Wise Dealings

"Pharaoh will summon you and say,

'What is your occupation?'

Tell him,

'Your servants have taken care of cattle from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,'

so that you may live in the land of Goshen,

for everyone who takes care of sheep

is disgusting to the Egyptians."

Genesis 46:33-34 NET

I didn't know what to expect as my husband and I walked into the courthouse for a bond hearing regarding my brother-in-law's murder case.  Thankfully, the assistant District Attorney met with members of the family before the proceedings, taking the time to carefully explain the details of the hearing, what was expected of us as well as what we could anticipate to happen once we entered the courtroom.  As we later filed in and took our seats on the hard pew-like benches, each of us were prepared for what was to come.

When faced with an unknown situation in unfamiliar surroundings, it is good to be briefed on the protocol, traditions and expectations of the host, especially when facing a powerful entity like a judge in a court of law, or a king in a foreign country.  Therefore, when someone gives guidance as to how best to approach the unfamiliar, I am wise to heed their advice.

Unknown

My daughter and I sat at the Bengali woman's kitchen table, listening intently as she explained her religious beliefs.  We enjoyed our time together when suddenly she rose and said, "I would like for you to join us for lunch.  Come!  Fix a plate!"  I looked at my daughter, hesitating to take her up on this offer, knowing that our time to depart was fast approaching.  Assuming that rejecting my host's gracious offer might offend, we enthusiastically rose to join in the meal.  

As we ate and visited, I made sure to finish all my food, not wanting to cause offense.  Frustratingly, my new friend kept offering more and more food.  I thought, I'm going to burst at the seams!  Finally, this genial woman said, "I'm sorry.  We must get going or my children will be late for their class."  My daughter and I immediately thanked our hostess profusely and went on our way.  We couldn't help but be a little confused.  If she was running late, why did she insist we eat with her?  And why did she keep forcing food on us?

Later, I shared this bewildering experience with a friend who had spent some time in Bangladesh as a missionary.  She explained that offering for us to join in the meal was the custom in her country and it was expected that I decline, knowing that she was limited on time.  It is also the practice of their culture to signal a host a desire for more food by cleaning your plate.  Leaving a little left means you are full and do not want a second helping.

I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed at this breach of protocol, but my daughter and I were completely clueless.  In a similar way, there are times when I may enter into the unknown where certain prejudices exist, or there are practices of which I know nothing about.  In these cases, I would be wise to seek counsel before conducting business, seeking friendship or spreading the gospel.   I may end up doing more damage than good if I go into it blind.

If God is to be glorified in everything I do, I would be wise to learn the unknown ways of the people I seek to serve.

Traditions

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I found the ways of the southern part of the U.S. to be strange and confusing.  People used different terms like, "soda" instead of "pop" to describe a sweet, carbonated beverage.  I often was told to "mash" the button instead of "pushing" it or invited to "supper" instead of "dinner."  While these were just examples of a local vernacular, I did have to be careful not to carry an attitude of superiority since I sometimes thought the language to be a little inferior to the "proper" way of speaking we used up north.  After all, I would think, what does it mean to "mash"?

Once I know the traditions and ways of a culture, whether it be across the seas or in a neighboring community, I will find success when I respect their norms.  This must have been the attitude the Apostle Paul addressed when sending correspondence to the believers in Rome.  He said, "For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him." (Romans 10:12 NET)

No matter how small my prejudices may be, others will most likely be able to detect my feelings.  Therefore, it is important that I deal with any prideful feelings I have regarding my heritage, background or education, nailing them onto the cross so God's merciful love can freely flow through me to all people, regardless of their ways.

If God is to be glorified in everything I do, I would be wise to humble myself at the foot of the cross where the ground is perfectly level.

Favor

When Jacob and his sons presented themselves before Pharaoh, they did as Joseph had instructed them to do.  After they said the prescribed words, the leader of Egypt appointed the clan to the best land and even offered a position tending the royal flocks to any of the men who desired such an occupation. (Genesis 47:1-6) God used their wise dealings with the king to grant the family royal favor.

In the same way, the Lord can use me to win over even the hardest heart simply in the way I show wisdom in my dealings with them.  If a relative expects all guests to view her extensive collection of tea cups when coming to visit, her heart would be more open to hearing about the love the Lord has for her if I willingly comply.

Other times I may be faced with an unreasonable expectation of a difficult neighbor who stubbornly insists walkers avoid the parking strip at her corner when crossing the street.  Instead of fighting her unrealistic logic, I could gain a better witness for Christ if I quietly observe her wishes.

There might even be a time when I am confronted with the dilemma of how to interact with a mean-spirited acquaintance.  Instead of dishing out the same sour attitude she serves up, I can let God's unconditional love cover over her shortcomings.  (1 Peter 4:8)

If God is to be glorified in everything I do, I would be wise to let God use me to love others by winning their favor by respecting their ways.

It is not easy to enter into an unknown situation.  When doing so, I need all the assistance I can get.  Therefore, I am wise to heed the advice of anyone who can help me negotiate the ways of the people I serve, to understand and respect their traditions and to win their favor in my consideration of their culture, beliefs or expectations.  In these ways I will glorify God in my wise dealings.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can be sensitive to the Lord's leading when dealing with others.

