At the end of Genesis 16, Abraham had to be feeling low. He had followed Sarah's advice to father a child with Hagar, which led to problems between Sarah and Hagar, and Sarah and Abraham. In Genesis 17, God spoke with Abraham, and reconfirmed His covenant to give Abraham a son, through whom all the promises would come. The lesson we learn from that is that God forgives sin, He incorporates the effects of our sin into His plan, and He confirms His covenant with us. He keeps us in His plan.
God reiterated His plan for Abraham in Genesis 18, once again promising a son. Abraham prayed that God would deliver Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and we see the spirituality of Abraham was once again on the rise.
However, in Genesis 20, Abraham fell again, committing one of the oldest sins of which he was prone. Fearing his life, he told the people of Gerar that Sarah was his sister. This led to a repeat of the situation that happened with Pharoah in earlier chapters. Sarah was taken from Abraham and given to Abimelech to be his wife, but God intervened, and Sarah was given back to Abraham.
The more you study the life of Abraham, the more you learn that Abraham was far from perfect. His faith wavered. On two separate occasions, he said Sarah was his sister instead of his wife. He did that because he feared for his life. He was afraid that the people would kill him and take Sarah. He also violated God's plan for marriage by fathering a son with Hagar (Genesis 16) and fathering children with concubines (Genesis 25:6). Despite his failures, God still forgave him, and continued to work in his life. God kept His promises to Abraham.
When we fail, God forgives us and re-establishes His covenant, His plan with us. He calls us to repent, and calls us out of the sin we in which we trapped ourselves, but He restores us all the same.
God is with us, even when we fail. Abraham failed. He told the people of Gerar that Sarah was his sister. He also compelled Sarah to lie and say she was his sister. While this was actually half-true (verse 12), the aim was to deceive, thus it was a lie and a spiritual failure.
That failure came from a lack of faith. Even though God made promises to Abraham about his future and heritage, Abraham still feared the people of Gerar would kill him to take Sarah as their wife. (Sarah was nearly 90 years old at this time, which was still old back in that day. She must have been a looker.) The result is that Sarah was taken from Abraham and given to the king, Abimelech, as a wife. (They didn't know they took Abraham's wife, they thought they took his sister.)
Nevertheless, God was still with Abraham. He protected Sarah from Abimelech (verse 6), He confronted Abimelech, and He told Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham. Abimelech obeyed.
If you know Jesus Christ as your savior, you are in league with God. He stays with you, even when you make the wrong decision. He'll discipline you, but He'll stay with you. He will also restore you from that bad decision, if you know Him as Savior. He will get you back on track. God does not cast you aside, withdraw from you, revoke your salvation, or throw you away. He will lovingly discipline you, and get you back on track. If God can not get the wayward Christian to repent, He calls them home.
God calls heathens to repentance. Abimelech was a pagan king. He had multiple wives, but was basically a good ole boy. However, he didn't fear the LORD. God used the occasion of Abraham's failure to reveal Himself to Abimelech. He warned Abimelech to return Sarah, and promised healing and life for obedience. God gave Abimelech space to repent. Abimelech responded by obeying God.
God calls the lost to repentance. He confronts them for their sin, calls them to repent and believe, and gives them time to repent. Have you repented and believed in Christ? Will you, if you haven't?
God wants us to be a blessing. At the end of the chapter, Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and God healed Abimelech and his people. God identified Abraham as a prophet, which means that Abraham spoke for God. Abraham was God's representative. God's will for Abraham was for him to pray for Abimelech. Abraham did. God healed Abimelech, and God revealed His power. By praying, Abraham was a blessing.
God wants us to be a blessing. We are God's ambassadors on Earth. Represent God well. Present God to the lost, evangelize, and pray for the lost. Be a blessing.
If you are a child of God, that is, if you know Christ as your savior, you are in league with God. God will work through your life. He will work around your shortcomings (possibly incorporating them into His plan), and forgive your sin. Whatever happens, God is still with you. His hand is still on you.
