Category Archives: Genesis

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God Of The Impossible

Genesis 16:21-19:38

God Of The Impossible

Is anything too hard for the Lord?
Genesis 18:14

Go Deep: It’s a rhetorical question, of course.  Obviously, by definition, the words “God” and “impossible” are completely incongruent.  That’s a no-brainer theologically.  If we accept the fact that God exists, and believe that he is the Sovereign Creator of everything, then our belief demands the same conclusion the prophet Jeremiah came to:

“O Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power.
Nothing is too difficult for you.” (Jeremiah 32:17)

But the question is, have we learned to lean into that God-reality when we come up against impossibilities in the gritty reality of our everyday lives?

Here in Genesis 18, God was making a point with Sarah, Abraham’s 90-year-old barren wife.  He had just revealed to these senior citizens that they would finally have the child he had promised to give them many years before, and understandably, this old woman chuckled at the thought. I suspect that in general, Sarah was completely on board theologically that nothing was too hard for the Lord.  But when it came down to her personal circumstance, suddenly Sarah’s faith grew weak in the knees.

My guess is you are no different than Sarah.  Me either!  I have no trouble believing in a God who created the universe out of nothing, who parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, who raised Jesus from death, and who will eventually turn all things for my good and his glory. (Romans 8:28)  It’s just in the everyday stuff of life that I often shrink back from ruthless trust, unwavering courage and unshakable faith.  I wish that weren’t the case, but too often, that’s the truth about me.

I’m out to change that about me—with God’s help.  Today I’m going to practice taking God at his word, trusting in his immutable character, and leaning his promises.  One day at a time that’s what I’m going to do, starting today, until I string enough days of industrial strength belief in the God of the impossible together that it has become the pattern of my life.

I love the story of a private in the army of the Greek general, Alexander the Great, who ran after and retrieved the general’s runaway horse.  When this lowly soldier brought the animal back, Alexander offered his appreciation by saying, “Thank you, Captain!”

With one word the private had been promoted.  When the general said it, the private believed it.  He immediately went to the quartermaster, selected a new captain’s uniform and put it on.  He went to the officer’s quarters and selected a bunk. Then he went to the officer’s mess and had a meal. Because the general had said it, the private took him at his word and changed his life accordingly. He put his trust in the character and command of the general.

That’s what I want—to take God at his word, trust the goodness of his character, lean into his promises and live every day in the supply line of his power.  And whatever comes my way today, I will declare, “nothing is too hard for the Lord!”

Just Saying… Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”

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Time To Dust Off Your Dream

Genesis 12:1-15:21

Time To Dust Off Your Dream

The LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household
and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will
bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing …
all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1-3

Go Deep: God gave Abraham quite an expansive dream for an old guy, didn’t he!  He was well into his senior years when God showed up and said, “Abe, I’ve got some unbelievable plans for you!”

Do you realize that among created beings, man is unique in that he alone has the ability to dream? Angels can’t dream; animals can’t dream.  The devil can’t dream, dogs don’t dream, although I think mine does.  I notice him twitching and snarling sometimes when’s he’s sleeping. I suspect he’s chasing rabbits—or better yet, cats.

But I’m not talking about those kinds of dreams. Nor am I talking about those run-of-the mill dreams that you get almost every night—some of them goofy and random, some bizarre and nightmarish, some that recycle periodically in your subconscious, revealing much about your fears and insecurities, like running but never getting anywhere, or falling but never hitting bottom, or being in front of a crowd and suddenly realizing you’re stark naked—with nowhere to hide.

The kind of dreaming I’m talking about is envisioning a better tomorrow, a successful future, or a great life. God has given mankind, alone, the ability to dream—and that includes you! And I suspect that somewhere, perhaps buried deep inside you, is the dream for a fantastic future.

But your dream doesn’t even come close to the fulfillment God has in mind for you. Abraham had dreams, but what God had in mind was far more expansive than this old man could have ever imagined.  Abraham wanted a home; God had in mind a whole land—the land of promise.  Abraham wanted a child; God had in mind a nation—and not just any old nation, it would be the people of God.  Abraham wanted to make a name for himself; God had in mind to bless the entire earth through Abraham’s life.

