Read: Genesis 30:1-31:16; Matthew 10:1-25; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15
Rachel and Leah were typical sisters. Rachel was jealous of Leah because she could bear children and Leah was jealous of Rachel because Jacob loved her. Leah and Rachel named their children based on what was going on in hearts at the time. They competed with each other and their sons were the scoreboards, while Jacob was the referee trying to be fair to both sides. They all needed counseling!
After the 11th son, Jacob decided it was time to go home. He negotiated with Laban for his wages. He would take the spotted and speckled sheep and goats. That way it would be obvious which was which. Jacob stayed on for a while to fatten his take. He used his trickery to make the strong sheep turn out speckled. He put poles that looked speckled in front of where they mated. You become what you behold, so he made them behold speckled poles and they produced speckled offspring. He faced the weak animals towards Laban’s so they would produced solid colored animals. Genius!
Laban didn’t think it was so great and Jacob could tell he had lost his father-in-law’s favor. God spoke to Jacob and told him it was time to go home. Jacob went to his wives and asked them if they were ready to leave. They felt no connection to their father so they were ready to leave, too.
In Matthew, Jesus had chosen his twelve disciples and was sending them out to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead a, cleanse the lepers and drive out the demons. He told them to take no provisions with them. He wanted them to walk in faith like he had demonstrated to them.
He told them what to do if they were rejected, what to do if they were arrested, and warned them of the persecution that was awaiting them. They would experience the same rewards and rejection that he had because they were his students.
We are told to do the same things. If it were impossible to heal the sick, raise the dead, etc, then he wouldn’t have told us to do it.
Lord, may we walk in the same anointing that you walked in with the same results.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Monday, January 13, 2020
Mon.’s Devo - Have Faith
Read: Genesis 28:1-29:35; Matthew 9:18-38; Psalm 11:1-7; Proverbs 3:11-12
Jacob was sent to Paddan Aram to escape Esau’s wrath but mostly to find his wives and learn a lesson. Jacob was a trickster but he moved in with an even greater deceiver than himself. God knows just how to crucify our flesh. For Jacob it was Laban whom God used.
Esau learned that his Canaanite wives were not liked by his mother and father so he married one of Ishmaels’ daughters, too. I’m not sure that that was a great choice either.
Jacob stopped in Luz and slept under the stars with a rock as his pillow. He dreamed of a ladder that went up into heaven with angels going up and down. Above the ladder stood the Lord who told Jacob that he and his descendants would be like the dust extending to the north, south, east and west. They would bless all people and He would watch over them and bring them back to this land.
The next morning, Jacob took the stone he had used as a pillow and set it up as a memorial of what God had shown him. He poured oil on it and promised God that if he would provide for him and bring him back to his father’s house, then he would give God a tenth.
Jacob continued his journey till he came close to his uncle’s land. He came to a well where three groups of sheep were waiting with their shepherds. There was a stone on the well and they were waiting for the other shepherds to arrive so they could all remove the stone together and water their sheep. The shepherd they were waiting for was Rachel, Laban’s daughter. Jacob must have found out who she was because he lifted the stone, by himself, and watered all of her sheep. (Just the opposite of Rebekah who watered the servant’s camels). Then, Jacob kissed her and she took him home to meet her father, Laban.
Jacob stayed there and worked for seven years for Rachel. When he got Leah instead, he waited a week and got Rachel also. Poor Leah! It does sound unfair in our culture but in their culture a woman lived to marry and have children. If not for the fact that she was the first born and had to be married first, she might never have had that opportunity.
God blessed her and gave her three sons which she named out of her desire to be noticed and loved by her husband. The first was Rueben which means “see a son”. The next was Simeon which means “heard”. She wasn’t noticed with the first son but she realized that God heard her on the second. The third was Levi which means “joined”. She was hoping it would join her with Jacob. The fourth one was Judah which means “praise”. She had learned to praise the Lord because he was her ultimate husband who noticed, heard, connected and loved her.
Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and to set the captives free; to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. He healed all these things but most of all he came to make people whole in their soul. A 12 year old girl had just died and her father came to Jesus to ask him to raise her from the dead - what faith! On his way to her house a woman who had been bleeding the whole life of this little girl - 12 years, touched his garment and was healed. Jesus told her that her faith had healed her.
