Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 17:

Gen 17:1-27

(1)  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

(2)  And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

(3)  And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

(4)  As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

(5)  Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

(6)  And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

(7)  And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

(8)  And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

(9)  And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

(10)  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

(11)  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

(12)  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

(13)  He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

(14)  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

(15)  And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

(16)  And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

(17)  Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

(18)  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

(19)  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

(20)  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

(21)  But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

(22)  And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

(23)  And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

(24)  And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

(25)  And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

(26)  In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

(27)  And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Thought For This Chapter…

In this chapter, we find the first mention of circumcision as a responsibility that the Lord placed upon Abraham.  There is much symbolism involved with circumcision and its significance for the Jewish nation.

I think we all understand the basic idea behind circumcision… it signified that the Jews were set apart from all the other nations around them.  They were God’s people and circumcision was one of the great outward evidences that this was so.

Please keep in mind, that the OT Jewish people are symbolic of Christians in both the Old and New Testaments.  Their rite of circumcision is one example of this.

The physical act of circumcision physically represents for us the spiritual circumcision of the heart that is received by all Christians at the time of their salvation…

Rom 2:29

(29)  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

This circumcision of the heart enables the Christian to love the Lord and willing serve Him motivated by a heart of love and appreciation for all He has done for us.

Just like physical circumcision outwardly declared those who were members of God’s physical nation of Israel, the circumcision of our heart at salvation does the same for us. Our changed heart results in our living a changed life bearing fruits for Christ, which sets us apart from the lost world.  Our lives of fruit bearing shows that we are one of God’s people, a Christian, possessed by Christ and separated for His use!

1Pe 2:9-10

(9)  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

(10)  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Folks, as Christians, this is our calling… to be a people separated to the Lord’s service, motivated by a changed heart of love and appreciation towards Christ.

Do we fulfill our calling?  Are we actively serving Christ, driven by a changed heart of love and appreciation for our Lord, the One who has given so much to us?

May we all, honestly, come before our Lord asking Him to show us the true condition of our heart and the great need for living lives of spiritual fruit bearing for Him.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 16:

Gen 16:1-16

(1)  Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

(2)  And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

(3)  And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

(4)  And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

(5)  And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

(6)  But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

(7)  And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

(8)  And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

(9)  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

(10)  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

(11)  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

(12)  And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

(13)  And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

(14)  Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

(15)  And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

(16)  And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

Thought For This Chapter…

Impatience.  We all have experienced it at one time or another in our lives.

When we look at Sarah and Abraham we see a couple that had been blessed greatly of God.  They received the very rare blessing of being able to bear a child after they had passed child-bearing age.  And then, to top it off, they were given a glimpse of this great blessing through another blessing… a promise that God Himself gave to them.

What a great opportunity had been given to them…  They could show their faith in God by simply waiting on Him to fulfill the promise He had made to them.  Sadly, they failed to take advantage of this opportunity and, in doing so, created many serious problems within their family.

Folks, although it may be very hard at times, by us being patient and waiting on God to work in many circumstances of life is of the utmost importance for us.  Not only is waiting on God a public display of our faith in Him, but it also stops us from taking matters into our own hands and making things much, much worse.

May we all seek patience from the Lord, trusting in Him to meet our every need in this life and the life to come…

Heb 10:36

(36)  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 15:

Gen 15:1-21

(1)  After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

(2)  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

(3)  And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

(4)  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

(5)  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

(6)  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

(7)  And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

(8)  And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

(9)  And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

(10)  And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.

(11)  And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

(12)  And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

(13)  And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

(14)  And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

(15)  And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.

(16)  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

(17)  And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

(18)  In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

(19)  The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

(20)  And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

(21)  And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Thought For This Chapter…

In this account, we find a very unusual event… a furnace and a lamp passing between pieces of a heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and pidgeon that has been divided and laid out on the ground…

(17-18) – …And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,…

What in the world is going on here? God describes the meaning of this type of ceremony in Jeremiah…

Jer 34:18

(18)  And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,

In other words, God is affirming that a He has entered into an agreement with Abraham concerning giving the Promised Land to Abraham’s descendants (vs 19-21) during the time of Moses.

