by Pastor Tim Klein
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Read Genesis 29:1–20
In yesterday’s devotion, in Genesis 28:2,3, Jacob’s father Isaac sends him on his way with instructions and a blessing:
Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
So much for ‘the best-laid plans of mice and men’ (thank you, Robert Burns). Those plans soon went astray. With some significant manipulation (dare we say ‘skullduggery and trickery’) by Laban, not one, but two wives – both the daughters of Laban – were married to Jacob. But God’s plan was still at work. Fulfilment of the blessing took more than one wife; it took both wives and two maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah (whom Jacob also married), to produce Jacob’s 12 sons, the founding fathers of the tribes of Israel.
It is amazing how God persists with his plan. It’s the big salvation plan. One of the sons is Judah – and his house is the house of Israel from which Jesus came.
If you are interested in the story, keep reading Genesis for the extraordinary roll-out of God’s saving plan all those generations ago.
Is there some encouragement in this for you and me? If you read on, you will discover the characters of the 12 leaders of the tribes of Israel. They were many and varied, and God had something to say and do through each of their lives.
You may find a direct comparison to your life among them. However, in general terms, you will see the miracle of how the Lord works through different people, in good and bad situations, always working for the good of his people and the sake of his kingdom.
By all means, we lay our plans. But most of all, we trust the Lord to guide us through them all.
Lord: you must laugh sometimes at the plans we make. Yet despite us, you remain working in and through us. Please continue to give us the confidence to boldly step ahead in faith, trusting in you, knowing that you are there with us, working your good for the sake of your kingdom. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. He plans to retire on 12 January in 2025. Husband to his wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of more than 10, Tim says he is living in hope. He enjoys gardening (especially his orchard of more than 60 trees, succulents and flowering plants), making music (he loves to sing), beekeeping and taking photos.
Superman’s funeral notice
by Jonathan Krause
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They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness (Psalm 145:7).
Read Psalm 145:1–8
When I used to train young people in leadership and ethical living, one of the first things I did was ask them to write a funeral notice for themselves.
This was inspired by an elderly man called Stanley, who died after being struck by a car near my place. His family and friends placed a whole column of notices in the paper about the life he’d lived – his kindness, compassion and generosity, and the inspiration he’d been to them.
Stanley’s grandchildren summed it up by writing: ‘Fly like Superman, Poppa.’
When I challenged the young people to write their funeral notices, I wanted them to think about who they wanted to be, even if that was not who they were right now.
I was reminded of this when I read the words of this psalm.
Would someone ever write something about my life similar to what the psalmist wrote about God?
Of course, it wouldn’t be as magnificent as ‘greatness’ or ‘glorious’. There’d be no use of words like ‘splendour’, ‘wondrous’ or ‘abundant’ … and yet, could they look at my life and see at least some glimpses of ‘goodness’, ‘steadfast love’ and ‘graciousness’?
This came into special focus for me after spending a weekend with my grandkids.
What example was I modelling to them?
It’s more than just the things we do together – the perfect purple pancakes that manage to flour the whole kitchen … the ‘you-can-never-escape’ knee-lock game we invented … the ‘Tallest Tower to Topple’ building blocks construction destruction distraction … rather, it’s those simple values of kindness, grace and love. Those things are inspired in me by the command and example of Jesus. Not just in the words I say but in the things I do.
When the day comes that my life is remembered in a newspaper funeral notice, what will my grandchildren say? Those who love me? Those who know me as a neighbour, work colleague or friend?
I can never be a superman, but I hope my life will always point to the one who is.
Lord, what a blessing it is that I can come to you in all my weakness, with all my flaws, and yet have you love me and count me precious. Help me share this with others, in all that I do, each day of my life. Amen.
Jonathan describes himself as a ‘happy husband, proud dad and grandad, ALWS worker and ALWayS a Magpie fan’.
Beyond a beggar
by Jonathan Krause
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How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? (1 John 3:17)
Read 1 John 3:16–24
The lady was a widow and a beggar.
