OIL SPILL DISASTER ~ IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?

This morning as Chuck and I were praying, I felt the Lord taking me to the oil crisis in the Gulf. I hadn’t planned on praying for that situation this morning, but it was evidently on God’s mind.


Now, before I say anymore, I will tell you that we can pray with our minds or as I tell my children - we can pray from our hearts. There is a difference. Many times, I pray from my mind. Sadly, when I don’t take the time to allow the Holy Spirit to pray through me, the consequence is ---- I may have missed the mark with my prayers. Because the Holy Spirit knows the mind of Christ (John 16:13), He can order my prayers if I’ll surrender to Him.


As I alluded to earlier, when I give myself completely to the Lord in my prayer time; not being so quick to rush in with my words and waiting/listening to the Holy Spirit, then I begin to pray in unexpected ways. The anointing (presence of God) is on every word and with that comes an inner excitement and strength which gives way to faith rising within me. I know that I’m touching God’s heart and He’s touching mine along with every concern I’ve brought before Him. Generally, when this happens, the Holy Spirit will faithfully bring to remembrance the Word of God that I have placed upon my heart day after day. Finally, when we pray what Holy Spirit has brought to our mind, the power of God is then released into the earth.


Prayer is an awesome thing. It’s a privilege to be able to commune with the God who created the heavens and the earth.


So, with that said, let’s go back to the oil crisis. As I began to pray this morning, I felt like the Lord wanted me to know that He really cares about this matter more than we think He does. Unfortunately, many would say God caused it. I don’t believe that, but I do believe God can use it to bring people to Himself.


God created this earth (Genesis 1:1). It’s the work of His hands. Yes, and He created it for us to enjoy and to rule over by taking care of it. He doesn’t want us to be wasteful or careless with what He’s given us. So, when the earth is affected by something we’ve done as a people - I believe it grieves Him more than it grieves us. It’s just like a parent who gives his child a special gift and if that child doesn’t value the gift, it hurts the parent deeply.


God is very aware of the present situation. I know the Lord cares about this more than anyone; whether it’s BP, our government, or the people who earn a living from the water, etc.


Earlier this year, in my quiet time with the Lord, I was reading in Exodus and a particular scripture stirred my heart and I’ve not been able to let it go. I pray it every time Holy Spirit brings it to my mind. And this is it… “Then the Lord said: I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you” Exodus 34:10. I initially thought the Lord was speaking directly to me and my family with decisions we are making for our future, but I’ve since begun to believe that it’s really much bigger than me.


I believe all scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) and that the Lord God wrote this Word through men for it NOT to be forgotten, but to be remembered by all generations. This Word is powerful and effective and this morning, I began to stand on God’s powerful Word that people all over the world would see - SEE WITH THEIR EYES how awesome is the work that GOD will do for our Nation.


God wants to turn the hearts of every man and woman, boy and girl to Himself. He will do it in ways we don’t always understand. As I said earlier, man doesn’t always take care of the earth the way we should. We make mistakes, but God knows how to correct our failures and He desires to do just that.


God can stop the oil from spilling!!!! But, whether He does or does not, I believe it’s an opportunity for his purposes to come to pass in the earth. Even bad situations can lead to something good. I know this from experience and from reading the Word.


All God has to do is put His finger in that hole and plug that well!!! With man ----as we’ve been seeing for the last two months, it seems impossible to fix this tragedy, but Jesus himself said “…. with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.


Can you imagine what people all around the world would say if the oil just “STOPPED” coming out of that well. And… we would all see it for ourselves because we’ve all witnessed the same picture for weeks of the oil gushing from the well. It would be such a miracle that no-one could deny. Well, I'm sure some would. We wouldn’t be taking anyone’s word for it - we would see it for ourselves.


This is a crisis with man, but not a crisis with our God. Let’s stand on God’s Word today and believe.....

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:14



"For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land" Psalm 95:3-5

FAVOR ~ LIKE SEEING THE FACE OF GOD

“If I (Jacob) have found FAVOR in your (Esau) eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.” Genesis 33:10


Jacob was saying… You, brother have been like God to me! You’ve shown unlimited KINDNESS~FAVOR towards me; one who doesn’t deserve it. I did nothing to earn it.


If you read last weeks’ blog, you’ll understand why Jacob didn’t feel worthy of Esau’s favor toward him. The past twenty years Jacob had been working for his Uncle Laban ~ fourteen of those years to receive Rachel (Genesis 31:41), the woman he loved and longed to marry. May I say - no favor there. Laban represents the world which is a hard task master. But, in this passage, Esau is a type of Christ. Jacob’s gifts (things he’d earned) were meaningless to Esau. Just as Esau had no need for Jacob’s gifts, neither does our Father in heaven. We cannot earn His favor - it is free as I said last week. Favor is unmerited; meaning there is nothing we can do to deserve it. We are a gift to Jesus that He desires to fill with Himself.


Jacob was saying to Esau, it's like I've seen God's face the way you've treated me with such kindness. FAVOR is like seeing God’s face! What a beautiful thought. We can actually see Christ in one another when someone extends FAVOR to us or when we extend FAVOR to another.


