God Speaks
A Miraculous Birth and Its Ramifications
Verse of the Day: [May everyone who experiences a blessing or a miracle from God respond as Sarah did.] “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.'” (Genesis 21:6 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 018
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Genesis 19-21
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Genesis 19
1. God cares about people and warns them of impending judgment, but they must obey His instructions to be saved.
2. People escaping disaster often look back, just as Lot’s wife did, and suffer the consequences.
Genesis 20
1. God will at times (as with Abimelech king of Gerar) step in to prevent people from sinning.
2. Like Abraham in the case of calling Sarah his sister instead of his wife, people often repeat their mistakes instead of learning from the first experience.
Genesis 21
1. God keeps His promises even if it takes a long time (25 years) and a miracle (the conception and birth of a son to aged parents) to do so.
2. Whether they are celebrating a miracle or being mocked and dismissed, are in desperate need or have a dispute with someone, people should always seek to involve the LORD God in their situation.
Prayer
3. How might I pray regarding Genesis 19-21?
Dear Father God who rescues people from their sin and foolishness, thank You for sending angels to rescue Lot and his family. LORD God, please keep me close to You through trusting obedience so that I don’t compromise with sin. Help me to be in the world but not of it as Lot was. I believe that it was the God-denying haughtiness and the people’s many kinds of sin that really destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah long before You sent the sulfur and fire out of heaven. Thank You that they (Lot, his wife, and their daughters) could all have been forgiven and saved if they had repented and looked forward to what Your promised Messiah would do. What a glorious salvation that would have been. Dear Father God, thank You for always keeping Your promises as You guide us through life just as You did Abram (aka Abraham). You made promises to him far in advance, not at all based on his decisions and behavior, good or bad. You worked through Abraham even when he did not fully understand or trust You because he was leaning on his own perceptions and understanding. You do the same for me and others of Your followers. LORD God, more times than we will ever know here on earth, You step in and prevent our mistakes from messing up Your ultimate plan. Please continue exposing the truth of various situations. Please help me to pray for those I have wronged or who have wronged me. Heal them and heal me. Fulfill Your promises, plans, and purposes though Your Son and Holy Spirit. Even in our sorrow, may we trust, obey, and glorify You. This is possible only because Jesus paid the ransom and signed the certificate of victory over Satan and evil with His own blood even though He had never done anything wrong. Jesus, Your sacrifice settles all disputes. Your resurrection is the Father’s seal of victory, mission completion, and approval. All in Heaven and Earth wait in breathless anticipation for the culmination of Your plan of redemption and transformation. For the celebration of Your glory and grace. AMEN
Action (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Genesis 19-21? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask the Lord to show me where I have sinned by compromising or haughtily disobeying Him, to forgive me on the basis of Jesus’s blood and to help me to change.
- I will ask God to help me examine my motives and look below the surface when I am trying to make a decision about where to live, what job to take, who to marry, how to handle my money or possessions, when to take a stand on an issue, or why I should or should not do something.
- I will intentionally look for someone younger (or younger in the faith) to mentor (or disciple), passing on the life lessons God has taught me through the years.
- I will try to help someone who has made compromises or bad choices by telling them that there is forgiveness and hope in Christ Jesus.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.