At Mount Sinai, God entered into a covenant relationship with the people of Israel. In Exodus 19-23, God taught the people who He was and what it should look like for them to have a covenant relationship with Him. What first appears to be a list of instructions or rules (10 Commandments) is actually God teaching His children about who He is – about His ethical character and holiness.

A lot of what God required in this covenant relationship in Exodus is the same that He requires of us today. His instructions on how we can live in relationship with Him include how we live in relationship with others. He clearly instructs us in regards to how His people should treat one another. To love God is to love others.

If we are to enter into a relationship with the Most Holy God, we must live a life of holiness. It is not simply about salvation and the forgiveness of sins. Once we have been rescued from the bondage of our sins, we are to live out our faith daily in the glory of the presence of God, manifesting His holy character.

You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a god who is jealous [passionate] about his relationship with you. – Exodus 34:14

The first four commandments help us understand our Holy God and why He must have our undivided attention. He is the Lord our God and nothing should be more important than Him. We are to treat His name as holy and dedicate the Sabbath to Him. Our covenant relationship with Him requires that we give Him first place in our lives – that we love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. – Exodus 20:6

The next six commandments are about how we are to treat one another: Honor your parents, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not testify falsely against your neighbor and do not covet what your neighbor has. God then laid out additional requirements regarding how our covenant relationship with Him should be reflected in our relationships with those around us – how we should treat one another fairly.

But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise. – Exodus 21:23-25

This concept of equal response to the crime or injustice is repeated more than once in the Old Testament. The people’s sinful response was to “one up” each other or respond harsher than the initial mistreatment, so God is instructing them to pay back in kind. It is the law of retaliation. The penalty must fit the crime.

Anyone who injures another person must be dealt with according to the injury inflicted – a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whatever anyone does to injure another person must be paid back in kind. – Leviticus 24:19-20

But Jesus showed us a whole new way to love God by loving others. What if we did not retaliate at all? Jesus said, “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.” – Matthew 5:38-42

Love God by loving others. This is a great way to sum up the 10 Commandments given to Moses, which is exactly how Jesus summed up all the Law of Moses when asked by the Pharisees which commandment was the most important.

Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40

God, I love you so much but I ask for you to teach me how to love you more. It is such a joy and privilege to be in a covenant relationship with you. I long to understand you, to be filled with your holiness so that I can love you by loving others. Help me to live out my faith daily through my actions – that my response to your holy character would show in my ability to love others the way you love me. God, only you are capable of producing this kind of love in my heart. Fill me with who you are, lavish me with your unfailing love. Amen.

Moses went up on the mountain and received instruction from God. He received 10 commandments from God, as well as specific instructions for His people. God emphasized over and over again how He is to be the only God – that they should not bow to any other idol or worship anything else but Him. When he came down from the mountain, Moses found God’s people doing the very thing God had just stressed over and over again not to do: worship other gods or idols. Moses knew how important it was to God that His people not defile themselves in this way and he understood God’s plan to destroy them all and start over. But Moses stood between God and the Israelites and begged God to forgive them, to allow them the opportunity to repent and try again. What a merciful God we serve that He allowed the Israelites to live.

Moses had a big job ahead of him and he knew it. He knew that he was called to lead a stiff-necked people. Moses knew he needed God if he was going to accomplish the task set before him. He knew what it was to be in God’s presence and longed to continue in His presence with God leading him.

Moses said to GOD, “Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but you don’t let me know whom you’re going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to me.’ If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don’t forget, this is your people, your responsibility.”

GOD said, “Look, here is a place right beside me. Put yourself on this rock. When my Glory passes by, I’ll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by. Then I’ll take my hand away and you’ll see my back. But you won’t see my face.” – Exodus 33:12-23 (The Message)

I don’t know what task God has before you today, but I pray you hear Him say that He will walk this journey with you to the end because He knows you well. You are special to Him, and He knows you by name. May you feel the protection of God placing you in the cleft of the rock. May your heart’s desire always be to remain in God’s presence and allow Him to lead you each step of the way on this journey He has chosen for you.

