The Lord Makes It Happen! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 27:35,

"Your [Esau] brother [Jacob] came deceitfully and took your blessing."

Through an amazing episode of deception, Jacob stole Esau's blessing from his father Isaac. Their mother, Rebekah, was in on it and actually devised the plan of the deceiption. The chapter lays out in detail how they pulled it off.

While ethical considerations abound in the account, it happened exactly as the Lord intended. We read in Malachi 1:2-3, "'I have loved you [the nation of Israel],' says the Lord. 'But you ask, "How have you loved us?" 'Was not Esau Jacob's brother?' declares the Lord. 'Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.'"

In spite of the deception, in spite of the dishonesty and trickery played on Isaac, the event turned out exactly as the Lord wanted. And, he used Isaac's own wife to pull it off!

I am reminded of Proverbs 21:30, "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." No matter Isaac's wishes or desires, the Lord accomplished what he wanted. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my [the Lord's] ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:9-11.

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God's Choice! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 25:29-34,

"Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, 'Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!' (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, 'First sell me your birthright.' 'Look, I am about to die,' Esau said. 'What good is the birthright to me?' But Jacob said, 'Swear to me first.' So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright."

Jacob and Esau were twins born to Isaac and Rebecca. Esau was the first of the twins at birth and so, according to convention held the birthright and was the primary heir of all that was Isaac's. The greatest, beyond all of what was Isaac's, was the promises and blessings of God passed from Abraham to Abraham's offspring, as recognized by God.

What we see here is that Esau held such little esteem for the promises and blessings of God that he sold them for a bowl of lentil stew! God, of course, knows all things - even things yet future, and so he declared his unhappiness with Esau and his delight for Jacob even before they were born! Paul observes this as he makes his case that God makes his choices, "Not only that, but Rebekah's children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, 'The older will serve the younger.' Just as it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'" Romans 9:10-13.

Paul quoted Genesis 25:23 to demonstrate that God makes his choices, and in the Romans 9 passage we learn that he had chosen for himself who he considered the children of Abraham that would receive the promises made to Abraham, as opposed to those who simply are next in the genealogical chart. The sale of Esau's birthright to Jacob demonstrates the why of God's choice of Jacob, even before both were born!

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Not Engrossed in this World - Ruminating in the Word of God

"The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 23:17-20,

"Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife [Sarah] and spoke to the Hittites. He said, 'I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.'"

We are told Sarah died at 127 years old. Abraham was 9 or 10 years older than Sarah, so he was about 137 years old when Sarah passed. In Genesis 25:7-11 we learn Abraham died at 175 years of age, so Abraham lived about another 38 years after the passing of Sarah. In that same passage we find out that Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham in the same cave he had buried Sarah in.

As Abraham negotiated to purchase this burial site he made the observation to the Hittites that he lived among them as "a foreigner and stranger among you." It appears to me that following God's call to Abraham to leave his home and go to the land God was promising him, he lived as a foreigner and stranger everywhere he went. Although God gave all of Canaan to Abraham, the only land that I recall he owned was this burial cave and the field it was in.

The writer of Hebrews made this observation, "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Hebrews 11:8-10.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Verses 13-16.

I am reminded that Abraham is held up as an example for us to follow as someone who was not so engrossed in the things of this life because he was distracted by his hope of "a better country—a heavenly one".

Paul also provides us some direction on what our view of this life should be in this regard, "What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away." 1 Corinthians 7:29-31.

Clinging to this life and all it offers is not the perspective we should have as believers.

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Building Faith? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 20:1-3,

"Now Abraham moved on from there [Mamre] into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, 'She is my sister.' Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, 'You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.'"

What a fascinating account!

I wonder how much time elapsed between verses 2 and 3? Was it just a day? A couple of weeks? How much time passed between Sarah being taken and the Lord confronting Abimelek? In the dream, as Abimelek maintained his innocence in the matter, the Lord explained to Abimelek that he had kept him from touching Sarah, verse 6. There must have been at least enough time for that. The reason I wonder about it is that I am quite certain Abraham was on his knees to the Lord, fretting all the while about what was happening. You'll see why I wonder about this in just a bit.

