Listen

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LISTEN

Gen 21:8-13

8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned, Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring."

NIV

If Abraham was 86 when Ishmael was born and 100 when Isaac was born, at this great feast Ishmael would have been 14 years old, just a boy, but old enough to mock the feast. Abraham was unaware, as he must have been so overjoyed in celebration about the son Sarah bore him, the one who would be blessed by God and through whom the world would be blessed. But Sarah noticed and told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. Of course, that would have distressed any father if he had to send a son away. Yet, God confirmed it was the right thing to do, so Abraham followed God's word. We will focus on several truths. First, sometimes we men need our wives' awareness. We could get so involved in a moment of celebration, of whatever, that we do not notice what is going on around us concerning some situation, but our wives are there to help us see what is happening. God gave Adam a suitable helpmate; the original word means an aid, one who aids. Without Sarah by Abraham's side to help him see what was going on, history may have been different. However, God's plan is always accomplished, as he used Sarah, Abraham's suitable helpmate, to draw his attention to Ishmael mocking the feast for Isaac. Solomon clarified the value of the counsel of a wife when he said, " Can you find a wife of noble character? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." This may be why an overseer must be the husband of a certain wife. Single men do not qualify because they lack a wife of the right character. The Lord blessed Abraham with Sarah by his side. He has blessed us men with the exact right woman to walk beside us. That was the beauty of God showing us that truth by taking a rib from the side of Adam to form Eve. He meant for us to walk side by side through life. Abraham was blessed because he listened to Sarah as God instructed, which meant he listened to God and, in turn, to Sarah. We could do no less than listen. 

Just as He Promised

 DEVOTION

JUST AS HE PROMISED

Gen 21:1-7

21:1 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. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." 7 And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

NIV

This is the basic singular truth within all Scripture. The truth that shapes our faith, the reason we are who we are. First, God was gracious to Sarah. We know God has been gracious to us by sending Jesus to take our place and die on that cross, so we do not have to. Second, and this is also extremely important in our relationship with the Lord. He did for Sarah what he had promised. She bore a son at the very time God had promised. God has promised those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, who have decided to follow Jesus, who are born again, or born from above, that Jesus would come back and take us to where he is. He promised us eternal life. He promised us a room, a dwelling place in his house. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to empower us with various gifts and to manifest his fruit in our lives. Everything in the life of Abraham and Sarah, having the son and naming him Isaac, went exactly as the Lord had promised them. We can know that God's plan for our lives will go exactly as he planned, and he will accomplish his purpose. One of the keys to God giving them a son in their old age is shown to us when Abraham circumcised Isaac, just as God commanded him. We should do no less. We are supposed to do everything the Lord God commands. That may apply to the church at large, but this truth applies to each individual believer. There are the general commands of God, such as to love others as we love ourselves. You must be born again to see the kingdom of God. We must change and become like a child; that is the faith of a child, believing with no doubts, or we will not see the kingdom of God. However, sometimes God speaks directly to us on a personal, intimate level, leading us to be who he purposed us to be, do what he planned for us to do, and live where he wants us to live. He did that in Abraham's life, and he does that in our lives. We do not belong to ourselves, making our own choices in life; we belong to the King of kings, the Lord of lords, God Almighty, the King of the Universe. We live under his mighty hand, as he sees fit. We live within the covenant he made with us through Jesus, just as he promised. 

Restoration

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

RESTORATION

Gen 20:8-18

8 Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech 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 not be done." 10 And Abimelech asked Abraham, "What was your reason for doing this?" 11 Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.' 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '"  14 Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like." 16 To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated." 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, 18 for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah.

NIV

There is restoration through the truth spoken between these two men, Abimelech and Abraham. What could have brought about a great conflict ended well for both of them. Again, we cannot judge Abraham's exact motive for deceiving Abimelech by saying Sarah was his sister rather than his wife, but it seems he did so for self-protection. When we hide the truth or hide from it, we try to protect ourselves from some form of pain, either emotional or physical. Abraham feared he would be killed because the king of the land would want Sarah for his wife. That may have been acceptable of a husband in those days, although that proved wrong; husbands today are required to love their wives, to treat them with love and grace, to protect them, rather than self-protection. Abimelech wanted to make things right, but then we wonder if his motive was self-interest. God had visited Abimelech in a dream and given him the choice of death or life. Who, in their right mind, would choose death? Of course, he was motivated to make things right. When he summoned Abraham, who had wronged him, he gave Abraham sheep, cattle, and male and female slaves. We might have thought Abraham should have given Abimelech something for the trouble he caused. However, this was all about the work of the LORD. We do not know how long Sarah was in the household of Abimelech, but it must have been long enough so that he knew all the women in his household- his wife and all the slave women- could not have children. It would have been very obvious they were all now barren because of Abraham and Sarah. Restoration was the way to healing for Abimelech. The shift from deception to praying for Abimelech healed Abraham as well. It is always good to clear the air, speak the truth, and find a path to communion and fellowship with one another. Whenever there is any kind of conflict, which should not exist among believers, but unfortunately, being human, it does happen, we need to find a path of restoration. If we are in fellowship with the Lord, he will show us the way. Restoration will never happen when we refuse to listen to Him, want our own way, insist the other person was wrong, and expect them to repent and seek our forgiveness. Abimelech was wronged, and because he heard from the LORD, he initiated the restoration. Let us always be in alignment with the way of the Lord, and always be the one who desires and initiates restoration.   

Covenant Relationship

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

Gen 20:1-7

20:1 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman." 4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands." 6 Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die."

