Favoritism or Favor?

Genesis 37:2-5 - ... Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s [secondary] wives ... Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a [distinctive] long tunic with sleeves. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved [Joseph] more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not say, Peace [in friendly greeting] to him or speak peaceably to him. 5 Now Joseph had a dream...

If television/media wanted a good juicy story with infertility, jealousy, favoritism, sibling rivalry, scandal, attempted murder, imprisonment, wealth & riches, rise to power and salvation of a nation because of one man's dream, they would not have to look any further than the story of Joseph. What a story!

Let's take a look at two people. Jacob & Joseph. By the end I want you to answer the question of, Whom do you most relate too? Let's take a look at the story and a few dangers before we really dig down to the main premise.

The age of today's High School senior, 17 years old, Joseph was doing the menial things of life. Nothing real special or elite, he was tending flock. He was out in a field, herding them, making sure they stayed together, making sure none wandered off. At some points of the day, he most likely sat on a rock watching them, completely bored as they ate grass, no iPhone to look at and check his FaceBook, no AngryBird game to play. He just sat. Sat looking at sheep. But, Joseph had a dream. He was given a dream by God. Ultimately, his dream revealed his brothers and parents bowing down to him. If Joseph did anything wrong, it was telling his brothers his dream, which in his dream he was positioned himself in a place of authority, favor and power over them.

Now, unfortunately, if we really wanted to pin Joseph's problems on someone, we could look back to his father, Jacob (Israel). Because of his love, Jacob was the main contributor to setting his son on a path of hardship. "Love?" You may ask? How could love set someone on the path of hardship? Jacob's love moved from not only love, but to favoritism. Favoritism brought Joseph down to the pit. Thankfully, in the end, God's Favor brought Joseph to the palace.

The short version back story, Joseph was the first son to Jacob's favorite, most beloved wife, Rachel. Because Joseph was Rachel's son, born in Jacobs old age, Jacob loved him more than ALL his other children. In the eyes of Joseph's older brothers, their father didn't even see them through the love he had for Joseph. Joseph was the fair-haired child, the loved, the favorite.

Think about how you are with your own father. What is it, growing up & now as an adult, that you have always desired the most? I don't know what it is with children and their fathers, but I would bet you would say one of the following: to make dad really proud, for dad to love me, to have attention from dad, for dad to spend time with me. Something about a son or daughter, making their father proud is one of the most important life goals I think most of us have.

Here in the story of Joseph, we see all Jacobs son's, born before Joseph, and they ALL recognize that they are NOT their father's favorite. They see "Dad" pouring all this love and affection into their younger brother. They see "Dad" giving their younger brother special gifts, the greatest of the gifts extremely & very evident to show the partiality. It's an elaborate, colorful, very decorated coat from Hollister. (Ok, maybe it wasn't Hollister... but it was so cool, it was the Hollister of that day!) This coat, given to Joseph, set him apart. So.... what began to happen in the hearts of Joseph's older brothers? They began to get bitter. They began to have malice in their hearts, hatred. All from a parent doing ONE dangerous thing, Showing Favoritism! Favoritism that eventually led to a plot of murder!

What if Jacob would not have shown favoritism? What if he would not have set Joseph up for this "so-called" journey of unfortunate events? His brothers throwing him in a well to die, staging his death by bringing his coat to "Dad" with animal blood on it, saying Joseph was killed by an animal. We all know what happened next, sure Joseph, was mourned by his father, but Josephs brothers ultimately ended up selling him as a slave to the Midianites. From slavery, the journey began. Sold to Potiphar, promoted to supervisor over Potiphar's house, wrongfully accused of attempted sexual advancements to Potiphar's wife, imprisoned for years, while in prison promoted as "Head" of the prisoners, then ultimately elevated to 2nd in charge to only Pharoah, after interpreting Pharoah's dream. A fairytale ending, right?

What would have happened if JACOB, if DAD, would not have positioned Joseph to be the HATED little brother? How uncomfortable for Joseph. He probably just wanted his brothers to like him, instead they couldn't even say a nice "Hello." Joseph was put in a place of hatred by his family, by ALL his brothers. What if Jacob, Dad, would have shown ALL of the brothers equal love? I dare say that Joseph could have avoided years and years of hardship, maybe even enjoyed growing up with fond memories of his brothers.

