Genesis 30:14-16

Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother Leah, Rachel asked, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

But Leah replied to her, “Isn’t it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son’s mandrakes?”

“Well,” Rachel said, “you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”

When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob slept with her that night.

Mandrakes were considered both an aphrodisiac and a fertility drug. Leah sought them as an aphrodisiac to attract Jacob to her, while Rachel wanted them as a fertility treatment. Leah desired the heart of her husband; Rachel desired what he could give her. The two bargained, and Leah actually received the better end of the deal. She earned the opportunity to sleep with her husband that night – an idea that seems totally absurd in our culture. In a polygamous family, however, the women often decide who will spend time with the husband and take turns to be “fair.” The husband must oblige in order to maintain peace in the family and fulfill his obligations to all the wives.

This challenges us to consider our own relationship with God. Do we really desire His heart and to have intimacy with Him, or do we only want what He can do for us? God does not have a heart for the law; He has a heart for those who follow the new covenant of grace afforded by His Son. He longs to have intimacy with us, and He will bless us through it. How shallow we become when we forfeit that intimacy for some lesser thing our hearts desire. Through true intimacy we find real blessing that satisfies.

Leah saw Rachel as the undeserving wife and believed she had stolen Jacob from her. We are all law breakers and do not deserve the grace God has lavished upon us through Christ. Rachel, however, wanted the mandrakes more than she wanted Jacob and was willing to bargain her intimate relationship with him in order to obtain them. Would we be so foolish as to trade the intimacy of God’s presence for a quick “fix” to our problems? Mandrakes carried no guarantee, and neither do our own substitutes. We fail ourselves miserably by placing our faith in some “thing,” rather than in God, Himself. He is the source of all blessing, and we have the opportunity to come before Him daily, seek His face, and just bask in His presence. He will speak to us and show us wonderful things that we never imagined. That intimate relationship should be treasured and never bargained!

What does your heart desire today? Your answer is found in an intimate relationship with Christ. Every perfect gift is from God (James 1:17), and He withholds no good thing from us (Psalm 84:11). Forsake your mandrakes, and spend time with Him today. Allow Him to richly bless you with His presence, and find every answer you need. This is yours by grace.

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 66:14

You will see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass; then the LORD’s power will be revealed to His servants, but He will show His wrath against His enemies.

If you are a child of God, His intent is not to destroy you; He desires to reveal His power and His glory to you and through you. When we face trying times, hardships, tragedy, loss, or setbacks, we may feel like God is mad at us or that His hand is against us. We must remember that God is a Father who loves His children dearly, and He uses such things as opportunities to mature us in our faith. Everything He allows in our lives is designed to increase our faith.

God shows His wrath against His enemies. His enemies are those who attack His Word and outright rebel against Him. His enemies are those who refuse the gospel and the sacrifice of His Son. Many believe that a loving and just God could never punish anyone by sending them to a place as awful as hell. As a Father of an only begotten Son, He will certainly execute wrath on those who deny or reject His beloved Son. How you treat Jesus determines if you are God’s child or His enemy.

I want to see clearly, to rejoice, and to flourish like grass. Most importantly, however, I want to see God’s power and His glory revealed in my life. I want to see Him destroy His enemies and know that He did it all for me. We have this promise clearly written in Isaiah upon which we can stand in confidence and know that when we encounter hurt and disappointment, God is not finished with the situation yet. There is more to come, and we can expect it to be something for which we can rejoice! Faith begins and ends with Jesus. When we believe in Him and submit to His lordship, we can expect to ultimately rejoice and experience God’s power. If we reject Him and rebel against Him, we will encounter God’s wrath. I choose His power, and I hope you do, too!

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.

While we cannot control what heartaches enter our lives, we can be assured that we do not go through them alone. God is very near those who hurt from loss, and we can all attest to that fact. When we are crushed in spirit, we have no answers for ourselves and are often vulnerable. God saves those who are crushed from being consumed by the enemy.