NIV

Do what is right and live, and do what is wrong and die. That is the truth of this narrative about Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech. We still wonder why Abraham and Sarah would be that deceptive, considering the LORD called Abraham a prophet. Interestingly, the Hebrew word translated as prophet first means a spokesman, a speaker. Who else would he speak for other than the LORD? Someone whom the LORD has declared as his spokesman was still a man, with the flaws of all men. He was concerned about his life because Sarah was a very beautiful woman. But she was still in her later years, and we had not yet seen Isaac born. This story will unfold according to God's will, but for now we need to consider Abraham's deception. All of us are flawed people, for there is none righteous, not one, including Abraham, a man of God. This brings us to the question of how God would call a flawed man into ministry. Of course, Paul's letter to Timothy gives us the qualifications for being an overseer, which translates to today's position as pastor.  Did Abraham meet those qualifications before they were given to the church? Then again, because God testified to Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet, we wonder if that was in the sense of one of the gifts given to the church at large, the office of prophet. We know there are men today fulfilling, or at least occupying, the position of pastor and teacher, but they are still flawed men, some of whom have fallen into immoral sin while in that position. But then we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; just as Abraham was without sin, so are we. How do we possibly stand in judgement of Abraham's flaws, his sins, when we face the same condition of being flawed, having sin in our lives? Nevertheless, God still had a covenant with Abraham and would use him in a mighty way. God also has a covenant with those who will accept and agree to his covenant through Jesus. That is the truth of the story of Abraham, and the truth of our story, living in a covenant relationship with the Lord. 

His Plan

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

HIS PLAN

Gen 19:30-38

30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.

NIV

This is a difficult story to comprehend; the reason for this strange happening. We can understand why Lot's two daughters would want to have a family, but lying with their father does not seem right. However, the outcome has lasted for many years, as their sons became the start of the Moabites and Ammonites. Both these nations had a complex relationship with Israel. The Moabites refused Israel passage through this land during the Exodus. They even attempted to curse Israel through their god Balaam, but it is also interesting that it was a Moabite woman who became the great-grandmother of King David. Still, we do not understand how Lot would have been so drunk that he did not know he was lying with his daughters, yet we are told he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up. However, he had to be physically aware for his daughters to conceive sons. Then we wonder, what Lot must have thought when he became aware that both his daughters were pregnant, and he was the only man in the cave. Can life just happen without our awareness? Do situations happen in our lives that we are not aware of or understand? Because Lot was Abraham's nephew, and of his actions toward the two angels, we would believe that Lot understood who God was and had some kind of relationship with him. He was with Abrahamin Haran when God called Abraham to go to the land of Canaan. He was with Abraham when he built an altar and worshipped the LORD. Yet, now he had to realize he had sex with his daughters. It might have been acceptable in those days, but if his daughters had to deceive their father by getting him drunk, then it would not have been right. Hopefully, as we are in a relationship with the Lord God Almighty, we do not want to do that, which is unacceptable. Yet life happens, but God is sovereign, and what happens in our lives aligns with his design, plan, and purpose for us. Could we say that about the two sons being the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites? Was that God's plan all along so that Ruth, a Moabite woman, would marry Boaz, through that line would come King David, whose line would come the Messiah? Sometimes we just have to understand that God is in control, and his plan will always be accomplished; so if something seems strange or difficult to understand at the moment, we simply need to seek the Lord for understanding his plan. 

Brought Out

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BROUGHT OUT

Gen 19:27-29

27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. 29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.

NIV

Before we get to where Lot's two daughters conspire, doing something that will have long-lasting effects, we first should focus on what Abraham saw and on mercy. When God speaks, he always speaks the truth. He spoke the truth when he told Noah he was going to destroy everything that had the breath of life in it; all mankind would perish, and it happened just as God said it would. He told Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and he rained down hail and fire, burning up those cities and the places of the plains. Abraham stood where he had stood before the LORD and looked down on the plains, and the smoke was like that of a great furnace. The people perished in flames just as the LORD said. The Lord has also said that on the last day, all the wicked who finished wicked will stand before the LORD and be judged for their wickedness, and be sent to another flame, the lake of burning sulfur. It has always been strange in light of John 3:16; the LORD uses the word perish as the opposite of everlasting life. He correlates perishing, the Greek word that means to be put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to, destroyed. In the Revelation God gave to John, he called the lake of burning sulfur the second death. Theologians have argued the two positions: eternal torment and annihilation. However, if researched with the Spirit, we will know that God can destroy both the body and the soul. However, he showed mercy to Lot because he was a Godly man; at least, he was family to Abraham, had witnessed the power of God, and hosted the two angels to keep them safe from the city's wickedness. A day is coming when another great day of catastrophe will happen. Still, those who put their trust in the LORD, those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, those who have been born again, will be remembered by the LORD and brought out of the catastrophe; the dead will rise first, and those still alive will be caught up in the air to meet our Lord. We call that the rapture of the church. We know for certain that a catastrophe will happen, and we will be brought out. 

Don't Look Back

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DON'T LOOK BACK

Gen 19:12-26

12 The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here — sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. 15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" 18 But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it — it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." 21 He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.) 23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities — and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

NIV

Two truths, maybe more, but the two that stand out are regarding the two men pledged to marry Lot's daughters, and Lot's wife. These two sons-in-law were told the truth about what was going to happen to Sodom, that the LORD was about to destroy the city. We are told they thought he was joking and did not respond by getting out, so that they perished. We wonder if they thought he was joking about the LORD, or what the LORD was going to do. Did they even believe there was a God, as they were residents of Sodom, living among wickedness? We don't know the character of these two, although we would think that if Lot approved them to marry his daughters, they should have been better than the rest of the men of Sodom. Nevertheless, they thought he was joking. How many people today think we are joking about what is going to happen to this earth? Of course, that would depend on us telling them that God is going to destroy this earth, instead of just telling them of the love of Jesus. Yes, Jesus loves them, but should we not be like Lot and warn those around us? Secondly, why did Lot's wife look back? Did she want to see the destruction, or was it one last look at what she once had? We have always thought it was the look back at her possessions being gone, but maybe that look back was about watching those wicked people getting their just due. But she was not supposed to look back, because as she did, God caused her to turn into a pillar of salt. This gives us two clues for life. First, we should not put too much value on any possessions, because they can be destroyed, or we can lose them at any time. Second, we should not watch someone go through destruction or hardship with the attitude that they are receiving their just reward. Because we are told to love others as Jesus loves us, we should warn others about what will happen, show compassion and love to those experiencing trouble, and not look back or put too much value on our stuff. 

Blindness

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BLINDNESS

Gen 19:1-11

19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square." 3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom — both young and old — surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." 6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." 9 "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, 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.

