Tag: Choosing God Instead of the World

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Vengeance

Week 3, Day 2 of Choosing God Instead of the World, A Love God Greatly Study

Scripture Reading: Genesis 34 and Romans 12:17-21 (SOAP: Romans 12:19)

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.  Romans 12:19 NLT
Observation:
The Genesis Saga

The story in chapter thirty-four turns unexpectedly grim. If you don’t mind a spoiler alert keep reading, but if you haven’t read the story yet stop and read it … You may remember at last count there are eleven brothers and at least one daughter, Dinah, the daughter of Leah. Today’s story begins with her being sexually assaulted while she was meeting the other young women of the land. It is written that the man, Shechem, who assaulted her fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. When Dinah’s brothers learned of the assault they were angry. Their emotions were fueled by righteous indignation and shame. When Shechem’s father approached Jacob and the brothers about marrying Dinah, the brothers “answered deceitfully” and their deceitful plan led to a massacre of Shechem, his father, and every male in the city, by Simeon and Levi – the sons of Leah. They plundered everything in the city including the children and wives. Jacob’s sons did not consider the consequences for themselves or the family – they thought only of what had happened to their sister and their anger took control of them. Revenge comes with a great and terrible price for all involved.

Revenge comes with a great and terrible price for all involved.

Me-From the Inside-out
Our Focus Passage:

This part of Jacob’s story and especially the actions of Simeon and Levi are a perfect segue to our focus passage. The brothers certainly could have benefited from Paul’s instructions to “not repay evil for evil: consider what is good for all people … to live peaceably with all people so far as it depends on you.” Paul goes on to quote a verse from Deuteronomy, “Do not avenge yourselves – but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the LORD.”

Application: How then should we Live?

As followers of Christ, the obvious answer as to how we should live in light of this passage is to not repay evil for evil and to trust that God will take care of the situation. This isn’t easy, in fact it is one of the most difficult callings on a believer – ranking right up there with turn the other cheek (Matt 5:39) and forgive seven times seventy (Matt 18:22). It requires getting rid of anger and malice, being self-controlled rather than emotionally controlled. It requires not leaning on our own understandings that convince us how wrong the situation is and taking it upon ourselves to make it right. Simply put, it requires trusting God will take care of the situation the way He deems best and in His perfect timing. We would also do well to remember that anything we do or say to right the wrong will only bring more problems and heartache. Retaliation of any kind, from swords drawn for a massacre or fingers on a keyboard typing hard and hurtful words to strike back, is wrong and we must resist. Before you say, it’s impossible not to retaliate in some situations – consider 2 Peter 1:3-4 … “God has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His great and precious promises so that we might participate in the divine nature having escaped the corruption of of the world caused by evil desires.” The question is – will we choose God’s way instead of the world’s way?

Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, I confess it is so difficult to not retaliate when my loved ones are hurt by others – So thank You for this reminder from Your Word – that even when our anger is justified, You want us to let You handle it. Help us to remember to lean on You and Your strength to resist the urge to pay back evil for evil; and please cause us to consider not just our anger but how Your name and the lives of others will be affected by our actions. In Jesus Name – thank You that you have given us everything we need to choose Your way instead of the world’s – Amen!

Your Turn:
  • Do you believe God will bring about justice?
  • In what areas is it difficult for you to wait on and trust in God’s justice?
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Reconciliation

Week 3, Day 1 of Choosing God Instead of the World, A Love God Greatly Study

Scripture Reading: Genesis 33 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (SOAP: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.  2 Corinthians 5:18-19  NLT
Observation:
Reunited: A glimpse at Jacob and Esau

After twenty plus years and all of the fear and planning Jacob and Esau are finally reunited and reconciled to one another. No longer was there a fear of death or present anger over the other’s past deceit or threat of death. While the scene reveals more of Jacob’s careful, or what I like to call – “just in case” planning, it also reveals a beautiful reunion and open reconciliation.

New Testament Reconciliation

As our focus verse points out – without the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus we would have every reason to live in fear of death like Jacob did. We were God’s enemies according to Paul, in Romans 5:10, when we were restored/reconciled by the death of Jesus.

10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 

Romans 5;10 NLT

Like Jacob, we have been given a new identity in Christ, the old character is gone and the new is here. It is a gift of God. Not only has He clothed us with the righteousness of Christ, no longer counting our sins against us, but the title ‘Ambassadors for Christ’. He has given us a purpose, a ministry of making His Son known so that others can be reconciled to Him. – Til the whole world knows.

