We had a big announcement this last weekend at Lord of Life. Pastor Barry announced that he had accepted the call to become the new pastor at First Lutheran in Texarkanna, TX. This is inevitably a big transition. It is a big transition for him and Nancy, a big transition for First Lutheran, a big transition for Lord of Life, and a big transition for me.
As the reality of the situation sets in, I am realizing more and more the void that is being left behind and will need to be filled. There is a big task and a big challenge before us at Lord of Life. But in my reading for today, God gave me some assurances. When he speaks to Abraham in Genesis 18:14 he asks, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?"
There are many things in this world, that I will admit are too hard for me. Assuming my new role of leadership is something that is too hard. But I move forward with the assurance that it is not about me, it is not about Barry, it is all about the Lord and nothing is too hard for him.
When the going gets tough, we too often rush to turn to our own solutions rather than wait for God's. In the story of Abraham, God had promised Abraham that he would make him the father of a great nations, that he would make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and that he would bless those descendants. But he had no child. This was problematic.
Seeing this apparent contradiction, Abraham and Sarah decide to take matters into their own hands. Sarah suggests Abraham take her maidservant, Hagar, and have a child with her. This was not God's solution to this problem, but neither Abraham or Sarah were patient enough to wait.
So Abraham conceives a child with Hagar. But the resulting aftermath is troubling. Since this was not God's solution, things did not work out all that well. In Genesis 16, it says that Hagar began to despise Sarah and the same was true in reverse. Hard feelings developed and resulted in a bitter relationship between Hagar and Sarah. To make matters worse, the relationship between Abraham and Sarah also suffered.
Sarah acted with hostility towards Hagar and Hagar is left to flee as a refuge with nothing in her possession. This situation would have certainly put Abraham in a predicament as he was forced to chose between his child and his wife.
God continues to promise Abraham that he would have a child with Sarah, but Abraham was not believing. He laughs at God and continues to push his own human solution to a God-sized problem. In Genesis 17:18 Abraham asks God "if only Ishmael (Hagar's son) might live under the promised blessing.
In the end, God does promise to bless Ishmael, but he is also able to do immeasurably more (see Eph 3). God blesses Abraham and Sarah with Isaac. Abraham become the father of all Israel. And God is shown to be God.
Thought these words were fitting from Proverbs 2:1-5:
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
Let's not look to our own solutions to God-sized problems. Let's wait on him, listen for him, and watch him reveal himself as the God he is.
As the reality of the situation sets in, I am realizing more and more the void that is being left behind and will need to be filled. There is a big task and a big challenge before us at Lord of Life. But in my reading for today, God gave me some assurances. When he speaks to Abraham in Genesis 18:14 he asks, "Is there anything too hard for the Lord?"
There are many things in this world, that I will admit are too hard for me. Assuming my new role of leadership is something that is too hard. But I move forward with the assurance that it is not about me, it is not about Barry, it is all about the Lord and nothing is too hard for him.
When the going gets tough, we too often rush to turn to our own solutions rather than wait for God's. In the story of Abraham, God had promised Abraham that he would make him the father of a great nations, that he would make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and that he would bless those descendants. But he had no child. This was problematic.
Seeing this apparent contradiction, Abraham and Sarah decide to take matters into their own hands. Sarah suggests Abraham take her maidservant, Hagar, and have a child with her. This was not God's solution to this problem, but neither Abraham or Sarah were patient enough to wait.
So Abraham conceives a child with Hagar. But the resulting aftermath is troubling. Since this was not God's solution, things did not work out all that well. In Genesis 16, it says that Hagar began to despise Sarah and the same was true in reverse. Hard feelings developed and resulted in a bitter relationship between Hagar and Sarah. To make matters worse, the relationship between Abraham and Sarah also suffered.
Sarah acted with hostility towards Hagar and Hagar is left to flee as a refuge with nothing in her possession. This situation would have certainly put Abraham in a predicament as he was forced to chose between his child and his wife.
God continues to promise Abraham that he would have a child with Sarah, but Abraham was not believing. He laughs at God and continues to push his own human solution to a God-sized problem. In Genesis 17:18 Abraham asks God "if only Ishmael (Hagar's son) might live under the promised blessing.
In the end, God does promise to bless Ishmael, but he is also able to do immeasurably more (see Eph 3). God blesses Abraham and Sarah with Isaac. Abraham become the father of all Israel. And God is shown to be God.
Thought these words were fitting from Proverbs 2:1-5:
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Let's not look to our own solutions to God-sized problems. Let's wait on him, listen for him, and watch him reveal himself as the God he is.
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