September 20, Wednesday

Today’s AMI QT is provided by Cami King of JCC (Raleigh).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

ETERNAL PURPOSE FOR A FINITE LIFE

Genesis 5:6-8

Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. 7 Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

What if you had one week to live? How would you choose to spend your time? How would you choose to spend your money? What would you want to do? How would this news affect your interactions with the people in your life?

[Take a few minutes to think about your honest answer to these questions.]

I imagine that, like me, you’ve encountered this question in some form before. It’s designed to get us thinking about the things that are really important to us, to take stock of our lives. The questioner usually hopes to get us to reevaluate what we’re doing with our time and our treasures, the ways we’re wasting it or mishandling them, all toward the end of living a happier and more fulfilling life. In answering, we become aware of the ways we fail to live our best life (whatever we imagine that means). The focus in all of this is usually ourselves – what we want out of life, what makes us feel happy, what we think will make us fulfilled. Those things aren’t bad. Actually, I’ve found it’s important for me to take stock of what I’m doing with my life because a lack of intentionality can lead to unfaithfulness. No, those things aren’t bad – they just aren’t ultimate.

The fifth chapter of Genesis chronicles a portion of the genealogical line of first people on earth. One common theme repeated in all these verses is the consequences of humanity’s sin – death. As one commentator put it, “The cursed human race continued to multiply, and human beings continued to die.” Passages like this that draw our attention to the finitude of life serve as their own kind of “what if…” question, reminding us that time is limited. But, instead of turning inward and trying to imagine what things will make us happy in life, may we learn from the mistakes of the first people in the chapters of Genesis we’ve been studying together. Instead of turning to ourselves, may we turn to God, be reminded of God’s purposes for our lives, and choose to live accordingly.

Prayer: God you made me and purposed me according to your divine love and power, creativity and wisdom. Help me today to be aware of the ways you’ve formed me and give me the wisdom to live according to Your design. Make me aware of Your purposes for my life and bring my desires and pursuits into alignment with Your perfect will. In Jesus’ name.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 43

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 90:1-12: Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. 3 You turn man back into dust and say, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night. 5 You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; in the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. 6 In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew; toward evening it fades and withers away. 7 For we have been consumed by Your anger and by Your wrath we have been dismayed. 8 You have placed our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. 9 For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh. 10 As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. 11 Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

Questions to Consider

What do we learn about God in the first half of this passage?
We do we learn about humanity from this passage?
In light of these things, what is the psalmist’s request?
What would it mean for you to number your days and present to God a heart of wisdom?

Notes

We learn that God is eternal. Not only is God powerful, but God has been from the very first and will be ‘til the very end. Moses tries to convey the nature of a God who is eternal, who exists outside the bounds of time.
We are not eternal. In fact, our lives are very brief and extremely contingent. Not only this, we learn that humanity is sinful and broken. Our lives our difficult and fleeting (vs. 9) because of our sin, because we choose to do things our way and not God’s.
Moses, who wrote this psalm, is declaring his trust in the Lord throughout this entire psalm. In verse 12, he makes an important request asking God to teach us to be aware of the brevity of our lives and thus walk in wisdom. When we become aware of our finitude, we can turn to the God who is infinite, and choose to live according to God’s wisdom and not our own. The God who can see all and knows all, the one who made us, knows how to lead us in wise living.
Spend some time in personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

In a talk some years ago, author and apologist Ravi Zacharias explained the importance for every believer to know their purpose—and not in a universal or generic way, but in a personal and specific one. We start of course with God’s universal purpose for humanity (worship), then move to God’s stated purpose for the Church (witness), and close in on God’s specific purpose for own life. According to Zacharias, this is something each person should clearly and succinctly articulate for themselves (in response, of course, to the leading of the Holy Spirit through Scripture and Godly counsel). This then directs how we choose to leverage our lives. And if we do this right, it will positively influence our personal impact in the world (or God’s impact through us, rather). Zacharias articulated his purpose as follows: “My goal is to satisfy the hunger and longing for those who are seeing the truth.” For those who know Zacharias, it’s easy to see how this stated goal has influenced his impact on the world.

