Final Exam

Today’s reading is Genesis 22.

Starting at the end of Genesis 11 through today’s reading we learn about Abraham’s life. As I reflect on his life told in these chapters, one of my biggest observations is that Abraham consistently heard the Lord speaking to Him, and then He trusted and obeyed. This occurs many times, but we first see it in Genesis 12 when Abraham is living in Haran and God tells him to go from his country and he will make him a great nation and bless him to be a blessing. It is amazing to me that he obeyed for 2 reasons. First, he was already 75 years old and moving back then didn’t just mean calling Two Men and a Truck or hopping in a car! Secondly, Genesis 13:2 tells us he could have been content because he already had much livestock and gold. Often, it’s harder to trust God when you already have everything you need and feel like you have everything to lose and nothing to gain. However, we must continue to stretch ourselves like Abraham did to have faith and trust and obey. Faith is never a “stay’..it’s always a “go.” If you stay, you don’t need faith and you can’t grow to be all God’s called you to be.

Although it may seem like Abraham had everything, the Lord continued to stretch Abraham to trust in Him with faith, and there were challenges. The biggest challenge being Abraham and his wife Sarah’s inability to have a child. However, God kept his promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child, and they did at Abraham’s age 100 and Sarah’s age 90. Now, we see the final exam or test God gives Abraham. God tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Those of us who have children, can you even imagine? Not to mention the fact that Isaac was the miracle son they had waited for. I can’t even imagine what Abraham must have been thinking. We see in verse 22:1, Abraham says, “Here I am.” He does not ignore God when God is asking him to do something He really doesn’t want to do. Some of you may say you have never heard God speak to you. Well, you may not have heard the audible voice of God, but all of us have heard that little voice in our head saying things like call a certain friend, check in with your child, buy that lady’s meal, take that new career path, join a small group, begin going to church again, spend more time with me in the Word or prayer. Do we stop, listen, trust and obey like Abraham? Or do we completely ignore it thinking of all the barriers and go on busily with our day. I have also observed in my life and the life of others that when we spend more time with the Lord in His Word, prayer, and in church He speaks through those mediums giving us clarity as to the right direction and actions to take. Ask yourself, am I even giving myself an opportunity to hear the Lord speak to me in those ways? Then, am I showing faith and taking action with trust and obedience to Him. or am I just going on quickly to the next thing in my day?

We know that God does not let Abraham sacrifice Isaac. Again, the Lord speaks and Isaac says, “Here I am.” God stops Him from doing so as he takes the knife to kill Isaac. God could have asked Abraham to sacrifice his riches or many other things but God knew he truly had Abraham’s heart when Abraham was willing to give up what was most important to Him in Isaac. This was the final exam so to speak. This was the final test for God to see that Abraham truly trusted Him, and that He alone was enough for Abraham. Once Abraham showed Him this, God tells him in Genesis 22:17 he would not only get to keep his 1 son in Isaac, but he would have offspring numbering as many stars in the sky and sand that is on the seashore. As pastor and author Mark Batterson says, “You can’t out give God.”

As I read this I ask myself, is God enough? Would I give up everything for Him? God may not ask us to give up everything, but I don’t think there is any question He wants our heart..and not just some it…all of it. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us of His steadfast love and that his mercies are new every morning. In the same way He shows His favor upon us which He doesn’t have to do, we must show our gratitude for his saving grace on the cross through our trust and obedience and giving Him our whole heart today and every day, even in our old age until we leave this Earth, just like Abraham did. He is enough.

Sulfur From the Sky

Gen 19

Just a few days ago we were looking at the wickedness of all the people on earth and God’s decision to start over with mankind through Noah and his family. Today, about 10 chapters later we see two cities so wicked that God is moved to wipe them off the earth. When I first saw the topic of this chapter I was shocked that so soon after Noah, an entire people group was so far from God. I did a little research and found that there were actually about 400 years between Noah and Abraham, which helps me understand a bit better how these people ended up where they did. 

I would like to mention here that in my adult Bible reading years, this chapter is one of my least favorite chapters in the Old Testament. I hate reading about people abusing each other and sick depravity in people’s actions. When this chapter is plucked out of the context of Abraham’s life it seems so off the wall crazy that I wonder why it is included. I strongly suggest that you work your way back to at least Gen 18 to get some framework for this terrible set of events. 