When I met her in a little village in remote Bangladesh, she showed me the handful of rice she’d begged for that morning. Then she gestured for me to sit down while she cooked it for us to share.
I’d come from one of the world’s richest countries, from a comfortable house, a beautiful family, and all of the things you and I take for granted as essentials – clean, fresh water at the turn of a tap, a supermarket full of endless food choices, electricity to keep us warm and cool and entertained.
This lady was a widow and a beggar.
I’d come to thank her. She had come into the aid agency with a few coins she’d gathered, and handed them over, demanding we use them to help ‘the poor people’.
Despite her own condition, she saw others in more need than herself and gave the little she had for them. What love!
I took her photo and shared her story back in Australia. A few months later, a 17-year-old girl wrote to me and told me how that widow beggar had changed her life. It inspired her to change her career choice, from a high-flying, high-paid legal job to a social worker so that she could help others.
When we reflect God’s love for us by extending it to others, we should never be surprised by the impact this love can have.
Working at ALWS, I’ve seen how it goes beyond the practical impact we may have on our ‘brother or sister in need’. The hope we can bring, the reassurance that someone cares – this can be inspiration for life.
So, if we choose not to help someone in need, while we may keep the money with which we’ve been blessed, we also miss out on the joy that comes when we bring love to life for others.
Just like so much of what Jesus teaches us, that can seem challenging or countercultural or simply go against our human instincts.
Yet I’ve learnt that loving our neighbour can be freeing, inspiring and an example to all those around us of what God’s love means in our lives.
Even if we are ‘only’ a widow and a beggar.
Jesus, your life shows me how I should live my life for others. Please give me your strength to do this, hold me to account when I don’t and keep showing me the joy when love comes to life. Amen.
Jonathan describes himself as a ‘happy husband, proud dad and grandad, ALWS worker and proud Magpie fan’.
Flea, flee or free?
by Jonathan Krause
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… for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea (1 Samuel 26:20b).
Read 1 Samuel 26:5–25
Isn’t this just like yesterday’s reading? Two parties, far apart, one fearing the other, one brooding for revenge. Yet instead of the kind of bloodthirsty climax we’d expect if this were a Netflix show, a peaceable way forward is found.
Yesterday, it was Esau embracing and welcoming Jacob – Jacob was expecting to be the victim of what he likely thought was justifiable revenge for his act of trickery.
Today, it is David in a position to kill King Saul, who pursued David into the mountains in a fury of jealousy. Killing Saul would ensure David both safety and status … yet David holds back, knowing it would be going against God’s plan.
While David could have taken the opportunity to humiliate Saul, he instead humbles himself, calling himself a ‘flea’.
Could I do the same?
Is my trust in God complete enough that I will follow God’s command and plan? Even when my own human logic, my inbuilt desire for power and success, and the urging of those around me who see strength only in human terms, would lead me to do otherwise?
How hard it can be to be humble. Especially when we live in such a ‘Look-at-me’ world.
I think of social media influencers. Celebrities famous for being outrageous, rather than doing anything worthwhile. Footballers who kick a goal and then run to the boundary with their arms in the air, seeking the crowd’s acclaim, rather than turning to thank their teammates who did the hard work to make the goal possible.
Jesus shows us a different way.
In Philippians 2:8, we read that ‘Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death’. Because Jesus has done that for us, we no longer need to fear being only a flea in the face of the world, nor do we need to flee the challenges and dangers it places before us.
Instead, Jesus has set us free. All we need to be is humble enough to trust.
Lord, sometimes it can be hard to place all my trust in you. My pride and confidence in my own powers get in the way. Sometimes the challenges I face seem too overwhelming, or I struggle to see you near me. Help me be humble enough to always place my trust in you in all ways. Amen.
Jonathan describes himself as a ‘happy husband, proud dad and grandad, ALWS worker and long-suffering Magpie fan’.