When we are brokenhearted, we have a need to grieve. Many times, the pressures of this world won’t let us fully feel or address our emotions because they demand our attention. Grief is necessary for emotional and mental wholeness and is God’s way of enabling us to let go of something or someone. Grief has a purpose, even though it can be very difficult to endure. God remains near to those who are hurting so they can express the grief they feel and be able to move forward in God’s plan. Grief is designed as a process of growth, and those who successfully complete the cycle proceed to do things they always dreamed of doing or are able to do things they never dreamed they could do as a result of that growth.

If you are hurting or brokenhearted over something, know that God is near. Cry out to Him, and allow Him to comfort you. He has answers and will lead you into His perfect plan. Wherever you feel crushed or vulnerable, know that God is watching over you to keep you safe. He is a refuge and a shield to you. He will fight your battle and defend you when you are too weak to fight for yourself. Rest in His perfect care.

Have a blessed day!

Luke 22:32

But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

Jesus knew Peter would fail. He knew Peter was not as strong as he thought he was, so He prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. This proves that our faith can still operate even when our flesh fails.

While Peter would turn away from Jesus temporarily, he would not be able to stay away. He had come too far with Jesus to completely turn back, and Jesus knew Peter would return. As Proverbs 22:6 teaches us, “Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Jesus knew He had taught Peter well and that he would return, even though he would fall.

Dear sisters, know today that you will stumble and fall, but Jesus is at the right hand of the Father praying for you that your faith will not fail. He has placed too much in you to give up on you, and His word is powerful and effective. None of us learn to walk without falling, but that doesn’t mean we give up. We must continue in our faith. God has invested Himself in you for a purpose, and He intends to bring it forth. Get up and put your faith into gear. Begin in prayer by taking all your concerns to God. Have more faith in your prayer than in your failure. God takes our prayers and works His power into the places where our flesh cannot accommodate. He is for you and not against you, even when you fail Him.

Finally, when you turn back in faith, strengthen those around you. Encourage others whose faith is failing. Use the very places where you have failed to give testimony to God and proclaim His glory. The good news about being a Christian is that when we fall, we can get up and turn back to Christ. I’m so very thankful He is praying for me today, and He is praying for you, too.

Have a blessed day!

Matthew 18:23-28

For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began to settle accounts, one who owed 10,000 talents was brought before him. Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. At this, the slave fell facedown before him and said, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything!” Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, “Pay what you owe!”

Most of you have probably read this account many times, as have I. As I read it once again this morning, I couldn’t help but wonder why the slave who received mercy couldn’t forgive his own slave who owed him much less than he had owed the king. Just why could he receive mercy but not be able to give it?

The king in this parable represents God. As He looks at our sinful condition, He fully realizes that we have no means whatsoever to pay for our sins. Even if we gave everything we had, it would not be enough to pay what we owe Him or to compensate for the wrong we have done in our lives. If we are to continue as fully functioning individuals, we need forgiveness of our sins (debt) in order to live a productive and meaningful life. Otherwise, we are good for nothing in God’s kingdom. God saw our depleted condition and gave us His Son as payment in full for our debt. He paid the price we could not pay so we could live abundant lives and further His kingdom on earth.

We are the slave who has been forgiven much, and if most of us are honest, there are times when we really have difficulty forgiving others, who owe us much less. Why do we find it hard to grant mercy at times? Some of us are given a gift of mercy, which just flows all the time. Others of us, however, don’t naturally possess mercy and have trouble with forgiveness. I admit that I fall into the latter of the two categories. Since I can relate to the slave with no mercy, I should be able to understand his position, but I really had to think about this to realize why he did what he did.

The slave who had been forgiven did not like having to plead for mercy and never wanted to be in that position again. He did not like being subject to the king and owing Him anything. Therefore, he demanded all that was due him because he wanted to be able to stand his own ground if the king ever approached him again. If he had everything that was owed to him, in his mind, he would be able to pay the king whatever debts he might owe him. The reason the slave who had been forgiven could not forgive is pride!

If there is anything in us that thinks we can pay God what we owe Him, we are both prideful and foolish. Not only that, we are tyrants to those who we think owe us anything. We can never demand enough from others to pay what we owe God, and He would never think more highly of us even if we could pay Him back. Our salvation comes through grace, which we do not deserve, and any favor we may receive for promotion in life comes through grace, which we do not deserve. Pride will fool us into believing that if we had everything we deserved from others, we would not be lacking before God and others.

