So much of today's reading spoke to me, though I did not tear up when I read Isaac found comfort after his mother's death. (I usually do when I read that.)
I will mention one thing in chapter 22 I have not noticed before today, v 14: Abraham named that place God-Yireh (God-Sees-to-It).
Chapter 23:5-6 The Hittites responded,"Why you're no mere outsider here with us, you're a prince of God.
The Hittites recognized God in Abraham, we are heirs of Abraham - Princesses of God. I want to walk so closely with Him, that people see Him in me and recognize I am His.
Chapter 24 is amazing because everyone involved sees clearly God's hand in everything described from the beginning to the end of the chapter. I love the servant's very specific prayer. He prayed, "O God, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, 'Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and let me also water your camels'—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master."
I think whenever possible, it's a good thing to pray specifically. (Though not my will in Jesus' name!)
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
January 6, Gen 19-21
So much of today's reading is difficult. The following passages are what jumped out at me:
Lot was dragging his feet. The men grabbed Lot's arm, and the arms of his wife and daughters—God was so merciful to them!—and dragged them to safety outside the city. When they had them outside, Lot was told, "Now run for your life! Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere on the plain—run for the hills or you'll be swept away."
How often do I drag my feet when I have heard from the Lord. Lot also wanted to go somewhere other than where the Lord instructed him to go. How often to I deviate from the Lord's plan for me?
Verse 26: But Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.
How often have I looked back instead of pressing forward to the goal with my eyes on Jesus?
Gen 20: 1-2 Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister."
Again with the sister??? Abraham knew God so intimately and yet he was scared and lied again. I don't lie but I can do other foolish things.
Gen 21: 1God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised:
God did exactly what He said He would and He always does.
Verse 33-34: Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshiped God there, praying to the Eternal God.
Abraham certainly knew Who to pray to - the Eternal God...
Lot was dragging his feet. The men grabbed Lot's arm, and the arms of his wife and daughters—God was so merciful to them!—and dragged them to safety outside the city. When they had them outside, Lot was told, "Now run for your life! Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere on the plain—run for the hills or you'll be swept away."
How often do I drag my feet when I have heard from the Lord. Lot also wanted to go somewhere other than where the Lord instructed him to go. How often to I deviate from the Lord's plan for me?
Verse 26: But Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.
How often have I looked back instead of pressing forward to the goal with my eyes on Jesus?
Gen 20: 1-2 Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister."
Again with the sister??? Abraham knew God so intimately and yet he was scared and lied again. I don't lie but I can do other foolish things.
Gen 21: 1God visited Sarah exactly as he said he would; God did to Sarah what he promised:
God did exactly what He said He would and He always does.
Verse 33-34: Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshiped God there, praying to the Eternal God.
Abraham certainly knew Who to pray to - the Eternal God...
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
January 5, Gen: 16-18
Gen 17:1-3 really spoke to me today: When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, "I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt! I'll make a covenant between us and I'll give you a huge family." Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face.
God showed up - how many times has He shown up for me, too many to count and always on time. He said, I AM the Strong God - we need to remember that, He is not some god with a little G, He is the Great I Am! We need to live life to the hilt for Him. Overwhelmed Abram fell flat on his face. I need to fall flat on my face more often.
Gen 18: 20-21, God continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I'm going down to see for myself, see if what they're doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I'll know."
God continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening the sin of those cities is immense." - Sometimes we wonder if He hears, He does - He always hears.
God showed up - how many times has He shown up for me, too many to count and always on time. He said, I AM the Strong God - we need to remember that, He is not some god with a little G, He is the Great I Am! We need to live life to the hilt for Him. Overwhelmed Abram fell flat on his face. I need to fall flat on my face more often.
Gen 18: 20-21, God continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I'm going down to see for myself, see if what they're doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I'll know."
God continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening the sin of those cities is immense." - Sometimes we wonder if He hears, He does - He always hears.
Monday, January 4, 2010
January 4, Gen 12-15
The following sections of today's readings are what leapt out at me:
Chapter 12:1 God told Abram: "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you.