Application: How then should we Live?

We have been made ambassadors for Christ and should live faithfully proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel and what Christ has done for us. We should also faithfully praise Him for laying our sins on Christ and not counting them against us.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, as Jacob and Esau were reconciled to one another – so You have even more so – reconciled us to You – through Christ. And You no longer count our sins against us because we are new creations in Christ, the old has passed and the new has come! Glory to Your Holy Name!

Your Turn: Personal Reflections
  • Is there a relationship in your life that needs reconciliation?
  • What is God prompting you to do as you wait for His perfect timing for the reconciliation?
Want More:

Check out today’s LGG Blog

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Choosing God Instead of the World: Looking Ahead to Week 3

A Love God Greatly Bible Study about the lives of Jacob and Joseph

In the third week of our study, we will watch as Jacob and Esau finally meet up again, there will be trouble over his daughter Dinah, and both tragedy and blessing on his return to Bethel. We will meet Esau’s descendants and be given our first glimpse of Joseph as a teenager. All events will continue to strengthen our understanding and resolve of choosing God instead of the world.

Don’t forget our memory verse from John 14:15

This week’s focus verse(s) will come from day one’s reading of Colossians 3:1-3. A passage that we will see the need for in Jacob’s life story as well as our own.

15 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 NLT

This Week’s Challenge from the team at Love God Greatly:

Reflect on the events of Jacob’s life you have read so far. Would God have delivered Jacob without Jacob’s shrewd behavior? Did Jacob miss out on the blessing of God’s blessing of God through self-reliance and deception? How did Jacob’s children display the same tendencies of self-reliance and deception?

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Choosing God Instead of the World – Recap of Week-2

A Love God Greatly Study

Reflections

This week, through the continuing saga of Jacob and his family we have learned the wisdom of setting our mind on Things Above instead of things on the earth that tend to draw us away from God. We have learned how God wants us to honor Him with what He’s given us, even when we aren’t completely satisfied with what that is. We’ve seen the difficulty and yet the benefits of loving others in the way we live and not just by the things we say. Without question, we have seen how we must trust God’s promises if we are going to choose His ways over the ways of the world, especially in times of fear and difficulty. On our final day – probably my favorite – and a great summation of the week – we witnessed God giving Jacob a new name and we learned that sometimes even when we walk away limping from a battle, prevailing can be determined by how long we stay in the battle. Those who hold on to God and don’t let go receive the blessing.

Preview

During our third week we will dive into Genesis 33 and wind up the week in Genesis 37 with the story of Joseph’s dream. , We will hear from authors of the New and Old Testaments along the way – as we continue to explore the ways and benefits of Choosing God Instead Of The World .

If you missed any of the posts you’ll find the links below.

Keep on seeking: https://mefromthensideout.wordpress.com/2022/08/14/7563/

Honor The LORD: https://mefromthensideout.wordpress.com/2022/08/15/7580/

Love Defines Us: https://mefromthensideout.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/7598/

Standing on the Promises: https://mefromthensideout.wordpress.com/2022/08/17/7607/

Israel, A New Name: https://mefromthensideout.wordpress.com/2022/08/18/7620/

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Israel

Week 2, Day 5 of Choosing God Instead of the World, A Love God Greatly Study
“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”  Genesis 32:28 NLT
observations:

I had so many things jotted down as I read through this passage but when I went to some commentaries to see if anyone explained the blessing – there was no real explanation to the blessing, only that he received it. What I did find though – I knew I had to share … so, foregoing my normal observations I offer you this wonderful insight to today’s passage. I promise you it is worth the time – and I encourage you to slow down and soak it in and even read it again…I did and it was so much better the second and third time. It has much to offer and it has in itself been a blessing to be – I pray the same for you. –

What is the meaning of Jacob wrestling with God? by Gotquestions.org

“To best answer this question, it helps to know, among other things, that deep-seated family hostilities characterized Jacob’s life. He was a determined man; some would consider him to be ruthless. He was a con artist, a liar, and a manipulator. In fact, the name Jacob not only means “deceiver,” but more literally it means “grabber.”

