After a two-week detour from Genesis to focus on Christmas we return to the exciting story of how God entrusted His plan and promise to Abraham and his descendants. What is the plan and how does it relate to the promise? Let’s do a quick review because it is easy to lose sight of the big picture when we dig into some of the messy details of the people God chose to execute His plan. God chose to bring a Savior into the world to bear the penalty for the […]
Christmas. How much did it cost you this year? Do you know? Or, maybe you’re one of those “last-minute” shoppers who won’t know til the credit card bill comes. Christmas is the most expensive time of the year. I’ve researched how much Americans spend yearly and am astounded at the numbers. What caught my attention is how much the amount has jumped ”big time” yearly. Want to take a guess? This information is a little dated but will give you a general idea. Here’s a hint: start in the billions, […]
When our children were young they would ask Cecelia or me to “promise” to do something or get something for them. We would say, “We will think about that but can’t promise we will do it.” Sometimes our concern about the request was what such a promise would cost us. Another factor in our unwillingness to make a quick promise to their request was that life circumstances might make granting their wish impossible. We realized we were not God and not in control of what might happen to nullify the […]
Do you sometimes question God’s timing? Do you wish He would accommodate your schedule for things you pray for? There have been instances when God has answered immediately but most of my requests have been put “on hold” for a while. God sometimes delays, but He never forgets. God wasn’t in a hurry to give Abraham a grandson who would receive God’s promise to him. But, He didn’t forget His promise to Abraham. Sarah dies at 127 years. At age 137 Abraham buries his wife and arranges for Isaac to […]
I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving; enjoying good times with family and friends. I find it beneficial to begin each day with an attitude of gratitude. One of the things I’m most grateful for is how God reveals himself to us through the stories and teachings in the Bible. God doesn’t just want us to know “about” Him but to know Him personally. We can do this as we study the Bible and reflect on how He deals with people like Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and us. […]
Thanksgiving. The term is obviously a combination of two words, giving and thanks. The first thanksgiving event can be traced to the 1600’s when the Pilgrims gave thanks for God’s mercy and care in bringing them though a brutal winter and loss of loved ones to celebrate the bounty of the food they had been able to grow. We celebrate Thanksgiving as a national holiday on the last Thursday of November. What do you know about how this holiday came about and some people responsible for this day being set […]
Cecelia and I were in our late twenties when we were blessed with the news that we would have our first child. A few months later the doctor told us to expect a son. Again, we were delighted but faced the question of what to name him. We concluded that we would name him “Cos,” my given name and that of my father and his father before him. Cos is a very unusual name and can lead to mispronunciations and teasing by insensitive children and some adults. He would need […]
God often delays fulfilling His promises but He never forgets. Our patience and faith can weaken while we wait for God to act. This seems to be the case with Abram. Twenty-five years have passed since he came to Canaan but God’s promise “I will make you a great nation” isn’t developing as Abram expected. Please follow in your Bible as I guide you through this exciting part of God’s redemptive story. As we left Abram in Genesis 15 he complained to God that since he had no son, Eliezer would […]
God’s promises are closely linked to His purpose to save us! Keep this fact in mind as you study His promises. Every promise in the Bible relates to God’s plan to offer salvation and eternal life to all mankind, help us become like Jesus, bring final judgment on Satan and unbelievers, restore Eden, and establish His heavenly kingdom on earth. Today we look at critical links between the garden’s tragic events, the judgment of the great flood, and God’s promise to Abram. How do God’s promises link these events? Think about […]
Today we will look at a story most of us have heard since childhood. Perhaps you sat wide-eyed as a Sunday School teacher used a flannel graph to depict how Noah built the ark and saved his family and the animals. Or maybe you were introduced to the thrilling story through a picture like this. What is this story really about? Does it have a message deeper than what is evident on the surface? What we learned as children is true: Noah obeyed God, built the ark, and saved himself, […]
