Tag: christianity

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Evidence of Sarah’s Faith

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from She, delighting in the examples of women in the Bible, volume 4, pp. 71 and 72

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 21:1-8, 22:2, and 23:1-2; Hebrews 10:23 and 11:11-12,

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)”. Hebrews 10:23

“…she judged him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11

The Promise

We’ve been journeying through Sarah’s story for five days now, so the question begs to be revisited: What was the promise, and who made it?” We find the answer in Genesis 17, where God is conversing with Abraham, expounding on a promise He had made in chapter 12, in which He called Abraham to leave his father’s family and his country for a new country. He wasn’t even told where he was going, only that he was to leave and go to a land God would show him. Abraham, along with Sarah, his wife, answered the call.1 The call God made came with a promise2, which is where today’s journey picks up:

God Gives More Details

6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. …15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on, her name will be Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants. 17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” 18 So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!” 19 But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. 20 As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”  Genesis 17:6, 15-21

Sarah, who was barren, had laughed when she heard God tell her husband, Abraham, that through his descendants a great nation would arise, but God still placed her in the ‘Hall of Faith’ that we find in Hebrews chapter 11. Yes, “Even though she laughed, even though she was afraid, she is still known for her faith.3” Actually, Scripture tells us that it was through her faith that Sarah received strength to conceive and give birth to a child, even though she was past the age of childbearing. The author of Hebrews writes, “…she judged God faithful who had promised;” and because she did, God opened her womb, and she gave birth to a son, just as God had promised, and his name was Isaac. From Isaac, the seed of Abraham and Sarah, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Again, this was just as God had promised (Genesis 22:17).

When I look at my daughters (Annie, who battled childhood cancer but now is married with two children of her own…and Abi, who was born with crippled feet but now runs on two healthy feet, I rarely see them without also seeing God’s mercy, love, and grace, and His hand of miraculous power. So I can only imagine that every time Sarah looked at Isaac, she would have remembered God’s faithfulness to keep His promises.

Friends, remembering God’s faithfulness is not only an encouragement to stay faithful to Him, but it is the weapon we need to use in our warfare with the enemy, when fears rise up to surround us, or sorrows keep us inward focused, or following God’s call on our lives seems too risky… It is why we are told throughout Scripture to keep our eyes on Him. Or, paraphrasing one commentary, recalling God’s guidance through the wilderness and His protection from enemies, anchors our current trust in His past faithfulness.

Consider the words of the Psalmists and others in the Bible:

Psalm 77:11-12: “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.”


1 Chronicles 16:12: “Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.”


Psalm 103:2: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

And may we never forget the words of the Apostle Paul which guide us to a peace that passes all understanding:

Philippians 4:8-9: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

SARAH SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL

Father, help us continually remember Your faithfulness, and, in response, may we remain faithful to You, even in the seasons of waiting we face along the way. Thank you for the beautiful examples you have given us throughout Your Word. ~ Strengthen us, as the author of Hebrews wrote, to hold fast to the profession of our faith without wavering, knowing that You who promised are faithful. ~Amen and Amen

Reflection and Application

Why do you think Sarah was included in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11? ~ I believe it is because her faith points us to The One in whom we are to place our faith – The One Who is the most faithful Promise Keeper we will ever know. ~What are your thoughts?

The More We Know

Paul Weighs In

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. Romans 4:18-22 NLT

  1. The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1 ↩︎
  2. “2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” ↩︎
  3. She, delighting in the examples of women in the Bible, volume 4, pp. 71 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, prayer, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Sarah~ [Sarai], part 2… and Hagar

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from the study She, delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, volume 4/pp63-64

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 16 and Isaiah 55:8-9

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.

Genesis 16:1

In our last encounter with Sarah, we learned that she was married to Abraham, and she left her family and a life she had known for more than 50 years to follow Abraham to a land God said He would show them. She has heard God’s promise to Abraham of many descendants that would make up a great nation. Yet, four chapters later, Scripture still reports that she has no children.