NIV

Now, the story of the wickedness of Sodom shows us there is nothing new under the sun. Of course, before the days of the flood, the wickedness of mankind was so great that the LORD was grieved he had made man and decided to wipe them all off the face of the earth, except Noah and his family, because he found favor in the eyes of the LORD. The men of Sodom were just like those before the flood, with evil in their hearts all the time. Their hearts were perverted from the natural to the unnatural. Lot knew the sins of this city, yet he lived among them, and even sat at the gate, which was either the place of business or judgement as a magistrate, hearing cases of dispute. We wonder if Lot was there to warn weary travelers of the problems of the city, to either turn them away or invite them into his home for protection. This is what he did to the two angels, but the men began to force their way, wanting Lot to send the two men out for their perversion. The power of the Most High was in the hands of those angels as they struck the townsmen with blindness, so they could not find the door to Lot's house. Could this be a metaphor of all who practice perversions in the flesh? Our world is not much better, if not worse, than what was going on within Sodom. This world even celebrates its perversions to the point where it demands equal rights, or special rights, protections by law for its wickedness, holds great demonstrations and parades, flaunting its perversion before the world. As the rest of this story of Sodom unfolds, we will see God's judgment, and we know his judgment will stand again against the evil of this present age. We wonder if the men of Sodom would have turned from their wicked ways, God would have relented his judgment of hail and fire against them. We know anyone can find forgiveness today because of his offered grace through Jesus. But it still comes down to this: turning away from wickedness and turning to Jesus. It is still a quandary as to how we, in the church, deal with our wickedness, because we profess our faith in Jesus. Do we just pretend we are all holy and righteous, ignoring our wicked ways, our sin? Sure, we are not like those of Sodom or of these perversions of this present age, but what about those traits of envy, jealousy, gossip, unforgiveness, pride, and such that continue to be part of our humanity? Does God overlook our transgressions because we are in Christ? The angels struck the men of Sodom with blindness so they could not find the door. Let us not be blind to our sin so that we can find the door. 

Dust and Ashes

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

DUST AND ASHES

Gen 18:27-33

27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." 29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." 33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

NIV

First, Abraham considered himself nothing but dust and ashes; then he asked that the LORD not be angry with him, as he asked for if there were only thirty. Then Abraham was bold, asking if only twenty could be found. Then he asked once more that the LORD would not be angry with him, as he asked to speak just once more, asking if only ten were found. Each time the Lord consented to the number Abraham was asking about, all the way from fifty to ten. But the conversation stopped because the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham; he left, and Abraham returned home. The implication is that the LORD left Abraham's presence. The LORD listened to the concerns of Abraham. The Lord did not tell Abraham that I Am the LORD God and I will do whatever I decide, which is to go down and destroy the whole city of Sodom, as well as Gomorrah. The LORD listened to Abraham. Yes, the Lord is Sovereign; his plan is always his plan, and his plan will always be accomplished. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, but the LORD saved Lot and his family, apparently the only righteous, less the ten, in the city. How do we apply this truth to our lives? Although we know the Lord is God, the creator of heaven and earth, the one who gives us life, and that he is the Almighty Sovereign God, he is always willing to listen to our concerns. He is always willing to be with us, to be in our presence; although we should say, allow us to be in his presence, yet the LORD showed up in the presence of Abraham as he sat in front of his tent. When the LORD wants to speak to us, he will; we just need to listen, and whenever we hear his voice, we should bow low before him. Sometimes we think we have become too friendly or too familiar,  too casual with God. Abraham did not speak as if he was friendly with the LORD, but with reverence and fear, realizing he was only dust and ashes, just a man, formed by the hand of God. When God shows us, and he will, let us speak with fear and trembling, but then listen, for we are but dust and ashes and He is the Almighty Lord God. 

The Outcry

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE OUTCRY

Gen 18:20-26

20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.   23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing — to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

NIV

This is just the beginning of the conversation between the LORD and Abraham that we are so familiar with, but there is truth here we need to consider. What is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah? It was that their sin was so grievous, but was that the outcry that reached the LORD? We know what happened when the two angels entered Sodom, but was that so much worse than the sin happening in the world today? We could name so many things going on in our world that must be an outcry against them that reaches the Lord. This culture dedicates and celebrates a month to Pride, the gay, lesbian, transgender, whatever, with parades. It does not matter; do whatever is just fine, but that has to be an outcry to the Lord. So many perversions, it would be impossible to name them all. Who among us is without sin? There is none righteous, not one, and that includes all we believers who think we are not anything like the world. In fact, we tend to close ourselves off from all that sin; we might even be judgmental toward those awful sinners. Abraham knew his nephew Lot lived in Sodom, so he wanted to see whether the LORD would spare Sodom without sweeping away the righteous with the wicked. This is another truth we know about what will happen. The Lord will not sweep away the righteous with the wicked. Of course, none of us can claim we are righteous; however, if someone accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior and is born again, then Jesus becomes our righteousness, and we will not be swept away, but taken up to be with the LORD forever. The wicked, those who continue to live in the perversions of sin, will be swept away into the lake of burning sulfur, the second death. This is what concerned Abraham: the righteous and the wicked being treated the same way. We, believers, should take note that we are not free of sin; in the flesh, we are just the same- maybe not the same acts of sin, but the same, having sin in our lives. Our salvation, our forgiveness, is all in Jesus. But we cannot stand being prideful of our righteousness, looking like we are all holy, perfect people. Lot was not perfect, but he knew the LORD, had lived with Abraham, and understood the righteousness of God, but for whatever reason, lived among such sinful people. We are not perfect either, but have we isolated ourselves so much that we have no effect in this world? Have we lost our saltiness? Are we content with the wicked being swept away? Do we hear their outcry? 

