LET'S MAKE A DEAL???

This morning my annual trek through the Bible had me in Genesis 28.

Great chapter. The kind of drama you pay to see on the big screen. Jacob cheats his older brother Esau out of the family blessing and then has to hightail it out of dodge before big brother goes all "Al Pacino" on him and makes him "say hello to my little friend."

His first night on "Survivor Island" Jacob sleeps under the stars and has an incredible encounter with God where God makes Jacob some huge promises (Genesis 28:12-15).

When you really experience God, it's not anything like meeting Mr. Rogers. It's awesome. And I don't mean that in the slang sense of the word. It's absolutely terrifying.

Jacob woke up and said, "God is in this place... And I didn't even know it." He was terrified. He whispered in awe, "Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God's house." (Genesis 28:16-17)

He didn't know what else to do so he built an altar, poured some oil on it and attempted to make a deal with God.

This is the part that stood out to me this morning.

Esau was the man. Think Bruce Willis in Die Hard. He drove a Ford truck and he was Ford tough...

Jacob, on the other hand, was a momma's boy. Think Ryan Seacrest.

Everything Jacob had was a result of running a con, scheme or cutting a deal... His name even means, "schemer."

Now he wants to make a deal with God...

Here are a few of the thoughts that came out of my S.O.A.P. exercise.


S - Scripture:

Genesis 28:20-22 (ESV), Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you."


O - Observation:

Jacob wanted to make a deal with God. "If God will do this, this and this, then I'll do that... Then the Lord shall be my God..." The problem is God isn't into cutting deals!

He is God. He demands surrender.

Thought: No wonder Jacob spent several years working for a scoundrel like Laban; and all night in a wrestling match with God that ultimately left him somewhat disabled... God wants surrender. PERIOD.


A - Application:

I need forgiveness for the many times I attempt to cut a deal with God. God doesn't want a deal. He wants my heart in complete and utter surrender...holding nothing back...

Will I be like Jacob, "If you do this, then I'll do that?" Or I will I be like Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him." (Job 13:15)

Will I be like Jacob or the three Hebrew children, "...the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18)?


P Prayer:

Oh, God help me to live a fully surrendered life.

Help me to live the truth of Romans 12:1 (MSG), So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.

Heavenly Father, here's my life. I surrender it completely to you.

___________________________________

So, what about you? Tried to make any deals with God, lately? Or have you finally gotten to the place where you're ready to simply surrender?

Thought: when Flight 1549 left took off from LaGuardia, the plane's first officer, Jeff Skiles, handled the takeoff. When it was apparent that the situation was quicly deteriorating and they were in deep weeds, Skiles said two important words: "Your aircraft."

At that point Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger took over and made history with his incredible leadership and life saving landing in the waters of the Hudson.

The transaction between First Officer Skiles and Captain Sullenberger is interesting. Skiles had less experience flying an airbus... But maybe something else was involved in that handoff - "Your aircraft."

It's one thing to commandeer a plane with more than 150 passengers when the skies are clean, the engines are strong and everything is "A" okay. It's another thing to be the Captain when your taking a nose dive and have to make life or death decisions in the matter of a few seconds. At that point, you're ready to surrender control. "Your aircraft."

Eventually Jacob came to that place in his life where He had to say, "Your aircraft. Your life. Your lead. I surrender."

It took Jacob more than 14 years of hard work where he regularly got cheated out his wages, a damaged relationship with his own brother, betrayal by his brother in law and an all night wrestling match with God. But he finally surrendered.

How about you? What's it going to take before you surrender?

Are you going to continue to say, "My aircraft. My life. My decisions. Let's make a deal?"

Or will you bow your knee and say, "Your aircraft. Your life. Your will. I surrender."

God doesn't want to make a deal. He demands surrender.