Sarah was considered barren, Yet she knew what God had promised.

She, Delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, Volume 4, p65

The journal for this study poses the question, “Why had she not gotten pregnant yet?” This made me think of others we’ve met on our journeys, like Hannah (1 Samuel 1:5) and Rachel (Genesis 30:22), both of whom are reminders of the fact that it is God who opens the womb and/or keeps it closed. The journal also reminds us that “she was getting up in years, and it seemed as if time was short.” This truth is made evident in today’s journey through Genesis 16, where we find that Sarah decides not to wait any longer; she devises a plan and takes the necessary steps to carry it out. The plan involved her Egyptian handmaid, Hagar, and the very desperate act of having her sleep with Abraham. (Yes, this was a cultural norm at the time, but I can only imagine how desperate you must be for a child to consider, let alone actually, employing it.) I would like to say that I have never been one to manipulate situations for a certain outcome, but sadly, I played those games for years when I was younger, and I learned, just like Sarah, that manipulation comes with regret and consequences that are often more difficult and disappointing than waiting for God and His timing.

Friends, we must never forget that patience is a highly esteemed virtue in the Bible, often described as “long-suffering” or “endurance”. It is not passive waiting, but an active, steadfast trust in God’s timing and loving treatment of others. Patience is not only a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), but according to James, it is also a key ingredient in developing spiritual maturity (James 1:3-4).

We would be wise to remember that our God, the same God of Abraham and Sarah, is a sovereign God, a keeper of promises, and His timing is always perfect. Apparently, though, the years of waiting have made her question, if not flat-out disbelieve, that she would ever get pregnant. Unlike God, she had a plan B and set it in motion through a conversation with Abraham, explaining her plan. She then takes Hagar and gives her to Abram as a ‘surrogate’ wife. Can you even imagine what a desperate desire Sarah had for a child, to the point that this became her solution?

A Plan Gone Wrong

2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. 3 So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) 4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt.

Genesis 16:2-4

The plan accomplishes Sarah’s desire for a child, but it backfires in every other way. Her husband was now the husband of Hagar, her handmaid, who was now pregnant with his child. On top of that, Hagar now despises Sarah and treats her with contempt, and in turn, Scripture says that Sarah treated Hagar harshly, and Hagar fled from Sarah’s presence.” (Genesis 16:6, CSB)

Sarah is an example of how impatience, not being willing to wait on God’s will, can lead to trouble and heartache ~ having a negative impact on our lives as well as others. I also believe Hagar serves as an example of how jealousy can lead to broken relationships. ~ May God guard us from jealousy and impatience. In His worthy and powerful name I pray – AMEN!

The More We Know

I hope you will take time to learn more about Hagar from this commentary, borrowed from Gotquestions.org.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Sarah~[Sarai], part 1

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from the study She, delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, volume 4/pp63-64

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 11:27-32, Genesis 12, and Genesis 18:14

This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28 But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. 29 Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) 30 But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. 32 Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.

Genesis 11:27-32 (NLT)

God was repositioning Abraham and Sarah according to His perfect plan and they followed where He led.

Me~ from the InsideOut🦋

When we first read of Abraham and Sarah, they are living with Abraham’s family in Ur of the Chaldeans, but they moved away from there, intending to move to the land of Canaan. However, Terah, Abraham’s father, settled the family in Haran. Abraham and Sarah stayed with his family until God spoke to Abraham, telling him to move out of the country, away from his father’s family. While this move requried blind faith (for God simply said, move to a land that I will show you), it came with an amazing promise of blessing, which included him being made into a great nation, fame, God’s protection, and becoming a blessing to others. God was repositioning Abraham and Sarah according to His perfect plan and they followed where He led. Keep in mind that Abraham was at 75 years old when God called him out of Haran. Yet, Scripture doesn’t tell us that Abraham struggled with this call on his life. He and Sarah had made a home in Haran for at least 50 years. It was where their family was, but we read of no debate or conversation between Abraham and Sarah about whether to go or stay – only that Abraham (still called Abram at the time) departed as the Lord had instructed.

