SOAP Devotional for May 17th

There was some sort of glitch in sending yesterday’s SOAP and it was marked as spam. So I am resending it from another computer in hopes that it will work correctly this time. I was also remiss in not thanking you all for your prayers, visits, rides, babysitting, calls, cards and so much more, regarding my recent stay at Brandon Regional Hospital. Everything is fine with my heart (PRAISE GOD!). We know it is nothing critical, so we will start looking for the cause of the chest pain that sent me to the hospital to begin with, but we know that it is something far less serious than my heart. The cardiologist said that I have the arteries of a 20 year old and that I have great heart function. Thanks again…you are the best!

Pastor Matt



May 17, 2008

Read Genesis 28—to read this click on the following link or paste the address into your browser http:/www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis 28&version=51

There was some sort of glitch in sending yesterday’s SOAP and it was marked as spam. So I am resending it from another computer in hopes that it will work correctly this time. I was also remiss in not thanking you all for your prayers, visits, rides, babysitting, calls, cards and so much more, regarding my recent stay at Brandon Regional Hospital. Everything is fine with my heart (PRAISE GOD!). We know it is nothing critical, so we will start looking for the cause of the chest pain that sent me to the hospital to begin with, but we know that it is something far less serious than my heart. The cardiologist said that I have the arteries of a 20 year old and that I have great heart function. Thanks again…you are the best!

Pastor Matt



May 17, 2008

Read Genesis 28—to read this click on the following link or paste the address into your browser http:/www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis 28&version=51



Scripture- Genesis 28:20-22—“Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”



Observation- This chapter begins with Isaac’s blessing over Jacob. The time had come for Jacob to take a wife in order for God’s blessing over Abraham to continue (that God would bless him and make a mighty nation out of his descendents). Isaac marks the passing of this important occasion by pronouncing a blessing over Jacob. Soon after this, Jacob has his familiar dream of the stairway (older translations used “ladder”), where God blesses him and promises to fulfill the desires indicated in Isaac’s previous blessing over him. Jacob marks the place where this happened with a monument and calls it Bethel, which means “house of God.” Then he makes a vow. He says that if God is faithful to him on his current journey, then he will serve God for the rest of his life. He marks that vow with a sign of his commitment—offering God a tenth (or a “tithe”) of everything God gives to him. This indicates a continuous action on Jacob’s part, not simply a one time event.



Application-There is so much in this chapter that jumps out at me—and it all begins with a father’s blessing, moves to the Heavenly Father’s blessing and is culminated in Jacob’s vow. This shows the importance of marking life events with our children through blessing them with rites of passage. We have a little family tradition. When each of our children turns 13, they get something big to mark the occasion—a trip alone with dad, or a huge new privilege. When they turn 16, we mark that event with another rite of passage that I borrowed from a seminary professor. We go on a trip where we hike for the better part of a day and use walking sticks. That night, we have a fire and the newly 16 year old throws their walking stick into the fire and is presented with a new one that has their name carved into it and certain symbols that characterize their personality and strengths. This represents the passing of their childhood (the old stick that is burned) and the beginning of their lives as adults (the new stick) and we pray a prayer of blessing over them. I hope this is as powerful of a moment as Jacob’s was with Isaac. We need to mark those moments in our children’s lives so that they have the chance to hear us bless them more deeply than each time they sneeze. This blessing resulted eventually in Jacob’s making a vow to serve God for the rest of his life! This wasn’t just lip service, either. Jacob was willing to follow through on his vow in a way that indicated his trust in God—giving a tithe (or a tenth). What a wonderful gift!



Prayer-God, help us to remember how important it is to bless our children in meaningful ways. Help me to follow through on my commitments and responsibilities in ways that will honor You and bless You. Help me to be a good steward of all You have entrusted to me—the most precious being stewardship over our children, not only my biological children, but all of the children of FUMC Brandon. Thank You for Your faithfulness that endures forever!



If God had a refrigerator your picture would be on it!

Pastor Matt