Genesis – First, God.
When you enroll in the “school of faith,” you never know what may happen next. Visit Abraham one day and you find him settling a boundary dispute. Visit him another day and you see him gearing up for a battle. Why is this so?
For one thing, God wants us to mature in every area of life, but maturity doesn’t come easily. There can be no growth without challenge, and there can be no challenge without change. If circumstances never changed, everything would be predictable, and the more predictable life becomes, the less challenge it presents.
I am going to be honest and venerable. This week I went to battle with the evil one. It began with small irritations of people telling me I can’t do this or that because of my age and stature among others digs of who I am. It escalated when I began to believe it, too. The battle got serious when I began to agree with the lies that I am no longer useful to God and his church. So, I prayed, cried, lamented as the prophets of old, and prayed some more. I asked Randy to pray with me and he did, I could feel it.
I have learned to not act on those feelings while in the middle of the battle. So I did not. I thought about resigning the work God gave me to do but I did not. I thought about what I could do instead of doing the hard work of relating to those who think less of you. But I did not act on those thoughts. The battle was great, making me physically tired. I was reminded of Jacob’s wrestling with God. I was exhausted the next day but I was free! The battle was over. God overwhelmed with His Holy Spirit. Go back and do what I have asked you to do. So I did.
A vision was revealed of what could happen if we let God do what He wants to do in and through us and most certainly in the lives of others. The vision is beyond us…FAR beyond us and yet we asked, in unity, why not?Why do I share this? Because this is what I have learned in the battles with the evil one who seeks to stop us:
1. The battle belongs to God.
2. Something huge, God-sized, is on the horizon.
3. God is using our battles to strengthen, teach and prepare us for the next step in faith so we can be a part of what He is about to do.
Toughen up, Buttercup! It’s time for a new adventure! –God
Genesis 14, The Message
1-2 Then this: Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim went off to war to fight Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar.3-4 This second group of kings, the attacked, came together at the Valley of Siddim, that is, the Salt Sea. They had been under the thumb of Kedorlaomer for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, they revolted.
5-7 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him set out and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El Paran on the far edge of the desert. On their way back they stopped at En Mishpat, that is, Kadesh, and conquered the whole region of the Amalekites as well as that of the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar.
8-9 That’s when the king of Sodom marched out with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, that is, Zoar. They drew up in battle formation against their enemies in the Valley of Siddim—against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five.
10-12 The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into the tar pits, but the rest escaped into the mountains. The four kings captured all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, all their food and equipment, and went on their way. They captured Lot, Abram’s nephew who was living in Sodom at the time, taking everything he owned with them.
13-16 A fugitive came and reported to Abram the Hebrew. Abram was living at the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and Aner. They were allies of Abram. When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken prisoner, he lined up his servants, all of them born in his household—there were 318 of them—and chased after the captors all the way to Dan. Abram and his men split into small groups and attacked by night. They chased them as far as Hobah, just north of Damascus. They recovered all the plunder along with nephew Lot and his possessions, including the women and the people.
17-20 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King’s Valley. Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine—he was priest of The High God—and blessed him:Blessed be Abram by The High God,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
And blessed be The High God,
who handed your enemies over to you.
Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me back the people but keep all the plunder for yourself.”
22-24 But Abram told the king of Sodom, “I swear to God, The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, this solemn oath, that I’ll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I’m not going to have you go around saying, ‘I made Abram rich.’ Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they’re to get their share of the plunder.”
THINK ABOUT IT…
When you walk in the light (1 John 1:5-10), you can see what is going on, and you experience variety in your life. But in the darkness, everything looks alike. No wonder unsaved people (and backslidden believers) are so bored and must constantly seek escape! The life of faith presents challenges that keep you going–and keep you growing!
In this chapter, Abraham, the man of faith, fulfills three special roles: the watcher (Gen. 14:1-12), the warrior (vv. 13-16), and the worshipper (vv. 17-24). In all three roles, Abraham exercised faith in God and made the right decisions.
HOLY PAUSE
Are you ready to throw in the towel?
Enough is enough?
OR are you ready to give it all to God in fatih and watch Him come your rescue while you pray?
Move forward, ONLY at His command. Learn your lessons well in the school of faith. Let God take you to places you have never been before because of your faith in Him. In Jesus Name, Amen
There is a song I used to sing by The Martins that reminded me that I really “don’t want to miss a thing” on this brief journey with God on this earth…
Leaving this place getting ready to go
Gotta get moving cause there’s something I know
God’s got a plan, got a blessing in store
So put me in the middle of the will of the Lord
Having my fill of the pushing away
It was me who was running, it was Him who stayed
Now I want it bad and I know what this means
Lining up with him, sure don’t wanna miss a thing
Don’t wanna miss the joy, don’t wanna miss the peace
Don’t wanna miss the power, don’t wanna miss a thing
I’m gonna get while the gettin’s good
Follow His heart like I know I should
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
Setting my sights on the heavenly prize
Seeing my life through spiritual eyes
I’m breaking out of a worldly mode
Heading on down a less traveled road
I’ll walk through the fire just to see His face
Won’t trade my freedom for a temporal place
He may be moving in mysterious ways
But I’m moving with Him for the rest of my days
Don’t wanna miss the joy, don’t wanna miss the peace
Don’t wanna miss the power, don’t wanna miss a thing
I’m gonna get while the gettin’s good
Follow His heart like I know I should
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing
Don’t want to miss the mark (no no no)
Don’t want to go astray
Don’t want to waste the chance
Don’t want to lose the way
Don’t wanna miss the joy, don’t wanna miss the peace
Don’t wanna miss the power, don’t wanna miss a thing
Well, I’m gonna get while the gettin’s good
Follow His heart like I know I should
No I don’t want, don’t wanna miss a thing…
