KJB
Daily Devotion – Following
Jesus Through
Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 13-15
Message: Genesis: Waiting To See God's Promises
Hello My Friend,
As Christians, it can get pretty discouraging to see the world prospering as well as worldly Christians. Here you are trying to do everything in your power to keep your head above the water of life when others seem to have everything handed to them. Can I tell you that your time is coming? As long as we keep doing what God tells us and have faith in Him, He will keep His promise and not only give us what we desires, but what He desires from us as well. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” - Hebrews 10:36.
“after ye have done the will of God,” The will of God, it seems like his will for us is pretty cut and paste, but apart from salvation, the truth is, God's will for you is not the same as His will for me. I will never understand why I am not able do some of the things I know are not sinful, while others can. I do understand that God has something great planned for me. When God spoke to Abram he had everything he needed as he came from a very wealthy family, but He had better plans for him, plans that did not include his family. Abram did something he shouldn't have, he took his nephew Lot with him. Now, since Abram took care of Lot as a son he thought there was no harm in bringing him along, but soon found out that it was best they separate. Abram told Lot to choose which side of the land he wanted to dwell, and he would take the opposite.
“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” - Genesis 13:11-17.
“after that Lot was separated from him,” God waited until Abram separated himself from Lot before He revealed to him His plan for him. You see, while everything we do is not sinful, it may not be the right decision for us. God has a much bigger and better plan for us, He sees the overall picture of our lives, including people and things that will cause a problem in fulfilling His plan. Keep in mind that God will always fulfill His plan for us, it's what we do in between that hinders him, but He is patient to wait for us to get back in His will to proceed further. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” - James 1:3,4,12.
Let me tell you, even when everything looks right, it is best to seek God's guidance to make sure it is what He wants for us before we take further action. We must take two things in account when we make decisions: 1) Does is sound too good to be true? 2) Does it go against anything that God disapproves of? Most likely if it sounds too good to be true or goes against God, it's probably not Him. Lot probably thought that God blessed him with that beautiful land, he soon found out that that it was no blessing at all, it was full of corruption and wickedness. Now, Sodom was in the middle of a war, he and several others were captured, Abram, hearing of this, gathered an army together to go after them.
“And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” - Genesis 14:14-20.
“Blessed be Abram of the most high God,” While God did choose to make Abram's seed to be the seed of His promise, there were some out there who followed Him. While God often separates us from those who hinder Him from His plans for us, that does not mean He does not give opportunity for us to love them, care for them, and show them Christ through us by being there for them in times of distress. Showing kindness to others is always one of the best opportunities to show the existence of Christ, and what He has done in our lives. Jesus gave His life for us, the best thing we can ever do is show that love by being there for those who need us. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.
Sometimes when we are in the will of God it can seem a bit scary, especially if He uses us to so something to help the lost. After Abram rescued his neighbors, perhaps he got a little scared about retaliation, but was also excited about such a great victory. It was then that God spoke to him.
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” - Genesis 15:1-6.
“And he believed in the LORD;” This is what God is looking for, faith. If we believe that He will fulfill that promise, He will, and He will always be there to protect us, even if we hinder Him in the process. Can you imagine the things God can do for us if we believe more than what we actually do? This is why we are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else, He counts our belief in His Son as righteousness. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” - Romans 10:9-11.
Today's Prayer: God, The moment we are conceived, You have a journey for us, sometimes we take a turn and get lost, never to return, but some of us get on the right track and find You. Thank You for loving us, and never giving up on us, for being there when we need You, even when we hinder You, and for always seeing better things of us that we see in ourselves. Lord, I want to walk my path with Your Son, keep me looking to Him, and let me not veer off path in my attempts to rush and or seek other means to get what I desire in life. Give me Your power, wisdom, and discernment to know where You want me to go, the patience to wait for Your promises, and remind me that You always have something better in store for me even when You take things away from me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
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Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
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Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
Date: Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Chapters: Genesis 13-15
Message: Genesis: Waiting To See God's Promises
Hello My Friend,
As Christians, it can get pretty discouraging to see the world prospering as well as worldly Christians. Here you are trying to do everything in your power to keep your head above the water of life when others seem to have everything handed to them. Can I tell you that your time is coming? As long as we keep doing what God tells us and have faith in Him, He will keep His promise and not only give us what we desires, but what He desires from us as well. “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” - Hebrews 10:36.
