Tag: Genesis

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study

A Beautiful Love Story ~ of Faith and Provision

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Based on the LGG Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w2d3

Read: Genesis 22:1-14; SOAP verse 13

1Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. ‘Abraham!’ God called. ‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Here I am.’

2Take your son, your only son — yes, Isaac, whom you love so much — and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.’

3The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5Stay here with the donkey,’ Abraham told the servants. ‘The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.’

6So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together,

7Isaac turned to Abraham and said, ‘Father?’ ‘Yes, my son?’ Abraham replied. ‘We have the fire and the wood,’ the boy said, ‘but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?’

8God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,’ Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

9When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.

11At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ ‘Yes,’ Abraham replied. ‘Here I am!’

12Don’t lay a hand on the boy!’ the angel said. ‘Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.’

13Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means ‘the Lord will provide’). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’

Genesis 22:1-14 NLT or KJV

What a beautiful love story of faith and provision we see in Abraham’s life and his ongoing encounters with God.

Abraham had placed his faith in God many years before this experience. He had remained in, and even grown in, his habit of listening for and responding to God obediently. Because of this, when the call came for Abraham to sacrifice his son – the son God had promised him – the son through whom the ‘rescuer’ would come -the son through whom would come a great nation and make the name of Abraham great … he did not hesitate to answer obediently, despite what it meant. Keep in mind, Abraham’s obedience wasn’t because he knew the exact outcome; he obeyed because he loved God more than family and self, and because he knew he could trust Him.

Abraham had not forgotten God’s promises. He had even seen some fulfilled, and he lived and hoped accordingly.

Me from the Inside~out🦋

Friends, throughout the six decades of my life, I have seen the hand of God. I have known His goodness, seen His protection, been blessed by His provision, been comforted by His compassion, experienced the realities of His promises, and in both the chaos and fear of anxious-filled moments or the unsettled stillness of a long night, I have heard His ‘still small voice’. Each event has drawn me closer to Him and helped (even caused) me to trust Him more. Don’t get me wrong, doubts and fears still arise – like when I can’t see a way out of a problem, or a health crisis arises; and I’m still prone to drag my feet when He leads in a direction out of my comfort zone… but this one thing I know, like Abraham, I may not know the exact outcome of any situation, but I know I can trust in the name of the Lord my God.

My prayer for you, dear readers, is that you will remember how He has shown Himself to you. I pray you will watch for Him daily and listen for His still small voice. May we, like Abraham, respond to His call, whatever it may be, with obedience, trusting that God is in complete and perfect control.

The More We Know

Consider these words of encouragement from today’s LGG Journal entry:

“While God never again asked anyone to kill their child, He was willing to sacrifice His very own Son, Jesus Christ, to rescue and redeem humanity from their sin. He gave of His very self, perfectly paying the price we deserve.

Do you trust God to the point that you’d be willing to give up everything, even the things you value most? As God did not hold anything back for us, we, too, are to be willing to give everything to Him.”

LGG Journal/From the Beginning to Forever, p77

Do you know the God of Abraham? I invite you to read, Know These Truths, at the link below.

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

Image Bearers

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w1d2

Read: Genesis 2:4-17; SOAP: Genesis 1:26-27 – KJV

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

27 So God created human beings in his own image.
    In the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:26-27 NLT
Made in God’s Image

This verse is breathtaking in its implications and puzzling in the questions it raises.

bibleref.com

Among other questions that it raises, it begs us to explore what it means to be made in the likeness or image of God. As bibleref.com points out: “This statement does not mean that God created humans to resemble Him physically.” John 4:24 makes it clear that God is a Spirit, or as bibleref.com goes on to clarify: “He is not simply a more complex physical being, or a limited creature … restricted to seeing, hearing, or being in a single location, like the false gods of most religions.” In other words, we do not physically look like God, but “we do possess God’s capacity to experience and understand love, truth, and beauty.” Because we share this capacity, He has called us to be His representatives here on earth. We are to share His truth with ‘the world’ (Matthew 28:19-20) and we are to love others just as Jesus (our role model) has loved us (John 13:34). Actually, as Paul taught the Colossians, “whatever we do and say, we are to do as representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. In other words, we are not just to be His representative, we are to represent Him so well that others will see Jesus in us and be drawn to the Father.

