What has God preplanned and prepared for you?  With that question I thought of Ephesians 2:10. It says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Our good works have a set time.

In verse 40 the servant quoted Abraham’s words. Then he told them what he did. Verse 48 says he,  “…blessed the Lord…who had led me in the way of truth…” Laban and Bethuel said in verse 50, “…The  thing comes from the Lord…” 

When they told him he could take Rebekah, verse 52 says that he bowed to the earth and worshipped the Lord. He wanted to leave right away. His mission was accomplished thus far. They tried to delay him. Verse 56 says, “…Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way…”

Once the Lord opens the door, we need to go through without any hesitation. When the Lord opens the way, the enemy of our soul will throw up roadblocks. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord and move forward into His way.

Everything will be in place when the Lord’s set time has come for the good works He has preplanned and prepared for you. Not a minute late or early. Isaiah 55:11 says that His word will not return to Him void, but “…it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Accomplish and prosper are God’s part. Our part is to trust, remain still, and keep following the Holy Spirit. The servant said that the Lord led him in the  way of truth. In John 14:17, the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of truth.

John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” In John 17:4 Jesus said, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work…”

Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” What He has begun in us, He will continue to lead us into the truth that will prepare us to finish well. When He formed us in our mother’s womb, all that we would do and be were placed into our spiritual DNA. Let us glorify Him with obedient hearts.

I love Genesis 24. If you haven’t read it in a while I encourage you to do so. I’m only giving you the highlights from my journal. Abraham did not want Isaac to marry anyone from Canaan.

He sent his trusted servant, through an oath, on a mission to bring Isaac back a wife from Abraham’s family. He told his servant that if the young woman was not willing, then he would be released from the oath.

In Verse 7 Abraham said, “…He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.” In verse 8 Abraham reiterated that he was in no way to take Isaac back to his family.

This whole story reinforces how God’s way is always preplanned and prepared. All we have to do is to follow His words. In verses 12-14 the servant prayed very specifically. Verse 15 says, “And it happened, before he had finished  speaking…”

His prayer unfolded right before his eyes. Rebekah’s immediate actions fulfilled his prayer. Verse 21 says, “And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.”

Our flesh wants to jump ahead, but the Holy Spirit will continue to lead us when we remain still before Him. He knows what has been preplanned and prepared. Trust waits. To the servant, everything seemed right yet he remained silent.

The servant asked if there was a place to lodge in her father’s house. She answered in the affirmative. The servant bowed and worshiped the Lord. In verse 27 he said, “…As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.”

Rebekah’s brother ran out to the man at the well. He invited the servant with these words, “…Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.” When they set food before the servant and his men, he stated his mission. More on this tomorrow.

Something happened between Genesis 15 to Genesis 21. Abraham and Sarah deviated from God’s promise. They took matters into their own hands to fulfill it. Their fleshly choice still bears the consequential fruit in our day ~ Ishmael’s descendants. 

There is so much to this part of their lives that reflects our own when we step in to ‘help’ the Lord fulfill what He has spoken. It is in satan’s master plan to be sure that we derail and miss God’s promises. 

God’s plan is stated countless times in Scripture. Ephesians 1:4 says that He chose us before time began to be holy and blameless. His plan will be fulfilled as stated in Jude verse 24. It says, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.”

No matter what our adverse circumstances are, nor the consequences we bear because of our disobedience, Philippians 1:6 will always hold true. It says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

I often think of Romans 4:17 which says, “…God…calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” His promises to Abram were for the future. Sarai was at that time still barren. Our lack does not affect God’s promise in any way.

Genesis 17:1 says, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram…” Verse 4 says, “…you shall be a father of many nations.” According to the promise God changed his name to Abraham. 24 years had passed. God also changed Sarai to Sarah.

God next required that all the males from 8 days old would be circumcised (verses 10-13). As I read this, I realized that the circumcision had to take place before God’s promise to him could be fulfilled. 

My mind immediately went to Colossians 2:11. It says, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.”

