Gen 3:21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
I am only four chapters into Genesis, and I marvel at the things I am learning—about our amazing God and about the tenets I seem to hold about my faith. I have always equated Cain with evil. After all, he killed his brother in what appears to be cold-blooded murder. Yet Eve saw him as the potential Savior God promises them after their disobedience and exile from the Garden, and God showed him mercy, even in his disobedience.
Gen 4:7 “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
And I have always thought of the Old Testament, pre-Jesus God as hard and unyielding. “Walk this line. Do not depart from it or I will smite you.” Yet in just the first four chapters of Genesis, God has shown repeated mercy and love in the face of blatant disobedience—Adam, Eve, and the apple, Cain and his offering, Cain’s murder of his brother.
Gen 4:15 But the LORD said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this new understanding that Your mercies, which are new every morning, have existed for Your people since the world began. Thank You for the time I am spending in Genesis, for the ability to examine my beliefs and my faith through new eyes, and for this new understanding of Your character, Your mercy, and Your love. Draw me closer to You as I shine Your light. Amen.
Lam 3:21-23 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
Have a blessed day.
Fierce love and deep mercy…. (devo reflection)
James 2:13 …Mercy triumphs over judgement.
My caustic inner critic is at it again. She’s dragging to the fore attitudes and insecurities I thought had long been dealt with. She’s calling into question my abilities as a wife, mother, teacher, person. She’s frantically whispering that I should NOT share these feelings and insecurities because I am the only one who deals with them. She thrives in silence and shame. Jesus, Help me.
Luke 6:36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Even with my rational, intelligent side, the temptation is great to believe that I am just too far gone, too messed up, have said too many insecure, irrational things to be salvaged. All she has to do is crack open the door of insecurities, and they all come tumbling out, readily acknowledged. Yep, I’ve screwed up over and over in all my roles. Maybe I am too far gone. Thankfully, my precious Savior doesn’t deem anyone too far gone. He doesn’t love us because of what we’ve done right. He loves us because we are His—fully, completely, entirely His beloved children. He doesn’t need any other reason.
Heb 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for Your fierce love and deep mercy, for the gift of knowing that my inner critic lies. We often pick up the noise of the world, “You aren’t good enough; you’ve screwed up too many times to be salvaged; you are no good to anyone.” Help us to tune out that rubbish and to hear instead Your still, soft voice, whispering, “You are loved; you are cherished; you are enough, simply because you are My deeply beloved.” Help us to show ourselves mercy for our faults and to trust Your deep love for us. Draw us closer. Amen.
Lam 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning….
Have a blessed day.