God’s vision was far bigger and better than Abraham could have ever dreamed.  I suspect that’s true for you too!  So why don’t you dust off those dreams and bring them back before the Father who gave them to you? Now just may be the time he wants to fulfill them. And just remember, as the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20,

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever
imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”

Just Saying… Henry David Thoreau wrote, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” If God has given you a dream, this may be the best time to start on that foundation!

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What’s So Bad About Babel?

Genesis 8:1-11:32

What’s So Bad About Babel?

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches
to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not
be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
~Genesis 11:4 (NLT)

Go Deep: You might read this story about the Tower of Babel and wonder, like I did, what’s so bad about Babel?  I mean, was God just having a bad day or something?  After all, it’s not often you see unity of purpose and effort achieved among human beings like this.  The Untied Nations could learn a lesson here!

So why did God look upon what these folks were doing and say, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them? Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” (Genesis 11:6-7) And at that, he put an end to their efforts, confused their language, and scattered them across the face of the earth. (Genesis 11:8-9)

The problem was not the tower they were trying to build, nor their effort to achieve unity among the nations.  Public work projects and united efforts are a good thing.  But in this case, good was the enemy of best.  You see, after the great flood of Genesis 7-8, God had told these nations to scatter across the earth, repopulate it and establish human civilization wherever they went. (Genesis 9:1,7) In fact, this was a critical piece of the covenant God made with Noah and his descendants (Genesis 9:8-9), and was likely the reestablishment of the original covenant God had made with but had been forfeited by Adam. (Genesis 1:26-30)

What was wrong with Babel?  Simply this: Disobedience, pride and independence from God.  Instead of fully devoting themselves to God’s command, they thought they could do better.  They chose to go it alone.  And God put a stop to it!

That’s always the problem with human beings, including you and me, isn’t it?  Every single day, we wrestle with who is going to be God in our lives.  Rather than seeking and doing what God says, we seek and do what we want to do. Of course, we acknowledge God to a degree, but then we pursue what we want. With regularity, we twist Jesus’ well known prayer of submission into, “God, not your will but mine be done!”

Stop and think about that today.  Is there a Tower of Babel in your life—something that seems so good; something that makes sense to those around you; something that would advance your comfort, security and name?  Remember, what looks good to you may in fact be the enemy of God’s best for you!  Maybe it’s a purchase you are considering, a plan you are making, a relationship you are considering, or…you fill in the blank.

Let me encourage you to simply ask, “God, what do you want?” Then, my friend, just do it!

Just Saying… Peter Marshall, the venerable Chaplain of the U.S. Senate in the mid-twentieth century, once prayed, “Save Thy servants from the tyranny of the nonessential. Give them the courage to say ‘No’ to everything that makes it more difficult to say ‘Yes’ to Thee.”  That’s a great prayer: saying no to the good and yes to the Best!  Why don’t you join me in praying that prayer all this week?

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Anger Mismanagement—The Classic Case Study

Genesis 4:1-7:24

Anger Mismanagement—The Classic Case Study

The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what
is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching
at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
Genesis 4:6-7

Go Deep: Proverbs 29:11 says, only “a fool gives full vent to his anger.”  How many times have you proved that platitude to be true?  If you’re like me, at least once, probably more!

The truth is, it is next to impossible to be angry and intelligent at the same time.  To be sure, some anger is good. Channeled anger has been the motivation for much of the justice and societal change that has benefited the human family over time.  Even the Bible indicates the appropriateness of righteous anger.  But—and this is a big one—only if the anger is wrapped in intelligent thought!

So the question is, how do we win out over anger, rid ourselves of it before it either corrodes or destroys our most significant relationships, and turn it into an emotion that propels us toward positive personal growth?

The story of Cain here in Genesis 4:1-14 is a great case study. Unfortunately for Cain (and for Abel!), anger was not brought under control.  But from Cain’s failure comes several anger management principles we would be wise to embrace.

To begin with, from Cain we learn that our very first response to the emotion of anger ought to be self-analysis.  In other words, whenever I find myself getting upset, I ought to stop and say, “What does this say about me?”  Notice how God attempts to get Cain to look within himself at the source of his anger:  “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast?” In essence, God is telling Cain that before he reacts, he ought to reflect.

Our first and best response to anger is simply to think about it.  That simple action would keep us from so much of the hardship that results from our uncontrolled anger.  William Penn wrote, “It is he who is in the wrong who first gets angry.” In reality, anger reveals what kind of person I am—what is really in my heart, my true character.  C. S. Lewis said,

“Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is.  If there are rats in a cellar, you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly.  But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding.  In the same way, the suddenness of the provocation does not make me ill-tempered; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.”

