Overthinking Faith

 

Friday, June 12, 2020

Genesis 24:1-9

Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way.  One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh.  Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.  Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”  The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”  “No!” Abraham responded.  “Be careful never to take my son there.  For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants.  He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.  If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine.  But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”  So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions.

For each of the last three years this text has jumped off the page each time I read it.  And then, I had no choice but to write what God was saying to my heart.  I went back and read each of those devotional pieces and found the common thread of Abraham living in the faith he proclaimed.  The writer of Hebrews explains:

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance.  He went without knowing where he was going.  And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents.  And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.  Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.  Hebrews 11:8-10

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…the faith, this belief in One whom they could not see, and living in that reality was passed on to successive generations by….well, faith!

By entrusting finding a bride for Isaac to his servant, Abraham was staking the entire future of more than his family to this man; Abraham was putting the witness of God’s faithfulness on the line.  I believe the patriarch had finally learned, at that stage of his long life, to be comfortable with trusting God’s way more than trying to control everything to make it all come out right.  This is not exactly a doctrinal textbook definition of faith, but it sure says what it means to live it on the ground.

By comparison, Abraham’s servant may have been overthinking, rather than serving.  Perhaps he’d been hanging around Abraham too long, and had seen too many of his master’s flaws, lying to the Egyptians, and trying to give God’s promises a little extra insurance by having a backup heir in Ishmael.  The servant, like a cunning politician, wanted every possibility covered.  When he heard Abraham’s instructions, he asked, well, what if…and what if…and what if….  Abrahm’s oldest, most trusted servant was overthinking the issue of faith.  In patient, but no-nonsense faith, Abraham told the man…no what if’s, just do what I asked you…if God doesn’t do what He said, then you’re released from your promise. 

In hindsight, I believe Abraham had learned to trust that what he’d heard from God was to be believed, not overthought.  If God didn’t bring it all to pass, it was Abraham who had misunderstood God, and God would handle even that.

Abraham’s servant took the oath, and, later we find him wondering as he’s looking at Rebekah, is this the one?  The man had sworn an oath, and he was trying his best to fulfill his responsibility, but he just couldn’t help himself trying to make sure.  Abraham’s man may have been his oldest and most trusted servant, but he was also his Overthinker-in-Chief!

Let’s Pray Together:

Father, we’d much rather live like Abraham, trusting You, no matter what the circumstances look like, or what the prevailing culture prescribes we should do, or not do.  Help us to receive for this day Abraham’s kind of faith.

For You Today

One thing is certain about living the faith we proclaim – it ain’t easy!  But, when we do (finally) toss off all our tendency to control our circumstances, and truly let God have those circumstances, the relief and joy of trusting Him is a sure way to discover we don’t need anti-depressants or panic attack drugs to get through another day!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!

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Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For another post on Genesis 24 see Finding Rebekah and Marrying Wisdom and Faith and The Promise  

Lenten Walk - Part 9

[1]

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith.  “Abraham!” God called.  “Yes,” he replied.  “Here I am.”  “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah.  Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”  The next morning Abraham got up early.  He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac.  Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.  On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.  “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants.  “The boy and I will travel a little farther.  We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”  So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife.  As the two of them walked on together, Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”  “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.  “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”  “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered.  And they both walked on together.  When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it.  Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.  And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.  At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied.  “Here I am!”  “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said.  “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God.  You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”  Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket.  So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.  Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”).  To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”  Genesis 22:1-14^(NLT)

We chose to call this series of devotions Lenten Walk because that’s what we’re doing in real time – walking through a time of preparation (Lent).  If there is a manual for learning how to trust God when you can’t see more than the next step in front of you, the story of Abraham taking Isaac to the mountain must be the opening chapter. 

Consider these six evidences of Abraham’s walk of faith:

1.     God commanded a sacrifice; Abraham chopped wood for the altar and saddled-up.

2.     Abraham brought Isaac, but trusted in God’s character and promises; he told the servants both he AND the boy would worship, AND BOTH would be right back.

3.     In answer to Isaac’s question, where is the sheep for the offering, Abraham answered the LORD will supply.  He didn’t manufacture an answer; he simply trusted God would supply whatever was needed.

4.     He gave his all, laying the son he loved more than life on the altar he built with his own hands, and then, with his own hand, raised the knife.

5.     When God called to him, with his knife-hand raised to the sky, Abraham answered, Here I am.  He was saying, I’m right here, about to kill this child and my own heart, just like you said.  I don’t like it; I don’t understand it; but I’m still here – I’m still trusting You, LORD; what’s the next step?