Spend some time thinking about your own purpose. In light of God’s direction in your life thus far – who you are, where you are, what you have, experiences had, opportunities give, access granted, etc. – how would you articulate your life purpose and goal? Spend some time reflecting on this with the Lord. Offer your life anew to God. Enjoy a time of dreaming big dreams with God!

September 19, Tuesday

Today’s AMI QT is provided by Cami King of JCC (Raleigh).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“OUR PATIENT GOD”

Genesis 5:1-2

When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. 4 Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died

Seth is described as a son in the likeness of Adam – repetition of the language of humanity’s creation in the likeness of God. The interesting thing is that none of Adam’s other children (Cain and Abel ) are so described. Only Seth. Commentators suggest that the writer of Genesis is speaking in spiritual terms, and Seth was made in the “spiritual” likeness of Adam –that the birth of Seth marks a new spiritual linage in the human genealogy.

One thing that’s for sure is the clear contrast between the line of Cain (poor Abel didn’t make it very far) and the line of Seth. Cain’s line flows directly out of humanity’s sin against God. We see this in his birth which is described as something humanity themselves did (“I have created man just as the Lord did” [Gen. 4:1]). But after 130 years, Seth is born, and it seems that the years have indeed wrought wisdom because humanity (finally) again acknowledges God (“God has given me another child…” [Gen. 4:25]; “At this time people began to worship the Lord” [Gen. 4:26]).

The Bible is true when it says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). So wonderful, in fact, that it took the first of us 130 years to experience our limitations in such a way that we finally turned again to our Maker. We all do this: we miss God in the midst of God’s creation. Even our gifts, talents, treasures are an expression of just how good a Creator God is. Yet, it’s those very things that often delay our acknowledgement and dependence upon God. We worship our stuff and ourselves in lieu of our Giver and our Maker.

But God is patient. Even after 130 years, God had not given up. God patiently waited for humanity to turn and once they did, in the likeness of the Human Creation as God intended it (as a gift from Him), Seth was born. Praise be to our patient God, who wills that no one perish, but all come to repentance!

Prayer: Thank You God for Your patience with me. So often I live out of my brokenness instead of choosing to live out of the new life You’ve made available to me in Jesus Christ. Thank You for patiently bearing with me and with this broken world long enough for You to redeem it and make it new. Help me acknowledge You today, so that I may be a contributor to Your redemptive work in the world and not an agent of the world’s destruction. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 42

Lunch Break Study

Read 2 Peter 3:3-9: Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Questions to Consider

According to this passage, why does it seem that the Lord is slow to fulfill His promises? In what areas of your life (or of human history) do you find yourself evaluating God as “slow about His promise”? How does this passage encourage you?
How does this passage describe the mockers? What do they say, what do they do, and why do they say and do those things? In what ways do you find yourself behaving like these mockers in your life?
What are some promises of God in which you need to renew your hope today? Write them down and spend sometime declaring them in your heart.

Notes

It seems to us that the Lord is slow because He is patient. God is not wishing that anyone would perish, but wants all people to come to repentance. Because of this, God is patient and thus can seem slow, uncaring, powerless, and absent when we lack understanding.
The mockers follow after their own lusts because they don’t see God doing what was promised. They have forgotten who God really is – the One who created the world with a word, cleansed it through the flood, and now preserves it. While it’s easy to condemn the mockers, we all have a little mocker in us. When things don’t go our way or when we don’t understand, we may find ourselves doubting God’s promises and following our own passions and desires, instead of patiently choosing to wait on God in faithful obedience.
Spend some time in personal reflection.

Evening Reflection

One of my favorite Christian bands is a South African girl group called “The Arrows.” In their song Ode to a Patient God, they beautifully describe God’s patience with humanity:

You sit and watch the cars and planes hurry by. You wonder when they’ll arrive. Sometimes you try to catch their eye. They turn to hide, and You turn to sigh. And don’t You go insane? All 6,000 years of us treating you this way? All this time, well, does it make you tired? I can’t believe You waited for me like it was worth Your while.