Speaking of our salvation, Romans 6:6 says, “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

In Genesis 18 Abram was visited by three men. He immediately offered them hospitality. In verse 10 the Lord spoke another promise,  “…I will certainly return to you according to the time of life…Sarah your wife shall have a son…” Sarah heard Him and laughed. Verse 14 says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?…”

Even with these promises stacked up in Abraham’s heart, he again reacted in self-preservation. He told Abimelech, the king of Gerar, in Genesis 20:11 that he had lied about his wife being his sister because, “…they will kill me on account of my wife.”

God’s set time had come. The promise was about to be fulfilled. Genesis 21:1-2 says, “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at  the SET TIME of which God had spoken to him.”

Genesis 11:30 says of Abram’s wife, “But Sarai was barren; she had no child.” In Genesis 12 God told Abram to leave his country, family, and his fathers house. He would take him to a new land, make his name great, and bless him.

Verse 3 says, “…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Abram was 75. They came to the land of Canaan. Verse 7 says, “…To your descendants I will give this land. And there he built an altar to the Lord, who appeared to him.”

There was a famine in the land and Abram went down to Egypt. Forgetting God’s promise in the face of fear, he asked his wife to lie. In Verse 12 he stated his assumption that they would take her and kill him.

His life was NOT in jeopardy. He was going to be, according to verse 2, a great nation. You and I (Gentiles) would be blessed because of his faith (all families). The Pharaoh treated him well for his wife’s sake. He gave him (verse 16) sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

When we forget God’s promises, we react in self-preservation. We rely on our flesh, which according to John 6:63 profits nothing. Jeremiah 17:5 says, “…Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.”

Note: when God appeared and spoke to Abram he built an altar. He worshipped the Lord. Each time the Lord met him in his journey, he built an altar. The Lord blessed him abundantly. So much so that the land could not hold all that he and his nephew Lot had.

Strife came between Abram and Lot, and their herdsman. Genesis 13:8 says, “So Abram said to Lot, Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.”

Abram gave Lot first choice of what part of the land he wanted. Lot chose Sodom. The Lord appeared to Abram again and added to His earlier promises. Verse 15-16 says, “For all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth…” In verse 18 Abram built another altar.

Indiscretion means behavior or speech that is indiscreet or displays a lack of good judgment. My 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary says, “The grossest vices pass under the fashionable name indiscretion.” This is rampant in our day right now. Evil is called good and good is called evil.

Ham’s indiscretion resulted in God cursing Canaan his son (Genesis 9:25). Rueben’s indiscretion caused him to lose his first born preeminence (Genesis 49:3-4). David’s indiscretion resulted in murder, and adversity against him in his own house (2 Samuel 12:9-11). 

The list goes on throughout Scripture. 1 Corinthians 10:6 says, “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” James clearly helps us understand how we are ensnared by temptations to evil.

James 1:14 says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” Verse 16 says, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Temptations abound. Discreet means careful and circumspect in one’s speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense. Ephesians 5:15 says, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.”

All sin is first a thought. Offenses will come, but what we do with them in the moment determines what kind of fruit we will bear—bitter or sweet. Here is a quote from Amy Carmichael. “For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.”

Our heart is the wellspring of our words. An artesian well refreshes with pure effervescent flowing water. Proverbs 4:23 ESV says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

James 3:11 asked a question that helps us recognize the impossibility of life-giving words coming out of a heart that is bitter from unresolved resentments. It says, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” The answer is no.

Our words wound or heal. They come from our heart out our mouths. Let’s adopt David’s words from Psalm 141:3-4 says, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.”

Matthew 18:7 says, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Offenses are a part of life. What should we do with them the moment we are offended? 

Matthew 18:15 says, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. It he hears you, you have gained your brother.” See how any opportunity for gossip fueled by resentment was squeezed out?

Here is a great picture of a heart with buried offenses. Proverbs 18:19 Amplified says, “A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and (their) contentions separate them like the bars of a castle.”

