Sat.’s Devo - The Power of God

Read: Genesis 24:52-26:16; Matthew 8:18-34; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 3:7-8 When Abraham’s servant found that Rebekah’s father and brother were going to let him take her back, he brought out all the gifts he had brought for Isaac’s wife-to-be. The servant was eager to get back and present Rebekah to Isaac. Her mother and Laban had wanted her to stay another 10 days, but they left the decision with Rebekah. Rebekah said she was ready to go. *** Rebekah was given her childhood nurse and their blessings that she would have millions of descendants and they would conquer their enemies. *** When Rebekah and the servant got close to home, Isaac saw them from afar and started walking toward them. He welcomed Rebekah and loved her deeply. She comforted him over his mother’s death. *** Meanwhile his father remarried a woman named Keturah and had six sons. This was God’s way of comforting him also. Jokshan and Midian became leaders of several nations. Abraham left his inheritance to Isaac but gave his other sons gifts and sent them to the land in the east… apart from Isaac. *** Abraham lived 75 years after he had Isaac, and was buried in the same cave in Machpelah as Sarah was buried. *** Ishmael had 12 sons who became princes and lived in open hostility with their relatives just as God had said. *** Rebekah had been barren but God answered Isaac’s prayer and she became pregnant. Her stomach was so active she asked the Lord about it. He told her she was having twins and they would become two nations. They would be rivals from the start and the younger son would rule over the older. *** She did have twins. The first son was red and covered with thick hair like fur. They named him Esau which means “his doings is shaggy”. The next boy came out holding on to Esau’s heel. They named him Jacob which means “he will take by the heel; supplanter.” *** As they grew up. Esau became a hunter and Jacob, a homebody. Isaac related to Esau and loved eating his wild game but Rebekah loved Jacob the most. *** Jacob was tricky and wanted Esau’s birthright as the first born. He tricked Esau into giving it to him over a bowl of red stew. In this way, Esau showed contempt for his birthright which was suppose to be a holy honor. *** A famine came to the land so Isaac moved his family to Gerar where his father had gone during the famine of his day. Isaac did the same thing his father Abraham had done. He told Rebekah to tell everyone that he was her brother. The king saw him caressing her one day and called Isaac in and rebuked him for lying to him. He made a proclamation that anyone who touched his wife would be dead. *** Isaac planted his crops that year and produced 100 times what he planted. That is amazing! He became so rich that the Philistines began to become jealous and started filling up the wells with dirt. These were the wells that Abraham’s servants had dug. Finally, Abimelech ordered Isaac to leave the country because he had become too powerful. *** That is serious blessing when your enemy says you are too powerful to stay around. That is why the enemy has done so much to steal our blessings from us as a nation and as the people of God. He knows how powerful we are if we just knew it too. Satan is doing everything he can to get rid of us. It won’t work because we are to inherit the earth! *** In Matthew, Jesus instructed his disciples to cross the lake. Many had excuses why they couldn’t go with him. They were all things that the disciples had given up. As they were crossing the lake, a huge storm rose up in defiance. Jesus was sleeping and was awakened by the distressed disciples. He rebuked them for having such little faith. He rebuked the wind and the waves and there was total calm. The disciples were amazed. *** They met the reason for the storm as soon as they got there. Two men were possessed by demons who were the principalities of the region. They lived among the dead and terrorized anyone who came near. But they were terrorized when Jesus came near. They knew who he was, and that they were about to be cast out. They begged to go into the swine. Jesus let them and the swine ran off a cliff and drown in the water below. *** The herdsmen of the swine ran into town and told everyone what had happened and instead of being grateful, they begged Jesus to leave them alone. They were just like Abimelech - too afraid of the power of God. *** We should be that affective over Satan’s kingdom. The day is coming when demons will flee when we walk into the room because we have the power of God inside us and we know how to release it. Satan is so afraid we are going to learn how to do this. *** Lord, teach us how to let your power out and witness your redemption on the earth.