To know Jacob’s story is to know his life was one of never-ending struggles. Though God promised Jacob that through him would come not only a great nation, but a whole company of nations, he was a man full of fears and anxieties. At a pivotal point in his life, Jacob was about to meet his brother, Esau, who had vowed to kill him. All Jacob’s struggles and fears were about to be realized. Sick of his father-in-law’s treatment, Jacob had fled Laban, only to encounter his embittered brother, Esau. Anxious for his very life, Jacob concocted a bribe and sent a caravan of gifts along with his women and children across the River Jabbok in hopes of pacifying his brother. Now physically exhausted, alone in the desert wilderness, facing sure death, he was divested of all his worldly possessions. In fact, he was powerless to control his fate. He collapsed into a deep sleep on the banks of the Jabbok River. With his father-in-law behind him and Esau before him, he was too spent to struggle any longer.

Fleeing his family history had been bad enough; wrestling with God Himself was a different matter altogether.

But only then did his real struggle begin. Fleeing his family history had been bad enough; wrestling with God Himself was a different matter altogether. That night an angelic stranger visited Jacob. They wrestled throughout the night until daybreak, at which point the stranger crippled Jacob with a blow to his hip that disabled him with a limp for the rest of his life. It was then that Jacob realized what had happened: “I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared” (Genesis 32:30). In the process, Jacob the deceiver received a new name, Israel, which likely means: “He struggles with God.” However, what is most important occurred at the conclusion of that struggle. We read that God “blessed him there” (Genesis 32:29).

In Western culture and even in our churches, we celebrate wealth, power, strength, confidence, prestige, and victory. We despise and fear weakness, failure, and doubt. Though we know that a measure of vulnerability, fear, discouragement, and depression come with normal lives, we tend to view these as signs of failure or even a lack of faith. However, we also know that in real life, naïve optimism and the glowing accolades of glamour and success are a recipe for discontent and despair. Sooner or later, the cold, hard realism of life catches up with most of us. The story of Jacob pulls us back to reality.

Frederick Buechner, one the most read authors by Christian audiences, characterizes Jacob’s divine encounter at the Jabbok River as the “magnificent defeat of the human soul at the hands of God.” It’s in Jacob’s story we can easily recognize our own elements of struggle: fears, darkness, loneliness, vulnerabilities, empty feelings of powerlessness, exhaustion, and relentless pain.

Even the apostle Paul experienced similar discouragements and fears: “We were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within” (2 Corinthians 7:5). But, in truth, God does not want to leave us with our trials, our fears, our battles in life. What we come to learn in our conflicts of life is that God proffers us a corresponding divine gift. It is through Him that we can receive the power of conversion and transformation, the gift of not only surrender, but freedom, and the gifts of endurance, faith, and courage.”

Application: How Then Should I Live?

We must stay in the battle. No matter how hard or how long it takes, we must not give up until we have received God’s blessing.

Me – from the inside-out

The writers from gotquestions.org go on to share the perfect answer to our question of how we should live in light of the message – “In the end, Jacob does what we all must do. He confronts his failures, his weaknesses, his sins, all the things that are hurting him . . . and faces God. Jacob wrestled with God all night. It was an exhausting struggle that left him crippled. It was only after he came to grips with God and ceased his struggling, realizing that he could not go on without Him, that he received God’s blessing (Genesis 32:28-29).

What we learn from this remarkable incident in the life of Jacob is that our lives are never meant to be easy. This is especially true when we take it upon ourselves to wrestle with God and His will for our lives. We also learn that as Christians, despite our trials and tribulations, our strivings in this life are never devoid of God’s presence, and His blessing inevitably follows the struggle, which can sometimes be messy and chaotic. Real growth experiences always involve struggle and pain.

Jacob’s wrestling with God at the Jabbok that dark night reminds us of this truth: though we may fight God and His will for us, in truth, God is so very good. As believers in Christ, we may well struggle with Him through the loneliness of night, but by daybreak His blessing will come.

Prayer: Response to God’s WoRD

Father, thank You for the reminder that we are New Creations with new characters- We are changed from the Inside-out! Thank You for giving me Your name and for helping and teaching me to prevail.

One last interesting nugget of truth… In reference to our focus verse (28)

Jacob’s new name was “Israel”, which means “God Fights”. “The new name is meant, at least in part, to describe Jacob’s new character, – based on the fact that God fights for him and, more importantly, for the nation that will one day come from him.”

