Bibledoorajar Examines Matters of the Heart

       "Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham,
 I am one of them and so are you, so let's just praise the Lord!"

                                           Lyrics by Chris Donato   

      God had placed Abraham in a strategic place with the intent to carry out a mighty mission. Abraham, while not a perfect man, had become a man of great faith and his prayer life and dependence on God is certainly to be admired. He knows that a great kingdom is to come through him via Isaac and his descendants:
         "For I have made myself known to him, so that he will give orders to his children and to his household after him to keep the way of Adonai and to do what is right and just, so that Adonai may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him" (Gen. 18:19).
       God refers to himself as Adonai which in Hebrew means, Lord or Master or Owner. Clearly from this verse we learn that God had found a man who would respect His Sovereignty. In this instance, His Sovereignty in matters of the heart will affect the human race for generations to come.This progeny, begun with Abraham, will be the righteous ones, walking in a new direction. Changed from their surroundings, they are not blinded to God's sovereignty in their lives. With all their being, they are seeking to live correctly as one of the many sons of Abraham. The admonition today is in the phrase "with all their being". If any have slipped away from this noble position in life, is it not wonderful to know that all we need do is repent and begin walking in the NEW DIRECTION again as God leads?

Bibledoorajar Considers the Disposal of Children

     I recently saw a report about families in India who give their daughters, some as young as eight or nine, in marriage to young boys. Some of these girls had be be carried into the wedding ceremony by their fathers as they cried out for their mothers. Needless to say, I was shocked and appalled by this practice. The children's lives were being molded by a social convention that has apparently gone on in India for many years.  One mother said that she too had married young and that her crying daughter would adjust. I'm sure that either adjustment or acceptance will be the case since the bride is expected to bear children just as soon as she reaches puberty. The only bright spot was the child couple would continue to live with boy's parents while they grew into their roles. At least I can be assured that they will be fed and clothed and I hope many mature into a happy marriage. This report underscores the importance of how parents dispose of their children. I certainly hope that Christian parents are doing all they can to dispose of their offspring in a way that will increase their furtherance in the kingdom of God.
     We begin the story of Rebecca with a father's desire to secure a good wife for his son. Abraham had been called out of his home land by the grace of God. In Canaan, he had achieved old age. He longed for his son Isaac to have a good wife as God had advised him that it would be through Isaac that His purposes would be continued. The future was at stake. He wanted a marriage that would
be open to God and one in which Isaac and his wife would be recipients of God's blessings.
     God, the Father, has also acted on behalf of His Son. He is securing and maturing a bride to be a suitable match for Him. She is being called to leave one kingdom for another. The Son prepares "many mansions" while He waits on the timing of the marriage, a decision reached only by the Father. Everyday, somewhere in the world, He calls for someone to agree to this wonderfully arranged relationship. He loves this "faraway bride" so much that He is helping us in our infirmities by giving us traits that we will need in our future life.

                                    "We are one in the bond of love,
                                     We are one in the bond of love,
                                     We have joined our spirits with the Spirit of God
                                     We are one in the bond of love."

                                                                   Otis Skillings

Bibledoorajar Bids Thanks Esther For Her Life Hidden in God

"Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, 

where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break

in and steal. INSTEAD, store up for yourselves

wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys,

and there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of

the body. So if you have a 'good eye' your whole body

will be full of light; but if you have and 'evil eye' your

whole body will be full of darkness."

Matthew 6: 19-21

As we leave the book of Esther, I would like to end on the note of her generosity, her "good eye." Some would say that, amazingly, life had placed Esther in the king's palace with all its' riches and they would be right. Others would say that, amazingly,  God had hidden her there "for such a time as this" and they, too, would be right. But beyond that, Esther was a person in a palace who chose to live with a "good eye." All the wealth the king made available to her did not supersede her way of living in proper alignment with God's eternal kingdom. Esther became suited to deal with the huge task of saving others because she came to see clearly. She could see far into the future to a place where important treasures can be laid up. She valued her lofty position in the palace and all that it gave her most importantly because it allowed her to serve her God when His people were undergoing the severest of trials. And from that position she drew upon His riches in glory to solve the problem. Yes, she might perish, but that did not diminish the fact that He and His eternal resources were forever entwined in her life. This she believed and she chose God, hidden with Him and for Him, and she accomplished much!

"So if you were raised along with Christ, then seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Focus your minds on the things above, not on the things here on earth. For you have died, and your life is HIDDEN with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory!"

Colossians 3:1

Long ago people discovered that death was inevitable. Archaeologists have discovered that the Egyptians packed a lot of earthly wealth into their tombs hoping to use it "on the other side." But alas, the archaeologists found it all hidden away in their tombs centuries later. Let us be sure to stay HIDDEN in Christ, living this life with a "good eye" storing up treasures in heaven, so that when the glorious one appears we too will appear sharing in His glory.

Many have discovered Rebecca's Bible Lessons while browsing the web for a good lesson on Rebecca. Therefore, I think it appropriate that we begin a visit with her in our next lessons.

Bibledoorajar Observes Behavior More Closely

    Last week we talked about Esther and her willingness to change and to take on new behaviors. She moved forward continuously, carrying out her plan. Because of changes made quietly and on the inside, she was able to act overtly when brave actions counted. Thus, she was prepared to expose the terrible work of Haman and to secure justice for God's people. But only God could move the king's heart and cause him to change his behavior. Only God can illumine truth and give mercy to those who desire to honor it. Good could not have come from the Queen's behavior if she and her uncle had not fully enjoyed God's power to move in the affairs of men. Without such faith, their efforts might have failed. Without such faith it is impossible to please God. But, instead, their behavior seemed to mirror that of God. They moved forward slowly and persistently to accomplish their goal. They did this without panic; they did this without demanding or commanding. And then they waited for God to transform the king's heart.

According to the great prophet, Isaiah, God the Father anointed Jesus with great and gentle persuasion necessary to bring about human change. Many people followed Jesus as a result and He brought about great change in many lives.

              "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
               my beloved, with whom I am well pleased;
               I will put my Spirit on him, and he will
               announce justice to the Gentiles. He will
               not fight or shout, no one will hear his
               voice in the streets; he will not snap off a
               broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick
               until he has brought justice through to
               victory. In him the Gentiles will put their
               hope."
                                         Matthew 12: 18-21 quotes from Isaiah 42:1-4

Esther allowed herself to slowly be prepared for a great purpose--a purpose larger than herself. Safety of others became greater than her own safety and when she realized it she was ready.  Such is God's purpose: He so loved the WORLD that He gave His son. How willing are we to be used in His purposes? Are we seeking to move in great and gentle persuasion learned from God?