Genesis
This story is so much more than a name change. It often feels weird for people who read these verses for the first time to wonder why God would make such a smaller alteration like adding two letters to the middle of a person’s name. To the veteran, it
Genesis
The worship of God is the righteous person’s chief pursuit. Can anyone promise more than God can deliver? Can anything satisfy more than God? God does not call us to stand in worship services every moment of every day, but He does call us to worship. The tricky part
Genesis
God intervenes and His intervention chases away both sin and guilt. Who can stand in the presence of the Lord? Who can continue in disobedience when the Lord reveals the error of our ways? When Sarai mistreats Hagar because Hagar treated her with contempt, the Lord finds her. It’s
Genesis
Godly people have the responsibility to doing the right thing, especially when it is easier to just react. Anyone can react through instinct. Anyone can lash out in anger. Anyone can look upon another with pride or jealousy. The godly person responds in love rather than doing what everyone else
Genesis
If we set our mind to doing something and we accomplish it, that doesn’t make it God’s will. People live by this logic all the time. They claim if God didn’t stop them, He must be okay with it. That’s simply not true. God gives us
Genesis
God makes the covenant with us; our job is to accept it. He gives us grace when we did not deserve it. He shows us love when we do not ask for it. He watches over us when we think we have everything under control. He brings salvation to us
Genesis
God loves to take opportunities to strengthen our faith. We have a limited perspective; He knows that. We don’t always draw the correct conclusions; He knows that. We try to follow Him and sometimes we get it right and sometimes we make mistakes. He is a loving God and
Genesis
Righteous people are always concerned with the truthfulness of God’s word. If we are righteous, we know God’s word to be true. We know God’s promises can be trusted. Our righteousness beckons us to be concerned with and believe God’s promises. After the battle, God comes
Genesis
The righteous demonstrate their character to the world by what they do. This idea is prevalent throughout Biblical understanding. Jesus tells us the world will know us by our love. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says our actions will be seen by others and they will glorify the
Genesis
God is willing to teach us lessons when we stray; it is up to us to learn and apply them. None of us are perfect. My life is rife with mistakes I’ve made. Obviously, the goal is to minimize the frequency of mistakes. When mistakes do happen, the goal
Genesis
As our heart draws closer to the world, we suffer consequences alongside the world. We all know how the world works. The world isn’t fair. We don’t always get what we want. In fact, we don’t even always get what we work for. God is righteous and
Genesis
We all need relationship with the Lord as we find our way through life. The temptations of the world are alluring. The distractions the world offers us to take us away from God’s purpose and calling are plentiful. What God offers is a harbor among the chaos of life.