May God bless you in a special way today.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Genesis 17: The Covenant
But in this chapter, God speaks to Abraham, and reminds him of the covenant. God also encouraged Abraham, and spells out the conditions of the covenant. God also promised quick action on the covenant.
Genesis 17 reminds us how God doesn't give up on us, that He has a covenant with us, and that we want our friends to be in that covenant.
God does not give up on us. Whenever a believer strays, God calls him back. Verse 1 says "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect." To "walk" means to live a certain way, or to adopt a certain lifestyle. God was calling Abraham to live for Him. Abraham had already lived a life of faith, but God was calling him to get back on track. Often, we become distracted in our day to day lives and lose sight of the big picture. When that happens, God calls us to get back on track.
"Perfect" means complete, the real deal. God called Abraham to be perfect, complete, the real deal. God calls us to be perfect, complete, the real deal. To be "perfect" means that you are a Christian who is the same on the inside as you present to others on the outside. You don't have a Jekyll and Hyde mentality, you are the same person no matter where you are. You are complete, you are a true Christian. You achieve this by reading the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
God also reminds us that He has a covenant with us. Verse 2 says "And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and, will multiply thee exceedingly." God had already made that covenant with Abraham. Here, He's reminding Abraham of the covenant. God was also encouraging Abraham to continue to live by faith.
God keeps his promises. When God saves you, He keeps you, and no one can pluck you from His hand, or separate you from His love (John 10:28-29). He never gives up on you, He sticks with you through the good times and the bad (Hebrews 13:5), but, He calls you to repentance. He also encourages us to Godly living.
God had a covenant with Abraham, and He has a covenant with us. Verse 7 says "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee."
God established a covenant with Abraham, to give him a son, a seed, to make him a father of many nations, and to raise up a Godly nation from his descendants. Those who know Jesus as their savior will receive the blessings promised to Abraham's seed. God will be our God, and He'll establish His kingdom for us. (Verse 8).
Have you accepted God's covenant? Have you repented of your sin and trusted Jesus Christ as your savior? Do you live by your faith in the Lord? Do you look forward to His kingdom? If so, don't you want your friends and family to be a part of that covenant, and to be in God's kingdom?
In verses 24-27, Abraham circumcised Ishmael, and the men of his household, and his male servants, thus bringing them into the covenant. Today, I am glad that all we have to do is share the Gospel with our friends and family. If you share the Gospel with those around you, and live as an example to them, you will impact their lives. Are you willing to disciple and teach them?
The bottom line is that God made a covenant with Abraham, and God kept that covenant, despite Abraham's shortcomings of saying Sarah's his sister and fathering a child with Hagar. God has a covenant with you, if you know Christ as your savior, and He will keep that covenant with you despite your shortcomings. Trust the Lord, and spread the word of salvation.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Genesis 16:1-13 - When Good Christian People Attack
You don't have to look very far to see someone express anger at Christians for doing something wrong, hurting their feelings, or betraying them in some way. Some days, all you have to do is log on to Facebook.
Some of this anger toward Christians is unwarranted. Sometimes, people are angry at what Christians stand for, and thus express that anger toward them. Some feel convicted of their sin, and justify it by saying the Christian is "judging them," or being "legalistic" or "hypocritical." But we'd be naive to think that Christians never sin, and Christians never hurt people.
In Genesis 16:1-13, we read about a woman named Hagar, who wound up in a world of hurt because of the actions of Abraham and Sarah.
God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, but they were old, and beyond childbearing years. So, Sarah devises a plan to have her children through her servant, Hagar. Back in those days, it was a custom that a woman could use her handmaid as a surrogate... to have children by having the handmaid have children with her husband. Hagar, a handmaid, has no say in this.
This situation causes problems. Sarah's plan, in spite of the custom of the day, was still sin. Customs and cultures do not excuse sin. This sin leads to problems between Sarah and Hagar, and it leads to hardships for Hagar.
Through reading Genesis 16, we see that even God's people mess up. Abraham and Sarah were Godly people. They lived their lives following God. They are listed in the Hebrews Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11. Some theologians have even suggested that their actions with Hagar were acts of faith. (Sarah was trying to deliver the promised son). However, what they did to Hagar was still sin. It violated God's plan for marriage (one man-one woman), and Hagar wasn't even given the option.