Jesus raised the dead daughter and as He was leaving the girl’s home, two blind men called out to Jesus for mercy. He touched their eyes and told them that their faith had caused them to see again. Jesus told them not to tell anyone, but they told everyone.
Then Jesus healed the man who was demon-possessed and couldn’t talk, the Pharisees said he did it through the power of the devil.
In spite of the Pharisee’s rejection, Jesus kept healing and doing miracles because of his compassion for the people. As he looked out into the crowd of people who needed help he told his disciples that they needed to pray for more people to do what he did.
Lord, help us to walk in faith and do the works that you did so that many will be set free, healed and brought to the truth of the gospel.
Jacob was sent to Paddan Aram to escape Esau’s wrath but mostly to find his wives and learn a lesson. Jacob was a trickster but he moved in with an even greater deceiver than himself. God knows just how to crucify our flesh. For Jacob it was Laban whom God used.
Esau learned that his Canaanite wives were not liked by his mother and father so he married one of Ishmaels’ daughters, too. I’m not sure that that was a great choice either.
Jacob stopped in Luz and slept under the stars with a rock as his pillow. He dreamed of a ladder that went up into heaven with angels going up and down. Above the ladder stood the Lord who told Jacob that he and his descendants would be like the dust extending to the north, south, east and west. They would bless all people and He would watch over them and bring them back to this land.
The next morning, Jacob took the stone he had used as a pillow and set it up as a memorial of what God had shown him. He poured oil on it and promised God that if he would provide for him and bring him back to his father’s house, then he would give God a tenth.
Jacob continued his journey till he came close to his uncle’s land. He came to a well where three groups of sheep were waiting with their shepherds. There was a stone on the well and they were waiting for the other shepherds to arrive so they could all remove the stone together and water their sheep. The shepherd they were waiting for was Rachel, Laban’s daughter. Jacob must have found out who she was because he lifted the stone, by himself, and watered all of her sheep. (Just the opposite of Rebekah who watered the servant’s camels). Then, Jacob kissed her and she took him home to meet her father, Laban.
Jacob stayed there and worked for seven years for Rachel. When he got Leah instead, he waited a week and got Rachel also. Poor Leah! It does sound unfair in our culture but in their culture a woman lived to marry and have children. If not for the fact that she was the first born and had to be married first, she might never have had that opportunity.
God blessed her and gave her three sons which she named out of her desire to be noticed and loved by her husband. The first was Rueben which means “see a son”. The next was Simeon which means “heard”. She wasn’t noticed with the first son but she realized that God heard her on the second. The third was Levi which means “joined”. She was hoping it would join her with Jacob. The fourth one was Judah which means “praise”. She had learned to praise the Lord because he was her ultimate husband who noticed, heard, connected and loved her.
Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and to set the captives free; to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. He healed all these things but most of all he came to make people whole in their soul. A 12 year old girl had just died and her father came to Jesus to ask him to raise her from the dead - what faith! On his way to her house a woman who had been bleeding the whole life of this little girl - 12 years, touched his garment and was healed. Jesus told her that her faith had healed her.
Jesus raised the dead daughter and as He was leaving the girl’s home, two blind men called out to Jesus for mercy. He touched their eyes and told them that their faith had caused them to see again. Jesus told them not to tell anyone, but they told everyone.
Then Jesus healed the man who was demon-possessed and couldn’t talk, the Pharisees said he did it through the power of the devil.
In spite of the Pharisee’s rejection, Jesus kept healing and doing miracles because of his compassion for the people. As he looked out into the crowd of people who needed help he told his disciples that they needed to pray for more people to do what he did.
Lord, help us to walk in faith and do the works that you did so that many will be set free, healed and brought to the truth of the gospel.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Sun.’s Devo - New Wine
Read: Genesis 26:17-27:46; Matthew 9:1-17; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 3:9-10
Isaac left the Philistines and came to the valley of Gerar where his men had dug wells. The wells had been covered up by the Philistines so they redug them. The herdsmen of Gerar fought them over the water and took the first two. Finally, Isaac got to keep the third one showing that there was room for them too.
God came to Isaac and told him he was with him and he was not to be afraid because He would bless him.