6.     When God revealed that this was a test of his faith, Abraham accepted that he was accepted and named the place as a memorial to the LORD’s faithfulness.

From the opening bell to the closing word of the account of Isaac’s being offered, Abraham was ready to follow.  The story barely hints at Abraham’s feelings, only recording his actions.  But isn’t that the point?  You know the proverb:  Actions speak louder than words!

For You Today

Lent calls for genuine action – clearing-out whatever obstacles clutter the pathway of your relationship with God.  This is a season that demands honesty and movement.  It demands the honesty of where you are with God, and the movement of your faith in what you’re willing to do to respond to where He wants to lead you, and walk with you.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Faith and Works

[i]

Thursday, July 7, 2016

You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.  Good for you!  Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.  How foolish!  Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?  Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see, his faith and his actions worked together.  His actions made his faith complete.    

James 2:19-22^(NLT)

If you’ve ever ordered something online you have (according to James) done what Abraham did.  No, Abe didn’t have a laptop, Google, or Amazon account.  But his actions consummated his faith.  

When you purchased that toaster online you had to click on the “check-out” icon.  This action completed your desire (or faith) to purchase the item.  Well…almost!  You still had to enter your credit card, verify your billing and shipping address, turn-down sixteen special one-time-only offers that came with your purchase, which, when properly navigated finally brought you to that blessed SUBMIT ORDER button!

You had faith…your actions clicked on all the deed-icons…and then waited forty days and forty dark nights in the ark of UPS angst until one day that package actually arrived at your front door! 

(Who said faith was simple?  Or the internet?)

In psychological language Abraham was congruent.  Faith, down deep in Abraham’s inner being, to possess that connection with JHWH, which he so longed-for, demanded that nothing…nothing at all be held back from God’s pleasure; this included the life of God’s son-of-promise, Isaac. 

Until he placed that child on the altar, Abraham’s faith was only an embryonic desire.  It was action consistent with his deeply-held belief which made faith more reality than just a feeling within; action made faith alive.

On my first deep-sea fishing excursion ever it was my Uncle Marlen who helped me bait the hook.  There was something about sticking the hook into that very tiny bait-fish that made me squeamish, so my Uncle did the deed for me.  He was using his faith; I was still only a watcher.  After the bait was in place, he handed the line back to me and said: OK…you’re ready now.  The blank stare covering my face brought his next dose of reality; he said:  You can drop that line in the water, boy…or you can sit there with a bait fish in your lap until we get back home; your choice!

And that’s the issue with faith, isn’t it? 

It’s always your choice.

For You Today

Whether it’s fishing, finances or getting that flat tire fixed, wishing, hoping, planning, dreaming and waiting are all part of faith…but it’s all pretty much dead unless you are willing to get involved.

So…what’s holding you back?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

[i] Title Image: By Illustrators of Henry Davenport Northrop’s 1894 Treasures of the Bible [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Yield - Part 3

[1]

                                                                                                  Thursday, March 17, 2016

VIDEO

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.  Proverbs 3:5-6^(NLT) 

This short series has been about Yielding to God, trusting God in an unreasonable way.  Now, of course, when it comes to following God’s will for your life, you do not throw reason out the door; faith includes using our minds.  But once you’ve used your brain to investigate God’s claims and promises, and you’ve sought counsel in prayer and with trusted advisors, there comes a time when you lay all human reasoning aside and take the deep leap of faith to trust God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.[2]

So far we’ve seen that God responds to that kind of trust with answers to prayer which sometimes shakes me up, but always changes either the circumstances or the way I understand the circumstances.  He also responds by opening doors and pathways to lead us into places where we must lay aside the weights that keep us from serving Him completely.  He did that with Abram (Abraham), and it opened up the opportunity to become a blessing to all humanity.

How does that strike you - exciting, or scary?  Well, for a Christian, you’re following the Lion of Judah, and, as Lucy (one of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia characters) found out – he’s not a tame lion at all.  And how do you feel when you approach a lion?  Does your pulse quicken; does your heart pound?  It should! 

Do you feel that way when you worship?  You should!

When Abram said “Yes” to God, I would imagine he understood the road was not going to be easy; I’m certain he contemplated how difficult it would be to leave behind his family and the familiar places.  But the depth of the waters through which Abram’s commitment to God would lead was something nobody could plot on a map.  