We read of Abraham's explanation of himself to Abimelek when Abimelek confronted Abraham about the ruse in representing Sarah as his sister when he moved to Gerar, "When God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'" Verse 13. (Sarah was a very beautiful woman and Abraham feared his life might be taken in order for someone else to take her.) This the couple apparently did everywhere they went. (It may be this is the very passage Peter had in mind in his observation of Sarah as the model of an obedient wife, 1 Peter 3:6.)

I can't help but think of the contrast between Abraham and Abimelek in all this. Abraham continued to use this deception about Sarah being his sister even though God had already promised him that Sarah would give him a son. Isaac is not yet born, so Abraham really had no need to use this ruse. On the other hand, Abimelek, after having the Lord visit him in a dream, feared the Lord greatly. "Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid." Verse 8. Abimelek handled the situation very appropriately (of course, under threat from the Lord).

From my question above, about the length of time between Sarah being taken, and the Lord's confrontation of Abimelek, was the Lord using this entire episode to build Abraham's faith? I wonder if Abraham continued to use the ruse of Sarah being his sister following this event, knowing of God's intentions for him?

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Corruption in the House of the Righteous - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 19:12-14,

"The two men [the two angels] said to Lot, 'Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city [Sodom] who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.' So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, 'Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!' But his sons-in-law thought he was joking."

This exchange between Lot and his two sons-in-law took place following the event where "all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house." Verse 4. That was Lot's house and they came to Lot's house to rape the two angels that had come under Lot's roof. Things began to get dicey for Lot and these two angels, so the angels struck the predatory perverts with blindness. Because this depraved mob came from every part of the city, and due to the nature of the way they were dispersed, it was an event everyone in Sodom must have immediately known about.

So when Lot pled with his sons-in-law to leave, how remarkable it was they simply thought Lot was joking! Surely, if somehow they were unaware of the attempt by the mob to rape the angels and how the angels struck it with blindness, it could have easily been confirmed by those who were aware of it. Yet, these two young men simply assumed Lot was joking and stayed to be destroyed in the conflagration. How remarkable! "his sons-in-law thought he was joking"!

I can't help but think these two halfwits were corrupt themselves by the depravity of Sodom. Certainly, they seemed to be incapable of rationality when presented with the warning. I have to think that possibly the Lord "hardened" their hearts with the result they were incapable of responding appropriately. In any event, it sure seems they somehow didn't qualify as being among the "righteous" that the Lord promised Abraham he wouldn't destroy the city for.

Although Lot's own wife escaped the city, she didn't survive it either. The angels told Lot, his wife and two daughters, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain!" But Lot's wife did look back and perished.

Although Lot is described in the Scriptures as a "righteous man" (2 Peter 2:6-8), look at the corruption he surrounded himself in!

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Walk with the Wise! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 17:36-38,

"So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today."

What a low estate Lot found himself in! This chapter presents Lot in a very dismal light.

In Genesis 13 we read that Abraham, Lot's uncle, made an offer to Lot to divide land so their holdings and herders would not impinge upon one another. Abraham offered to give Lot first choice, and Lot chose the best for himself. The land was "well watered, like the garden of the Lord", Genesis 13:10. However, it was filled with wicked people, "Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord." I think we get a bit of a clue about Lot in chapter 13.

As we all know the story, the Lord decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to the depravity of the people there. The Lord told Abraham, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me." These are the people Lot chose to make his neighbors in order to enjoy the best of the land.

I think Lot chose poorly. Peter tells us, "... if he [God] condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)..." 2 Peter 2:6-8. Lot brought that distress and torment on himself!

Scripture describes Lot as a "righteous man". Abraham even pleaded with the Lord on the basis of Lot being a righteous man, Genesis 18:16-33. The Lord promised he wouldn't destroy Sodom if there were only ten righteous people in it. So, the Lord took Lot and his family out of Sodom before he destroyed it.

Although Lot is described as a righteous man, I'm not aware of anywhere in the Scriptures he is described as a wise man. In other words, Lot had a good standing before God, but it certainly was not due to his wisdom or prudence. He displayed anything but that.

