“It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors. For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.” Psalm 127:2 Benjamin Franklin Was No Prophet Bread of painful labors – Do you eat the bread of painful labor? Nearly everyone I know does. We…
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,” Proverbs 11:30 Growth and Obedience Tree of Life – If you travel to Disney World and venture into the Animal Kingdom, you can take a walk through the Disney version of the Tree of Life. It is spectacular, entertaining and gigantic. But it is dead. …
“May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel.” Psalm 20:4 What’s Inside Is All That Matters Heart’s Desire – What do you think about when you read the words “heart’s desire”? Do you bring to mind all of those images of the good life that flood our culture? Do you see…
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Psalm 22:1 Confidence in Desperation Forsaken – When we hear these words, we usually think of Jesus on the cross. We take these words at face value, believing that they are a cry of desperation from the Son as the guilt of the world’s sins came…
“then I will remember my covenant with Jacob” Leviticus 26:42 When God Remembers Remember – What triggers God’s memory? Oh, you might want to say, “But God never forgets anything. He knows it all.” Not so fast. God Himself tells us that He no longer remembers our sins. They have been forgotten and cast from…
“He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves.” Psalm 47:4 The Right Heritage Glory of Jacob – Have you considered your inheritance? For most of us, that idea brings forth images of wills and gifts, taxes and lawyers. In this culture, inheritance is often as much a burden as a…
“This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face – even Jacob.” Psalm 24:6 Seeking God Face to Face Even – This verse presents us with a small problem. If you consult other English translations, you will find this part of the verse is sometimes translated “the God of Jacob” or…
“So Jacob was left alone. A man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.” Genesis 32:24 From Dust We Came Wrestled – What isn’t obvious in English is the origin of the Hebrew verb, “to wrestle”. But we need to know about its background to see the symbolism in this event. “Wrestling” comes from…
“Sarah laughed to herself saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”” Genesis 18:12 God’s Reminders Laugh – God changes Jacob’s name. The new name, Israel, is a reminder of an encounter with the Holy One. But Jacob wasn’t the first. Years before, Jacob’s grandmother received a name…
“Jacob named the place Peniel, “Because I have seen God face-to-face, and yet my life has been preserved.” Genesis 32:30 Life in the Gaps Peniel – When Jacob named geography, the name carried a significant meaning for him. Bethel, the site of his famous dream about a stairway to heaven, means “the house of God”. …
