Tuesday, January 20
Genesis 9:1-17 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind. Whenever, I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.” (vv.6, 14-15)
Here, God, who is holy, omniscient, and omnipotent, consents to enter into covenant with man, who is weak, sinful, and flawed. God promises Noah and his descendants that he will never again send a flood to destroy all life, empathizes the sanctity of human life and our responsibility to uphold justice, and sends a sign of this covenant in the form of rainbows that form after a storm. The concept of covenant involves promises on the part of each other: God and man.
My granddaughter knows a promise cannot be broken by either party that enters into an agreement. She knows Jesus loves her, promises to always protect her and care for her. She always begins meal blessings with, “Thank you, Jesus, for….” On a recent visit, she enjoyed watching various birds at our backyard feeder—some waiting their turn, some staying too long, some protecting a smaller bird—and helping Buck refill the birdseed and birdbath. One day she asked Buck if he could help her have her own. When he agreed, she put out her hand and said, “Let’s shake on it.” Just imagine how her worldview will explode when she understands God’s covenants with her!
Psalms 26, 28; Hebrews 5:7-14; John 3:16-21
Wednesday, January 21
Hebrews 6:1-12 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (vv.11-12)
This verse reminds me what the first converts pledged to do to nurture their faith in our Triune God: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Their commitment helped mature them as Christ followers. Hebrews reminds us that we inherit these promises by devoting ourselves to…. through faith in God with diligence and perseverance in prayer, trusting that God’s grace covers us every minute of every day.
Circumstances can try to steal our joy and leave us vulnerable. Reminds me of a woman with cancer, unresponsive to radiation or chemo. A novel treatment was offered, she was admitted for eligibility, treatment began, was stopped, restarted…Where was her hope? Her mustard seed of faith grew as we interceded at God’s throne of grace, especially to believe that she would receive God’s blessings by faith and by sight. Today, the words from Hymn 437 “Tell Out My Soul” align with her heart of gratitude: “in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.”
Genesis 9:18-29; Psalm 38; John 3:22-36
Thursday, January 22
Hebrew 6:13-20 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. (vv.18-19)
God nature and God’s promise are interchangeable. Because God is truth, He cannot lie. We can rest knowing His promises reflect His nature of grace and mercy and His good, acceptable, and perfect will which shall be done on earth and in heaven. Is this hope an anchor for your soul?
Early in my journey to know more about God’s character and to believe my identity as a beloved child of God, I remember Canon Glennon saying that God’s promises recorded in The Holy Bible are the Living Word of God to each of us. He challenged us to pray them over ourselves and journal what transpired.
What I discovered was this hope that enters the sanctuary behind the curtain. Just like the Samaritan woman who has an encounter with Jesus at the well who says, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 13-14). Amen.
Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 37:1-18; John 4:1-15
Friday, January 23
Genesis 11:27—12:8 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household, and go 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 people on earth will be blessed through you.” (vv.1-3)
Again, we hear God giving a command with promises but few itinerary details. Abram was free to choose security/staying put or uncertainty of traveling with God’s direction and blessing. We all have faced or will face choices like Abraham’s. Do we think of the long-term effects of do or not do? Do we seek God’s guidance?
Years ago, we received a fabulous job offer requiring new schools, activities, friends, church home far from relatives, etc. Before seeking God’s guidance, we said yes. Then, we prayed. Conflicts with the proposal and the possibilities were identified. We chose to change our decision. “Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was a city under siege” (Psalm 31:21). We changed our minds and committed to asking God for help before making a key decision.
Psalm 31; Hebrews 7:1-17; John 4:16-26
Saturday, January 24
Genesis 12:9—13:1 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. (v.10)
Abram has traveled from the land of Canaan to Bethel, has built an altar to the Lord, and has called on the name of the Lord. As he continues with his family, all possessions, sheep and cattle, they encounter a severe famine. Abram chooses to change the itinerary and quickly is overcome with fear that the Egyptians will take Sarai for her beauty and kill the rest. His fear had made him forget his trust in God’s faithfulness.