Bibleref.com Genesis 32:28
Your Turn:

In what ways has God transformed your identity?

In what ways have you seen God strip you of self-reliance?

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Standing On The Promises

Scripture Reading: Genesis 32:1-21; Psalm 56:3-4, 10-11; (SOAP: 56:3-4)

When I am afraid,I trust in you.4 In God—I boast in his promise—in God I trust; I am not afraid.What can mere men do to me?  Psalm  56:3-4  NET
Observation

In today’s Genesis’ passage we see Jacob prepare to meet Esau by setting a plan into motion that involved inviting Esau to meet him. Then Jacob prayed with bold honesty, telling God of his fears, remembering God’s faithfulness, goodness, and promises. He lays his fears before Him and they were overcome by all that He knew to be true about His God, the God of Abraham and Isaac. He stood on the promises of God and made plans to meet Esau rather than run – this is evidence of His trust.

We see the same thing in our focus passage from Psalm 56:3-4. Like Jacob the Psalmist had or was experiencing fear but chose to trust in God and to boast in the promises of God rather than cave to the fear what man could do to him. To boast in something is to put our confidence in it – to stand on what we know to be true of a person, place, or thing. What a great lesson to put into action in our relationship with God and the world.

*Note on Jacob’s strategies… Some would say that Jacob didn’t really trust because he came up with a plan even after praying for God to rescue him. Perhaps this is a right interpretation, however, I believe praying in faith and believing God is going to do something does not negate the need to act or plan wisely. After all, don’t forget it was God who let Mordecai hear the plot of Haman to kill the Jews, just as it appeared to be God who allowed Jacob to hear the conversation of his brothers-in-law – revealing how Laban felt, and for that matter Rebekah hearing Esau’s plan to kill Jacob. In all of these circumstances the people acting wisely upon what they heard represented their trust in God.

Application: How Then Should I Live?

When we are afraid we are to put our trust in God. In this way we will not fear the circumstances of our life nor the men who make us afraid. The key to this, throughout all of Scripture is standing on the promises of God. When the fears of the world assault us we must choose to trust in God.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for teaching me to trust in You more than I fear what man can do. Thank You for Jacob’s example of remembering Your promises – and speaking them out loud to You. He boasted in You and counted himself as unworthy of Your faithful love. Thank You for showing me You incomparable greatness, not only in Your Word and the history of Your people but in my life. – Oh how I praise You – Amen!

It’s Your Turn
  • In what areas of your life do you often ask God for deliverance but then create your own rescue plans?
  • What would happen if you waited on God for deliverance?
  • Do you believe waiting on God for deliverance means do nothing more than have faith?
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Love Defines Us

Week-2, Day-3 of Choosing God Instead Of The World, A Love God Greatly Study
Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:18-24 (SOAP: 23-24)
Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment. 24 And the person who keeps his commandments resides in God, and God in him. Now by this we know that God resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us. 1 John 3:23-24
Observation:
Jacob’s story ….

Our focus will be on 1 John 3:18-24 and letting our love define us, but first let’s look at a few observation’s from Jacob’s continuing saga. I particularly love the opening line, “Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining …” For me these pop off the page as fingerprints of God. I often ask God, at the beginning of the day, to let me hear what He wants me to hear and to guard me from the thins I should not or do not need to hear. I believe he often allows us to hear things for a reason – which seems to be the case with Jacob, as it set in motion his return to his homeland. The passage is a tad long but I encourage you to read it. I know you won’t want to miss the drama stirred up by Rachel stealing from her father, Jacob deceiving Laban, the hot pursuit that followed, anger, and a heated argument, and the six ways God intervened, guided, and protected to ensure that all things worked together for the good of those who loved Him, those who were called according to His purpose.

Our Focus …

John writes instructions, in the first part of this particular letter, about being lights in the world. In the second portion he focuses on following the commandments of God, and here in the third part, while he continues to touch on keeping His commandments he also zeroes in on letting love define their behavior – both in “deed and truth”. The sincerity of our love can be expressed in words but it is seen and experienced through our actions. Jesus said it like this, “love each other, just as I have loved you, you should love one another.” John goes on to say that we will know that we are of the truth when we love in this way. I believe Paul said something similar that makes it even clearer when he told those in Rome to not make a pretense of love (don’t just say that you love) but truly love. He followed that with “hate what is evil, hold tightly to what is good.” When we make this choice and love is evident in us – we not only have assurance that we belong to Christ but both God and others will know that we are abiding in Christ.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

If you love Me, you will obey my commandments.