Therefore, say to the Israelites: “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with might acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.” – Exodus 6:6-8

Do you ever feel like God is trying to get your attention? He wants to be Lord – He wants to show me that He is in charge! Just as he allowed the Israelites to suffer at the hands of the Egyptians, He allows us to walk on this journey He has for us – not always one of suffering like the Israelites did but an unknown path. Just as God showed His power to all the Israelites through the plagues, God wants to show me that His mighty hand is at work. By the things going on in my life right now, He wants me to know that He is the Lord.

If Pharaoh had listened to Moses and Aaron after their first few encounters, it is possible that the Israelites would have seen Moses and Aaron as their rescuers. If Pharaoh had treated them kindly and let them go, the Israelites would have bowed to Pharaoh. Instead they saw that God was at work, He was in control, He was El Shaddai, God Almighty (6:3).

God is saying – stop looking to food to satisfy you. Let me satisfy you.
God is saying – stop looking to people to give you want you want. Let me provide for you.
God is saying – stop looking to caffeine to energize you. Let me strengthen you.
God is saying – stop focusing on what you want, what will make you feel better. Let me be Lord.

I am the Lord. I will be on time. “Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt” (12:40-41).

I am the Lord. I know what is best for you and I will choose the path. “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’” (13:17)

I am the Lord. I will guide you. “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar by night left its place in front of the people” (13:21-22).

I am the Lord. Be still. “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still’” (14:13-14).

Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharoah as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!” – Exodus 5:22-23

Have you ever accused God of doing nothing? Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, just as God told them to do, but Pharoah did not react the way the Israelites expected – God did not provide in the way and in the time His people thought He would. Instead of letting the Israelites go, Phaorah increased the workload by making the people provide their own straw for making the bricks. The workers took their anger out on Moses and Moses took his confusion out on God. God had a plan and He was about to move in such a way that the Hebrew nation would NEVER forget.

“…You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them. Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the Lord!” – Exodus 6:5-8

What a powerful word from God! Yet the people were too discouraged by their circumstances to find hope in God’s promises, too consumed by their own pain to see the capacity of God to rescue them and too stubborn to wait on God’s perfect timing and plan. They refused to listen. But God was about to get their attention in a grand display of His mighty power:
– A plague of blood turned the water of the Nile River into a stinky river of dead fish, taking away the Egyptians source of drinking water.
– A plague of frogs invaded their river, their bedrooms, their kitchens, their lives.
– A plague of gnats covered everyone and everything, causing the Egyptian magicians to shout out “This is the finger of God!” – Exodus 8:19
– A plague of flies filled their homes and the palace, covering the ground and throwing the land of Egypt into chaos.
– A plague killing all the livestock owned by the Egyptians still did not move Pharoah’s stubborn heart.
– A plague of festering boils broke out on all the Egyptian people.
– A plague of hail fell on all the people, livestock and plants throughout the land of Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning (9:24).
– A plague of locusts covered the land, devouring any plant that had survived the hailstorm.
– A plague of darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days.
– It was finally the plague of the firstborn that caused Pharoah and the Egyptians to urge the Israelites to leave.

During all of these plagues, God’s people were protected. They became the audience to God’s grand display of judgment. The Israelites were given specific instructions to follow to make sure the angel of death passed over their house, sparing their firstborn. God’s people now had experienced God firsthand and had a story to pass on to their children and grandchildren, from one generation to the next for the remainder of time.

“This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord.” – Exodus 12:14a

“Then your children will ask, ‘What does this mean?’ And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” – Exodus 12:26-27a

“This is a day to remember forever – the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the Lord has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand…This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the Lord: ‘With a strong hand, the Lord rescued your from Egypt.’” – Exodus 13:3,9

The story of God rescuing the Israelites from their Egyptian captivity is a story I grew up learning and a story I have taught to my daughters. They know God is powerful because they know of the plagues. They know God provides “dry land” when all we see is “the Red Sea” in front of us and the “Egyptian army” behind us (Exodus 14).