We see the church and the lost, [but] You see Your bride and Your sons. And full of hope, You carry on making us one; just on and on. And patiently You wait never wanting us to die If we could still be saved. Oh, is it so? Having all control and then controlling nothing at all of what You’re hoping for?

I Surround my gate tonight searching to and fro to find Someone who will fight. Oh, I wonder what You’ll see. I can’t believe You waited for me… And so If there’s anything you need, anything at all, you just call I made a promise I’ll keep So ’till we meet…

Spend some time this evening reflecting on the patience of God. In what areas of your life have you experienced God’s patience? Imagine what your life would be like if God was as impatient as we often are. Offer God thanks for His patience toward you and those around you and declare anew your trust in God in your areas of waiting.

Consider listening to The Arrows “Ode to a Patient God” during your time of reflection.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2R544acpd5G0ZKt6NGGXUG

September 18, Monday

Today’s AMI QT is provided by Cami King of JCC (Raleigh).

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Genesis 5:1-2

In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.

I will never forget my first time really reading this passage. I’ve been around the Bible my whole life so I’m sure I’d heard these couple verses before. But when I was a seminary student studying Hebrew, I remember reading this passage and being utterly fascinated (and slightly confused) by the language in the text. If you look at a few different English translations, maybe you’ll see what I mean:

In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. (NASB)

When God created humankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” (NET)

This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. 2 He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them “human.” (NLT)

In the original, the word translated “man” or “humankind” is the Hebrew word adam (where we get the name Adam). Now adam is what God names his human creation – all of it. Yes, the human creation bears difference (they are male and female according to vs. 2) and distinction (elsewhere in Genesis by Hebrew words meaning man [ish] and woman [isha] – the latter being taken out of the former and thus named accordingly [see Genesis 2:23]), but they are one creation. They are God’s precious adam (i.e., humankind). It is actually not until after The Fall that the woman is given a name other than adam – in Genesis 3:20, the man begins to call the woman Eve.

This carries a ton of implications for me – the bulk of which we don’t have time to explore here. But one thing that was crystal clear in the reading of these verses (and my imperfect grappling with the text as a student) is that God made us for oneness and intimacy with one another. We live in an individualistic society. That’s no surprise. We’re reminded of this all the time. But our passage today is a clear declaration of our purpose for community. We are so called to one another, that in creating all people, God didn’t even bother to give us separate names. Those designations came after our sin. Much like the God in whose image we were created, who exists 3 in one community – all God, we are created for relationship, with God yes, but also with one another. May God remind us anew today of the value of one another and beauty of life together!

Prayer: Almighty God, who exists as one great God in three persons, thank You for fashioning me in Your image. Remind me today of the importance of interdependency and community with the people around me. May I never be satisfied with individualistic living, but may I instead choose the “one another” life, a life together with my fellow adams. Teach me what it means to live in intimacy and oneness with the people you’ve placed in my life. Thank you for them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 41

Lunch Break Study

Read Matthew 22:34-40: But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Questions to Consider:

When Jesus is asked to give the greatest commandment or the most important/significant one, what does he say? What would it mean for you to uphold the greatest commandment today?
In verse 39, Jesus gives a sort of two-for-one special and adds to the greatest the second greatest. What was that commandment? Why do you think Jesus linked the two together?
I’ve heard it said before that Christians for many years have been so turned upwards that they often step on or over the people right in front of them whom they are called to love. It’s a funny picture, but it’s not hard to imagine time when I’ve been so focused on me and God that I forgot about the other side of the coin. Who are the people you’ll encounter throughout your day today? What are some ways your interactions with them would be different if you remembered Jesus’ words above? What are some practical ways you can love those around you?