How do I unknowingly bring disgrace upon the name of the Lord when I disregard another's cultural traditions?

When do I think of my culture as superior to another's?

He is with me. . .always!

"The LORD said to Jacob,

'Return to the land of your fathers 

and to your relatives.

I will be with you.'

So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah

to come to the field where his flocks were.

there he said to them,

'I can tell that your father's attitude toward me has changed,

but the God of my father has been with me."

Genesis 31:3-5 NET

There was something different but I couldn't put my finger on it.  The wind that had buffeted the back of our house was still howling, but it there was a different tenor to it's rage.  I walked from the front bedroom where my family was sleeping peacefully and parted the curtains of a window in back of the house.  As I inspected the trees bending under the force of the storm, I pinpointed the difference;  The direction of the wind had changed.  

Taking this as a good sign that we were on the backside of the hurricane, I whispered thanks to God for protecting us.  Soon, the storm would be over and the clean-up would begin.

God was with my family as Hurricane Fran passed through our town in 1996, and I can trust that He will always be there, even when things seem to be going wrong.  He never ceases the pursuit of His own and is always working to refine our faith, all while providing His protection.

Tides Shift

Standing out in the water, I waited for the big one; the wave that would take me all the way into shore.  Finally, my patience paid off as I spotted it.  Placing myself into position, I waited until just the right moment before I started swimming to match the speed of the wave.  As it came upon me, I was able to catch it, letting the water take me all the way into the beach.

Body surfing is only fun when the tides are coming in.  Once the surge shifts and the water is moving out, the incoming waves always seem to be fighting the outgoing tides.  For this reason, it is important to know the tide times when playing in the surf.

While riding the waves is not as fun when the surf starts moving back away from the shore, there are many times in life when the tides seem to be shifting as well.  It may be that the once strong support for a ministry wanes so much that it is forced to shut down.  Or the attitude of my spouse changes so drastically that I wonder if he still loves me.  Or the direction in which my life is moving suddenly swings around in the opposite direction, leaving me feeling dizzy from the sudden change of direction.

No matter how many changes are going on around me, God is still with me, providing that solid rock on which I can stand.

Foes Pursue

They are always on high alert, looking for a target.  Their guard is never dropped as it seems their uppermost goal in life is to hunt down their prey.  While I could admire their tenacity, their thirst for the chase gets on my nerves.

Walking my two Labrador Retriever mixed-breed canines is an exercise in staying alert.  No matter where we go, they always seem to sense something that needs to be chased.  Most of the time their prey is a squirrel, but they've also been known to go on high alert when seeing a cat scurry into a storm drain or a black bird hop across the road.  Our dogs are expert chasers.

While I may not have anyone like my canine companions who are running after me, I do have a foe who pursues me.  Sometimes Satan uses a friend who means well but seems to have a knack for putting me down.  Other times it's an overzealous government employee who targets my ministry and sics the social service agency on me.  Every now and then I feel like someone is out to get me when I keep finding an extra charge on my grocery receipt.  

Whether it's criticism, sabotage or fraud, my real enemy is Satan who prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)  For this reason I can aim my arrows at him instead of the people he uses as pawns, never forgetting that God's power is much greater than his. (1 John 4:4)

No matter how many people seem to be going after me, God is still with me, providing protection from my real Enemy.

Tables Turn

Things always get worse before they get better.

The darkest hour is just before the dawn.

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can rise up.

When I'm in the middle of the mess, stumbling around in the darkness, or skinning my knees on the rocks at the bottom of the pit, it's hard to remember the truth found in these quotes.  There are many times when God sends in the Calvary, but only when the darkest hour has come.

The cupboards are bare and my hope is nearly as empty when the knock comes at the door.  The due date has come and gone and the bill collectors are starting to call when the check arrives in the mail.  The pain has moved from intense to unbearable when the Healing Hand delivers a sense of peace.

God has a way of turning the tables, providing an unexpected outcome in a surprising way.  An enemy becomes a friend, a trap becomes a means of salvation, or the darkest time becomes the most blessed period of my life.  Therefore, when I reach a difficult period of life, it's time to start looking for the mighty hand of God to blow my mind.

No matter how bad things seem to be, God is still with me, waiting for just the right time to turn the tables.

There is a reason God instructed me to not try to understand what is going on. (Proverbs 3:5-6) That is because His ways are so much higher than mine and my mind is too puny to grasp the vastness of His plan. (Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 11:34)  All I need to keep in mind is that He is with me, even when the tides shift, my Foe pursues or I'm waiting for the tables to turn.  Knowing that He is with me always gives me the strength to carry on.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on the One who never leaves my side.

How do I turn away from God because the circumstances of my life seem overwhelming?

When do I miss the work of His hand because I'm too busy wallowing in my sorrows?

Hear From God Yourself

"Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.

When he reached a certain place,

he stopped for the night because the sun had set.