But we have more than just the stories of those who have gone on before us to tell the next generation. We also have our own stories – stories of difficulty, pain and discouragement that God has stepped into with a mighty hand. We have stories that provide proof that God provides and that God heals. These faith-building stories are gifts for our children and our children’s children.

When I am tempted to accuse God of doing nothing, may I remember all that He has done – according to His plan and in His time. He is the God who rescues, who provides and who saves. Glory to God!

The nation of Egypt had grown very powerful because of the hand of God on Joseph’s life, yet they were still a self-seeking, sinful people and oppressed God’s children. A new king was now in leadership and he was intimidated by the size of Joseph’s growing family – the Israelites. He created a plan to keep them from growing even more. He made them slaves and appointed brutal slave drivers over them, assigning them with crushing labor. The more he oppressed God’s people, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread. Life was bitter for the Israelites as they were worked without mercy and under the pressure of ruthless demands (Exodus 1:11-14).

Pharoah gave an order to the Hebrew midwives to kill every newborn boy, only letting the girls live. But the midwives feared God and refused the King’s orders. So Pharoah ordered all the Egyptians to kill every newborn Hebrew boy (1:22). Imagine the terror and grief of God’s people as their babies were yanked from their arms and cast into the Nile River.

But God is never caught unaware or without a plan. God raised up a leader from one of those baby boys to rescue his people. A married couple from the tribe of Levi gave birth to a son and hid him for three months. When they could no longer hide him, they placed him in a basket and laid it among the reeds of the Nile River, with the baby’s sister watching close by. Pharoah’s daughter found the baby and claimed it as her own. Because God is generous, He even worked out a way for the baby’s mother to take him back home and nurse him until he was old enough to move into the palace and be raised by the princess, who named him Moses (2:1-10).

Although Moses was adopted into this royal family, he never lost his connection with the Hebrew people. He saw how hard they were forced to work and came to their defense, killing an Egyptian who was beating one of the Hebrew slaves. When Pharoah heard of this, he tried to kill him so Moses fled Egypt and went to live in the land of Midian (2:11-15). There God provided him with a wife, the daughter of the Midian priest, Jethro.

While tending Jethro’s flocks one day on Mount Sinai, the mountain of God, Moses came across a blazing fire in the middle of a bush. The bush was engulfed in flames but was not consumed by the fire. As Moses stepped forward to get a closer look, he heard from God.

“I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey…Now go, for I am sending you to Pharoah. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” – Exodus 3:7-10

Again, God is never caught unaware or without a plan. He knows how His people suffer and He hears their cries, responding with His perfect plan. Moses had the privilege to be a part of this plan – to have a front row seat to the mighty hand of God at work. But Moses responded in fear and doubt.

God said “Go” and Moses responded “Who am I?” God made it clear – it isn’t about who you are but about who I am and “I Am Who I Am” (3:14). Moses protested – What should I say? God responded – “Say this…” Moses protested again with the “what if” response. God pointed out the staff in Moses hand and told him to throw it down to the ground. It turned into a snake. God told him to pick up the snake by the tail and when he obeyed, the snake turned back into the staff. God was showing Moses how he would perform all kinds of miracles to show Himself to both Pharoah and the Israelites.

Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” – Exodus 4:11-12

God is never without a plan and that plan often involved us. He calls us to do something and He desires obedience and faith. When we say – Who am I? What can I do? God says – It’s not about you, it’s about me and “I Am Who I Am.” When we ask how, God says – take what I have already placed in your hand and let go of it. I will take it from there. I will tell you what to do and I will give you the words to say.