Ears to Hear

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

EARS TO HEAR

Gen 18:16-19

16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

NIV

Two truths that we could focus on. First, the LORD decided not to hide what he was about to do in Sodom and Gomorrah from Abraham. Was this because of the second truth, that Abraham was chosen to direct his children and household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just? We know that God brought about what he had promised Abraham. How do we relate to both those truths? First, the question is whether we have been chosen or whether we chose to follow Jesus. We know the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin and need for repentance, but the question is whether he does that for everyone, or only for the people God knows will respond in the affirmative. Did Jesus try to convert the Pharisees, or did he just call them a brood of vipers? However, because we are following Jesus, or at least trying to follow him, are we being made privy to what the LORD is going to do? We know he has made it possible for us to know everything he has done and what he will do on that last day, but does he speak to us about what he will do in the next few days, or weeks, as he did with Abraham? We think he does, but we need to be spending time listening rather than just talking to him. It seems we do a lot of talking when we pray, maybe even just babble on and on, telling him how great he is, thanking him, praising him, on and on; we keep talking until we run out of words, then we quit and go on our way. How often do we shut up and just walk with him, listening for his voice? We are not going to hear him with our mouths flowing with words, but if we have ears to hear and eyes to see, we will hear from him. Still, that might depend on whether we are doing what is right and just. But how can we be right and just in our flesh that is weak and wants to do what is not right and just? It comes down to being in Christ and he in us, for he is our righteousness. We need to walk by faith, not by sight, so then, because we have decided to follow Jesus, the LORD reveals his plans for our lives. He might speak directly to us, telling us what he will do, or what we are supposed to do. He might inspire us by putting a desire in our hearts so we follow his leading. It is a wonderful truth that God does not want to hide anything from us; we just need to listen with ears to hear.  

Is Anything Too Hard for God?

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR GOD? 

Gen 18:6-15

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. 9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. 10 Then the LORD  said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master 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."

NIV

This is a famous part of the story of Abraham and Sarah, as the Lord visited them and told them about the son they would have in the future. We are not told how long it took to bake bread, slaughter, cut up the finest portion of a calf, and cook it to perfection so the Lord could eat. That alone is an incredible story for who actually appeared before Abraham. We know it was Yahweh, accompanied by two angels. Yet Yahweh means the self-existing one, so the physical form he appeared in could have been Jesus, or he could have been the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth. That truth is left out for a purpose, so that we do not focus on the form of the LORD, but our focus should be on the LORD. However, our story is about Sarah laughing as she thought about her actually becoming pregnant at her old age, one that was well beyond childbearing; besides, she had been barren her whole life, not once conceiving a child. However, the point is that the LORD knew she laughed, even if she did not laugh out loud, because she laughed to herself. The LORD knew Sarah's thoughts; he knew what was in her heart. This gives us an outstanding truth that should encourage us, but it could also frighten us. Sarah's internal laugh could be seen as doubting the LORD's power, as the LORD responded, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” This should give us great confidence in God's power. First, he knows our hearts, our thoughts, even our words before we speak them. Even when our thoughts are not pure, that does not disrupt his love for us, as he knows we are flawed; that is why Jesus came to take our place on the cross. Still, we can feel shame and the guilt of impure thoughts. Our minds wander, our hearts can become envious, jealous, bitter, unforgiving, prideful, lustful, greedy, selfish, all of which point to a self-centered heart. We are admonished that if anything is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy, we are to think about such things. Yet our mind still wanders off to those selfish thoughts. Certainly, Sarah’s thoughts were on herself, her weakness, her inability to conceive, the fact that she was worn out, but the LORD answered, “ Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Let us always be confident in God’s power. 

Bowing Low

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BOWING LOW

Gen 18:1-5

18:1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way — now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."

NIV

This is just the beginning of another exciting chapter in Abraham's life. Again, the LORD appeared to him, this time near the great trees of Mamre. It is thought these were great oak trees with twisted trunks and great branches reaching out in different directions. There would have been a large encampment, many tents, for all the men and women servants, and any other people in the household of Abraham. It is thought his tent was under one of those great trees of Mamre when three men came standing nearby. Abraham must have known somehow that one of those three was the Lord, for he ran to them and bowed low to the ground and asked that if he had found favor in the eyes of the Lord, he should not pass his servant by. This shows great humility and respect toward the Lord. Interestingly, we are told Yahweh appeared to Abraham, and he called him Adonia, meaning sovereign Lord. Abraham prepared a meal for the Lord, and the two who accompanied him were most likely angels who later went down to Sodom to save Lot and his family. But this appearance of the Lord to Abraham is our story. We might wonder why the Lord does not come and appear to us as he did to those men of old: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and many more. Yet why are those men, like Abraham, considered righteous because they believed God? Yet we believe by faith, not by sight. We do not need the Lord to physically appear to us to believe him. Of course, Abraham did not have the word of God in written form, as we do. The Holy Spirit had not been poured out upon him, as he has upon us. The great appearance of Jesus had not happened in Abraham's time, as it has in our time. Although Abraham saw the Lord, the Spirit dwells within us. The question before us is how much humility and respect we give the Lord. Do we run to him, bowing low to the ground? Do we even run to him? Surely, Abraham lived his life doing all the daily activities necessary to sustain himself and his household. Still, when the Lord showed up, he ran to him, bowed down, and offered him hospitality. The Lord, as the Holy Spirit has come to us, and we wonder how much hospitality we offer him. Surely, we need to do the daily activities of life, but still, should we not always be reverent, bowing down, if not physically, in our spirit, to the presence of the Lord in our lives? If we are not bowing low in spirit, as Jesus said, blessed are the meek, the poor, the lowly, the humble,  the respectful in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. If we do not bow, we are arrogant and disrespectful to the Lord. Let us always be bowing low. 