Romans 12:9 NLT; John 13:34-35 NET; John 14:15 NET

Ok, so I chased a few ‘Scripture squirrels’ on my way to verses 23 and 24, but I think they will help us in our understanding of the His commandment to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and love one another – just as He commanded. Verse 24 is my favorite of the passage though, as it is even more reason for the confidence that we are in God and He is in us! When we hold tightly to this truth we will not be shaken, we will more likely choose God instead of the world, as the old song says – they (the world) will know that we are Christians by our love and we will bring God the glory He is due.

Application: How Then Should We Live?

Believe in (trust in) the name of Jesus tops the list here in 1 John 3:23 – and rightly so as it is the basis of our relationship with the Godhead and the only way we will truly love others – which is the second part of the commands listed by John. This part seems to be a reference to Jesus’s words in John 13:34, where He said to love others as He has loved us. The third application may be a bit obscure but I believe we are taught here to walk in confidence that we are His and have His Spirit in us.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, You have loved us in deed and in TRUTH – giving Your Son to die for us. Help us to love in this manner – as You have commanded. Help us to live by the Spirit You have given us – who enables us to love You with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength – and to love others as ourselves. When we love like this You will know that we love You, others will know that we love You, and we will know that “we are of the TRUTH”. Love truly does define us as Yours, God – even as Your love gives us confidence that You are our God! – May all the honor and glory be Yours as we display this love to the world around us in deed and in truth – AMEN!

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Honor the LORD

Week-2, Day-2 of Choosing God Instead Of The World, A Love God Greatly Study

Scripture Reading: Genesis 29:31-30:34 and (SOAP: Proverbs 3:1-12)

Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first fruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled completely, and your vats will overflow with new wine.  Proverbs 3:9-10
Thoughts on the Genesis passage:

There is no question that the LORD had been gracious to Jacob during the fourteen years of servitude to Laban. Now we see Jacob rely on God for his departure from Laban. While it seems Jacob might be trying to manipulate Laban, we will see in chapter 31 that he was simply following God’s lead.

[Interesting Note: because Jacob had become a servant/employee of Laban, in order to marry Rachel and Leah, he was not free to leave without Laban’s consent. If he tried to do so and take his family with him he could be accused of theft.]

Observations: Proverbs 3:1-12

Proverbs 3 contains some of my favorite verses, specifically verses 5-8. It is the wisdom to “trust in the LORD with all your heart”, found in verse five, that has gotten me through many rough times where “relying on my own understanding” would have only ended up making things worse. It was verse six that played a part in teaching me to pray about everything, Verse nine and ten have been both needed instruction and appreciated hope – when I’ve had to trust Him with what He has given me even when it didn’t always look like there would be enough. When we live like this – trusting Him in all things and honoring Him with all He gives, we will surely know His blessing – and this, as the song says, should be poured out in praise! Matt Redman wrote it like this, “… Every blessing You pour out, I’ll Turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say… ” Take some time to worship Him with this song and pour out your praise –

Source: Musixmatch

Application: How Then Should We Live?

Looking at the fuller passage, Proverbs 3:1-12, it is clear from the instructor that God wants us to remember His teaching and keep His commandments. He wants us to always be kind and faithful (guided by mercy and truth). Trusting Him and seeking Him are vital to finding His favor, as are respecting Him and turning away from evil. When we live like this we Honor Him with what He has given to us and in return we will be richly blessed.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, You find favor in those who keep Your commands and live guided by mercy and truth. You call us to trust You and to seek You in all things, turning away from evil and honoring You with all You have given to us. Help us to be faithful and true in all of these things so that You are glorified and find favor in Your servant. – To Your Glory!

Father, thank You for Your teaching. Thank You for showing me the wisdom through the years of walking according to Your Word – or trusting and seeking You in all things. So often the lessons have been learned the hard way but through it I have seen the truth of Your Word and the riches of Your blessings.