Granted, yes, we do know Romans 8:28 worked out in Joseph's favor, all things worked together for Josephs good. But, WHAT IF, Joseph's dad would not have showed that favoritism? The end of the story, Joseph was 2nd in command over ALL of Egypt and was able to be directed from the Lord how to SAVE the nation from the famine that was about to happen.

Who do you most relate with?

• Jacob. Are you SHOWING favoritism on someone. Through your love, are you setting someone up for ultimate hardship? Be it from their siblings, or peers? Has the depths of your love, elevated to favoritism? It's not to late to repent and ask for forgiveness!  (James 2:9 - But if you show servile regard (prejudice, favoritism) for people, you commit sin and are rebuked and convicted by the Law as violators and offenders.) 
• Joseph. - Now Joseph had a dream... - Do you have a dream?! Does your dream feel like something that is so great and so big it's overwhelming? Friend, allow God to lead and direct you in this dream. No matter how big or how small, no matter what you are going through right now... maybe you feel like you are in the pit? Maybe you feel like you are imprisoned by a job you despise. Maybe you have been wrongfully accused, and through all your work of excellence, you've been stripped of your dignity. Friend, wherever it is that you are at right now, PRESS ON! Do you realize that YOU could be on the path to SAVING A NATION!?!? You could be on a path, as ugly as it may look right now, YOU could be on the path of CHANGING HISTORY! Press on! Do you have a dream? Friend, PRESS ON! Don't let that dream die within you. Pursue that dream and allow GOD to elevate you to a place of favor!

Who do you relate to? Are you the one showing Favoritism, Jacob? Or are you the one allowing God to elevate you to favor, Joseph? It is YOUR choice who you want to relate to. If you need to, make a change today. Line up with where you know you need to be, that is in line with God!

Will you share your story? How you have experienced the results of Jacob or being the Jacob? Or the dreams of Joseph? I'd love to hear from you! 

UP a Notch!

Philippians 3:14 - I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Have you been coasting? Have you gotten into a place in life where it is comfortable, and instead of pressing in, you have found yourself coasting in. 

I remember my most memorable college track meet of all time. I was running the 1500 meter dash. I was up against my biggest competitor, the girl who was projected to win our conference meet, MaryBeth was her name. I felt good going into this race. Mentally, I was ready. Physically, I was more prepared than ever. Today was going to be my day. 

The gun went off and we breezed off the start line at a pace just under a sprint. Today was going to be a sub-5:00 run, I could feel it. My best run to date had been a 5:04. Racing with MaryBeth in this 6 team meet was going to force me to run fast the WHOLE race. We circled the track, passing the start line with our 1st 300 meters under our belt. I sat right on MaryBeth's heels, off her right shoulder, tucking in behind her as we rounded the curve. My goal, was to just stay with her until the end, then I would make my move. We completed lap 2, our 400 meter splits were showing it was going to be a time well under 5:00. Lap 3, done. As we rounded the curve going into our last lap, I was determined to apply my dad's secret technique that made him a State Champion in his day. I would begin my final kick with 300 meters left in our 1500 meter run. As we rounded the back stretch, I pulled around MaryBeth and began to create a gap between us. 200 meters to go, I maintained my speed, and began to pick it up just a little. With 100 meters left, I did something I had NEVER done before! EVERY meet prior, the last 100 meters I had sprinted, but never allowed my body to really go to that next level, the level where you push to see what your legs really have left. How fast could my legs go during this last 100 meters if I gave it all I had? If I allowed them to really go? We were on pace to run a 4:40-4:45. 

In first place, I decided I was going to really leave EVERYTHING on the track. With 100 meters to go, I pushed my legs to go to a new level. I pushed my legs to go to a new speed. With everything I had, I began my final sprint into the finish line. 

60, 50, 30 yards to go. My legs began to slow. And my legs got heavier and heavier. 

20 yards. 15 yards... picking up each leg as if they weighed 200 pounds, my speed was probably not much faster than a struggled looking walk. 10 yards and I went down. My legs collapsed. I fell. MaryBeth whizzed by me, I crawled a few steps, was able to push my self up to take the last 3 strides to the finish line, and I had finished. 3rd place. 

Not only 3rd place, but even with a fall, I still managed to be 6 seconds under my best time ever! 4:58. 

