Tag: Genesis

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

Rebekah, Part 2 ~ “I will go.”

Posted on by MaryEllen

In our previous post, we traveled with Eliezer, Abraham’s oldest servant, to Abraham’s homeland1. Abraham, desperate and determined that Isaac not marry a Canaanite woman, had sent Eliezar on a mission to find a wife for his son Isaac from among his own people. Eliezar took the mission seriously, promising Abraham that he would do just as he had requested. He not only relied on Abraham’s promise that God would send an angel to help him, but when he arrived in the land of Abraham’s brother, he prayed a very specific prayer. We read it on yesterday’s journey and again today as he recounts both the prayer and God’s answer to Rebekah’s family.

And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master’s son.

45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son. ~Genesis 24:42-48

Friends, praying ‘specifically’ not only builds a more personal relationship with God, but it also enriches our prayer life with trust, confident boldness, and joy. Last year, when I was going weekly to the knee doctor and my knees were really bad, I would pray for God to save me a parking place. I would remind Him of my pain and how the parking lot gets so crowded, and the steps in the parking garage were excruciatingly painful. I would pray the day before, the morning of, and on the way to the appointment. I learned to watch for His answers and would often laugh and rejoice as I pulled up and saw an empty spot or a car backing out of a spot very close to the door. A smile would line my lips, and praise would flow forth.2

This is similar to how Eliezar responded when God so specifically answered his prayer: from

  • Rebekah showing up at the well
  • to her offering not only Eliezar a drink
  • but also his camels, just as Eliezar had prayed
  • and then finding out she was the daughter of Abraham’s brother

26 The man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27 Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,’ he said. ‘The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.’

Genesis 24:26-27

~God’s attentiveness to the prayers of His people is evident and a tremendous encouragement, not to mention a source of motivation for us to pray specifically. Even more so would it have been an encouragement to Rebekah and her family when they sat together hearing Eliezar recount his prayer concerning a wife for Isaac, his master’s son, and how Rebekah (not knowing his prayer) had responded just as he had prayed. Now she had listened as Eliezar retold why and how God had led the servant to them, and why he believed Rebekah was the one God intended for Isaac. So, when given the choice to stay or go, she said, “I will go”. As we will see in the remainder of our Journey, “Rebekah has many blessings awaiting her because of her willingness to do what the Lord had purposed for her”.3

Rebekah also serves as an example of what can be found when we are willing to go where the Lord directs.

~She, Volume 4/p54

Reflection and Application

Where is the Lord directing you to go?

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” ~ Isa. 6:8

  1. Abraham’s homeland ↩︎
  2. The Rest of the Story…Make no mistake, there were days when there was no parking place available within a comfortable walking distance – yet, even on those days, I learned to praise Him. I learned to trust that there was a reason for the answer I had received (yes, “no, not today” is an answer). On one of those days, as I was wondering why He had me park in the garage, nowhere near the elevator ~ I was blessed on the walk out of the garage to be able to share the love of Jesus with a young man who was having a rough day. My guess is I will never see that young man again, but I fully believe that God parked me in the garage for the purpose of talking to that man. I continued to pray for the close spots, but I trusted and watched each time for His better purpose, and praised Him just the same. ↩︎
  3. She, Volume 4/p54 ↩︎

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

Rebekah, Part 1 – God’s Choice

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from the study, She, delighting in the examples of women of the Bible, volume 4/pp51-52

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 24: 1-21

The day and time were different in the days of Abraham. Parents often, if not typically, chose not only who their child would marry, but purposefully arranged for them to marry within the same family line.1 This is where our journey through Rebekah’s story opens. Abraham, described as a “very old man” now, is making arrangements with his oldest servant, Eliezar, who was in charge of his household, to make arrangements for Isaac to marry a relative from their homeland2 and not a Canaanite woman.

Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2 One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, ‘Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. 3 Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 4 Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.’ Genesis 24:1-4

Eliezar has a few questions, but in the end, he promises to do as Abraham has requested. Abraham assures him that God will send an angel to help him. Scripture says that the servant went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water. So he stops to pray a very specific prayer, saying:

O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,’ he prayed. ‘Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. 13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. 14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ — let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.’ Genesis 24:12-14

Have you ever prayed for God to show you something in such a specific way? While our journey’s focus is on Rebekah and not Abraham or Eliezar, I can’t help but stop and focus just briefly on this prayer of Eliezar. It is a prayer that God has used through the years to teach me how to pray specifically. It is also a vivid reminder that God’s gift of prayer is an opportunity for us to talk to Him, not just thanking Him for things He has already done (though that is important), but casting our cares on Him, pouring out our hearts to Him, and yes, asking Him for things we need.