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KEEP ON SEEKING …

Week-2, Day-1 of Choosing God Instead Of The World, A Love God Greatly Study

Scripture Reading: Genesis 29:31-30:34 and (SOAP: Colossians 3:1-3)

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  Colossians 3:1-3 NET
Observation:

If I had one of those fancy computers that allows you to circle words, highlight, draw arrows and make endless notes as though you were using a notebook or the pages of Scripture – I assure you, you would see circles and numerous colors of lines and highlights and notations all over this passage. I love marking up and making notes when I read God’s Word. I do it for a number of reasons but none more important than remembering what the Spirit (John 14:26) has shown me as I read.

In today’s passage, you would see the very first word circled with green and highlighted with yellow, along with arrows that point to notes in the margin alerting me to the fact that this verse connects to the previous chapter – where Paul was warning the Colossians to stand firm in their faith and be careful to not be captivated by the philosophies and thinking of this world.

Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 In him you also were circumcised—not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ. 12 Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead. Read more of Paul’s warnings on earthly things

Colossians 2:1-12 NET

I back-up because these three verses in chapter three will not make the impact intended by Paul if we don’t understand why we need to keep “seeking” and “thinking on” – things above. Equally important is the third instruction of Paul in these three verses – which is to NOT think about (dwell on) things on the earth. Why is it so important? Because when we are thinking or caught up with the things of the world our faith and godly standards can be easily shaken. Being “rooted and built up in Christ happens when we dwell on and with Him and His ways – and as Paul teaches here – when we “keep on (continually) seeking things above” (where Christ is seated beside God), and keep on (continually) thinking about things above” (where Christ is seated beside God). In other words, think about (dwell on) godly, spiritual things – in contrast to dwelling on the things pleasing to man, or the flesh. This takes great discipline because as citizens of this world we will no doubt have to give consideration to ‘earthly concerns’, but when our minds are filled with things above, the necessary worldly concerns that have to be dealt with will not over power us – rather the things above will over power them.

Application: How Then Should We Live

Paul answers this questions for us in today’s reading. “If [we] have been raised with Christ” we are to “keep seeking the things above“, things that are godly. We are to “keep thinking about things above“, things of God; and we should “not think about things on the earth”, or ungodly things as described by Paul later in chapter 3 of Colossians. 

5So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 10 and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it.  Colossians 3:5,8-10  NET
Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for making those who have come to You by Faith in Christ new creations in Christ Jesus. So that we no longer live but Christ lives in us. As we seek to walk by faith help us to keep our eyes on Him – on His Way – and Your will. Guard our minds from dwelling on or being captivated by the ungodly activities and fleshly desires of this earth that we live on. When they tempt us, help us to remember we have died to this life and our real life is hidden with Christ – in You, our God! Amen and hallelujah!

THOUGHTS ON GENESIS 29:31-30:24

In the margins of this passage you would see words like drama, manipulation, jealousy, pride, control, weakness, guilt, warped thinking, never satisfied and discontent. In light of this synopsis,I couldn’t help but think how Jacob and his family would have greatly benefitted from Paul’s teaching.

Your Turn:
  • What are some of the great blessings God has given you? (list as many as you can)
  • Are you more likely to celebrate the blessings you have received or compare them to the blessings others have received from God?
  • How can you fight a spirit of comparison today?

What’s your take away from today’s journey?

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Posted in Bible study, Choosing God Instead of the World, LGG Study
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Choosing God Instead of the World: Looking Ahead to Week 2

A Love God Greatly Bible Study about the lives of Jacob and Joseph

In the second week of our study, we will watch as Jacob contends not only with his “sister-wives” but their servants given to him as early prototypes of ‘surrogate mothers’. If it sounds like a lot of drama – it is, with all of the jealousy, guilt, manipulation, and discontent you might imagine. We will also watch as Jacob becomes the father of 11 sons and at least one daughter, he seeks Laban’s permission to leave for his homeland, and prepares to reconnect with Esau. In the midst of the unfolding story we will continue to learn why and how to choose God instead of the world.

We will continue to work on our memory verse from John 14:15

But this week’s focus verse(s) will come from day one’s reading of Colossians 3:1-3. A passage that we will see the need for in Jacob’s life story as well as our own.

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:1-3

This Week’s Challenge from the team at Love God Greatly:

This week, record the major events of Jacob’s life. Do these things occur because of Jacob’s plans or God’s deliverance? How does Jacob’s manipulations or impatience affect each outcome? Take time to reflect on the ways you attempt to “help” God accomplish His purposes.