God’s test of the man who was chosen to be the spiritual father of the nation Israel led to Mt. Moriah, where God told him to give back the promised son, his beloved Isaac. [3]

It’s easy to get side-tracked at this point, trying to figure out why God used the idea of child-sacrifice (certainly an evil thing) to test Abraham.  Indeed, James in the New Testament informs us that God never uses evil to tempt people.  But here we have this incident before us – God putting Abraham to the test.  And at that time, after some decades of following God (and sometimes falling off the pathway), Abraham was willing to do whatever God required – including give his much-loved son.

But God wasn’t condoning child sacrifice; he was testing Abraham’s faith:

“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”  Genesis 22:12^(NLT)

In choosing to follow God, Abraham had to let go of what was safe, comfortable and familiar.  It is the same for us; we can follow God, or we can choose our own pathway, but not both.  

Following God leads to life, but human reasoning – independent from God – follows the destructive path to judgment.  Solomon understood this:

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.   Proverbs 14:12^(NLT)

Often in church we talk about those gifts of our lives which should be placed in God’s hand: our time, talents, and tithes.  And, meaning well, we try to “fit” that thinking into our lives, meaning we really have so much to do, so we’ll just do the best we can with giving what we can after making a living, taking care of home and hearth, and fishing.

But that’s not what God wants; God wants it all.  He wants us to yield everything!  Just like He wanted Abraham’s attitude and undivided attention, God also wanted Abraham’s past, present and future.  God wanted Abram to become Abraham.

And he wants no less from us, and for us.

For You Today

What does God have planned for you?  And are you willing to yield?

Has he spoken to you about that trip to Mt. Moriah, and laying down something you thought you couldn’t live without? 

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…and have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  By Yield_sign.svg: derivative work: Fry1989 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Mark 12:30

[3] Genesis 22

No Place Before God

[1]

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

VIDEO

The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. But the two children struggled with each other in her womb.  So she went to ask the Lord about it.  “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.  And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations.  From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals.  One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”    Genesis 25:21b-23^(NLT)

Ivan McGuire died at the age of 35.  It wasn't an automobile accident, or terminal illness.  He wasn't murdered, nor did he commit suicide.  McGuire was a sky-diver, who was so excited about an opportunity to film some other skydivers...that he forgot to put on his parachute.  He was a veteran of over 800 jumps, yet he calmly leaped out of an airplane with his camera gear, but no silk![2] 

Esau is the man most likely to follow Ivan McGuire in the "Can't Believe I Did That" department. 

The very first inkling we have of the character of Esau is that he would grow up to be just like his father Isaac; he was a man of wanting, rather than a man of worship.  He was willing to do just about whatever was necessary to satisfy his appetite.  Esau was an outdoorsman, a jock, life-of-the-party type.  And he lived for the "rush" of flirting with the edge.  He was going to squeeze every last bit of excitement and gratification out of this life. 

How did he get this way? 

He followed Dad's, and Grandpa's example.  If you remember, Grandfather Abraham had a sneaky, get-what-I-want, when-I-want-it streak early on.  When the famine hit, Abraham went to Egypt and lied about his wife, calling her his sister, in order to keep safe.  Isaac pulled the same thing he'd learned from Abraham (see Genesis 26:7). 

Esau knew how to manipulate to get what he wanted.  It's called "situation ethics".  You do what you have to do in order to make things come out okay.  The only problem is that it is shortsighted, because that is the way humans play God. 

Esau didn't hate God; it's just that he was too busy to be bothered with Him.  The writer of Hebrews called Esau a profane person.  That doesn't mean had a vulgar mouth, swearing and using the Lord’s name shamefully.  Profane literally means that he had no holy place.  "Pro" is translated as "in front of"; and "fane" means temple.  Esau had no life within the temple.  He was unrestrained, outside of the will and submission to God. 

There is a strange echo in that of the Book of Revelation, where it describes the character of those who will be outside of the New Jerusalem. 

This is what it means to be lost. 

Gracie and Wellie are our four-legged children; they love to eat what we eat.  They are very pushy about it all!  They'll get right up in your face for a lick of your ice cream.  (They get none from me!)  They love to go for walks with us, share our food, and snooze over the air-conditioning vent when we relax in front of the TV. 

But when I take out my Bible and read, or pray, or begin to seek God's face on some issue, these otherwise intelligent fur babies have no interest.  Both will sniff the air and walk off to find a bug to chase. 

Esau was like that....no time or interest for God.  Esau didn't have a care in the world, as long as God didn't call for an accounting. 

For You Today

If you add it all up, do you get all excited about the exciting stuff of life, like jumping out of planes without your parachute?  Or do you have a life solidly rooted in the worship of God?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…and have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  By Bertram of Minden, via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Orlando Sentinel, April 5, 1988