To this day, of all the 100's of races I've run in my lifetime, this race is the MOST memorable. I chose to see what my body could do. If only I had more races like that. More practices, where I pushed my body to the max to see what I really could do. This day, though third place, this day was an EXTREME victory to me! 

Yesterday in my Quiet Time, the Lord was talking to me about "levels of faithfulness." I've known for some time, that waking up at 6:00, was something I should be doing.... and eventually that time would be moved to 5:00. I was consistent for quite awhile, and even had a 2-3 week stint of waking up at 5:00. Then... through a series of events, allowed circumstances, the dark morning, tiredness, my flesh to let me crawl back in bed... until finally I'd pull myself up around 7:00-7:15. 

Granted, I still had my "Time with the Lord"... but it was like I was being given a choice. Yes Amy, you can choose 7:15. Or 6:00. Or 5:00. But the level of your faithfulness is going to determine the speed of fruition for the desires you have. I could sleep in, but it may take longer for some of my dreams to come to pass. 

What is it for you? Are you looking to lose weight? Going to the gym, being consistent with working out? How about taking it up a notch. Not just working out, but making your workout count! Leaving it all on the "treadmill." Really giving it all you've got. Maybe it's your business? Your relationship with your spouse? Your goal of writing a book? Your goal of playing an instrument? 

My encouragement today... take it Up a Notch. PRESS ON towards the GOAL! Shoot to WIN THE PRIZE! 

Give it all you've got. Leave everything you've got on the track! And just wait... it may take some time, it may happen right away... but as you are faithful, watch as God shows up and shows HIS faithfulness! 

Let's Step It UP A NOTCH! Are you with me? 

#171 - Cowboy Up!

Good morning! It's going to be a great day because THIS IS THE DAY the LORD has made! Praise the Lord! Do I hear and Amen out there from wherever you are sitting?? Well, good! Amen. Let's get started.

Proverbs 21:31 - The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance and victory are of the Lord.

I remember reading this verse sometime when I lived at home with my parents. I remember that it stood out to me so, that I wrote it on an index card and pinned it on the wall next to my bedroom door. It's funny, because even today when I go home to visit and sleep in my old room, there it is, still on the wall, still pinned up for me to read. Today, it also jumped out with significance.

As a bit of a continuation from yesterday's devotion, "Endure because You Win!", I'd like to piggy-back off of some of the concepts from yesterday. Something that the Holy Spirit pressed on me heavily yesterday was this, "Press Back In! Press Back IN! PRESS BACK IN!" Have you ever started something with fervor and diligence, with excitement, to only find yourself a month, two months later just going through the "hum-drum" of life, no longer diligent in that area? What you began was a worthy pursuit, but in the process of pursuing you lost your consistency, you lost your drive, you lost your excitement? Well... I have been guilty of that.

Tyler sent me a voice note this morning while he was driving to an appointment. As he usually does, he was listening to a "Self-Improvement/Success" CD. In his message to me, he just reminded me of a couple who had arrived to a place in life where we aspire to be. He said, "Amy, this couple is no better than us, they just more consistently pursued their dream with focus. We can do that." He is right. God is no respecter of persons. If God has done something for one person, He can do it for you! God does not make any junk. You & I are already winners! We fought the odds and came out victorious! Are you trying to think of how you have done that? Well, think back to even the beginning! You are ONE in 300,000,000! That is THREE HUNDRED MILLION! When your parents got together there were 300,000,000 sperm trying to get to that egg! And do you know what? YOU SWAM the FASTEST! You fought the HARDEST! You edged your way in with the most diligence! You WON! You are already a winner. You are no accident! 299,999,999 others lost to you! When you think about it, the odds of winning like you did are probably similar odds to winning the lottery. YOU WON!