Abimelech and his advisors came and found Isaac. They had seen the great favor of God on Isaac and didn’t want to end enemies. They wanted to make a covenant to save themselves because they knew God was with Isaac. Isaac made a covenant with them and fed them.
God blessed Isaac for being a peace maker and gave him water. He named the well Beersheba meaning “well of the oath”.
Isaac was getting old and wanted to bless his firstborn - Esau. He told him to hunt some game and after they had eaten, he would bless him. While he was out hunting, Rebekah had Jacob pose as Esau and take the blessing. Isaac blessed him with the riches of heaven and earth, along with abundance and power. When Esau found out, he was mad. He begged for a blessing so Isaac told him he would be the opposite. He would not be blessed with heaven and earth’s riches. He would live by the sword but one day break the yoke of Jacob’s rule over him.
Esau was so mad, he planned to kill Jacob when his father died. Rebekah found out his plan so she sent Jacob to her brother Laban’s house. Rebekah was left with Esau and his foreign wives which she didn’t like.
In Matthew, Jesus was doing a new thing. He was forgiving people’s sins, healing paralytics, and eating with tax collectors. The Pharisees couldn’t stand it. When they asked Jesus about his actions, he gave them the parable about sewing unshrunk cloth on a preshrunk garment. When wet and dried, the tear would be worse because the patch would shrink and leave a hole. Then he told them about new wine poured into old wineskins. It would not hold, and the wine would pour out. New wine had to be poured into new wineskins.
Their hearts were the wineskins which needed to be renewed because he was pouring out the new wine. They would never be able to contain it or understand it without having new hearts.
Lord, may we have new hearts to receive your new wine which you are abundantly pouring out.
Isaac left the Philistines and came to the valley of Gerar where his men had dug wells. The wells had been covered up by the Philistines so they redug them. The herdsmen of Gerar fought them over the water and took the first two. Finally, Isaac got to keep the third one showing that there was room for them too.
God came to Isaac and told him he was with him and he was not to be afraid because He would bless him.
Abimelech and his advisors came and found Isaac. They had seen the great favor of God on Isaac and didn’t want to end enemies. They wanted to make a covenant to save themselves because they knew God was with Isaac. Isaac made a covenant with them and fed them.
God blessed Isaac for being a peace maker and gave him water. He named the well Beersheba meaning “well of the oath”.
Isaac was getting old and wanted to bless his firstborn - Esau. He told him to hunt some game and after they had eaten, he would bless him. While he was out hunting, Rebekah had Jacob pose as Esau and take the blessing. Isaac blessed him with the riches of heaven and earth, along with abundance and power. When Esau found out, he was mad. He begged for a blessing so Isaac told him he would be the opposite. He would not be blessed with heaven and earth’s riches. He would live by the sword but one day break the yoke of Jacob’s rule over him.
Esau was so mad, he planned to kill Jacob when his father died. Rebekah found out his plan so she sent Jacob to her brother Laban’s house. Rebekah was left with Esau and his foreign wives which she didn’t like.
In Matthew, Jesus was doing a new thing. He was forgiving people’s sins, healing paralytics, and eating with tax collectors. The Pharisees couldn’t stand it. When they asked Jesus about his actions, he gave them the parable about sewing unshrunk cloth on a preshrunk garment. When wet and dried, the tear would be worse because the patch would shrink and leave a hole. Then he told them about new wine poured into old wineskins. It would not hold, and the wine would pour out. New wine had to be poured into new wineskins.
Their hearts were the wineskins which needed to be renewed because he was pouring out the new wine. They would never be able to contain it or understand it without having new hearts.
Lord, may we have new hearts to receive your new wine which you are abundantly pouring out.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Sat.’s Devo - God’s Favor
Read: Genesis 24:52-26:16; Matthew 8:18-34; Psalm 101:1-15; Proverbs 3:7-8
Isaac’s servant had found what he had come for and wanted to take her home. Rebekah’s parents wanted her to stay a week, but Rebekah agreed to leave then. Isaac met Rebekah in the field and it was love at first sight. Rebekah was a great comfort to Isaac after losing his mother. Sarah.
Abraham remarried Keturah and had six sons and seven grandsons. Abraham sent these descendants away to live in the east. He gave them gifts but his inheritance and all that he had went to Isaac. Abraham lived 75 years after Isaac was born. He was buried in the land where Sarah was buried. He was “gathered to his people” which means that he lived in Sheol with his family. Where you were buried in the Old Testament was where you spent your time waiting for Jesus to resurrect you if you had faith in God.