Notes:

The greatest command is to love the Lord our God with all of ourselves. One commentator explained that the heart, soul, and mind are not entirely distinct in the imaginations of Jesus’ hearers and put together the three are pointing to a love by the whole of oneself (and all we imagine that to entail).
The second greatest command, which is like the first, is to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus, I believe, links these two together because it is nearly impossible to truly love God and not love others. I always like the image of a coin where loving God is one side and loving our neighbors is the other side. They are different, yes, but they are two sides to the same coin. If we have truly known God’s love for us, and responded in love for him, the natural result (just as sure as 1+1=2) is love of those whom God loves so much.
Spend some time in personal reflection

Evening Reflection

In reflecting on the call to “love your neighbor as yourself,” C. S. Lewis explains the following: “Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained. In order to have a steady wish for the good of another, in order to take practical steps to bring that good into being, we have to first discipline our minds to think of others. The hardest part about loving our neighbors is rarely that we hate them, but that we fail to think of them nearly as often as we think of ourselves (and our little kingdoms) if at all. Part of learning what it means to be called to community and part of experiencing our created purpose of interdependence, is first learning to consider others. Jesus challenges us to consider others better than ourselves, but for many of us, we haven’t even made it to the step of just considering others (better or worse) except as some extension of our wants, needs, etc. But our relationship with God and our relationship with others are inextricably linked, so we have to take the business of life together seriously.

Spend some time thinking about your tendency toward individualism:

What are some ways you fight interdependence? What are the areas in your life where you are more selfish and self-absorbed? Who are the people in your life you fail to consider? What occupies your thoughts instead?

Our ability to love others and do life together first begins with our awareness of God’s love for us. Spend some time meditating on God’s love for you. Thank God for the unconditional love you’ve received; allow it to fill your heart. Ask Him to direct that same love through you to the people around you and in the relationships He’s given you.

September 17, Sunday

jason2 The AMI QT Devotionals from September 11-17 are provided by Pastor Jason Sato who serves at OTR in Cincinnati. Jason, a graduate of UC San Diego (B.S.) and Westminster Theological Seminary in California (M.Div.), is married to Jessica, and they have two young children: Jonah and Lily.

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“It comes down to who knows you!”

Genesis 4:17-22, 26

Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. [18] To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. [19] And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. [20] Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. [21] His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. [22] Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron… [26] To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Consider the legacy that great figures in history have left to their children: How proud must the grandchild of Martin Luther King, Jr. feel? How honored must the great, great grandchild of Einstein be? How humbled must the child of Mother Theresa feel? Haha, just kidding! Mother Theresa was a nun. But still, what wonderful legacies they have left for those who came after them!

Now consider, what kind legacy will you leave for those who come after you?

Despite being the first murderer in human history, Cain ends up having a number of significant descendants. From the line of Cain comes Jabal, the inventor of raising livestock; Jubal, the inventor of music; and Tubal-cain, the inventor of metallurgy. Cain’s descendants are commercial, cultural, and political pioneers!

And then we come to Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. His descendent Enosh does not invent anything. He does not leave behind a cultural monument. Instead, Enosh is the first person after the Fall to begin to call upon the name of the LORD.

Enosh communicates with the God of heaven and earth—not just as a distant God, but as an intimate, personal God. When LORD is capitalized in the Bible, this indicates that the original Hebrew reads Yahweh, the personal name of God revealed to Moses.

There are many good and worthy things to spend our lives on. There are great things we could accomplish that would earn us the respect or the admiration of the world. But there is nothing greater than to be one who knows and is known by the LORD!

Prayer: Father, help me to understand the greatness of the privilege of being a child of God. May I rejoice in being forgotten by history if only I may know You in Your death and resurrection. Thank You that I will spend eternity exploring the never-ending depths of Your love, beauty, and glory. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 40

September 16, Saturday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Sorry, I’m Not Sorry”

Genesis 4:8-16 (ESV)

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. [9] Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” [10] And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. [11] And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. [12] When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” [13] Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. [14] Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” [15] Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. [16] Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

There are many reasons to be sorry. When I was a kid, I angrily threw a toy toward my family’s Christmas tree and broke a glass ornament. I was very sorry. I was sorry that I was certainly going to be caught. I was sorry that I would get in trouble. I was sorry that I would not get to play my Super Nintendo. However, I was not sorry for my anger. I was not sorry for throwing my toy. I was not sorry for breaking something that did not belong to me.

After Cain brutally murders his brother Abel, he, too, is sorry. He is sorry that God cannot be deceived. He is sorry that his punishment is so great. He is sorry that his life is now in danger. But Cain is not sorry that his brother is dead. He is not sorry for his sin and rebellion against God.