4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. (Gen 12:4-6)

It was in Shechem, where the Lord appeared again to Abraham, saying:

“I will give this land to your descendants.[a]” After which, “Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. 9 Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. (Gen 12:7-9)

If you’re reading this account of Abraham and Sarah for the first time, or if you’ve read it more than a dozen times yet find yourself amazed yet again at God’s timing in the things He discloses before they even happen, you may be wondering how the promise of making Abraham into a great nation and giving land to his “descendants” could ever happen, especially since Sarah was barren, (Genesis 11:30) … but rest assured friends, it happens just as God said it would. Join me tomorrow and in the week ahead as we explore Sarah’s story, which includes her handmaid named Hagar, Sarah’s plan to have a baby despite being barren. and God asking Abraham the questions: “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’ I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Genesis 18:14a

A Prayer of Response

O Sovereign Lord, may we never doubt what You have said, but instead always stand amazed at the reality we see time and time again in Your Word, that nothing is too difficult for You.You gave sight to the blind, You made the lame walk, and You raised Your only begotten Son from the grave that we might have everlasting life! Absolutely nothing is too difficult for You. 💜

Reflection and Application:

  1. What is God positioning you for? Are you ready to follow where He leads/calls you to go?
  2. Is there something that seems impossible to you right now?
    • Health situations?
    • Finances?
    • An unsaved loved one?
    • The return of a prodigal child?

~ Ask the Lord to help you have faith in Him today, remind yourself often throughout the day(s) ahead that “NOTHING, absolutely nothing is too difficult for our God.”

The More We Know

Sarai began her life in the pagan world of Ur, in the land of the Chaldees, which was located in the area now known as Iraq. She was the half-sister, as well as the wife, of Abram, who would be called Abraham. Sarai and Abram had the same father but different mothers, according to Genesis 20:12. In those days, genetics were purer than they are today, and intermarriage was not detrimental to the offspring of unions between relatives. Also, since people tended to spend their lives clustered together in family units, it was the natural course to choose mates from within their own tribes and families.

When Abram encountered the living God for the first time, he believed Him (Genesis 12:1–4; 15:6) and followed after Him, obeying His command to leave his home to go to a place he had never heard about, much less seen. Sarai went with him.

Their journey brought them to the area called Harran (Genesis 11:31). Abram’s father, Terah, passed away in this city, and Abram, Sarai, and their nephew Lot and their retinue continued their journey, allowing God to lead and guide them. With no housing and no modern conveniences, the journey must have been very difficult for all, especially for the women. During their journey, there was a famine in the land, prompting Abram and Sarai to go to Egypt (Genesis 12:10). When they did, Abram feared that the Egyptians would kill him because Sarai was beautiful and they would want her as a wife. So he asked Sarai to tell everyone that she was Abram’s sister—which was technically true but also meant to deceive. Sarai was taken into Pharaoh’s house, and Abram was treated well because of her. But God afflicted Pharaoh’s house, and the couple’s lie was revealed. Pharaoh returned Sarai to Abram and sent them on their way (Genesis 12). Sarai and Abram came back to the land now known as Israel. They had acquired many possessions and a great deal of wealth in their travels, so Lot and Abram agreed to split up in order that the massive herds of cattle would have adequate ground for grazing (Genesis 13:9).

Gotquestions.org

Posted in Uncategorized

Esther, Part 1

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from She, volume 4 of Delighting in the examples of the Women of the Bible/pp17-18

Today’s Scripture: Esther 1-2 and Psalm 37:23

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Psalm 37:23

Friends, can you remember a time in your life when it was clear to you that the Lord ordered your steps? For me, it was the timing of my children. Actually, when I look at the broader picture, it was the timing of my grandfather’s death (April 19, 1987). At the time, I thought the only thing special about the timing was that my mom and dad made it home from vacation shortly before Papa took his last breath. I had been sitting there by his bedside with my grandmother throughout the day; he had had little to no moments of ‘alertness’, that is, until my dad returned home and walked into the room and stood by his bed. As memory recalls, he reached down, touched his hand, and simply spoke the word “dad”-and in that moment, Papa’s eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, a smile tinged his lips, and within the hour, he was in the presence of his God.

