Tag: Genesis

Against the Flow

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

It’s hard to stand against the pull of popular opinion.  It’s difficult to say ‘no’ when so many people around me are saying ‘yes’.  It’s no fun to stand up for what I know is right when the majority of the people in my world think it’s all ‘ok’.

But there are times and there are situations where I need to stand, even when it’s hard and difficult and definitely no fun.  I need to stand.

You need to stand.

Genesis 37 gives us a good example of what happens when people who want to do the right thing don’t stand up against the crowd.  Reuben was Jacob’s oldest son.  He should have stopped the whole nonsense when his brothers started talking about killing their brother, Joseph.  The discussion was bad enough but then Reuben actually let the rest of his brothers throw Joseph in the cistern, leaving him there to die.  The Bible tells us that Reuben was “secretly planning to rescue him (Joseph) and return him to his father”. Genesis 37:22b

Too little, too late, Reuben!

While Reuben was distracted with something else, the rest of his brothers sold Joseph to some slave traders passing by.  When Reuben got back, Joseph was gone.

Should have, could have, would have…..but Reuben didn’t.  He didn’t stop his brothers right at the beginning so he missed his chance to do what was right.  As the oldest, he had an opportunity to stand up to his brothers and help teach them what is right.  But he missed it.

I can miss my chance to do what is right, too, if I follow the crowd when they are going down a crooked path.

Reuben didn’t do or say anything to stop them so he became part of the group that did this despicable thing.  He became part of the problem.

How often to do I miss my chance to stand up for what is right?

How often do you?

I Have a Limp

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Why is life so hard?  Why do bad things happen to me?  Why have I been bombarded by tough stuff?

I have wrestled with God often about the death of my son, David Glasser, a Phoenix Police officer, who was killed in the line of duty on May 18, 2016.  That’s the day my world exploded…….and then crumbled.  I had so many questions.  So much grief.  So many tears.

I did a lot of talking and questioning and struggling with God as my mind and heart gradually came to terms with the huge hole in my life.

I don’t think this wrestling is unusual.  In fact, as I read in Genesis 32 of God’s Word about Jacob wrestling with God over 4000 years ago, I can relate.  They physically wrestled all night.  God and I have gone many mental rounds over these last 8 1/2 years.

Have you ever wrestled with God in your mind all night?   Thoughts swirling.  Stuck in frustration.  Questions flying around.  Emotions rolling.  Tears flowing.

When the sun rose for Jacob in the morning, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel “because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”  Genesis 32:28b.

Then God blessed Israel (Jacob).  God also wrenched Israel’s hip out of its socket while they were wrestling and Israel limped the rest of his life – evidence of his successful wrestling with God.

Like Israel, God has blessed me and given me answers and peace as a result of our wrestling matches.  I have learned more about how much he loves me these last 8 1/2 years than I knew all of my earlier years on this planet.  I have rebuilt my life on the facts that God is good, he is always right, nothing is impossible for him and he is working everything out for my good.  I have learned to filter everything that happens to me in this world through these facts.  This has changed my perspective and significantly increased my level of trust in him.

God has also changed one of the names I go by – now I am a ‘Survivor’.  I  have a ‘limp’ – evidence in my life that I have successfully wrestled with God.  With God walking beside me, I have overcome my questions and frustrations.

God has helped me experience his love and faithfulness in the deepest part of my soul.  I may not understand it all but I trust him with it all.

Thank you, Abba Father.

Tunnel Vision

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

I’ve had it.  Have you?

I think it happens to all of us at times – especially when our emotions are running high.  That’s when I see only what I want to see.  I notice only what I’m expecting, not what is actually happening.  When my perception clouds the facts, I can go down a path of thinking that is not right, it is not helpful, and it is not true.

If I don’t realize what I’m doing, I can go to a dangerous place which creates havoc in my life.

So I can relate with Hagar as I read her story in Genesis.  Abraham banished her and their son, Ishmael, out into the desert with food and a container of water.  Because she was focused on this one container of water, she felt that all hope was gone when it was empty.

She prepared to die.

She forgot all about reaching out to the Creator of all Things – who created water.  His angel had spoken to her and guided her before but Hagar was in the tunnel – not looking for any way out except for death.

God heard Ishmael’s cries.  “Then God opened her (Hagar’s) eyes and she saw a well full of water.”  Genesis 21:19.

What?  Was the well there all along and she just wasn’t seeing it?  Was she so lost in despair and discouragement that she didn’t even look around?  Or did God create the well for her?