Abraham has a long discussion with God to try to find out if God will be fair to people that might be following Him. So God keeps His word to Abraham and sends two angels to search Sodom and Gomorrah for any righteous people. Lot, who is Abrahams nephew meets the angels at the city gates (which lets us know that he was probably a prominent business man or a government official) and invites them to his home for a meal and a place to stay. (This is customary hospitality in this time period as there were no hotels or restaurants. Travelers relied on townspeople for food and rest when traveling.) Here is where the story gets terribly disturbing. The men of the town surround Lot’s house and demand Lots guests come outside so they can rape them. Lot goes outside to try to appease the crowd by offering the men his two daughters (gasp) but the crowd goes nuts and tries to kill Lot so God Has to intervene to save Lot’s life. God blinds the entire crowd, which shocks and scares the men so much that they give up on their rotten intentions and disperse. Back inside the house, the angels tell Lot to gather up the rest of his family and get out of town before God destroys the city. Lot doesn’t appear to grasp how dire this situation is because he drags his feet leaving and the angels have to grab his hand to hurry him out of the city. God tells him to run to the mountains for safety and instead of being grateful for God’s escape route, Lot asks God if he couldn’t please just go to a little village outside of town instead. God graciously agrees but tells the entire family not to look back as they flee for their lives. Then God “rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. He utterly destroyed the people and every bit of vegetation”…but Lot’s wife looked back and she turned into a pillar of salt.  Good Wednesday morning to you all! 

This is a very sick and demented group of people and in a few short verses I think we get a pretty good taste of why God decides to end the wickedness. There is so much that disturbs me in this passage, it’s hard to know where to start, but every time I read it I am dumbfounded as to why any dad’s solution to his guests (strangers) being harmed is to offer his daughters to “do with as you wish”. Really, this is the best he can come up with? I think Lot’s lame solution had more to do with saving his own neck than protecting his family or strangers. Lot had lived so long in a depraved community of people that his moral compass was broken and useless. I think he allowed his life to be shaped by his community instead living a Godly life and influencing those around him to God. I think he was reluctant to leave when God was trying to save his life because he didn’t want to give up all he’d worked for and accomplished in his town. I think I’m starting to understand why this chapter is included. The struggle to conform to your surroundings, and over time forsake God’s ways is a timeless and universal struggle. So I have to ask myself, am I willing to obey God, or do I choose the attractions of my culture? How much of my cultures ways am I willing to tolerate in my life? Am I consistently evaluating my choices with God’s principles? Let’s let this chapter motivate us to consider evaluating our choices today. Let’s take these next 12-14 hours and be mindful of every choice we can recognize and measure each against God’s principles. Let’s be honest and be willing to look for the truth in what motivates us to choose what we choose. 

    The Plan…

    Today’s reading is Genesis 15. The first verse begins with, “After these things…” In the previous chapter, Abraham and just over 300 of his men defeated a much larger army made up of a partnership of four kings and all of their men. Following that victory, Abraham was offered a substantial reward by a king, but turned it away.

    “After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

    God comes to Abraham, comforting him and promising him reward – and Abraham comes back with questions – what can you give me? I’m still childless! You haven’t given me any sons! God sends Abraham outside and has him look at the stars – Look at the stars, can you count them? If you can, that’s how many descendants you will have.

    v. 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

    We know that this isn’t the end of Abram’s story. It was many, many years after this that Isaac was born. Abram had to be reminded of God’s promise and His covenant many times. But way earlier, as we just read – Abraham BELIEVED – and his faith was pleasing to God.

    It’s so easy to doubt God’s promises. If I can’t see the “how” and “when” that God will carry out his plan, my faith falters and disbelief seeps in and sows seeds of discontent. But thankfully God’s promise isn’t dependent on my ability to accept it. It doesn’t even depend on anything I do. The covenant God made with Abraham – made perfect through Jesus’ death and resurrection, is solid and true. It is done. There is nothing expected from me (or you).

    Believe. That’s it. Have faith. God is working out his plan for you (which is good, by the way – see Jeremiah 29:11) And not just faith in general – faith that is specific. God has given us specific promises, here are just a few of them:

    Every one of us is struggling with something today – or, more likely, may somethings. Finances, work stress, over-busy schedules, frustrating co-workers, illnesses, broken relationships, feelings of inadequacy, etc.

    I challenge you today to do one thing: BELIEVE. Believe that God knows these troubles (no matter how big small!) and that He can fix them. Don’t trouble yourself all of the logistics – just listen to his promise(s) and believe that they are true.



