The Bible in 365 Days: Day 13 {In the Church}

Scripture

Genesis 14:15~16

And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

Observation

Four things stick out to me from these two verses:

• divided ~ Abram was a soldier and a protector of his family; he found out Lot and his wife had been taken and he rounded up everyone and formed an army
• defeated ~ he beat them
• pursued ~ not only did he defeat them but he chased them
• brought back ~ he claimed what was the enemy had stolen {his family and his possessions}

Application

Abram was a warrior. In my head, I heard him giving a battle cry when he found out that Lot and his family had been taken. You know that deep belly cry, the one you see in the movies where all the birds take off flying from a central location? Yeah, that one. Then I saw him rounding up his men and telling them that they were going to take back what the enemy had stolen.

I think that’s how God wants us to be. When the enemy comes into our camp {our home} and steals our joy, God wants us to gather our army {Psalm 91:11} and take back our possessions.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please forgive me for any sins that I knowingly and unknowingly committed today. Help me to be a warrior like Abram. Grant me the wisdom to know how and when to pursue. And, Lord, help me to bring back all of my possessions. In your name, I pray, amen.

The Bible in 365 Days: Day 12 {In the Church}

Scripture

Genesis 13:16

I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.

Observation

God made a promise to Abram that required faith on his part; Abram and Sarai were both old and she was barren.

Application

Believing in God is not a passive activity, it requires action. That action is faith.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please forgive me for any sins that I knowingly and unknowingly committed today. Help me, Lord, to walk in faith, trusting and believing in your promises. In your name, I pray, Amen.

The Bible in 365 Days: Days 10~11 {In the Church}

Scripture

Genesis 12:1

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

Observation

God called Abram out from the comfort and security of his parents’ home in order to bless him.

Application

Leaving his father’s home and everything that was familiar to him, had to have been a big step of faith for Abram. As long as he was surrounded by his family and in familiar territory, there was no need for him to be totally dependent on God. But his blessing wasn’t in his homeland, his blessing was in unfamiliar territory.

I think this is what God wants from us, faith that leads us into unfamiliar territory. That means total and complete surrender {dependence} on God to supply your needs.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please forgive me for any sins that I knowingly and unknowingly committed today. Thank you for your love and grace that carries me through each day. Lord, I trust in you to do exceedingly great things for me. I’ve been moved out of my comfort zone in so many ways, and I thank you for that. I trust in you and know that you can do great things through me, within me, and for me. In your name, I pray, Amen.

The Bible in 365 Days: Day 9 {In the Church}

Scripture

Genesis 9:16

When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.

Observation

God made a covenant between Himself and Noah and all of Noah’s descendants that He would never destroy the earth and its inhabitants with flood waters again. The rainbow was to serve as a reminder to God of His promise.

Application

God knew that men would continue to do evil, because they’re sinful by nature. So He promised that He’d never wipe out all of humanity again. However, He didn’t just leave us no way out; He provided a means of redemption for us through His son, Jesus Christ.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I love you and I love your word. Thank you for keeping your promise to us. Every time I see a rainbow I’m reminded of your promise of redemption and eternal life through your son, Jesus.Thank you for the most precious gift of life. Amen.

The Bible in 365 Days: Day 8 {In the Church}

Scripture

Genesis 8:20

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offering on the altar.

Observation

Sacrifices were a form of worship and sign of devotion.

Application

In verse 8 it says: “But God remembered Noah…”, this means that God remembered the covenant that He had made to protect Noah, his family, and the animals from judgement and He preserved them. Noah’s sacrifice both acknowledged and demonstrated gratitude for that preservation.

The same way that God established a covenant with Noah to preserve his family from destruction is the same way that God has established a covenant with us. He has promised us eternal life, all we have to do is believe in Him.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for the covenant that you have established with my family and me. Thank you for your gift of eternal life. Thank you for loving me so much that you sent your son to die for my sins. I accept your love and I enter into a covenant with you to love and obey you always. Amen.