Ishmael had twelve sons and they all lived around Egypt. They lived in hostility towards themselves and still do.
Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah but she was barren. Isaac prayed for 20 years, and God opened her womb. They had twins: Esau and Jacob. When they were still in her womb, they fought so much she asked God about it. He told her that there were two nations in her but the younger one would be stronger and rule over the older.
Esau, the older was red, hairy and a hunter. He was Isaac’s favorite. Jacob was quiet and stayed among the tents and was Rebekah’s favorite. Rebekah must have told Jacob what God had told her because together they made sure it happened.
Esau came in hungry as a bear from hunting and Jacob had a nice pot of stew waiting. He bargained Esau’s birthright for the stew. Esau, who saw no importance in his birthright, sold it for stew. Jacob, knew the importance of the birthright and did everything he could to get it. God loved the heart of Jacob more than the heart of Esau. God wants us to know our birthright and our identity and be willing to go after it. Our enemy is the devil who thinks it is rightfully his. It is ours, but we have to take it.
A famine came to the land. Usually they would go to Egypt when a famine came. God told Isaac to stay in the land so he went to the Philistines for help. Isaac did what his father had done and told Rebekah to tell them she was his sister. The king found out he was her husband and rebuked him. Abimelech made it a law to not touch Rebekah. Isaac planted crops…in a famine and reaped 100 fold. That is a miracle in perfect conditions but impossible during a famine. It got the attention of Abimelech who could not help but see God’s favor on him. When his men fought over every well Isaac’s men dug, they finally gave up. Everything Isaac did prospered. Abimelech finally had to ask Isaac to leave because he was afraid he would take over his kingdom.
In Matthew, two men came to Jesus wanting to follow him. The first was a religious leader, no doubt very wealthy. Jesus told him that it would cost him everything to follow him. The second was a man with a dying father. He wanted to wait till his father had died before he could do the things that Jesus was telling him to do like preach the gospel. Jesus’ answer meant that you will always have excuses but none will be good enough. You can preach the gospel and follow him no matter what your situation is.
As Jesus and his disciples were crossing the sea, a huge storm arose. It scared the disciples, but Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and it calmed. Jesus saw that the devil was doing everything he could to keep them from reaching the other side where he ruled in this man of the Gadarenes. This man housed the principality ruling the area. Once they cast out the demons from him, the whole region could be reached for the gospel.
Demons have to live in something living to be able to function. They begged to go in the pigs since they knew Jesus wouldn’t allow them to enter a person. The pigs ran off a cliff! That was the spirit of violence that was in the man.
Lord, help us to go after our inheritance in You and stop at nothing to get it. It is worth everything to live in your kingdom.
Isaac’s servant had found what he had come for and wanted to take her home. Rebekah’s parents wanted her to stay a week, but Rebekah agreed to leave then. Isaac met Rebekah in the field and it was love at first sight. Rebekah was a great comfort to Isaac after losing his mother. Sarah.
Abraham remarried Keturah and had six sons and seven grandsons. Abraham sent these descendants away to live in the east. He gave them gifts but his inheritance and all that he had went to Isaac. Abraham lived 75 years after Isaac was born. He was buried in the land where Sarah was buried. He was “gathered to his people” which means that he lived in Sheol with his family. Where you were buried in the Old Testament was where you spent your time waiting for Jesus to resurrect you if you had faith in God.
Ishmael had twelve sons and they all lived around Egypt. They lived in hostility towards themselves and still do.
Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah but she was barren. Isaac prayed for 20 years, and God opened her womb. They had twins: Esau and Jacob. When they were still in her womb, they fought so much she asked God about it. He told her that there were two nations in her but the younger one would be stronger and rule over the older.
Esau, the older was red, hairy and a hunter. He was Isaac’s favorite. Jacob was quiet and stayed among the tents and was Rebekah’s favorite. Rebekah must have told Jacob what God had told her because together they made sure it happened.