    This Gets A Little Messy

    Genesis 8

    On Saturday, Holly-Rae wrote about Noah’s Ark from Genesis 7.  She mentioned that many people believe it to be a metaphor and I was reminded that the reason someone built a replica in Kentucky is to help us understand that these stories are real.  I will admit that when I read the story, I have the same thoughts.  In fact, it’s easier to read Bible stories as metaphors, in order to  pull every ounce of wisdom from them. For example, in today’s reading, I might review the powerful imagery of ravens, doves and olive branches (Genesis 8:6-11).  I’ll reflect on them and consider how they relate to my life today.  I might even work up a strategy or two so that will allow me to be more intentional with my life.  Most of the time I stop right there.  I take the wisdom and don’t even consider, let alone contemplate, the bigger picture.  It’s easier that way.  Truth is, stopping there debases God and the Bible.   In fact, it reduces my relationship with God to a self-help guru or a life coach.  Sure, I will walk away with big thoughts about Noah’s faith and maybe even his leadership capacity.  Those are good things.  But, those are not the purpose of the stories in the Bible.  When I read it right, God reveals to me who he really is.  To get there, I have to get messy.

    Getting messy means that I have to ponder what kind of being, what kind of God, has the ability to do all those things.  In fact, how can that actually be?  I have to poke at my own understanding to determine why this God would do all those things.  I have to wrestle with what is good or bad about it. Even what I like and don’t like.  I have to discover that these are things that God wants to reveal to me about himself but I have to seek them out (Luke 11:9).  In my seeking, I would discover that God is far bigger than a piddly little flood.  This was nothing for him.  I would discover that the answers I find create even bigger questions about who he is and what that means for who I am.  He would reveal to me his righteousness and holiness along side his justice and his mercy.  In fact, I would encounter the mystery of God and begin to realize that there is no way I can really experience him in this lifetime (1 Corinthians 2:7).  In many ways, I would begin to feel like a foreigner here on this earth and understand that I was created for far more than this life.  My heart would start to sing “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty” day and night, without ceasing (Revelation 4:8).

    Or not.   I could just go with the metaphor theory.  Besides, I have a lot to do today.

    I Know A Guy…

    Here we are, barely seven chapters into Genesis and the plot continues to thicken with more and more wickedness. From chapter four that Jon walked us through with Cain and Abel, to chapter seven that we will focus on today, the sin and evil multiplies to the point where God can not find anyone on earth that is still righteous, except… 

    I love a good bible meme – you know I had to throw that in there! Yes, I’m a dork.

    Joking aside, we reach the very real point where God tells Noah it’s time (finally). He and his family have only been working on this project for 50-75 years – depending on how you do the math. Can you imagine that much time or work on a project of this proportion? Not to mention the years they endured of questions, ridicule, and scoffing from the community?

    Genesis 7

    The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate,  and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.  Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

    And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.

    Isn’t Noah’s faith so inspiring? God told him what to do and how to plan and prep – for something that Noah would never have been able to fathom or understand. And how exactly did he catch all the animals to get them in the ark?! For those that have seen the movie Evan Almighty, do you think they just followed them onto the Ark?

    A few months ago, our family made the trip to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. I really didn’t know what to expect and we were surprised with all that it had to offer. When you first arrive there is a ton of scientific research and how they came up with the conclusions they did. There is information about what is known as fact and what they speculate based on other findings, customs of the time, etc.  I didn’t realize the degree of “ark doubters” in the world – I’ve taken it for granted that all Christians believed that both the ark and flood truly existed and happened. Apparently, there’s a decent sized population that believe the ark was a metaphor and didn’t actually happen. Wow – that seems like a slippery slope…where would it begin and end if some things in the Bible are metaphors and some things actually occurred? How would you know what is what, especially when all sides can tout scientific proof? Of course I have curiosities about how it all worked, and how it happened… but I believe our God is so big and so powerful, He can create something out of nothing. He can get all those animals to fit on the ark, and keep them fed while they are there.  

    All of Noah’s diligence and the details really came to life for me at the Ark Encounter. There are so many amazing exhibits at this life size replica – I could have spent way more time there learning (my 5 year old maxed out after 4 hours). The scientific research is fascinating! Here are some pics from our time there:

    My appreciation for Noah’s faith grew, and my heart swelled from the love God has for us.