In Genesis 13:5-6 we read, "Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together." Lot, as Abraham, was a very, very wealthy man. However, by the time we get to the end of Genesis 17, Lot had lost all of his wealth, lost his wife (who looked back to Sodom), and wound up living in a cave with his two daughters that had just lost their fiances. And, as we read in Genesis 17:36-38, his daughters got him drunk to get pregnant by him. As I say, what a low estate!

It appears to me that Lot did very well in life as long as he was with Abraham. However, as soon as he separated from Abraham his life went to hell in a handbag. I wonder if Proverbs 13:20 might apply here, "Walk with the wise and become [I wonder if "be" works here] wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." As we read Genesis we see Lot doing very well until he made the Sodomites his neighbors.

Just thinking out loud here...

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Imperfections in the Faithful - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 16:2,

"The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her."

Listen to the recognition the Lord gave Sarah through Peter in his first letter, "Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." 1 Peter 3:1-6.

Scripture recognizes that Sarah (Sarai, who's name was changed) was physically a very beautiful woman, "When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman." Genesis 12:14. It is this "very beautiful woman" that Peter holds up as the example of "purity and reverence" that believing women should display, as opposed to their physical beauty, "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

However, in the passage of Genesis 16 Sarah is caught displaying something else altogether. Note Genesis 16:2, Sarah recognized the Lord kept her from having children. The Lord's purpose in doing so is obvious. He desired to create the opportunity of Abraham's faith to be manifested to us all - the Lord has provided us Abraham as our example of what the faith he looks for in each of us is like. The Lord provided a miracle by having Abraham and Sarah, of triple-digit age, have a child, proving Abraham's faith in God's ability to do what he promised (see Romans 4:18-25).

Nonetheless, Sarah chose to do an end-run on the conditions God provided the couple. She devised a plan, despite the Lord's intentions, to have a family in her own way. How often we are tempted: we want "X", the Lord hasn't provided it, and maybe prevented it (in Sarah's case), and so we pursue "X" anyway.

It appears those kinds of choices often do not turn out well. We read in Proverbs 30:21-23, "Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: ...  a servant who displaces her mistress." I'm not sure if that represents what we read in Genesis 16 exactly, but it comes pretty close. Trouble came of it, an enduring trouble.

Obviously, the episode we read of in Genesis 16 cannot define Sarah. Peter makes clear she was not just physically beautiful, but also had that inner beauty, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. What this episode teaches me, as well as episodes we read of about her husband Abraham, of David, Moses, and so many of the heroes of faith is that faith does not make any of us "perfect." We are perfected by our faith, but we still have our moments. All people of faith do. I know I do.

John tells us, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1-2.

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Sarai to Abraham: It's all your fault! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 16:5,

"Then Sarai said to Abram, 'You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.'"

What a hoot!

I suspect there is much more to this story than what is provided us here in Genesis, but what we do have can be richly enjoyed by those of us who have experienced marital bliss.

The chapter begins with the start of this story, "Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, 'The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.'" Verses 1-2

Before we all raise our eyebrows here, what we are reading is simply what was consistent with the culture and ways of the day. Polygamy, as well as slavery, was practiced and wives could certainly offer up their servants to their husbands when needed.

However, and probably not surprising how some things in a cultural setting are bound to go south (as they certainly do in our day!), we read, "Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, 'You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.'" Verses 3-5.

Somehow or other it is all Abram's fault! It was Sarai's idea and her initiative, and Abram gets all the credit for it! "May the Lord judge between you and me."

We don't know if Abram saw this turn of events coming, but we today have the benefit of the Scriptures and know that God was going to fulfill his promise to Abram to make a nation of him as numerous as the stars in the sky, Genesis 15:4-5. Sarai would eventually get pregnant herself in her old age and give birth to Isaac. There was no need for Sarai to offer her slave to Abram. I read it as a momentary lapse of faith (something we all probably experience from time to time) from this otherwise giant of faith (proving, once again, faith does not make us perfect, but it does bring us salvation!).

Although it may not have been his best choice in life to go along with Sarai's suggestion, his response points the way for all the rest of us husbands in his wise response, "'Your slave is in your hands,' Abram said. 'Do with her whatever you think best.'" As I read it, a kind of "Yes dear..." with head hanging sort of response. 

No good deed goes unpunished!

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Preserving the View - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 14:22-23,

"But Abram said to the king of Sodom, 'With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, "I made Abram rich."'"