There is a distinct difference between worldly regret and true repentance. We may regret our circumstances, our punishment, or even our inability to live up to our own or others’ standards. Regret is ultimately self-centered.

Repentance, on the other hand, is God-centered. In repentance, we are sorry that we have wronged God. This is why God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). When we experience the Father heart of God for ourselves, sin becomes a very ugly and a very personal thing. When we see the incredible faithfulness and patience of our Father for what it is, we begin to hate our continual rejection of Him. We begin to be sorry to Him for our sin.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You are merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love for sinners. Forgive me for consistently disregarding You. Please give me grace that I would be able to love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 38-39

September 15, Friday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“The End of Sin”

Genesis 3:22-24 (ESV)

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” [23] therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. [24] He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

In addition to being cursed, Adam and Eve are driven out of the Garden of Eden. This is both an act of judgment and an act of mercy. When God contemplates a humanity living forever and knowing good and evil in their own experience and in their own hearts He is deeply troubled.

Imagine a world in which evil reigns and there is no death. A world without judgment may sound nice, but what kind of wickedness would exist in a world with no fear of death? How much wickedness exists in our world already, when so many are afraid to die or be judged? How much wickedness do I allow to fester in my own life, when I know that I will die and stand before my God?

We may be tempted to assume that as we grow older, we will automatically become wiser and better people. If we lived forever, perhaps we could build a utopian world. But if sin in our hearts is not progressively killed, the older we get the more we will become cynical, the more we will become comfortable in our sin, and the more we will sin with impunity. If our hearts are not changed, we will simply grow in effectiveness at pursuing and achieving our sinful desires.

A world filled with sinful people growing in their pursuit of sin is more of a hell than a heaven.

Sometimes when we imagine heaven, we focus on the fact that there will be no more sickness and no more death and rightfully so—that will be wonderful. But eternal life means very little unless sin is defeated with death.

Our greatest hope is not a worldly paradise but that someday soon our hearts will be entirely made new. All of God’s people will love their Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. All of God’s people will love their neighbor as themselves. An eternity of living holy lives in the presence of God – this is heaven itself.

Prayer: Oh God, I am tempted to hold onto my sin for as long as possible. Please help me to see the ugliness and horror that sin truly is. Thank You for defeating sin and death. Grant me grace to die to sin and live to Christ. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 37

Lunch Break Study

Read Genesis 6:5-8 (ESV): The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. [6] And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. [7] So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” [8] But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Question to Consider

Before the flood, what was growing in mankind?
In the face of such evil, what was God’s just response?
How did Noah escape this wicked world?

Notes

Mankind was growing in wickedness, until every intention of the thoughts of every heart was only evil continually.
God was grieved in His heart by the evil and He determined to bring judgment.
Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Unfortunately, Noah and his family took the seed of sin in their hearts onto the ark, so they would have to wait for the Messiah to come and deal with sin once and for all.

Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day. How was sin your enemy today? How does God intend for you to fight the sin in your own heart?

September 14, Thursday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Good News of War”

Genesis 3:15 (ESV)

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

In response to Adam and Eve’s sin, God pronounces judgment. First, He curses the snake that tempted them. The end of this curse is sometimes called the proto-euangelion (i.e. the first gospel). What is the good news that God shares?

News of war.

Human beings and Satan will constantly be at war. And ultimately the war will end with the offspring of the woman destroying the serpent.

This is the greatest news that Adam and Eve could possibly receive. The devil had succeeded in separating them from God. Death had entered into the world. Sin would keep them enslaved. But in the end, the devil will not win. Death will not win. Sin will not win. One descendant of the woman would come. He would be bruised but victorious.

Sometimes peace in and of itself appears to be best. But it always depends on what kind of peace and with whom. By and large, the German church was at peace with the Nazi party. In that time, war was the better option.

Today, we are lulled into thinking that peace with sin is grace, but making peace with the cancer that kills you or the addiction that keeps you in bondage is not a peace worth having.

Thank God, Jesus does not make peace with death. Instead, He wages war. And He will not falter, He will not cease to fight until evil is extinguished and sin, death, and the devil are done away with for good.

