Devotional Thoughts

Genesis 32:7-8    "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;  (8)  And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape." This morning, we look back at the time when Jacob had sent men out to spy on Esau. They had brought a report back to him that said, "We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him."  We can only imagine the thoughts going through Jacob's mind. He knew Esau had hated him when he left home and had the intention of killing Jacob if he ever saw him again. Now, he hears that Esau is coming to him with four hundred men.  Yes, I can understand why "Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed..."  As you read through this chapter, you see Jacob was still trying to make his own way. He divided the people with him into groups so those who were...

Genesis 32:27-28    "And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.  (28)  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." At this point, Jacob is about to confront Esau. He had no idea what was about to happen, but he realized there was no way around it. He wrestled with God all night. He had already strategically placed his livestock, his servants, and his families in a particular order. His desire was to preserve his family and he felt he had the best plan in order to accomplish that. But he had been brought to the place where he knew his need for the Lord. We saw yesterday that his prayer was, "Lord, you promised you would surely do me good." Now he was at the place where he had extinguished all other plans and the Lord was all he had left. This is not original with me, but it's true:  "When you come to the place where the Lord is all you have, then...

Genesis 32:9-12    "And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee.  (10)  I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.  (11)  Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.  (12)  And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude." The Lord appeared unto Jacob and told him to go back to his father's house. He was fearful to go back, but he was learning to depend upon the Lord.  He remembered the dream where he saw the ladder and had heard the words of God. For 21 years, he had those word...

Genesis 29:20    "And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her." I believe there were specific words, given by God, that Jacob carried in his heart as he traveled.  "And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." (Genesis 28:15) There is no mention of anyone else traveling with Jacob so it was important to understand that God was traveling with him as he was making this journey.  God had told him, "I am with thee and will keep thee." Isn't that a wonderful promise to hold in the heart? Jacob had arrived at the home of his Uncle Laban. He first met Rachel upon his arrival there and instantly fell in love with her. He had carried the promise of God that had been given to him in his dream as he traveled to this place.  If you read th...

Genesis 28:20-21    "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,  (21)  So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God" Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. There are many things to be said concerning these two individuals, but I want to hit some high points concerning Jacob. We know, with Rebekah's help, he cheated his brother out of his birthright. He lied to his father in order to receive the blessing that rightfully belonged to Esau. He was quite crafty concerning getting his way through life. We can go so far as to say he was a deceitful man; yet, the Word of God says, "Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated."  After cheating him, Esau made a declaration that he would not rest until he killed his brother. Today's verses occur in the time when Jacob has escaped for his life.  He is on his way to s...

Genesis 24:63-67    "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.  (64)  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.  (65)  For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.  (66)  And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.  (67)  And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." I use all these verses this morning to show how wonderful God is toward us. We have the example of Isaac and Rebekah to see how God deals with us in answering our prayers. Yesterday, we saw Abraham's servant praying and we met Rebekah who had come to the well as a servant, prepa...

Genesis 24:15    "And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder." By the time of this passage, Sarah had died and Abraham was of a great age. He made his servant promise to go find a wife for Isaac. He didn't want Isaac to go back into the land where idolatry was predominant; rather, he was to bring the wife to Isaac. The servant has now made his way back to the land where Abraham's kinsfolk lived. He had brought camels and many goods from Abraham that would be used as the dowry paid for Isaac's wife. He went to the well in that town and there he began to pray as he waited for God to give the answer. He was very specific in his prayer.  He asked God to send the very one that was to be the wife taken back to Isaac. His prayer was specific in that he asked for God's choice to be the one who would not only give h...

