Category Archives: Family

Can God Use Me?, Consequences of Sin, Faith / Trusting God, Family, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness

Abraham’s Legacy

Abraham’s greatest legacy was not in his wealth or earthly possessions. His greatest legacy was through his children and through God’s blessing as it continued to the next generation. Genesis 25:1-18 shows us the good and the bad of Abraham’s legacy. God blessed Abraham richly because of his faith. However, there were also real consequences for the mistakes Abraham made. Specifically we see that Ishmael’s descendants lived in open hostility to their relatives.

25 Abraham married another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s descendants were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4 Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Abraham through Keturah.

5 Abraham gave everything he owned to his son Isaac. 6 But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to a land in the east, away from Isaac.

7 Abraham lived for 175 years, 8 and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites and where he had buried his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev.

12 This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant. 13 Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael’s descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped. 17 Ishmael lived for 137 years. Then he breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 18 Ishmael’s descendants occupied the region from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. There they lived in open hostility toward all their relatives.

We are to strive, as Abraham did, to make good and righteous choices that honor God. We should never consider God’s offer of grace and forgiveness as an “opportunity” to intentionally ignore or reject God and sin… thinking that later He will forgive us. This attitude would be an abuse of God’s offer for forgiveness and neglects both the recognition that there are consequences for our mistakes and that forgiveness and grace require genuine repentance rather than just empty words of repentance. Those who are genuinely seeking Christ do not intentionally plot and scheme to take advantage of God’s grace and forgiveness.

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Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Marriage, Obeying God, Parenting, Prayer, Righteousness / Serving God

Abraham and His Servant Rely on God

Genesis 24 shows us what remains important to Abraham in his old age… planning for his son to have a godly bride and continuing to trust God. Abraham was focused on his son marrying someone of his own faith, instead of local women who worshipped false gods, and in trusting God’s promise that he should remain in the land that God promised to give to his descendants.  Abraham’s focus remains on serving and trusting God even as a very old man. He does not choose to stop following God’s instruction.

24 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.”

5 The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”

6 “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. 7 For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants.[a] He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. 8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”

9 So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions. 10 Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. 11 He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.

12 “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.”

15 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. 16 Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. 17 Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.”

18 “Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. 19 When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.

21 The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission. 22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets[b] for her wrists.

23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?”

24 “I am the daughter of Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah. 25 Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests.”

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.”

28 The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring. 30 He had seen the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. 31 Laban said to him, “Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the Lord! Why are you standing here outside the town when I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels?”

32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel drivers to wash their feet. 33 Then food was served. But Abraham’s servant said, “I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I have come.”

“All right,” Laban said, “tell us.”

34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained. 35 “And the Lord has greatly blessed my master; he has become a wealthy man. The Lord has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys.

36 “When Sarah, my master’s wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master’s son, and my master has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me take an oath. He said, ‘Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 38 Go instead to my father’s house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.’

39 “But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ 40 He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. 41 Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.’

42 “So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. 43 See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.” 44 If she says, “Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too,” let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.’

45 “Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ So I drank, and then she watered the camels.

47 “Then I asked, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.

48 “Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife. 49 So tell me—will you or won’t you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I’ll know what to do next.”

50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”

52 When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord. 53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. 54 Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight.

But early the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to my master.”

55 “But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days,” her brother and mother said. “Then she can go.”

56 But he said, “Don’t delay me. The Lord has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master.”

57 “Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks.” 58 So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.

And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”

59 So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham’s servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah’s childhood nurse went along with her. 60 They gave her this blessing as she parted:

“Our sister, may you become
    the mother of many millions!
May your descendants be strong
    and conquer the cities of their enemies.”

61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and went on his way.

62 Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi. 63 One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. 64 When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel. 65 “Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” she asked the servant.

And he replied, “It is my master.” So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. 66 Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.

67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.

A few key highlights in this important scripture we should consider applying in our own lives:

  • Even at the end of his life, Abraham, a man declared righteous because of his faith, focuses on submitting to God. He looks ahead to important things that need to be resolved before he dies. He prepares to help the next generation succeed in submitting to and serving God. There are two important aspects of this highlighted in this passage… marrying a godly woman even if it seems hard to find one and choosing to live in the land that God told him his descendants would inherit.
  • The servant prayed to God for help finding the bride for Isaac. This step is important and we should encourage everyone to submit their choice of spouse to God and ask for His help, and then wait for His answer.
  • The test that the servant uses is actually a good indicator of character. He was not only looking for water for himself, which is relatively easy, but for his camels… which is a lot of work. They drink a lot after a long journey. Note he did not ask her to water his camels, but relied on her offering.
  • The servant also recognized confirmation from God for his prayer. The timing of when Rebekah showed up, fulfillment of the original test, and then the fact that she was related to Abraham’s family… which was Abraham’s request.
  • The servant stops to worship, praise, and thank God for help.
  • When he shares his testimony with Rebekah’s family, the servant does not just say “God told me Rebekah is to be Isaac’s wife.” Instead he shares the full detail of the testimony with them… to the glory of God.