The idea is this, the two sets of responsibilities laid upon the parties of the agreement are symbolized by the two halves of the animals laid next to each other.  The parties of the agreement passing between the pieces represents their acceptance of their joint responsibilities and reaffirms their intention to fulfill them.

In this case, we have a smoking furnace and burning lamp passing between these pieces.  Both of these symbolize the parties of the covenant during the time this covenant would be brought to fulfillment.  The smoking furnace, represents the future Israelites suffering under the harsh treatment in the “furnace” of the Egyptians during Moses’ time.  And the burning lamp is representative of Christ, the Light of the World, who appeared to the Israelites as a pillar of fire by night to lead them to the Promised Land.

In this night vision, we have God confirming the convenant has been made and that it would be brought to completion in the days of Moses.

This reminds us of the faithfulness of our Lord.  What a blessing it is to know that when our Lord makes a promise to us, He will ALWAYS keep His Word!

Why can we have such certainty?  Because God is faithful to us on behalf of Christ and His work on our behalf, and the indwelling Spirit’s presence in our lives…

2Co 1:19-22

(19)  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, … was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

(20)  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

(21)  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

(22)  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

What a wonderfully faithful Lord we serve!

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 14:

Gen 14:1-24

(1)  And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;

(2)  That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

(3)  All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

(4)  Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

(5)  And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

(6)  And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

(7)  And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.

(8)  And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;

(9)  With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.

(10)  And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

(11)  And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.

(12)  And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

(13)  And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

(14)  And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

(15)  And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

(16)  And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

(17)  And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.

(18)  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

(19)  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

(20)  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

(21)  And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

(22)  And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

(23)  That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

(24)  Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

Thought For This Chapter…

Melchizedek, King of Salem, is a very interesting character that is mentioned only a few times in the Bible.  According to some, Melchizedek was simply a human priest sent by God to bless, comfort and reassure Abraham.  To others, Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ who was visiting Abraham in a great time of need. Although none of us can know for sure, I have a tendency to look at Melchizedek as Christ Himself.

One thing we can know for certain… we can learn much about Christ by looking at this priest and king. The following is a short list of what we can learn about Christ from this text only, as we study Melchizedek…

1. “Melchizek” means “king of Righteousness” in Hebrew. – Christ is the righteous king that rules over all who are righteous.

2. Melchizedek carries the title “King of Peace (Salem)” – Christ is the One who creates and sustains peace between God and Man

3. Melchizedek nourished a weary and faint Abraham with bread and wine.  Christ is the One that spiritually nourishes His people.

4. Melchizedek was a priest of God.  Christ holds the office of Priest of God.

5. Mechizedek recognizes and proclaims God’s work as “Possessor of heaven and earth” and “Deliverer”.  These were two of the main messages of Christ as He ministered following His incarnation.

Also this helps us to understand that Christ holds the office of Prophet as well as King and Priest.

6. Melchizedek received the tithes belonging to God.  Christ, as the Priest of God and God Himself, is God’s representative on earth. As such, He is the One that is to receive our worship, honor and obedience (which is all embodied in the tithe).

What a wonderful blessing Melchizedek is for all of us!  In the Old Testament account of Melchizedek, we can see several truths about the Christ who would not come to earth until New Testament times!!!

Actually, this is just like all the Old Testament scriptures.  As we read through the OT let’s keep in mind that they all teach us about Christ.  As we read let’s be on the lookout for all the many truths about Christ whether by symbol, appearance, statement or implication.