I remember being amazed at God’s timing. I remember thinking how sweet it was that God had loved and cared enough about my dad to give him that last hour with his dad, instead of coming home to find him dead. I remember the comfort that it brought my grandmother. I also remember meeting Don Post (my mom and dad’s pastor) and other members of their church that night, and in the coming days surrounding the service and celebration of his life. Little did I know those days were the beginning of not only beautifully timed friendships but the awakening of a faith suppressed by sin and a spirit of pretense. – Ouch, that truth hits hard and is honestly difficult to share, but it is perhaps the truest beauty of God ordering my steps in those days, though I couldn’t see it at the time.

God had a purpose

You see, I had been married nearly seven years by then. I had longed for children through all of those years. My relationship with God (and my husband) had ebbed and flowed accordingly, but I became very good at the ‘cover-up’ (you know, church stuff on Sunday and Wednesday and special event days and living as I pleased the rest of the time). Over the next two years, I became pregnant, my husband changed jobs, we decided to build a house, and we moved in with my parents while we were building. All the while, I was oblivious to the true beauty of God’s timing. Beauty that included being under my parents’ roof, where Christianity wasn’t just a religion but a relationship with God. Conversations about Scripture (God’s sovereignty, grace, redemption, and love…) were not uncommon; friends from their church frequently popped by, and while I don’t know that I realized it at the time, all of it was like fresh water on the dry roots of my faith. Bible reading and prayer began to become a daily part of my life again – not just part of a checklist but a desire of my heart. So many good changes and blessings – yet with my growing faith came the realization that not all of my relationships were healthy ones, including the one with my husband, who wasn’t thrilled by my rekindled faith. The very thing that he once said he loved about me had now become a point of contention and regret, and finally fueled an argument that forced me to choose between standing firm in my faith and appeasing him. God gave me the courage to stand firm, and He honored the choice for many years to come. As for the other unhealthy relationships, God either weeded them out or transformed them, all the while cultivating new relationships that strengthened my faith and prepared me for things only God could have known were coming.

Almost two years from the date of my grandfather’s death (April 19, 1897), Annie, my first daughter, was born (April 17, 1989). Almost two years after meeting the people from my parents’ church, and the friendships that ensued, they were in the hospital when she was delivered. They welcomed us home, and they became an integral part of our lives. Why? Because God ordered my steps – and led me to the place and the people He knew I (and my family) needed. I had been in church all of my life, Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, Wednesday nights, and any special events. I was saved at the age of five or six, and grew up to teach and serve in the church of my childhood. I didn’t understand when my parents chose to leave the church for another church just a few short years before my grandfather’s death, but God did. He understood it all, saw it all, and was ordering their path too, and purposefully used it to rescue me from the wilderness I was in, lead me to a new body of believers, where I would learn about the depth of God’s mercy and grace in a way I had never understood. In doing so, He prepared a better path for my children than what they would have known if the path had not been changed. Oh, how I love and praise Him for being a God who orders the steps of His people according to His perfect will.

Friends, God ordered Esther’s footsteps as well. He placed her exactly where she was for a specific reason, exactly when she needed to be there. We will explore this further in the days to come, but for now, please do not miss the seemingly small things we see in Esther chapters 1 and 2, particularly verse 9 or chapter 2.


5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is, Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. 9 And Esther pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.

Reflection and Application

List out the ways you see God ordering the steps of Esther in 2:9?

Write down a time you remember when God clearly ordered your steps.

