Scrabble

Genesis 11:1-13:4

Matthew 5:1-26

Psalm 5:1-12

Proverbs 1:24-27

This morning I started my day reading the beginning of Esther. I know, this is not in the passages for today. But hear me out! Esther had a lot that was out of her control - even though she fell into orphan life, she got picked up by Mordecai, taken into the King's Palace, and welcomed into the role of queen, ultimately saving God's people from being wiped out! My takeaway was that God puts us in places for reasons and that he uses people in crazy ways that we couldn't imagine ourselves. Sometimes I feel like it's a bit similar to the game of Scrabble: We are the letters, God is the speller. We each have our own identity, but God will put us where we can score the most points for Him.

Today's one year reading starts off in Genesis. Chapters 11 and 12 really contain a lot of historical events. They take place after God delivered Noah safely off the ark (God put Noah on the ark so that He could make humanity better). The people he left behind all spoke one language, and came together to build a tower to Heaven, ignoring God's instructions. God says "hmmm, don't think so!" God scattered people all over the earth in order to prevent man's wicked plans. Then we hear the account of Shem's family line, which leads to Abram and his wife Sarai. Sarai is barren, but we read one of the most famous promises of God to Abram in Chapter 12:2-3. "I will make you into a great nation". God put a barren woman as Abram's wife to show His power (and to remind us of the gift of waiting). Abram enters Egypt and instructs Sarai to pretend she is his sister, not his wife. God used Abram despite his imperfections. The end of the chapter has a wealthy Abram traveling "from place to place", but ultimately returning to Bethel, where he first built an altar and called upon the Lord. Bethel in Hebrew means "house of God". God brings us to places that are significant. And Abram called upon his name and worshipped Him.

God uses YOU despite your imperfections. God has put you in a place for a reason. God's timing is perfect. God wants you to score points for Him!

I encourage you to delve into scripture asking the "whys", because we can see God's hands working in amazing ways. Even when we don't know the reason behind why we are in certain places/positions, we can have faith that God will use it for His glory if we let him, and what a great thing that is!