A group of kings attacked another group of kings in Abram's day. The group that lost had all their goods, food and people taken. Among the group of lost people was Abram's nephew, Lot, together with his possessions. When Abram learned of it, he chased down the kings that had taken Lot and routed them, recovering all of the loot and people the one set of kings had lost.

As Abram returned, one of the kings, the king of Sodom, whose people and things Abram brought back, wanted to give the goods Abram recovered to him. He just wanted his people back. Abram had certainly earned it.

The above two verses was Abram's response. For his effort, Abram accepted nothing the king of Sodom offered him, save for what he felt his men were due. He did not want the king of Sodom to ever be able to say that he had "made Abram rich."

It is my perspective that Abram didn't want any human to claim they had made Abram rich. In the previous chapter we are told that Abram was already rich when he left Egypt, following his stay there, "Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold." Genesis 13:2. However, we also read in that chapter that the Lord had spoken to Abram, and promised him offspring "like the dust of the earth" and all the land he could see. The Lord blessed Abram because of his faith.

Here is why I think Abram would not accept anything where someone could claim they enriched him. Abram, and the Lord, wanted everyone to recognize the Lord blessed Abram because of his faith. Abram is our example of what faith looks like, as well as the Lord's blessing if we emulate that faith. Today, that blessing is recognized as the gift of eternal life. The illustration of the Lord's blessing of Abram would have been obscured if others were heaping their wealth on him.

Just a thought....

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Who Was Melchizedek? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 14:18-20,

"Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was
priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be
Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to
God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram
gave him a tenth of everything."

Melchizedek was "king of Salem", that is, Jerusalem. We are told he
was a "priest of God Most High". He was both a king and a priest. When
Abraham returned from defeating a group of kings who absconded with
his nephew, Lot, we are told Melchizedek brought out bread and wine
for Abraham and his men, and then blessed him.

David refers to Melchizedek as he prophesied about the coming Messiah
in Psalm 110:4. He says, "The Lord has sworn and will not change his
mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'" From
this we understand the Messiah, Jesus Christ, will be both king and
priest. The writer of Hebrews, in turn, refers to Psalm 110:4 as he
describes the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews, chapter 7, the writer speaks of the superiority of Jesus
Christ and his priesthood to that of the Levitical priesthood of the
old covenant. In a fascinating perspective he uses Melchizedek as a
type of the Messiah and points out something fascinating:

"Just think how great he [Melchizedek] was: Even the patriarch Abraham
gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants
of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is,
from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from
Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet
he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the
promises. And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. In
the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the
other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say
that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham,
because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of
his ancestor." Hebrews 7:4-10.

As I say, fascinating, isn't it?

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Who "Owns" the West Bank? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 13:14-17,

"The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, 'Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.'"

Abraham lived about four millenia ago. In this passage we find that God gave the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants. Did God hold title deed to this piece of real estate such that it was his to give? Given what we learn in the beginning of Genesis, that God created the earth, not to mention the whole universe, I don't know that anyone can question it was his to give to whomsoever he pleased regardless of who was living there. That is a deed no one can dispute!

As we look at it today, who owns the West Bank and East Jerusalem? Israel is accused today of occupying "Palestinian territory" which includes the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip. The International Court of Justice, the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly and the International Committee of the Red Cross all refer to the West Bank as "occupied (by Israel) Palestinian territory."

The West Bank sits right in the middle of what was the land of Canaan. For how long did God give Abraham and his offspring (Israel) the land of Canaan? In the above passage we read, "All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever."

Paul tells us in Romans 11:29, "God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." In this passage Paul points out that the nation of Israel will always and forever remain "loved on account of the patriarchs". Paul said this two-thousand years after Abraham and we live two-thousand years after Paul. Paul's comment here transcends the destruction of Israel and the deportation of Judah to Babylon. It transcends the implementation of the New Covenant, the establishment of church and this age in which we now live. Israel still holds title deed to the land of Canaan today.

It is impossible for the nation of Israel to be illegitimate occupiers of any land that God gave them, even if it was 4 millenia ago! All arguments to the contrary is simply "Team Cain" in opposition to God, his purposes and his people.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Meet Abraham: the Man of Faith - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 11:27,

"This is the account of Terah's family line. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran."