As human beings, this side of sin, when we contemplate our “image,” we may not feel as carefree and natural as our ancestors, Adam and Eve. Instead, we may balk at the idea that it is made after the “likeness of God, because unlike Adam and Eve, we were born with sinful natures, inherited from Adam after the fall (Rom. 5:12; Prov 22:15; Ps 51:5 and 58:3). Sin marred the innocence that Adam and Eve knew “in the beginning.” Before the fall, Adam and Eve had no insecurities or shame and did not know any evil. As Bibleref.com explains, “Their lack of shame was not due to ignorance: it was due to innocence.” The commentary explains, “As chapter 3 will make clear, the shame we feel over being naked is tied to an awareness of one’s own sinfulness and rebellion.” Now, only when we are made new in Christ1 (born again) is the old sinful nature (that came to us through Adam) traded for the new nature of Christ’s Spirit, who lives in us and was given to us by God.2 So that we no longer have to live under the power of sin.3 You see, God made a way where there was no way! Though we were once slaves to sin, we are now, through faith in Christ, sons and daughters of the living God. He has legally adopted us through Christ and has given us the Spirit of adoption, allowing us to live in a relationship with Him – free from the chains of the old nature.

Wonder and Awe

21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.

23 “At last!” the man exclaimed.

“This one is bone from my bone,
    and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
    because she was taken from ‘man.’”

Genesis 2;18-23

From the first ‘sighting’ of the Trinity (1:26) to the first ‘surgery’ by the Great Physician (Genesis 2:18-23), this passage is filled with God’s wonder and leaves me standing in awe of His power and creativity, and praising Him for creating me in His image. Friends, may we never forget that we are made in the image of God so that we might have a relationship with Him and reflect His character to those around us – that He might be made known through us and receive glory, honor, and praise. Oh, that He might continue to work within us through the power of His Holy Spirit so that we do not live by the old nature but faithfully by our new nature through Christ and His Spirit in us.

The More We Know

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

God Rested

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Based on the LGG STUDY, From the Beginning to Forever/w1d1

READ: Genesis 1:1 – 2:3; SOAP: GENESIS 2:1-3

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

GENESIS 2:1-3 NET or KJV
God Rested From All His Work

I used to be one of those go, go, go people. Whether playing, shopping, or working, “Don’t stop till you drop” was my motto. However, for the past several years, I have been learning to appreciate the gift of resting from our work. Perhaps it is the aging process and a little less spring in my step/knees, but I also believe/know it has stemmed from the need and growing desire to cease striving. Striving to keep up with others…with expectations of the world, friends, family…with standards…work…home life…neighbors…you name it – keeping up is part of the game in today’s world. Keeping up can be mentally and physically draining.

My online group Journey Through the Word, has just finished a study called, The Meaning and the Method of True Rest, by Michele Morin@Living Out Our Days. In her study, Michele focuses not on the physical rest (though we do need this) but on “soul rest,” as she puts it. She suggests that “If we want to experience true, biblical rest, we have to be intentional about it. We have to make space for it.” (YIKES! – Right?) Thankfully, she warns her readers right up front that the best method of achieving this goal is to trust God “for grace to slaughter our idols of productivity and effectiveness, all the while asking Him for wisdom to know and then to do what’s most important with the energy and ability He provides.”

As God would have it, I was knee deep in “The Meaning and Method of True Rest” when I received my book for this current study, From the Beginning to Forever. You don’t have to know me very well to imagine the smile on my face when I opened day 1 to find the focus passage was about God resting from His work. (His timing and day-to-day involvement never cease to amaze me.) Of course, I was very familiar with the statement of Genesis 2:2 & 3, but as I stated earlier, I was finishing up a study on finding soul rest for myself, so being reminded of God resting from His work made me wonder what it means for God to rest.

