Genesis is a rich book that tells us many important truths about God and about us. This daily devotional looks at some of the thoughts I have had on those.
While I am sick, I am going to do things a little differently. I’ve told you that Pastor Steve and I are doing a read-the-Bible-through program together.
I’ve been posting comments on what I’ve read. I am going to share some of those with you. It may not be part of the At the Heart Level theme, but I will be able to keep providing you with something.
I will keep working on the first series for the At the Heart Level theme and plug it in when I can.
So, here we go.
Creation
“These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Gen. 2: 4-7 ESV)
It had never jumped out at me that this verse says this is the generations of creation. It doesn’t say a week of 24 hours.
It says generations — which is usually considered around 35 years or so. Still, it doesn’t quantify the number of generations.
It doesn’t because that isn’t the focus. The Who is the focus, not the how.
Vegetation was created on the third day, but by the sixth day, it hadn’t shown up. That blows the it-just-showed-up-in-mature-form theory.
There are some things God thought we needed to know. There are other things we just have to take on faith and let Him be Sovereign God.
Bottom line, it doesn’t matter how. It matters Who.
Father God. Faith is belief in the unseen things. You made it that way so that we can take the focus off of us and put it solely on You. Thank You for revealing Yourself in new ways to us as we read familiar passages of Scripture. In this way, You grow us. Amen.
The Original Sin
“… He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’” (Gen. 3: 1 ESV).
Satan so often tells us truth hidden in the lies. We like to think it is lies hidden within the truth.
But he once was an Angel. Angels worship God. Satan can’t totally go against his nature.
We are made in God’s image. Even though we are now made in Adam’s image now — we have a sinful nature — we are still made in God’s image.
We need to carefully discern everything Satan is telling us. He will get enough right to cloud the issue. That means we need to buried in His Word.
Father God. Satan wants to deceive us to make us disobedient to You. Help us to see through his schemes. May we make reading Your Word a priority. Only You can give us understanding. Amen.
Cain's Offering
“but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell” (Gen. 4: 5 ESV)
How many times do we do things on our own and expect God to just bless us and bless us? The problem is that whatever the ministry or worship is — it isn’t right or it isn’t in the plan He has for us.
But we think any offering on our part should be good enough. That is us not wanting to submit to Him.
We need to follow God’s laws and commandments. We should worship Him His way.
Father God. There are so many times that we refuse to submit to You. We think that just because we are doing religious activities, You need to bless them. Help us look to You and follow Your Will for our lives. Amen.
Noah and His Sons
“And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood” (Gen. 7:7 ESV)
We heard about Noah in Genesis 6:9. We heard Noah’s sons’ names in Genesis 6:10. We hear about the kids in verse 18: “But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you” (Gen. 6:18 ESV). Now we hear they got on the ark. We don’t know if they were in from the start—or if they had their doubts.
We know they got on the boat.
Whatever they believed of God, they believed in Noah. He was a witness to his family.
Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe He was the Messiah at first. Even if the kids didn’t believe until the rain came, they believed enough to get on the boat.
Father God. You put people in our lives to witness to us. They advise us to look to You in all things. Thank You that You call us to You and You allow us to find You when You’re time is right. Amen.
Tower of Babel
“… And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them” (Gen. 11:6 ESV)
We know that nothing is impossible for God. But Genesis 11: 6 says that nothing would be impossible for mankind, either.
I know we are made in His image, but I didn’t think it went that far.
But it doesn’t say we are able to do the impossible on our own. They were banding together (v. 3) to do the impossible.
One of Paul’s big themes is unity of the church. We can do so much more when we work together. But the focus has to be on expanding God’s kingdom, not making a name for ourselves. We do our best when we do the work God has for us.
Too many times, we see those who want to make a name for themselves. That can show up in a variety of ways. Maybe it is someone who has had a position in the church for many years who doesn’t want to give it up. Maybe it is someone who wants to have a sweeter, more prominent position. They want to be seen.
Father. May we always keep our focus on You. Amen.
Abram's Lies
“Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go” (Gen. 12:19 ESV)
Sarai got the raw end of the deal. No matter what Abram said, she was going to get “… taken into Pharaoh’s house” (Gen. 12:15 ESV).
Yeah, Abram may have saved his own life, but he caused Sarai’s possible commission of adultery. (Apparently, she didn’t say anything. That would brand Abram as a liar.)
Well, Abram got branded a liar anyway. We need to stick with the truth and let God work out all the details.
Father God. So many times, we try to work out our circumstances to fit our picture of the situation. That makes us sin against You. Help us to be people of integrity and purity. Amen.
Abram and Lot
“Then Abram said to Lot, 'Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen'” (Gen. 13: 8 ESV)
Unfortunately, there is no one that we are exempt from having disagreements with. We disagree with our families, with our spouses, with coworkers — the potential is for anyone we come into contact with.
Abram showed us that pulling rank is not always the answer. Neither is always being right.
Is it a battle worth fighting? Will it, in the end, bring us closer or rip us apart?
Abram and Lot separated, but under good terms. The kicker was, Lot made a wrong choice.
We need to always choose God things rather than world things. We have to choose for the good of the family.
Father God. You have made us a family. You have out us into contact with potential family members. Help us to choose Your way. Amen.
Abram's Whine
“But Abram said, 'O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?'” (Gen. 15: 2 ESV)
I bet God gets real tired of our whining. We don’t want to wait and let Him accomplish things on His timeline. We want it on ours! Now!!!
We don’t want to settle for less than God’s promises. What we wait for Him to give us will far outshine whatever we think we want.
Father God. You love us so much. You have promised us the best for Your kingdom — which makes it the best for us. Give us patience to wait for Your timetable. Amen.
Two Nations from Abram
“Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar” (Gen. 16:1 ESV)
I guess I hadn’t caught before that Hagar was Egyptian. I was too focused on why Sarai would say it was okay for her husband to mess with her servant. (I would be, hands off. He’s mine.)
But Hagar was more than just a servant. She was the mother of the son who started a new nation. Ishmael with the interesting personality description would be a ruler.
In today’s terminology, Ishmael would be Arab. So he is half Jew and half Arab. No wonder Ishmael had the struggle within himself!
God wants us to be a family, but He knows there will be black sheep within the family. We’ve got to love them and help draw them back to Him.
You’ve made us to be family, but You know it easy. Give us the love and patience needed to win them back to You. Amen.
Hagar the Servant
“And he said, ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?’ She said, ‘I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai’” (Gen. 16:8 ESV)
Usually, the greeting tells where they were in the family line. Abram son of Terah. Jesus Son of God.
Hagar’s greeting acknowledged her position — servant. More, she was a servant of Sarai. However she felt she was being mistreated (Gen. 16: 8), her position was one of servant in this rodeo.
I wonder if Hagar had forgotten that. It wasn’t Sarai who had held Hagar in contempt. “… And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress” (Gen. 16: 4 ESV).
God has a plan for all of our lives. Some may be master; some, servant. Some, like Hagar’s, may be to get from Point A (Abram) to Point B (Ishmael).
Paul says we are to be content with whatever lot is ours – whether we be Point A, Point B, or the dash.
Father God. You know what is best for us. May we look for Your contentment. Amen.
What do you think?
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