The More We Know

10Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. 11And every day, Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

Woman running on dirt path with stone arch and sunset in background
Posted in 100 Meditations on The Names Of Jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Author and Finisher of Our Faith

Posted on by MaryEllen

Adapted from 100 Meditations on the Names of Jesus, p18


1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (NLT)

I love the variety of synonyms concerning this particular name of Jesus. While they all mean the same thing, I am particularly fond of “the pioneer and perfecter of faith… as I picture a pioneer forging the way through … setting a path for others to follow … with the goal of leading them to a better place. ~ Which one is your favorite and why?

… fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

… Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set NKJV/KJV

… looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, ESV

…. keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, HCSB

… looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, NASB

“Jesus is not only the originator of our faith, but He is the one who perfects it.”1

As always we must be careful to understand the context of the passages that we read as we journey through God’s Word. Specifically, in this passage, we cannot truly understand it if we do not know that chapter 11 was filled with the imagery of the faithful saints who have gone before us. The writer shares a considerable amount of examples to show “how God honors and works through true, godly faith—which is a trust sufficient to produce obedience, despite our doubts and fears (Hebrews 11:1–3). The writer also mentioned how these faithful ones endured hardships during their earthly lives, and even now are waiting to see God completely fulfill His promises (Hebrews 11:35–39.” Having these examples before us we should be inspired to run our own race of faith (“a trust sufficient to produce obedience, despite our doubts and fears”).Yet, the ultimate example, as the writer goes on to conclude here in Hebrews 12:2 is Jesus Himself, the beginning and the end, or as it is here written, in one fashion or another: The founder (pioneer, author, source, origiantor) and perfecter of our faith.

I believe it is worth it, if not necessary, to share this commentary from bibleref.com, explaining how Jesus is not only the ultimate example of godly faith but also as one who “suffered hardship and persecution (Philippians 2:8-11), as well as temptation (Hebrews 4:15), but never wavered in His resolve to do the will of God the Father (Hebrews 5:8). Christ’s entire ministry and the superiority of the new covenant (Hebrews 10:12–14) are grounded in His example, which we should strive to follow (Hebrews 2:10–11). His willingness to endure those trials came from an understanding that God could, and would, “work together for good” all of those things (Romans 8:28). The end goal of Jesus’ obedience was to establish the purpose we should be striving for: the “city with foundations” (Hebrews 11:10), our ultimate victory and reward in God (Hebrews 11:13–16; Revelation 21:1–14).”

The old hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” just flooded my mind. So let me end with that encouragement for us all; a wonderful call to worship and way to live … Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” As we know from the Scriptures, Jesus suffered much on our behalf – but we know that He never stopped doing the will of His Father, striving to please Him in all that He did. May this be our resolve as well my friends.

Reflection and Application

  • What do you think it means that Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith”?
  • Does your life relfect this truth?

  1. 100 Meditations on the Names of Jesus, p18 ↩︎
Posted in 100 Meditations on The Names Of Jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, prayer, Quiet Time

Apostle of Our Confession

Posted on by MaryEllen

Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. Hebrews 3:1-2

According to the commentary by Bibleref.com, “for the Jewish people, there was no greater example than Moses, but according to this section of Hebrews, Jesus is far greater. These verses make a connection between Jesus’ role as our ultimate example—the “founder of our salvation”—and His superiority to even Moses.” The author clearly wanted the people of God to know and understand that Jesus is the One they are to follow.