Many of us are called by God to rescue others who are suffering. We have a message to give those who are hurting – God hears, He is concerned and He has a plan to rescue them. Let’s listen closely to God today as we make ourselves available to be used by Him in the lives of others. Let’s respond in obedience and faith instead of fear and doubt. Let others know that God has seen, He has heard, He is concerned and He has come down to rescue them!!!

God’s will vs. God’s plan

This morning, I read Genesis 37-50 – the story of Joseph’s life from start to finish. Joseph’s life was affected time and time again by the sinful decisions of others, but never was God uninvolved. Joseph’s brothers sinned against him out of jealousy when they sold him into captivity, but God did not abandon Joseph.

– It wasn’t God’s perfect will for Joseph to be sinned against, separated from his family, and sold into slavery – yet God’s plan was to use it for good.
The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. – Genesis 39:2-4

– It wasn’t God’s perfect will for Potiphar’s wife to lust after Joseph and lie about his integrity, causing Joseph to spend years in prison, but God’s plan was to use it for good.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. – Genesis 39:20b-22

It was also the result of Joseph’s time in prison that he interpreted the dream of the chief cupbearer, who told Pharoah of Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams. As a result of Joseph’s interpretation of Pharoah’s dreams, the lives of many were saved from the devastating famine.

Joseph speaks to this after his father’s death, when his brothers threw themselves down in repentance before him saying, “We are your slaves.”

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. – Genesis 50:19-20

This may be where some of us disagree theologically but allow me to share where I stand. I do not believe it is God’s will that anyone should sin or be sinned against, yet God is never without a plan because He loves us and He wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He makes beautiful things come out of the sinful actions of man. When we are wronged or sinned against or suffer the consequences of our own sins, God has not abandoned us nor does He plan to. Instead he works out this beautiful plan of redemption in the midst of this sinful world. God does not will for us to sin but neither is He surprised by it. He stills plans HOPE for our future.

Is it God’s will that an unmarried woman gets pregnant? No, but God has a plan for that unborn baby and for its parents. Sometimes that plan involves blessing a couple struggling with infertility through adoption.

Is it God’s will that a man should leave his wife or that a wife should leave her husband? No, but God has a plan to bring the wayward spouse to repentance and He has a plan to bless the life of the one left to suffer the consequences of their spouse’s sin.

Is it God’s will when a drunk driver kills an innocent bystander? No, but God has a plan to provide healing for those who are left grieving and to use their healing to minister to others who have suffered loss.

Is it God’s will that America should consider it a woman’s right to end the life of her unborn baby? No, but God has a plan to use the sin of abortion to bring many to repentance. God has a plan to use individuals to reach out to those affected by abortion or considering abortion.

I love how the message parallels the NIV here: Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid. Do I act for God? Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now – life for many people.

Do I act for God? When I am sinned against or suffer the consequences of someone else’s sin, is it for me to refuse to forgive them? Do I act for God? Is it my right to question or be angry with God that He did not intervene and prevent the hurt? Do I act for God? God never leaves us or abandons us. We can trust in the God of this promise:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

God confirmed his promise again to Jacob at Bethel – that He would bless Jacob with many descendants and give the land he once gave to Abraham and Isaac to Jacob and his descendants.

Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there. – Genesis 35:14-15

The very next thing the scripture tells us is that Jacob left Bethel and moved his family on toward Ephrath. His beloved Rachel was pregnant for the second time and she went into labor. Her pains were intense and the delivery was very hard. Finally she gave birth to a son and, with her final breath, named named him Benoni (which means “sons of my right hand”).

Rachel was the love of Jacob’s life. He met her when he arrived in Paddan-Aram. She was bringing her father’s flocks to the well and Jacob moved the stone from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s flocks for her. Within a month, Jacob was in love with Rachel and asking her father, Laban, to take her as his wife. He loved her so much that he was willing to work seven years in exchange for his bride. When his uncle deceived him and gave him her older sister, Leah, instead, Jacob agreed to another seven years of labor in order to marry Rachel.