I Hear You

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

I HEAR YOU

Gen 17:15-27

15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." 17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" 18 And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" 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. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. 27 And every male in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

NIV

Just as the LORD God Almighty, whose name is JHHW, put his middle letter in Abram's name, changing it to Abraham, he now adds a letter to Sarai's name, changing it to Sarah. This change was part of the conversation the LORD had with Abraham as he came down to make a covenant with him: the covenant that included circumcision. The LORD told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son, and that he should name him Isaac. That is a very specific revelation, including instructions. We do not know whether Abraham laughed out loud, but we can be sure the LORD knew he was laughing at both his age and his wife's age. Certainly, in the natural realm, Sarah, who had been barren all her life, now at ninety would conceive a son, seemed outlandish, almost unbelievable. Abraham seems to have struggled to believe, because he asked God whether Ishmael, his son, could be the one blessed. Interestingly, when Abraham asked about Ishmael, the LORD told him, "I have heard you," and blessed Ishmael so that he would father twelve tribes of people, but they would always struggle against the sons of Israel. Could we say it is all Abraham's fault for the everlasting conflict in the Middle East? However, today's lesson is in those words of the LORD: "I have heard you," and in the fact that when God finished speaking with Abraham, he went up from him. This gives us two wonderful truths. First, God visited Abraham; he came down to be present with him, and second, he spoke with him and listened to what Abraham had to say. God hears us also; he hears what we have to say. He loves us and wants to listen to our concerns,  our pains, our requests, what is on our hearts. But he also wants to visit with us, speak into our ears and hearts, and instruct us in his plan, just as he instructed Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son, and that they were to name him Isaac. God wants to speak to us; he wants to reveal truths to us; he wants to instruct us in the way we should go, what we should do, and how we are to do it. Although God heard Abraham, it was more important that Abraham heard God. We should learn to use our ears more than our mouths; we praise him with our lips, but sometimes we need to be still, be quiet, and listen, because God is speaking. That is when we need to say, "I hear you." 

A Sign

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A SIGN 

Gen 17:9-14

9 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner — those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

NIV

Although this covenant and the sign Abraham was to do were circumcision of himself and every male in his household, family, servants, those born into his household, and those he buys from strangers. In Abraham's time, there was no Israel yet, for that would come through his grandson Jacob. However, Abraham was considered the father of all Israel. In the challenge with Jesus about ideas about the father, the Pharisees proclaimed, "Abraham is our father." The covenant is about the circumcision of the flesh; all Jews should follow that, as it was the covenant between God and their father Abraham. However, is it merely physical, and in our culture it is mostly normal that every male child is circumcised at birth, not when they are eight days old. In this postmodern society, physical circumcision has no spiritual context. Still, in a spiritual sense, it deals only with a sign among males, leaving women to belong to a male family. Yet, we are instructed that circumcision of the flesh is just that, and it defined who Israel was and is, but the true Israel are those who have circumcised their hearts. What does that mean? How can we cut away the cover over our hearts? Considering that circumcision of the flesh is the removal of a covering over the manhood portion of a male, we then would need to remove what covers the tenderest part of our heart, which includes everyone, men and women. That is, we need to expose the fullness of our hearts before the Lord. The question is what would be considered a covering over our hearts that must be circumcised? The other question is, if we do not circumcise our hearts, would we be cut off like those males who never circumcised their flesh? Would self-protection be one of those things that need to be removed? Our Attitudes are a reflection of our hearts, and our words come from what is in our hearts. Jesus made that clear: what goes into our mouths does not defile us, but it is what comes out of our mouths, for that is what is in our hearts. "As a man thinks, so is he." There are many coverings that we are told to rid ourselves of, and that would be the circumcision process of our hearts. Rid our hearts of bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, or arguing, every form of malice, or gossiping, deceit, hypocrisy, unforgiveness, envy, jealousy, and pride, just to name a few. If any of those things cover our hearts, have we actually circumcised our hearts? We are told all of Israel will be saved, but we are also told those who circumcise their hearts are the true Israel. Let us be careful not to allow anything to cover our hearts.  Abraham's circumcision of the flesh was a sign of obedience; the circumcision of our hearts is also a sign. 

The Name Change

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE NAME CHANGE

Gen 17:1-8

17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

NIV

Who would not fall face down if God Almighty showed up and appeared to us? And yet, here we are with God Almighty, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and we walk around as normal, doing our daily stuff, as if nothing special is happening, even in our religious world. Abram fell face down, and the great I AM, God Almighty, tells him to walk before him and be blameless. We know we are blameless because of the blood of Jesus, but we cannot be sure our daily walk is blameless, for we still struggle with the self and its flaws as we allow various temptations to influence our attitudes and behaviors. The LORD God Almighty confirmed his covenant with Abram and changed his name to Abraham. We know Abraham means father of many nations, but the facts surrounding a covenant are impressive. Historically, when two men made a treaty, or covenant, with each other, especially a blood covenant, they would exchange middle names, the middle letter of their name, cut their palms and bind them with two ropes. Within the language of Abram, God's name would have been spelled JHHW, unpronounceable, unspoken because that name is too holy, too righteous. However, when God Almighty appeared to Abram to confirm the covenant, he placed one of the middle letters of his name into Abram's name, making it AbraHam. That is so awesome, yet God Almighty, the great I AM, through his Son, Jesus, has made a new covenant with us, and the proof is that he poured out His Spirit upon us, filling us with his presence. Now we have the grace of God, his divine influence upon our hearts, and we should be reflecting that in our daily lives. God gave the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession to Abraham and his descendants, and He promised to be their God. We have the promise of Jesus, the promise of the Holy Spirit as an everlasting presence in our lives, but we are His possessions, and He is still our God. He changed our names from self to son, or sinner to saint. 

No Room for Misery

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NO ROOM FOR MISERY

Gen 16:7-16

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered. 9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." 10 The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count." 11 The angel of the LORD also said to her:

"You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

NIV

Although Hagar was Egyptian, the LORD did not withhold from her visiting or speaking the truth into her life. Interestingly, the LORD already knew everything that had happened and was happening in Hagar's life. Yet, his first communication with her was a question: "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?"  The story continues, and the LORD directs her to return to her mistress and submit to her. Does any of this relate to our lives? We should notice the LORD tells her to name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. The Hebrew word Ishmael means "the LORD hears." We should understand that the Lord also hears our hearts' cry. We may not be in the same misery that Hagar experienced, but there are many forms of misery. However, we can be assured that as we go through those times when we feel a sense of misery, the Lord hears our hearts. He already knew Hagar's misery, and he already knows ours, or that we will experience some. That is not to say we must feel misery, for we can live with joy; in fact, we can live full of peace and joy. When Jesus said that he was the vine and we are the branches, and about the Father's love, he told us that he gives us his joy and puts his joy in us, so that our joy will be complete. Hagar knew only misery, not that joy. We should remember when those times come when we might submit to misery, feeling alone, left out, not experiencing or sensing the presence of the Lord, not receiving a healing or some other blessing, that Jesus put his joy within us. We know we are redeemed; our salvation is secure in Jesus; he will come back to take us where he is, so why should we want the pain of misery when we can have the joy of Jesus? We sing that we have the joy, joy, joy down in our hearts, where? Down in my heart, we've got the joy, joy, joy down in our hearts to stay. Because the joy of Jesus is there to stay, there is no room there for misery. 