Some may see the term “apostle” here as confusing. This is a title often given to the men who preached the gospel immediately after the ascension of Jesus. The term itself literally means, “one who is sent.” In the context of this passage, that is a perfect description of Jesus. He is One sent from God to bring us good news. He is meant to be our example, and we are meant to do as He did (John 13:13–15; 20:21).1

“In the next verses, the author will point out that Moses was faithful, but was also a created servant of God. Jesus, on the other hand, is the Creator and the Son of God. What Moses predicted, Christ fulfilled.” In doing so, He made a way to the Father where there was no way. So that all who come to Him by faith “are met with the power of His grace and love. There is forgiveness of sins, yes! There is also a call to a higher way of living.”2

In Luke chapter 2, Jesus turned to the crowd and told all who were listening that anyone who wanted to follow Him would have to turn from their selfish/wicked ways and take up their cross daily in order to follow Him. In other words, He was telling them they would have to be faithful to Him above everything else. In Mark chapter 12, He explained that this faithfulness required loving God and others above self, and in John chapter 3, He made sure that they understood what that love was to look like, namely, it was to be a mirror of His love- loving God and others, just as He has loved us. Thankfully, we who believe have been given His Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live and love like He did.

“There is no shortcut or bypassing the mandate to love God and to love others. Love encompasses the whole of the Law (Galatians 5:14). Anything else falls short of our heavenly calling.3“

Friends, may this prayer, borrowed from 100 Meditations of the Names of Jesus, be our prayer – on repeat …

Apostle of our Confession, You showed me how to walk in the ways and the power of God. May I be wise and discerning, choosing Your love above fear and pressures to conform. ~ Amen

Reflection and Application

“Beware of those who claim to know what it is to walk in the name of Jesus and do not live out the ways of Jesus.”4

  1. 100 Meditations on the Names of Jesus p14 ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, She, Volume 3

Tamar

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from She, Volume 3, Delighting in the Women of the Bible, pp 69-70

Today’s Scripture: Genesis 38 and 1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

1 Corinthians 15:57

Tamar, believed by most commentators to be a non-Jew1, ‘married into the family of God’ when she married Er, the oldest son of Jacob and Leah. While Er was Judah’s son and thus of Israelite descent, it is important to note that after selling his brother into slavery, Judah had left his home and family and married a Canaanite woman2. Through this woman, Judah had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er was given in marriage to a woman by the name of Tamar3. As we read in today’s Genesis 38, “Er was an evil man, so the Lord put him to death (verse 7). Following the custom of levirate marriage, Tamar was then given to Onan, who selfishly refused to give Tamar children (verse 9); he was also put to death by the Lord for his actions. Shelah was too young to take a wife, so Judah ordered Tamar to live as a widow in her father’s house (verse 11).4

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” For he thought, “I don’t want him to die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

Genesis 38:11

However, as today’s journal entry points out: “Instead of doing what he had promised, Judah refrained from giving his third son to her to marry. When she realized this, Tamar took matters into her own hands and disguised herself as a prostitute, or harlot as she is called in the KJV, by covering her face from Judah when he inquired of her. She became pregnant with twins after her encounter with Judah, though he did not know it was her.” Afterward, Scripture says:

 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face. 16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come, please, I want to sleep with you.” (He did not realize it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me so that you may sleep with me?” 17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” 18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her, then slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. 19 She left immediately, removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.

Genesis 38:15-19

Tamar had tricked Judah into sleeping with her so that she would become pregnant. She also cleverly kept the one pledge for “her services” that she knew would prove that Judah was the father. According to verse 24 of Genesis 38, it is a good thing that she had the proof. For when Judah first learned she was pregnant, he ordered for her to be burned – “While they were bringing her out, she sent word to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” Then she said, “Identify the one to whom the seal, cord, and staff belong.” 26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more upright than I am, because I wouldn’t give her to Shelah my son.” He was not physically intimate with her again” (Genesis 38:23-26).

Tamar gave birth to twin sons, Zerah and Perez, and through the line of Perez came our Savior, Jesus Christ.


