Daily Encouragement

September 27, 2009 - The Stairway To God

Rebekah wanted to send Jacob away to avoid the furor of Esau. Isaac agreed to do so because he wanted Jacob to find a wife from Rebekah's hometown. But he blessed Jacob with the blessings of Abraham before Jacob's departure. He finally accepted the will of God.

As this homey boy traveled alone for the first time, he laid down beside the road to sleep for the night. In this tough mood with a hard pillow in the right place, he dreamed that a ladder was set up between the earth and heaven and angels of God were going up and down on it. And God spoke to him at the top reassuring God's blessings to Abraham would be upon him and that God would protect him and bring him back to the Promised Land. How gracious and forgiving God was to him. Not only He did not rebuke him for his deceptive behavior, God showed Jacob the stairway to Him and promised merciful blessings to him.

Jacob woke up to be in awe of God. He worshiped God and anointed that place as the house of God (Bethel). When he was blessed so much, he promised to give God a tenth of his income in the coming days.

Have you seen the stairway to God yet? The stairway is Jesus. (John 1:51) He is merciful and is willing to bless you abundantly when you walk in Him.

September 28, 2009 - Jacob's Blessings And Lesson

Meditation on Genesis 29

God began to fulfill his promise to Jacob as he arrived his mother's homeland. First of all he went to the well where the shepherds usually gathered and was fortunate to meet Rachel, his uncle's daughter. Then he had the unusual strength to remove the heavy cover of the well, which usually would take several shepherds to do so, to water the flock for Rachel. It was love at first sight for Jacob. He poured his heart out in telling his background to Rachel, kissed her and cried in her presence.

When Rachel's father came to meet him, he acknowledged that Jacob was his sister, Rebekah's son. He allowed Jacob to live with him and shepherd his flock. Jacob was granted the right to marry Rachel whom he loved deeply with the agreement of shepherding the flock of her father for seven years.

But Jacob had to learn a lesson of his trickery in deceiving his father to obtain the blessings of the first born. He met the match of his life in the person of his uncle, Laban. As Jacob could not see in the dark night, he was given the elder sister, Leah to be his wife instead of Rachel. When Jacob discovered that in the morning and questioned this deception, Laban gave the reason that it was not their custom to give the younger daughter to marriage first. So Jacob had to serve Laban another seven years in order to have Rachel as his wife. Later in the Bible, it was recorded that Laban had cheated Jacob ten times concerning wages for Jacob. Even his own daughters acknowledged their father's dishonesty and lack of love.

Jacob began to have children in a foreign land. His family would become the leaders of the tribe of Israel. God had continued to bless him. But he had certainly learned a great lesson in life concerning the method of getting what he wanted.

Have you reflected upon the lessons you have learned in you own life, whether good or bad? Talk to God about it.

September 29, 2009 - God's Compensation For Faithfulness

Meditation on Genesis 30

The Bible did not hide anything about the beginning of the family of Jacob. How Jacob was tricked into having two sisters to be his wives, the rivalry between the Leah and Rachel. The infertility of Rachel at the beginning that led to giving her maid to be surrogate mother for her and the elder sister's follow suit were all indications of human failures. Yet God has overlooked all these and still blessed Jacob. Thankfully, Rachel did learn the lesson to depend on God for her own children finally. (v. 22)

Jacob's faithfulness in serving his uncle Laban was amazing. Through him, Laban was blessed and he realized it. So out of his own volition, he proposed to give Jacob wages after 14 years of faithful service of Jacob without pay except giving Jacob the privilege to marry his two daughters.

It is interesting to read the account of how Jacob develops his own flock from his own design and method. There is no scientific proof that his way would produce the kind of sheep he wanted, but obviously, it was God's blessings upon him to get rich. The Lord is good to his faithful servant in a position given by God.

May we be faithful in what we do for God's sake. Then God will bless us accordingly.

September 30, 2009 - We Need God's Presence.

Meditation on Genesis 31

Ever since chapter 12, we have seen God's calling and blessing upon Abraham and his son, Isaac and his grandson, Jacob. We have emphasized the fact that God had commanded Abraham to be blessings to others. (See devotion on Genesis 12) Since God would enable Abraham and his descendants to carry out his plan of salvation to the whole world, we have seen God's presence with him and his children throughout their lives.