Own it

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

OWN IT

Gen 16:1-6

16:1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said. 3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me." 6 "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

NIV

Whose idea was it that Abram took Hagar and was intimate with her, so that she conceived? It was Sarai who put that into motion. Hagar was her maidservant, meaning she had no rights and had to do as her mistress desired or ordered. Yet, after Hagar became pregnant, she began to despise Sarai. We don't know exactly why, but we wonder if Hagar was fine with getting to be intimate with her mistress's husband, but she was not counting on getting pregnant, although that was Sarai's purpose for giving her to Abram. The story, or the point that is a lesson for us, is how Sarai responded. Once what she had purposed happened, she blamed Abram because of the way Hagar was acting toward her. He would have nothing to do with it, telling her Hagar was in her hands, not his. This is your own fault; don't blame me. We are right back to Adam blaming Eve, and Eve blaming the serpent. We should understand that if, for any reason, we fall on hard times, it is nobody's fault but our own. All too often, we hear people blame the government for charging us high taxes, for the price of this or that, or for their inability to get ahead. Who is in charge of our lives? Do believers blame the Lord because they are experiencing difficult times? Do we have nothing to do with how our lives play out? We do not think Sarai consulted with the LORD before making her choice that caused her pain. How many choices in life do we make without consulting the Lord? We are not just pawns in his heavenly chess game; he has given us the freedom to choose or to make mistakes all on our own. So then, when we make that mistake, we need to own it, not blame anyone else, including the Lord. There is no excuse good enough; it was our choice; we need to own it. 

Being Still

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

BEING STILL

Gen 15:7-21

7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." 8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" 9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates —  19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

NIV

This is the moment the LORD made a covenant with Abram. The three animals, each three years old, have significance because three is perfect; it represents the triune God. Cutting them in half was a cultural way of the time for making a peace covenant between two parties. Abram must have known that when he was given those instructions by the LORD, there was going to be a covenant. However, there is something very important for us to notice. When the sun set, Abram fell into a deep sleep; a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. In other words, Abram was in some kind of trance,  completely void of any thoughts of his daily concerns with life. This is when he was visited by the LORD, who spoke to him and made the covenant. Some people wonder why they have never heard the voice of the Lord. That is not to say that we always hear his voice, but we wonder if the reason we do not hear from the Lord is that we have become too preoccupied with the concerns of life. Psalm 46:10 puts it in the right order. First, we must be still; then we can know he is God. What does "be still" look like? God caused Abram to be still, to be in a deep sleep. But we may not experience that kind of sleep, but we still must quiet our hearts and our minds if we are going to hear from the Lord. He is not going to break in while we are so busy with ourselves, our own cares, concerns, worries, or pleasures. When we are so wrapped up in selfness, we will never be still enough to know he is God. Although we understand the new covenant through Jesus, we cannot survive as believers with just knowledge. If we are going to not just survive, but live abundantly, we need to quiet ourselves, listen, meditate on the Lord, and we will know he is God. He will confirm himself to us, show himself in a way that we will know who he is, and we might just hear his voice. 

What A Reward!

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WHAT A REWARD!

Gen 15:1-6

15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."

2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens 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.

NIV

We should focus just on the fact that God told Abram that he was his shield and very great reward. Is that not a promise for us as well? We know that God is our shield; he is our protection, our protector against the forces of evil. We know that he clothes us in his armor, which includes the shield of faith.  If we think that our faith is the shield, we are sadly mistaken, for whom do we have faith in? We also know that faith is a gift from God, as he gives every man a measure of faith. So we would have to believe the shield of faith is God himself. He is our shield, but we must stand behind that shield; we must believe in God. First, we should believe that he is our very great reward. We wonder how much we struggle in this life to receive some kind of reward. These earthly rewards could be financially based or emotional, such as recognition, prestige, or being looked up to (pride-based), or success in varied areas of life (self-based). However, the only reward that is worth everything is knowing God, for he is our very great reward. Everything we struggle to obtain in this world will all fade away, vanish, disappear, and literally perish. However, God, our very great reward, is eternal. Secondly, we should note that Abram believed the LORD. The Hebrew does not include the word "in"; it simply states, "Abram believed the LORD." That is the basis of our lives. It may be good to say that we believe in God, or we believe in Jesus, but then many people who do not know God, or who are not living for God, may say they believe in him, but who believes God is the question. If we believe God, then our lives should reflect that fact. We do need to be careful about being distracted and starting to believe other things that we think are important.  Because Abram believed the LORD, he was credited as being righteous. We know that Jesus is our righteousness; therefore, as we are in Christ, we are credited as righteous. What a reward! 

Look to the Lord

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

LOOK TO THE LORD

Gen 14:18-24

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself." 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me — to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."

