Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

From The Desk Of Pastor Ben

Read Joshua 2:1-11

I love the story of Rahab. I guess part of the reason I love it is because I like seeing how God has used messed up people to do amazing things. It gives me hope!

Rahab lived in Jericho and most Bible scholars agree that she was a prostitute. We know she was beautiful and we see in Joshua 2 that she was also a liar. I don’t know any prostitutes personally, but I know a whole bunch of liars, and I doubt if one is a better sinner than the other. But do you know what’s really interesting? Rahab was one of Jesus’ ancestors! Jesus had a prostitute in His family heritage! (You can see her name for yourself in Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1:5.) She is also listed in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 among people of outstanding faith. A prostitute! How did she change the direction her life was headed? It’s all in Joshua 2.

Why did she betray her own city to hide those foreign spies whom she had never met before? In Joshua 2:9-13, she tells the spies that her country is melting in fear because they have heard of Joshua’s courage and all his conquests. Rahab knew all these incredible victories were not coincidental. She could see that God was with Joshua and his people, and she knew better than to mess with Him! So she switched sides — just like that!

When Joshua’s army captured Jericho, Rahab and her parents and siblings were all spared. This prostitute, who may not have made a single good decision in her life up to that point, chose obedience that day. And that day was the beginning of a new course for her. Now, her life has become an example of courage and obedience for people like us, generations later!

If we blow it 1000 times and then, just before we mess up 1001, we decide we don’t want to get it wrong this time, God will honor that obedience! We don’t have to live on a sin default. Faith and obedience are momentary choices, not lifetime memberships. If you’ve been disobeying, you can switch sides just like Rahab! Aren’t you glad?

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

From The Desk Of Pastor Ben

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.’”     (Exodus 16:4-5) NKJV

Have you ever had a restless night? A night during which worry and fear gripped your mind — not really worried about one certain thing, but just that uneasy feeling that disrupts your thoughts and your rest? One night, I fell asleep fine, but sometime in the night I woke up with worry and concern. I decided to search the Scriptures for the comfort I needed. I began to read Exodus 16. I read about the Israelites, only 30 days into their journey and already complaining they were hungry. They just couldn’t see the big picture — the picture that Moses and Aaron could see — where they had come from and where God was leading them. The Israelites complained to Moses and the Lord heard their cries. The Lord sent bread from heaven (manna) and quail to feed them. Each evening, quail covered the land and as the sun rose each morning, dew descended as manna. God told the Israelites to gather the quail and manna but to only gather according to each one’s needs; they were not to take more or less than what they needed for that day. Anything more than what they needed would spoil.
The Lord commanded the people to gather on the sixth day twice as much, so they could rest on the Sabbath. But only on the sixth night would the manna not spoil. Despite what God said, some of the Israelites were disobedient and took more than what they needed, and it spoiled. What a lesson God was trying to show them!

This resonated with me. I began to see how the provision of the Lord rests upon His children. Can you imagine being in the wilderness, wondering where your next meal would come from, praying there would be enough to go around; enough to feed your family? Can you  imagine witnessing that kind of power, love and provision? I began to see how God had made provision for me along my journey as well.

I can get greedy from time to time. Some days I can’t see the whole picture God has planned for my life. I can’t see past my needs and desires. I began to realize that just as God had tested the Israelites, He also tests me. And I know that when I am tested, my true character will come to the surface. It can really prove what I am made of. Will I be obedient? Will I have the faith it takes to know God’s provision will be sufficient for me? Will I ever learn to be totally dependent on God?

My prayer every day is that I will see God’s provision in my life; That I will trust in His ways: That I will find myself obedient to His will. I pray that He will remove any greed or lack of faith I have in Him. I pray that He will allow me to walk through each trial, no matter how dark and barren it may be, in total confidence that from day to day He has already made provision for me. AMEN.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

From The Desk Of Pastor Ben

“I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.”     (Genesis 45:4-5) NKJV

I have often asked myself: Do I have what it takes to truly forgive someone who has hurt me? How have I reacted when someone has trespassed against me or invaded my life somehow, causing me sorrow or trouble? Maybe these are questions that only get answered as we experience pain, hurt, and rejection. I have to believe that forgiveness is a process, a skill we choose to develop and practice for a lifetime.
What a humbling example is the story of Joseph, a young man highly favored from birth, a dreamer, someone who was envied by his brothers for the wisdom God had given him. Scripture describes the disloyalty of his brothers who sold him into Egyptian slavery. Imagine the sorrow, loss, and disappointment that he must have felt. But the hand of God was upon his life, and the favor and power of God was granted to him to govern the Egyptians under Pharaoh. A perfect plan was being birthed through Joseph’s great sorrow. A famine hit the land of Canaan where his family lived. It is not by chance that the brothers who betrayed Joseph found themselves bowing down, seeking mercy, hoping that grace would be given to them. The brothers must have been feeling ashamed, guilty, and not worthy of the grace they were going to receive. But isn’t it just like God to turn a situation around? At the moment Joseph was confronted, face-to-face with his betrayers, he was given compassion, a deep desire for restoration, the power to forgive.
What a lesson we can learn fro this story! Joseph could have allowed his situation to turn into bitterness and anger. But instead, he sought after God’s wisdom and discernment. He was given the insight to know God had a bigger plan.
In life, I have learned that the sweetest joys, the overcoming victories are birthed through the deepest sorrows. I have learned that forgiveness is a choice. When I choose to forgive, I am not necessarily minimizing my hurt nor the severity of the offense. Forgiveness is not just to release the person who hurt me; forgiveness is a gift I give myself! It is an act of love, compassion, and pure mercy. Forgiveness is liberating; it can set me free from the chains that bind my heart. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” It is challenging to be kind to the person who hurts you. But I have been on both sides of forgiveness. I have needed mercy. I have needed to be forgiven. I have found myself in a place where I longed for compassion. I have also experienced the joy that came when I forgave someone else and was able to show compassion and mercy. If we want to be forgiven, we must forgive others. Mark 11:25 says, “Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”
My prayer is that I may exercise my faith today, asking God to give me strength to show mercy that I may receive mercy. I pray I will be compassionate so I may be shown compassion. I pray I will be forgiving so that I will, too, be forgiven.

Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

From The Desk Of Pastor Ben

“That you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”     (Hebrews 6:12) NKJV

We hear a lot today about entitlement and we see examples of it everywhere we turn. I’m not sure whether it is the government, cultural influences, parenting trends, or the immediacy of the computer age driving this entitled way of thinking. But I fear we are raising a generation that lives under the illusion that there will always be a safety net — that as citizens of the world we should be able to expect certain benefits, whether or not we have earned them.
There is a fine line between enjoying the unmerited blessings of God’s provision and taking responsibility for our lives. No one believes more than I that our future is dependent on trusting Christ. Living in His blessing is a wonderful gift.

At the same time, we can’t ignore the reality that God’s promises always bear a responsibility on our part. For instance, 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “IF my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven…” And 1 John 1:9 says, “IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…”

Each privilege we enjoy as citizens and as the family of God has come at a price. Living in a state of gratitude and a willingness to live responsibly is the only way to leave the world better for those who come after us. An attitude of entitlement is the antithesis of personal responsibility. We combat it with gratitude and a commitment to leaving a legacy that makes our world better than we found it. May God help us!