Here we are introduced to Abram, who will be renamed Abraham. Abraham is a vital person in the genealogy provided us. His importance  transcends even his stature as the patriarch of the Jewish nation.

Abraham was acknowledged by God to be a man of faith. He modeled the prototypical faith that God looks for when we embrace him. It is that very faith, if we express it in God, that brings us salvation based on the redemption Jesus Christ provided for all mankind on the cross. Abraham becomes our model of what faith in God looks like. This is why God made his covenant with Abraham and why he made a nation of him - the nation that would bring Jesus Christ into the world.

Paul speaks of Abraham in exactly that perspective. "Therefore, the promise [our salvation] comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: 'I have made you [Abraham] a father of many nations.'" Romans 4:16-17a.

Paul provides us an example of Abraham's faith from what we read of him in Genesis. After God promised Abraham he would make a nation of him [the Jews], his wife, Sarah, was found to be barren. Yet, Abraham believed God's promise and power. "Without weakening in his faith, he [Abraham] faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Romans 4:19-25.

And, Sarah got pregnant in their old age! Abraham becomes a very important person for us in Genesis as he is God's example to of us what faith looks like!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Why the Tower? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 11:6,

"Then they [people who had moved eastward to a plain in Shinar] said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.'"

Here is mankind, repopulating the earth, but too many generations following the flood of Noah's day, that organized themselves apart from God. The context makes clear they were pursuing a project to establish themselves as a great people, "so that we may make a name for ourselves". A great people that had no need of God and building an edifice that would challenge God's domain, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens..."

Some feel these people determined to build a tall tower to protect themselves in the event of another cataclysmic flood. I think that misses the point entirely. Just how many human beings can occupy a tower that "reaches to the heavens"? Certainly not this mass of people.

It is my perspective that the effort to build a tower "that reaches to the heavens" was a physical expression of either a challenge to God or an outright dismissal of God on their part. In verse 6 God says that if they were successful in completing the project, because they were such a mass of people all working together (the singular language providing the opportunity for them all to participate together), they might find themselves beyond the reach of God's intentions for them. "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." 

God did not want them thinking they were masters of their own destiny - because it would only be an illusion. You can make all the towers you want and reach the stratosphere, but death comes one day and each have an appointment with God to give an account of themselves. To be able to reach "the heavens" was not an effort at "space exploration" like we have today, but an effort to establish independence from God, reject what he has in mind for humanity and establish their own agenda.

Which brings me to today. Human effort to establish ourselves apart from God, to establish forms of government that provide "safety nets", social programs, fix all the ills of mankind takes the same route as the people at the Tower of Babel. Ever wonder why communism seeks to remove God from society? Ever wonder why one of the first accomplishments pursued by socialism is the removal of God and all the things of God from the public square? Christmas displays, plaques of the ten commandments, etc.

When we organize ourselves apart from the recognition of God and dependence upon his provision we express our corporate dismissal of God. God no longer provides for us, we have a "social safety net". God no longer rights all the wrongs (we have social justice with a brand-spanking new definition of what "justice" is!), you get the drift.

Remember, politics and religion are not two different animals. Politics is simply the public expression of our religion. Splitting the two apart was the first deceit of those who attempt to remove God from our culture, society, our public square, our conversation.

The people who attempted the Tower of Babel are still with us today, pursuing the very same agenda. Not a tower, but you see their efforts every day in the news.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Peleg: Mr Divided - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 10:25,

"Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan."

The word "Peleg" means division, and so we are told this man got his name from the fact that during his life the "earth was divided." What does it mean the earth was divided?

Some have suggested that possibly there was a violent geographical event where the continents were divided. Something cataclysmic on the order of Noah's flood. Not likely. A better understanding of the division of the earth, the traditional explanation, is that the "division" refers to the Tower of Babel event that divided mankind in the following chapter. Just like our english word, the original would equally allow for this understanding.

