Thought for August 30

 History:

• 1146: Crossbow outlawed--intended to end war for all time
• 1835: Melbourne Australia founded
• 1862: Battle of Altamont TN
• 1890: First law requiring inspection of meat products
• 1927: Helen Wills Moody wins her 4th of 7 US Open titles
• 1939: Yamamoto named Commander in Chief of Japanese fleet
• 1954: Hurricane Carol kills 68
• 1956: Lake Pontchartrain Causeway opens
• 1961: James Parsons named first black US District Court Judge
• 1963: Kremlin-Pentagon hot line established
• 1967: Thurgood Marshall confirmed as first black Supreme Court Justice
• 1993: Late Show with David Letterman premiers
• 2020: Covid death toll at 843,000
• Born: Mary Shelley, Shirley Booth, Roy Wilkins, Joan Blondell, Fred MacMurray, Ted Williams, Kitty Wells, Angelo Dundee [Ali], Warren Buffett, Bruce McLaren [racer], Jean-Claude Killy, Tug McGraw, Peggy Lipton [Mod Squad], Robert Parrish, Cameron Diaz, Andy Roddick
• Died: JJ Thomson [discovered the electron], Vera-Ellen [White Christmas], Charles Bronson, Glenn Ford, Wes Craven, Valerie Harper, 

Thought:

Reading the story of Rebekah being selected as a bride for Isaac this morning [Genesis 24]. You recall Abraham wanted his son to marry a kinsman, not a Canaanite. So Abraham sent a servant to find a wife--and he certainly chose the right servant. That servant prayed for the Lord to show him the woman Isaac should marry [24:12] and before he could finish his prayer, the Lord answered and here came Rebekah. 

Many of us prayed for the Lord to direct our sons and daughters [and now grandsons and granddaughters] to the right spouse. And God has answered many of those prayers. But the verses that caught my attention today are 24:50-51. When Abraham's servant tells Laban and Bethuel [Rebekah's brother and father] the story about how he picked Rebekah, he asks them if they will deal kindly with Abraham. Look at their response, "The matter comes from the lord, so we cannot speak to you bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go and let her be the wife of your master's son, the Lord has spoken." 

What a powerful truth and what a great lesson for me today. O that the world would act like Laban and Bethuel. God has spoken--that's it. We don't have anything to add or subtract. We don't have anything to discuss. We don't have anything to debate. The Lord has spoken. Lord, help me apply that to my thoughts, attitudes and actions today--You have spoken. That's all I need to know.  This verse immediately brings two things to my mind:

• There is an old saying--God said it, I believe it, that settles it. A preacher once corrected that for me. He said--God said it, that settled it, you can choose whether to believe it or not. But your belief does not change whether or not it is settled--for God said it. 
• When we were building the new campus at Brentwood Baptist, the master plans called for a Deaf Chapel to support that ministry. A close friend was attending Brentwood but was a member of First Baptist in Franklin. I was leading the capital campaign and towards the end, this friend called and asked why I hadn't solicited him for a contribution. I told him he was a member of another church--but if he wanted to join ours, I would certainly solicit him. I told him if the Lord led him to participate we would welcome it but would not solicit the member of another congregation. A few weeks later he called and said that during the worship service the Lord told him to fund the Deaf Chapel. But here is the part relevant to today's scripture--he said he went in and told his wife what the Lord had told him and asked her what she thought. Her answer was right out of Genesis 24--if the Lord told you to do it, why are you asking me!

Today, maybe the Lord will put on your heart something He has said, maybe something you have not responded to. Lord help us answer just like Laban and Bethuel--You have spoken--that's all I need to know.

Blessings

Larry