December 2024 – A Work in Progress….

December 31, 2024

God’s promises…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 15:13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.

I am bad for coming up with an idea of the way I think something should go and then getting fairly bent out of shape if things don’t go that way. If I had been Abram and God had promised me descendants as numerous as the stars, 400 years of exile and slavery would not have been part of my vision of that promise fulfilled.

Genesis 15:14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

But God tells us in Isaiah 55:8 that “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,…and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” And the message over and over again in these first 15 chapters of Genesis (and in the Bible as a whole) is TRUST God, which means trusting Him even when His vision does not match my own.

Genesis 15:15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.

Precious Savior, I get so locked into the way I think things should be that when they diverge, I get quite bent out of shape. Forgive me. Help me to trust You always, even when life looks nothing like I hoped or imagined. Help me to remember that You love me deeply and have promised me hope and a future. Thank You for Your promises. Amen.

Genesis 15:16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

Have a blessed day.

December 30, 2024

An encounter with the divine…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 15:9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.”

Commentary describes what is happening here as the signing of a contract–Abram wants reassurance of God’s promises, and God directs him to draw up the contract. However, as Abram is waiting for God to walk through the carcasses (as His signature), Abram falls “into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.”

Genesis 15:10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.

Commentary does not address this “thick and dreadful darkness” in any way, and when I went to BibleHub.com to check other translations of this verse to see if maybe only NIV sounded so ominous, I saw that every single translation of Genesis 15:12 contains some version of terror/horror/great darkness. Commentary on the verse itself indicates that the terror and great darkness was the weight of an encounter with the divine–God.

Genesis 15:11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

Precious Savior, I struggle with encounters with You being described in terms of terror/horror/great darkness. I get it, but I don’t think of You as terrifying. Thank You. Help me, when I encounter Your presence to lean into Your goodness and light and not to be afraid. Help me to draw closer to You always. Amen.

Genesis 15:12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

Have a blessed day.

December 29, 2024

The Struggle…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 15:5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

I grew up in a church where you did not question God or the Bible. I don’t remember anyone saying that, but I absolutely remember wrestling with questions and doubts and feeling that I could not utter them aloud. I see a similar struggle with Abram–trust, doubt, trust, doubt. That seems an entirely human struggle.

Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Commentary talks about the difference between believing IN God (that He exists) and believing God (that He keeps His promises). Commentary also reminds us that it will be another 15 years before Abram sees these children that God has promised. I struggle with how to remain faithful when it feels like God’s promises take so long to come to fruition.

Genesis 15:7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

Precious Savior, I am human, fleshly, weak. I struggle, question, and doubt. Thank You for giving me grace in my struggles. Help me to always believe Your promises, even if they don’t come in my timeline. Give me both faith and grace like You gave to Abram. Amen.

Genesis 15:8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

Have a blessed day.

December 28, 2024

Above all things…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Yesterday I mentioned that Abram now trusts God implicitly. Today seems to tell a different story. Again, Abram brings up the promise of children from God and the fact that he has no heirs. Commentary says, “…we can discern the difference between a doubt that denies God’s promise and a doubt that desires God’s promise.” I struggle with what to make of that.

Genesis 15:2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

God knows the desires of our hearts. He has promised to give us hope and a future (Jer 29:11). He has reminded us that His ways are beyond anything that we can imagine (Is 55:8). He is doing something new, making a way in our wilderness, even if we cannot yet perceive it (Is 43:19). He is our very great reward (Gen 15:1), and He asks us to trust Him. Always.

Genesis 15:3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Precious Savior, Help us to desire You above all things–even those we hold dearest in our hearts. Help us to trust Your promises, even if they seem so very different from what we had hoped or imagined for our lives. Help us to be faithful like Abram even when we doubt. Amen.

Genesis 15:4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”

Have a blessed day.

December 27, 2024

Second chances…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 14:21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”

It appears that Abram has grown in love and wisdom, that he now trusts God implicitly, to the point that he does not accept plunder he earned from the battle because he wants to give all glory to God for his wealth. That’s a far cry from moving to Egypt to avoid starvation and claiming your wife is your sister so that you aren’t killed so she can be wed outright.

Genesis 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,

I am truly thankful for a God who loves us so, who extends us grace and compassion, who allows us to learn and grow and change, who doesn’t say, “Oh, I’m sorry. You messed up once. I’m done with you.” I think we can all learn a lot about how to treat each other from this whole example between God and Abram.

Genesis 14:23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’

Precious Savior, Thank You for grace, for compassion, for second chances. Thank You that You don’t send us away from You when we make mistakes. Help us to be more compassionate towards each other as we live and love and grow in this life. Amen.

