Parasha Noach (Noach)

From Rabbi Jack...

Something that Ellen often says to me when I'm doing stuff in the kitchen, and of course making a mess, "Look at the big picture." She means that I should not only be considering the food preparation but also looking ahead to the cleanup. Yes, I tend to be focused on what I am doing without considering the mess I'm making, which she eventually has to clean up, hence "the big picture." Let us face it, the kitchen is the wife's domain.

At times none of us see the big picture in our lives. We tend to focus on the minute, the hour, or the day, rarely taking into consideration where God is leading us and what He wants us to see or where He may be directing us (the big picture). We are all too often so focused on ourselves and the here and now that we fail to consider what God is seeing and what He is focused on. Every decision we make has the possibility of affecting our friends and especially our families, so we always need to see the big picture. Yes, we are so fixated on our daily lives, getting and spending, that we are neglectful of the big picture.

I am sure most have heard the saying; "Can't see the forest for the trees." Well often in our relationship with God, we are so focused on what we want (the trees) that we do not see what God wants (the forest).

Ezekiel {37:1-3} {37:1} "The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. {37:2} Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed, they were very dry. {37:3} And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So, I answered, "O Lord God, You know."

Ezekiel was narrow-focused. What he saw was a pile of disjointed dried-up bones scattered over a valley, but God was seeing the big picture. God was seeing the children of Israel, a spiritually dead, dried-up nation, ready to return to life. All that was needed was for Ezekiel to see the big picture and prophesy to the bones and they would live. Never let the trees in your life obscure the forest of possibilities God has for you.

Hi Ellen here…

I know many people have "father" issues and I am so sorry because this could be the basis for the choices we make in life. My dad was great! Not that he did not have his own problems, but I remember the good. When I was a teenager, he gave me very wide boundaries and left me to make many of my own decisions…sometimes good and sometimes bad. My dad credited my good decisions and also acknowledged my bad and my consequences were way less than they should have been. In addition, he…and I do not know how he did it, knew where I was always, and made sure I returned safely. Sounds like a Father we all share as Believers…yes, our Heavenly Abba.

What is on my heart today is that I do not think every person who has received Yeshua as their Lord really knows how much He is our Abba! He watches over us, He directs our path, He gives us more chances than we deserve as we repent and continue to come to Him in surrender. Our Abba is here with you, and He is here with me; all we have to do is ask. My dad is not with us anymore but I think of him every day and thank God for the time we had together. Our Heavenly Abba is always with us…come to Him today and His embrace will surround you.

Yours in Messiah Yeshua, "…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua." (Titus 2:13)

Rabbi Jack & Ellen

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