Joh 5:39

(39)  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 13:

Gen 13:1-18

(1)  And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

(2)  And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

(3)  And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

(4)  Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

(5)  And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

(6)  And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

(7)  And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

(8)  And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

(9)  Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

(10)  And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

(11)  Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

(12)  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

(13)  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

(14)  And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

(15)  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

(16)  And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

(17)  Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

(18)  Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

Thought For This Chapter…

In this very familiar account of Abraham’s and Lot’s separation, we have a very important truth presented to us… the need to examine everything in this world with our spiritual eyes and not just our physical eyes…

2Co 4:18

(18)  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Our account tells us that “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.” (vs 10

…which resulted in Lot choosing to travel closer to Sodom. As we all know, this was the very beginnings of his sorrows.

On the other hand, Abraham, trusted the sovereignty of God to lead him through Lot’s choice. He trusted in the Lord for his protection and safety, and then traveled away from the lush plains of Jordan, taking him and his loved ones away from the sinful influences of Sodom.

What happened? Lot’s physical eyesight failed him while Abraham’s spiritual eyesight was the key to his success. Lot only looked at the plains of Jordan with physical eyes seeing their beauty and reacting to it.  Abraham, trusting in God’s sovereignty, used his spiritual insight to see beyond the physical, fruitful fields and saw the corrupt sinful Sodom standing in the distance.

If only Adam and Eve had looked at the fruit of the tree with the same spiritual insight!  If only Peter had used his spiritual insight to see the great opportunity of testimony he had placed before him when he denied our Lord three times!  The Bible is replete with example after example of men making life decisions using their physical sight alone.

But folks, what about us?  How many of us face life’s choices content with using our physical eyes to dictate our next move and determine the long-term goals of life. May we all be like the faithful men of Hebrews 11!….

Heb 11:13-16

(13)  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

(14)  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

(15)  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

(16)  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 12:

Gen 12:1-20

(1)  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

(2)  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

(3)  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

(4)  So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

(5)  And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

(6)  And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

(7)  And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

(8)  And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

(9)  And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

(10)  And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

(11)  And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

(12)  Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

(13)  Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

(14)  And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

(15)  The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

(16)  And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

(17)  And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.

(18)  And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

(19)  Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

(20)  And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Thought For This Chapter…

Unbelief in the midst of belief.  Sounds like an impossibility doesn’t it?  How can a person who is actively trusting the Lord find themselves relying upon their own devices to face a difficulty that comes their way?

Although this seems like an absolute impossibility, we see this very thing takes place in the life of Abraham in our text for today.  In this historical account, we see Abraham taking a HUGE step of faith by packing up his family and belongings and setting out to a promised land sight unseen.  This was true faith in the Lord and His promises.

And yet, in the midst of his travels, following the Lord’s will, Abraham runs across a great life choice that demanded his continuing faith in God. Sadly he failed.  As he approached Egypt, we find Abraham looking to himself to direct his relationship with Sarah and the Pharoah of Egypt.  Instead of trusting in the Lord and looking to Him for direction, he choose to rely upon his own wisdom and planning as he concocted a plan that resulted in His abuse of his wife and deception towards Pharoah.

Although Abraham obviously sinned and failed His Lord, we should not be too quick to condemn him.  Keep in mind, we do the same type of thing every day.  Although we have committed our lives to Christ as Lord and Savior and committed our lives to following Him, how many times do we fail to seek His will in making the daily life choices that we all face.  How often in the midst of trials/temptations do we find ourselves planning and plotting a way out of the situation instead of looking to Him for the only Godly way of escape.

Remember our Lord has promised a way through these things if we only look to Him in faith and not rely upon our own fleshly means and methods of escape…

1Co 10:13

(13)  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

As Christians, who have trusted the Lord and seek to follow Him daily, may we all look to the Lord with the same heart desire and prayer as the boy’s father in Mark 9:24…

Mar 9:24

(24)  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible
Genesis Chapter 11:

Gen 11:1-32
(1) And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
(2) And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
(3) And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
(4) And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
(5) And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
(6) And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
(7) Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
(8) So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
(9) Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
(10) These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
(11) And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
(12) And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
(13) And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
(14) And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
(15) And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
(16) And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
(17) And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
(18) And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
(19) And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
(20) And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
(21) And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
(22) And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
(23) And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
(24) And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
(25) And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
(26) And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
(27) Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
(28) And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
(29) And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
(30) But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
(31) And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
(32) And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

Thought For This Chapter…

Pride: “Let us make a name”(vs 4). What was one of the motives behind the sinful building of the Tower of Babel? It was pride, man’s desire to exalt and honor himself in the eyes of others. It was pride that eventually led to a majority of mankind rebelling against the Lord. They sought to rule their own lives instead of allowing the Lord to have His way.