Twice in this chapter, Jacob mentioned that God was with him. (v. 5, and v. 42) From his conversations to Rachel and Leah and later on to their father, Laban, we find out that how faithful he had been to serve Laban as a shepherd for twenty years. He absolved all the lost without charging Laban. He had made Laban prosperous. His wages were altered by Laban ten times. No doubt, he deserved everything he had earned. God had protected him all those years and even when he escaped from Laban. Laban recognized all that so he made a covenant with Jacob and let him go. So as God had directed Jacob, he and his family made their journey back to the land promised by God to his father. Everywhere he went, God was with him. In the first verse of next chapter, Jacob even met the angels of God. Obviously, God manifested his special protection upon him.

As we journey in life, we need God's presence with us. Jesus' name is Immanuel meaning God with us. (Matthew 1:23) He has promised all his disciples that He would be with us even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20 NKJV) But there is a condition in the context of that promise- we need to make disciples of all nations. Therefore the implication is that the children of Abraham by faith must also be blessings to others too. As we share the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, we will have the presence of God always.

As God was with Jacob, He will be with you to bless you in all you work as you share the gospel faithfully everywhere.

October 1, 2009 - Instant Way To Success?

Meditation on Matthew 4

Jesus was tempted by the Devil before he began His ministry. All three temptations He faced had to do with instant success. When he was hungry after 40 days of fasting, he was tempted to turn stones into bread. Without looking for food and without cooking, he could have satisfied his physical need right away. But he realized that he had come to be a man, also he must first seek to satisfy man’s spiritual hunger by obeying God's Word and God’s will for Him. Without His Father's permission, He should not take the easy route to satisfy Himself.

Then the Devil asked Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple in order to prove that He could have the angels to protect him as the Son of God. This would have been an instant miracle for all to see and a quick way to draw attention to His power and position. Again, Jesus refused to do so by stating that He should not put God to test. Manipulating God's power for His quick success would be wrong.

Finally, Satan simply asked Jesus to worship him and he would grant Jesus the whole world because the whole world were under his power. (1 John 5:19) Then Jesus would not have to go through the cross. That was an easy way to success. However, Jesus rebuked him that one should worship God alone.

Today we all would face the temptation to take the easy route to success by using the wrong, unethical or non-spiritual way especially for those who just begin their first job. Let us learn from Jesus. Use God's Word to rebuke the Devil and avoid misinterpreting God's Word like Satan did.

October 2, 2009 - God's Law And Our Heart

Meditation on Matthew 5

This chapter deals with the laws of God and our attitude toward them.

Verses one to twelve are the constitution of the kingdom of God for the citizens of His kingdom. When we abide by those laws we are blessed. Verses thirteen to sixteen tell us that the kingdom citizens must shine and have influence on others. Verses seventeen to twenty tell us that God's Law does abide forever.

Then from verses twenty one to thirty two, Jesus instructs us that God is interested in our heart as well as our outward behavior. Our attitudes toward brothers and sisters, toward our spouse, concerning adultery and marriage are all important in kingdom rules.

Jesus also informs us (in verses thirty three to thirty seven) that our words express integrity. Whatever we say should be true.

Then Jesus gives us a new concept about our enemies: Go the second miles, pray and love those who hate you. These are the new laws of His kingdom. (v. 38-47)

Therefore Jesus' demand is perfection. (v. 48) Most of us seldom pay attention to fulfill all these requirements. May be that's why our prayers are not answered sometimes. Recall the apostle John says that we need to ask anything according to His will, and then He hears us. (1 John 5:14)

Would you begin to practice what Jesus says in His kingdom law? You will find your life fulfilled and your prayers answered fully.

October 3, 2009 - The Power Of Jesus

Meditation on Matthew 8

This passage recorded the power of Jesus. He cleansed and healed a leper, He healed the servant of a centurion just by the word of His mouth without even seeing the sick, and He healed the fever of Peter's mother-in-law. He cast out demons even the most violent ones. Matthew said, "This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 'He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.'" (v. 17 ESV)

In the midst of such great demonstration of power, some people believed Him, some showed great faith, yet some still rejected Him and wanted to avoid Him probably for economical reason. (All the pigs were drowned.) And some wanted to follow Him with precondition.

Who are you identified with today? What is your need today? I pray that we will all be like the centurion with great faith not only for ourselves but also for the need of those we care so much!