So if you find yourself reacting in anger, ask yourself what the presence of anger is saying about your spirit or your character.  Practice “slowing” …what James 1:19-20 says is being, “Quick to listen…slow to speak…slow to anger!”  Develop the discipline of stopping to think it through!

Another crucial lesson this story teaches is that our response is more important than the circumstances that cause the anger. The truth is, what happens to me is never as important as what happens in me. That what God is saying to Cain: “If you do what is right, you’ll be accepted…”  God doesn’t address the fairness or unfairness of what’s happened; he just says, “Cain, do the right thing!”  When situations arise that disappoint me, I either can unleash an emotional reaction or I can offer an intelligent response that honors my walk with God and releases his blessings in my life.

Finally, Cain’s story teaches us that we are accountable to God for our anger. When Cain fails to do the right thing and instead, murders his brother, God calls to him to account: “Where is your brother?” (Genesis 4:9-12)

What we must remember is that one day we will stand before God and give account for our lives, including the inappropriate display of our anger.  Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 that on judgment day, we’ll be answerable even for every idle word we speak. We won’t be able to say on that day, “My wife made me do it…my husband pushed me too far…my kids drove me nuts…the devil made me do it…I was genetically predisposed to anger…” If we try that excuse, God will look at us and say, “I expected you to master it, and you didn’t.”  We’re accountable for anger!

Angry feelings are inevitable.  We can’t escape them, but our anger doesn’t have to destroy the people we love—and in the process, cause our own spirits to shrivel.  If we do the right thing with our anger, God says to us just as he said to Cain, “you will be blessed!”

Just Saying… There are occasions, of course, when anger is appropriate.  But let’s be honest, that’s not very often.  Benjamin Franklin once said, “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.”

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God Did It!

Read Genesis 1:1-4:26

God Did It!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1

Go Deep: How did we get here?  That really is the big question, isn’t it?

Secularist and non-theistic scientists would hypothesize positions such as the big bang and evolutionary theories to explain our origins—that through randomness and over billions of years, we somehow got to where we are today.

On the other end of the spectrum, fundamentalist Christians and some theologians would argue creation by divine fiat and a young earth theory—that God spoke, and it all happened in seven literal days!

As a result, what exists is a huge, seemingly impassable gulf between these two camps.  Somewhere in the middle, in limbo, is a fair amount of believers who are both confused and conflicted as they attempt to harmonize their commitment to the Bible and their confidence in science.

The problem is, neither science nor theology deals comprehensively with all aspects of reality, and therefore cannot claim the high ground in explaining all truth. The fact is, neither science nor theology can offer complete explanations even within their own realm of expertise. Take for instance, the intra-disciplinary warfare going on in science over global warming, or the ongoing theological debate between the Calvinist and Arminian camps.

The rub occurs most acutely when science seeks to explain things that are only explainable by theology, and theology offers to explain scientific things by relying only upon their theology.  Each discipline has an area of expertise and each has limited, ever-changing, and hopefully increasing knowledge as to how things “really are”.  Science is equipped to investigate, theorize and explain things that are finite; theology’s task is to understand and explain the unexplainable—the infinite, uncontainable, indescribable God.

So the real question for Christians, then, is not how we got here, but who put us here.  That is not to say the “how” question is irrelevant, it’s just not the first question that needs to get resolved.  The “who” question is the most important one, and the Bible clears that up right off the bat in Genesis 1:1.

Who did it? God did!

God is responsible for getting us here, and that we can know without a shadow of doubt!  Once you get that settled, then you can move on to the “how” question. How he did it is open for discussion and debate—and that can be a really worthwhile adventure.

So get really clear about Who did it, then go after the how with an open mind—and have some fun!

Just Saying… The late Bishop Fulton J. Sheen said, “An atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.”

Three resources I’d recommend for further investigation in this areas:

1) A website for Creation Science Organizations and Ministries— http://www.nwcreation.net/groupcreation.html

2) A science-faith think tank called Reasons to Believe—http://www.reasons.org/four-views-biblical-creation-account

3) A helpful book entitled, “The Genesis Debate: Three Views on the Days of Creation—http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Debate-Three-Views-Creation/dp/0970224508