1This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham :

2Abraham was the father of Isaac.Isaac was the father of Jacob.Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.3Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).Perez was the father of Hezron.Hezron was the father of Ram.4Ram was the father of Amminadab.Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.Nahshon was the father of Salmon.5Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).Obed was the father of Jesse.6Jesse was the father of King David.David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).7Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.Abijah was the father of Asa.8Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.9Uzziah was the father of Jotham.Jotham was the father of Ahaz.Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.10Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.Manasseh was the father of Amon.Amon was the father of Josiah.11Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).12After the Babylonian exile:Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.13Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.Abiud was the father of Eliakim.Eliakim was the father of Azor.14Azor was the father of Zadok.Zadok was the father of Akim.Akim was the father of Eliud.15Eliud was the father of Eleazar.Eleazar was the father of Matthan.Matthan was the father of Jacob.16Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

17All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1-17

Tamar serves as an example of how God can overcome the sin we commit and give victory through His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

She, Volume 3, delighting in the women of God, p 70

  1. While the Bible does not explicitly state her ethnicity, Tamar (Genesis 38) is widely considered to have been a Canaanite or Aramean Gentile. She married into the Hebrew family of Judah, and despite her foreign background, she became an ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ. C.S. Lewis Institute +4
    Gentile Background: Many scholars and traditions, including the C.S. Lewis Institute, describe her as an Aramean or Canaanite Gentile.
    Marriage and Family: She was married to Judah’s firstborn son, Er, and later to his brother Onan.
    Significance: Tamar is noted for her righteousness by Judah himself and for using unconventional means to secure her place in the family line.  ↩︎
  2. Genesis 38:1 ↩︎
  3. Did you know there are three Tamars in the Bible? ↩︎
  4. https://www.gotquestions.org/Judah-in-the-Bible.html ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, Easter, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word

So – Now What?

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Today’s Reading is Philippians 2:1-8. It’s a longer but perfect passage to answer our question – The Tomb is empty, so now what?

 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God,   he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:1-8

Many of Paul’s writings hold answers to the question that I posed the day after Easter – “the tomb is empty, now what?” However, perhaps none so clearly answer it as Philippians chapter 2, which we will look at today and tomorrow.

Paul poses His own questions at the opening of the chapter that opens the door way for him to teach them what it means to live the Christian life. After listing many “dos and don’ts” like live in unity, be tender and compassionate, don’t be selfish, or a show-off, but be humble and think of others, not just yourselves. Paul makes sure they truly understand what he’s saying by using Christ as their example. He didn’t just tell them to have the same attitude of Christ, but took all personal interpretation out of the mix by listing exactly what that attitude entailed.

Jesus didn’t hold out His “God card” and wait for everyone to serve Him. Instead, He…

  • left Heaven for the purpose of saving the world
  • took on the human flesh and dwelt among men
  • humbly submitted to God’s authority
  • died a death meant for the guilt of a criminal

The tomb being empty wasn’t the end of Jesus’ legacy of faith. He wasn’t meant to only reach just those early disciples, but to continually be a way for ‘the world’ to come to God through Him. Now that the tomb was empty, the work was left to His followers. Their job was to take His message to the world – and in large part by the way they lived. Consider some of Jesus’s own commands/teachings, such as John 13:34 and Mark 12:29-31, where He emphasized love.

So now I am giving you a new command, love each other. Just as I have loved you you should love each other.

John 13:34

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31

Jesus had told them these things because He knew the tomb would be empty. He knew one day He would no longer be with them on the earth, so He prepared them for after the empty tomb – by showing them and telling them how to live.

  • Love others
  • Love God
  • Spread the Gospel
  • Make the Father known

Paul summed it up nicely in Colossians 3:17 by telling them that whatever they did or said, they should do it as representatives of Jesus – and this, my friends, is perhaps the overall best answer to our question – “the tomb is empty, so now what?”

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Quiet Time, She, Volume 2

The Woman With an Issue of Blood, Part 1

Posted on by MaryEllen

Adapted from She, Volume 2/pp95-96

Read: Matthew 9:20-22 and Luke 8:43-48

But a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 For she kept saying to herself, “If only I touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Matthew 9:20-21 NET

Desperation can cause us to do things we would not usually do; this is the case with today’s woman in the Bible. She is not named, but oh, how we need to know her story, share it with others, and let it affect our faith.