Now look at the level of Hagar's victimization. She's a slave. She has nothing. She has no rights. She is an Egyptian, which means she is in a foreign country serving foreign owners. Now, she even loses control of her body. Once she does have a son, he will be taken away and given to Sarah (or at least, that was the plan). When things go south, Hagar is treated harshly (Genesis 16:6)
Sometimes, Godly people hurt you. They might have good intentions, but they still hurt you. (Sometimes the intentions weren't good, but it still hurts.)
Sin always causes problems. Genesis 16:4 says "And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes." Hagar conceived a child by Abraham, and despised Sarah for it. Her anger toward Sarah led to disrespect toward Sarah, which led to problems in Abraham and Sarah's relationship, and led to Sarah dealing harshly with Hagar... to the point that Hagar had to flee.
Sin destroys peace, relationships, and lives. It creates chaos, discord and conflict.
When people hurt you, even when Godly people hurt you, God sees it. Hagar fled from Sarah, and the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water. The LORD told Hagar to go back to Sarah, and submit to her, and make amends. He then tells her that He has heard her affliction, and made promises concerning her son.
Genesis 16:11 says "And the angel of the LORD said unto her, behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction." God's message to Hagar was that He heard her affliction, and He was going to work it out for her. That's why God wanted her to go back, so He could work it out for her.
God hears our afflictions. He knows what we struggle with, what hurts us, who hurts us, and He will work those things out for us. We need to allow Him to work. We need to trust Him to work.
In Genesis 16:13, Hagar responds by saying "Thou God seest me... have I also here looked after Him that seeth me?" Hagar realizes that God sees her, and that gives her reason to trust and obey Him. God is watching, God will protect, God will avenge, God will care for you.
God is real, He's living, He interacts with us. That is why we should trust Him. That is why we should obey Him.
Healing begins with forgiveness, and forgiveness begins when we take the first steps. Forgiveness simply means that you will no longer hold the person who hurt you accountable. Forgiveness is an act of faith, because you are trusting God to take care of you, to protect you, and to deal with the one who hurt you. Trust God to do that.
Hagar returned home to Sarah, and life sort of went back to normal for a while, before Abraham and Sarah had their own son. After that, an incident involving Ishmael and Isaac would lead to Hagar and Ishmael getting kicked out. Even after that, God provided for Hagar, and Abraham even continued to visit and care for her and Ishmael.
A bad experience doesn't have to end in a dark hole. It can end in a light of faith in the Lord, forgiveness and healing. Which path will you choose?
Some of this anger toward Christians is unwarranted. Sometimes, people are angry at what Christians stand for, and thus express that anger toward them. Some feel convicted of their sin, and justify it by saying the Christian is "judging them," or being "legalistic" or "hypocritical." But we'd be naive to think that Christians never sin, and Christians never hurt people.
In Genesis 16:1-13, we read about a woman named Hagar, who wound up in a world of hurt because of the actions of Abraham and Sarah.
God promised Abraham and Sarah a son, but they were old, and beyond childbearing years. So, Sarah devises a plan to have her children through her servant, Hagar. Back in those days, it was a custom that a woman could use her handmaid as a surrogate... to have children by having the handmaid have children with her husband. Hagar, a handmaid, has no say in this.
This situation causes problems. Sarah's plan, in spite of the custom of the day, was still sin. Customs and cultures do not excuse sin. This sin leads to problems between Sarah and Hagar, and it leads to hardships for Hagar.
Through reading Genesis 16, we see that even God's people mess up. Abraham and Sarah were Godly people. They lived their lives following God. They are listed in the Hebrews Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11. Some theologians have even suggested that their actions with Hagar were acts of faith. (Sarah was trying to deliver the promised son). However, what they did to Hagar was still sin. It violated God's plan for marriage (one man-one woman), and Hagar wasn't even given the option.