Speaking of Jesus, Romans 4:25 says, “Who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.” Isaiah 53:5 says, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Taking up our cross daily is a good example of forgiving the offense in the moment of the offense. Jesus already bore that offense. When we harbor it and ruminate on it we sin against Him.

Ecclesiastes 10:1 is a perfect description of a buried offense. It says, “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.”

Matthew 18:35 Amplified says, “So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.” What was Jesus referring to? The fruit of unforgiveness is torment.

I was thinking about tormentors this morning. A heart full of uncontrollable fear, worry, negativity, or anger are tormentors that detrimentally affect our health. I learned Psalm 119:165 in the KJV. It says, “Great peace have those which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them.” Other translations use the word stumble.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” A heart that remains in trust does not give in to the devil’s temptation to harbor resentment. 

In Genesis 9, Noah and his family had just come through the flood. Verse 20 says, “And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.” In verse 21 it says that he was  drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.

Verse 22 says, “And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.” Let’s read what happened next in verse 23. It says, “But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.”

Physically that is hard to do. They put conscious effort into their actions in order to honor their father. Ham dishonored him, and as a result his son Canaan was cursed. His actions were not hidden from his father. It doesn’t say specifically in Scripture, but the other two son’s actions were noted as well. You can read his blessings in verses 26-27.

The seed of resentment sprouts, grows, and produces the fruit of bitterness. Unconfessed sin leads to contentious conflicts in our relationships. A harping, bitter person is hard to live with. Here are some Scriptures that help us understand God’s way.

Proverbs 17:9 Amplified says, “He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love; but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.” Harp means to tell someone constantly or repeatedly.

Disregard means to pay no attention to, ignore, or take no notice of. Disregard allows for no seed of resentment to be planted. I Peter 4:8 Amplified says, “Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins (forgives and disregards the offenses of others).”

We have an excellent example from Shem and Japheth on how to cover the sin of another. We walk backwards without mentally scrutinizing their sinful actions. Our love for them is protective rather than exposing them through gossip.

When we ‘share’ our offense with someone else we sin against them. The Lord gives grace to us when we are emotionally hurt. Within that grace is the power to forgive. However, if we pass on our offense, the receiver does not have our same grace.

Eve should have refuted satan’s lie. She didn’t. She began to mull over the serpent’s next words. Genesis 3:5 says, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The false advertising was his lure. She looked at the fruit and saw that it was good. You know the rest of the story. 1 John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

We need to walk circumspectly, which means to be careful, cautious, and distinctly intentional. Why? There are enemy traps that look really good. Anything that lures us from the purity and holiness that we are to walk in is a trap. 

1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, “Abstain from every form of evil.” Abstain means to keep away, remain unattached and distant. We are to refute the lying advertisement to be like the crowd. We are not of the world, nor should we look like the world.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 to, “…be not conformed to this world…” The J. B. Phillips translation says, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”

The Amplified definition for God’s righteousness is to conform our thoughts, purpose, and actions to His will. He does this through our trials. His whole purpose is to develop our present character to match His. We are to reflect Him to others.

When I was small my dad taught me to have the courage of my convictions. Convictions are a firmly held belief or opinions. Those heart-convictions protected me from many lying lures. Paul had strong convictions. I love the use of his words, “I am persuaded.”

2 Timothy 1:12 says, “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”

Salvation is a heart conviction to be a follower of Jesus. His word is our mirror to reflect if what we do agrees. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

1 John 2:4 is an even stronger test. It says, “He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Our true walking orders are encapsulated in verse  6. It says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as Jesus walked.”

This is what our progressive sanctification journey is all about. Helping us to see through Scripture if we are walking in the truth of it, or if we have been ensnared through the devil’s lying lures.

FYI
I just discovered that Amazon has put several of my paperbacks on sale! He Drew Me Out Of Deep Waters, Overcoming Daily, Displacing Fear, The Power Of Forgiveness, and Victorious Bouquet. I don’t know what it means or for how long. Just thought I’d let you know💜