Genesis 26:1-16
Déjà Vu, All Over Again
 
Pastor Dave detailed nine aspects of this narrative about Isaac that are repetitions of events in his father Abraham’s life. Our first reaction to the passage is to dismiss it as redundant and tedious. Thank God for church leadership that takes His word seriously, that doesn’t succumb to the temptation to skip hard parts or “boring” parts. Pray that all of us, individually and corporately, will honor God by believing in practice 2 Timothy 3:16-17:  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful …
 
The message of the passage, Pastor Dave believes, is found in the repetition. Instead of the text just telling us, “God is patient; God is faithful,” the narrative shows us God being patient and faithful again and again, in spite of repeated human failure. Spend some time before the Lord meditating on His patience with you and His faithfulness to you through your repeated failures.
 
Abraham and Isaac were the forefathers of God’s chosen people, but they were broken, fallen men who cycled through patterns of sinful behavior. We are broken, fallen people too – every one of us. Each of us can probably identify a recurring, besetting sin in our lives. What is it for you? The thing you just can’t overcome, the thing you hate but keep on doing? It might be something obvious, such as an explosive temper or consumption of pornography, or it might be something less visible, such as pride or a critical spirit. Bring it to the Lord, into His light.
 
Pastor Dave emphasized that identifying the pattern of our besetting sin doesn’t make it go away. Neither does willpower or working harder at our self-determined action plan. Our only hope of victory is Jesus Christ, as Paul passionately declares in the Romans 7 passage quoted in the sidebar. Apply the forgiveness and freedom Jesus offers and then walk in his Spirit instead of by the flesh. Lord, open my ears to the Spirit’s voice and strengthen me to obey fully and immediately what He says.
 
Calvary Family
 
Jim and Lynette Hatcher, our missionaries in Vienna, are intentional about getting to know their neighbors and being ready to engage in dialog about spiritual things with them. In his latest letter, Jim describes two recent encounters with neighbors that represent small steps in sharing God’s truth with them. Read his letter here and be inspired to go beyond a friendly wave with your own neighbors. Pray for the Hatchers’ neighbors … and your own! Jim’s letter also lists ministry-related travel and events coming up in October that we can be praying about.
 
The WOW (Women of the Word) group, the open co-ed Bible study group, and many small groups are starting this week. Please lift them up in prayer.
 
Next Sunday, Kamilla Chylka is leading an event for the women of their church in Pszczyna. Her husband (Tomasz) says Kamilla “loves to serve the Lord in the second row,” by which I think he means “behind the scenes.” Heading up this event takes Kamilla out of her comfort zone, but she is obedient to what the Lord has asked her to do. Please pray for Kamilla this week.
 
On Sunday, we sang “a song declaring that we belong to Jesus … He is all we need.” My small group will be studying Job this year, and I thought about Job – the man who lost everything except his life, his wife, and three “friends” – as we sang “Sing to the King.” Join me in asking the Lord, “Is it true in my life that Jesus is all I need? That if all the good and comfortable things about my life were stripped away, I would be content with him?”
 
Ask God how He might want you to share what’s going on in your life with your brothers and sisters at Calvary via the prayer blog. Click the “Submit a Prayer Request” button to open an email to me or drop a card in one of the three prayer boxes located around our building.
 
In Christ,
Carol Gilbert
Calvary Community Church of Brea

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