Bibleref.com explains it like this: “What does it mean to ‘rest’ from working, for one with the power to create worlds out of nothing with just His command? It is hard to know, but the passage is clear that it was significant to God. Whether for practical, symbolic, or other purposes, we are meant to see this as a meaningful choice on the part of the Creator. This day of rest will become known as the Sabbath, a central point of God’s Law and essential to Israel’s worship of Him. But even now, before sin enters the world, before the Law exists, this day of rest is already meaningful to the Creator.” While we still may not fully understand what it means that “God rested”, verse three goes on to explain that “God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” He not only rested on the seventh day, but He sets it apart as Holy; or as Bibleref.com goes on to explain, “different from the other six days. Even before sin entered the world, God intended from the very beginning for the seventh day to be a special day dedicated to rest. It is the pattern he set for the world beginning in this verse.”

The More We Know

Order Out of Chaos

While I love the reminder that “God rested from His Work,” I also found myself stopping to soak in and contemplate the refreshing words of Genesis 1:1 -2 …

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 Now the earth was without shape and empty, (or without form, and void) and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

The Hebrew words used here are tōhu and bōhu, translated as “formless” and “void.”According to this text, the earth was empty and literally in chaos.bibleref.com

Genesis 1:1-3

Then God spoke ~ and by His words He spoke boundaries into places where there were none and light into darkness. God spoke and gave shape to formlessness, separated day from night, sky from water, order among life, and life, rule, and purpose where none had existed.

We have likely all been in chaotic situations, where it seems everything or everyone is out of control. I work in a church office, and even there, some days bring unending phone calls and/or a steady flow of people, noise, and myriad distractions, while the daily jobs still have to get done. While a part of me thrives in this atmosphere, I will admit I am ready for or in need of rest when the day is finished and the work is completed. Friends, whether working in an office, in a classroom, at a shopping venue, or at home with the kiddos, the reality is that almost any scenario of places or events can offer up times of chaos. Let’s face it: We live in a world filled with chaos. Thankfully, as we see in today’s word, from the beginning of creation, we know the One who can (and will) bring order from chaos. So take heart, my friends, “With God, disorder and chaos will give way to order and peace,” of this we can be sure.

Our God is a God of order, who does all things well. “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). With God, disorder and chaos give way to order and peace.

Gotquestions.org

For more insight on today’s journey, visit:

Do you know the God who spoke order into chaos? Do you know Jesus, His Son, who died that you might live? I would love to share them with you. Please click on ‘Know These Truths” and let me introduce you to them so that we can share in this hope together. 🦋

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Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Importance of the Trinity

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Scripture and Observation

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17 and 28:16-20/SOAP: Matt 3:16-17

After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight.”

Matthew 3:16-17

Yesterday, we looked at God’s existence and explored the importance of believing (in faith) that He does exist and that He rewards those who seek Him. Faith in God and His existence are the bedrock of a firm foundation. –

Today’s journey will reveal that it isn’t just faith in God, the Father, but in the Triune1 God – Father, Son, and Spirit- as we will see emphasized through the baptism of Jesus and again in His command in Acts 1:4-8, first, to wait for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit and second, to baptize new believers in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is clear that the Trinity is another foundational piece of our faith.

The Triune God is a Christian doctrine that states that God is one being that exists in the three divine persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are coeternal, consubstantial, and share a single nature. 
Christians believe that the three persons of the Trinity are intimately related, and that each person is omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly benevolent. The Trinity is also known as the Three-in-One.

Google/AI Overview
Application from the Journey

As with God’s existence, the doctrine of the Trinity requires faith. For how can we even conceive “three persons in one?” However, God’s Word is firm on the teaching and emphasis of the Trinity, the Father – Son – and Spirit. We see it in today’s passages as well as in Genesis 1:1, John 1:1 and 14, and others.

Consider with me Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 4:17-24, where Paul teaches not just the Ephesians but all believers, that our faith calls us to “live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness, they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against Him.” He goes on to say, “But that isn’t what you learned about Christ…” and then encourages them by instructing them to “let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes … Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.”

Clearly, the Trinity is a foundational ‘piece’ of our faith, as baptism, the very act that identifies us as followers of Christ, is meant to also identify us with the Father and the Spirit.