Now loving Rachel did not mean that marriage came easy. When she was unable to have children and Leah had already given birth to four sons, Rachel became very jealous and pleaded with Jacob to give her children.

Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. “Am I God?” he asked. “He’s the one who has kept you from having children!” – Genesis 30:2

Now Rachel had a choice. She could draw close to God and trust Him with the desires of her heart, or she could let jealousy and pride guide her actions. Rachel chose the latter. Instead of waiting for God’s plan in God’s time, Rachel began to manipulate her circumstances to get what she wanted. She gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife. Bilhah gave Jacob two sons and Rachel declared, “I have struggled hard with my sister, and I’m winning!” (Gen.30:8)

Apparently two can play at this competitive game because Leah gave her servant to Jacob and added 2 points to her score. Then the sisters began to barter for mandrakes, which were believed to aid in procreation. Again, Rachel was using manipulation and control to get what she wanted instead of going to the Giver of all good gifts. Oh how I wish I could not relate to Rachel here! I wish I never had the tendency to panic and take things into my own hands instead of trusting in God for every provision!

Leah gave birth to two more sons and a daughter but Rachel remained barren. God eventually remembered Rachel in spite of her bitter heart and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

“God has removed my disgrace,” she said. And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.” – Genesis 30:24

Even in the first moments of holding her newborn son, a gift from God, Rachel is already displeased and desiring more from God. Instead of clinging to the God who provides, Rachel stole the household gods from her father and hid them, choosing to worship false gods instead of the one true God.

God’s will, God’s way, in God’s time – a lesson Rachel never seemed to learn. She gave birth to a second son but was not given the opportunity to raise him. In her struggle to always get more from God, Rachel lost all she had and Jacob lost his first love, Rachel.

Jacob has just renewed his covenant relationship with God at Bethel and now he is burying his sweetheart. Jacob built another stone pillar, this time over Rachel’s grave (35:20). He gathered his large family together and continued on. Jacob could have chosen anger and bitterness at the loss of his wife right after recommitting his life to God, but he chose to accept God’s will, God’s way, in God’s time.

I sometimes find myself with a “you owe me, God” attitude. I know it is wrong and reject that kind of thinking but then later identify expectations in my heart that need disposed of. For example, two and a half years ago we left our home in obedience to God’s call on our life and we still have not sold our house. I find myself questioning why God blesses some people with a quick sale yet our house remains. Almost daily I have to let go of my sinful accusations and let God do things His way in His time. The same struggle remains when I hear of the pastor who dies in a motorcycle accident or the Christian friend who battles cancer. I find myself asking God “why” and hearing Him once again reply, “Trust me.”

It’s all yours, Lord. Everything I want to manipulate and control – every situation, every unknown, every relationship, every heartache – it’s all yours. Thank you for the blessings you so generously pour out into my life each day. I praise you for all you allow in my life – good and bad. Teach me through every struggle and strengthen my faith in you. I love you so much, El Shaddai – God Almighty! Amen.

Genesis 28 tells of an encounter that Jacob had with God – a turning point in his life when God let him know that He was not only the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac, He was also the God of Jacob. How wonderful it must have felt for Jacob in that moment when He heard God’s promise:

“I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be a numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions – to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised.” – Genesis 28:13b-15

Jacob set up a pillar, poured oil on it and named it Bethel, making a vow to God just as God had made a vow to Him – if you are with me then I am with you:

“If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” – Genesis 28:20b-22

That day Jacob began a covenant relationship with God – a covenant he would years later return to and renew. The next twenty plus years had good times and bad. Jacob now had two wives, two concubines, eleven sons and one daughter. He had acquired much wealth but his household had also acquired pagan idols. Jacob had to seek peace among his wives, peace with his uncle and peace with his brother, Esau. His daughter, Dinah, had been raped and his sons had retaliated by killing every male in that town and by plundering the town.