Folks, unchecked pride can destroy the testimony and service of the most dedicated Christian. Over and over again, the Bible warns us against allowing pride to get a foothold in our life. This is because pride runs in direct contradiction to trust, humility, knowledge and submission to Christ…

Jeremiah 9:23-24 is great verses to illustrate this…

Jer 9:23-24
(23) Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
(24) But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

We know by experience that pride affects those around us. We know what is like to work or live with someone who is prideful. Needless to say, it is no fun at all. Those who are prideful will put themselves first and be willing to use others for the sake of self-gain. However, the Christian’s attitude should be the exact opposite…

Php 2:3
(3) Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

And, finally, the greatest of all motivations the Lord gives us to keep pride from our being is…

Jas 4:6
(6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

There is not one of us that desires for the Lord to oppose us. May our attitudes, actions and heart continue in a state of humility and trust knowing that He will bless us and walk with us every step of life’s way.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 9:

Gen 9:1-29

(1)  And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

(2)  And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

(3)  Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

(4)  But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

(5)  And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.

(6)  Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

(7)  And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

(8)  And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

(9)  And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

(10)  And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

(11)  And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

(12)  And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

(13)  I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

(14)  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

(15)  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

(16)  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

(17)  And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

(18)  And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

(19)  These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

(20)  And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

(21)  And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

(22)  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

(23)  And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

(24)  And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

(25)  And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

(26)  And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

(27)  God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

(28)  And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

(29)  And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Thought For This Chapter…

The rainbow.  Today the rainbow is used as a symbol of many different things.

Back in Noah’s day, and throughout the Bible, the rainbow stands for two basic truths.  It is a constant reminder to us of the faithfulness of God and His promise to never again destroy the world with water (vs 13-17).  When we see a rainbow, and at all other times in our lives, do we remember that our Lord is faithful?

Folks, the Bible is filled with all of the promises that our Lord has given to us. In every case, the Christian can rest assured the Lord is faithful and will keep His promise to us…

Deu 7:9

(9)  Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

As Christians, we can live our lives without doubt and fear, knowing that our   Lord will keep all of His promises to us, and as a result, watch over and care for us throughout our lifetime on earth…

2Th 3:3

(3)  But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 8:

Gen 8:1-22

(1)  And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

(2)  The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

(3)  And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

(4)  And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

(5)  And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

(6)  And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

(7)  And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

(8)  Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

(9)  But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

(10)  And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

(11)  And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

(12)  And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

(13)  And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

(14)  And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

(15)  And God spake unto Noah, saying,

(16)  Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

(17)  Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

(18)  And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:

(19)  Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

(20)  And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

(21)  And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

(22)  While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Thought For This Chapter…

What a wonderful experience for Noah and his family this must have been!  Finally, after 40 days and 40 nights of facing the storm, Noah and His family see the first signs of their deliverance close at hand. We all have experienced a slight taste of this same feeling when God’s gracious deliverance appeared on the horizon during many of the storms of life that we have faced.

However, perhaps, we are going through a trial right now that has no end in sight. Even worse, maybe we are facing several trials at one time and we are beginning to feel that our situation has totally hopeless, with no end in sight for any of them.  What are we to do?

Our Lord helps us to understand that He is in control and, by keeping our eyes on Christ (and not ourselves), He will keep us from drowning in our sorrows and becoming hopeless in our spirits…

Heb 12:1-2

(1)  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

(2)  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And keep in mind, if we have trusted in Christ as our Savior, no matter what trials we may face, our “joy cometh in the morning”, when our Lord Jesus takes us home to be with Him!

