Recommitment

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land. Genesis 31:13

After the vision of last week’s blog, Jacob had to go forward in his journey as he fled his brother and his home. He married, bore children and gathered wealth through the years. In today’s verse, God is ready for him to return to his homeland.

Perhaps God is using this interaction to remind Jacob of his devotion during their last encounter, his anointing of the stone, his vow that since God was taking care of Him, He would be his God, and that the place where he anointed the stone would be God’s house.

Surely, in his surroundings, Jacob would take this vow and speak the name of God in this land and worship Him. He must not forget, but remember his important commitments.

Like chess pieces on a chess board, God seems to be strategically moving His people. His will is in action. And He is caring for His own. Even when Jacob had been mistreated and done wrong throughout the span of the years gone by, God held him in the palm of His hand.

It is essential, at times, for all of us to look back and remember where we have come from and where we are going. How did we get through the hardest times in our lives? How did God bring us through in His mercy. Are we speaking His name and worshipping Him in the “land” in which we live?

It is good to remember our first love, the Lord our God and to come and present ourselves to him in devoted commitment and renewal of our lives in surrender.

When I quiet myself before the Lord, calling everything else in my life to slow down, I have moments in which I make time to meditate and remember the commitments I made to my Father in the past.

Sometimes, sudden thoughts cross my mind, just like the opportunity Jacob experienced, in which recommitment happens. It’s like a flashback of a dream or of a turning point in my life.

Father, remind me what I have forgotten. You are my First Love and my central focus. Let my life be given up on the altar of sacrifice for you and your Kingdom. Fill me with your love and your fire for what plans you have for me. Anoint me and open the path for me to follow your will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Good Life

Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:13

Sometimes good memories arise from within of the lessons taught us by our parents, the warnings and advice from the lips of those one or two special teachers who took an interest in us or the encouraging admonitions we picked up along the way from friends, books or sermons. The most important thing to remember is not to turn away from each deep truth. As the proverb says, hold on to it and never let it go.

When we take the time to guard and protect the wisdom we’ve learned, our very lives are positively supported and upheld.

How do you know that the pearls of understanding given from your mom at the age of 15 won’t live on past her entrance into the gates of heaven? I still have bits of insightful memories for cleaning my house or facing my problems that my mother offered me in small conversations while cooking together in the kitchen. I also remember how wisdom flowed from my dad, still remembered to this day.

How does one hold on to instruction? It must be practiced again and again, and passed on to the next generation. When we teach others, we retrain ourselves and establish it deep in our hearts.

The verse also says not to let it (instruction) go. I guess letting go would happen when we allow ourselves to get into bad habits and forget the good paths of the old days. The habit of anger, pride and fear are some of the worst stumbling blocks to the cries of wisdom of our hearts.

Next, we are told to guard these good paths well. In my mind, I imagine several soldiers standing erect around my heart with weapons in hand and eyes watching out for the enemy. Nothing slips by. They are observant of the smallest, clever maneuver of Satan. In his section, one guard searches the horizon for what would encroach upon the good life. At the first appearance of evil, a warning sound alerts the others and they all, together, attack the originator of the sinister plot and scatter it to the winds and far away from their host.

As we start a brand-new year, how might we stand guard at the door of our hearts? We fill our minds with good, replace the bad with more acceptable options, and lean on the Lord for His strength and might to get us through each moment.

The result of pursuing these good things defines the good life for us all. When we choose low standards, our lives will reflect that rank. When we choose standards that follow God’s higher ways, our lives respond in like manner.

Father, following instruction is good for our souls, health (bodies) and minds. When we fail to heed such advice, the road we travel becomes so much more difficult to traverse. It’s not to say that living by your principles means the way will be easy. In fact, the climb on our paths can get very steep in the most profound moments of obedience. We know that the enemy lurks around every corner ready to pounce on what plans we’ve made for the good. However, when we follow your ways (even though hard), you are there to empower our steps and move us forward. Help us to hold on to instruction, for it is our very lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.