Week 2 Devotions

Many of Christ's disciples at New Hope Christian Church have committed themselves to read through the Bible in 2013. My sermons each weekend will examine some verses from the previous week's Bible readings. In addition, I will post on my Blog a couple of devotions for that week. January 8th - - Even Families Have Diversity Children stretch us and grow our character in more ways than we can imagine. Doesn’t it always seem that if we have two or more children, God makes sure they don’t have the same personality? In His abundant humor or wisdom, God gives us at least one child who is compliant and one child who is rebellious. I suppose if all of our children had the same personality and we figured out how to raise that one personality, we’d think everybody should have it as easy as we do. We wouldn’t be able to understand why some parents struggle raising their children and others don’t. As it is, the diversity within our children’s personalities, behaviors, and talents keeps us from ever feeling comfortable, or from ever thinking that we’ve arrived as parents. Ishmael was born to Abraham and Hagar. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. We don’t know for sure what type of personality Isaac had, but any child who would agree to be sacrificed by their dad has to be a pretty compliant child, don’t they (Genesis 22:9&10)? And we are told quite plainly that Ishmael was “a wild one - - free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live at odds with the rest of his brothers” (Gen.16:12). That must have been an exciting household to be a part of! And then Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, have two sons; twins, no less. And what does the Bible tell us, but they were striving with one another even while in their mother’s womb (Gen. 25:21-26)? Even as God creates diversity within the rest of His creation, such as the plants and animals; so He creates diversity within a human family. He knows what He is doing and He has His reasons (Deuteronomy 29:29). In time, we see His wisdom and can give Him thanks for the variety He has given to us within our family (Isaiah 55:8&9). January 11th - - Blessed to be a Blessing “I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2&3). God told Abram that the reason He was blessing Abram was so Abram might be a blessing to others. Sodom and Gomorrah were evil cities (Genesis 19:1-11). God had determined to destroy them, much for the same reason He had earlier flooded the earth. There were none left who were good (Genesis 6:5). Because of Abraham’s intervention, God was willing to spare Sodom if only ten righteous people could be found (Gen.18:22-33). Since ten righteous people couldn’t be found, God destroyed the city. While Jacob had his issues that were not godlike (deceitfulness the chief of them {Gen.27; 30:25-43}), he obviously honored God in other ways and God blessed him for it. Not only did God bless Jacob, but also blessed Jacob’s father-in-law and employer, Laban, because of Jacob Gen.30:27-30). When we are living in obedience to God’s Word, He blesses us and He often blesses those around us, as well. And it may not always be in material and financial ways that He does so. Maybe, God blesses us with opportunities to share our faith. Maybe, God blesses us by shaping our character in the midst of hardships and persecutions. Maybe, God blesses us with special relationships. But, it would appear that when God’s people are blessed for their obedience, there are many times He also blesses those we come in contact with or those with whom we associate. When Joseph was sold by his brothers as a slave in Egypt, he wound up in the home of Potiphar. The Bible tells us, “The Lord was with Joseph and blessed him greatly as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” (Genesis 39:2&3). Jesus said, “whoever is faithful with a few things will prove faithful with many things” (Matthew 25:21,23,29). Because Joseph was faithful in the small things Potiphar gave him to do, Potiphar increased Joseph’s responsibilities. And because Joseph did so well, “the Lord began to bless Potiphar for Joseph’s sake” (39:5) and Potiphar did not worry at all about his household with Joseph in charge. Later, God not only blessed Joseph when he was imprisoned, but God also blessed the prison when Joseph was placed in charge of it (Gen.39:19-23). Jesus said it like this, “Let your light shine. Don’t hide it under a basket!” (Matthew 5:14-16). And when the light of the Lord is shining through us, every dark environment we enter will be a brighter place because He is there in us. We will be a blessing to others because we have first been blessed by God.