Genesis 22:19    "So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba."  My heart has really meditated upon the feelings that filled Abraham's mind as he and Isaac walked up the mountain. He loved Isaac deeply and now he had been told to sacrifice him back to God. I can only imagine the mixture that was going through his mind. He was sad; yet, he was trusting God. He knew there had to be a sacrificial offering, but did not know how God would accomplish this thing. Would he provide a lamb? Would he raise Isaac from the dead? He placed his entire trust in the faithfulness of God, even though he had no idea how it would be accomplished. Can you imagine the relief that flooded Abraham when God showed him the ram that had been caught in the thicket? Surely there was a rush that went through his entire body as he saw once again God's faithfulness to him.    I want to contrast how Abraham felt goin...

Genesis 22:11-13    "And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  (12)  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.  (13)  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." "And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son." (Genesis 22:9-10) Can you even begin to imagine what was going through his mind as he was about to plunge the knife into Isaac?  God had fulfilled His promise to give a son. ...

Genesis 22:7-8    "And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  (8)  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together." Abraham and Isaac left the two men at the bottom of the mountain and proceeded to the place where God would show him. Today's verses speak of the conversation that took place between father and son. It is apparent that Isaac knew the procedure for offering sacrifices unto the Lord. Apparently they took wood and a torch with them to begin the fire for the sacrifice. As he looked around, it was apparent that he noticed the absence of a sacrificial lamb. "Father, where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" We are missing something, aren't we? I'm sure he would not have formed the question in that manner, but he did realize a lamb would be requ...

Genesis 22:1-2    "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  (2)  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Abraham had followed God for 25 years and had experienced many things at the hand of the Lord. He had experienced highs and lows, victories and defeat. He had seen the power of God on many levels and had enjoyed the blessings being bestowed. The one blessing that he waited and longed for was the promise of a son. Sarah had given birth to Isaac. Now God was speaking directions into the very heart and soul of Abraham: "Give me your son." What?  God had promised the son and now He was asking Abraham to offer him back. It is amazing to me (and I'm sure most others) that Abraham immediately made preparations and took...

Genesis 21:19    "And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink." Abraham did as Sarah had asked and with the affirmation of God, he sent Hagar and Ishmael away into the wilderness. He provided bread and water for her and the son, but it did not last very long. Hagar placed Ishmael under a shrub and then went to sit down. Within her mind, she had no hope for her son or herself. She thought they were left there to die. She said, " Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept."  It was at that point that God sent His angel who said, "... fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is."  God came to her in a mighty way to give both instant relief and promise for the future. He told her, "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation." Though Isaac was the prom...

Genesis 21:11-12    "And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.  (12)  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called." Ishmael, Hagar's son, was mocking Isaac, the son of Sarah. As a result, Sarah demanded once again that Hagar and Ishmael be driven away. We can understand her feelings because Isaac was indeed her son that God had given. From Abraham's perspective, both boys were his sons. There is no doubt that he loved Ishmael and now he loved Isaac. He was torn about Sarah's demand, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac." (Genesis 21:10) Quite honestly, it is hard to determine if Sarah was more concerned because Isaac was her son or the fact that Isaac was the son promised by God...

Genesis 21:9    "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking." To set the stage for this verse, let us remember that the son of Hagar, named Ishmael, was also the son of Abraham. Sarah had given her handmaid to Abraham because neither of them thought Sarah would be able to give birth to a son. It is safe to assume that Ishmael was the son of their fleshly thoughts and actions while Isaac was indeed the son of promise given to them by God. This one verse sets the stage for a history of envy, strife, and warfare which still is going on to this very day. The result of fleshly, carnal actions will always be strife and discontentment. The book of James speaks to us of this principle, "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?" (James 4:1)  It was the impatience and carnal nature that brought about the birth of Ishmael, which resulted in that nature mocking the...

Genesis 21:5-7    "And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.  (6)  And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.  (7)  And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age." It had only been a few years earlier that the Lord appeared to Abram and Sarai to tell them they would have a son. It was in response to that announcement that we read these words, "Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" (Genesis 18:11-12) And now the promise of a son given by God is fulfilled. Once again we read the words of Sarah, "God hath made me to laugh."  There was a difference in the two occasions of laughter. The first was a laughter...