NIV

Although we looked at the blessing of Abram by Melchizedek, we did not consider this tenth of everything that Abram gave him. This is one of those beginning verses where we take the rule of tithing to the Lord, or rather to the church. However, we generally take our cue, or rule, from the verses in Malachi about how a man robs God by not bringing a tenth into the storehouse that they might be food in his house. In ancient times, this was meant for provisions in the temple for the Levite priests who served in the temple courts and to maintain the temple provisions. In our modern times, it is still fitting that the tenth of our income should support the material needs of the church. Today's church has financial expenses the temple did not, such as heat, air conditioning, lights, salaries for staff, support of missionaries, etc. Sometimes the cost of staff can get blurred with pastors living so large that it is obnoxious. But there is another story here that deserves our attention. Abram would not keep any of the spoils for himself, as he did not want the king of Sodom to think he made Abram rich, for Abram believed that God would provide for him. We should take our lesson from that principle. Sure, we must work, or labor all the days of our lives, which was the command of God to Adam. He must labor for his own sustenance. Again, we might have taken that in another context: we do work, but not all the days of our lives; instead, we work to store up for our retirement. Then stop working to do whatever we please. However, the point is that we should not be looking to our own efforts, but always look to the LORD for everything in our lives. We should not need others to give into our hands, but raise our hands to the LORD; He will bless us. He will direct our paths, how we should work, and how we should earn our sustainability. Then, because all comes from the hand of God, we give him back a tenth of it, keeping the rest. On the other hand, Abram did believe others deserved their share because of their part in the victory. Nevertheless, let us always look to the LORD, praising and thanking him for his provisions for our lives. Let us not look to others to make us rich; but look to the Lord; he will see we have enough. 

Setting the Captives Free

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE

Gen 14:1-20

14:1 At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar. 8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar — four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. 13 One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 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. 17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand."

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

That is a lot of kings and a lot of rebellion, fighting, killing, violence, which is normal for mankind. There will always be war between those who have, but want more. Each of those men was a king of their own city or area of land, living the good life. But greed is at the center of their plans to take from another so they could have more. None of this involved Abram until those kings overcame the city of Sodom and took the people captive and their possessions, including Lot. So, because they messed with his relative, Abram went into action and routed those kings and their armies, taking back Lot, his possessions, together with the women and the other people. Abram took care of his own family and did what was needed to secure Lot and return him to his home. All this culminated in Melchizedek, the king of Jerusalem, serving bread and wine to Abram. Of course, this foreshadows the bread and wine Jesus served his disciples in Salem, or Jerusalem. Jesus has also been referred to as a priest in the order of Melchizedek according to the writer of Hebrews, with a quote from the Psalms. Melchizedek has no lineage, as there is no record of a father or mother. Again, foreshadowing the high priesthood of Jesus. Although Jesus uses the term Father, Jesus is God, having no beginning and no end. We could spend days with Melchizedek and Jesus, but the truth we want to focus on is this blessing he gave Abram and Abram's response with the tenth of everything. First, Melchizedek made sure Abram knew that the God Most High was the Creator of heaven and earth. Everything was created by God Most High, and in his great power and might, his mighty hand was responsible for Abram's victory over his enemies. Sure, Abram, with his 318 fighting men, had to fight a battle and put forth an effort to win, but the victory was won because God Most High was with Abram and caused the victory. We can take that lesson for our lives. We cannot sit in our easy chair and wait for God Most High to give us everything; we must go forth to fight the battle and put forth effort; however, that effort must be under the direction of the Lord. Abram did not fight just to fight, but to free Lot from captivity. Abram had to be inspired by the LORD to free Lot. We believe it matters what we do in life, because we live among people whom we can have some influence on in their lives, so that they may know the power of God Most High.  Abram fought for the release of Lot. Jesus set the captive, us, free. Are we meant to simply live for ourselves, or to live for each other, fighting for their release from captivity by the prince of darkness? 

A Sweet Amora

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

A SWEET AROMA

Gen 13:10-18

10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 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 men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD. 14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." 18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

NIV

Well, we know what is going to happen in Sodom because the men of Sodom were wicked and sinned greatly against the LORD. Was it by chance that Lot chose the plain of the Jordon and set out toward the east, or was it planned by the LORD? IF Lot had chosen the other direction, it would have been Abram who would have been near Sodom. However, Abram had another visit from the LORD in some manner, as we are told the LORD spoke to Abram and told him to lift up his eyes, and that as far as he could see in all directions, the LORD would give it to his offspring forever. From a worldview perspective, Israel has had and will continue to have the land God promised to Abram. We have another promise from the LORD. However, this promise is for whosoever believes in Jesus Christ, will not perish, but have everlasting life. That eternal life will be spent in the place Jesus has prepared for those who accept him as their Lord and Savior. That is the new paradise, the new city of Jerusalem that will come down from heaven. It will be on the mountain of God, just as the existing Jerusalem sits on Mt. Moriah, although the new mountain will be much larger, wider, and higher. In a sense, because Abram will become Abraham, the man of faith, we are also his descendants, and we will inherit this new land forever. As Abram built another altar to the LORD, we are supposed to be an altar, or, as it is put, a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. That is, we offer ourselves to God, to do with as he pleases. Abram may have sent up a sacrifice that would have been a sweet aroma to the LORD; we are supposed to be that sweet aroma before the Lord. How is that possible when we get so distracted by self? Let us remember who we are supposed to be: a sweet aroma before the LORD. 

No Quarreling

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

NO QUARRELING

Gen 13:5-9

5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. 8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."

NIV

Both Abram and Lot had become wealthy men with large herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, goats, donkeys, male and female, and camels. They both had herdsmen, employees who watched over the livestock. We can imagine, as we are told, that the land could not support both of their herds. Arguing, maybe even fighting, broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and those of Lot. Abram demonstrated a life truth in this narrative of his and Lot's story. In essence, Abram said, "Let's not have any quarreling between us, brothers. " There should not be any quarreling among believers, for we all are brothers and sisters in the Lord. Abram, who was the senior member of the clan, instead of insisting things happen according to his plan or way, humbly allowed Lot to pick which direction he would take his herds, and Abram would go the other way. We wonder how many churches function in that manner. How many church boards, worship teams, and leadership teams function without someone wanting their way while another insists their way is better to the point where nothing gets done, except hard feelings. Look, if you want to go left, we will go right; in other words, someone has to be big enough, like Abram, to allow the other to make the choice. This could go past a point of no return if no one steps up with a suggestion or if everyone acts like Abram, just going along with whatever. Abram took the lead and gave Lot the choice. Lot did not make any suggestion for a solution; it was all Abram. This also shows that there needs to be a leader, but to lead with humility, not with an iron fist or as the decision-maker. However, we should all be on guard against quarreling,  as we look for solutions together, and honor one another in love. 

