Wrestling with God

Jacob has obeyed God, returning to the land promised to him when God told him to (31:3). Fearing his "reunion" with his brother Esau, expecting he will still hold an angry grudge (32:6-7), he prays for God's protection (32:11).
Now, in the dark of night, someone wrestles with him, it turns out to be God himself, wrestling with Jacob to lay aside his own means and schemes. Only when Jacob is broken of his own strength can God provide for him. Does this mean that Jacob wasn't really trusting and obeying when he started his journey home and prayed for protection, or does God wrestle with him, break him down because he has obeyed, because he has prayed? Is this God answering his first steps of faith, now taking him further to deeper dependence?
Would I want God to take me there?

God Sends

The passage to the left (Isaiah 6) is long, but I think it separates nicely into the three responses of Isaiah: "Not me", "Send me" and "Why me?"
He saw himself as unworthy to serve--but God's grace cleansed him.
Cleansed and forgiven, he saw himself as eager to serve--God's grace compelled him.
In light of difficulty and the absence of great success,he might have given up--God's grace encouraged him. How? The hope of a stump. Where the stump is left, the tree that was cut down can grow back again. No stump removal, dug out, chopped out or burned out-God would restore what had fallen down. The seed Isaiah sowed would bear fruit.
Where are you in God's service? Sometimes I'm at "Not me", sometimes I'm eager to get at it, and sometimes I'm asking "why me" or "how long?" --all in the same week. It's not so bad to be asking the questions-God can take it. What's important is the answer...

Grace.

passing along a tradition of God's truth

BPChurch has a great heritage, we are rooted in history, having been founded 145 years ago by some of our areas first pioneers, and we are rooted in His story, having a strong heritage in God's word, passed from one generation to the next.
Passing that baton from generation to generation can be tricky. Who's responsible for the handoff? What specifically must be passed on versus what is unique and personal to each generation?
Our Olympic teams learned the hard way how important making the crucial hand-off is to running the race well. May we do well passing the gospel along to the next generation, so that BPChurch will continue to run the race set before us.

A Worn Out and Frustrated Servant

I recently ran in the Hood to Coast relay; I can identify with this runner who's ready to toss in the towel and let the race pass him by. Our life in Christ is a race to run, and sometimes we feel the same way. "Somebody cut me off!" "I'm tired, I've been at this a long time!" "I didn't train for this..." "They didn't tell me it would be that hard." "I'm not the best, I won't finish first, so why run at all?!"

Moses felt like that too. He turned his back fro a little bit to spend time on the mountain with God, and Israel just fell apart: no appreciation for his sacrifice and the pattern he had set. No commitment to stick out and remain faithful. Worn out and frustrated, it was hard to go on. Moses asked two things of God that made the difference for him, and will make the difference for us. He said, "Lord, show me your way." and Lord, show me your glory--show me yourself." We'll run a better race by getting our eyes off our will and on His way, off of our self and on Jesus Himself.