Genetic Engineering or God's Grace

Then Jacob took fresh sticks of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the sticks.  He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink,  the flocks bred in front of the sticks and so the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. (Genesis 30:37-39)

 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. (Genesis 31:9)

 Would Jacob have prospered if he hadn’t  ‘manipulated’ the breeding of the livestock?

In retrospect, we say it was God at work to bless Jacob. His ‘work’ of tending the breeding flock would not have had an impact one way or the other. And in light of what we know now regarding genetics, even his actions are laughable.  I can understand the motivation of Jacob….in a difficult situation, we HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! Imperfect faith trusts imperfectly. Trust is earned and, having been burned by our human counterparts, either intentionally or not, we still are wary to trust. And so we do what we can to help God out. 

I understand Jacob…I would do the same…. I DO do the same! I pray, ‘Lord, help me with this situation.’ And then I get down to working out the details and hope God helps me. But God’s grace extends even to our feeble faith as witnessed with Jacob. It is recorded to reflect man’s flailing trust, unnecessary efforts and God’s amazing patience and understanding of our weakness. It makes no judgment on Jacob’s actions but very poignantly demonstrates man’s actions vs God’s provision.  God's grace grows us from faith to faith, patiently enduring our worthless efforts while divinely providing all that we need.

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Fall

The golden ray black-eyed susans hang their heads, 
             Petals browned with age,
The sparrows flitter, restless,
             Unknowingly, expectantly waiting for their cue from God.
Trees, still green with growth,
            Yet poised for one last, glorious blaze of praise to Him.
Creation hesitates... 

             hovers...

                     listens...

As God gently whispers, 

             "Hush now...be quiet....rest." 

Unknown and Unloved - Lessons of Leah

Nature abhors a vacuum. We like to finish people’s sentences and thoughts for them if they are too slow to come up with the words. Stopping in the middle of a song leaves us hanging or ending on a minor chord, uneasy. We read to finish books and sometimes skip to the end to see how it turns out. And I can remember several times in the movie theatre when the story ended with the plot unresolved, priming the pump for a sequel. A very unsatisfactory experience.

Leah’s story is a song half-sung. An unfinished, unresolved account of an unloved and unknown daughter of Laban. She is mentioned for the first time during the marriage negotiation of her younger sister, Rachel, to Jacob (Genesis 29). For seven years she watches Jacob lovingly labor for his new bride and then is deceptively substituted for the marriage consummation. Imagine the surprise of Jacob! But even more, imagine the rejection of Leah as she witnesses Jacob’s realization that she was not the one desired.  The bible simply states, “he (Jacob) loved Rachel more than Leah… the Lord saw that Leah was hated…”

As a father, I want to wrap my arms around Leah and say “I will love you. Come be my daughter.” And while I can sympathize with Jacob’s predicament, I just want to scream…. “Please love her.” I would like to see a resolution to Leah’s struggle but I can’t find it in scripture. There is no removal of the sibling wife rivalry, and in fact, it continues to present itself throughout her story. A life-long struggle with no Prince Charming to the rescue.

Leah’s personal struggle as she seeks to be loved is revealed in the naming of her first three sons fathered by Jacob:

• Reuben - “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”
• Simeon - “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” 
• Levi - “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.”

We never see Leah being loved by her husband and God never took her out of her environment or ‘fixed’ her issue. As far as we know, she was always second fiddle to Rachel, her younger sister. It is an unfinished song, leaving us hanging in the middle of an unresolved chord.

While God did not change Leah’s situation, it seems He was able to change her heart and gives us a truth to grasp and a future hope. This change of heart in Leah is revealed on the birth of her 4th son, Judah.

“And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing” (Genesis 29:35).

Leah turns her labor from trying to earn love and acceptance from her husband, to trust and praise in Her God. “This time I will praise the Lord”. She ceased striving to earn love and accepts the love of God. She physically and spiritually ‘ceased bearing’ and recognizes that God is enough for all her needs.

Often in my daily problems I yearn for resolution and wonder at the frustration and difficulties that God walks me through.  While there are periods of calm, my short-term view has me seeking an immediate solution or removal of the issue so I can ‘enjoy’ life.  But honestly, there will always be another problem or difficulty and it is only when I acknowledge God that I find satisfaction and rest.  Like Leah, when I look to God for all my needs, I find God is more than enough. Chris Tomlin wrote a song that echoes these thoughts. So I hope this song gets lodged in your memory through the coming weeks.

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

Marvelous Grace

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”  (Luke 23:39-43.)

I can think of no greater demonstration of undeserved grace than what was shown to the thief on the cross. Arms stretched wide, held in place by nails, unable to give anything…anything at all. No future past a few hours to promise penance, compensation, or devoted allegiance. No legacy to leave or testimony to share with others of a broken man restored. Only a man honest with his sin, acknowledging his complete culpability, and his utter impotence to help himself. He looks to the MESSIAH, the Christ and says, “Remember me….” 

Jesus,

I am here 

      nailed to a cross of my own failures...

         no one to share the blame with...

              unable to help myself....

Remember me....

Wonderful, marvelous GRACE!

The Lord is MY shepherd...

Simply stated, God is always consistently, patiently, firmly leading me to a place of trust. That IS His motivation.

I am a student of human behavior. My job demands it. Working with families, residents, staff, potential customers, etc., my success depends on my ability to discern what motivates people. Is this person right for this particular job? Will their motivation carry them through the more difficult tasks and respond appropriately? While I am not a perfect student, I have definitely improved in my abilities to 'read' individuals behavior and come to some form of assessment of  their motives.