Esau came in hungry as a bear from hunting and Jacob had a nice pot of stew waiting. He bargained Esau’s birthright for the stew. Esau, who saw no importance in his birthright, sold it for stew. Jacob, knew the importance of the birthright and did everything he could to get it. God loved the heart of Jacob more than the heart of Esau. God wants us to know our birthright and our identity and be willing to go after it. Our enemy is the devil who thinks it is rightfully his. It is ours, but we have to take it.
A famine came to the land. Usually they would go to Egypt when a famine came. God told Isaac to stay in the land so he went to the Philistines for help. Isaac did what his father had done and told Rebekah to tell them she was his sister. The king found out he was her husband and rebuked him. Abimelech made it a law to not touch Rebekah. Isaac planted crops…in a famine and reaped 100 fold. That is a miracle in perfect conditions but impossible during a famine. It got the attention of Abimelech who could not help but see God’s favor on him. When his men fought over every well Isaac’s men dug, they finally gave up. Everything Isaac did prospered. Abimelech finally had to ask Isaac to leave because he was afraid he would take over his kingdom.
In Matthew, two men came to Jesus wanting to follow him. The first was a religious leader, no doubt very wealthy. Jesus told him that it would cost him everything to follow him. The second was a man with a dying father. He wanted to wait till his father had died before he could do the things that Jesus was telling him to do like preach the gospel. Jesus’ answer meant that you will always have excuses but none will be good enough. You can preach the gospel and follow him no matter what your situation is.
As Jesus and his disciples were crossing the sea, a huge storm arose. It scared the disciples, but Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and it calmed. Jesus saw that the devil was doing everything he could to keep them from reaching the other side where he ruled in this man of the Gadarenes. This man housed the principality ruling the area. Once they cast out the demons from him, the whole region could be reached for the gospel.
Demons have to live in something living to be able to function. They begged to go in the pigs since they knew Jesus wouldn’t allow them to enter a person. The pigs ran off a cliff! That was the spirit of violence that was in the man.
Lord, help us to go after our inheritance in You and stop at nothing to get it. It is worth everything to live in your kingdom.
Friday, January 10, 2020
Fri.’s Devo - Let Faith Rise Up in Us
Read: Genesis 23:1-24:51; Matthew 8:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 3:1-6
Sarah died at the age of 127. Abraham bought his first piece of land in the promised land to bury Sarah. It was bought for 400 pieces of silver and was the land of Hebron which later became a city of refuge. Abraham had to buy real-estate in the land before he could purchase a wife for Isaac.
Abraham was getting old and needed to find the right wife for Isaac to carry on his name. He sent his best servant to find a wife in the land of his family. The servant was a type of the Holy Spirit who went to find this bride. He prayed through the whole process and God caused his journey to be successful.
He found Rebekah from the family of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. It couldn’t have been more perfect. God bought the whole field - the whole world, to find a bride for his son.
In Matthew, Jesus heals a man of leprosy because he was willing. He told him to present himself before the priests as a sign to the priest of who He was. Never in the history of their nation had a man been healed of leprosy. Only in Second Kings 5, a Gentile king named Naaman was healed of leprosy.
Another Gentile centurion came to him to ask him to heal his servant who was suffering and paralyzed. When Jesus offered to come to his house, the centurion told him that he was not worthy of him coming to his house. He said that all Jesus needed to do was to say the word and his authority with God would be enough to heal him. Jesus was amazed at his faith. That man’s servant was healed at that hour because of his faith. Jesus just said the words.
Jesus used this example to explain that many Jews would not be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven because of their lack of faith, and many Gentiles would enter because of their great faith.
Peter, a Jew, had faith. Jesus healed his mother-in-law and she rose up and ministered to him. Many Jews who are in the law will rise up and be healed in the end and come to have their eyes opened. They will once again minister to the Lord in Jesus’ name.
Lord, help us to step out in faith and believe for the impossible.
Sarah died at the age of 127. Abraham bought his first piece of land in the promised land to bury Sarah. It was bought for 400 pieces of silver and was the land of Hebron which later became a city of refuge. Abraham had to buy real-estate in the land before he could purchase a wife for Isaac.
Abraham was getting old and needed to find the right wife for Isaac to carry on his name. He sent his best servant to find a wife in the land of his family. The servant was a type of the Holy Spirit who went to find this bride. He prayed through the whole process and God caused his journey to be successful.
