Month: October 2019

Gen 16:4 …When [Hagar] knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.
When I typically think of Hagar, this is the image that I have—haughty and cruel, taunting her infertile mistress with her easy pregnancy. Today I see a different side or perhaps a more complete picture. She didn’t ask to be in that situation. She was mistreated, overwhelmed, and afraid, so she ran away. 
Gen 16:6 …Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
I understand overwhelmed and afraid. I totally get feeling unprepared for what is being placed before me. Hagar didn’t express these feelings, but I have quite recently asked: Are you sure, God, that I’m the right person for this job? I’m doing my absolute best and still failing miserably. I’m sure this is not what You intended. Help me!
Gen 16:8 …where have you come from, and where are you going?
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You are the God who sees. Thank You for putting me in the best position to use my skills for Your glory. I feel utterly unprepared for the task at hand, yet I know You see me, You are with me, and if I will trust You, You will continue to guide me. Grant me Your peace, Lord, as I continue to strive for You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 16:13 …”You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”
Have a blessed day.

Gen 16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar….
My heart hurts for Sarai in this passage, for the pain of infertility, for the agony of waiting, for the confusion of promises that don’t seem to be coming to fruition. The LORD promised Abram children, so many that they would outnumber the stars. And yet, Sarai remained childless.
Gen 16:2a …so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”…
Did she think God’s plan didn’t include her, so she was seeking another solution? Did she think she was helping His plan? Did she think at all or was this strictly an emotional reaction to what felt like a desperate situation? I will readily admit that regardless of motivation, God and God’s will seem to be utterly lacking in this plan. I will also admit that I am less than faithful when I’m emotionally wrought and in turmoil about God’s plan and His promises.
Gen 16:2b …Abram agreed to what Sarai said….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the compassion that I feel for those who struggle. I’ve been in Sarai’s shoes. I’ve felt the pain, agony, and confusion of promises delayed, and I’ve reacted just as faithlessly. I’ve taken matters into my own hands and left You and Your will for me completely out of the picture. Help me, Lord, to be faithful, even when I have to wait for Your timing. Waiting is so incredibly hard, but I know You have Your reasons. Help me, Lord, to trust Your promises, Your way, and Your timing on all things. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 16:4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
Have a blessed day.

Gen 15:1 … “I am your shield, your very great reward.”
Again today I am wrestling with my perception of Father Abraham and the reality that when God said to him, “I am your shield, your very great reward,” his response was, “But God, I want kids so that I can pass on all that I have.” I would have expected from this paragon of faith, “Thank You, Lord.” Or “I’m not worthy, Lord.” Or SOMETHING that speaks of thankfulness. His reply seems most ungrateful. “Yeah, God, that’s great. But what I really want is offspring.”
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children….”
I’ve always thought of Abram in terms of his righteousness. I’ve never felt I had too much in common with him. I worry and fear and doubt so very much. This section of Genesis shows me we have much in common and not in a positive way, but just like Abram increases his faith, I can, too, by trusting God’s promises, even when I am afraid.
Gen 15:8 But Abram replies, “O Sovereign LORD, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this honest look at Abram and his faith. Thank You that all I have comes from You, that I can rest in the protection of Your presence and that I have You always. Even when life feels like it is falling apart, You are holding me securely. You never promised that this life would be easy or carefree, but you promised to be my shield and my very great reward. Thank You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram….
Have a blessed day.

Gen 14:12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
Like most people, I don’t enjoy not understanding. And Gen 14 has me a bit perplexed. The passage and commentary both feel much more like history lessons than life lessons. I’m still trying to figure out that epiphany of “THERE’S the nugget of truth God wants me to reflect on.” That’s not to say it’s not a fascinating passage. There’s much here that it is of interest, including our first look at Melchizedek. It’s just to say I don’t FEEL that strong sense of “here is where God’s leading me.”
Gen 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High….
And perhaps that lack of epiphany is the point. Sometimes the only thing to do is the next right thing. (I can’t take credit for that phrase. I read it in a blog post once.) That seems to be what Abram is doing here. Abram, who had trouble in the beginning being wholly obedient to God, seems to have gotten himself together. He rescues his nephew. He receives a blessing from Melchizedek. He refuses the spoils offered by the king of Sodom so he can stay true to his oath to God. He is being faithful.
Gen 14:19 … “Blessed be Abram by God Most High….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the opportunity to sit with uncertainty, which You know is so hard for me. Thank You for the blazing epiphanies and the subtle insights You have shared during this journey through Genesis. Help me to keep leaning into You as I study Your word. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 14:22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth….”
Have a blessed day. 

Gen 13:14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.”
God is steadfast and true, and I am so grateful. He is merciful and loving. Here is Abram, to whom God has made promises of provision and protection, Abram, who semi-obeyed God’s direction, seemingly picking and choosing what he would do God’s way and what he’d do to suit himself, Abram who ended up after his disobedience right back where he started, yet God renews His promises of provision and protection.
Gen 13:14 “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.”
How thankful I am that I’m not God. I would probably have railed against Abram in the face of his disobedience: “Who do you think you are? I am GOD! I told you what I wanted you to do and you disobeyed! I am finished with you! I’ll find someone who can listen and behave better. Too bad for you!” Thankfully, that’s not God’s way.
Gen 13:15 “I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your love and mercy. Thank You for being steadfast and true, even when we aren’t. Thank You for not defaulting to threats and judgement but for holding fast to Your promises. Help me to be more like You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 13:16 “Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
Have a blessed day.