God called out to Jacob and he returned to Bethel, recognizing that God had faithfully kept His covenant but that Jacob was in need of renewing the promise He had made to God. The influence of the world around him had made an impact on Jacob and his family and he needed to once again cleanse himself, returning to the place where God had revealed himself to Jacob. And the God of Jacob’s past faithfully appeared to him again and blessed him, showing Jacob that God was not only the God of yesterday, but the God of today and the God of tomorrow.

Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, saying “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel.

Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God an anointed the pillar with olive oil. And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there. – Genesis 35:9-15

Perhaps God is calling us back to the place where we entered into a covenant relationship with Him. The world around us and the stress & busyness of this life have had an impact on us and we need to renew our promise, recognizing that the God of our yesterday is still who we desire to be the Lord of our today and the Keeper of our tomorrows. God is faithful and He still desires to bless us and for us to bless Him by being fruitful and increasing in number. I choose to renew that covenant and desire to keep it fresh and growing stronger each day.

Twins – there is something exciting about having twins. Twins seem to tweak our curiosity. For Rebekah, twins meant two siblings struggling with each other before they were even born. After struggling with infertility, the Lord heard Isaac’s prayer and blessed Rebekah, saying to 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 25:23

Sure enough, Jacob was born pursuing his brother’s position as firstborn – with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. As they grew up, their differences increased with Esau becoming a skilled hunter of wild animals and Jacob staying closer to home to tend his father’s tamed flocks.

Showing he had little regard for his birthright and that he was driven more by his carnal desires, Esau traded his birthright when Jacob offered his hungry brother a bowl of stew for the precious inheritance. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left (25:27-34) – only to be hungry again in just a few hours. He gave up his blessed position for temporary pleasure. Fear of not getting what he wanted caused Esau to jeopardize all that was rightfully his as firstborn son.

Isaac also allowed fear to jeopardize God’s blessing. There was a time of famine and Isaac moved his family to Gerar. The Lord told him to stay there – that He would be with Isaac and bless him. God’s promise to Abraham continued through Isaac as He promised to make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (26:4).

Despite this promise of blessing, Isaac let fear control him. Out of fear the Philistines would kill him in order to obtain his beautiful wife, Isaac told everyone that Rebekah was his sister. Sound familiar? Apparently Isaac had not learned from his own father’s mistakes (12:10-20). Isaac’s fear of death put his wife in danger and God’s blessing in jeopardy. King Abimelech saw Rebekah in Isaac’s arms one day and confronted his lie, declaring protection over this family. And once more, God blessed His people in spite of their great fear and small faith.

Years later, Rebekah let her fear get in the way of her faith. Isaac was old and losing his sight. He called Esau and told him to hunt for some wild game and prepare Isaac’s favorite dish. He would then pronounce the blessing of the firstborn onto Esau. Rebekah remembered God’s promise but her fear that Esau would get the blessing she wanted for Jacob caused her to intervene and choose deception instead of faith.

Jacob willfully followed Rebekah’s plan of deception. He pretended to be Esau and tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing Isaac intended for Esau. When Esau learned of his brother’s trickery, a hate began to grow in him and he schemed how he might kill Jacob someday. When Rebekah heard of Esau’s plan, she sent Jacob away with the excuse that he needed to travel back to Rebekah’s brother to find a wife so he would not have to marry a Canaanite woman.

Rebekah probably never again saw this son she loved so much. If she had trusted God’s provision of His promise, she might have grown old watching Jacob receive God’s blessings. Instead of faith she chose fear, using manipulation and deception to pull God’s plan into place. But God’s plan not God’s way is never God’s will.