We don’t know – either way, God provided for her.

And he provides for me constantly.  I need to remember that because, like Hagar, there are situations where I get tunnel vision.  When I’m lost in my incorrect thinking, I need to remember to reach out to the One who has all the answers.

Please open my eyes, Abba Father.

The Unknowns

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

It has been hard in the past to make decisions about next steps when I don’t know how it’s all going to work out.  There have been times in my life when the ‘unknowns’ created anxiety and fear.

I love reading about Abram’s (soon to be Abraham) decision-making in Genesis.  First, God tells Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”  Genesis 12:1. 

No forwarding address on that one.  Just go.  I’ll tell you when to stop.

And the Bible tells us in verse 4, “So Abram went.” Wow! Abram is a good role-model here for how much he trusted God.

This is my 15th year of reading the entire Bible and it is comforting to realize how much my faith and trust in God has grown as I’ve read and applied God’s word to my life. I experienced something  similar to Abram’s 5 years ago when God told me to move from Phoenix to Denver.  What?  I had been living in Phoenix for over 40 years and had never once thought about moving to Denver even though my daughter and her family were now living there. 

I prayed about it overnight and knew that I needed to do what God was asking me to do.  I have learned from experience that the only way I can expect God’s blessings in my life is to be obedient.

Then I shared what God was saying with my husband who prayed about it and the next day he said, “We need to go.”  He has also learned the importance of obedience. 

We heard and we went.

We put our house in Phoenix up for sale and I heard God telling me not to buy a house in Denver until we actually moved.  So we moved while our house was under contract and arrived in Denver on March 17, 2020 – just as everything was shutting down because of the pandemic. 

We know you’ve got this, Father God.

We were ‘homeless’, living in an AirBnb, during the weeks of being sheltered in.  The first house we looked at in Denver was the right size and the right price and the right place and God said ‘yes’ so we bought it – getting a good deal on it since a lot of people were backing away from buying houses because of the uncertainty.

We knew you had something good waiting for us, Father.

These last 5 years, I have continually seen God’s hand on our lives.  There have been many situations – one after another – where I know God moved us to Denver ‘for such a time as this’.  He had a purpose for bringing us to this new city and he had blessings lined up if we would obey.

I have discovered that it’s not so hard anymore making decisions when I don’t know how it’s all going to work out.  God knows and I trust him.  I don’t experience the anxiety or fear I used to have because I know God is in control and he is working it all out for my good.  I just need to listen and do what he says.

Thank you for taking away my fear of the unknowns, Abba Father.

A Long Family Legacy of Faith

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Since I was born –

from then to now –

God has been my Shepherd.

Israel’s (formerly known as Isaac) words echo through my mind as I read in Genesis how he describes God as he blesses his grandsons during his last days on this Earth.  “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from harm- may he bless these boys.”  Genesis 48:15-16.

Israel and I share the experience of having a long family legacy of faith.

In Genesis 48, Israel is talking to Joseph about his plan to bless Joseph’s sons.  This was very serious business and Joseph isn’t happy when Israel switches hands and gives the younger son the greater blessing.

But I know that one of the biggest blessings these grandsons and all of Israel’s grandsons are receiving is the long family history of belief and faith they have been nurtured in since their birth.  It started with their Great, Great Grandfather Abraham and it is being passed down to them.

They have had years and years of role models in their lives of people who followed God and obeyed.  This is a precious blessing that will change their lives forever if they choose to follow in the steps of those who have gone before them.

I have received this blessing as I pursue a life of following God and being faithful to him….

as my mother did….

and my grandmothers…..

and my great grandmothers – on back through history.

If this isn’t true of your family, you have the awesome opportunity to get the legacy started.

Thank you for giving me the blessing of having a long family history of faith, Abba Father.

Not Seeing What’s Really There

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

I’ve had it.  Have you?

Tunnel vision.

I think it happens to all of us at times – especially when our emotions are running high.  Sometimes I see only what I want to see.  I notice only what I’m expecting, not what is actually happening.  When my perception clouds the facts, I can go down a path of thinking that is not right, it is not helpful, and it is not true.

If I don’t realize what I’m doing when I’m in a tunnel, I can go to a dangerous place which creates havoc in my life.

So I can relate with Hagar as I read her story in Genesis.  Abraham banished her and their son, Ismael, out into the desert with food and a container of water.  Because she was focused on this one container of water, she felt that all hope was gone when it was empty.

She prepared to die.

