The AMI QT Devotionals from October 9-15 are provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Peter is a graduate of U.C. Riverside and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). He and his wife Jessica have three very active children: Nathan, Abigail, and Jason.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
“Lying with Benefits”
Genesis 12:11-17
As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.” 14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. 17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai.
If you could lie about something and not only get away with it but receive nice benefits along the way, would you do it?
I know lying to parents is a serious matter, for I cannot see a bit of humor when my children lie to me. Jason’s lips and mouth will be covered with residues of ice cream, and when I ask him, “What did you just eat before dinner?” he will actually say, “Nothing,” thinking that he can actually get away with it. My other son once attempted to have me sign a form, stating that I had reviewed his poorly taken exam; he knew that in my busyness, I’d sign anything trustingly, whereas his mother would thoroughly inspect the form before signing it.
We’ve all tried to fool our parents as kids. But on a more serious note, where do you find yourself still trying to fool others, because either you can get away with it, or you find yourself in a more beneficial state than before?
Abram must have been a pretty good liar. He fools Pharaoh along with all of the Egyptian officials into believing that Sarai was indeed Abram’s sister and not his wife. As a result, Pharaoh treated Abram “well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.” Abram came into Egypt fearing for his life, but by lying he had received a king’s hospitality and generosity.
Thankfully, the omniscient Lord had a different and better purpose for Abram and Sarai. Their lives weren’t destined for a life of opulence in a foreign land while living under the guile as siblings (poor Sarai, I can’t imagine what she was thinking)—it was much more than that. They were called from a pagan land to have a friendship with God and start a family which would eventually become a nation through whom the Savior of the world would arrive on earth. We try to fool others to gain fame, reputation, wealth, or just about anything that seem to benefit us; and we might even get really good at fooling others. However, our omniscient Lord cannot be fooled, nor does He allow His people to sow into deception. Because He loves us so much and has a totally different destiny for our lives, He just might let truth surface so that we might be free.
Prayer: Lord, You are the God of truth. Help me to trust in You and live in truth. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Acts 6
On the positive side, I thought, we’d be really good at developing some of our skillsets. Could you imagine playing basketball for 438 years of your life? You’d be really good. But on the flip side, could you imagine working for another 438 years at your job? Even if you love your job, you’re probably saying to yourself, “No thank you.”
The AMI QT Devotionals from October 9-15 are provided by Pastor Peter Yoon of Kairos Christian Church in San Diego. Peter is a graduate of U.C. Riverside and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.). He and his wife Jessica have three very active children: Nathan, Abigail, and Jason.
We understand that faith plays a critical role in our Christian life. Faith is critical for our salvation. Faith moves mountains. Faith heals people. In fact, without faith, we know it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). But if we are honest, we often struggle with doubts. Many in the church wonder if they are genuinely saved. Mountains still remain while healings are sparse. It’s easy to scrutinize ourselves and have a low view of our own faith.
Years ago, Jessica and I were ministering at a retreat, and we sensed that some of the people present wanted to get closer to the Lord; yet, they were hesitating. It was there that I identified one of the reasons why believers hesitate to follow Jesus fully (with one foot on the brake): They have this notion that should they wholeheartedly commit to Jesus, God will immediately send them packing as missionaries to the “ends of the earth,” where they will suffer miserably under harsh conditions.
One afternoon, I took my son, Nathan, to H-Mart, a local Korean grocery store. At the check-out line, I spoke to the cashier in Korean. My son looked stunned that a foreign language was coming out of my mouth. With confusion in his eyes, he said, “I didn’t know you can speak Spanish.” I had a good laugh sharing that story with my wife later that evening. However, when confusion is a result of misinterpretations and misunderstandings, it is quite frustrating. Even when speaking the same language with one another, how often our miscommunications and misunderstandings have impeded a project, or worse, wrecked a relationship?
Many cities in the US are given nicknames that reveal their civic identities. These nicknames can sometimes provide a sense of community for its residents as well as a sense of civic pride. I do sense a bit of pride about my city having its nickname. Does your city’s nickname give you a sense of pride?
Churches are filled with many young impressionable believers that can make discipleship exciting. However, at times, it’s unfortunate when someone in the church twists God’s grace into a license to sin. It is true that no person is required to observe the OT Law as a means for salvation; the gospel of Jesus Christ is that Heaven is absolutely a free gift; and no church attendance or offering money is at all required for salvation. This is because when Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled the OT Law (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:23-25). However, the unbiblical conclusion is that there’s nothing that God expects of Christians in terms of a disciplined life in God’s Spirit, and some begin to think, “If I’m saved by grace and all of my sins, past, present, and future, are forgiven, why not sin all I want?”
The AMI QT Devotionals for October 2-8 are provided by Doug Tritton. Doug, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, is currently serving as a staff at Symphony Church (Boston) while pursuing a M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Seminary. He is married to Cindy and they are proud parents of Audrey.
If the Bible names someone “mighty”, this is important to notice. Typically, God is the One described as mighty, the One who fights for His people like a mighty warrior. David also had his mighty men, the people whom he trusted above all else. But here, we have this person Nimrod described as a mighty man and a mighty hunter, even though he is in the lineage of Ham, the one who was cursed in the previous chapter. In fact, in this genealogy, the story of Nimrod stands out, since he gets a special shout-out, unlike anyone else listed in the genealogy.
Genealogies can be difficult to read in the Old Testament. Often, we may think to ourselves, “I can just skip these chapters and move onto the important parts of the Bible.” This is certainly tempting, but these chapters are also God’s word, so we should not ignore them.
My family has this Bible called the Jesus Storybook Bible that we frequently read to our daughter. Though it was made for children, it is surprisingly blessing to read. The authors ensured that each story somehow points to Jesus, rather than some moral platitude as many other children’s Bibles do. As I read this Bible to my daughter Audrey, I’m encouraged as I remember that Jesus really is the plot behind the entire story of the Bible.