Genesis 12 - 5.6.26

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-3

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

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Observation

God keeps his promises. 

In Genesis 12, God tells Abraham to leave his home and go to a new land, and God would bless him and make a great nation from his descendants. Abraham packs up all he owns and obeys. But later, his faith is challenged and he decides to take matters into his own hands. He is afraid that Pharoah will kill him in order to take Sarah as a wife, so he lies and says Sarah is his sister in order to save himself. At that point, he's not thinking about honoring God, or the consequences to Sarah or anyone else. He just wants to save himself. 

But in spite of Abraham, God keeps His promise.

Application

I read chapter 12 and thought, "Why wasn't Abraham punished for his lie?' He caused harm to Sarah and Pharoah, but by the end of the chapter he was sent on his way with his family and all his possessions. I don't know why he seemingly faced no consequences, but I do know how many times, due to the grace of God, I don't receive the punishment I deserve. I also know that God made a promise and God keeps his promises. God's promises are bigger than our sin!

Looking forward in Abraham's life, I also think God used this as an opportunity to grow Abraham's faith. You would have expected Pharoah to kill him when he found out what he had done, but God protected him. Many years later when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, the one that God had promised him, he was willing to trust that God was in control and obey even when it made no sense.

We are human and we are going to fail sometimes. How we react in those times of failure matters. Will we allow our failure to define us and give up? Or will we repent and learn and grow? Abraham grew in his faith, trusted in God, and became the father of a great nation.

Prayer

Lord, help me to remember that your promises are true and your plan is bigger. Help me to continue to grow in times of challenge. Remind me that your plan is not defined by my failure. Help me to run to you and put my trust in you always. 

- Debbie Dunn

Psalm 74 - 5.5.26

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 74: 1-17 

O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

Remember the nation you purchased long ago, the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.

They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.

They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.

They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.

They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.

How long will the enemy mock you, God? Will the foe revile your name forever?

Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.

It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.

It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.

The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

OBSERVATION

The Psalmist in this passage is lamenting to God about the destruction that is being witnessed. The Psalmist was in a dark place crying out to God because the places of worship were in ruin, and the word of God was not being heard. It appeared that the enemy was gaining the upper hand on God and His people with their success and mocking. In verse 12, the Psalmist acknowledges who God is, and later in the chapter what all God has done for His people despite the challenges. Nothing is too big for God.

APPLICATION 

1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed”.

There may be times when the enemy will appear to have the upper hand in our lives as believers, whether it be to the fault of our own or not. We may also find ourselves in that dark place where the Psalmist was with everything falling apart and not hearing God’s voice or direction, but God is closer than we can imagine. He gave us His Word and His promises. The Psalmist recounted on the many marvelous actions that God did to deliver His people, and He has not stopped delivering His people. The Apostle Peter told his fellow believers to rejoice at such fiery times because the glory of God will be revealed. 

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, I thank you for walking with us during the fiery trials in our lives. We know that we will face hardships in life just as you did when you walked the earth. I thank you for your Word and the many testimonies that you have revealed to us of your mighty hand. Help us to remember what all that you have done for us and what you doing now in our lives today. I pray for those who are crying out to you. I pray they can hear your voice of comfort and peace, amen.

- Darrence Hamilton

Mark 15 - 5.4.26

SCRIPTURE: Mark 15:6-15

“Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

“Crucify him!” they shouted.

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.”

OBSERVATION

In this passage much symbolism and fulfillment of Scripture was taken place during the trial of Jesus. He was standing before the chief priests, the elders, the teachers of the law, the whole Sanhedrin and Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, being interrogated. Jesus was found blameless because He lived the perfect life, and was the blameless Lamb of God, but the religious leaders wanted to end His life which would place the sins of the world onto His shoulders. Barabbas, who was an insurrectionist, was released due to the traditions, and pardoned for his crime. There are a couple of parallels between Jesus and Barabbas. Jesus is the eternal Son of God, and the Jewish meaning of Barabbas is son of the father. Secondly, in Leviticus 16:6-10 for the Day of Atonement, Aaron was instructed to present two goats before the Lord. One goat was to the slaughtered for an offering, and the other goat was to be released into the wilderness. Both individuals labeled  “Sons of the Father” were presented. Lastly, Jesus represented the lamb that was pure, spotless, and blameless to be offered as a sacrifice for the atonement of everyone. 

APPLICATION

We see the sacrifice that Christ has made for us. He was innocent and lived the life that none of us could live, but through His sacrifice, we now have the power to live holy and sacrificial lives. 1 Peter 15-16 states, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church to “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). 

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, I thank you for sacrificing and offering Yourself that we may live. What You’ve done for us showed Your unconditional love that You had from the beginning. Lord Jesus, we thank You for revealing Yourself all throughout Scripture and fulfilling the promises of redemption. Lord, I pray that I will live a life that is pleasing to You since have laid down Your life, resurrected from the dead, and gave the same promise that we will be resurrected also.  

- Darrence Hamilton