When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior, many times in a spiritual sense we leave our families and country. Our family may not be Christian and may not like our new life in Christ Jesus. Our world is turned upside down for the better, we pack our bags and set out for our new eternal home - Heaven. I need to keep in mind, Earth is not my real home. I need to make sure I am not too attached to it and the things of this world.
Chapter 14:17-20
After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King's Valley. Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine—he was priest of The High God—and blessed him:
Blessed be Abram by The High God,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
And blessed be The High God,
who handed your enemies over to you.
Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder.
Melchizedek celebrated Communion with Abram, a foretaste of the shed Blood and broken body of Christ and then Abram tithed from the recovered plunder. These verses never fail to pierce my soul.
Chapter 15:1 After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!"
God reminded Abram that He is Abram's shield. He is our shield too. We are heirs of Abraham, we need to remember and believe Who God is!
Verses 13-16: God said to Abram, "Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they'll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. Then I'll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder. But not you; you'll have a long and full life and die a good and peaceful death. Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites."
God gives Abram a prophecy concerning his future and the future of Israel. We know this has all come to pass. It's prophecy fulfilled and history to us. Why then do we allow doubt to creep in as we stand on Scripture? We need to remember Who God is and believe Him.
Chapter 12:1 God told Abram: "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you.
When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior, many times in a spiritual sense we leave our families and country. Our family may not be Christian and may not like our new life in Christ Jesus. Our world is turned upside down for the better, we pack our bags and set out for our new eternal home - Heaven. I need to keep in mind, Earth is not my real home. I need to make sure I am not too attached to it and the things of this world.
Chapter 14:17-20
After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King's Valley. Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine—he was priest of The High God—and blessed him:
Blessed be Abram by The High God,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
And blessed be The High God,
who handed your enemies over to you.
Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder.
Melchizedek celebrated Communion with Abram, a foretaste of the shed Blood and broken body of Christ and then Abram tithed from the recovered plunder. These verses never fail to pierce my soul.
Chapter 15:1 After all these things, this word of God came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. Your reward will be grand!"
God reminded Abram that He is Abram's shield. He is our shield too. We are heirs of Abraham, we need to remember and believe Who God is!
Verses 13-16: God said to Abram, "Know this: your descendants will live as outsiders in a land not theirs; they'll be enslaved and beaten down for 400 years. Then I'll punish their slave masters; your offspring will march out of there loaded with plunder. But not you; you'll have a long and full life and die a good and peaceful death. Not until the fourth generation will your descendants return here; sin is still a thriving business among the Amorites."
God gives Abram a prophecy concerning his future and the future of Israel. We know this has all come to pass. It's prophecy fulfilled and history to us. Why then do we allow doubt to creep in as we stand on Scripture? We need to remember Who God is and believe Him.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
January 3, Gen: 8-11
Today's readings take us from the ark and the rainbow to Babel which is like our walk with God in many ways. We have moments of sin such as the builders of the Tower of Babel did to moments the Lord reaffirms we are New Covenant girls. The verses which spoke to me are:
Chapter 8:20-11
Noah built an altar to God. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt offerings on the altar. God smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done.
The 1st thing Noah did was to build an altar and offer sacrifices to God. When I have been delivered from a situation, when prayers are answered, when confirmation comes, what ever the God moment is - do I thank Him and worship Him 1st or do I call a few people with a praise report and get back to daily life?
Gen 11:4 Come let's build ourselves a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth.
What an example of pride and the consequences of sin. God is serious, the wages of sin is death. I pray I am always mindful of sin and quick to repent and ask for forgiveness.
Chapter 8:20-11
Noah built an altar to God. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt offerings on the altar. God smelled the sweet fragrance and thought to himself, "I'll never again curse the ground because of people. I know they have this bent toward evil from an early age, but I'll never again kill off everything living as I've just done.
The 1st thing Noah did was to build an altar and offer sacrifices to God. When I have been delivered from a situation, when prayers are answered, when confirmation comes, what ever the God moment is - do I thank Him and worship Him 1st or do I call a few people with a praise report and get back to daily life?
Gen 11:4 Come let's build ourselves a tower that reaches Heaven. Let's make ourselves famous so we won't be scattered here and there across the Earth.