We can learn much through the life of Abraham. Yes, he made mistakes, but he was a man of great faith. Praise God we have record of His life to study and learn from. I am greatly encouraged to see how God can use us, even though we still have flaws and make mistakes.

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Children, Faith / Trusting God, Family, Obeying God

Abraham’s Test – Putting God First

Genesis 22 brings us through likely the biggest test of faith that Abraham experienced with God. Abraham submitted to God and held nothing back from Him. Abraham had strong faith indeed.

22 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

2 “Take 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.”

3 The 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. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay 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.”

6 So 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, 7 Isaac 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?”

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

9 When 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. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

12 “Don’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.”

13 Then 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.”

15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants[a] beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.

20 Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. 21 The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah, 24 Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

We could have a good debate about our opinions on God choosing this particular test for Abraham, but God indeed chose it. We are called to accept it and trust Him that in the context of the ancient near east culture of the time this was an appropriate test for Him to put before Abraham. It would seem very unlikely that God would use that same test for us in the context of the culture of our world today, but He can just as easily test us in other ways.

Are we putting our children before God as priority? our spouse? Anything? We are to put God first. We are to not only read His word but seek to have relationship with Him such that we can hear and understand His specific will for our lives and then obey it.

Abraham put nothing before God and was willing to trust God with everything. He could have rationalized that he should not sacrifice Isaac because God previously promised many children through Isaac. However, Abraham had a close enough relationship with God to know when he was hearing from God… and he obeyed.

Each of us should ask ourselves what areas of our lives we hold back from God… what areas might we be putting above God… saying “Let me keep this [job, hobby, bad habit, sin, etc.] and I will submit to you in other areas?” God wants to be first in all aspects of our lives. We are called to honor Him as such and we can trust Him.

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Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Marriage, Obeying God, Parenting

Abraham Seeks God For Family Troubles

Genesis 21:8-21 reminds us that there are real, tangible consequences of our mistakes but also shows us how God can help us through these difficulties.

Ishmael was the result of a poor choice made by Sarah and Abraham in an effort to “help God” fulfill His promise to provide generations of offspring through Abraham.

8 When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. 9 But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac.[b] 10 So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”

11 This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. 12 But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. 13 But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”

14 So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.

15 When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. 16 Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards[c] away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.

17 But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”

19 Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.

20 And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, 21 and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.

The mistake of Abraham having a child with Hagar, who was not his wife, had very tangible consequences for all involved. Sarah and Hagar developed division and bitterness toward one another. Abraham was forced to deal with division within his household that was very destructive and Ishmael was caught up in the middle of it all.

When Abraham was faced with solving this challenging problem, he turned to God. God, in His grace, gave specific guidance for resolution. We can have debate about what we would have told Abraham to do, but there is no debating that Abraham turned to God, God answered, and Abraham immediately obeyed.

God told Abraham that He would take care of Ishmael and He did. God also reached out to Hagar when she was crying out in need in order to comfort and encourage her and to fulfill His commitment to Abraham.

We should be encouraged that we can turn to God for help even in personal struggles or conflict within our family. He cares about each of us that much. However, when He provides a clear answer for how to resolve it… we should follow His instruction quickly.

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Character of God, Children, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

The Lord Keeps His Word

In Genesis 21:1-7 we witness God beginning to fulfill His promise to Abraham that his descendants would be countless. God did not change His mind even after Abraham and Sarah made mistakes regarding this promise. They first looked to adopting one of Abraham’s servants as heir and then to Abraham having a child through Hagar, Sarah’s maid servant. There are consequences to their mistakes, but God still fulfills His promise.

21 The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter.[a] All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”

Abraham and Sarah clearly found great joy in Isaac. Having a child was very important to them, especially after desiring one for so long. Sarah gave credit to God. She did not explain away the miracle as so many people today are tempted to do.

God has much grace for those of us who choose to follow Him wholeheartedly, albeit imperfectly. What a wonderful God we serve!

When you experience God’s miracles and promises in your life, give glory and honor to God. Do not explain it away as happening without God. Please share your testimonies with us or read those shared by others at the Testimonies section of www.HearingFromJesus.org.  Let your story encourage others!