“after ye have done the will of God,” The will of God, it seems like his will for us is pretty cut and paste, but apart from salvation, the truth is, God's will for you is not the same as His will for me. I will never understand why I am not able do some of the things I know are not sinful, while others can. I do understand that God has something great planned for me. When God spoke to Abram he had everything he needed as he came from a very wealthy family, but He had better plans for him, plans that did not include his family. Abram did something he shouldn't have, he took his nephew Lot with him. Now, since Abram took care of Lot as a son he thought there was no harm in bringing him along, but soon found out that it was best they separate. Abram told Lot to choose which side of the land he wanted to dwell, and he would take the opposite.
“Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” - Genesis 13:11-17.
“after that Lot was separated from him,” God waited until Abram separated himself from Lot before He revealed to him His plan for him. You see, while everything we do is not sinful, it may not be the right decision for us. God has a much bigger and better plan for us, He sees the overall picture of our lives, including people and things that will cause a problem in fulfilling His plan. Keep in mind that God will always fulfill His plan for us, it's what we do in between that hinders him, but He is patient to wait for us to get back in His will to proceed further. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” - James 1:3,4,12.
Let me tell you, even when everything looks right, it is best to seek God's guidance to make sure it is what He wants for us before we take further action. We must take two things in account when we make decisions: 1) Does is sound too good to be true? 2) Does it go against anything that God disapproves of? Most likely if it sounds too good to be true or goes against God, it's probably not Him. Lot probably thought that God blessed him with that beautiful land, he soon found out that that it was no blessing at all, it was full of corruption and wickedness. Now, Sodom was in the middle of a war, he and several others were captured, Abram, hearing of this, gathered an army together to go after them.
“And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” - Genesis 14:14-20.
“Blessed be Abram of the most high God,” While God did choose to make Abram's seed to be the seed of His promise, there were some out there who followed Him. While God often separates us from those who hinder Him from His plans for us, that does not mean He does not give opportunity for us to love them, care for them, and show them Christ through us by being there for them in times of distress. Showing kindness to others is always one of the best opportunities to show the existence of Christ, and what He has done in our lives. Jesus gave His life for us, the best thing we can ever do is show that love by being there for those who need us. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.
Sometimes when we are in the will of God it can seem a bit scary, especially if He uses us to so something to help the lost. After Abram rescued his neighbors, perhaps he got a little scared about retaliation, but was also excited about such a great victory. It was then that God spoke to him.
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” - Genesis 15:1-6.
“And he believed in the LORD;” This is what God is looking for, faith. If we believe that He will fulfill that promise, He will, and He will always be there to protect us, even if we hinder Him in the process. Can you imagine the things God can do for us if we believe more than what we actually do? This is why we are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and nothing else, He counts our belief in His Son as righteousness. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” - Romans 10:9-11.
Today's Prayer: God, The moment we are conceived, You have a journey for us, sometimes we take a turn and get lost, never to return, but some of us get on the right track and find You. Thank You for loving us, and never giving up on us, for being there when we need You, even when we hinder You, and for always seeing better things of us that we see in ourselves. Lord, I want to walk my path with Your Son, keep me looking to Him, and let me not veer off path in my attempts to rush and or seek other means to get what I desire in life. Give me Your power, wisdom, and discernment to know where You want me to go, the patience to wait for Your promises, and remind me that You always have something better in store for me even when You take things away from me. In Jesus' name, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure You Are Going To Heaven?: http://godsprice.com/
Receive The KJB Daily Devotions In Your Email: http://eepurl.com/2WMzT
Read Previous Devotions: http://imfollowingjesus.com/Biblestudy/
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://imfollowingjesus.com/index.html
Like I'm Following Jesus On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byhisstrength
Copyright © 2016 I'm Following Jesus, All rights reserved.
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