Daily Encouragement

January 10, 2010 - How To Lead Someone To Christ

The story of the servant of Abraham finding a bride for Abraham's son, Isaac has a lesson for us on how to lead a person to Christ. Certainly the whole process was the work of the Holy Spirit. Let us see the steps of the Holy Spirit working in the servant's life.

First, the servant accepted the solemn commission from Abraham. (v. 1-9) We must accept the great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 to witness for Christ.

Second, it was a costly job. The servant brought ten camels and other riches with him to seek the bride. (v. 10) It would cost us something to lead others to the Lord.

Third, the servant arrived to the town and went to where people gathered. (v. 11) We need to go out to places where we can find people in order to share the gospel with them.

Fourth, the servant prayed for good opportunity. (v. 12) We too need to pray for that.

Fifth, the servant asked for help. (v. 17) Like Jesus asked for a drink from the Samaritan woman, we too can ask for help as we establish conversation.

Sixth, the servant waited for the work of the Lord. (v. 22) We too need to wait for God's leading in us and in the person whom you are witnessing to.

Seventh, the servant testified to the family of Rebekah in a conversational manner. (v. 32-49) We can witness for Christ in our conversation.

Eighth, the servant asked for immediate decision from Rebekah. (v. 49, 56) As the Holy Spirit leads, we need to ask for the person whom we witness to make decision for Christ without delay.

May we bring people to the church as the bride of Christ.

January 11, 2010 - Like Father Like Son

Meditation on Genesis 26

The experience of Isaac in this chapter are so similar to that of his father, it showed us that God continued to be faithful to Abraham through his son. As Isaac was obedient to God like his father was, he enjoyed God's direction, assurances and protection in his life- journey.

Isaac had become so rich and powerful that the Philistines, the people of the land where Isaac settled were jealous. So Isaac had to leave and went back to the land of the Canaanites where God had promised to give to Abraham, his father.

Not only Isaac was blessed by God like his father was, he also lied about his wife like his father was. But once again, God protected them before even anyone would take her to their home. But he suffered the rebuke of the king of Philistines.

The last paragraph of this chapter gave the picture of Esau's carnality. For his own flesh and without the guidance of his own parents, he went ahead and married two wives from the Hittites. This paved the way why he lost the blessings of the first born. Isaac liked him. But Esau surely did not follow his father's spiritual footstep like his twin brother did.

May we follow the footstep of our spiritual parents. Even the blessings that come upon them would come upon us.

January 12, 2010 - The Problem Of Appetite

Meditation on Genesis 27

I have discovered that many people love eating more and more as they grow older. Isaac certainly was one of those who indulged himself in fresh meat from animals hunted by his older son, Esau. Even when he decided to bless his son and conferred him the ownership of majority of his property, he had to eat his favorite food first. (v. 3-4)

His love of game food caused him to forget what God has told his wife when the twins were born. Certainly Rebekah would have shared with him God's plan for the two children. Chapter 25 verse 23 said, "And the LORD said to her: 'Two nations are in your womb, two people shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.'" (NKJV) Beside this, we can be sure that Isaac would have known how Esau had sworn to sell his birthright to Jacob. (Genesis 25:33-34)

Isaac's insistence to stick to the tradition of putting the older son over the younger as well as his love of food resulted in Rebekah and Jacob to cheat him. If Isaac would have followed God's prophecy and will, there would probably be no cheating necessary. And it would not result in the fight and separation in the family. And Rebekah would have enjoyed the presence of his two sons in her old age rather than missing Jacob far away from home for a long, long time.

However God overruled man's failure and His will still was accomplished to choose Jacob who was named Israel later in his life.

Shall we not watch our appetite and manage discipline over our stomach's desire?

January 13, 2010 - The Face of God

Meditation on Genesis 32

Even though Jacob saw the presence of angels on his way back to his homeland, he was very fearful to meet his brother, Esau, especially when he heard that Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred people. He first prayed to God with humility and holding on to God's promise to him. Then he sent great amount of valuable gifts to Esau ahead of him through his servants by teams.

