Omerful of Manna

"This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'"

Thursday, June 15, 2006

He Sees Generations

When God looks at me, He sees generations.

A couple months back, Pastor Doug spoke on the fruitful life. He spoke of how God wants us to produce fruit and how that he sees that fruit when he sees us. It was a totally new idea for me to think that God sees all of my descendents when he sees me and somehow made me want to live better.

When I was just finishing my housesitting at Dad's in Lakewood a week ago, I was longing for companionship like I never have before. A week along with only plants and books to talk too doesn't work very well with someone that always has someone around. Anyway, a handsome, sweet, servant-hearted, perceptive and successful man showed up in my life...when I was at my weakest. He really was interested in me. As of yesterday he has been hurt by me because he doesn't love Jesus. Man, was that a hard conversation to have. Three days of excitment, three days of thinking, and one hour and a half long conversation that went to show that obedience hurts and isn't easy, but is good.

The night before I met with this man, I found myself back in Genesis where Doug had been preaching when this came up. I read about Abraham and Sarah, the covenant, and so on. I was surprised to see the similarities in my situation and theirs. Granted, God never told me that I would have a husband, but like Abraham, I occasionally want to take matters into my own hands and I mess things up when I do. God told Abraham he would have descendents as numerous as the stars. When Sarah wouldn't concieve, he took Hagar to be his wife to get that child of promise. Had he not been so impatient, the issues with the Taliban, Al Quaida, Saddam Hussein, The Crusades, and all of the Islamic world would not have been so intense. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they are alive, but the centuries of problems between Christians and Muslims wouldn't have been a problem. God sees generations when he sees us. Our actions and lack of faith follow us into our children's lives and children's children's lives and children's children's children's lives. God sees generations.

I don't know why, but sometimes God gives us over to our desires. That's what resulted in Ishmael's birth. Though God loved this "donkey of a man," Ishmael's generations made things vastly more difficult for Isaac's generations...those intended to be the only ones.

I hated hurting this man, but quickly realized that he would have been my Ishmael. I could respect him deeply and fall in love with him, but it would complicate things later. That isn't what I want for those after me. I want to make it as simple as possible and purely blessed without compromise.

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