DAILY READING
REFLECTION
A Better Way
by Ken Dillman
We sometimes find ourselves living in a cynical culture in which pessimism, negativity, and doubt are palpable in the lives of those we live, work, and play with every day, and it can be easy for the Christian to get swept up into the cynicism without even realizing it.
In Genesis 17, God promised Abraham and Sarah that their offspring would become many nations; both laughed at the prospect of becoming parents--Abraham at ninety-nine and Sarah at ninety. Sarah’s laugh was one of cynicism, while Abraham laughed at the idea that God would bless him at ninety-nine. As believers, we hope in what God reminded Jeremiah of, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27)
Cynicism can be a destructive infinite cycle, in which negativism begets negativism, when we fail to realize that God can take our negative experiences and use them for his glory. Throughout the Bible, famous people allowed negativity and cynicism to compel them to make decisions that were never what God intended for their lives, and unfortunately with significant hurtful outcomes (Gen. 25:29-34, Ex. 2:11-15, Mark 14:66-72).
In our text for today, Isaac and Rebekah had been unable to conceive for twenty years, much like his parents, and later like their son Jacob and his wife Rachel. Isaac was a devout and godly man; rather than getting mired in doubt and negativity, he prayed for his wife (Gen. 25:21) and God answered Isaac’s prayers. Rebekah was so surprised by her conception, and the fact she was carrying twins, that she asked God, “Why is this happening to me;” (Gen. 25:22) to Rebekah, it was all such an unlikely thing.
God assured Rebekah that her pregnancy was part of his plan, and that the two children in her would become two unique nations; Jacob and Esau were immensely different men that God would use for his purposes.
Jesus taught that we, as his followers, are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14); a light that can outshine the darkness of cynicism without becoming part of it. Christians can choose to be people who pray and trust God by faith when we can’t make sense of our experiences or the world in which we live, as Isaac did. Our world needs that kind of counterculture hope rather than cynicism.
PRAYER
Dear Jesus,
You have made us lights of the world through your light. Help us, as your followers, to shine the light of hope and love into the lives of people who need it the most. Help us to not get caught up in the cynicism of our world but show the world a better way. Amen.
Nice job, Ken. This is a very insightful devotional. I hope there are many more to come.