There has been some fascinating work done on the origins of Babylon, Egypt and Greece that find their dating to the time frame in which Peleg was thought to have lived. There is an interesting introductory article on this at https://answersingenesis.org/bible-history/in-the-days-of-peleg/

Fascinating, isn't it? Do not ever let any allegedly scholarly study or report rob you of your confidence in the veracity of the Scriptures, including the tables of generations they provide.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Nations! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 10:32,

"These are the clans of Noah's sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations. From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood."

Here in this chapter we have a listing of the descendants of Noah, through his three sons, that provided for populating the earth with various nations. In the next chapter, Genesis 11:1-9, there is the account of the Tower of Babel which provides us the history of how all these nations went in different directions.

Obviously, there was a time when no nations existed. We have no mention of nations prior to the flood (that I recall), and there certainly were no nations early on following the account of God's creation and the first generations that followed.

Have you ever wondered why we have differing nations among mankind? Where and why did they develop? Was there an intentional purpose for the creation of various nations, or did it "just happen"? You might think the answers to those questions were lost in antiquity, but you would wrong.

Paul commented on just these things when he addressed the philosophers at the Areopagus in Athens two millenia ago, Acts 17:26-27, "From one man he [God] made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us."

Here we learn that it was God who created the nations. He determined the various nations would inhabit the whole earth, he determined when in history they would exist and what real estate they would inhabit. Paul also provides God's purpose for creating the various nations. He says, "God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him". The ultimate purpose for nationhood was to serve his plan of redeeming mankind.

As we study our Bibles, we eventually realize that all of God's decisions and activities we read of point to God's grand redemption of mankind. It culminates in Jesus Christ who came to pay the penalty for all of our sins that "funded" redemption.

So, how does the institution of nations serve God's purpose that mankind might seek him and reach out to him and find him? My best thought on it comes from Romans 8:20-21 (a passage that seems to be misunderstood by many), "the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God."

The "one" who subjected the creation to frustration is God himself. The "creation" referred to here is not rocks and hills and trees, as some have suggested, but mankind. It is mankind that can be liberated from the "bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory  of the children of God." How does God subject the creation, the people of the earth, to frustration? One way is to have us all divided into groups (nations) that we go after each other's throats, as nations prove to be a frustration to one another. That frustration, fear, threat, anxiety, etc. within the turmoil of the world's stage can prompt us all to reach out for God. (Ever hear of "foxhole" conversions? - I heartily endorse them!)

Here is one of the reasons God destroyed the Tower of Babel and scattered the various nations "over the face of the whole earth." Genesis 11:9. (There is another I can think of... can you?)

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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You Want to be a Vegetarian? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 9:1-3,

"Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.'"

And, thus, the Weber grill was invented!

When Adam and Eve were created, the diet prescribed by the Creator was a vegetarian one. Following their expulsion from the garden due to their sin of partaking in something the Lord commanded them not to, and following the judgment of God by killing off all mankind generations later, save Noah and his family, the Lord now gave mankind a carnivorous diet, "Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."

Some people today prefer to stick with a vegetarian diet. For those with health issues, this is certainly understandable. However, there are those who have a notion that refraining from eating meat somehow brings them closer to the divine, provides for a personal environment where spiritual growth can flourish.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church is one such group. While the church does not require vegetarianism within its ranks, it is certainly promoted. The notion is that a vegetarian diet is more healthful, and that since our bodies are given us from God, we have a responsibility to care for them. I suspect their view is along the lines of: since our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, we should not defile them with an unhealthy lifestyle. Coffee, tea and a number of things are also on the "no-no" list, as well as other "unhealthful" things.

Jesus was not a vegetarian and he put a hole right through the notion that what we put in our mouths can improve us spiritually or can defile us before God. He taught, "'Are you so dull?' he [Jesus] asked. 'Don't you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn't go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.' (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) He went on: 'What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.'" Mark 7:18-23.

I recall having a discussion with a Seventh Day Adventist elder on this issue years ago. He strongly claimed that vegetarianism was important for spiritual growth. He even said it would be a sin for him to eat meat. Afterall, vegetarian was the diet God determined for Adam and Eve when they communed with God in the pristine environment of the garden.

I guess it was lost on him that vegetarianism was the very diet Adam and Eve enjoyed when they chose to rebel against God and caused the entire human race to fall, that it was the very diet for all mankind when they corrupted themselves to the point that God destroyed them all, save Noah and his family.