Genesis 19:23-26    "The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.  (24)  Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;  (25)  And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.  (26)  But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." God had brought Lot, his wife, and their two daughters out of the city before raining down destruction. There's much to be said about the reason for the destruction of those two cities, but we can know that wickedness prevailed in them. Homosexuality was predominant even to the point that the men of the city wanted to take the two angels that had been sent to bring Lot out. Apparently there was some sort of beauty and desire about the cities, themselves, that drew the attention and admiration of Lot's wife. Some say that she was a citizen of the city. ...

Genesis 19:15-16    "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.  (16)  And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city." God had revealed to Abraham what He was about to do to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham interceded on behalf of those cities because Lot, his nephew, had gone into those cities to live. If you remember the account, it was finally settled that God would spare the cities if Abraham could find 10 righteous people in the city. When you read today's verses, you see there were only four individuals who were spared. Quite honestly, it seemed that Lot was very hesitant to leave. We can know this because we read the two angels "... laid hold upon hi...

Genesis 17:19    "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." In this 17th chapter, God has reaffirmed His promise to Abraham. Even after God had promised a son through Sarah, Abraham felt Ishmael was to be that promised son. He had apparent doubts when it came to which son would be the continuation of God's covenant. He laughed at the idea that he and Sarah would be able to have a son in their old age. He even suggested that Ishmael could still be that one who would be the promised heir. "O that Ishmael might live before thee!" (Genesis 17:18 )  I feel the need this morning to establish in our hearts that God is faithful even in the midst of our doubts.  I give two New Testament Scriptures just now to affirm this. "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:24)  And then ...

Genesis 17:9    "And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations." God is narrowing the vessel by which His covenant would come into the earth. OUt of all the families on the face of the earth, God is now declaring that His Son would come out of the seed of Abraham. We certainly have proof of that recorded throughout the New Testament.   Yes, God established the covenant of the promised land unto Abraham and his seed; but, the greatest of these is the promise of redemption through the Messiah. It is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that God boldly declared His grace to be sufficient unto redemption. "Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations."  Paul plainly tells us of that seed which ultimately kept the covenant.  "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, ...

Genesis 17:1-2    "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." Quite honestly, this verse used to bother me.  I read it as if God was saying to Abram, "I will bless you if you don't mess up anymore."  That would be a mighty tall order to fill if that was actually what God was saying to Abram.  Those who have heard me preach regularly know that I love to look up the Biblical meanings of words. There is much to be said about knowing what the word was intended and actually meant in the original language.   God had made a promise to Abram when he was 75 years old that the land would be given to him and his seed. Abram is now 99 years old. So now, 14 years after the last affirmation, God appears to Abram to assure His promise. " I am the Almighty God; w...

Genesis 16:11-13    "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?" These verses are concerning the estate of Hagar, the handmaid of Sarai.  Strife was between Sarai and Hagar after she suggested to Abram that Hagar bear a son. As a result, Hagar fled into the wilderness. It was there the Lord came to her to give her relief. Read carefully these three verses to see the consequences that remain even to this day as God gave Hagar a description of the life of Ishmael. The lesson that came to my heart this morning speaks of God's fai...

Genesis 16:1-2    "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." God had just affirmed His promise to Abram concerning his seed inhabiting the land that had been promised to Abram. He gave Abram the token of that promise that is found back in chapter 15. "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." (Genesis 15:9-10) This was a process with which Abram would have been familiar.  If a king's promise was not true, then he would be cut i...

Genesis 15:5-8   "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?" We often think of the saints of the Bible as being superhuman. There is not another person that has ever lived on the earth (other than Jesus Christ) that has had more of an impact on the faith of others than this man Abram (Abraham). Yet he was not perfect as we have already seen and we will see in future chapters. He made mistakes in judgment in making decisions that were not the best for him nor for the human race; yet, we read in verse 6, "...  he believed in the LORD; and he counted it...