“You, like Jacob, are part of God’s delivery system of hope. You are a courier of his covenant. . . . We are the rough stones; he is the lapidary. . . . Rather than grumble about the people who irritate you, see them for what they are — God’s training tool. He is teaching […]
“Life with a Laban can leave us wondering if we are making a difference. The truth is, we aren’t, but God is! Wherever we go we carry God’s blessings with us , blessings that overflow into the life of others. How good of God! He wants to bless even the Labans of the world. He […]
“Let’s talk about the Laban in your life. I know. You’d rather not. You’d rather talk about something — someone — more pleasant. Your Laban is . . . demanding . . . conniving . . . deceptive . . . manipulative. . . . A future with no Laban, for the time, is not […]
“We crack under pressure. Like Esau, we give in to the cravings that gnaw at our guilt. Like Jacob, we connive and control. Who wants to use a broken vessel? God does. His grace never quits.”- Max Lucado In Chapter 6 (“Domestic Turf Wars”) of God Never Gives Up on You, Max Lucado observes that […]
“You find yourself far from home, far from hope, and far from the life you’d hoped to find. You’re working hard on an advanced degree from the University of Hard Knocks, and graduation seems forever away. If that describes you, before you blame Laban or scowl at Leah, take a long look in the mirror.”- […]
“Aren’t we all [a bit of a mess]? Like [Jacob], our spiritual walk follows a crooked path. . . . Our bad habits scuttle our good intentions. And we wonder, does God have a plan for us? The answer through Jacob is ‘yes.’ Our failures are great, but God’s grace is greater.”- Max Lucado “Those […]
“Nothing stunts spiritual development more than a flea market view of God. If you and I think he is puny enough to need our help, we’ll soon abandon our pursuit of him. . . . God does not exist for us. We exist for God.”- Max Lucado “That they may know that you alone, whose […]
“Dare we hinge our belief on God’s response to our prayers? A working term for this might be transactional theology. Transactional theology presupposes that we meet God on equal terms. He’s got what I want. I know what he wants. So we reach an agreement. . . . Really? On what basis do we negotiate […]
“The fugitive had not been abandoned. The trickster had not been cast aside. God committed himself to the lifelong care of Jacob. . . . There is, thus far, not one mention of Jacob in prayer, Jacob in faith, or Jacob in the earnest pursuit of God. Even so, God drenched his undeserving fugitive with […]
“In that desolate moment . . . God will meet you. You will sense and see him as never before. Do not begrudge the barren stretches, for in the barrenness we encounter God. We find the presence of God. Jacob did. And no one was more surprised than he.”- Max Lucado “[Jacob] took one of […]
“What shortcuts are we taking in life? God has promised to give us all we need. . . . All we need to do is wait on God. But he is so slow! His timing is out of sync with ours. So we cut corners. . . . We deceive . . . with lies, […]
“Neither are you [an exception to acceptance]. So for heaven’s sake, accept your acceptance.”- Max Lucado, God Never Gives Up on You “Now thank we all our God / With hearts and hands and voices, / Who wondrous things has done, / In whom His world rejoices; / Who from our mother’s arms / Has […]