    Despite our sin, God sees a heart that is righteous and desires to follow Him. He is patient with us and gives us time to work out our soul’s salvation. He makes a way for us, even when we don’t understand what it will look like on the other side. He is our provider and protector. He perfectly times His plans.

    Crouching at the door

    In Genesis 4, the brothers Cain and Abel brought separate offerings to God. Abel’s offering was pleasing to God, but Cain’s was not. Instead of owning up to his failure, Cain responded in anger, jealousy, and ultimately murderous rage against his brother.

    This chapter reveals conversation between Cain and God so it would seem that there was relationship, perhaps even a good relationship so how did we go from relationship with the Almighty God to murdering one’s brother?

    1. Why did Cain provide an offering that wasn’t acceptable?
    2. Why instead of repentance did Cain double-down on sin and go so far as to kill his brother?
    3. Why would Cain think that God wouldn’t see his crime?

    If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

    Genesis 4:7

    For me the aforementioned verse is a warning that one sin leads to another. Somehow Cain’s priorities became misaligned then he sinned and sinned again.

    How can we make sure to avoid the same mistakes as Cain as we give?

    1. Prayer. Lord, reveal to me my own heart and shortcomings. Reveal my selfishness. Shape me to understand that the amount of the gift means nothing when compared to the intent of my heart. May this gift be pleasing to you.
    2. Remembrance and thanksgiving. Meditating on what He has done and what he’s promised. He’s given us so much by loving us first even though we are sinners and then eliminating the penalty of death that we deserve. God gave his only son, Jesus gave his life. Does our gift reflect gratitude for these gifts?
    3. Repentance. For the times when we gave and wanted to feel good about ourselves rather than truly giving to His Kingdom out of sacrifice. For times when we may have given out of self-glorification. We always reap the reward we seek. 2“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. (Matthew 6:2)
    4. Acknowledgment that we cannot keep anything from God who “sees in secret”. 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:4)
    5. Foresight. We likely will not be able to comprehend the impacts of our giving until we get to Heaven. Perhaps one day we will come face to face with someone who was hungry, sick, lonely, poor, and unreached and we will have some knowledge that our commitment impacted their eternity. What a beautiful day that will be!

    The Fall

    Today’s reading: Genesis 3

    Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

    The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

    “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

    When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves (Genesis 3:1-7). 

    Does the story of Adam and Eve’s original sin in Genesis 3 sound eerily familiar to you?  According to the old saying – fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me – the pattern of temptation the serpent used on Eve would eventually stop being effective, right?  Wrong.  Every human since Adam and Eve (except Jesus who was fully God and fully human) has been born with a sinful nature.  The tactics Satan used on Eve have been effective throughout history, and they still work on us today –  

    • Satan implied God was selfish and did not want Adam and Eve to share in his knowledge of good and evil.  By getting Eve to doubt God’s goodness, he helped her overlook all God had given her and focus on the one thing she couldn’t have.  Focusing on what we don’t have, but think we are entitled to have, always tempts us to sin.
    • Satan tried to make Eve think that sin was good, pleasant and desirable.  A knowledge of both good and evil seemed harmless to her.  We are too are tempted to choose wrong things because we convince ourselves those things are good, at least for us.  

    When Adam and Eve gave into temptation, and concluded their way was better than God’s way, they sinned.  Do you see what happened next?  They became self-conscious and tried to hide from God.  When God confronted them, they responded by trying to excuse and defend their behavior.  Ugh.  This sounds just like me.

    A sinful life is not the life to which God has called me.  I must reverse this course. While not easy, I know categorically choosing the opposite of Adam and Eve will yield a different result – I must become convinced God’s way is better than my way, I must stop hiding from God, and I must drop my excuses and defenses.

    As we begin 2019, I commit to choosing differently.  Knowing I cannot be successful on my own, I will rely on God’s promise of help.

    No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

    One Shining Moment

    Today’s reading is Genesis 2.

    Heaven and earth were completed and God rested on the 7th day, making it holy. Then He went on to create man from the “dust of the earth” by “breathing into his nostrils the breath of life” Genesis 2:7. He put the man in the garden of eden to work it and take care of it. “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘you are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will certainly die’” Genesis 2:17. Then God created “a helper suitable for him” which He fashioned from Adams rib. They were man and woman, created by God, living in perfection. “Adam and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame” Genesis 2:25.

    Can you imagine a life without shame? For “one shining moment” everything was perfect and just as God intended it to be. Adam and Eve lived in harmony with creation and in direct communion with God. Nothing separated them. Their purpose was to take care of the garden and each other. And “they felt no shame”. If only things could have remained that way forever!