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Children, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Parenting

Seek God for Decisions in Your Life

Genesis 19:30-38 shows us a dramatic example of the foolishness of people when we try to solve our problems without God and without even working together as a family.

30 Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. 31 One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”

33 So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

34 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

36 As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab.[b] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi.[c] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.

Once again we gain insight into Lot and how poorly he led his family to know God and to follow God. They were likely influenced by their time in Sodom and a lack of strong godly leadership from their father.

Lot’s daughters identified a problem that was of great concern to them. They decided it was better to try to solve it on their own than to seek God or even discuss it with their father. They end up with a foolish solution. They still have a lack of men for more children or a community in which to raise their children.  The Moabites and Ammonites as a culture continued the way they were started… far from God. They later become a thorn in the side for Israel at times.

It seems obvious that Lot’s daughters did not know how to relate to God. They did not seek His help and instruction when confronting a big issue in their lives. Further, they did not even approach their father to discuss it. Granted, Lot did not have a strong track record for godly decision making… but perhaps he could have sought out Abraham if confronted by this situation.

Of course, one could also ask why Lot was not paying enough attention to his daughters to notice their concern and ask about it. There is not much detail provided, but it seems the family was far from God and did not have good communication within the family to work together to solve problems.

Although this type of incestuous relationship is not common, the world is full of young women and men making foolish choices about sex outside marriage, about adultery after marriage, about marrying the wrong person because they are in a hurry. Some feel a “biological clock ticking” and feel pressure to hurry and marry and have children. They move quickly and marry the wrong person. Some just do not understand what real love is and respond to hormones that may lead them to feel “attracted” to someone. That is not love. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7.

It is important to raise children to know and serve God and to seek Him in these situations. Further, it is important to lead your children in such a way that they can approach you about these personal issues and discuss them so you can help as a parent. Don’t wait until they are teenagers, start when they are very young.  Encourage them to make decisions based on God’s word, prayer, and consulting their parents. Respect their concerns and issues at an early age and give them the opportunity to discuss anything with you as their parent. Teach them you are a resource to help them.

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Bad Habits, Children, Consequences of Sin, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Selfishness

Reject Sin In Your Life, No Matter How “Small”

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Many of us who follow Jesus can easily recognize some obvious sin in our lives or the lives of others. We may even aggressively work to change some elements of our lives. However, Satan tempts Christians to accept some sin and leads us into rationalizing it.  To follow Jesus we must continually look to His word and the Holy Spirit to identify and then help us eliminate all sin from our lives. Though we will never fully eliminate all sin, we should not accept any.

[Psalm 119:9-11] 9 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

[Luke 9:23-25] 23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

[Romans 6:10-14] 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live;[a] do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

A few examples of sin we may be tempted to rationalize… there are many…

  • Someone who does not have much money and likes to shop or spend money carelessly may say “shopping is my hobby” or “It helps me relax”.
  • Someone who reacts with harsh and angry words, easily upset, may say to themselves “I am just hot-tempered.”
  • Someone who is overweight may just accept poor eating habits or lack of exercise saying they “have a slow metabolism”… to the detriment of their own health.
  • Someone who is selfish may accept and acknowledge it, even when it affects others around them negatively, and rationalize that it is ok or that they “deserve” whatever time, attention, or thing is in question… often putting themselves first.
  • Someone who is drawn to sexual sin outside marriage may rationalize that “I am not hurting anyone” or “we are consenting adults” or “I do not commit adultery because I and the other person are not married”.
  • Someone in a difficult marriage may convince themselves it is ok to be mad and harsh toward their spouse because their spouse is harsh toward them.

Don’t accept sin in your life. Don’t let Satan or the world tell you it is ok. Change your behaviors and thoughts to honor God. Even something you consider to be “just a bad habit” is still, by definition, bad. Do not accept it. Instead, overcome it through Christ Jesus.

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Children, Hearing from God, Obeying God

God Promises a Baby to Sarah

Sometimes it is difficult even for those who walk with God to accept that He may intervene in their  lives and deliver something incredible… something very personal they could never expect outside of His direct intervention.

In Genesis 18:1-15 we see God promising a baby to Sarah, who is old and well past child bearing years by normal standards. Sarah struggles to believe it and even laughs.

18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”

“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures[a] of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.

9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.

“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.

10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “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.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”

But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

Though we do not read it in this scripture verse, God indeed fulfills the promise. How gracious of God to continue with the promise despite Sarah’s laughter and unbelief. Despite even her lie to deny she had mocked the promise. God was going to keep His promise to Abraham.

Do you believe He can and may intervene directly in your life? Have you witnessed God doing incredible things before? When He delivers something you never expected was possible, do you glorify Him and praise Him, telling others? or do you keep it to yourself and eventually reason why it really may not have been God involved after all?

