You can’t change the future, or change the past, so work on today. But Abraham left behind him a settlement of people in Haran, so it was natural that his mother, Rebekah, would think of Haran when she looked for a safe haven for her youngest son. For while Rebekah’s plan for him to get the blessing from Isaac was a “success”, in another sense, it was a terrible failure. It came from stuff you pushed down and did not give to the Lord. When you get there, tomorrow, God will give you the power and the perspective and the grace and the wisdom. 11:4-7 “Whoever Touches You Touches the Apple of God’s Eye” Revelation Sermon # 30. The good news is that God loves to meet us at the point of our needs. In fact, when God chose to become a human person, in Jesus, He came to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). 11:7-14 “The Saints Shall Conquer, Though They Die” Rev. Come save us and bless us. When you are faced with something at work, declare that he is your shepherd and will guide you through the meeting. Look at the birds. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. It may not seem that way right now, but I will use you.”, Fear of the future: “I am with you…wherever you go.” Jacob is beginning a 500 mile trip to a place he’s never been to before, to meet relatives he’s never met before, and he might very well be scared about what’s going to happen in the future. Your relationship with God cannot be taken away. . Jacob was forced to leave home, to escape being killed by his furious brother Esau. God will always meet the needs of His Churches and every one of His children who remain good stewards of all He has entrusted to them. 2:14), who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins (1 Pet. Do you feel your need of God? He is the means by which heaven comes down to us and by which we can go to heaven. God allows needs to come into your life so that you will turn to him. I can be trusted.”, Loss of belonging and a separation from family: “I will give you this land.” “Jacob, I know you’re on the run now, laying your head on a stone for a pillow, but one day I’m going to give you and your descendants the Promised Land. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. Notice also that when God speaks to Jacob, He does not rebuke Jacob for the shameful and deceitful things he has done to his brother or father. The Urban Alternative is a Christian Bible teaching and resource ministry founded 39 years ago by Dr. Tony Evans. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Every time he meets a need, answers a prayer, your faith grows stronger and stronger. Nothing in all of nature worries… but humans. God’s promise of abundant provision is premised on our giving. Each day has enough trouble of its own. We tend to worry about things that are God’s responsibility and he never intended for you to take on His responsibility. God takes care of nature, he will take care of you. Be our shepherd and always carry us in your arms. Then she would send word for Jacob to come home. It’s while we are tired and exhausted and have no more strength that the Lord Almighty gives us everything we need!). like when you were little and you were walking with your parents and then you just ran out of gas… and your mama had to carry you, It’s important for each of us to give Jesus first place in every area of our lives… personal life, relationships, jobs, children…, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? You may need meds. He does this to shame the wise and strong, so that He gets all the glory. He is your shepherd who feeds, leads and meets your needs. It was a good plan, and in fact it came to pass….but not exactly as Rebekah envisioned. -- Will you let Him do it? is you cannot solve tomorrow's problems with today's power. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. He promises that if you will do these things, he will do the things He promised. But there is good news! Promises - favor, wounds healed, always be with you, he will protect you, he will answer prayers. You can’t just forget them or push them down, you have to give them to God. We aim to spread the teaching of God’s Word through Christian media with the goal of transforming lives. So this story, in Gen. 28:10-22, gives us a picture of how heaven comes down to earth; of how God will meet you at your point of need. 3:12) to Joshua (Josh 1:5), to Gideon (Judg 6:16), and it would find it fulfillment in Immanuel, God with us (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23); so that all of us, who are His followers of Jesus, can have the same assurance (Matt 28:20; Heb 13:5-6 “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. Proverbs talks about planning. God says, "If you do this, then I will do that." “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Jesus said don’t worry about stuff because he will meet your needs. Get up and declare to the Lord that he is your shepherd and you need him to lead, feed and meet your needs. The Lord God, Our Heavenly Father, wants to meet you, His child, at your deepest need. The trek from Beersheba to Haran was far enough away that Esau, who wanted to kill his twin brother Jacob, wouldn’t follow Jacob there. Instead of worrying, we need to believe in God. There’s a lot here, but allow me to make a few brief observations. He was vulnerable – but God would provide ultimate safety and security and safe conduct. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. God is the Good Shepherd who will give you what you need, but…. So then, why do people have needs? “Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. God's promise is based on the premise of giving. When you are feeling alone, when you don’t want to be with others, might be the very time, and place, when God wants to meet with you. God says, I will take the responsibility of taking care of you. God says he'll meet all your needs, and yet I see needs in this church that aren't being met. © 2020 The Maple Glen Church — All Rights Reserved. When you worry you are acting like you don’t know God. Jesus is our shepherd and he is the good shepherd who knows us and sacrificed himself for us… He gave his life for you on the cross. When you have a lot, you tend to trust in your bank accounts instead of God. God is always testing how much you trust him. Now God speaks all of these promises to Jacob, of all people. But you cannot claim verse 19 unless you're doing what verse 18 talks about. Why Jacob? I try to make sense out of them because in a couple months the IRS may want to look at them. Some businesses may not come back when this is over… whenever that is. He'll give you what you need when you need to get there. God will take care of everything you need. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. He is saying don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow. Therefore, when you are so needy, when you are hurting so badly, don’t think you have to build yourself up to God or even to build yourself up to some kind of normalcy, health or sanity. Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. I say that because it's so that almost any other promise will fit under its umbrella. All of us must claim the great promises of God for ourselves and step out in faith, making our own commitment to Him. This is God’s expectation for all of us as well. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. You will say something or do something and go, where did that come from? Just like God provided one days supply of food to the Israelites, he will meet our needs one day at a time. If you are laid off, declare that he is your shepherd who meets you needs. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives. Then he says if you put and end to oppression (hurting comments, put downs, prejudice, finger pointing) if you will feed the hungry ans satisfy those in need, the darkness around you will turn to light. What is this stairway Jacob sees in his dream? We are to give those worries to God in prayer and he will give us peace more wonderful that we can understand. Brothers and sisters, these promises to Jacob, and to us, in Chris, are a supreme display of God’s grace, unsought for and undeserved; abundant and awesome. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Worry is a learned behavior. Jobs, money, houses, relationships, savings, investments, Gov. I say that because it's so that almost any other promise will fit under its umbrella. 8:28) therefore by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life (2 Cor. So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Perhaps he was wondering what his future was going to be. Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Listen to the Heidelberg Catechism, Question #1, [My only comfort in life and death is] That I, with body and soul, both in life and death (Rom.