Psa 30:5

(5)  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 6:

Gen 6:1-22

(1)  And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

(2)  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

(3)  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

(4)  There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

(5)  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

(6)  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

(7)  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

(8)  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

(9)  These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

(10)  And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

(11)  The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

(12)  And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

(13)  And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

(14)  Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

(15)  And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

(16)  A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

(17)  And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

(18)  But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

(19)  And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

(20)  Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

(21)  And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

(22)  Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Thought For This Chapter…

The importance of the influence of the lost world upon Christians can never be over-emphasized.  In this chapter we read of the “sons of God”, men who are saved, choosing to marry “daughters of men”, unsaved females.  The result? Due to the lost women’s influence on the lives of the believing men, we find the world becoming more and more corrupt.

Stop and think about it.  Men of God willfully chose to join themselves to the lost women of this world.  As heads of the family they held a great responsibility to marry Godly women who would work together with them to lead their families in a way that pleased God. Due to the lost wives’ influence upon the family (both the husband and the children), the succeeding generation of families became more corrupt.  This resulted in the situation found in verse five… “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

This should remind us of the basic Scriptural principles given to us from God Himself.  In all areas of life we are to recognize the importance of, and be on guard against, allowing lost individuals to influence our beliefs or lifestyles…

2Co 6:14-17

(14)  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

(15)  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

(16)  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

(17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

In this text, to be “unequally yoked” not only speaks of the marriage union but also business, social, and spiritual unions as well.

As God’s people we are called to be sanctified, in other words we are to be separated from the world’s sins to the service of God alone.  Because of this great responsibility, we must recognize that the influence of lost people in our lives is a constant threat to living holy lives for Christ.

Amo 3:3

(3)  Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

1Co 15:33

(33)  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Pro 13:20

(20)  He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

How can we expect to successfully put Christ first in every area in our lives if we chose unsaved people to partner with us in our life pursuits? May we all seek to be witnesses to love, care for and witness to the lost, while not giving them a place of influence in our life!

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 5:

Gen 5:1-32

(1)  This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

(2)  Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

(3)  And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

(4)  And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

(5)  And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

(6)  And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

(7)  And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

(8)  And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

(9)  And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

(10)  And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

(11)  And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

(12)  And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:

(13)  And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

(14)  And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

(15)  And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

(16)  And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

(17)  And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

(18)  And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

(19)  And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

(20)  And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

(21)  And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

(22)  And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

(23)  And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

(24)  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

(25)  And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:

(26)  And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:

(27)  And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

(28)  And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:

(29)  And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

(30)  And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:

(31)  And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

(32)  And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Thought For This Chapter…

Enoch “walked with God” (vs 22 & 24). What a wonderful thought!  What it would be like to have such close communion with the Lord!  The phrase “walked with God” brings to our mind a close, intimate, harmonious, mutually loving, friendship with the Lord Himself.

This type of communion with the Lord is a rarity indeed. It is only attributed to two men in the Bible… Enoch and Noah (Gen 6:9).

We are told two things about Enoch’s life on earth…

Heb 11:5

(5)  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Jud 1:14

(14)  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

In these passages we are told that Enoch’s public reputation was that he pleased God with his life.  We are also told that Enoch shared God’s Word as he prophesied of the Lord’s second coming.

Of Noah, we are told that he was a “just man” and “perfect in his generations”. In other words he lived according to God’s desires for his life and was spiritually mature and prepared to be a faithful servant of the Lord…

Gen 6:9

(9)  These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

How do we obtain such a walk with God?  We must remember that having this type of walk with the Lord is entirely an act of His grace.  Our good works, or good intentions, cannot obtain this type of walk.  It will be an act of God choosing to reveal Himself to us in such an intimate way, granting to us the type of heart and spirit that will allow us to be humbly, wholly in submission to Him.

What are some of the characteristics others will see in our lives when we are walking with our Lord?…

We will be seen seeking and living according to the Lord’s will.