What I want to say is this, COWBOY UP! COWGIRL UP! If you, like me, lost some wind out of your sail, lost some diligence along the way, TODAY is the day to get back up! Get back on that horse! The HORSE is made ready for battle, but the VICTORY is of the LORD! What is your responsibility? Your responsibility is to BE PREPARED! BE ON THAT HORSE! Then... the cool thing is this, the "Victory" part is the Lord's responsibility! You just need to be prepared! You need to be in your place. You need to be doing YOUR JOB diligently. What is that? I'm sure you know exactly what it is for you... but here are some possibilities: Do you want to get pregnant? Maybe it's your job to get your body in shape to prepare for carrying a child. Do you want to be a light in your workplace for Jesus? Maybe to do so, you need to have more WORD in you to be prepared to share with people, maybe you need to be more girded up and strengthened by having a regular "Quiet Time" with just you and the Lord? Do you want to be a better mom? Wife? Maybe "COWGIRL UP" means evaluating your calendar and taking some things OFF of it so you can focus time on your family, raising up godly warriors? Learning to say one of the most spiritual words out there, "NO" and not adding more things to your plate, but taking away. Maybe you have a Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, Amway, Premier jewelry business and you've lost your "umph" to add partners to your team, or sell products. Maybe for you it means getting your "handshake on" and reaching out to people. God has the people out there that are looking for what YOU have!

Cowboy up! Get back on that horse! NOW is the time like the Holy Spirit said to me, "PRESS BACK IN! PRESS BACK IN! PRESS BACK IN!"

Give God something to work with! Remember, the VICTORY is HIS responsibility. Your responsibility is to be diligent and prepared! When it's time for battle, to be on YOUR horse, be prepared! Don't leave your horse running into battle by himself! COWBOY UP!

____________________________

Check out our upcoming little blessing! :) 

We are expecting this to be our little "Trin-Trin"! Trinity Faith.  Since I'm around 16 weeks pregnant right now, the Doctor officially tells us around 20 weeks. She'll be a blessing & Tyler Junior will be a GREAT big brother!

"YES YOU! COWBOY UP!" :)
Doesn't he look like a politician in this picture?! HA! Minus the jello on his head! 

#70 - DON'T BE MOVED!

Top of the mornin' to ya. :) Can you hear my accent? Irish? :) lol. I sometimes sit around and say things that make MYSELF laugh. It's a good thing I can entertain myself. I laughed yesterday as I was recalling something that my grandpa often reminds me of..... he says, "Amy Jo... when you were little, it was so funny. You just looked up at me and said, 'Grandpa, I just like myself so much I can't keep from smiling.'" To this day, he is still tickled by that comment I made as maybe a 5 year old child. It is pretty funny! :) lol. "I just like myself so much, I can't keep from smiling." But, you know what, that's how we should be now! We should be so happy with life, with God, with who we are and where we are going (because we are Christians and are following a divine plan), we should be so excited because the FAVOR of God is all over us, ALL THE TIME, that we cannot keep from smiling. :-D ---- Maybe today... when you are driving down the road, or walking to class, to a meeting, to an appointment, while you are working out, cooking dinner.... just practice the art of SMILING. :) Just SMILE. You can just be silent. You don't have to talk. Just SMILE. If you need something to smile about, recall all of the "HIGHLIGHTS" in your life. Like movie previews, showing the best parts... go through your life and see the previews. Smile at the main events. Think on the best moments that you have lived up to this point. And... even smile at what is to come. How GOD is going to use you in mighty ways to bless and further HIS Kingdom. Like YOURSELF so much that YOU can't keep from smiling! Smile so that people ASK YOU, "Why are you smiling? Why are you so happy?" What a testimony that is, just from a smile?! :) 


Ok... let's roll today. 


Today's Scheduled Reading: Proverbs 16, Psalms 16, 46, 76, 106, 136, Proverbs 31:10-31


I'm going to give you my highlights of the scriptures that jumped out to me this morning in a different way. I'm going to run them all together. I really think it tells a story... check out this.....

IN JUDAH God is known and renowned; His name is highly praised and is great in Israel. Our fathers in Egypt understood not nor appreciated Your miracles; they did not earnestly remember the multitude of Your mercies nor imprint Your loving-kindness on their hearts, but they were rebellious and provoked the Lord at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake to prove the righteousness of the divine character, that He might make His mighty power known. To Him Who earnestly remembered us in our low estate and imprinted us on His heart, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever. Be still, and know, recognize and understand, that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life. Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain because it is not lasting, but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised! (Psalms 76:1, 106:7-8, 136:23, 46:10, 16:8, Proverbs 16:17, 31:30)

How is HIS name in YOUR home? In YOUR life? God wants to be KNOWN! Not just in JUDAH, not just in ISRAEL, but he wants to be known in YOUR LIFE! He wants to be known in your home, at your address. 2121 Main Street, WhereILive USA. Put your address there! He wants to be KNOWN THERE! 