The Apostle Paul said that we, with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory….(2 Cor.3:18). Just as Esau was like the face of God to Jacob ~ we can see the face or be the face of God to others when we extend God's kindness.


You will notice the picture of the beautiful child above. This happens to be my precious little niece, Mia. We've all heard it said, when you see the face of a child, you've seen God. There's a lot of truth to that so I couldn't resist posting this pose of her. I just want to end this teaching by saying.......


We've all seen God's face as we've experienced God's FAVOR, whether we realize it or not. He touches each of our lives in so many different ways. I pray you encounter Him today and tomorrow and forever!

FREE FAVOR.....

You may remember the story of Jacob and Esau. If not, here's a brief overview of their early years. Esau was the elder son of Isaac and Rebekah. He did not value his “birthright,” which was a special honor given to the oldest son carrying with it a double portion of the family inheritance along with becoming the future leader of the family. So one day, in haste, he (Esau) relinquished it to his twin brother Jacob for a mere meal of bread and stew. Later, Jacob, at the urging of his mother, deceived his father and received Esau's blessing. When Esau realized what had happened, he cried out loudly to his father and said, “Bless me - me too, my father! But he (Isaac) said, Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing” Genesis 27:34.

Now, more than twenty years later, Jacob was preparing to meet his brother Esau. The last time he had seen his brother was when Esau vowed to kill Jacob as soon as their father Isaac died (Gen.27:41). So, what do you do when you expect the worst? Jacob decided to send some gifts in the form of various animals to his brother in hopes that the gifts would subdue any lingering anger from the past.

Jacob desired FAVOR (kindness) to be extended to him (Gen.32:5). Instead of going to his brother and asking forgiveness for his past sin, he attempted to purchase FAVOR with the display of his riches before Esau. Jacob even thought to himself, “I will pacify him (Esau) with these gifts…perhaps he will receive me” Genesis 32:20.

After sending ahead the gift of goats, ewes, rams, camels, cows, bulls, and donkeys, Jacob approached Esau, bowing down to the ground seven times. Jacob obviously expected the worst from his brother, but what happened was unimaginable. Esau, the brother who lost his birthright and blessing to Jacob was now running toward him and embracing him, throwing his arms around his neck and kissing him while weeping. What an exhilerating moment this must have been for Jacob and Esau. The pain of the past was gone. Esau no longer hated Jacob, but loved him.


Esau said to Jacob in my words… Hey Jake, what’s up with all those animals you sent me? Jacob admitted, I just wanted your favor. I just wanted us to be brothers who love each other. Is that possible?

Too many times, we too attempt to purchase God’s FAVOR by displaying our good conduct ~ “Look at me Lord - look at what I‘ve done for you…” But, Isa.64:6 says… "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Esau refused to accept Jacob’s gifts. He didn't need them nor did he want them. He had already forgiven Jacob and out of that forgiveness came a kindness that could not be bought.

Like Esau, our Heavenly Father has no need of our gifts - He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and as my husband always says…. He owns the hills too. So we need to quit trying to purchase His FAVOR. He took our sin upon himself before we had need of him. He has forgiven us long ago so that we may freely approach His throne of grace with confidence that we too may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16


“I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, men-servants and maid-servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find FAVOR in your eyes” Genesis 32:5

RESTING IN HIS FAVOR......

Noah found something in God that we too can have today. Noah was a real person - not just a weird guy who built a big boat saving his family from the destruction that came in the form of rain for 40 days and nights. What did Noah find? He found God’s favor ~ another word is GRACE, which in this passage is ACCEPTANCE with God.


I don’t know about you ~ but I’ve wasted too much of my time wondering if I was acceptable to God. I have tried to get his attention by the “good” deeds I was doing hoping to achieve something; when all along His eyes were upon me with affection and acceptance.


The key element I want to bring to light in this passage is that Noah “found” Grace. The Hebrew word for find is “matsa.” To “matsa” is to find, secure, acquire, get, meet, encounter, learn, to come upon, or light upon. Nowhere in those defining words do you find “work” or “strive.”



Noah was a man unlike those of his generation. That in itself says a lot about Noah. Consequently, there was a contrast between Noah and the people on the earth at that time. Man had become wicked and “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” The Lord was grieved that he had made man and Jehovah’s heart was filled with pain.


But there was Noah…… whose name means “rest.” He was a just, lawful, righteous man and perfect, meaning without blemish, complete, full, and sincerely undefiled in his generation. Noah didn’t work to find God’s GRACE. He came upon it and rested in it as he pursued God and His purposes.



His very name reveals how we too can find God’s GRACE. Our lifestyle as Believers must be one of resting in God by walking every moment of every day trusting in His amazing, overcoming, overwhelming, unconditional, steadfast love and acceptance. The result of consciously involving Him into our life is that God’s eyes of favor are upon us. You don’t have to “DO” to have his eyes upon you...ever.


Stand undefiled in this generation resting in the fact that You are God’s favored one. You are acceptable to Him, not because of what you do, but because of who you are before Him.


I know a woman who, every time you ask her how she is, she says, “I am highly favored by God.” Tell yourself today - I’m God’s favored one and His eyes are upon Me. It will change the way you see Him and the way you see yourself.



“But Noah found FAVOR in the eyes of the Lord.”
Genesis 6:8