Vegetarianism, as a health issue is one thing. But this notion that vegetarianism can have spiritual benefits is only one more arrow in the quiver of the "do-gooder" as he seeks to enhance his relationship with God through his own works. It is a fool's errand. God looks for faith, not diet!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Inventing Doctrines - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 8:21b,

"Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood."

Following the disembarkation of Noah, his family and all the animals from the ark and a burnt offering Noah offered, the Lord "said this in his heart". In spite of the corruption of the sinful nature of mankind "from childhood" the Lord would never again destroy the earth as he did in the disaster of the flood Noah and his family survived.

I see the Lord notes the inclination of all people to evil, even from childhood. David claims he was sinful from the time he was conceived, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Psalm 51:5. The writer of Proverbs tells us, "Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?" Proverbs 20:11. Scripture teaches us we are all born with a sinful nature and that nature gets expressed right from the start of our lives.

Paul tells us the wages of sin is death, Romans 6:23. As I read my Bible, it is clear that we are all lost and fallen and subject to God's judgment as we come into this life. However, I have run into many who believe something else.

They believe in what they call an "age of accountability." We are all considered "innocent" of sin until we reach some certain age or level of maturity. As I have asked them to point to this concept in the pages of Scripture (and I have asked a few), they come up empty. It is nowhere to be found in the Scriptures. Yet they continue to hold to this teaching.

When I have asked why they would cling to a teaching that is not supported in the Scriptures, and contrary to what the Scriptures do teach, they always provide a similar answer: if little babies are lost and fallen at birth, or even before birth, and if they were to die (abortion, miscarriage, stillborn, SIDS, etc.) then God could not be fair and just. How could God send a little baby to hell who had no opportunity to respond to the gospel message?

I can't fault their logic, but I can fault them for inventing their own theology apart from the Scriptures. I can't help but think there is a measure of a lack of faith in God's goodness, fairness and faithfulness as they seek to establish doctrines unsupported in Scripture that provide them assurance of those things.

I really can think of no other reason why "believers" are so un-believing that they cling to teachings that are in conflict with what the Scriptures actually teach.

What is so difficult about accepting that "For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." Psalm 33:4-5. Or, how about, "The King is mighty, he loves justice— you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy." Psalm 99:4-5.

Why is there a felt need to embellish the Scriptures with invented doctrine to assure us of those things we should be assured of already?

Our God is kind, loving and faithful in all he does. We don't need to invent things to assure us of that. We simply need to embrace him as he has revealed himself to us. God will work out all things in impeccable fairness and faithfulness. We need to trust him for that.

Besides, he loves those little tikes even more than we do!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God: Mindful of Mankind! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 8:1,

"But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded."

Chapter 8 of Genesis provides the account of Noah, his family and the animals at the end of the flood God brought on the earth to destroy all but these few individuals. Humanity had become so wicked in God's sight, he determined to put an end to them. All on earth died in this flood except for what was in the ark God had Noah built.

It begins with the phrase, "But God remembered..." I don't take this to mean that God had forgotten about Noah and now suddenly remembered him, but rather that he was mindful of him and all in the ark. God was bearing them in mind as he brought his destruction of the face of the earth to a close. God was not oblivious to them. On the contrary, he was cognizant of them the whole time they weathered the flood.

It brings to my mind a thought that I'll bet most of us believers have wondered about. It is expressed by David in Psalm 8:3-4, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?"

God is such a transcendent being: his wisdom, strength and power are such that it can be considered a marvel that he cares about us. His many splendored attributes and perfections can cause us to wonder why he takes note of us at all! Not only was he mindful of Noah and his family, he is mindful of all of us. So much so that he sent his Son to take the punishment for our sins, that he might make a people for himself to enjoy for all eternity!

How wonderful that God has been mindful of us in the low estate of our sin and rebellion against him!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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He Will Shut the Door! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 7:16b,

"Then the Lord shut him [Noah] in."

What the Lord shut Noah into was the ark. After getting all the animals and every thing the Lord wanted on the ark, together with Noah and his family, the Lord shut the entrance to the ark. Noah and his sons didn't close the hatch or door or whatever the entry was, the Lord did.

