Own It!
Exodus 17:15 Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner;
When you’re called – Own It!
When you’re tested – Own It!
When you’re sold into slavery – Own It!
When you’re fired up – Own It!
When you’re wrong – Own It!
When you’re wronged – Own It!
When you’re instructed – Own It!
When you’re tortured – Own It!
Just Own It!
This is not a normal directive people want to hear when they come to you for encouragement, sympathy, or peace. When dramatic trouble happens, we desperately need to share it. We want everyone to FEEL our pain, thinking that the shared “freak out” will calm us, the victim. We really want someone to take it from us with their magic words of healing. At the very least we want to be on the center stage of their thoughts, prayers, and activity.
I think most of us would love to be able to give them what they want. We’d love to be declared the savior. We’d love to think we could handle the events MUCH BETTER than they are.
There are just two things I want to point out before you go about throwing down the gauntlet, “Own It!” to every victim of today’s troubles (don’t worry there will be plenty to practice on each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34)… we already DO own it.
Whether we want to or not, we really do OWN our days. Whether we realize it or not, no one else can live our day for us. Owning it is NOT the new directive for encouragement, neither is the building an altar and hanging a banner.
As Adam’s children we all, everyone of us, believe we have the right to be in control (own) of living life the way we demand. When Adam and Eve attached blame, they were not giving away their altar building permit or the authority to name it and claim it. Through blame, they were simply trying to FIX the evidence in their favor and mitigate the consequences to someone else.
Our inheritance from Adam… is an altar dedicated to me. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)
They taught me how make it my own. The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. (Genesis 3:7) It’s ok this will work – just a minor glitch! In fact, maybe we open our own House of Design. (Thousands of years from now our product will work well for those who fear the destruction of the planet and wish for a Green New Deal.)
They even showed me the best bet was to proactively mitigate the consequences by re-telling their story. It was theirs but they didn’t own ALL of it!
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden…
God: Where are you?
Adam: I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.
God: Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?
Adam? Maybe, BUT… the woman YOU gave me… Eve?… the serpent deceived me…
They owned everything but the WHOLE TRUTH.
THEY were LUSTING (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life) to fill their own altar with all things they considered worth having, NOT lusting for ALL THINGS GOD. They built their altar and named it “Adam and Eve Rock and Rule!”
PLEASE hear me… I am not saying that all trouble that attacks me is my fault, or is punishment for some sin I have committed. But I am saying… all trouble is a result of giving evil access to God’s possession.
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places… John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
When Adam and Eve ate from the tree the knew good and evil – and the difference between the two. Before they ate they only knew good and lived in a world where evil was not allowed – a perfect world!
We live in a world that is groaning with labor pains to be re-born perfect again. Until that time comes (and it will – God promises), there is more than enough TROUBLE! Let’s Own ALL of It! Let’s do what Adam and Eve didn’t do. Let’s build an altar and name it… The Lord is My Banner!!!!!!!
Even after Adam and Eve gave evil access to God’s Kingdom (which is the reason they HAD TO be sent out of Paradise… Perfect Goodness could not live with evil & protection was necessary to prevent them from eating from the tree of life, making this event eternal), I believe, had they acknowledged the difference they now knew between good and evil, and knowing, they chose and confessed with every fiber of their life, to love and serve The One and Only Perfect Good God, evil would have been defeated.
Had they owned the knowledge the fruit of the tree provided, their banner would have said, “The Lord is My Banner!”! Victory over the enemy of God and His possessions, would have been theirs!
As an encourager, I can not promise a happy, healthy and wise life. I also cannot judge and condemn anyone for lack of such a life (John 8:7 “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”). But I can say to myself and others, especially in time of trouble and stress… Let’s Own It… Let’s Own ALL of it!
When you’re called, like Moses – Own It! He built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner;
When you’re tested, like Job – Own It! He did not sin nor did he blame God… He worshipped Him, “ Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21-22)
When you’re sold into slavery like Joseph – Own It! He did his best and became the authority second only to the king. When it came time to reveal the truth, he did not boast of his own hard times or his hard work to succeed. He said to the brothers who had done the dirty deed, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis 50:19-20)
When you’re fired up – Own It!… check out Daniel!
When you’re wrong – Own It!… check out David!
When you’re wronged – Own It!… check out Jesus!
When you’re tortured – Own It!… check out Timothy and Paul and Peter and James and John!
You get the message. After the shock of hitting a brick wall in life… start building your altar! Not an altar to display the drama nor to display your war wounds. Build an altar to display whom you love and serve!
We all build altars and they do indeed bear evidence of whom they are dedicated to. Make sure in the midst of your grief, and suffering, and confusion, you NAME IT with the only NAME that loves you enough to SAVE YOU!
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Own It! Build It! Name It!
The Lord is My Banner!!!!!!!!
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.