He found Rebekah from the family of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. It couldn’t have been more perfect. God bought the whole field - the whole world, to find a bride for his son.
In Matthew, Jesus heals a man of leprosy because he was willing. He told him to present himself before the priests as a sign to the priest of who He was. Never in the history of their nation had a man been healed of leprosy. Only in Second Kings 5, a Gentile king named Naaman was healed of leprosy.
Another Gentile centurion came to him to ask him to heal his servant who was suffering and paralyzed. When Jesus offered to come to his house, the centurion told him that he was not worthy of him coming to his house. He said that all Jesus needed to do was to say the word and his authority with God would be enough to heal him. Jesus was amazed at his faith. That man’s servant was healed at that hour because of his faith. Jesus just said the words.
Jesus used this example to explain that many Jews would not be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven because of their lack of faith, and many Gentiles would enter because of their great faith.
Peter, a Jew, had faith. Jesus healed his mother-in-law and she rose up and ministered to him. Many Jews who are in the law will rise up and be healed in the end and come to have their eyes opened. They will once again minister to the Lord in Jesus’ name.
Lord, help us to step out in faith and believe for the impossible.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Perfect Timing
Read: Genesis 20:1-22:24; Matthew 7:15-29; Psalm 9:1-12a; Proverbs 2:16-22
Abraham traveled to Gerar where Abimelech was the king. Abraham had told Sarah to tell everyone that she was his sister just like he did in Chapter 12. You would think that Abraham’s faith would have grown to trust God, but instead, he let fear cause him to lie. She did what Abraham told her and was taken into the royal harem at the age of 90!
God came to Abimelech in a dream and they had a conversation about Sarah. Abimelech feared and loved God and had innocently taken Sarah. God saved him and Sarah. Abraham was severely rebuked when the king woke up and returned Sarah to him. I don’t know how long Sarah was in his harem but God had closed the wombs of everyone in the palace while she was there. Abraham prayed for them to be fruitful and their wombs opened. It must have leaked out to Sarah because as soon as they left there, Sarah got pregnant. Actually, it was the set time for Isaac to be born. Abraham was 100 years old. Ishmael and Hagar were cast out but promised to become a great nation because he was of Abraham’s blood.
Then, Abraham was tested to the max. He was told to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac was the obedient servant who allowed his father to tie him down to the altar trusting his father’s love. Isaac was the picture of Jesus who endured the cross for our sins.
God stopped Abraham in the knick of time and provided a ram for the sacrifice and restored Isaac to him. Then God called from heaven and renewed his covenant with him. His descendants would be as the stars in the sky and the sands on the seashore. They would rule over their enemies and be a blessing to the earth.
Abraham was brought news that his brother Nahor had twelve sons.
Matthew warns us many times about false prophets. He gives us a clue about how to recognize them. You will know them by their fruits. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. False prophets will not have these fruit. They are from a different root that cannot produce these fruit. They also won’t teach with authority like Jesus did.
Lord, may we trust you when we face the fear of the unknown because there is nothing unknown to you. Thank you for your wonderful promises. May we not get weary in waiting.
Abraham traveled to Gerar where Abimelech was the king. Abraham had told Sarah to tell everyone that she was his sister just like he did in Chapter 12. You would think that Abraham’s faith would have grown to trust God, but instead, he let fear cause him to lie. She did what Abraham told her and was taken into the royal harem at the age of 90!
God came to Abimelech in a dream and they had a conversation about Sarah. Abimelech feared and loved God and had innocently taken Sarah. God saved him and Sarah. Abraham was severely rebuked when the king woke up and returned Sarah to him. I don’t know how long Sarah was in his harem but God had closed the wombs of everyone in the palace while she was there. Abraham prayed for them to be fruitful and their wombs opened. It must have leaked out to Sarah because as soon as they left there, Sarah got pregnant. Actually, it was the set time for Isaac to be born. Abraham was 100 years old. Ishmael and Hagar were cast out but promised to become a great nation because he was of Abraham’s blood.
Then, Abraham was tested to the max. He was told to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac was the obedient servant who allowed his father to tie him down to the altar trusting his father’s love. Isaac was the picture of Jesus who endured the cross for our sins.
