Our Conditional Love
Reading: Genesis 26, 27, 28
My Verse: "Then Jacob made a vow saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go,and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that You give me I will give a full tenth to You" (28:20-22)
Oh, LORD God, You had just appeared to Jacob. You reassured him of Your promises to his father, Isaac. You promised him that You would care for him. "Behold, I am with you and will keep you whenever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (28:15). You, LORD God say all this to Jacob even after the deceptive things he had just done. He was basically running away because of what he had done to his brother.
His response seems so lacking and yet was probably reflective of where he was spiritually. He did not know You as His LORD and Saviour. You were a far off entity. He knew You as God but not his personal God.
So he does a thing that was commonly done in the culture within which he lived. Instead of building an altar to You, he built a stone pillar. And he says You will be his God if . . . . No, Jacob is not in a good place here. It will take much more hardship and many more years before he finally comes to know You as his God, his personal, saving LORD. But You made him a wonderful promise here. "For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." You were relentless with him. You were not going to let him go.
How like Jacob we still are today. We so often make conditions with You. How often do the words, "LORD, if You will do this then I will . . ." slip out of our mouths! We keep putting You off. But You pursue us. Your great compassion and love does not allow You to easily give up on us.
Thank You for that, LORD God.
We can be ever so grateful that You, LORD God, love us unconditionally!
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
"This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (I John 4:9-10).
"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
Your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, You preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is Your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 36:5-7).
Yes, if we had to depend on our own ability to love we would be lost indeed! Thank You, LORD God. "I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever" (Psalm 52:8)!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: Genesis 26, 27, 28
My Verse: "Then Jacob made a vow saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go,and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that You give me I will give a full tenth to You" (28:20-22)
Oh, LORD God, You had just appeared to Jacob. You reassured him of Your promises to his father, Isaac. You promised him that You would care for him. "Behold, I am with you and will keep you whenever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (28:15). You, LORD God say all this to Jacob even after the deceptive things he had just done. He was basically running away because of what he had done to his brother.
His response seems so lacking and yet was probably reflective of where he was spiritually. He did not know You as His LORD and Saviour. You were a far off entity. He knew You as God but not his personal God.
So he does a thing that was commonly done in the culture within which he lived. Instead of building an altar to You, he built a stone pillar. And he says You will be his God if . . . . No, Jacob is not in a good place here. It will take much more hardship and many more years before he finally comes to know You as his God, his personal, saving LORD. But You made him a wonderful promise here. "For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." You were relentless with him. You were not going to let him go.
How like Jacob we still are today. We so often make conditions with You. How often do the words, "LORD, if You will do this then I will . . ." slip out of our mouths! We keep putting You off. But You pursue us. Your great compassion and love does not allow You to easily give up on us.
Thank You for that, LORD God.
We can be ever so grateful that You, LORD God, love us unconditionally!
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
"This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (I John 4:9-10).
"Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
Your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, You preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is Your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 36:5-7).
Yes, if we had to depend on our own ability to love we would be lost indeed! Thank You, LORD God. "I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever" (Psalm 52:8)!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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