He will fight until the knowledge of the glory of God covers the earth as the waters cover the seas. May we have peace with God and with our neighbor, and may we wage war against sin and the enemy—if that is what it takes to obtain it.

Prayer: Father, I am so thankful that Your Son has brought me peace with You. Thank You that I am no longer Your enemy but Your child. May I always be at peace with You and at war with sin that would try separate me from You. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 36

Lunch Break Study

Read Exodus 15:1-4 (ESV): Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. [2] The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. [3] The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. [4] “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.

Question to Consider

Exodus 15 follows the crossing of the Red Sea. According to v. 1 and 4, why do the people sing?
In verse 2, the people sing of God’s salvation. What did the Lord save them from?
According to verse 3, what is part of the greatness of Israel’s God?

Notes

Surprisingly, they are not most impressed by the raw miracle of the Red Sea splitting; rather, they sing of how God destroyed the Egyptian army.
The Lord saved Israel from slavery, and more immediately, He saved them from certain death and capture at the hands of the Egyptian army.
The Lord is a man of war. He is a conquering warrior.

Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day. What evil did you witness in your own heart, home, or community? Pray that God would grant forgiveness to sinners, but that He would also destroy this sin and wickedness.

September 13, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

“Naked and Ashamed”

Genesis 3:8-13 (ESV)

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. [9] But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” [10] And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” [11] He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” [12] The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” [13] Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

At the beginning, Adam and Eve enjoyed God’s presence. Now, after they have sinned, they try to hide themselves from God. Adam is asked a simple yes or no question: “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” In his response, Adam increases his isolation, blaming his wife who he failed to protect and his God who he failed to honor. Likewise, the woman blames the serpent—at least her response actually answers the question God poses to her.

So why do they try to hide from an omnipresent God? Why do they try to mislead an omniscient God? In verse 10, Adam explains that he is afraid. Because of sin, the man and the woman are now naked and ashamed. They cannot bear to be this way, so they hide behind their fig leaves and their excuses.

We, too, cannot bear our shame. We try to be good parents, students, employees, and Christians. But so often our efforts simply expose the gap between our public and private personas. We blame our sin on traffic, the weather, other people, or even God, frightened of what it would mean if we were personally responsible for all of our actions, words, and thoughts. Yet these methods are most successful at deceiving ourselves, less successful at deceiving others, and absolutely unsuccessful at deceiving God. But thankfully, God does not need to be deceived.

God already has an objective and complete knowledge of our sin and nakedness; and rather than send Adam and Eve away in their nakedness, He clothes them in the skins of animals sacrificed for them (Genesis 3:1).

For us, the Father offers us better than animal skins. He offers up the life of His Son, that Jesus might take our sin and we might take Jesus’ righteousness. Apart from Jesus, we all remain naked and ashamed before God, but the Lord Jesus Christ offers to clothe us in His righteousness, to bear our shame, and to bring us back home into His presence.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming, not for the righteous, but for sinners. Neither my excuses nor my spotty righteousness can stand before You. I am naked and ashamed. Clothe me by Your Son, my Righteousness. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 35

Lunch Break Study

Read Psalm 32:1-5 (ESV): Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. [2] Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. [3] For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. [4] For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah [5] I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Question to Consider

What happened to the psalmist when he kept his sins hidden?
What is the result of not trying to cover our own sins ourselves?
Who is blessed?

Notes

His bones wasted away and God’s hand was heavy upon him.
When we do not cover our own sins and instead confess them to the Lord, we receive forgiveness.
The one who is forgiven and whose sin the Lord does not count against her. In other words, those found to be in Jesus Christ!

Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day. When were you tempted to blame others or to reject responsibility for your sin? Take a moment to own all of your words, thoughts, and actions that dishonored God and ask Him for forgiveness. Receive His grace and enjoy His presence.

September 12, Tuesday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Living in a Fog

Genesis 3:6 (ESV)

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to them eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

During college, I was in a very unhealthy relationship. I knew that God did not approve of it, but I was convinced that He didn’t know what He was talking about—I knew what I needed to be happy and He did not. The relationship ended up being spiritually and emotionally damaging to us both. As it turned out, God was right.