We are not told how she found out about Jesus (Mark 5:27) or how she came to believe that if she could only touch his garment, even the hem of it, she would be healed. Her disease wasn’t one that she could simply walk up to Him in public and talk about. It wasn’t a disease that any doctor or remedy she was given had been able to cure, but it was one on which she had spent all of her money in an attempt to find a cure, only to have the disease grow worse (see Mark 5:25–26).

As bad as those details sound, add to it “the Jewish Law that declared her to be ceremonially unclean due to her bleeding issue (Leviticus 15:25-27).” Which, as gotquestions.org explains, “meant that she would not have been permitted to enter the temple for Jewish religious ceremonies. According to the Law, anything or anyone she touched became unclean as well. The fact that she was in the crowd pressing around Jesus means that each person who bumped into her would have become unclean, too—including Jesus.” However, as has already been said, desperation can push us to do things we would never do otherwise. Such is the case here. “After twelve years of suffering, she was obviously desperate for a miracle.” So, “When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed’” (Mark 5:27–28).

If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”

Matthew 9:20 KJV

And so it was, just as she had believed. Scripture bears witness to us that the woman was made whole (Luke 8:47 and Mark 5:30). We could stop there with that testimony and celebrate both her faith and the victory that she experienced because of it. However, I can’t resist sharing the following commentary from gotquestions.org, which offers a wonderful bonus reason to lift our hands in praise for Jesus’ transforming power through her faith.

“As soon as the woman touches Jesus, her bleeding stops and she knows she’s been healed. In an instant, Jesus does what no doctor in twelve years had been able to. This proves the power of Christ, of course, but it also illustrates an important point about Jesus and the Law. In Leviticus 15:31 God says, “You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.” In the Old Testament, the temple was where God dwelt among the Israelites, but in the New Testament, God dwelt among men in the person of Jesus Christ (see John 1:14). Through Jesus the penalties of the Law are reversed, and the contamination of this world had no effect on Christ. The woman did not make Jesus (God’s dwelling) unclean—He made her clean!”

Friends, I don’t know about you, but to that beautiful picture of ‘faith’s glorious victory’ I am shouting a loud amen and hallelujah!

Reflection and Application
  • What was so special about the garment Jesus was wearing?
The More We Know

Join me tomorrow as we look at another example of this woman with the issue of blood. It’s amazing what these women can teach us.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Quiet Time, She, Volume 2

The Widow with Two Mites

Posted on by MaryEllen

Adapted from She, Volume 2/pp89-90

Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4

While there is much we can learn from the story of the widow and her two mites, two things stood out to me the most. First, as gotquestions.org points out, “God sees what man overlooks. The big gifts in the temple were surely noticed by people; that’s probably what the disciples were watching. But Jesus saw what no one else did: He saw the humble gift of a poor widow. This was the gift that Jesus thought worthy of comment; this was the gift that the disciples needed to be aware of. The other gifts in the treasury that day made a lot of noise as they jingled into the receptacles, but the widow’s mites were heard in heaven.”

God sees what man overlooks.

Got questions.org

The widow mentioned by Mark and Luke is used by Christ to teach the disciples the difference of giving from your wealth and giving from your poverty. In other words there is more value in giving two small coins when you have nothing left to give and giving “large sums” with an abundance left over. Borrowing again from gotquestions.org, “The difference is one of proportion. The rich were giving large sums, but they still retained their fortunes; the widow “put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44). Hers was a true sacrifice; the rich had not begun to give to the level of her sacrifice.

“Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service.”

Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭NET‬‬

 “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43–44; cf. Luke 21:1–4).

The widow with two mites serves as an example of how any sacrifice for Christ does not go unnoticed by Him.

She, Volume 2//90

Friends, let’s ask Jesus to help us see as He sees and to make much of even the smallest things done for or given in His name. May our gifts and works for God be ones of faith and sacrifice, rather than those born of duty or seeking notice.

Reflection and Application

  • What has the widow taught you?