  • We are made to be like God … Genesis 1:27
  • When we are in Christ, we are new creations; our old nature is gone – replaced with His righteous nature… 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • We are filled with His Spirit, who not only teaches us everything we need to know and remind us of all that Jesus taught … John 14:26, but He develops in us the characteristics we are meant to exhibit as God’s children: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. – As Luke taught us through the words of Jesus, The Spirit is God’s equipping power to live as God has called us to live.
Prayer and Worship Response to the Journey

Father, I have sweet memories of singing the doxology2 every Sunday morning at church when I was growing up. I didn’t realize its importance then, but I loved it and now realize that it was a call for us to praise You, Father-Son-Holy Ghost, the ONE –> The three in ONE from whom all blessings flow! I am so grateful for this memory flooding my mind – for the teaching of my youth and the foundations of my faith. – To You be all the glory and praise! Amen –

Reflections on the Journey

How does Scripture describe the roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the work of salvation?

The More We Know

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

God’s Existence – Do you believe?

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Hey Friends 💕 Welcome to day 1 of our first journey in 2025! The LGG Study, “Firm Foundation,” is the perfect way to begin the new year, as the passages will help us build our lives on the unshakable truth of God’s Word. In this first week, we will be looking at “The Nature of God,” – starting with God’s Existence and the importance of believing what Scripture says about His existence.

Scripture and Observation
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5; Hebrews 11:1-7/SOAP: Gen 1:1/Heb 11:6

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

Now without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who approaches God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

What stood out in my mind after reading the familiar passage in Genesis was this one truth: It takes faith to believe what we have not seen and cannot even conceive to be possible. I’m sure that is why the study then directs us to Hebrews chapter 11 – where the author points out that it is only by faith that we can come to believe that in the beginning, before there was light or life, there was God, and He created the world.

The author of Hebrews goes on to make many other “by faith statements,’ including… the world being “put into order,” Enoch being “taken up to be with God without seeing death…” and “Noah building an ark when he saw no evidence of the need…” – It is why Hebrews 11:6 emphasizes that “without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who approaches God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”

Application – of today’s journey

It is clear that our faith in God’s existence, as told in His Word, is an essential piece of a “firm foundation,” specifically that:

  • God exists – and that
  • He spoke the world into existence out of nothing

Without faith in this truth, we are like those who were condemned in Noah’s day. For. as the Scriptures say, without faith, we cannot obtain the righteousness of Christ1, which is necessary for us to be made right with God. (see Rom 3:22; 5:9; and 2 Cor 5:21)

Friends, it is so important to understand that faith is not just hoping that what the Bible says is true; as Hebrews teaches, it is being sure of what we hope for and being convinced of it – even though we have not seen it or understand how it could be true.

For we walk (live) by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

Perhaps this is why Paul taught, “We walk by faith, not by sight” in 2 Cor 5:7, a verse that I use often when I am facing struggles or when I don’t understand where God is leading. According to Bibleref.com, the verse is a testimony to the faith of Paul and His fellow believers, that “they so thoroughly believe the gospel, including their own resurrection and eternal satisfaction, that the struggles facing them are not the most important concern. What they “see” includes death, pain, suffering, opposition, and challenge. They feel the burden of those things deeply (1 Corinthians 1:8), but they count the unseen things waiting for them with Christ as more real than the suffering of the moment (2 Corinthians 4:18).” – The same was true of Noah in his day and should be true of us today – “for without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who approaches God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Prayer in response to the journey

Father, it is good to be reminded of the importance of our faith – not just in Christ but in the ‘realness’ and existence of You. To believe that in the beginning, the world was dark and empty and without form until You spoke, saying: “Let there be light” is an essential element of our faith – for as we have been reminded, without faith it is impossible to please You, for the one who approaches You must believe that You exists and that You reward those who seek You. As we proceed through this journey, Father, continue to reveal Your truths to us and grace us with understanding so that individually and together, we might build our lives on the unshakable truth of Your Word.

The More We Know About the Journey

For more insight into today’s journey, be sure to check out today’s LGG Blog.