So what is my 'read' on God? First, I affirm that God is in control i.e. that everything that comes my way, God has specifically intended for me. Second, I affirm that God's intention towards me is for my good. He is not seeking to punish or mislead me for His benefit or amusement. He desires nothing for me but good. With these two presuppositions in mind, I can reflect on the environment in which God has lead me. 

I find myself in multiple circumstances of daily life that,  1)  I have no control over 2) impact myself, my family, my friends, my life and; 3) I deeply care about these issues and the affects it has on all of us.  My 'fix-it' mentality kicks in and I do the research and study the options which leads me right back to the realization that I have no control over this. It is an unbroken cycle of anxiety, determination, frustration, despair and then back to anxiety. I am left with only one option. I am 'herded' by God to a position of trust in Him. That must be the place He wants me and that is the motivation of God.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7)

Footnote: Did you ever try to direct a cat someplace he didn't want to go? You do the two-step shuffle, wave your hands like a movable gate, and 50% of the time you fail to get him where you need him to go. I can identify with the cat...

The Pleasure of Obedience

Part of my daily routine is to listen to my bible on my blackberry as I drive to work. It's a short drive, so I don't get too far and if I stop it midway through a chapter, it starts at the beginning of that chapter the next day. A good arrangement as I fade in and out of paying attention (both to driving and to the reading....)

As I was listening to Exodus 25 and the details God gave to Moses in the construction of the sanctuary et al., I wondered, "What does God gain from such specific details?" Really, does it matter whether the ark was 27 inches  or 36 inches? Does it have to be acacia wood, after all hickory has a beautiful grain? And the lamp stands would be better balanced with seven branches instead of six? Do all these details 'please' God? Is it to 'appease' Him? 

Time after time as we read scripture, we ask ourselves, “Why did God do that?” And as we mull it over, mature, experience life, we come back to it and discover that it was for us, for our good. God’s intent for us is always good and His instructions are for our good. 

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good." (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).

God gets nothing of value, has no need, is not improved in any way by what we do or say. And so as I listened to the intricate details of the temple, it occurred to me that the instructions were given for no other reason than to give us the “pleasure of obedience.” I imagined the workers creating the curtains, molding and sculpting the utensils to exact specifications. Side by side comparing notes and referring back to God’s instructions on how to construct the worship center. There was a continuity of thought and purpose as they followed the directions and a sense of accomplishment that they had followed it to the best of their ability. 

Part of our struggle with obedience today is we have many earthly masters who have directed us wrong, whose intent is not for our 'good' and who show an imperfect understanding of the situation or the path. We question their motives, second guess their directives, and generally lack commitment to their cause. And through our doubt, we become dissatisfied and restless, robbing ourselves of the pleasure of obedience. While I don't encourage a 'blind' obedience to our earthly leaders, I do need to affirm the fact that regardless of the leadership, God is the one ultimately in control. Do I trust HIM? 

His intent for me is for my GOOD(1). 
His love for me is UNDENIABLE(2). 
His plan for me is PERFECT(3).

So now my part is trust. 

Lord, I need Your help to trust You daily, to rest in Your plan for me, to grasp Your love, and to experience the pleasure of obedience to You. Amen.

Perfect obedience would be perfect happiness, if only we had perfect confidence in the power we were obeying.

___________________________________________________________

(1) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

(2) "For God so loved the world,^[i] that he gave..." (John 3:16)

(3)"This God—his way is perfect;    the word of the Lord proves true;    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." (Psalms 18:30)

A 'House of Peace'

 “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God…”  Gen 28:20

Jacob’s prayer and hope for peace within the family was well founded. The family dynamic he was running from would match any modern day fiasco we could read about today. A house divided, mother against father, brother against brother, inheritance disputes, manipulation, deception, lack of communication, hatred, and murderous threats all rolled in one chapter (Genesis 27).  The emotional turmoil of intimate relationships shattered and a heart hungry for peace is reflected in Jacob’s oath, “If God will be with me …so that I come again to my father’s house in peace…” And herein is his hope. On the run, Jacob met God in his dream and he made a commitment to follow God. He named the place of his meeting, Bethel – ‘House of God’. Perhaps a reflection of his desire for peace and an understanding that only in God’s house, under His authority and submission to Him, would he find a peaceful house –a home.

I have never known anything but a peaceful, loving family environment. The words ‘shut-up’ were never allowed to be used in our family. We had daily meals together. We had a daily time of prayer so routine that even our dog, Ginger, participated in the closing Lord’s prayer. The only thing I remember ‘catching’ my father at, was being on his knees in prayer at 5AM every morning.  But this great blessing has not isolated me from the fact that many others live in situations more like Jacob’s than my experience.  And so, while I may not be able to ‘emphasize’ with the ravenous hunger for ‘peace’ in life’s most intimate relationships, I can’t but help to hold up the hope expressed by Jacob for the peace that comes from being a part of God’s loving household.  A cry for  'peace' that vibrates throughout all of scripture and is finally and complete answered in Jesus:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:13-21 [ESV])

Lord, thank you for the perfect peace you bring to my life. May I walk in your peace today. May others know your peace...because we are all in need of it....AMEN.

JESUS I COME...

Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,

Jesus, I come to Thee;

Out of my sickness, into Thy health,

Out of my want and into Thy wealth,

Out of my sin and into Thyself,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm,

Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,

Out of distress to jubilant psalm,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into Thy blessèd will to abide,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,

Out of despair into raptures above,

Upward for aye on wings like a dove,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,

Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;

Into the joy and light of Thy throne,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of the depths of ruin untold,

Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,

Ever Thy glorious face to behold,

Jesus, I come to Thee.

Note: No one can find peace with family and others without first finding peace with God. You might have peaceful moments, but that's just a 'cease fire'.