Specific prayers build a more personal relationship with God and enrich our prayer life with trust, confident boldness, and joy. ~Me, from the inside-out

Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah. ~Genesis 24:15

Rebekah serves as an example that the LORD has a purpose appointed just for us💜

She, Volume 4, p52

Don’t you just love it? Before the servant had finished praying, a daughter from the tribe of Abraham was coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. Whether there were others there at the same time is not clear, but we do know that Rebekah is the one he saw and that she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up again. When she did, he ran to meet her, saying: “Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.”

Little did Rebekah know it, but with the water jug on her shoulder (most likely, like every other day), she was prepared for what God had planned for her today. Her life was about to change as God was answering the specific prayer of Abraham’s servant for the provision of a wife for Isaac and clear direction as to who that should be.

She was prepared for what God had planned for her.

She, Volume 4, p51

Tomorrow’s journey will reveal more details on God’s answer to Eliezar, the beauty and benefit of praying specifically, and Rebekah’s response to what Eliezar was seeking. Today, let’s rest in the beauty and comfort that come from knowing that God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, but also a desire to make His way known to us. May we learn from Eliezar to pray specifically and watch for God to answer.

The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.I will advise you and watch over you.

Psalm 32:8

Reflection and Application

How has God directed you before?

The More We Know

  1. Marriage within the same family line ↩︎
  2. The homeland of Abraham ↩︎

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

Lot’s Wife

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from the study: She, Delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, pp39-40

Before we meet Lot’s Wife, let’s familiarize ourselves with Lot. He is the nephew of Abraham. When Abraham and Sarah obeyed the Lord’s call to leave Haran and go to Canaan, Lot went with them. Eventually, their families parted ways, and Lot settled his family near the land of Sodom, a very sinful city.1 

As for Lot’s wife, Scripture does not tell us her name, nor when they met and married. Though some have suggested that “Lot met and married her within the cesspool of Sodom.” Which is exactly where we find them living in our story today. 

Her Story

1 That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.

2 My lords,’ he said, ‘come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.’ ‘Oh no,’ they replied. ‘We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.’

3 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. 4 But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!’

6 So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. 7 Please, my brothers,’ he begged, ‘don’t do such a wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.

‘9 Stand back!’ they shouted. ‘This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!’ And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.

10 But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. 11 Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.

12 Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. ‘Do you have any other relatives here in the city?’ they asked. ‘Get them out of this place — your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 13 For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the Lord, and he has sent us to destroy it.’

14 So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, ‘Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is about to destroy it.’ But the young men thought he was only joking.

15 At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. ‘Hurry,’ they said to Lot. ‘Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!’

16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.  Genesis 19:1-16 NLT

It is a horrid story and not easy to read, yet to truly understand the story of “Lot’s wife,” it is helpful, if not necessary,  to understand the place and people she has been living among, perhaps her entire life, as some commentators think that this may be where she lived when Lot met and married her. Verses four and five paint a vividly depraved picture of just how steeped in sin the people of Sodom were. Notably, Lot went to great, shocking, even questionable lengths to protect the angels from the riotous mob at his door (6-9). Yet, we must not miss the difficulty Lot and his family had in leaving the city, to the point that the angels had to physically grab hold of their hands and pull them to safety outside of the city. They had been warned that the city would be destroyed and that if they stayed, they would be swept away with it, yet somehow they still struggled to leave.

BUT GOD, in his mercy, had heard the request of Abraham to spare Lot and his family, and the angels delivered them safely outside of the destruction. Before they left them, the angels instructed the family to run for their lives, without looking back or stopping anywhere in the valley. They were to escape to the mountains in order not to be swept away. (vv 18–22). 

‘Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!’ Genesis 19:17

A Pillar of Salt

Sadly, as Lot led his daughters from the city, his wife “looked back.” As one commentator writes, “She turned her focus to what she was losing instead of looking forward to God’s offer of salvation” (Genesis 19:1–26).

Gotquestions.org points out that “Lot’s wife lagged behind.” While Scripture does not indicate that this was purposeful, it does say that she was following behind Lot (Genesis 19:26). Whatever the reason, she disobeyed God’s instructions through the angels and “looked back.” Because of this, she was “turned into a pillar of salt.” As Bibleref.com explains, “Whether this is a literal, supernatural transformation, or a poetic way of indicating that she was caught up in the destruction due to her delay, the text gives no further details. In either case, God does not let her sin stand.”2

LOT’S WIFE SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE THAT SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES.

