Pastor Bob DuPar
January 14, 2009

Journal Entry

*Today marks my final journal since I started last year on 1-15-08. I will continue to send out notes & observations on Scripture – probably in a different format, and perhaps not daily. I trust that the reading of God’s Word has blessed you greatly, and I hope that it has created within you a lifelong thirst and hunger. Blessings!

Scripture

Genesis 30:1-31:16; Matthew 10:1-25; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15

Observation

“Am I in the place of God?..” Genesis 30:2

“The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?” Genesis 30:30

The commission which Jesus gave to the 12 disciples in Matthew 10:5-6 is very different than the Great Commission:

“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.”

“Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Matthew 10:17-20

Application

I failed to mention in yesterday’s journal that the other exciting part of Leah’s resolve to praise God for her son Judah is that Christ came from the line of Judah.

Jacob’s words to Rachel, “Am I in the place of God…” struck me as interesting because so often we act like we are – or others depend upon us, and blame us as if we are.

God always desired for all the nations of the earth to be blessed through His people the Jews. This is why the commission to the 12 is specifically targeted at the Jews at the beginning of Christ’s ministry. The focus of the commission shifts to the world after Christ’s resurrection because even though the Jews had rejected God’s Messiah, still all the nations would indeed be blessed through a Jew: Jesus! And, the Gospel message was in fact for all people.

I love the end of Matthew 10:20 when Jesus says that in times of persecution we should not worry about how we will defend ourselves or what we will say because, “the Spirit of our Father will speak through us!” What a beautiful thought and promise! This makes me think of the old saying, “God’s will never leads us where His grace cannot sustain us!”

Prayer

“Lord, thank You for Your Word. Thank You that You have not left us to aimlessly follow after You. You have revealed Your will, Your character, Your promises, and Your intentions for us. May we be faithful to follow You.”