Posts from January 2023 (Page 2)

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 48-50                                               As we close out the book of Genesis, we see the beginnings of God’s amazing story of how He planned to redeem His people.  Within this story, we are introduced to the Jewish nation, a nation that would later be called the Children of Israel.  We are also informed of God’s Promise that he had made with Abraham and his…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 46-47                                                                                                                                               Before Jacob heads into Egypt to see the son that for so many years he thought was dead, he makes a stop at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to the Lord (Genesis 46.1-4).  On the surface this would seem like a small hiccup on his long journey to Egypt, but don’t be fooled, this…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 43-45                           The pain is indescribable.  It doesn’t feel like the pain you may experience if you were physically hurt, in fact it is much worse.  It drains you like a sickness, yet it isn’t like any virus you have ever contracted.  It begins in your stomach, but over time swells to every cell of your body.  Before you know it, your entire being is consumed with that painful, gnawing feeling…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 40-42                                                                                                                                                 This morning I came across one of those quick motivational posts that really has stuck with me.  It read “Don’t worry! God is preparing you for what he has prepared for you”.  That post sums up the life of Joseph doesn’t it?  Hated by your brothers, sold into slavery, wrongfully accused…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 34-36                                                                                                                                 After the reunion of Jacob and Esau, God sends Jacob to Bethel in Genesis 35.1-15.  Bethel was the same place that he had fled to in Genesis 28.10-19.  It was also the place that God sent Abraham to when He revealed to Abraham His promise in Genesis 12.8.   The term “Bethel” simply means “House…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 31-33                                                                                                                                       If there was one thing Jacob was good at, it was holding on. At birth, he held onto his brother’s heel. Then he’d grabbed a hold of Esau’s birthright and blessing. He continued to hang on for fourteen years to get his wife Rachel.  Now in Genesis 32, Jacob is once again holding on and…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 29-30                                                                                                                These guys were exhausted!  They had spent the last two hours in the hot sun wearing all their football gear soaked in sweat, and maybe even a little blood, from the cleat to the arm.  They could barely even make it to the water hose as they soaked up every ounce they could to stay hydrated. …

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 26-28                             Have you ever felt as though you deserved something?  Maybe it was a spot on the team, a promotion or a raise, only to have someone else come and just take it away from you.  It just doesn’t seem fair to have someone come and take what you feel rightfully belongs to you.  It isn’t right to be overlooked for something that you feel that you deserve.  I…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 24-25                                                                                                             Several years ago, a co-worker of mine introduced me to “echo”.  “Echo” is a prayer app for your phone that allows you to insert various things you need to pray about. At random times during the day you might hear a simple bleep or buzz to remind you to take just a moment to pray…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 20-23                                                                                                                      How many times have we heard the expression “timing is everything”?  If the quarterback had thrown the pass a split-second sooner, it would have been a touchdown. If I had not looked up when I did, I would have caused a major accident.  Over and over we are continually reminded that seconds matter, timing…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 12-16                                                                                                    What was Sarah thinking?  How could she have possibly thought that it was a good idea for her husband to sleep with her handmaid and bear a child?  In hindsight we can see that she quickly discovered that was a poor decision on her part, yet in the moment she felt that was…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 8-11                                                                                              In recent years, the rainbow has become a symbol of acceptance and tolerance.  However, when it was originally created, its intended meaning was anything but acceptance and tolerance.  God’s implementation of the rainbow was done at the conclusion of the flood to make a covenant that God would never destroy the earth again by water.  The rainbow was…