“If we choose to reject the salvation that the Lord has given us, we too will become a pillar of regret.”3

Lot’s wife chose the old over the new, the world over God and His ways, sinful pleasures over the will of God…the way of death over the way of new life. Friends, when we are tempted to ‘look back’(clinging to ways, or people, or things that displease God) we would be wise to “remember Lot’s wife,” just as Jesus said to do (Luke 17:32). May she be a reminder for us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the perfecter of our faith…” so that we do not ‘look back’ and become stuck in our longings for sinful pleasures or regrets of our past. Consider the Israelites,

  • who looked back and longed for the food of Egypt, or as one commentator puts it, “When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they often romanticized their past. Despite enduring brutal slavery, they longed for the predictability and familiar foods of Egypt (like fish, cucumbers, and garlic) when faced with the harsh realities and uncertainties of desert life.” [1, 2, 3]

Or this example from my own life,

  • The enemy sometimes assaults me with reminders of the sins of my past, causing my mind to be filled with shame and regret. If I do not quickly turn the thought into a praise of gratitude for God’s mercy and grace, I can get stuck in the muck and mire of regret and lose sight of the blessing of joy in His love and forgiveness. Praise God, the Spirit reminds me that God’s children are not meant to live in shame and regret but in the fullness of joy found in the salvation that is ours through Christ Jesus.  

REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE


Jesus’ instruction to “remember Lot’s Wife was meant to serve as a reminder for those who will be among the remnant in the last days. “It is a warning not to seek rescue through things of the world, or to prioritize one’s life over obedience. Even as we trust Jesus’ promises, we must be willing to lose our physical lives, knowing Jesus gives us eternal life” (Luke 17:33). “many will be caught off guard, living normal lives like those in the days of Noah and Lot; Jesus’ followers need to watch the signs and be ready.” As Lot led his daughters from the city, his wife “looked back.” She turned her focus to what she was losing instead of looking forward to God’s offer of salvation (Genesis 19:1–26).

“The language used here might suggest Lot’s wife gazed intently; the point is not that she merely allowed her eyes to take in the catastrophe. The implication of the passage is that in looking back, Lot’s wife was expressing her continuing affection for the sinful culture of Sodom (Luke 17:31–32).4” Jesus’ reminder is meant to help the remnant in that day not make the same mistake.

The More We Know

quotes and added details from gotquestions.org and bibleref.com

Abraham’s plea for the righteous within Sodom … After God indicates His intent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, Abraham tries to convince God to consider the righteous people who might live there. In truth, God already knows that Sodom is doomed, and has no need to justify Himself to Abraham. However, using human language, He has allowed Abraham to discuss sparing the city if a small number of people there are not involved in the city’s pervasive sins (Genesis 13:13; Ezekiel 16:49–50).

Abraham concludes his negotiation with the Lord here, with another request that the Lord not be angry with him, and a promise not to push any further after this. If the Lord finds 10 righteous people in Sodom, will He spare the city for the sake of those 10 people? This particular number was probably Abraham’s goal all along, with the intent of sparing his nephew, Lot, from death in the judgment against Sodom.

Once more, the Lord agrees to Abraham’s request. He will not destroy the city if 10 righteous people are found. Of course, the Lord already knows how many righteous people He will find in Sodom and Gomorrah. He knows what’s coming. Still, He has been gracious and kind to endure Abraham’s pointed questions and requests. In the end, Abraham will know that the Lord is both just in His judgment and merciful in His approach.

We’re fortunate to receive similar warnings. Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us to take off the old self that is ruled by sin and be renewed, putting on the new self that is in the likeness of God. Similarly, 1 John 5:16 says that willful, deliberate sin can lead to death. Lot’s wife wasn’t able to accept that. What she chose to value in her heart led her to sin, which led to her “death”.

The Bible isn’t clear whether Lot’s wife was covered in the salt that rained down with the brimstone or if her remains were dusted with a coating of salt later. But it is interesting that she is described as a “pillar.” The Hebrew for “pillar” refers to a garrison or a deputy, that is, something set to watch over something else. The image of Lot’s wife standing watch over the Dead Sea area—where to this day no life can exist—is a poignant reminder to us not to look back or turn back from the profession of faith we have made, but to follow Christ without hesitation and abide in His love (Luke 17:32).

  1. https://www.gotquestions.org/Lot-in-the-Bible.html ↩︎
  2. Bibleref.com on Genesis 19:26 ↩︎
  3. She, Delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, p40 ↩︎
  4. quotes in the last two paragraphs from Bibleref.com ↩︎

Person standing beside signpost on dirt road in desert at sunset
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, She, Volume 4

Sarah’s Visit from the LORD

Posted on by MaryEllen

adapted from She, delighting in the examples of the women of the Bible, Volume 4/pp69-70

Today’s Scripture: Genesis 18 and 21:1-3; Isaiah 64:4; Psalm 56:3

For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! Isaiah 64:4 NLT

Genesis 18 is filled with details that are helpful, if not necessary, for understanding and truly appreciating this part of Sarah’s story and the blessing that she and Abraham experience.

