CONTENTS MAY HAVE SETTLED

“… together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan.
But when they came to Haran, they settled there". Genesis 11:31

Growing up I used to love getting my own box of Cracker Jacks. It’s a sweet popcorn snack with a toy surprise in every box. It was fun to tear open the box to discover what was inside, but sometimes the “surprise” was a half empty box. A manufacturer will usually put a small disclaimer on their product stating that the item is sold by weight and that the “contents may have settled” to assure us that we are getting our monies worth. As an adult I have found that people can surprise us as well. They don’t have little tags letting us know that they have “settled” in some area of our life and will be unable to meet our expectations, whether they are realistic or not. Take a few moments to see if you have “settled” in some area of your life.
    
Stopped short - “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.” Genesis 11:31. Most of us know that Abram was called by God to go to Canaan, but how many of you knew that his father Terah stopped short and settled in Haran? For years I never saw this important fact. Did he get sick? Was the weather too bad? Why did he “settle” in Haran? These are questions we will probably never know on this side of heaven, but the fact remains that Terah never made it to Canaan. Are there any areas of your life in which you have “stopped short” of what you know that God wants? It can be a scary thing to trust God when you can’t see the outcome, but how much of God’s blessings will you miss if you never try?
 
Expected to fail - “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13. There are times in my life when I really believe that I can do “everything through” Christ who “gives me strength”, but there are other times that I struggle with the belief that I “will fail”, whether it is in a work situation or in a personal matter. I could blame it on my personality mix or from a past experience where someone told me in a fit of anger that I would never amount to anything. But it’s in these times that we need to understand that failure is not “falling short” of a goal, failure is “never trying” to reach for your God given goal. If you feel like a failure in some area of your life stop and ask yourself if you are just “falling short” or if your feelings are based on the fact that you have “never tried”. If you “fail to try” you can be almost certain that you will succeed in failing every time, but when you “fall short” you are always closer to success.   
 
Taking short cuts - “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’” Luke 14:28-30. When Jesus taught about discipleship he gave several illustrations showing that there are “no short cuts” to success. God’s plan for our life requires our best; the best of our time, the best in our efforts and the best in our commitment to Him. The same is true in our relationships with others. We can’t be the best husband or wife, the best father or mother, or the best friend if we take short cuts. Ask God to reveal to you if you have taken a “short cut” in any areas of your life. If you have, ask Him how to go about making repairs so you bring glory and honor back to Him in your life.
     
Tenderized your backbone - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9. God was handing over the leadership of His nation from Moses to Joshua. Joshua was facing the daunting task of leading Israel into the Promised Land where Moses had been unable to lead them. Sometimes we need to strengthen our “backbones” when faced with a challenge. We get so frightened by all of the “what if’s” that we forget who is on our side. Just like David when he faced Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:26, we need to draw from God’s strength and say to our challenges, “Who are you to defy the army of the living God?”, then grab our backbones and charge!
 
Listened too little - “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.” Proverbs 1:5. It has often been said that we have two ears and one mouth because we need to listen twice as much as we need to speak. Our words can get us into more trouble than our ears ever could. So why don’t we listen? Why do we rush to judge or have our opinion heard? I believe it’s because we don’t know how to slow down and think. We live in a society where we are constantly bombarded with information which forces us to make decisions we never would have considered as options if we had a clear head. Our desire to be in charge of our lives keeps us from seeking the counsel of those who have more wisdom. It all appears to be a vicious cycle of unending chaos dancing to the beat of unbridled noise. One of my friends used to have a shirt that said, “Louder Than Anything Else!”  Consider this week if you want to be heard or if you want to understand, and if you want to understand are you willing to listen to wise counsel.
 
Entertained compromise - “Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?” Proverbs 20:6. When Terah left for Canaan I don’t believe he thought he would quit the journey at Haran. I am sure he had every intention of going all the way, facing every obstacle and solving every problem. Kathi and I have coached many couples that started out their marriages with the best of intentions of living in harmony for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, the pressures of life bear down on them taking away their security and challenging their faith. It’s the difficult decisions that get us side-tracked in our mission with God. Compromise knocks, our best intentions answer the door and our reputation is kicked to the curb because we weren’t prepared to answer all the questions. Are you facing an issue that begs for you to twist the facts or turn a blind eye to the situation? Will you be faithful or will you take a stand in the doorway?
 
Done absolutely nothing - “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. When we “fail to act” or “do absolutely nothing”, it is a reflection of our distance from God. Jesus said that without Him we won’t be able to accomplish anything, so if we are “doing absolutely nothing” guess who moved? If we want to accomplish something of worth that pleases God we need to reconnect with Him. Jesus told us in Luke 11:9 that when we ask it “will be given”, when we seek it we “will find” and if we knock that the door will be “opened to” us. That gives us a pretty clear road map to success, but will you do it?