Gen 12:4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.
When I think of Abram, the verse that most immediately comes to mind is Gen 15:6 “Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” The Abram of Gen 12 with his partial obedience takes a little getting used to. He didn’t go immediately to Canaan as instructed but stopped in Harran. He didn’t leave his family as instructed but took his nephew Lot with him. He didn’t stay in Canaan once he got there as instructed but went to Egypt because of the famine. 
Gen 12:10 Now there was famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
I don’t think I realized how much I put fathers of faith on pedestals. Adam was instrumental in the fall, so I never tried to do that with him, but Noah and Abram, in my mind, were above us ordinary folk, so seeing their humanity in Genesis has taken some getting used to. But it has served to reinforce that none of us on earth are perfect and that God can use us all, can do tremendous things with us for His Kingdom—no matter our flaws—if we will allow Him.
Gen 12:13 “Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You can use us if we are willing to do Your will, even if we cannot or do not do it perfectly. Thank You that You can and do use human, fallible people in Your kingdom work. I often feel wholly inadequate for the tasks You have called me to, Lord. Thank You for the reminder that You can do great things with my efforts. Help me, always, to put aside my selfishness and fear and to step out in love and faith as I do Your will. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 12:18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?”
Have a blessed day. 

Gen 11:1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.
It occurred to me this morning that Genesis begins as any story begins—with the exposition. Background. Here we learn everything we need to know to makes sense of all that will come. It’s not the most exciting part of the story, but it is important so that we can fully understand. Genealogically, we have extended a line from Adam to Noah and from Noah to Shem and from Shem to Abram. That line will eventually extend to Jesus, God in human form.
Gen 11:4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
Behaviorally, we see, repeatedly, man’s disobedience and sin, and God’s mercy in the face of that disobedience. After the debacle at Babel, as one commentary puts it, “Now God will begin to make man better, and He will start as He always starts: with a man who will do His will, even if He does not do His will perfectly.” Jesus, Give me strength.
Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the record of Your steadfastness, even in the face of our disobedience. Thank You for not demanding perfection, as You know we are not capable. Thank You for Your willingness and ability to use us if we are willing to do Your will, even if we can’t or won’t do it perfectly. Thank You for Your fierce love and divine mercy, extended to us again and again and again. Draw us closer. Amen.
Gen 11:10 This is the account of Shem’s family line.
Have a blessed day. 

Gen 10:1 This is the account of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.
Genesis 10 has me pondering once again what God wants me to do with this information. The initial reading of all this genealogy has me hearing in my mind’s eye the teacher from Charlie Brown: “Wan wan wan wan wah….” I’m reading the words, but it is so hard to process. Is it the unfamiliar names of people and places I have a hard time processing? I don’t know, but for reasons I can’t explain, my mind throws up barriers that cause all this genealogy to bounce futilely off and float into space. It’s incredibly frustrating.
Gen 10:20 These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.
Does the Lord want me to learn to sit with uncertainty? He’s definitely provided ample opportunity during this study. Is He, with my confusion, signaling the end of my trip through Genesis? I don’t know, but I don’t think He’s done with me here. So I’ll try to make what connections I can as I sit with the uncertainty of what He wants me to see and where He wants me to go next.
Gen 10:32a These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their lines of descent, within their nations….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the opportunity to sit with uncertainty—something I don’t do very well at all. I trust You to reveal to me what I need to see and understand in Your word. This look at Genesis has been so rich in new insights. Help me to see what You are trying to show me. Help me to know where You want me to go from here. Help me to shine Your light. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 10:32b …From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood.
Have a blessed day.

Gen 9:20-21 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.
This morning finds me still struggling to fit the drunken, naked Noah into the childhood image of the faithful man who risked appearing foolish to the world in order to follow God’s directive to build an ark. This new image of Noah, like the new image of Cain earlier in Genesis, just doesn’t fit my religious paradigm, so I struggle with what to do with the new, how to reconcile it.
Gen 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.
Perhaps God is reinforcing the fact that there will be only one perfect person—Jesus. Everyone else will fall short. But, like He did with Noah, God can use imperfect people in powerful ways. And like He did with Cain, God offers hope to even “the worst” (and we all have our own ideas of who qualifies as the worst), if they “do what is right” in His eyes: put Him first. I think we learn a powerful lesson here, too, about how to treat those whose humanity is showing. Commentary suggests that Ham and potentially Canaan were rude and mocking to Noah, while Shem and Japheth worked to protect Noah’s dignity in whatever small way they could. There are many lessons to be learned here, I think.
Gen 9:23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the richness of Your word. Thank You for these insights You are revealing to me, insights that are breaking pre-established paradigms but that are also allowing me to see humanity, fallibility, and worthiness in myself and in all people. Draw me closer, Lord, as I continue through Your word. Open my eyes and my heart to Your truth. Amen.
Gen 9:28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years.
Have a blessed day.