Gen 17:15-17 (NIV) God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. (NIV) I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

Jesus, help me see this incredible work of God, as He put this whole plan together. He gave Abraham the assignment of walking through the land that He wanted to give the Children of Isreal once they came into existence. And, the other major assignment was to believe that God was going to give he and Sarah, his wife, a child. Show me how they felt as Abraham and Sarah kept getting older and older until it looked impossible for them to have a child. But, contrary to Abraham’s laughter, he had a son, Isaac, at a hundred and Sarah was ninety. Help that build my faith.

Jesus show me how Abraham was so very much committed to his assignment and resisted most of the evil temptations in his life.

Isaac’s Assignment was to raise two boys, twins, in the ways of God and to pronounce a very powerful and special prophecy over his youngest son Jacob. Here are the events of their birth: Gen 25:21-23 (NIV) Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Gen 26:24 (NIV) That night the LORD appeared to him (Isaac) and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” Jesus, show me how God will still fulfill His plan even if I am not committed to His assignment and fail to do what I am supposed to do. God still got the prophecy pronounced even though Isaac had to be tricked into pronouncing the powerful and special prophecy over Jacob.

Jesus, help me be like Isaac where he resisted most of the evil temptations that came his way on a personal level. But, help me not be like him where he pretty much failed as a leader and a father.

Gen 28:14-15 (NIV) Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Jesus, help me see how God worked around Jacob’s attitudes and character. Jacob’s assignment was to have twelve sons and to raise them in the ways of God.

Jesus, show me that Jacob spent most of his life cheating people trying to get rich. He never did realize that his assignment was his sons. But, help me see that God worked around all this and saw to it that Jacob fulfilled his assignment. Also help me learn how God work it out where Jacob finally did make it right with Esau for cheating him out of his birth right and the blessing pronounced over him from his father through deception. If there is anything in my life like that, forgive me and heal me.

Jesus, show me that even though Jacob failed to be committed to his assignment over his twelve sons, and even though he failed to resist the temptation to cheat those that got in his way to riches, God saw to it that those twelve sons were born and protected. Let that help me see that He can help me, if I will just listen to Him.

Gen 37:6-7 (NIV) He (Joseph) said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” Gen 37:9 (NIV) Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” Jesus, show me the incredible commitment and resistance Joseph had so as to fulfill his assignment.

Jesus, let me allow Joseph’s attitudes and character stand out to me as I watch him obey You. Help me see that Joseph’s assignments were to get to Egypt and be trained to rule second in command to Pharoah; and, he was to invite Jacob and the other eleven sons to move to Egypt. Help me learn from him how to fulfill my life assignments.

Jesus, help me see the interesting thing about Joseph’s assignment. Show me that he had no control over getting to Egypt, where he was trained, or how he was going to rule second in command to Pharoah. But, he did have the freedom to choose what his attitudes and character were going to be. Help me see that Joseph was very committed to God and resisted all temptations to sin. He was an incredible example of true commitment and true resistance.

Exo 3:7-10 (NIV) The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.”

“And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

Jesus, You gave Moses a lot of assignments. Help me learn and grow as I read about him getting the Children of Israel out of Egypt, getting the Ten Commandments, getting God’s rules for living life (the laws of Moses), getting the Tent Of Meeting constructed and functioning. and getting the Children of Israel to the promised land. Help me follow Moses example because he was extremely committed to the assignments of God and resisted all but one temptation. Help me learn from his mistake where he was to speak to a rock to get water out of it; but, instead, he hit it. Help me understand that the rock was representative of Jesus and Moses’ actions indicated that Jesus would be crucified more than once.

Gen 12:1 (NIV) The LORD had said to Abram (Abraham), “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. Jesus, when I start wondering WHAT my life assignment is, I am probably wondering what God’s goal is for me. I am asking Him to tell me WHAT my purpose is. I will probably imagine various THINGS God might be calling me to. But, there was something VERY special about Abraham and Joseph that I need to learn about life assignments.

Rom 4:3 (NIV) What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Jesus, help see that even though Abraham ultimately had a clear picture of WHAT his life assignment was, his assignment didn’t get started until he was committed enough to obey God, pack up, and leave home without specific knowledge of his destination. Abraham had a special relationship with God. Help me see that, that is the most important assignment.

• Heb 11:8 (NIV) By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, OBEYED and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Jesus, help me be that way; show me that I don’t need to know WHAT God wants to do THROUGH me until I allow Him to accomplish WHAT He needs to do IN me. Teach me that my attitudes and character are WHAT make me a success in life. You will be judging all mankind on what kind of attitudes and character PRODUCED the deeds of their life. Help me accept my first life assignment to be to seek God!


• Heb 11:9 (NIV) By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. Jesus, help me understand that even though Isaac and Jacob weren’t very committed to God, the reason they were in the country that was going to be the home of the Children of Israel was, because Abraham obeyed God. Let my obedience lay a foundation for many people to build on. Let my commitment to God and resistance to wrong, bad, and evil, effect the people around me.


• Heb 11:10 (NIV) For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Jesus, help me see that even though Abraham was GOAL oriented, he had the right goal. Even though Abraham had a plan, he had the right plan. Even though Abraham had a strategy, he had the right strategy. Even though Abraham emplemented his plan, he emplemented the right plan. And, even though Abraham reached his goal, he reached the right goal.
  
  Jesus, show me what Abraham was motivated to commit to: He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Help me be clear on the fact that he built his relationship with God. His goal was to do what it took to obey God no matter what the cost. Show me that, THAT produced a very special result in his earthly life assignments.


• Heb 11:11 (NIV) By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was ENABLED to become a father because he CONSIDERED Him faithful Who had made the promise. Jesus, help me not be like Isaac and Jacob who didn’t give these issues much thought. Isaac was more of a laid back sort of guy. Jacob was quite aggressive but as a cheat, thief, and a coveteous person. His mind was on wealth most of his life. Help me learn from Abraham who was quite wealthy; but, it was because of the blessings that came through righteousness.


• Heb 11:12 (NIV) And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
  
  Jesus, what’s my life assignment? Help me see that it is to put my full trust and commitment into God. And, it is to resist my body’s desires, the world’s systems, and the devil’s temptations. AND, as I reach this goal, show me that the blessings and accomplishments of my life will be godly, righteous, pure, and very successful. Help me be an Abraham, a Joseph, and a Moses. Empower me to commit to God and resist my body, the world, and the devil.

Rom 12:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your BODIES as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this WORLD, but BE transformed by the renewing of your mind. THEN you will be ABLE to test and approve what God’s will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will. Jesus, show me that my life on earth will be VERY successful and my rewards in heaven will be VERY great, as I grow spiritually through these examples.