She forgot all about reaching out to the Creator of all Things – who created water.  His angel had spoken to her and guided her before but Hagar was in the tunnel – not seeing for any way out except for death.

God heard Ishmael’s cries.  “Then God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well full of water.”  Genesis 21:19.

What?  Was the well there all along and she just wasn’t seeing it?  Was she so lost in despair and discouragement that she didn’t even look around?  Or did God create the well for her?

We don’t know – either way, God provided for her.

And he provides for me constantly.  I need to remember that because, like Hagar, there are situations where I get tunnel vision, especially when emotions are involved.  Especially when something looks big and bad. When I’m lost in my incorrect thinking, I need to remember to reach out to the One who has all the answers.

Please open my eyes, Abba Father.

It Felt Like Years

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Two years, in fact!

Joseph interpreted the dream of Pharoah’s cupbearer and all he asked for in return was that the cupbearer remember Joseph when he got out of prison.  Just like the dream, the cupbearer was released from prison and given back his job,

but he forgot about Joseph for 2 years.Gen 41.2

Two years of sitting in prison, waiting to be remembered!  Will it ever happen?  Joseph had already experienced hatred, betrayal and treachery coming at him from all angles and now this!

Throughout Joseph’s story, we continue to hear that God was with him.  We know that God was with him in prison – he helped him interpret the dreams. God has told us that he has a plan and a purpose for everything.  So God must have had 2 more years worth of things to teach Joseph in prison – hence, the delay.

But we don’t like delays.  Patience in the face of diversity is a tough challenge.  We don’t like it.  It feels like God is not answering our prayers. 

It’s the trust factor, again.  It’s knowing that, contrary to my circumstances right now, God has the best planned for me.  He is working things out for me.

Right now……..even if it takes 2 years.

It’s So Easy…..

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

to satisfy our immediate needs and give up something that would be a big benefit to us in the future.Gen 25

Esau does this when he sells his birthright for some food because he was ‘famished’.

What do we sell when we’re famished?  When we feel like we really need something…..and we really need it now.

Many of us have sold ourselves to our creditors when we get into a lot of  debt to buy things we really, really need right now.  As a result, we have to work too much and stress too much, losing our joy and sacrificing precious time with our family.

Many of us have sold ourselves to sports, hobbies and recreation to the point that we don’t have time for God.  We give up all the blessings God wants to lavish upon us when we make no time for him in our schedules.

Whenever we feel short-changed by life or are experiencing a  lack of joy in our lives, we need to remember that we can do something about it.  We can turn back to God and set our eyes on him.  We can choose the ‘better’ things that are available to us through a solid relationship with him. 

We won’t feel ‘famished’ when we have a strong faith in God.

Insanity

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Abraham  does it again!  He tells another king, King Abimelek, that Sarah is his sister!Gen 20.2

He got caught and was ejected from the town the last time he did this – why is he doing it again?

We would never do that, would we?

We would never make the same mistake over and over like Abraham…..

or would we?

If we’re honest with each other, we’ll admit that we do this regularly – especially when we’re dealing with relationship issues or parenting issues.  We just keep hammering the same nails over and over and wonder why the situation doesn’t improve.  We’re really in trouble when we blame the other person each time.  It’s really easy to blame someone else – then we don’t have to own our part.

I was told many years ago that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over yet expecting a different outcome 🙂  Realizing the insanity can help motivate us to spend some extra energy is thinking of new ways to approach an issue.

Try something different.  It might work!  At least it won’t be the same old mistake.  It might be a new mistake but we can learn from it and try something else.

Will Abraham learn his lesson this second time God told on him and he got caught?  We’ll have to read the rest of the story and find out!

Passing the Test

On By Judy GlasserIn JanuaryLeave a comment

Dear Heavenly Father,

We ask you to grow in us the faith and trust that our Father Abraham had in you.

You tested him and he trusted you.Gen 22

He knew you would provide….in some way.  He didn’t know how.  You gave him no clues.

But he obeyed.  He was willing to sacrifice his only son because he loved you.

Like your sacrifice of your only son, Jesus, for us……because you love us.

When we experience trials, dear Father, we want to trust you.  We know that you are working all things out for those that love you.  We can’t see the end.  You rarely give us any clues.  It’s so easy to become anxious and try to take care of things ourselves…..

Until we lift up our eyes and focus on you.  Then we know the answer.  Your word lights our path.  Trust paves the way to peace.  Your peace, dear Father.

We love you.  Please keep drawing us nearer.