My 10-year-old son came home from a soccer game with pain in his wrist from a corner kick. There was no bruise or swelling, just discomfort with movement. His doctor assured us all would be well with rest, so we thanked God. But all was not well. When we discovered his ulna was fractured, I repented from my confidence in man and hardness of heart toward my son. The words of Psalm 32 reflect my blessings from God: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (v.8).
God rescued Sarai from the hands of Pharaoh, and they quickly departed and returned to Canaan where Abram built an altar to the Lord. “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you are upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11).
Psalms 30, 32; Hebrew 7:18-28; John 4:27-42
Sunday, January 25
Galatians 2:1-10 They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. (v.9b NIV)
Paul and the Christian Jews, who included Peter, disagreed about what Paul was preaching to the Gentiles. Both of these zealous men must have strongly felt they were correct. God spoke to these men and resolved their differences by sending Paul to the Gentiles and Peter to the Jews.
Although it must have been difficult for them, Peter and Paul heard the voice of God and understood that God had not chosen either one of them exclusively to do His work of spreading the gospel throughout the world. We need to remember this whenever we find ourselves taking on too much responsibility in the Church.
God has distributed wonderful gifts among His people which we are to use to glorify Him. It is important to note, however, that God did not give every gift to any one person. God’s work on this Earth is to be a shared responsibility among his people.
Many of us, when we see a need, feel we, individually, must take on the responsibility for that need. If we don’t do that, we often feel guilty. We must remember, though, that it can be just as bad to be involved with too much as too little. It is important to seek God’s guidance in these matters so we will be better able to determine our assignment in God’s great army.
Genesis 13:2-18; Psalm 63; Mark 7:31-37
Monday, January 26
Hebrews 8:1-13 “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (v.12)
Has someone wronged you lately? Have you forgiven that person? Did you forgive in man’s way or God’s?
As Christians we know that it is our duty to forgive “our debtors.” But we don’t always understand what it means to forgive. Usually our (human’s) idea of forgiveness is quite different from God’s. We say, “I forgive you.” Then, instead of wiping the slate clean, we record the event in our minds, only to have it raise its head again in the future. We insist on holding onto the anger and resentment, which have served us well in defending ourselves from the pain.
God does not forgive that way. When God forgives, He forgets. He relieves the sinner from the penalty of our sin, separation from Him.
God intends for us to forgive in the same way. In some situations, we think this to be impossible. And if we try to do it without God’s help it is. We must freely confess to God those things that prevent us from forgiving—our anger, resentment, fear. Then we must release those emotions to God, who, through Jesus Christ, takes them from us onto himself. It is only by putting our total trust in Him that we can truly forgive. But if we do, we will experience the real joy specially reserved for who follow the commandments of God.
Genesis 14:1-24 ; Psalms 41, 52; John 4:43-54
Tuesday, January 27
John 5:1-18 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (v.14)
Sounds easy doesn’t it? All we must do is decide we are not going to sin, and we won’t. Right? Wrong. Ask the alcoholic or drug abuser to stop using. Ask the family breadwinner to quit spending so much time at the office away from the children. Ask the out-of-control shopper. Chances are they will say that they would like to stop their sinful behavior but can’t. This sad fact doesn’t make them evil—just human.
It is naive for any of us to think that sin can be conquered simply by deciding to quit committing the sin. It is this kind of thinking which results in so many failed attempts to change our destructive behavior. As humans we find this hard to accept; it presumes we are not capable of controlling ourselves. But, in fact, we are not able to control ourselves; only God can. Our acceptance of this simple principle is vital to any effort to changing our sinful behavior.
We all have had times when, despite all efforts, we don’t seem to be able to stop our bad behavior. When that happens, it is vital to take a moment to consider whether we are asking God to control our situation or whether we are trying to beat sin by ourselves. We must remember that is only by calling on God’s help that we are able to live the life God has intended for us to live.
Genesis 15:1-11, 17-21; Psalm 45; Hebrews 9:1-14