GOD’S WORD FOR AUGUST 23~ ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13 ~ ~

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Many Christians have in the back of their minds that God the Father was in the Old Testament, and was the God of vengeance, and Christ came as the God of Grace in the New Testament.

But Jesus is all over the Old Testament, and the Trinity as a whole is the God of both justice and grace. Jesus appeared many times to the people in ancient days.

Grace and forgiveness did truly abound in the Old Testament as well as the New, and our age.

Isaac clearly saw the ram in the land of Moriah with his father, heard all the stories growing up , both from his mother and father, and knew he was the child of promise from whom the Messiah would come. These promises and miracles, were, no doubt embedded in his mind from his mother’s knee.

Yet, when he was with the Philistines in the land of Gerar, he, too, told Rebecca to say she was his sister, to save his own life, just as his father did. And, when he was found out, the God of all Grace forgave him, turned the situation for good, and even blessed him. (Genesis 26)

As the twins were growing up, he favored Esau, knowing clearly that the revelation from God said that from Jacob the seed was promised. Neither Jacob nor Esau were model believers, for sure. Esau was rebellious and turned completely from God, as his descendants did all the way through history, and Jacob (as his name means) was a deceiver…..a liar, and a con artist to benefit himself.

The family life of Isaac and Rebecca was a disaster, with poor communication, and split child-favoring. Rebecca favored Jacob (whether because of the promise or personal preference, we aren’t told), but Isaac stood firmly behind Esau, even though he was a heartache to both himself and Rebecca with his pagan wives, as though he completely forgot the importance of his family line and the promises of God.

None of the people in our Biblical heritage were perfect people, or even strong people. Yet, they repented of their unbelief, and in the end obeyed, and, in Hebrews they’re listed as if they were perfect all the way through. It was all by the power of God’s overwhelming forgiveness and grace that they could participate as they could in His perfect plan.

And so it is with us. He has a plan for each of us, and each of our family lines. We have far more spiritual benefits than any of our predecessors. We have the powerful and direct Word of God right in our homes. We have many good pastors and teachers both in local churches and through the various media ministries. We have all of God, if we’re saved, and the Holy Spirit in us, which is more than the early believers in the Old Covenant had. We are without excuse, to follow His Word and let Him direct our lives.

This world takes the time of believers far more than it should. All the enemy has to do is keep us out of the Word, out of prayer, and/or convince us that repentance isn’t necessary after salvation, to keep us bound. We need to know the presence, grace, justice, and forgiveness of our Savior, because we will go through the merry-go-round of sin, repentance, forgiveness throughout our entire lives, as our predecessors did. Hopefully, by His grace, and our total submission to Him, the merry-go-round will slow down as we draw closer to Him by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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