Short thoughts from reading the Word, on a Daily Basis.
Reading through the books of Leviticus and Numbers we can find ourselves getting lost in all the details of Judaism. Judaism, that body of belief which God gave to Israel to protect them as a nation, to prepare a path from Jesus would emerge, and to prove our inability to save ourselves. Wading through the … Read more
For nearly 400-years the children of Israel had lived in Egypt. Initially, I can see that God allowed them to move there to survive the drought occurring throughout the region. God had placed Joseph there many years before for just such a reason. Perhaps God allowed them to remain there after the drought had ended … Read more
Whenever we face hurts and difficulties in life we will face a decision, “Will I become better, or bitter.” Every hurt, every loss, each and every pain has the potential to change us. How these times change us depends on our actions and reactions. In the life of Joseph we see many hurts and betrayals. … Read more
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian… Genesis 31:20 Lies, deceit, and manipulation were a perinnial problem in the life of Jacob. Not only does Jacob show a lack of integrity at times, but so do others around him. I have to wonder how much his lack of honesty encouraged similar behavior in … Read more
Genesis 15-17 I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. Genesis 17:1 Many years previous God had promised to Abram and Sarai that they would have a son. But in their impatience, they tried to force the hand of God and Abram had a son by Sarai’s maid, Hagar. Now, having … Read more
Genesis 12 open up to us the life of Abram, who later God would rename Abraham. We don’t have a list of others in Abram’s generation who disobeyed, but we do have a record of Abram’s faith. We see that each time he called on the Lord or obeyed a command from the Lord, blessings … Read more
Genesis 6-9 Several words stand out to me in this passage. Words that describe humanity include, wickedness (6:5) evil (6:5) violence (6:10) corrupt (6:12) Yet, Noah found grace in the eyes of God. Words associated with Noah include, Just Perfect (not sinless, but upright) Walked with God Righteous We could add obedient and faithful to … Read more
Genesis 3-5 “Yea, hath God said…” Satan’s opening salvo against God began with these words. He followed this initial question with simple, yet effective, tactics to deceive Eve and Adam. But to say Satan deceived them is not to remove any blame from them. Had they embraced the truth, the deception would not have worked. … Read more
The consistent themes that run through God’s Word point to a single author. Genesis 1 opens with a clear division between light and darkness. Genesis 1 also describes the natural order of each creature or plant reproducing after its own kind. Genesis 2 speaks specifically of the creation of humanity in God’s image. Genesis 2 … Read more
“My times are in thy hand…” – Psalm 31:15 David trusted God with each day, and with all his days. The individual days and the collected days of his life he knew rested in God’s hands. David, who had been a somewhat forgotten son but chosen of God and anointed by His prophet. David, who … Read more