Tag: Altars

Don’t Say Leaves, or Famine

Our local stores seem to be out of toilet paper, out of beef, and out of chicken. Lucky Charms? Nope. You know it’s bad when there’s not even Raisin Bran. I guess seafood isn’t so popular in our area as we don’t seem to be short of seafood. A famine of sorts. A famine of toilet paper and hamburger in 2020. I’ve got to say, I didn’t see that coming.

In ancient bible times, what did they use since they didn’t have toilet paper? Don’t say leaves. Just don’t. Without going too far down that rabbit hole, there couldn’t have been that many leaves for everyone to use leaves. What about folks in desert areas? What about in the fall and winter? Don’t say leaves. I’m not sure how they conquered that particular problem, and I think I probably don’t want to know. These are the things you consider when you’re home and have time to think for once.

Genesis 12:10 (NKJV) “Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.”

I was reading this morning, and the fact that Abram (Abraham) went through a famine got my attention. I hadn’t really thought of the current situation in terms of famine until I read Genesis 12. The famine didn’t catch God off guard. Famines don’t change who God is or affect His ability to provide. Reading chapter 12, it looks like Abram kind of lost it when the famine hit.

Before the famine, Abram was building altars and calling on the name of the LORD. He was doing it right. He was obeying God, walking with him, heading out into the unknown. And then the famine hit and we find Abram in the land of Egypt. Who knows how the story would have went if Abram would have kept building altars and calling on God in Egypt.

There’s no mention of him building altars there or calling on the name of the LORD. In fact, it looks like Abram quit calling on God and he decided to try to take care of things himself: he ends up basically selling Sarai to Pharoh to save himself. It seems like Abram got shook. It looks like the famine really rocked him, and instead of relying on God, and calling on Him, Abram took matters into his own hands and almost made a huge mess of things.

I was reminded this morning that famines are opportunities. We can put our money where our mouth is. To turn the phrase, we have the opportunity to put our actions where our faith is. We have a fantastic opportunity to call on God, to spread peace, to spread kindness, to spread faith and restrain from taking matters in our own hands.

Be wise. Wash your hands. Follow the CDC guidelines (link to CDC site on COVID-19 best practices). Build altars. Call on the name of the LORD.

Post-It Note GPS, or Remembering

Honest Confession Time: My desk at work is graffiti tagged with Post-It Notes. I have to write stuff down to remember it, sometimes. Often, there’s so much going on, that I can’t keep track of it all in my head, so I need to organize all that information somehow. That organization just so happens to look like a disorganized explosion of paper, pencil scribbles, and sloppy handwriting. Oh, a giant whiteboard. I also have a four foot whiteboard that I use to keep track of tasks. I need multiple reminders and sometimes I need things written in one foot tall letters.
What’s that table named in that database?’– Post-It Note on my computer monitor
‘What was I working on?’– Usually after I get pulled off task and on to some urgent task that needs some attention- Whiteboard, Post-It Note on my monitor, Post-It on my keyboard
‘What do I need to do tomorrow?’– Whiteboard, Post-It on my keyboard and monitor and chair and filing cabinet and a Post-It in my pocket and on my wallet and on my coat hook. Kidding. But only a little.
Busy work. We’re all busy. I’m busy; you’re busy. But in all that business, I need reminders, way markers, something to help keep me on track. It’s my Post-It Note GPS. I can see where I’ve been, know where I’m at, and remember where I’m going.

2 Peter 1:12-15 (TPT) “I won’t hesitate to continually remind you of these truths, even though you are aware of them and are well established in the present measure of truth you have already embraced. And as long as I live I will continue to awaken you with this reminder, since our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has clearly revealed that my departure is near. Indeed, I’m passionate to share these things with you so that you will always remember them after my exodus from this life.“

I take reminders seriously at work, but why don’t I take reminders as seriously in the things that really matter? Reminders are important in our walk with Jesus, too. I’m forgetful. I’ll forget the blessing He gave me. I’ll forget what He’s already brought me through. I guess I’m not the only one, as Peter took reminders very seriously. He knew the readers of his letter need reminders, too. We need reminders. We need to remember where we’ve been. We need to remember where we stand. We need to remember where we’re going, and we need to remember what our faith is working towards.

Take a minute, and in whatever way works best for you, start creating reminders of what God has done for you, what He’s already brought you through, and about His promises for your future. It’s easy to get bogged down in the daily minutiae, and to lose sight of the ultimate truth. Maybe it’s Post-It Notes, maybe it’s a small notebook or index cards; what it looks like isn’t as important as how it works.

Ah, snap…I didn’t write down where I put the Post-It Notes. Somewhere, there’s at least 5 lbs of mint unopened Post-It notes. I keep getting more and adding to the stash, and then forgetting where I put them. Oh, well. If you see me walking around with writing on my hands, now you’ll know why.