The key to overcoming pride is to recognize it for what it is – a liar! You can never repay God. He does not think less of you because you had to plead for mercy. He simply wants you to fully receive the grace He has given you and multiply it by giving it to others. This spreads His kingdom in the earth and gives Him something He can bless. Creating larger numbers does not grow God’s kingdom; extending His grace does.

If you weren’t given a spiritual gift of mercy, you are certainly not alone! Spend some time in prayer today releasing those who have wronged you or owe you in any way. There may be some who could never repay you, but you hold the key to your own well-being. Repent of any signs of pride you see in yourself, and begin to appreciate the grace that God has fully given you in Christ. The more you see and accept your own need for grace, the more you will be able to give it. No one likes being vulnerable or empty, but it is the best place to be before a God who is rich and abundant with grace! Allow Him to fill you to overflowing so pride has no more room to operate. When you begin to advance God’s kingdom through forgiveness, you will find His grace going before you to give you favor like you’ve never dreamed! Trust me and read the rest of the story. Releasing pride and offering forgiveness brings a much better result than the alternative!

Have a blessed day!

Matthew 18:1-5

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them. “I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child – this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in My name welcomes Me.

The disciples were trying to learn how to advance in God’s kingdom, and Jesus used the opportunity to teach them a lesson in humility. Unless we come to Jesus as a trusting child, willing to learn, and submissive, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. To come to Him as a child means we surrender to Him as Lord.

Many people today want salvation from Jesus, but they don’t want to make Him Lord of their lives. They choose Jesus and His benefits, but they do not allow Him to lead them. Unless we surrender to Him as Lord, we will never experience His salvation or the kingdom of heaven. Those who fully humble themselves in surrender to His Lordship are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus cares deeply about the submissiveness of children. They are trusting and vulnerable creatures, and He takes the responsibility of nurturing them, caring for them, and training them seriously. Jesus is pleased with those who welcome children to care for them and train them. While many may leave that responsibility to someone else because of the work, God honors those who take time for His children.

As mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and sometimes convenient babysitters, our time with children is an investment in their future. God will honor our work to be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. If you work with children in your church, you are welcoming Jesus – especially if no one else wants to do that job. Someone had to teach us, and God provided and equipped the people who displayed Jesus to us while we were young. He will use us to teach the teachers of tomorrow, and He takes the position very seriously. We should, as well.

Have a blessed day!

1 Chronicles 17:10b

Furthermore, I declare to you that the LORD Himself will build a house for you.

God raised David from the herds, where he was faithfully attending sheep, to the palace, where he led God’s people. He fought many battles, and God drove out all of his enemies. God placed David in the palace to serve His purpose. Even though David desired to build a house for God, it was not the purpose to which God had called him. God had someone else in mind to build a house for Him – David’s son, Solomon.

God brought us to the place where we are for a reason – to fulfill His purpose. We must all ask ourselves the question, “Whom are we serving?” The best place we can be in life is to be totally surrendered to fulfill the call of God on our lives. When we are, God will build our house. We won’t have to worry about knocking down doors of opportunity or fighting for territory that is not ours to take. God Himself will build our house, and we will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that it is ours. When we commit to serve God, He will take care of us.

While David was not called to build a house for God, he did everything he could to prepare Solomon to build the house God called him to build. David could see the vision for the house, but his purpose was to prepare his son. Our calling to prepare the next generation to advance God’s kingdom is just as important as our personal efforts to serve God. If God has given you a vision to build, consider how it will affect future generations. Prepare them to take the reign of authority to move the vision forward.

Determine to be faithful to your call today. Let all the lofty desires and petty issues go. Discover who God has made you to be and how He has called you to serve, and do it faithfully. Walk forward in what you know to do, and trust God to handle what you don’t know. You will never figure it all out anyway! Become a woman of purpose, and watch for the house God will build for you.

Have a blessed day!  

Psalm 75:3

When the earth and all its inhabitants shake, I am the One who steadies it pillars.