A good idea to consider… when God clearly moves in your life or in another way around you, write it down in a journal. Keep a record of God’s involvement in your life for encouragement and reminder that our gracious creator can and does intervene in the lives of His people.

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Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Consequences of Sin, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Marriage

Let Your Wife Be a Fountain of Blessing

God uses Proverbs 5 to provide a crystal clear and stern warning for men who are in the midst of adultery or considering adultery. This scripture serves as a  warning also for immoral women who would participate in adultery. Finally, God reminds us to enjoy His gift of sex within the context of a godly marriage between a man and a woman… let your wife be a fountain of blessing to you.

5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
    listen carefully to my wise counsel.
2 Then you will show discernment,
    and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
    and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
    as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.[a]
6 For she cares nothing about the path to life.
    She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.

7 So now, my sons, listen to me.
    Never stray from what I am about to say:
8 Stay away from her!
    Don’t go near the door of her house!
9 If you do, you will lose your honor
    and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
10 Strangers will consume your wealth,
    and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
11 In the end you will groan in anguish
    when disease consumes your body.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
13 Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
    Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
    and now I must face public disgrace.”

15 Drink water from your own well—
    share your love only with your wife.[b]
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
    having sex with just anyone?[c]
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.
    Never share it with strangers.

18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
    Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
    Let her breasts satisfy you always.
    May you always be captivated by her love.
20 Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
    or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

21 For the Lord sees clearly what a man does,
    examining every path he takes.
22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
    they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control;
    he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

Self control and discipline are essential elements for a Christian life. We must know God’s word and be prepared to follow it. We must make decisions ahead of time, before times of temptation, to decide how we will respond. Will we subject ourselves to situations that lead to temptation, or flee from temptation as Joseph did in Genesis 39:10-12.

10 She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 11 One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 12 She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.

Joseph honored God by holding to godly wisdom and values.  He was not worried about being subtle in refusing temptation. He wanted to resist temptation and quickly. He took decisive action.

God also reminds us in Proverbs 5 that we should absolutely enjoy sex within the context of a godly marriage.  After all, God created it as a wonderful part of relationship of man and wife as the two become one.

For those of you who may be in the midst of adultery and maybe only now realize how wrong it is… stop. Stop the immoral behavior immediately. Repent of your sin before God and your spouse. Run from it and never return.

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Can I Trust the Bible?, Family, Love

Why does God share detailed family lineage in the Bible?

I have often wondered about the significance of the sections of scripture that detail family lineage. At times I recognize in myself a tendency to read over them quickly, without much thought as to why they are in the scripture. Even in sharing my most recent journey through the Bible with these devotionals I nearly skipped this section in Genesis 11:10-32. I encourage you to read through it and I will summarize some points that God showed me at the end of this devotional.

10 This is the account of Shem’s family.

Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of[c] Arphaxad. 11 After the birth of[d] Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

12 When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah. 13 After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.[e]

14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber. 15 After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

16 When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg. 17 After the birth of Peleg, Eber lived another 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu. 19 After the birth of Reu, Peleg lived another 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20 When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug. 21 After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

22 When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor. 23 After the birth of Nahor, Serug lived another 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah. 25 After the birth of Terah, Nahor lived another 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

26 After Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 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[f] and died while still in Haran.

I am sure if I studied it in detail, I could (and likely will in the future) identify a more complete list of why God shares this type of history with us in scripture. However, as I come before the Lord humbly seeking to understand His word I see several important points in this type of scripture.

  • These were real people, not fictional characters. Studying the Bible from a literary perspective that means that the sections or books of scripture that contain these detailed family lineage are historical records of actual events, not parables.
  • God shows us that the family structure He established for man is important to Him. In other words, family has high significance to God. He further shows us through these lineages how family leaders that had strong faith and obedience before God often set the tone for multiple generations of family to follow.  Though notably there are examples where one person rejecting God or turning to follow God can change the direction of the family’s relationship with God.
  • God loves each of us as individuals and cares about the details of our lives. Every individual is important. We are not just an easily exchangeable part of a block of people called humanity that God cares about only as a whole.

We each need to take time and consider…

1- Am I applying scripture to my life properly, recognizing that the historical books of the Bible are factual records. (Not all books of the Bible are literal, historical documents but many are. Some use other literary approaches to communicate God’s word to His people as in Revelation.)

2-  Am I leading my family to follow God and be different from the world? or letting them blend in with the world? My actions in how I lead or fail to lead may have impacts on multiple generations.

3- Am I living my life truly recognizing how God loves me (and everyone else) as an individual, not just one of many easily exchanagable parts of a whole called humanity?

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