We will look specifically at the Trinity on day two, but in today’s passage, it is worth noting that in the beginning, when God created the world – Jesus/the Word was with God (Jn 1:1, 14) and that the Spirit of God was also present (Gen 1:2)

Today’s Footnotes
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By Faith

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based on the LGG Study: Come, Lord Jesus, Come / w3d1

Scripture: Genesis 5:21-24 and Hebrews 11:5 / SOAP: Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. Hebrews 11:5 NET

Observations and Applications for the Journey

Several things caught my attention in our passages; not the least of which was the fact that Enoch1 was taken up so that he did not see death.2 I was also drawn in by the possibility that he was sixty-five when he began his walk with God, or at least started faithfully walking with God. Some translations, like the KJV and NET, record that “After he became the father of Methuselah at the age of 65, Enoch walked with God.” However, some, such as the NIV, do translate it as: “After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God -” Please note that my curiosity about this statement wasn’t doubting that older people can be saved, but that for some reason the Bible makes a distinction that “after” he became the father of Methuselah he walked (faithfully) with God. Whether Enoch was sixty-five or younger when he became a man of faith doesn’t really matter here, but knowing and having heard many say, ‘I’m too old to become a believer’ or ‘I’m too stuck in my ways…’, gives me/us hopeful encouragement to offer those who are older and have not yet received Christ.

The second thing that came to mind was the heartbreaking thought that God must look at our world and see the same thing (or worse) as He did in the days of Noah, who, by the way, was a descendant of Enoch. Consider for yourself the record in Genesis: “in the days of Noah, the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time.” I don’t mean to change our focus from Enoch to Noah, but bear with me for a minute and consider not just what God saw but how it made Him feel, as the author of Genesis goes on to describe: “The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended.” So offended was He that the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.” But please do not miss the next words because they will forever bring hope to us and our lost and dying world: “Noah found favor in the sight of the LORD.”

“Noah found favor in the sight of the LORD.”

Genesis 6:8

So here we are in this world, much like, if not worse than, Noah’s day. Surely, few, if any, would disagree that we live in a world filled with wickedness, where every inclination of the thoughts of man’s mind always seems evil. Leaving no room to wonder why we are encouraged to search the Scriptures for hope and cry out – Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Friends, a strong and resilient faith, not just the faith that leads to salvation but the faith that keeps us standing in the midst of the storms and temptations of this life, is essential to our walk with God. This is especially true in a world filled with evil, like ours – enticing us toward ungodly living or striking fear in our hearts – and/or shaking our faith. This, at least in part, is the reason for Paul teaching the church of Ephesus and all other disciples who would read his letter to put on the armor of our faith, the armor of God.3 For we certainly do not have a chance of standing, let alone walking faithfully with God if we are not suited up with His armor – including, the shield of faith, with which we can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one who rules this dark world.4

Prayer – Our Heart’s Response to the journey

Father, Thank You for Your Word from beginning to end, from Genesis, where we read of Enoch and Noah and others of the faith, to Revelation, where we read of Your Son’s impending return. From beginning to end, it fills us with HOPE and imparts both saving and staying FAITH to our hearts and minds. Please help us live faithfully in this world of wickedness that is saturated with every evil inclination. Father, we can only stand firm with Your help and effectively do the work You have called us to do when we live and look like Jesus instead of the world. Help us, like Enoch, to walk faithfully with You, our God, until You call us home! – Amen! In the name of Jesus – the pioneer and example of our faith – so let it be!

Reflection on the Journey

How did Enoch’s life please God? What does this teach us about how we should live our lives?

The More We Know: Side trails for the Journey
Posted in Advent, Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Promised Messiah

The Blessing of our Faith

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Scripture: Genesis 12:3 and 22:18; Psalm 72:17; Gal 3:6-16 / SOAP: Gal 3:8-9

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

Genesis 3:8-9

Have you ever heard or sung the song “Father Abraham”? It’s an interactive song that teaches children, and in my case adults, that as believers we are part of the family of Abraham. Which, as Paul points out in Galatians chapter three is a vital part of our heritage in the family of God. Knowing this part of our heritage does not change who we are in Christ but it does give us a broader understanding of who and how we are in Christ, much like the popular ancestry studies of today help us understand our physical heritage.

Father Abrham had many sons, many sons had father Abrham
I am one of them and so are you – so let’s just praise the Lord…

I was saved when I was a very young girl, five or six years of age, but it wasn’t until my late twenties that I began to understand the depth of the grace of God. Until then it was a word relegated to a verse that proclaimed the means of my salvation, “For it is by grace you are saved through faith, it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.”

My heritage by blood is gentile but by the grace of God I have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ! By faith I am now numbered among the sons and daughters of Abraham.

MefromtheINsideout!

