can help you today with any situation you are facing. He is after all the God of Jacob!

Be Blessed,

Sullivan Jones 

Sweeter than Honey - A Labor Day Thought

Psalm 19: 7-10

The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul ...... The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 

I awoke this morning with the last words of this section of scripture running through my head. The psalmist is telling us that the law of God is sweeter than honey. Imagine that! When we think about laws we usually think about rules and regulations that keep us from doing things that we don't want to do. Rarely do we truly think about the protection of those laws or the chaotic confusion that would result from a society with no laws. All of us would agree that some laws are good but rarely do we think of them as sweet.

Let's take today for example: Labor Day. Most of us think of it as a last chance to get a few days off before the busyness of the fall is upon us. Traditionally it was the end of the summer vacation season and school started the next day. Very few of us really think about the origins of the holiday. To give the short version, the holiday is a commemoration of the struggles early Americans had in establishing fair labor laws and practices. Today, because of laws passed by Congress, we are no longer at the mercy of our employers whims. We can not be forced to work long hours without overtime. We have unemployment compensation if our position ends or we are dismissed unfairly. There are OSHA codes to ensure safety in the workplace. The list goes on. While there are some who would say the government unfairly imposes itself into our lives, I'm sure all of us are thankful for at least some of these regulations. They have done much good for American society.

We could make a parallel application of these labor laws to our spiritual lives. Many times we are tempted to see the word of God as unfair interference into our lives. When the preacher "steps on our toes" we can get disgruntled or even angry. Why is he picking on me? Why are there so many restrictions in the Christian life? Why can't I just live as I please! The truth is that we need regulations. Without guidelines all of us would wind up in the ditch. Our lives would become a shipwreck on the storms of life. Without some guidance, we would be left to go with our best guess. Often this is not good enough. We need something more concrete to give us direction in times of trouble. The word of God is that concrete direction. If we will heed it, it not only gives us dos and don'ts but offers us protections as well.

God's word gives us a promise that we are  blessed when we obey him and cursed when we do not. The reason is simple. His words, when obeyed, keep us from making mistakes that will bring curses into our lives. By default then, we are blessed. When His word is ignored, we are open to the enemy of our souls and whatever he wants to do in our lives. Like the labor laws that this holiday commemorates, God's word stands up for us and offers us protection when we do right. We can never go wrong by seeking the word of God for direction. His word is truly sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

Blessings,

Sullivan Jones 

Contentment

I have learned  .... to be content. Philippians 4:11
Paul, The Apostle to the Gentiles

Contentment - It is a word we have all heard but few of us understand or truly possess. The dictionary definition says it is "the state of being satisfied or having ease of mind." Basically, when we are content, we are not looking for something else. We are willing to stay where we are.

This is not a quality that many of us possess naturally. In fact, our culture constantly pushes us to the opposite extreme. We tell our children from the time they are young that they need a college education. We push them to get good grades and apply for scholarships. This is not bad in itself, but somehow we have developed the idea that it is less honorable to make a living working with one's hands.

No where is contentment (or the lack thereof) more evident than in our shopping and spending habits. Many people work long, hard over time hours trying to pay for things they bought on credit because they weren't content with what they had and bought something they couldn't afford. Can anyone identify with what I am saying?

Contentment takes away the need for always trying to have more than we truly need at the moment. I am not saying we shouldn't strive to be better. That is a Biblical admonition. We should try to improve our lives. But at what cost? Bigger is not always better. More expensive is certainly not always better. There is so much to be said for a spirit that is happy with what God has given.

Last night, as pastor was preaching, he mentioned that what we ask God for reveals our hearts. Well, a couple of years ago I began to ask God to make me content. I must admit that I didn't really mean the words in the beginning. I wanted God to make me content to wait until he gave me what I wanted. But the more I pray that prayer, the more different I see his will to be. I can not pray, "God make me content", and still have a will of my own. To pray, "God make me content", is to have no ambition of my own. It is to let him put his ambition in me. It is to reach for what he desires. It is to wake up every day and ask him what he wants me to do with that day.

Contentment is not just patience. Patience says I can wait a while longer until I see the right opportunity. Contentment says I will do only what God says I can do. It is a complete change of mindset. Contentment realizes that I will never be "happy" until I am sure that what I am doing right at this moment is exactly what God would have me to be doing. Happiness is fleeting; it is a temporary emotion. But contentment comes from having peace with God. Contentment is not settling for less than what I know I can do. In fact, it is just the opposite. God will often ask me to do more than I think I can do. Later on, I will look back and realize that what he asked was the best thing I could have done with my life.

Contentment - Do you have the courage to pray for it? That prayer might take you some places you wouldn't have chosen to go but the end result is truly worth any price. To pray for contentment is to pray for the will of God.

Loving Him Daily,

Sullivan Jones