In the Garden of Eden, there was a tree in the midst of the garden. God said that eating of the fruit of that tree would lead to death, but to the woman, it did not look like death; it looked like a tree good for food, a delight to the eyes, and something to be desired to make one wise.

The power of sin is greater than we think. Sin not only fuels our desire for evil, it clouds our thoughts so that evil looks like good. We live in a fog in which we cannot see; worse still, we don’t know that we cannot see. God saw death and the woman saw something delightful and desirable. And as is always true, God was right.

Brothers and sisters, today you and I will disagree with God about many things in our lives. Our thoughts appear to be objective and reasonable, but God always knows what He’s talking about. He aims to lead us away from death and destruction into a life of abundance and joy.

Oftentimes, His truth will make no sense to us. How can dying to ourselves lead to life? How can denying ourselves be freedom? How can all things work out for our good? The honest answer to these questions is that we do not know how, but God is a good Father and He is more than able to figure it out. May we ask for eyes to see the truth clearly, and when we cannot, may we reject our perception and stand on the solid rock of the Word of God.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You are true and Your Word is truth. My heart and even my mind lead me astray so often. Give me grace to believe You over all others, even myself. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 34

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Samuel 13:8-12 (ESV): He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. [9] So Saul said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. [10] As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. [11] Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, [12] I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.”

Question to Consider

Saul knew he was not supposed to present the offerings to God. So why did he do it?
What is Saul blind to?
What is blinding Saul’s eyes?

Notes

His army began to scatter and he didn’t want to go to war without having offered the offerings. Saul makes excuses and explains that he had no choice but to disobey God in order to (ironically) seek God’s favor.
Saul is blind to his sin and his responsibility for his sin. Saul is blind to God’s omnipotence and sovereignty.
Saul’s ambition, fear of man, and pride blind his eyes.

Evening Reflection

Reflect upon your day. What things appeared to be life but according to God are death? For the moments you fell to temptation, ask for forgiveness. Ask Jesus for more of His grace that washes away your sin and gives you spiritual eyes to see the truth.

September 11, Monday

Devotional Thoughts for Today

Unreasonable

Genesis 3:1-5 (ESV)

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” [2] And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, [3] but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” [4] But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. [5] For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Do you have any unreasonable people in your life? An unreasonable boss? An unreasonable pastor? An unreasonable parent? How about an unreasonable God?

Adam and Eve live in paradise. They dwell with their Creator. They are given every tree in the garden except one. And then the serpent comes along and says to Eve, “Did God really say you can’t eat of any of the trees in the garden? Why is He so unreasonable?” To her credit, Eve corrects the serpent and tells him they can eat of many trees. But at the same time, she mentions that they cannot so much as touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A bit of doubt regarding God’s generosity has crept into her mind. The serpent then ups the ante. Not only is God unreasonable, but He is also either wrong or a liar. According to the serpent, sin does not lead to death. Rather, it leads to life and power.

The transition between thinking someone is unreasonable and thinking they are either wrong or have questionable motives is fairly quick. An unreasonable boss seems to make only wrong choices. An unreasonable parent appears to really be looking out only for themselves. An unreasonable God seems to not know or not care about what will really be good for us.

Brothers and sisters, our Father is not unreasonable when He calls us to flee and fight against sin which leads to death and separates us from Him. He is not wrong when He says that dying to ourselves is gain. His motives are pure. He is for us! May we reject every lie that says otherwise.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You are the God who never changes, whose goodness and love and glory are ever the same. Give me grace that I would not believe lies about You. You are a good Father.

Bible Reading for Today: Isaiah 33

Lunch Break Study

Read Romans 8:31-35 (ESV): What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? [33] Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Question to Consider

What does the passage say about God the Father?
What does the passage say about Jesus?
What does the passage say about God’s people?

Notes

God is for us. He gave his Son for us and will give us all things.
Jesus died, was raised, and is at the right hand of God interceding for us.
We have God on our side, we are justified not condemned, and we will not be separated from the love of Christ.

Evening Reflection

Reflect on your day. Was there a time when God did not seem to be a good Father? Speak with Him honestly and ask for grace to see Him as He truly is.