Peter uses the account of Noah and the flood as a picture of salvation. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him." 1 Peter 2:18-22.

I happen to find Peter's passage here somewhat obscure for me. It is one of those passages that I hope to gain clarity on as the years tick by. Having said that, there are a few things about what Peter says here that are very clear to me.

The first is, of course, Peter is using the account of Noah's flood as a picture of salvation. Just as the ark provided for the saving of Noah, his family and the animals, so the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the payment for our sins saves us.

Secondly, the attempt to use the water of Noah's flood as a type for baptism today in the effort to "prove" we are saved by the instrument of baptism is without merit. Peter clearly says it is not the "baptism" of water that saves us, but "the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ..." In any event, that comparison is not what Peter intended at all. Recall, the water was the means of judgment, not salvation, by the Lord. The water is what the Lord used to destroy mankind, not save them.

Beyond that, what catches my eye this morning goes back to the account of Noah's flood. The Lord shut him in. He closed the door! That brings to mind that there will be a point in time, an instant, when the salvation that Peter speaks of will come to an end. In an instant, the Lord will shut the door to his salvation he has provided.

Just as all who found their judgment outside the ark in Noah's day, don't find yourself shut out of God's salvation he makes available to us today! The door will be shut at some given instant!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Embrace of Faith - Ruminating in the Word of God

"The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 7:1,

"The Lord then said to Noah, 'Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.'"

This amazing story of Noah, his family, the ark, the animals, the worldwide destruction of the earth all happened as recorded here in Genesis. We are told in the first verse of chapter 7 that the Lord found Noah to be "righteous in this generation." What was it about Noah that caused the Lord to find him righteous - unlike all others that lived at that time?

In verse 5 we read, "And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him." Is that what caused the Lord to find him righteous? In the previous chapter, in verse 8 we read, "Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." And later, in 6:22 we find a similar statement to 7:5, "Noah did everything just as God commanded him."

There was something very remarkable about Noah that the Lord saw in him. He was a righteous man, as we read in 6:9, "blameless among the people of his time" and that he walked "faithfully" with God.

Perhaps something we read about his descendant, Abraham, provides us some insight here. In Romans 4:1-5 we read, "What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness."

Here is the basis for the righteous standing Noah had before the Lord: he placed his faith in the Lord. When Noah did everything the Lord commanded of him, he was expressing the faith that brought his righteous standing before the Lord.

Paul goes on to explain something about Abraham, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Romans 4:20-25.

As Abraham, Noah found favor with the Lord, a standing of righteousness with him by embracing him in faith. It was his faith in the Lord that prompted him to do all the Lord asked of him. And, we, as Abraham did, can find that standing of righteousness with the Lord by embracing him in faith as well.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Expressing faith - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 6:9b,

"Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God."

Did you know Noah was a man who "walked faithfully with God"? We, of course, associate Noah with the ark, the animals and the catastrophic worldwide flood that took place during his life. And, rightfully so. It is not every generation that has experienced total worldwide devastation. Couple that with the remarkable and extraordinary way in which God used him, and the things he asked him to do to carry forward the existence of humans and animals of all types, and that consumes our attention when it comes to Noah.

I am sure we all recognize the reason Noah was chosen by God to provide for the survival of the human race and the various species of life was that he must have been a remarkable man in a horribly flawed human race. When God decided to bring the worldwide cataclysmic flood on the earth, he did so because of the evil nature mankind had sunk to, "The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time." Genesis 6:5.

And, so, God made his decision, "The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, 'I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.'" Verses 6-7.

However, there was one man that God took note of, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." Verse 8. What was it that caused Noah to find favor with the Lord? We can be quite certain that Noah was a man of incredible faith. We might ask how was Noah's faith expressed? The answer is found in verse 22 of this chapter: "Noah did everything just as God commanded him."

I ask myself this morning, what in my life can I pursue that would cause me to find "favor in the eyes of the Lord"?

James explains to us that our faith is evidenced by the things we choose to do. Doing things won't save us from God's judgment to come, but doing things exposes and expresses the faith we claim to have in our lives today. "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." James 2:18b.

In following Noah as my example to do "everything just as God commanded him", here is a good start from Colossians 3:12-14, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

That looks like a wonderful place to start! What do you think?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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