Praise the Lord for another wonderful day. What I share with you today was a nice lesson learned through a friend of mine and the Holy Spirit. I have probably touched on this subject a time or two before in my sharing over the years. This little epiphany came from another spiritual angle.
Today’s Prayer
Father,open our eyesthat we may recognize the evidence of Your love and faithfulness all around us. Open our spiritual earsthat we may more truly hear Your spoken words, and understand how getting to know You can impact our lives for the better. Open our heartsthat we may be more sensitive to the needs and concerns of others.Let our spirits sensehow You would have us use our time, our talents and our monies for Your glory. Help us to abandon our role as spectators and choose to be a PLAYERSfor You! In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Let’s eat.
Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But GOD will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”– Genesis 50:24.
I
was talking to a spiritual mentor of mine a little while back, when
he asked me this question, “Would you consider why God referred
to Himself as the ‘God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’? Why didn’t He
simply say, ‘the God of Jacob’?” What a strange question, I
thought to myself.For
the next couple of days I racked my brain trying to discover the
meaning to this question. I had never read it in a commentary, and
the Scriptures don’t really say why this is so. It became a good
exercise with the Holy Spirit that led to some interesting
observations – one from my mentor, one from my own insight.
First, could it be that the Lord has given us a “type of
trinity” in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Abraham was considered a
father figure to the nation of Israel. Isaac was the son who had to
be sacrificed on the altar. Jacob was the man who had to learn to
walk according to the Holy Spirit instead of his flesh. Each of these
individuals had a particular relationship with God to fulfill.
My
friend asked a few days later,“So,
what did you discover?” I told him of my observation.He
said to me“That’s
interesting. I believe that what we also see in the patriarchs are
examples of three distinct types of personalities. If the Lord had
cited only one of the patriarchs, we would tend to seek to model that
particular leader. However, the Lord has given us three distinct
personalities in whom He performed His work. Abraham was the pioneer
who ventured out into unknown territory and was considered righteous
for his faith. Isaac was faithful to follow in his inheritance with
few ups and downs in his life. He had the fewest calamities among the
three. He was called simply to be faithful to what had been already
given. Jacob had extreme conflict in his life. He suffered more pit
experiences than either of his predecessors. He had much conflict inrelationships
that became the source of his inheritance. Each of us can identify
with one of these men in how God has related to them.”
God
works in each of our lives uniquely and He has provided examples of
lives for us to identify with from the Scriptures. Who do you
identify with most in your Christian journey? Discover this for
yourself. You will find encouragement as you seek to learn from
someone who has gone before you. I hope this little tidbit blesses
you as much as it blessed me in sharing it.
Quote of the Day
The
curvature of the moral spine is an affliction which only the Great
Physician can cure.
Anonymous
WITH HOPE AND FAITH
REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
GCKRS HELPING HAND FOUNDATION
– THE RELATIONSHIP FACTORY