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WEEKLY ENCOURAGEMENT
Updated: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Take another lap around Mount Sinai
Are you familiar with the old gospel song called "Take another lap around Mt. Sinai?" When our children were young and we traveled long distances in the car we often sang together. One of our favorite songs was this one. In fact we use to joke and call it our family's theme song.
The jest of the song is sometimes we think we can do things on our own and do not need the Lord's counsel or help. This of course, is not the case and until we learn this fact, the Lord will send the lesson by us again and again. Have you ever needed to take another lap?
This morning I was reading in Genesis chapter twelve about Abram. Abram, with his wife, Lot, and all their servants and belongings were obeying the Lord and traveling through the land of Canaan. However, after a while a famine developed in the land. Abram was concerned for his family. So, he acted on his own reasoning without consulting the Lord and traveled to Egypt.
That was a mistake. He did not suffer famine, but he got himself into a lot of trouble. Because of fear, he lied to Pharaoh about Sara, resulting in plagues coming upon Pharaoh and his house. In the end, he was sent out of the land. Where did Abram have to go? He traveled back to Bethel, the place where he had started.
Frequently when we are busy serving the Lord, problems arise. Finances drop, health problem develop, stubborn church members start butting heads, personal misunderstandings come between family members or any other number of difficulties appear. What do we do? It is so easy for our human emotions, logic and experience to kick in and for us to begin to figure out how we can fix it. Some personalities, like mine, are especially prone to take this action.
If we are not careful, we will make decisions without asking council of the Lord. When we do, we will suffer consequence and the Lord will bring us back to same type of situation again. Our Lord is a very patient teacher and no lessons are skipped. We only proceed to the next lesson after the first one is learned. Time is irrelevant with our Lord, and He does not care how long it takes for us to learn a lesson. It will be repeated as long as necessary.
There is one point in the story of Abram that I find very comforting. God allowed Abram the freedom to make an unwise choice, but God's sovereign hand was always present. Pharaoh intended to marry Sara, since he thought she was only Abram's sister. It was the Lord that protected Sara inspite of Abram's sin and it was the Lord that brought him back to Bethel.
Our Lord wants only the best for us and He enjoys blessing His children. If we however, become stubborn and try to do things our own way, rest assured we will take another lap around Mount Sinai. We may make some wrong choices, and have consequences, but nothing can separate us from our Lord or His love and He will not give up on us. "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Nothing can separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:38-39
POINT TO PONDER:Where are you in your Christian walk? Are you following in obedience or are you taking another lap? What lesson is your Lord trying to teach you?
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- Sandy Hastings |
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