Now look at the level of Hagar's victimization. She's a slave. She has nothing. She has no rights. She is an Egyptian, which means she is in a foreign country serving foreign owners. Now, she even loses control of her body. Once she does have a son, he will be taken away and given to Sarah (or at least, that was the plan). When things go south, Hagar is treated harshly (Genesis 16:6)
Sometimes, Godly people hurt you. They might have good intentions, but they still hurt you. (Sometimes the intentions weren't good, but it still hurts.)
Sin always causes problems. Genesis 16:4 says "And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes." Hagar conceived a child by Abraham, and despised Sarah for it. Her anger toward Sarah led to disrespect toward Sarah, which led to problems in Abraham and Sarah's relationship, and led to Sarah dealing harshly with Hagar... to the point that Hagar had to flee.
Sin destroys peace, relationships, and lives. It creates chaos, discord and conflict.
When people hurt you, even when Godly people hurt you, God sees it. Hagar fled from Sarah, and the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water. The LORD told Hagar to go back to Sarah, and submit to her, and make amends. He then tells her that He has heard her affliction, and made promises concerning her son.
Genesis 16:11 says "And the angel of the LORD said unto her, behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction." God's message to Hagar was that He heard her affliction, and He was going to work it out for her. That's why God wanted her to go back, so He could work it out for her.
God hears our afflictions. He knows what we struggle with, what hurts us, who hurts us, and He will work those things out for us. We need to allow Him to work. We need to trust Him to work.
In Genesis 16:13, Hagar responds by saying "Thou God seest me... have I also here looked after Him that seeth me?" Hagar realizes that God sees her, and that gives her reason to trust and obey Him. God is watching, God will protect, God will avenge, God will care for you.
God is real, He's living, He interacts with us. That is why we should trust Him. That is why we should obey Him.
Healing begins with forgiveness, and forgiveness begins when we take the first steps. Forgiveness simply means that you will no longer hold the person who hurt you accountable. Forgiveness is an act of faith, because you are trusting God to take care of you, to protect you, and to deal with the one who hurt you. Trust God to do that.
Hagar returned home to Sarah, and life sort of went back to normal for a while, before Abraham and Sarah had their own son. After that, an incident involving Ishmael and Isaac would lead to Hagar and Ishmael getting kicked out. Even after that, God provided for Hagar, and Abraham even continued to visit and care for her and Ishmael.
A bad experience doesn't have to end in a dark hole. It can end in a light of faith in the Lord, forgiveness and healing. Which path will you choose?
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Genesis 15:1-6 - Abraham's Faith is Rewarded, But Not How Many Think
In Genesis 14, Abraham rescued Lot after he was kidnapped by foreign invaders. Again, this all happened because Lot set his sights on earthly things, and allowed the pleasures of this world to lure him away from Abraham, and God's influence, into the unGodly city of Sodom.
Anyway, Abraham returned to the area with the rescued captives and all the goods and valuables stolen by the enemy raiders. The king of Sodom offered to reward Abraham by giving him all the goods and valuables he repossessed from the invading army, but Abraham refused, wanting God to get the glory for Abraham's prosperity, not the king of Sodom.
It is on this occasion that the conversation between God and Abraham took place in Genesis 15. God told Abraham that He was his shield and reward. Verse 1 says "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."
God had made many promises to Abraham. He had promised the land of Canaan as an inheritance... and not only the land of Canaan, but just about the entire fertile crescent. God promised Abraham a son, a seed, through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. He also promised that Abraham would be the father of many nations.
However, Abraham's reward was not all those things God promised. Abraham's reward was God Himself.
The LORD said "I am thy shield." God was Abraham's protection, and God fought Abraham's battles for him. How is it that Abram took 318 of his trained servants, and defeated a foreign military power? God must have been fighting his battle for him.