Call Then Listen

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CALL THEN LISTEN

Gen 13:1-4

13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.

NIV

We wonder why we are told of how much wealth Abram had accumulated, although we are not told how. Was all that just given to him by the Egyptians, or did he trade goods or something to buy all he had? If so, where did he get everything to start with? Was part of his wealth an inheritance from his father? We will never know for certain how he became so wealthy. However, the greater question is about Abram calling on the name of the LORD. Did Abram not call on the name of the LORD when he was in Egypt? Shouldn't he have been walking with the LORD from the time he was called to leave his home and his father's household in Haran? We know the last time he had pitched his tent in the place between Bethel and Ai, he had built an altar and called on the name of the LORD. But now he is back at the same place, and we are told he called on the name of the LORD. Didn't Abram ever talk to the LORD other than at this place? Didn't He give thanks for all he had accumulated? Was Abram just a successful businessman, doing his thing, getting wealthy, and then every once in a while he goes to church, the altar he built, and prays or calls on the name of the LORD? That just does not seem right, since he already had a promise from the LORD about his descendants having the land of Canaan. He had to live in constant awareness of the LORD. Yet, he was not a perfect man, as he lied when he went into Egypt. But we use Abram as an example of a man of faith. We do not wait until we are at the altar we built, the church, to call on the name of the Lord. We live each day in his presence, aware of his moving in our lives. We know the Spirit dwells within us, and we walk and talk with the Lord every day. Is there a difference in how we normally pray, always asking for some need in our lives and in the lives of those we care about, and just calling on the name of the Lord? We don't know the words Abram used, but we know we don't have to use any special words either, words that sound religious or spiritual just because we are talking with the Lord. He knows our hearts, our pains and joys, our needs and concerns. Maybe all that is needed is for us to call on the name of the Lord. Oh Lord, I am here; I call on your name; I seek more of you in my life. Maybe that is all we need to do: just call on his name. If we call, he will answer; then we are supposed to listen. 

Deceptive or Truthful

 DEVOTION

DECEPTIVE OR TRUTHFUL

Gen 12:10-20

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you." 14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. 17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

NIV

When we think of Abram, we usually think of a man who followed the LORD; after all, he did leave his country and his father's household and struck out for Canaan,  just as the LORD had told him. Then we have that time when his faith was accounted to him as righteousness. But here is a time in his life when Abram was deceptive, lying so to save his own skin. We could focus on the fact that Sarai was a very beautiful woman, very desirable to look upon, and in fact the Egyptians thought the same thing and brought her to Pharaoh. We do wonder what Abram was thinking, letting his wife be taken as the Pharaoh's wife; meanwhile, he was accumulating sheep, cattle, donkeys, menservants, maidservants, and camels. Did he really care more about gathering more possessions, becoming wealthy at the expense of his wife? But the LORD was not going to have anything to do with that plan, so he inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household. Now the truth came out, and Abram was rejected from Egypt, sent packing under the orders of Pharaoh. We do not know how long he was there, and if the famine was over, but now he had to provide food for all his staff- the menservants, maidservants- and plus he had to find pastures for all the livestock to eat and live. But the troublesome part of this narrative is Abram's deception. This is the man we use as an example of doing everything the LORD told him to do. But we should not use the example he set in going to Egypt and lying to save his own life. We have been told that honesty is the best policy, especially in our relationship with the Lord, but just as importantly with each other. There is really no reason to deceive someone about who we are. We call that as building a façade. That is what Jesus said about the Pharisees: that they looked good on the outside, but inside they were like dead men's bones.  Do we build that façade of being holy and righteous, while on the inside, we may not be like dead men's bones, but we are not free of sin either. We could harbor unforgiveness, hurt feelings, envy, greed, or lust, or even pride, all hidden beneath that covering of holiness and righteousness, trying to prove that by doing good deeds. Abram could have been truthful rather than deceptive. Let us learn that lesson. 

Moving On

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

MOVING ON

Gen 12:4-9

4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. 9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

NIV

Once Abram reached the land of Canaan, where the descendants of Ham, the Canaanites, lived, he traveled as far as the great tree of Moreh in Shechem. Although this only takes a verse, the road distance from Haran to  Shechem is about 600 miles. Considering Abram was traveling with his wife, Sarai, his nephew, Lot, and the people he had acquired in Haran, all his possessions, herds of sheep, cattle, or camels, they could not move very quickly, so this journey could have taken days, even months.  It was definitely different than our travel times. They would have to stop each night, pitch the tents, set up camp, prepare food, and whatever, but the point is Abram stayed the course, doing exactly what the LORD had told him to do, even if it might have been difficult and took some time. Once Abram arrived at the great tree of Morah at Shechem, the LORD appeared to Abram. This was Jehovah, the self-existent one, who appeared to Abram. How is it that Abram saw God and lived? What did he appear as? What did Abram see? Whoever Abram was visited by must have made it one of the most pivotal moments of his life. He was told the LORD was going to give this land to his descendants. We know Abram was seventy when he set out from Haran, and at that time he had no son, but he heard that his descendants would have this land. Abram had to have believed because he set up an altar there where Jehovah had appeared to him. Faith is a mighty force. Again, it is far different from believing in God and believing God. Abram believed the LORD. We are not told that Abram argued with the LORD, or said, "How is that possible? I am an old man already; how long will it be before I have any descendants? How long is this going to take"? Do we ever ask questions like that when or if we hear from the Lord? Has the Lord ever appeared to us in some way? Why are we Christians? What reason do we believe God? What caused us to follow Jesus? We must have had some kind of experience like Abram did for us to do what we have been instructed to do, as Abram was, and follow through on what the Lord has told us. Abram was given specific instructions as to where he was to leave from and travel to. We have to believe the Lord still has specific instructions for us as to where he wants us to go, or be, and what to do there. As believers, as followers of Jesus, we cannot just wander around in life doing our own thing, show up at some church one day a week for one hour, and think the will of God is being done on earth, in our lives, as it is in heaven. Of course, Abram had to do the daily living, but he was doing that as he was going where the LORD told him to go. We cannot settle for just living our daily lives; we must always be moving on with God.