Genesis 14:24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”

Have a blessed day.

December 26, 2024

Outdoing each other in love…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 14:17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).

Commentary talks about Abram and Melchizedek outdoing each other in love. Melchizedek, priest of God Most High, brings out the bread and wine and blesses Abram verbally (along with praising God). Abram blesses Melchizedeck by giving a tenth of all he has.

Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,

This idea of outdoing each other in love is a beautiful thought, but I’m not sure that humans, with our fleshly humanity, are capable. I think we can give freely, give abundantly, give of time, talent, material goods up to a point and then we want…recognition or thanks or….something and our giving, our outdoing in love trickles to a halt.

Genesis 14:19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.

Precious Savior, We are Your creation, Your masterpiece. You created within us this desire to praise You, to please You, to outdo each other in love. Help us to work past our human nature, to give past our natural inclination, to outdo each other in love. Always. Amen.

Genesis 14:20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Have a blessed day.

December 25, 2024

Trust. Always…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 14:13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram.

At this point in the Genesis narrative, Abram and Sarai are an old childless couple whom God promised descendants as numerous as the stars. But reading this section on Christmas morning–the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, directly descended from Abraham and Sarah–infuses this scripture with new meaning for me.

Genesis 14:14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

Abraham is not perfect. He messes up plenty of times. But he is faithful, steadfast. He learns that God is with him, that God keeps his promises, that God’s timeline might be vastly different than our own, that God’s way might look vastly different than anything we had hoped or imagined, but His plan is perfect and we just need to trust Him.

Genesis 14:15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your Son, born this day so long ago. Thank You for Your promise to never leave us nor forsake us, to give us hope and a future. Thank You for Your timing, even when we chafe, eager to see the fruits of Your love in our lives. Help us, like Abram, to trust You always. Amen.

Genesis 14:16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Have a blessed day.

December 24, 2024

Holding on to hope…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 14:5-6 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert.

Today is Christmas Eve, and while I sort of wish today’s scripture was more related to the calendar and the season, I can actually still see parallels here. All those years ago on that first Christmas, Hope was born in a manger to an unwed teen mother and her betrothed.

Genesis 14:7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.

There was no room at the inn, so the birth happened in a stable. They were traveling for a census, so the birth happened away from home. They were involved in something miraculous and holy, and I’m pretty sure they were at least marginally apprehensive about the whole thing, but they allowed God to use them, and God brought forth His only Son, fully human and fully divine.

Genesis 14:8-9 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.

Precious Savior, The reality is that the world keeps turning, conflicts continue to happen, things don’t turn out the way we hope or imagine. Thank You that the reality of Your Son is just as real, just as ever present. Thank You for the example of Mary and Joseph who said yes to You and were allowed to participate in a miracle. Help us to hold onto Your hope and say Yes when You call. Help us to trust You always. Amen.

Genesis 14:10-12 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

Have a blessed day.

December 23, 2024

What is and what could be…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 14:1 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim,

In chapter 13, conflict arose between the herders of Abram and Lot, so Abram suggested they part ways and spread out to avoid conflict. Unfortunately, today’s verses show that conflict is a fact of life.

Genesis 14:2 these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

It makes me think of my sometimes quest for the perfect situation (perfect job, perfect class, perfect….whatever). Sometimes I get into this headspace that if only this particular thing were to happen or be the case, *then* everything would be perfect. I’ve learned that perfection is not a thing of this earth. There’s always something.

Genesis 14:3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley).

Precious Savior, Help me to focus on what is and what could be and not chase after perfection. Perfection on earth does not exist. But goodness, light, hope….they exist. Help me to do my best, to love You and love others, to deal with what is and keep striving for what could be in a way that allows me to glorify You. Amen.

Genesis 14:4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Have a blessed day.

December 22, 2024

In the midst of struggle…. (devo reflection)

Genesis 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.

When we are struggling in the midst of turmoil—whether we are struggling to find a job, struggling to have a baby, struggling to make a difficult decision, it’s hard to see beyond the struggle because we don’t know how it will end. We only know the pain of the struggle.

Genesis 13:15-16 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 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.

God promised Abram, childless in his 70s, that his offspring will be as prolific as dust. Abram had to find a way to live the hope of Jer 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”

Genesis 13:17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

Precious Savior, It is hard for me to live the promise of Jer 29:11 when I am in the midst of struggle, with no idea of how it will work out. Thank You that You are already on the other side. Help me to trust You, even in the midst of darkness and fear. You are faithful, and I am so grateful. Amen.

Genesis 13:18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.

Have a blessed day.