God also said, "(I am) thy exceeding great reward." All the stuff God promised to Abraham was not Abraham's reward for faith. Those things promised were things with which God would bless Abraham, which would be used to fulfill God's plans. The land would become home to the nation of Israel. The son would father Jacob, who would go on to become known as "Israel." Israelites, also referred to as the children of Israel, are descendents of Jacob. One of those descendents would be the seed through Whom the nations of the earth would be blessed. That Seed is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Abraham's reward was the LORD... having the Lord defend him, provide for him, and having an eternal relationship with the LORD. Abraham had faith in the LORD, and having the LORD as his reward was his heart's desire.
Hebrews 11:10 says "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Abraham was not as interested in the earthly blessings God promised as much as he was interested in the eternal blessings... entering that city to be with God... and entering into God's kingdom. Hebrews 11:16 backs this up by saying Abraham and Sarah "Desire a better country, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a city."
Notice how this is in stark contrast to Lot's values in life. Lot looked at the plain of Jordan and decided it was a place he could prosper. He looked at the wicked city of Sodom, and saw a place he could rise in prestige. He was looking at earthly things. Abraham, on the other hand, is fired up about heavenly things. He trusts God, and looks forward to the day he enters God's city.
God's people should get excited about having the Lord as their reward, and quit being so distracted by the things of this world. Preaching faith for prosperity is a multi-million dollar business, with many people paying money to prove they have the faith it takes for God to bless them on this earth. God never intented to reward His people in this life. The blessings of this life are temporary.
The rewards God offers His people are eternal. His reward is eternity with Him in His Kingdom. The golden streets and pearly gates of Heaven aren't even the point. The point is that one day, we'll sit at the table and commune with our Lord. Our relationship with Him will be like Adam's relationship with Him in Genesis 2, before man sinned. The sad truth about spirituality in America today is that it is next to impossible to get people fired up about this fact. You can motivate people with promises of earthly riches. You can motivate people with promises of golden mansions in Heaven. But motivating people with promises of sitting down and talking with Jesus is increasingly difficult as our culture grows more secular.
After God defines Abraham's reward and makes more promises concerning Abraham's son, Abraham defined faith by believing God.
In Genesis 15, Abraham was an old man. He was beyond the age when men fathered children, and he was beyond child-rearing years. His wife, Sarah, was beyond child-bearing years. Even in her prime years, Sarah was unable to have children. Yet, the LORD promised Abraham a son.
Verse 4 says "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." Here, God is promising the impossible, but Abraham believes God.
Verse 6 says "And he believed in the LORD, and He counted it unto him for righteousness." Verse 6 was used in Romans 4 to prove salvation by grace through faith apart from works... and the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, rightly applied that verse. What is important to remember is that verse 6 describes Abraham's faith in the context of being promised the impossible. God promised something impossible, and Abraham believed Him. Abraham trusted Him. God was pleased with Abraham's faith.
Having faith means trusting God. Trusting God means taking Him at His word. Do you take God at His word? Do you believe His plan of salvation by grace through faith apart from works because Christ died on the cross for your sin? Do you trust Him to save you? Do you trust His word for child-rearing? Marriage? and the principle of sowing and reaping?
The Bible is not an archaic book of a dead religion that is no longer relevant. It is God's word, and its truth still holds up in modern society. Do you trust the Bible? Do you trust God's word?
In Genesis 15, God promises Abraham the impossible, and Abraham believes Him. In Luke 1, God promises a priest by the name of Zacharias the impossible, the birth of a son named "John the Baptist." Zacharias didn't believe, and was disciplined. Who would you rather be? Abraham? Or Zacharias?
Take God at His word. Believe the Bible. May God bless you and guide you on your journey of life.
Anyway, Abraham returned to the area with the rescued captives and all the goods and valuables stolen by the enemy raiders. The king of Sodom offered to reward Abraham by giving him all the goods and valuables he repossessed from the invading army, but Abraham refused, wanting God to get the glory for Abraham's prosperity, not the king of Sodom.
It is on this occasion that the conversation between God and Abraham took place in Genesis 15. God told Abraham that He was his shield and reward. Verse 1 says "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."
God had made many promises to Abraham. He had promised the land of Canaan as an inheritance... and not only the land of Canaan, but just about the entire fertile crescent. God promised Abraham a son, a seed, through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. He also promised that Abraham would be the father of many nations.