What areas of my life am I letting fear control? Lord, teach me to trust in you for every provision. May your promises and blessings on my life pour out directly from your hand. Teach me to let go of my attempts to control and manipulate the circumstances around me. Help me to simply open up my hands to receive what you want in my life. Forgive me for the many times I let fear get in the way of my faith. God, I trust you. You are my Provider and my Protector. In you I place my trust, giving you my family and my future. Amen.

It was evening and Rebekah did the same thing she did every evening. She gathered her empty water jug and walked to the well along with the other women. Perhaps the water would be used to prepare the evening meal or to water the garden where she grew food for her family. It was her routine and, perhaps, her favorite time of day – the opportunity to take a walk with the other women.

It was in living out her routine of daily spending time at the well that Rebekah’s life was forever changed. Today was different than the other days. Today there was a servant with 10 camels kneeling close to the well. Rebekah went down to the spring, filled her jug and then came up again. The servant ran over to her and asked for her drink. Without hesitation, Rebekah quickly lowered her water jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. She offered to draw water for all 10 camels and quickly emptied the remainder of the jug into the trough and returned to the spring over and over again, drawing perhaps as much as 250 gallons of water for the camels (Genesis 24).

I wonder what Rebekah’s reaction was when the servant gave her a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists. Had she ever been given a gift of such value? Did she realize the significance of the gift? Did she have any idea of how quickly her life was going to change?

Rebekah was simply living out her routine of daily spending time at the well and God met her there. Her life was never the same. God had a plan for her life and she began a new journey, willing to go wherever God wanted her to be – even if that was a very long way from her family and friends, from the life she had always known. God blessed her generously and she became a matriarch in the lineage of the Messiah.

It was evening and Zipporah did the same thing she did every evening. She gathered her empty water jug and walked to the well with her six sisters. Every evening the girls made this trip to the well, bringing back water to fill the troughs for their father’s flocks. It was her routine and, perhaps, her favorite time of day – the opportunity to take a walk with her sisters.

It was in living out her routine of daily spending time at the well that Zipporah’s life was forever changed. Today was different than the other days. Today there were cruel shepherds at the well who chased them away, keeping them from what they needed to do. But there was also a hero at the well who swept in and rescued the girls from the shepherds. His name was Moses (Exodus 2).

I wonder what Zipporah’s reaction was when this handsome man dressed as an Egyptian prince came to her rescue. Had anyone ever done something of that kind of value for her before? Did she realize the significance of this moment? Did she have any idea of how quickly her life was going to change?

Zipporah was simply living out her routine of daily spending time at the well and God met her there. Her life was never the same. God had a plan for her life and she began a new journey – a journey that would someday take her a very long way from her family and friends, from the life she had always known. God blessed her generously and she had a front row seat to watching her husband be used by God to rescue His people out of slavery.

It was noon and the Samaritan woman did the same thing she did every day. She gathered her empty water jug and walked to the well alone. Every day she made this trip to the well by herself, avoiding the other women who would come to the well later in the day. She wanted to avoid the stares and the whispering, the condemnation she knew she deserved. But there was a hero at the well that day, a Savior who knew her secrets and offered her living water.

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” – John 4:13-14

It was in living out her routine of daily spending time at the well that the Samaritan’s life was forever changed. Today was different than the other days. Her heart leapt at the thought of a different life, a life in which she would no longer need to face the condemnation of others each day. She understood the value of the gift she was being offered when Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” (John 4:26). She ran to the village and brought many Samaritans back to the well to meet Jesus.

The Samaritan woman was simply living out her routine of daily coming to the well and Jesus met her there. Her life was never the same. God had a plan for her life and she began a new journey – a journey that would take her a long way from the sinful life she had known for so long. A life in which she would never thirst again.

It is in living out a routine of daily spending time at the well that our lives can be changed forever. God meets us when we faithfully spend time in His presence. Many days it will feel the same, like routine. But there will be days in which God gives us a moment that will change our lives forever. He has a plan for our lives and He longs to guide us daily on our new journey – a journey with God-moments, opportunities, and living water.