Taking on of the stones there,

he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway

resting on the earth,

with its top reaching to heaven,

and the angels of God were ascending 

descending on it.

There above it stood the LORD,

and he said:

'I am the LORD,

the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.

I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.

Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth,

and you will spread out to the west and to the east,

to the north and to the south.

All peoples on earth will be blessed through you

and your offspring.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,

and I will bring you back to this land.

I will not leave you until I have done

what I have promised you.'"

Genesis 28:10-15

I'm sure Jacob grew up hearing of the promise of God from his father, Isaac, who heard it from his father, Abraham.  Did the power of it fade with each generation until it became a mere legend?  Maybe.  At least until Jacob heard from God for himself.  That personal word from God changed everything for Jacob.

It's the same with me.  I often read about the promises of God recorded throughout the Bible.  Until I establish my own relationship with Him, however, hearing from Him myself, it is only a story written in a book.  When I do begin to receive that personal word from God, it changes everything!

Commit

I love watching the butterflies and hummingbirds busily gathering nectar in my flower garden.  While they enjoy the fruits of my labor and seem to feel right at home there, they did nothing to establish the flowers.  It was my hand that planted the seeds, watered the ground, thinned the seedlings and fertilized the plants.  They simply enjoy what I have created and accept it as their own feeding place.

In a similar way, Jacob did not choose God.  He grew up hearing about God and the promises He made to his family.  He knew how God had chosen his people as the Lord's very own, but it wasn't until Jacob heard from God himself that he committed his life to the Lord.  He didn't acknowledge the Lord as his own God until this time, kind of like the way the butterflies call my garden their home.

I am also chosen by God to live for His purposes.  (John 15:16)  Until I commit my life to Him, however, He is only a far away God about whom I can read.  Even though the promises of God still stand, I have not made them my own until I acknowledge Him as my own God.  Once I enter into that personal relationship, as Jacob did, everything I know about God becomes personal as I accept Him as my own.

Instead of just hearing about His love for mankind, then, I experience the way He cares enough to comfort my troubled heart.  While I used to only read about the way God provides a way where there seems to be none, after I make Him my own God I see it for myself.  In the place of learning of God's presence in the lives of many, I begin to see His power working through me as I commit myself to Him, calling Him my own.

Hearing from God on a personal level brings about a commitment to Him as my own God.

Establish

It used to be just a patch of ground, ordinary in every way.  There was nothing special about the rocky soil that crunched beneath his sandals.  It was the same as all the land around him until God showed up.  The presence of the Lord made the place where Jacob dreamed of the ladder reaching up to heaven as sacred, so Jacob gave it the name of Bethel, meaning "house of God."

In a similar way, I am just an ordinary woman.  There is nothing special about me that sets me apart from anyone else.  The presence of God's Spirit within me, however, transforms my ordinary body into His temple.  For this reason, I can think like Jacob did and set myself aside, establishing my life as a holy place; not because of anything I have done but because the presence of God makes it so.

For this reason, everything I do becomes important.  How I spend my time reflects on the One to whom I've committed my life.  Since God goes with me wherever I go, I must ask myself if I honor Him in the places I choose to frequent.  The people I call my friends will either share my reverence for God's presence in my life, or they will degrade His holiness.

Hearing from God on a personal level leads to the establishment of my body as a temple and my life as an opportunity to worship Him.  (Romans 12:1)

Pledge

He gave the expected offering, but it wasn't accepted as he had hoped.  Instead, the fruits of his labor in working the soil were cast aside as offensive.  Cain grew angry, wondering why the Lord would look down upon his gift. (Genesis 4:2-4)

Cain's heart was in the wrong place.  Instead of giving what the Lord expected, he offered what he thought was a good substitute.  In his mind, the gift he gave was the best of what he had.  From God's perspective, though, it was simply an act of disobedience and willfulness.

I often carry the same attitude as Cain.  Instead of seeking to give my best to God, I settle for offering what I have left over.  The time I spend with Him is fleeting and squeezed in between other commitments   The money I offer is what's left over after I pay all my bills.  The service I commit to is only what feels comfortable to me because I would never agree to do anything I don't feel qualified to carry out.

From God's perspective, however, my heart is in the wrong place.  Instead of trusting Him and desiring to please Him in all things, I do only enough to get by.  A heart devoted to God will place more emphasis on spending time with Him in His Word, will set aside His money as soon as I get paid, and will go wherever He calls me to work, despite my feelings of inadequacy.  In short, giving to Him my first fruits in all areas of my life shows I trust Him enough to pick up the slack.

Hearing from God on a personal level gives me the chance to offer the best of what He gives me back to Him.

I have heard a lot about God over the course of my lifetime.  Until I heard from Him myself, though, it was only a collection of stories about a far-away God.  Now that I know Him on a more intimate level, I have the desire to commit my life to Him as my own Father, establish my life as His place of worship, and to pledge the best of that which He blesses me back to Him.  These are the ways a personal word from God changes my life.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can honor God with the choices I make today.

When do I do things out of habit instead of consciously seeking to please God?

How am I dishonoring God in the choices I make?