A Keeper Of Promises

I appreciate greatly how Genesis 21 begins. We see that the promise God made to Abraham and Sarah has come to fruition. Exactly what God promised and how He promised it was now their life. 

Has God made a promise to you? Are you struggling to believe He will keep it? One thing I know, God is a keeper of promises. 

God is always faithful to me. In our relationship, I’m the only one who does not keep his promises. I have felt the consequences of not keeping my promises. It’s not fun. 

Take time today to ponder whether or not you keep your promises to God. If you’re like me, you may have some explaining to do. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 21:1-2

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 21

You Don’t Understand

As you read this passage, I encourage you to allow your mind to fully understand who is talking. This man is a king. He is a ruler over the land. With one word he could have Abraham killed and he could make Sarah his wife. 

Think about the dream he had. Think about his encounter with God Almighty! When you encounter God, it changes you. Only the arrogant encounter God and seek to reason with Him or, worse, disregard the encounter. 

King Abimelek was not stubborn. He feared the God he did not know. He responded with humility because he understood who God is once he encountered him. 

Have you encountered God? How do you live your life knowing that God sees everything you do? Take time today to sit at the feet of Jesus and pour out your heart to Him. Ask Him to show you areas of your life where arrogance has taken root. Then ask Him to help you pull up the weed of arrogance and replace it with the seed of humility so it may grow in you. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 20:8-10

8 Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid.9 Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” 10 And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 20

Are You Serious

As I read Genesis 19, I laugh at the arrogance of man. If we are honest, the attitude of the men who surrounded Lot’s house is prevalent today in our world. People think they are in control. They discount God as if He’s an imaginary being created in the minds of weak people who cannot think for themselves. 

The Bible teaches us “woe unto” people who think that way. What God did in Sodom and Gomorrah is nothing compared to what He will do to those who act as if He does not exist, or worse, know that He exists but purposefully disobey Him. 

This is a dangerous game that some people are playing. If you’re one of them, I encourage you to get your mind right. God is not to be trifled with. He is sovereign, holy, and mighty. Please don’t challenge Him. You will lose and the cost is greater than you think. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 19:9-11

9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 19

Why Lie To God

This passage makes me scratch my head. It’s funny to think that Sarah could lie to God and it would be okay. It’s never okay to lie to anyone. 

It begs the question, then, why lie to God. He knows everything. Let that sink in! There is not one thing hidden from God’s knowledge. As humans, it’s difficult to understand that. But we need to lean into that reality. 

God is not a man. God does not have any constraints. God is all knowing. God is present in all places at all times. God is perfect.

Given that information, I ask again, why lie to God. 

Take time today to think about what you’re telling God. Are you “hiding” the truth in any area of your life? If so, bring the truth to the light. God already knows. If you ask, He will probably give you help. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 18:12-15

12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 18

God’s Will Be Done

I once heard a preacher say, “He’s God all by Himself.” This passage brings those words to life. Although Abram and Sarai tried to help God’s plan come to life, Abraham and Sarah learned that God needed no help in establishing His plans. 

I am guilty of doing that. I try to make what I think are God’s plans come to life, even though He’s told me to do no such thing. I’m in the midst of living that out right now. 

Have you struggled with that? I encourage you to turn to God. Get clear instructions, then follow through. That’s what I’m doing. It’s a little “scary,” but faith can be at times. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 17:19

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 17

An Ageless Problem

Multiple times in the Bible we see married people co-sign bad ideas. It always ends poorly. This passage is no different. 

Because of impatience, Sarai decides to help God’s plan along. Unfortunately, Abram, the one to whom God spoke the plan, agrees with this bad idea to help God’s plan. What ensues is nothing less than a history of angst. 

Here’s some homework for you. Look into the lineage of Ishmael. You may be surprised at what you learn. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 16:1-2

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 16

God Answers Prayers

In many cultures, having a son is important. The first born son becomes the heir to the family estate. This is what we see in this chapter of Genesis. Abram is crying out to the Lord because although God has blessed him with much wealth, he has no son to carry on his legacy. 

The covenant God makes with Abram is the one that gives us the opportunity to have a right relationship with God the Father. Jesus is born through the line of Abram/Abraham. Then we were presented the chance to accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. 

The thing to remember is when God answers prayer, it goes beyond what the eye can see in the moment. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 15:4-6

4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 15

Strength In God, Not Numbers

Have you ever heard the expression, there’s strength in numbers? People use it when talking about coming together to accomplish something. There is truth to that statement. 

However, in this passage and others in the Bible, we see that the strength is in God, not the numbers. Abram takes 318 “trained men” and defeats an Army of uncertain size. He’s able to do that because he placed his trust in God. 

After his victory, he maintains his integrity. When a king tried to increase his wealth, Abram refuses to let the king be able to say that he made Abram rich. 

With God on your side, you don’t need numbers, you only need Him. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 14:14-16

14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 14

Looks Can Be Deceiving

There’s something interesting happening in this chapter of Genesis. We see the humility of Abram on display while in Lot we see how easy looks can deceive us. Both men have become so wealthy that it is not feasible for them to live in the same area any longer. Abram gives Lot first choice on which way to go. Abram will then go in the opposite direction. 

Lot uses his eyes to choose. He sees a place that looks amazing. So that’s where he goes. If you know the story of Lot, you’ve probably heard of the city of Sodom and its fate. You may even know the fate of Lot’s wife. But did you realize that Lot had a choice in where he would pitch his tent and he chose what looked pleasing to the eyes?

Humility must guide our choices. Seeking guidance from the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit must guide us. How can we be in the right place if we never ask God where to go?

Let’s take a lesson from this chapter. As we seek God and His presence and purpose, we will always find ourselves in the right place. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 13:11-13

11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 13

Partial Vision Is Enough

When you pray, do you want God to give you the entire plan upfront? If you’re like the average person, the answer is a resounding YES!

Fortunately for us, God does not do that. I believe that if He gave us the full picture, we would figure out a way to mess it up. Of course our intentions would be good. 

Genesis 12:1 is one of my favorite passages because we see God give Abram a partial vision, “Go to the land I will show you.” 

The best part is in Genesis 12:4, “So Abram went.” That’s it! No questions! No “Why, Lord!” He simply packed up and followed God’s instructions. 

Are you that faithful? What is God telling you to do? Are you listening and doing it on the count of zero or are you hesitating?

Putting your trust in God is always the correct answer. Here’s today’s Bible verse. Enjoy. 

Genesis 12:1

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

Today’s Reading:

Genesis 12