    As defined by Merriam Webster, shame is “a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety”. Shame can be a result of sin and often carries with it feelings of worthlessness and failure. When we move from true conviction over wrong doing into shame we get trapped. We become our sin and our thoughts move inward. Shame is not productive and keeps us from being all that God intended us to be.

    Unlike this chapter of Genesis 2, we live in an imperfect world full of sin and shame. That sin, when left unconfessed, seperates us from God. Our shame over our sin keeps us hidden in lies of worthlessness about who we think we are. Thankfully, God sent Jesus so many years later to atone for our sin and remove the shame that comes with it. We are sinners saved by grace to live a life of freedom in Christ. Because of this sacrifice on the cross we can live a life without shame. We are defined by a God who created us in His image not by our sin.

    My prayer is that shame would never steal you away from God. You are a unique creation made for His purpose. Happy New Year!!

    Shelly

    In the Beginning – Genesis 1

    Happy 2019 Bible Journal Family!

    I’m humbled and honored to start our newest journey today through God’s living word.  As we head into 2019 I hope you had some time to reflect on 2018 and how God has moved mountains in your life and others around you.  I also know you faced hard times as well that stretched and challenged your faith. Remember we can look back with thankful hearts for what God has done and forward with confidence that He has great plans for you! What are your spiritual goals for this year?  I pray reading through our daily devotional is one of those additional ways for you to be in the word. Allow time in the bible to nourish your heart, mind, and soul while growing closer in a relationship with our God.

     The first half of the year we plan to start with the Zondervan overview of the Bible, where we take a chapter and focus on a specific topic .  Today, we start in Genesis 1 with a focus on,  In the beginning.  What a great way to start 2019 by going back to the one who created it all. The one who today through Him, will create all things new.  Revelation 21:4-6

    Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

    This first verse is a simple reminder He made it all and He has sovereignty over all things. This statement In the beginning  is a statement that answers the question between skeptics and believers, Is the world a result of divine creation or evolution?  As believers we look at the beginning and know that God was purposeful in the creation of the heavens and the earth. Watch and share this short video about how did it all begin and how it will  never end.  The Story by Spread Truth

    Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

    In the beginning, God spoke and everything came into existence. In the beginning, of all His beauty created, His masterpiece was us! We were made in His image to reflect Him.  We were physically made to represent Him.

    Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

    Our lives have a  grand purpose of worshipping, loving, and serving Him while enjoying a life-long growing relationship with Him.  Psalm 139: 14-16 reminds us that all days of our existence are already written in His book.

    So as we start 2019 I pray that you can walk in courageous confidence that God who is the creator of it all is always by our side. That our physical existence was perfectly planned. That our spiritual existence changes when we decided to walk by faith and believe in Him. In John 3:3-6 Jesus tells his disciples that we will enter His Kingdom when we are born again of the water and Spirit.  

    Lastly, when we think about,  In the beginning, God saw all that He had created and said it was good!  Even after sin entered the world He has never abandoned us. He sent His son to save us.  In the beginning, similar to the start of a new year, God fearfully and wonderfully made us for a purpose. I pray that this new year bring you a joy and peace that all that will happen this year God has planned.  He is with you and longing for you to speak to Him every day and in all moments. 

    Genesis 1:31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.

    Happy New Year!

    Year End Wrap-up

    As we are preparing and planning for the closure of 2018 and anticipating the arrival of 2019, let us reflect on the events and experiences of the past year.  For many this past year has brought joy: birth of children, new houses, new career paths, marriage, and countless other joys.  The year has also brought sadness and the need for comfort: deaths, loss of finances, loss of relationships, and more.  But in the midst of these journeys in life we have a constant strength that is unwavering which Christ.    Paul states it best in the letter to the Galatians 

    Galatians 5: 22-23 (KJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

    God’s love and patience is part of the fruit of the spirit. But we also see that in enduring the harshness of life, God is able to provide comfort to us.

    As we enter this New Year, allow this to be our constant prayer:

     Philippians 4:6-7 

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

    May we enter the New Year with hope and acknowledge the difficulties that will present themselves, but be assured that God will give us peace that will transcend all rational thought and logic.  

    I John 4: 18

    18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

    Thank you for being a blessing to me this past year.  May God continue to work through us for His Glory.  

    Happy New Years.