This Psalm depicts God as a judge of the wicked. Anything in this earth that can be shaken will be. When shaking occurs, everything you thought to be security may crumble before you. You may lose your sense of independence or your “blanket” you trusted to make everything okay. After the shaking, however, God is the very One who will steady earth’s pillars to help you get back on your feet and able to walk on level ground again.

Sadly, when someone’s world falls apart, he or she often blames God. To the shaken, it may seem like life is unfair and God is punishing or could have prevented things from happening and did not. Being angry with God, however, is futile. He is the only One who can steady the pillars of our lives and begin to put things back together in proper order. If a shaking has occurred, chances are that something was out of order somewhere, and steps must be redirected in order for us to fulfill our purpose in Him.

Some people are shaken and never recover. Others are shaken and never seem to miss a beat in the rhythm of life. The difference between the two lies in how they respond to the shaking. Turning to God in full submission and allowing Him to redirect our paths will fine tune our purpose, but being a victim and fighting the change will hold us captive and paralyzed. He who shakes us will also steady us.

Have a blessed day!

2 Corinthians 12:9

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

Paul received a thorn in his flesh that kept him from boasting or exalting himself. Self-exaltation is an easy trap when your preaching is anointed and effective. For some reason, God saw it fitting for others to witness weakness in Paul so His glory would be evident. Otherwise, Paul would generate “Paul followers” instead of “Christ followers.” God gave Paul a thorn and would not remove it. He wanted Paul to display His glory by leaning on His grace to overcome.

Many Bible scholars believe Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a physical illness. Scripture, however, never defines this thorn. For some reason, God chose not to reveal Paul’s weakness but to demonstrate His glory through Paul. We can only speculate of Paul’s weakness, but there is no denying the power of God at work in His life! That is how I hope my life will be remembered, as well. While I struggle with many obvious weaknesses, my prayer is that God’s glory will outshine it to the point that His glory is all others recall.

God’s grace is sufficient for you today. God never promised to remove all your thorns in this life, but He did promise us sufficient grace to overcome them. Denying weakness is a sign of pride, and you will never defeat your thorns in your own strength. Your thorns are obvious, and your only hope to deal with them is through grace. Surrender your weakness to God, and watch how sufficient grace can be in your life. God wants to display His glory through you, and His power is made perfect in weakness. In the end, others will see more of God and less of you.

Have a blessed day!

Proverbs 28:5

Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand everything.

When someone who has done wrong is called into account for wrong actions, we call it justice. When a crime is committed, authorities search for the guilty party in order to serve justice to the injured party. Evil men, however, have no regard for the law and don’t understand that, eventually, their wrong actions will cost them. The evil in their hearts blinds them from seeing their actions as evil, and they often shift the blame to someone else. Failing to assume responsibility creates a victim mentality, in which someone else should have to pay. Evil men are often victims, themselves, who have taken matters into their own hands and have become perpetrators. By seeking their own justice, they misunderstand how their evil does not correct a wrong done to them.

I once knew a young woman who blamed her lover’s lost position on gossip. If people hadn’t talked about their adulterous affair, he would not have been disrespected or disgraced when caught. Another young woman felt outraged and abused when a local government garnished her wages for failing to pay a large bill several years ago. She thought she had avoided her responsibility, but it eventually caught up with her. In each case, the guilty party felt like the victim and failed to understand how justice worked.

Those that seek the LORD, however, understand everything. All of our answers are found in Him. When we are truly victims of someone else’s irresponsibility or wicked intentions, we are to seek God, who knows how to call the guilty into account. The willingness to seek God in the matter brings us the understanding we need. We may not have the answers to all of our questions, but we have the Answer, Himself. By surrendering to God, the Holy Spirit will also reveal to us how our wrong actions have affected others and offended God. By grace, we are able to repent and overcome the sin that keeps us from a right relationship with God.

Are you suffering from someone else’s irresponsibility or wrong actions today? If so, seek God in the matter, rather than trying to take justice into your own hands and becoming a perpetrator, yourself. Are you suffering from the result of your own poor judgment or sin? Seek God, admit your sin, and find forgiveness. He is the ultimate judge, and our peace is found through a right relationship with Him through Christ. By understanding this one thing, we have understanding in everything.

Have a blessed day!