Are we “the older brother”?

Very few people I know are ever pleased with injustice.  If we even smell a hint of injustice our hackles are raised, especially if we think we are on the receiving end of the injustice.  Look at the political scene in the U.S.A.  Doesn’t it appear to be driven by our reactions to injustices or perceived injustices?  Isn’t it driven widely by perceived injustices and our sense of entitlement (false or real)?

With that in mind, put yourself in the place of the older brother of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).  Isn’t this real injustice? Isn’t it true entitlement?  His father was spending his inheritance on the disrespectful, disobedient, lazy, good for nothing brother who had already blown through his own inheritance.  If anyone has “the right” to be angry, it’s him.  If anyone should be allowed to vent his frustration and even riot over the injustice of it all, it’s this older brother.

Yet the father tries to help him see that, first of all, reclaiming someone or something thought lost is worthy of celebration, and second, because the father is still alive, none of the wealth that was spent, either by the prodigal or the father, is anyone’s business but the father’s.  The older son/brother only gains access to his inheritance through his relationship with the father, dead or alive.  After his brother left he may have thought, “From here on out, it’s all mine.”  But the truth of the matter is this.  The entire estate was the father’s until the father ceased to live.

Now, I ask you to consider your allegiance.  Have you surrendered yourself to the Heavenly Father?  Do you claim to be fully His?  If so, what might Abba be saying to you through this story?  Does He want you to vent and complain, rally and posture against any and all perceived or real injustices?  Or does He want you to do what He does?  Love?  Forgive?  Extend grace?  Celebrate justice?  Live justice in all you do?  Instruct?  Correct?  Defend the helpless?  Serve the fatherless and the widow/ers?  Befriend the imprisoned?

I’m not claiming to have it all together, nor am I condemning anyone.  These are thoughts prompted by my quiet time with Abba.

If they serve you, praise God.

If they anger you, pray to Him to help you discern why.  Perhaps I need correction or instruction, or maybe you do.

If they push us apart, I’m sorry.

If they bring us closer, let’s celebrate.

Your servant,

David Tooley

Prodigal Son Returns

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We are so conditioned by media today that if God were to “appear” to us and tell us of a covenant He has for us, we might say, “What’s the catch?”  Yet here, in Genesis 17: 1-7 &15-16, Abram finds himself in the presence of God and God is indeed offering some pretty spectacular stuff.  I mean, “increase your numbers” and “make you a nation”, and “give you a son”, are all some amazing things for a ninety year old guy to hear.  I try to imagine what went through his mind at a moment like that, but I’m tainted by today’s infomercials.  I’d wait for the tag line regarding Ginsu knives or some other bargain.

The interesting thing about God and His covenants is that He always holds up His end of any bargain.  When you read through all of the accounts of Abraham’s (Abram transformed) family line, God kept every promise.  It was the family line that repeatedly broke the covenant.  In fact, our belief that “Obedience brings blessing, disobedience bring punishment.” is drawn from the account immediately following today’s scripture.  God is pleased with His servant.  His servant is given a promise by God.  God blesses, fulfills, honors, and more.  Man obeys sometimes, listens, agrees (usually in self-interest), and then fails when it gets too hard, or it isn’t popular, or some other lame excuse.  Nevertheless, God reminds us of His promise and gives us the opportunity to pick the covenant back up.  He invites us once more into His good graces and says something like, “If you stick with me, Kid, we’ll go places.”

He doesn’t need us.  He wants us.  He actually wants to partner with us in this thing called life.  All we have to do is “call now”.  I don’t know about you, but I’m buying now.  This is one deal I can’t live without.

Whining: The path to knowing your destiny

If your haven’t read Numbers 14:17-19, you might want to.  That’s what spurred this post.

I have to tell you that when I read today’s reference I thought, “Well, that’s nice.”  I had to go back and read the whole chapter to see the context of today’s passage.  After doing so, my attitude jumped from that’s nice to “That is awesome!”  Here we have a prime example of how God works with us to establish His will and purpose within the hearts and minds of those who follow Him.  He has just let Moses know that the disobedient, whiny, complaining, and traitorous Israelites are about to be struck down with the plague, ending in their deaths.  Moses responds by praying today’s passage.  He’s prays with skill and stealth, using scripture (Ex. 34:6).  God answers Moses’ prayer by sparing the people immediately, but lets him know that not one of the whiners’ families would enter the Promised Land.

Regarding prayer, some think it’s just a positive thought, and others almost can’t move a muscle without praying first.  Why is there such a broad spectrum of ideas?  Well, simply put, prayer is one of those things that requires faith.  The old “certain of what we do not see” from Hebrews 11 is evident in prayer.  Prayer is talking and listening to God.  You may be most aware of the talking to part, but the listening to God is something a bit more out there.  Am I capable of hearing Him speak?  Does He still speak?  Does it really matter?  In answer to all of these, YES.  God indeed listens to us and speaks to us regularly.  Too often we’re distracted and don’t hear Him, but yes He speaks.  In fact, He longs for open conversation with you and me.  He wants us to draw so near to Him that we can’t help but hear His voice.

Take some time to talk to Him, and to listen to Him.  The more you do it the more chance you’ll have of working out His will in your life and those around you, just like Moses in today’s scripture.

Getting Our Just Desserts

Check out Genesis 9:8-17 for insight into the thoughts below.

Sometimes I wonder just how much like today’s world was that of Noah’s.  I certainly know of several people I would put in the category of “righteous”, so the comparison is not exact.  Nevertheless I often wonder how far from experiencing raining down of fire we are.  Praise God, we know we can trust Him to not give us what we deserve.  As in today’s scripture, we know that those who are obedient to the call and command of God have a covenant, a binding contract as it were with the Creator, Lover and Judge of eternity.  He promises to keep us safe from the punishment and wrath that is also promised to those who disobey and deny Him His rightful due.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t recall all of the times I have said or thought that I deserve better, or thatI didn’t deserve to be treated that way, etc.  When it comes right down to it, I almost always think I deserve better.  In fact it’s about time people start recognizing me for who I am.  I have skills.  I am worth so much more than…

Ok.  OK.  You might have noticed the egocentric, self-centered, prideful, arrogant, place your adjective here, bent in that last paragraph.  The sad thing is that all too often these are the thoughts and temptations that go through our heads.  Pride is one of the devils greatest tools for tearing, slipping someone from sainthood onto skid row, spiritually speaking.  Today’s scripture reminds me of the graciousness of our Father.  He has promised His blessing and protection.  Not only that, He shows us His signature on that contract again and again every time there is a rainbow.  Why He keeps making rainbows is beyond me, other than He loves us more than we deserve.

What are you doing to show honor to His love and grace?  Do you live a life that would allow you to hear it said of you, “He/She walked faithfully with the Lord?” (Gen. 6:8-9) What needs to change to make it so?  Let’s do it today.