What does it mean to you to be part of the family of God? Do you remember a time when you weren’t part of the family?

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Declared Righteous

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God, w2d4

Scripture: Genesis 15:1-6; Romans 4:1-5/ SOAP: Romans 4:3

For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:3

Oh the joy I find diving into God’s Word! I marvel as I travel from the Old Testament through the New Testament reading messages of the redemptive stories of those, who, by no merit of their own – were saved by grace through faith. Today’s Scripture reading is an example of this, as we read that Abram (later named Abraham) who was credited with the righteousness of Christ, not because of anything he had done but because of his faith. Verse six of chapter fifteen says that “Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD credited it as righteousness to him.” We should note that this is not the first evidence of his belief in God. We find that part of the story in Genesis chapter twelve, verse four, when he leaves country, home, and family to follow God’s command.

Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to (the land) that I will show you. 2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, so that all the families of the earth may receive blessing through you.” 4 So Abram left, (read the rest of the story)

Genesis 12:1-4

I hope you won’t skip through the Genesis portion to focus on the SOAP verse. A walk through the story of Abram – who left all he knew for an unknown location and a promise that he could not see – much less understand – reveals much. In Abram we see both faith and curiosity, that some would say was born of doubt; and if you look carefully you will even see the evidence of what appears to be fear in Abram(v1). In God we see, comfort and encouragement as well as personal interaction as He answers Abram’s questions and goes a step further with a beautiful and demonstrative sky-gazing moment of the promise yet to come. Finally, we see first-hand evidence(v6) of the account that Paul speaks of in Romans chapter four. As the old saying goes, “stop and smell the roses”, so to speak, before moving on to Paul’s account. Let yourself imagine walking in Abram’s shoes (for an even better understanding back up to chapter twelve), consider his questions – and then close your eyes and imagine the vision in verses four and five. Hear God say, “But look,” Do you feel the hope? Do you hear it in these two little words and in the message that follows? Visualize walking outside with him and looking up into the sky at the countless stars and hearing God say that Abram’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars. – I love that we serve a God who understands who we are and what we are thinking or feeling and responds with such compassion and such an excitement for what is ahead that He infuses hope into our hearts and minds that helps us to press on.

Fast Forward

“There is no one righteous, not even one,
11 there is no one who understands,
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
together they have become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Romans 3:10-12

In today’s focus passage, Paul picks up right where we left off with Abram. Keep in mind that Paul had just announced that “man” can be justified/saved (which is to be made right with God) by something other than the law, (Rom 3:21-26). Now, with this one question, he takes them back to Abraham/Abram to show them how. The question was perfect, for anyone who knew of Abram knew the answer. God had credited Abram with righteousness simply yet profoundly because He had “believed God“. Paul goes on to give an example that teaches the people that FAITH is greater than works when it comes to righteousness. The outcome of work is an obligatory payment or accolade – but what comes from belief/faith in God is His gracious gift of a righteousness that covers all of our sin and shame. It was the righteousness of His only son, given to take the sins of the world on himself and die on a cross that did not belong to him – but to each of us. – Now this is love and grace at their greatest!

Reflection for the Journey
  • What does Romans 4:3 teach us about the relationship between faith and righteousness?
  • How doe it challenge the lie that we must earn righteousness through what we do?
Going Further

How It All Began

Posted in Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The God Who Restores

The Coming Glory

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A Love God Greatly Advent Study, The God Who Restores – W2D5
Today’s Reading: Romans 8:18-25
Today’s SOAP: Romans 8:24-25

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance.

Romans 8:24-25
Observations: The Present Suffering

Sin brought a curse upon the world and man that is still present today. So that we (believers) eagerly await God’s “coming glory”, when all will be restored and completely made right. Somehow, creation itself understands the effects of the curse and, like us, is eagerly awaiting for our redemption to be complete.

Hope and The Life of Anticipation

While our focus verses show us the importance of hope in the believer’s life, don’t miss that God Himself, acted in hope of—or “looking forward to”—the reversal of His curses He [God] had subjected creation to. A good explanation of this is found at Bibleref.com, which says:

God subjected creation to frustration in response to Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden. God did not design creation to suffer. That hardship came after all was meaningful and “very good.” This warped, struggling existence came about when God cursed all of creation in response to human sin (Genesis 3:14, 17–19).He never intended for His creation to experience this futility and death and corruption forever.