However, Abraham's reward was not all those things God promised. Abraham's reward was God Himself.
The LORD said "I am thy shield." God was Abraham's protection, and God fought Abraham's battles for him. How is it that Abram took 318 of his trained servants, and defeated a foreign military power? God must have been fighting his battle for him.
God also said, "(I am) thy exceeding great reward." All the stuff God promised to Abraham was not Abraham's reward for faith. Those things promised were things with which God would bless Abraham, which would be used to fulfill God's plans. The land would become home to the nation of Israel. The son would father Jacob, who would go on to become known as "Israel." Israelites, also referred to as the children of Israel, are descendents of Jacob. One of those descendents would be the seed through Whom the nations of the earth would be blessed. That Seed is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Abraham's reward was the LORD... having the Lord defend him, provide for him, and having an eternal relationship with the LORD. Abraham had faith in the LORD, and having the LORD as his reward was his heart's desire.
Hebrews 11:10 says "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Abraham was not as interested in the earthly blessings God promised as much as he was interested in the eternal blessings... entering that city to be with God... and entering into God's kingdom. Hebrews 11:16 backs this up by saying Abraham and Sarah "Desire a better country, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a city."
Notice how this is in stark contrast to Lot's values in life. Lot looked at the plain of Jordan and decided it was a place he could prosper. He looked at the wicked city of Sodom, and saw a place he could rise in prestige. He was looking at earthly things. Abraham, on the other hand, is fired up about heavenly things. He trusts God, and looks forward to the day he enters God's city.
God's people should get excited about having the Lord as their reward, and quit being so distracted by the things of this world. Preaching faith for prosperity is a multi-million dollar business, with many people paying money to prove they have the faith it takes for God to bless them on this earth. God never intented to reward His people in this life. The blessings of this life are temporary.
The rewards God offers His people are eternal. His reward is eternity with Him in His Kingdom. The golden streets and pearly gates of Heaven aren't even the point. The point is that one day, we'll sit at the table and commune with our Lord. Our relationship with Him will be like Adam's relationship with Him in Genesis 2, before man sinned. The sad truth about spirituality in America today is that it is next to impossible to get people fired up about this fact. You can motivate people with promises of earthly riches. You can motivate people with promises of golden mansions in Heaven. But motivating people with promises of sitting down and talking with Jesus is increasingly difficult as our culture grows more secular.
After God defines Abraham's reward and makes more promises concerning Abraham's son, Abraham defined faith by believing God.
In Genesis 15, Abraham was an old man. He was beyond the age when men fathered children, and he was beyond child-rearing years. His wife, Sarah, was beyond child-bearing years. Even in her prime years, Sarah was unable to have children. Yet, the LORD promised Abraham a son.
Verse 4 says "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." Here, God is promising the impossible, but Abraham believes God.
Verse 6 says "And he believed in the LORD, and He counted it unto him for righteousness." Verse 6 was used in Romans 4 to prove salvation by grace through faith apart from works... and the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, rightly applied that verse. What is important to remember is that verse 6 describes Abraham's faith in the context of being promised the impossible. God promised something impossible, and Abraham believed Him. Abraham trusted Him. God was pleased with Abraham's faith.
Having faith means trusting God. Trusting God means taking Him at His word. Do you take God at His word? Do you believe His plan of salvation by grace through faith apart from works because Christ died on the cross for your sin? Do you trust Him to save you? Do you trust His word for child-rearing? Marriage? and the principle of sowing and reaping?
The Bible is not an archaic book of a dead religion that is no longer relevant. It is God's word, and its truth still holds up in modern society. Do you trust the Bible? Do you trust God's word?
In Genesis 15, God promises Abraham the impossible, and Abraham believes Him. In Luke 1, God promises a priest by the name of Zacharias the impossible, the birth of a son named "John the Baptist." Zacharias didn't believe, and was disciplined. Who would you rather be? Abraham? Or Zacharias?
Take God at His word. Believe the Bible. May God bless you and guide you on your journey of life.
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