Category: Devotional

Don’t Do God’s Job

God made two promises to Abraham. The first, that his descendants would out number the stars in the sky. The second, that he would be given the land of the Canaanites to possess. Abraham and Sarah wanted a son so badly they could almost taste it. So when God promised them that they would get a son, they took things into their own hands to see how they could “help“ God achieve this goal. Their attempt to aid God led to problems in their marriage, problems in their household, and strife between the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Isaac. No such attempt was made to prematurely take the land of Canaan by Abraham and Sarah.

If we believe God is leading us into something that we already want, the temptation is significant to try and “make it happen”, but this is more likely to mess things up than bring them into fruition. If we want to see God work, we should let God work. We don’t step in and say “thanks God, I’ll take it from here”. In 1 Corinthians 4:7 Paul says, “What do you have that you did not receive?”, he recognizes that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father (James 1:7, paraphrased).

Don’t do God’s job. You’ll be bad at it.

Genesis 15-17 | 005/365

I Don’t Deserve This

Some will read this and assume unmerited blessing, some will read this and assume unmerited cursing. Solomon tells us that both come from the Lord (Ecc 7:14), so we should seek to learn in every circumstance.

In the case of Abram and Sarai the Lord has chosen out two to bless and make a covenant with despite any qualifications of which to speak. If fact when Abram is called the only things we know about him are that he is married to a barren woman and that he is the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of Noah (Note: Noah only missed Abram’s birth by 2 years… people lived a LONG time back then). Given that God’s call on Noah was to be a “great nation” it would seem that the only qualification Abram and Sarai had was their LACK of qualification. In fact, shortly after God’ promise to Abram he tries to sell his wife into the Egyptian Pharoah’s haram to save his own skin!

In the same way, God has a call on YOUR life. Not because of WHO you are, but because of WHOSE you are. Trust Him and follow him whether you are in a time of prosperity or a time of refining. Both are a blessing and both are shaping you into who God wants you to be so you can fulfil the call He has placed on your life.

But remember! Pride comes before the fall. God pulled no punches in frustrating the plans of the people of Babel who thought more highly of themselves than they ought.

Go with God, learning in all humbleness and submission.

Genesis 11-14; 1 Chronicles 1:24-37 | 004/365

The Moving of the Spirit

Just before the flood would begin to recede we see a wind (the Hebrew word ‘ruah’) move across the earth. This is the same word for the Spirit of God we see moving across the formless, nascent earth in Genesis 1:2. This also remind us of God breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7.

We see the Spirit of God moving in these creative, world-altering events.

And all of this points toward the events of Pentecost in Acts 2:2 when the sound like a rushing wind came and filled the believers with the Spirit of God in a way that had not previously even experienced. Those men and women — empowered by God — changed the world. Forever.

Friends, submit your lives to the work and will of the Spirit of God. Where the Spirit of the Lord is moving, BIG things are happening!

Genesis 7-10; 1 Chronicles 1:5-23 | 003/365

Who’s Leading Who?

We are all the hero of our own stories. But sin is eager to counsel us — and we are eager to listen, because the counsel of sin so often aligns with our existing desires. But God knew how hard-headed our free will would make us and so he made a way out; a way not obvious to everyone; a way that strikes most — nearly all in the case of Noah — as foolishness. Let me encourage you today in the strongest possible terms to listen to (in every sense of the word) the Lord’s leading.

Genesis 4-6 | 002/365

Time to Own it

God has given us the earth and its inhabitants to steward and the universe as a witness of the power and majesty to which we are accountable. No amount of lying, denying, and/or blame-shifting will bring relief when we are required to give an account of how we did. Let’s take our responsibilities seriously and work as unto the Lord.

Genesis 1-3 | 001/365