Bibleref.com goes on to say, “The day is coming when God will reveal His children in the glory He has for us, and then creation will be set free from its bondage. Paul says that creation itself will obtain the same freedom that those in Christ will receive when they are glorified. All suffering will end. All will be made right (Revelation 21:1–4).”

I read somewhere that – “The life of a Christian is the life of anticipation“. From the time we place our faith in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, we “hope in what we cannot see”… the promise of eternity, the guarantee of new bodies, of righteousness, forgiveness, and the God to whom we pray. This hope causes us to wait like expectant children at Christmas time with and eagerness to receive what we have asked for and believed in!

Application: How Does This Apply to Me?

A time stretches out and it becomes easier to lose hope -instead we should:

  • take heart that God’s promises are yes and amen in Christ
  • stay in the WORD, who is Christ and from which our HOPE comes
  • Wait with eager expectation

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT
Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for Your promises that are yes and amen in Jesus Christ! Thank You for the HOPE in which I have been saved, and in which I now eagerly wait for Christ’s return! Thank You for leading me to put my faith in Jesus – And – Thank You that Your perfect timing in all things – perhaps, especially so in Your “coming glory”, when all will be restored and completely made right. – In and through the name of Jesus! – Amen

Posted in Bible study, Choosing God Instead of the World, LGG Study

For God Sent Me –

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WEEK 5, DAY 4 OF CHOOSING GOD INSTEAD OF THE WORLD, A LOVE GOD GREATLY STUDY

Scripture Reading: Genesis 45:1-15 (SOAP – Genesis 45:5)

But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.   NLT
OBSERVATION:

THE GENESIS SAGA: Joseph Reveals His Identity

After Judah’s plea and offer to exchange his life for Benjamin’s and his father’s, Joseph could no longer keep the secret of his identity hidden. When he had made sure that they were alone – he announced, “I am Joseph! Is my brother still alive?” The brothers were confused and gave no answer, so he said again, “I am Joseph your brother,” this time adding – “whom you sold into Egypt.” While Joseph clearly acknowledges the brothers’ part in the way his life turned out he gives God all the credit. I doubt that this was an effort of Joseph to whitewash the brothers’ betrayal, but to let them know that that God was in perfect control and had blessed Joseph despite their evil act. It was God who positioned him to rule over Egypt and God who positioned him to provide life for them, He explains to them how God had used their act of selling him to preserve their lives by making him advisor to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Other Notable Observations:
  • Joseph immediately puts the brothers at ease rather than throwing blame and making them feel bad. (5)
  • He explains how the famine will play out and assures them that it was God who sent him ahead of them in order to save their lives (7)
  • Joseph sends the brothers back to Canaan to bring Jacob to Egypt, so that Joseph can provide for him and his whole household, and everyone who belongs to him. (9-12)
  • Joseph wept over his brothers and they talked with one another. (13-15)
APPLICATION: HOW THEN SHOULD WE LIVE?

Again, it seems there is much we can learn from Joseph, including not throwing blame or making others feel badly for their wrongs but especially giving God all the credit that He is due, as we read in the soap verse. This is true even for ourselves. We would be wise to not look at any given situation and say look what I have done, look what I have become, or accomplished, or what ‘that person’ became because of me. Surely we can celebrate what God has helped us to accomplish at school, or work, or in life, for ourselves or for others – but we put ourselves in danger when it becomes about us and not what God has helped us accomplish. It can lead to pridefulness that may turn us to choose the world’s way instead of God’s. Instead let us To steer clear of the pitfalls of pride we would do well to deflect all praise to God as Joseph did and to set aside time daily to point our own minds to remembering what God has done for us.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word.

Father, thank You for being in complete control. Thank You for using us as Your instruments to accomplish Your will and for reminding us to give You all the glory and honor due Your Holy Name. Let Your praise always be on our lips and Your goodness always on our minds. Guard us from pridefulness and boasting in ourselves. These things I pray in Jesus’ name and power – Amen!

YOUR TURN:PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
  • How is a willingness to forgive related to an understanding of God’s sovereignty?
  • Is there anyone you need to forgive or seek reconciliation with today?