We will be seen as spiritually mature, active and successful in spiritual warfare.

We will be seen having a willingness to share the Word of the Lord in a kind, compassionate, and loving way.

We will be seen as living sacrifices for Christ, giving of our time, talents and possessions to see others come to Christ and grow in His Word.

Finally, our lives will be seen as patiently, peacefully, joyfully enduring heartaches and trials.  This joy, peace, and patience will be based upon a consistent dependence upon the Lord, knowing that He is with us and working out all life events for our good and His glory.

May we all go home to be with the Lord being blessed of Him and leaving the testimony behind that we have “walked with God”!

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 4:

Gen 4:1-26

(1)  And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

(2)  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

(3)  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

(4)  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

(5)  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

(6)  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

(7)  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

(8)  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

(9)  And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

(10)  And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

(11)  And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

(12)  When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

(13)  And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

(14)  Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

(15)  And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

(16)  And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

(17)  And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

(18)  And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

(19)  And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

(20)  And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

(21)  And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

(22)  And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

(23)  And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

(24)  If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

(25)  And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

(26)  And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Thought For This Chapter…

Jealousy… we all have experienced the burning feeling inside of us as we became jealous of those around us.  In this chapter, we come face to face with the irrationality jealousy of Cain and the devastating results of that jealousy that remained unchecked in his life.

Cain, the firstborn of the family, clearly held a much higher position in his family than that of Abel.  After all, we are told that Cain was the one that Abel would “desire” and Cain would be the one that would “rule over” Abel.

In spite of all of these benefits, Cain took matters in his own hands, did as he pleased, and offered an offering to the Lord that was the work of his own hands.  He had offered fruit from the field he had planted, nourished and reaped.  He did not follow the will of the Lord for his life. His offering was rejected by the Lord.

Abel, on the other hand, by faith, unquestioningly followed the Lord’s commands and offered an offering of a slain lamb. Abel’s offering, made by faith, according to the instructions of His Lord, and picturing Christ, was pleasing to the Lord and accepted by Him.

In spite of all that Cain possessed, and in spite of all the family authority that Cain held, Cain found himself in enflamed with jealousy because Abel’s offering was found acceptable in God’s sight, while his own offering was found lacking.

Sadly this type of jealousy was not limited to Cain’s heart, or among physical family members; but it can also be seen in a Christian’s heart toward other Christians.

How easy it is for each one of us to forget the many blessings our Lord has graciously given to us and the privilege of His service that we possess. Instead, we find ourselves concentrating on the one area of our Christian walk that seems to be outdone by others around us. In the midst of all our spiritual blessings, we find ourselves becoming jealous of those who are faithfully serving Him.

Instead of encouraging them, and holding thankfulness in our hearts for what the Lord is doing in their lives, we find ourselves becoming bitter and jealous because another Christian has “outshined” us.

May we always be on guard against this every present temptation that we all face during the course of our life on earth.

1Co 13:4

(4)  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 3:

Gen 3:1-24

(1)  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

(2)  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

(3)  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

(4)  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

(5)  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

(6)  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

(7)  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

(8)  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

(9)  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

(10)  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

(11)  And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

(12)  And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

(13)  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

(14)  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

(15)  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

(16)  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

(17)  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

(18)  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

(19)  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

(20)  And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

(21)  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

(22)  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

(23)  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

(24)  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Thought For This Chapter…

In this section of Scripture, many different truths can be seen: the existence of sin, Satan and temptation; the results of sin; and the typical excuses used by mankind when caught in acts of sin etc etc.

In our devotional this morning, we will be looking at the three basic areas of temptation that are faced by all of us.  In verse number six we see these three areas brought into clear view for us…

Gen 3:6

(6)  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

These three areas are revealed in the phrases…

1. “saw the tree was good for food”, – we are tempted to partake of sins that appear to satisfy our fleshly desires.
2. “it was pleasant to the eyes”, – We are tempted to partake of sins that attract our attention and appeal to our senses.
3. “desired to make one wise”. – we are tempted to partake of sins that appear to will somehow give us an advantage over others and make others think more highly of us.