God stopped Abraham in the knick of time and provided a ram for the sacrifice and restored Isaac to him. Then God called from heaven and renewed his covenant with him. His descendants would be as the stars in the sky and the sands on the seashore. They would rule over their enemies and be a blessing to the earth.
Abraham was brought news that his brother Nahor had twelve sons.
Matthew warns us many times about false prophets. He gives us a clue about how to recognize them. You will know them by their fruits. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. False prophets will not have these fruit. They are from a different root that cannot produce these fruit. They also won’t teach with authority like Jesus did.
Lord, may we trust you when we face the fear of the unknown because there is nothing unknown to you. Thank you for your wonderful promises. May we not get weary in waiting.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Wed.’s Devo - The Cry of Sin and the Blessing of Righteousness
Read: Genesis 18:20-19:38; Matthew 6:25-7:14; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 2:6-15
The two angels that brought Abraham and Sarah such great news of new life and promotion were also on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah to bring death and demotion. The cry of sin had reached the ear of God and they were coming to see if it was as bad as it sounded. The Hebrew for “cry” was “shriek”. Their sin had sent a shriek to heaven. It makes me think of the shriek of a raven. I wonder what righteousness sounds like in heaven - maybe the cooing of a dove.
Abraham knew that Lot lived in Sodom, so he started negotiations. He went from 50 down to 10 and stopped there hoping that 10 would be enough righteous men to save the city. There were only four and only three made it. The angels got their answer when they got there. In 2 Peter 2:7,8 it says that Lot was vexed with the filthy conversation and unlawful deeds of the wicked from day to day. His daughters were born and grew up in Sodom which was how they could come up with the horrific idea of getting their father drunk to have sex with him to carry on his line. From their seed we have the Moabites and the Ammonites.
In Matthew, Jesus covers the commandment about coveting. He told them to stop worrying about the peripheral things like what you are going to eat or drink, or what to wear because their spirit is much more important. He compares what man does to what God does. He feeds the birds, clothes the lilies and they don’t worry that God won’t take care of them. God knows our needs and promises to meet them. If we seek his kingdom first we will not only get our basic needs met but we will also get his righteousness. Then our outside and our inside will be fed and clothed.
Not only should we not covet the good things others have but we should not judge the wrong we see in others. For every wrong thing we see in others, we should look for the same thing in ourselves. That will cause us to hold our tongues.
God wants to give us his good gifts so all we have to do is ask for them.
Lord, we do desire to be clothed in your righteousness, and to seek your kingdom first on the earth and in us. We desire your gifts so that we can give them to others. Pour out your Spirit on our land.
The two angels that brought Abraham and Sarah such great news of new life and promotion were also on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah to bring death and demotion. The cry of sin had reached the ear of God and they were coming to see if it was as bad as it sounded. The Hebrew for “cry” was “shriek”. Their sin had sent a shriek to heaven. It makes me think of the shriek of a raven. I wonder what righteousness sounds like in heaven - maybe the cooing of a dove.
Abraham knew that Lot lived in Sodom, so he started negotiations. He went from 50 down to 10 and stopped there hoping that 10 would be enough righteous men to save the city. There were only four and only three made it. The angels got their answer when they got there. In 2 Peter 2:7,8 it says that Lot was vexed with the filthy conversation and unlawful deeds of the wicked from day to day. His daughters were born and grew up in Sodom which was how they could come up with the horrific idea of getting their father drunk to have sex with him to carry on his line. From their seed we have the Moabites and the Ammonites.
In Matthew, Jesus covers the commandment about coveting. He told them to stop worrying about the peripheral things like what you are going to eat or drink, or what to wear because their spirit is much more important. He compares what man does to what God does. He feeds the birds, clothes the lilies and they don’t worry that God won’t take care of them. God knows our needs and promises to meet them. If we seek his kingdom first we will not only get our basic needs met but we will also get his righteousness. Then our outside and our inside will be fed and clothed.
Not only should we not covet the good things others have but we should not judge the wrong we see in others. For every wrong thing we see in others, we should look for the same thing in ourselves. That will cause us to hold our tongues.
God wants to give us his good gifts so all we have to do is ask for them.
Lord, we do desire to be clothed in your righteousness, and to seek your kingdom first on the earth and in us. We desire your gifts so that we can give them to others. Pour out your Spirit on our land.
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