Look at it, a WHOLE generation FORGOT. A whole GENERATION forgot about the miracles that GOD DID! "They did not earnestly remember the multitude of Your mercies nor imprint Your loving-kindness on their hearts." Do you realize, WE are, right now, WE are a generation following His miracles....not only following them, but in the midst of them. He is STILL performing them today! Do you know what, He wants US to remember HIS miracles. Often, not only in the time of the Bible, but also just in times past, stories would get passed down from generation to generation. In order to REMEMBER. In order to REMEMBER. Remember what ancestors had done. To remember what Great, Great, Great, Great Grandpa Abraham had done. But, now, we do not just have stories, we have those stories in WRITING! The actual events written down exactly how they had taken place. Miracles. What God did in Egypt JUST to bring His people out of a land of slavery. Miracle after Miracle after Miracle! What GOD performed through Moses to bring out GOD'S CHOSEN people into a land flowing with milk and honey. We are a generation that did not live during that time, but we can STILL REMEMBER. Do you remember? Have the stories been passed down from your parents, from their parents, from their parents? Have the stories continued? Are you passing them down to your children? The great and MIGHTY works that GOD did so that HIS PEOPLE would have FREEDOM!!! Would be released from the slavery they experienced in Egypt. If you do not remember, NO FEAR.... the EXACT details of the story are ALL written down so that YOU COULD REMEMBER!!! So that you could pass it down to your children. 


Even though a generation had forgotten, had forsaken God, but needed help in a time of trouble....they had forgotten, forsaken and turned their backs on God. Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake to prove the righteousness of the divine character, that He might make His mighty power known. He SAVED and FORGAVE a generation that had forgotten Him. 


What does He want US to do? To set the Lord continually before us, to NOT be moved. Friends are pulling you down? Don't be moved! Your marriage has been rocky? Don't be moved! Your finances have been in trouble? Don't be moved! You've experienced a sickness? Don't be moved! You have lost your job? Don't be moved! You're trying to launch out with a business and you've had set-back after set-back? Don't be moved! You are trying to overcome an addiction? Don't be moved! 


WHY? WHY NOT BE MOVED? - Because MY GOD, YOUR GOD, THE SAME GOD of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, the VERY same God that sent the 10 plagues (In Exodus- frogs, lice, boils, locusts, hail, darkness, etc...) in order to FREE HIS PEOPLE. THAT GOD, is the SAME GOD of ANY problem you may be facing today! He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! When Moses said, "LET MY PEOPLE GO." And Pharoah continued to say, "NO"... God was going to SHOW HIS POWER until HE WAS KNOWN! God was GOING to WIN, eventually, and HE DID! (Like now... if Tyler Jr is putting up a fight when I change his diaper... MAMA is going to WIN every time! One day he will be over 6 feet tall, but it's going to take a LONG time for him to be stronger than MAMA! :) ) 


REMEMBER! Do not be like the generation that forgot. Yes... even if you forget and get in trouble, whine, complain, finally cry out to God, yes out of His mercy may drag you out of your problem again. He will SHOW OUT His Power to be KNOWN! BUT, DON'T FORGET! Stop forgetting the GOD you serve! Stop forgetting that HE STILL is in the MIRACLE business! Whatever your situation, GOD CAN PULL YOU OUT! PRESS IN! Is it urgent? Is it a pretty important situation? Problem? Well, get serious! PRESS IN TO GOD! Press in like your life depended on it. PRESS IN and WATCH GOD SHOW UP! 


"The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life." - You are on a HIGHWAY. Choose to TURN from evil. Choose to GUARD your way and what will happen? Your VERY LIFE will be preserved! Think about it.... what do preservatives in food do? They make your food last longer! They can be in your fridge or on your shelf for longer. While you are on this highway of life, TURN FROM EVIL, GUARD your thoughts, your mind, your eyes, choose careful your association, choose careful the movies or TV you watch, the internet sites you go on. BY GUARDING your way, you are PRESERVING your life so that while you are on the SHELF of life, you can LAST LONGER! 


GOD IS A GOD OF MIRACLES! DO NOT FORGET HOW MIGHTY HE IS! He is NOT to small for your problem! He is IN THE BUSINESS to clean up and fix things. HE can FIX YOU. He can FIX the problems you are facing! Just turn and go to Him!