As in 1 John 2:16, these same three areas of temptation are given to us using the phrases: “the lust of the flesh”; “the lust of the eyes”; and “the pride of life”…

1Jn 2:16

(16)  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

May we all be on guard when any of these three areas come into play as we make the many choices that our lives will have to offer.

Most importantly, may we stop and seek the Lord’s will, as revealed in His Word, to lead us to always make choices that are pleasing to Him… no matter how each choice may seem to satisfy our desires, appeal to our senses, or benefit us, as we progress in our walk with Christ.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 2:

Gen 2:1-25

(1)  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

(2)  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

(3)  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

(4)  These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

(5)  And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

(6)  But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

(7)  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

(8)  And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

(9)  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

(10)  And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

(11)  The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

(12)  And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

(13)  And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

(14)  And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

(15)  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

(16)  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

(17)  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

(18)  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

(19)  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

(20)  And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

(21)  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

(22)  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

(23)  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

(24)  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

(25)  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Thought For This Chapter…

In this chapter, we can see the very unique nature of mankind’s creation within the creative act of God.  This helps us to see that mankind was created in a very special way, and continues to be held very special in the heart of our Lord.

Keep in mind, our Lord specifically came to this earth and died on the cross to save His people from their sins.  Although the other parts of creation are secondarily affected by His death and resurrection, the motivation and overriding purpose behind His coming was to save members of mankind from their sins.

In the death of Christ, we see both the Father’s and Son’s special affection for members of sinful mankind clearly displayed…

Rom 5:8-9

(8)  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

(9)  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Eph 5:1-2

(1)  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

(2)  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Both the creation of mankind, and the work of Christ for His people demonstrate for us the very special place that mankind holds in the heart of God Himself.

May we all enter this day praising our Lord for placing undeserving mankind in such an special, honored place in His heart and graciously giving to us such an honored place in creation, and throughout eternity…

1Jn 3:1-2

(1)  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

(2)  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Devotional Thoughts From Every Chapter of the Bible

Genesis Chapter 1:

Gen 1:1-31

(1)  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

(2)  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

(3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

(4)  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

(5)  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

(6)  And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

(7)  And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

(8)  And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

(9)  And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

(10)  And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

(11)  And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

(12)  And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

(13)  And the evening and the morning were the third day.

(14)  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

(15)  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

(16)  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

(17)  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

(18)  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

(19)  And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

(20)  And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

(21)  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

(22)  And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

(23)  And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

(24)  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

(25)  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

(26)  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

(27)  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

(28)  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

(29)  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

(30)  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

(31)  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Thought For This Chapter…

In this account of the creation of the world we can see many different truths about our Creator being presented to us. These truths include His strength, His wisdom, His perfection, and His sovereignty … among many others.

In the midst of all of these truths we see His excellence standing out for all of us to behold.  When we say our Lord is “excellent”, we are saying that He (and His attributes) excels over all others.

In other words, we can see that the Lord is the Supreme being over all that exists.  He created all and, therefore, is Superior to all.  But not only is He superior over all, but His attributes, by implication, are beyond comparison as well.  His strength cannot be matched by any, nor His wisdom, nor His perfection etc etc.  He(and His attributes)stand above all that He has created.

This is the very principle that David presents to us in Psalm 8:1-9…

(1)  To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

(2)  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightiest still the enemy and the avenger.

(3)  When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

(4)  What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

(5)  For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

(6)  Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

(7)  All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

(8)  The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

(9)  O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

This is what we mean when we say our Lord is an “excellent” Lord.  He truly excels over all!

It is because of His excellence that we can rest assured He is in control and will keep all of His promises to us.  None can “stay His hand”! None can stop His will from being performed in this earth!  None can separate us from His love and care over us!

May we all stop and think about the Lord’s excellence and the privilege we have to serve and rely upon the One who excels over all others!