What an example of pride and the consequences of sin. God is serious, the wages of sin is death. I pray I am always mindful of sin and quick to repent and ask for forgiveness.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
January 2, Gen. 4-7
The following verses really spoke to me today:
Chatper 4:6-7
God spoke to Cain:"Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; It's out to get you, you've got to master it.
Sin is clearly described to us - it lies in wait ready to pounce. I must master it - not make excuses or justify it. Through Christ I can do all things and mastering sin is 1 of them.
Chapter 4:16 Cain left the presence of God and lived in no man's land, east of Eden.
The words no man's land really struck me. I do not want to be out of God's presence and I most certainly do not want to be wandering around no man's land with no guidance, no Holy Spirit, no wisdom, no discernment, no Lord & Savior!
Gen 6:11-12 As far as God was concerned, the Earth had become a sewer; there was violence everywhere. God took one look and saw how bad it was, everyone corrupt and corrupting - life itself was corrupt to the core.
How often as a Christian do I complain about corruption, rail against it and not pray about it. I watch the news, take my eyes of Jesus and open my mouth. I should hit my knees and pray.
Chatper 4:6-7
God spoke to Cain:"Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won't you be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; It's out to get you, you've got to master it.
Sin is clearly described to us - it lies in wait ready to pounce. I must master it - not make excuses or justify it. Through Christ I can do all things and mastering sin is 1 of them.
Chapter 4:16 Cain left the presence of God and lived in no man's land, east of Eden.
The words no man's land really struck me. I do not want to be out of God's presence and I most certainly do not want to be wandering around no man's land with no guidance, no Holy Spirit, no wisdom, no discernment, no Lord & Savior!
Gen 6:11-12 As far as God was concerned, the Earth had become a sewer; there was violence everywhere. God took one look and saw how bad it was, everyone corrupt and corrupting - life itself was corrupt to the core.
How often as a Christian do I complain about corruption, rail against it and not pray about it. I watch the news, take my eyes of Jesus and open my mouth. I should hit my knees and pray.
Friday, January 1, 2010
January 1, 2010 Gen. 1-3
I am so glad to begin the journey through the Bible this year. I began the journey in 2009, my father died, I kept going and then ran out of steam in May. The years of his illness, 11 month hospitalization and death left me very fatigued. I am rested and ready to walk with the Lord very closely this year with my sweet sisters in Christ.
These verses impressed me today
Chapter 1, verses 1-2: Earth was a soup of nothingness,a bottomless emptiness, an inky blankness...that is me when I am not living for the Lord and serving Him. I am empty, blank, inky-dark...I am filled with dross and not in the process of being refined.
Verses 11-13: God spoke: "Earth green up! Grow all varieties of seed bearing plants, Every sort of fruit bearing tree." And there it was, Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, and fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. I must ask myself - What fruit am I bearing? Is it fruit of the Spirit? Or is it fruit of the world and sin?
Verse 26: God spoke: Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our image. Do I reflect His image or the image of Annette?
Chapter 2, verse 1: Heaven and earth were finished to the last detail. So were we, nothing was left to chance, before the foundation of the world, our last detail was planned by God. We need to believe it and live like we believe it.
Verse 4: Holy Day - God made the 7th day holy - do I keep a holy Sabbath?
These verses impressed me today
Chapter 1, verses 1-2: Earth was a soup of nothingness,a bottomless emptiness, an inky blankness...that is me when I am not living for the Lord and serving Him. I am empty, blank, inky-dark...I am filled with dross and not in the process of being refined.
Verses 11-13: God spoke: "Earth green up! Grow all varieties of seed bearing plants, Every sort of fruit bearing tree." And there it was, Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, and fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. I must ask myself - What fruit am I bearing? Is it fruit of the Spirit? Or is it fruit of the world and sin?
Verse 26: God spoke: Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our image. Do I reflect His image or the image of Annette?
Chapter 2, verse 1: Heaven and earth were finished to the last detail. So were we, nothing was left to chance, before the foundation of the world, our last detail was planned by God. We need to believe it and live like we believe it.
Verse 4: Holy Day - God made the 7th day holy - do I keep a holy Sabbath?
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