After he sent his entire families across the stream of Jabbok, he was detained alone by the angel of Jehovah who wrested with him whole night long. According to Hosea 12:4, Jacob pleaded and cried to God for blessings during this fierce struggle. He prevailed. God blessed him and changed his name from Jacob to Israel. He was no more a man who depended on himself to gain advantage in life but a prince who struggled to seek God's favor. And he named that place, Peniel meaning the face of God. For he saw the face of God and survived.

When Jacob saw the face of God, he got forgiveness and promise from God. Later when Jacob finally met Esau and obtained his brother's forgiveness and favor, again he said "I see your face as one sees the face of God..." (Genesis 33:10 NASB) Thus we know that the face of God represents kindness and forgiveness through prayers. Have you seen God's face through prayers yet? Today, through Jesus, God has granted you and I the chance to meet Him. Come to Jesus through transparent prayers, He will grant you the assurance to forgive your pass and bless your future as He did for Jacob.

January 14, 2010 - The Varicolored Robe

Meditation on Genesis 37

Joseph was the favorite among the twelve sons of Jacob who made him a varicolored robe. We could understand that. For Joseph was born in Jacob's old age by his favorite wife, Rachel. Joseph worked just as hard as his brothers. He was too young (probably about 9 or 10 years old) to participate in the ruthless killing of the Shechemites. (This incidence which Jacob didn't like was recorded in Genesis 34) Besides, he dutifully reported to his father the evil deeds of his brothers.

This ornamented robe was also an indication to all that Jacob had in mind to make Joseph his most important heir. Reuben was the first born. But he shamed his father by having a relationship with his father's concubine, Bilhah.

For all these reasons, all the brothers were jealous of Joseph. Verse 4 says, "When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him." (NIV) Joseph's varicolored robe reminded them their inferior positions even as Joseph's dreams gave hint to that. So when the opportunity came, the brothers sold out Joseph as a slave. They stained the ornamented garment with blood and presented it to their father as if Joseph was killed by an animal.

It seems that the colored robe brought tragedy to Joseph. Jacob loved his son. But he was not wise to put him above all the others in such a visible way. May we be careful also not to indicate favorite in the treatment of our sons and daughters. Jealousy is a very serious problem at home or elsewhere. Remember the very first killing of Abel by his older brother, Cain?

January 15, 2010 - Dreams Remembered

Meditation on Genesis 42

When the ten brothers of Joseph came to Egypt to buy food because of the famine, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. He recognized them and remembered the dreams he had about them. (v. 5-7) This was an interesting record from the Scriptures. Back in Genesis 37, Joseph at 17 years old had dreamed that the sheaves of his eleven brothers in the field gathered around and bowed to his sheaf. Moreover, he dreamed that the sun, the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to him. Now as a prime minister in Egypt, his dreams came true.

As we are filled with the Spirit of God, our dreams for Him can come true. So keep working on the dreams God has laid on your heart! (Acts 2:17)

Notice also in this chapter, how Joseph began to test the character and morality of his brothers. I believe he wanted to know whether his brothers were telling the truth, whether they cared for his younger brother, Benjamin, and whether they were still the kind of persons who could sell their own brother as a slave. So he pretended not to recognize them and even put Simeon, the toughest of them all to jail. He demanded them to bring Benjamin to Egypt. Joseph was laying a plan to bring his whole family to come to be with him so they could survive the famine which he knew that it would continue for a few more years.

From Joseph's actions, we learn that when our dream is realized, we should take steps to correct what was wrong in the past, and to accomplish what God has intended for us to do through the dreams.

January 16, 2010 - Example of Forgiveness

Meditation on Genesis 45

How could a person forgive his own brothers who seized him and dumped him into a pit? After that, these brothers sat down to eat without any pity to his cry. Eventually they pulled him out and sold him as a slave to a foreign country.

But Joseph did forgive all his brothers. With a perspective from God, Joseph said to them this, "Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt." (v. 5-8 NASB)

Here was a man who could see things in God's way to the point that he considered his betrayal by his brothers as an act of God to save lives. There was great emotion poured out from Joseph as he spoke. He and the brothers hugged each other. They began to communicate nicely for the first time after twenty one years of separation.

How is your relationship with you physical brother and sister today? What about your fellowship with your brothers and sisters in the church, are they good and warm?

Joseph's unconditional forgiveness with initiative was the best human example we should follow.