 |
| The South Toe River near Mt. Celo Church where our river baptisms are held. Fly-fishing, canoeing, kayaking are favorite sports in this area. |
Gleanings from Today’s Readings.
1)
God tests us. Life throws curves to all of us, but we will see in this year through
the Bible, that God Himself will test His men and women of faith. He will cause them to wait long periods of
times for His promises to be fulfilled.
He rewards the persevering
faithful. Abraham was 100 years old,
and Sarah was 99 when the promised heir, Isaac, was born. “Obey God, and leave
all the consequences to Him.” Charles
Stanley – Life Lessons
2)
God hears.
God acts – in His time and in His way.
We have already seen this precept many times in just 11 days of this
study. God heard the lad (Ishmael)
cry. He promised the mother (Hagar) that
her son would be blessed and multiplied greatly.
3)
God provides – for Sarah and Abraham,
for Hagar and Ishmael, for Isaac. We
will see this throughout the year of study – the Providence and Sovereignty of
God in the lives of His people – in our lives.
4)
The Scarlet Thread. There is said to be a scarlet thread that
runs throughout the Bible – showing the life and blood of Christ from Genesis
through Revelation. There is wonderful
foreshadowing here in Gen. 22:8 and 14.
God’s name is even The-LORD-Will-Provide. He will provide the sacrificial Lamb Himself
on THIS Mount of the Lord. This is Mount
Moriah. The same mountain where Isaac
was to be sacrificed is the mountain where Jesus Christ will be crucified
several hundred years later. The Angel of the LORD speaking to Abraham is thought to be Christ by most NT Biblical scholars.
5)
Faith and Obedience. Why was Isaac spared? (Gen. 22:18 –“because you
have obeyed My voice.)” Obedience is the
evidence of genuine faith.
6)
In the Psalm, David pours out his soul before
God, knowing that God hears. I have
found that the greatest relief in severe trials and anxiety in persecution is
to read the 150 Psalms aloud to God in prayer.
These are wonderful gifts to us when we are so distraught we cannot even
find the words to express our thoughts.
7)
This Proverb is one of the most popular quotes
from the Bible and perfectly describes
the faith life of Abraham and David. It is
also a quote and promise I pray back to God almost every day of my life: “Trust
in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He
shall direct your paths.” Prov. 3: 5,6
8)
The cost of discipleship is high. This seems to have been lost in much of
Christendom today. It may require the
loss of every material possession we have (Matt 8: 20). It may cost us the relationships we have. (v
22) It may cost us our lives. Great love is sacrificial love.
9)
Even demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God
who WILL have victory over them and all evil – in “the time.” (v. 29)
10) Regardless of the struggles we face in this
life, "we are more than conquerors through Him who loved
us.” Romans 8:37 The question is: What will we do with this Man called
Jesus? Will we ask Him to depart from us
as did the people in the country of the Gergesenes – afraid of the cost -, or
will we ask Him to stay and come into our hearts as our Lord and Savior?
“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all
the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His
temple. Ps. 27:4
No comments:
Post a Comment