Bibleref.com sums the first portion up like this: “The events of Genesis 18 take place not long after God’s visit with Abraham in chapter 17. However, this visit from the Lord is quite different. It’s not clear, at first, if Abraham even recognizes the three men who appear outside of his tent as the Lord and two angels in human form. In either case, Abraham runs to show them deep respect and hospitality. He tells Sarah to bake them bread and has a young calf slaughtered for them to eat as they rest in the heat of the day.

Once the meal is over, the Lord fully reveals Himself, in a conversation He conducts with Sarah through Abraham while she remains hidden and listening in the tent. First, the Lord asks where Sarah is and then reveals to her what He had said to Abraham in the previous chapter: by this time a year from now, she will have a son.“

“by this time a year from now Sarah will have a son.“

Genesis 18:10

Part of the story hasn’t changed, Sarah is still barren and advanced in age…but now she knows her waiting is about to come to an end. As we read in Genesis 21:1, the Lord keeps His promise – regardless of how difficult a thing may seem in human eyes or understanding – nothing is too difficult for our God! We are not told exactly how the promise comes about – only that “the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sara as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac” (Genesis 21:1-3).

How would you say you wait? Patiently…Impatiently…Excitedly…Nervously…Doubtfully…? I would venture to say that for most – if not all of us, it depends on what we’re waiting for. My four-year-old grandson is working on waiting patiently to have our attention if we are already talking to someone else. Sometimes he waits really well, but if what he wants to say is super exciting or important, the wait becomes nearly impossible for him. Sometimes I wait well, but waiting on a doctor’s report or a job position may turn into waiting nervously, waiting on my smoothie at McDonald’s when I’m running late for work may stir up the impatient side of me, and the eight years of waiting on a baby ran the gamut from waiting patiently to impatiently to excitedly and nervously and eventually doubtfully. The fact of the matter is, waiting is generally not easy, so when you’re talking 25 years of waiting, which is approximately the amount of time that Sarah and Abraham waited on the promise God had made concerning Sarah having a child, specifically a male child who would be the first seed of the great nation God had told Abraham he would one day father.

As we have seen through our journey with Sarah, it wasn’t an easy wait for her, and subsequently not an easy wait for Abraham either. However, “the longer she waited, the more of a miracle her situation became.” Why? Because the older she and Abraham became, the possibility of conceiving and giving birth, humanly speaking, diminished. Sarah understood this, which is why she laughed at the very thought of it being true – it is also why God’s rebuttal to her laughter was a question: “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14). It was a pointed reminder then and remains so today, that nothing, absolutely nothing, can limit or hold back the power of God.

“Waiting sometimes causes us to fear the unknown. However, there is no need to fear when we trust in Him.”

She, study guide, volume 4, p70

Friends, I don’t know if waiting ever becomes easy. However, I have found that the more life has required me to wait, the more God has strengthened/deepened my roots of faith. Waiting teaches us to depend on God, to look to Him for help when we grow weary and/impatient, to confess our weariness and trust Him even in the midst of humanly impossible situations that raise shadows of doubts. … Yes, as today’s journal entry states: “Waiting sometimes causes us to fear the unknown. However, there is no need to fear when we trust in Him.1“

The More We Know

The Wait for Isaac

Genesis 12 begins the story of Abraham (then called Abram) and his barren wife, Sarah. Verses 1 through 4 record God’s first words to him about a homeland for his offspring. Even though the gift of a son is not directly mentioned in this first communication, God hinted at His plan for Abram. Abraham was 75 years old when he first received the promise, and Genesis 21:5 tells us he was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Sarah was 90. So Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the fulfillment of God’s promise.

In those 25 years between the time that Abram was promised a son and the birth of Isaac, Abram and Sarah had certain ideas of how they might facilitate the keeping of the promise. One was that Abraham’s steward, Eliezer, would become the heir of Abraham’s household (Genesis 15:2–3). Another idea was that Abraham could have an heir through a son conceived by Sarah’s slave, Hagar (Genesis 16:1–2). In both cases, God rejected those men as Abraham’s heirs, pointing Abraham and Sarah to a literal, miraculous fulfillment of the promise.2

  1. She, study guide, volume 4, p70 ↩︎
  2. Gotquestions.org ↩︎
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 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