DEVOTIONS

January 13, 2023
Daily Reading – Genesis 1 – 2 / Genesis 27 – 28 / Matthew 9:18-38

GOD’S WORD:

Genesis 28:20-21 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

    We have probably all said this pledge at one time in our life if we are raised in United States. However, what are we pledging. We are not promising to be faithful to a piece of cloth. While I am still an American who holds our flag dear, it is not the cloth that I so proudly align with. It is the country for which it stands. We are making a vow, a solemn promise to align ourselves with the laws and avail ourselves of the liberties of this country that this flag represents. We do so based on what we know to be true about this country and the promises it makes to its people. 

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

     Pledges, or vows are a serious matter. They are a solemn promise to something or someone else. God takes His pledges to us very serious and keeps every single one of them. 

How serious are you about your pledge to God? Is He leading your life today?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

January 12, 2023
Daily Reading – Genesis 25 – 26 / Matthew 9:1-17

GOD’S WORD:

Genesis 26:24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    In a room full of people, you see someone across the way and yell Hello! Hey, hello! However, it appears they do not hear you. As you begin to make your way through the crowd, along the way people stop to exchange pleasantries. You are not trying to be rude, but your focus is really somewhere else, and at times it feels as if these people are trying to stop you from getting to them. All you can think of is getting to the person you want to be near across the room. Even though you are around so many people, you feel almost alone. You wave your hand, jump up a bit, but nothing. Finally, you reach them, and they are so happy to see you. As you begin to talk, the people who seemed to be your hindrances, now appear more inviting and friendly. What happened? You finally were near who you wanted to be around, and their presence now makes everything ok.

    God has promised that He will be near believers always. Yet at times it may feel as if He is so far away. As in our example above the reason may be that God is near, but something is hindering our fellowship. In our reading of Genesis today, Isaac had moved from where God told him to be. While away, God was there and watched over him, but His presence seemed absent. When Isaac returned to where God told him to be, the struggles stopped, and God spoke with him again. When He did, Isaac knew that all was right with God again. 

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  Does it ever feel as if God has left you? He has not. In Hebrews 13:5 He promised to never leave nor forsake us. Examine where you are. It might be you have wandered off where God has said we should not go. 

If God seems distant, could it be our fellowship is hindered?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

 January 11, 2023
 Daily Reading – Genesis 24 / Matthew 8

 GOD’S WORD:

Genesis 24:48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    Ok, here is your task for today. Go out into whatever town you live in and find a person who has a 1929 Buffalo Nickel in perfect condition in their pocket. Not only that, but this person must have received that nickel from one of your past relatives, and finally, they must be willing to give that 1929 Buffalo Nickel to you. Sound impossible?

    Abraham’s servant was given the task of going into a far country to find a wife amidst a community of people he had never met. Furthermore, not just any young lady would do. She had to come from a particular family. Abraham’s family. Then, after finding such a girl, he had to persuade that family to release her into his care, someone they had never met, to take her away from them back to where he came from. Remind you of finding the Buffalo Nickel task? How is this even possible? This servant of Abraham had seen the faith of his master in his God. In Genesis 24:7 Abraham told his servant; “The LORD God of heaven, …he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.” The servant believed his master, and his master believed in his God. As you read through the story you see the hand of God providing exactly what the servant was looking for, and more. A virgin daughter of Abraham’s brother’s family. The servant did as anyone should do when God provides, He worshipped God. 

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

     God will provide for us if we will listen and let Him lead. Remember back in Gen. 18:14 when God asked “Is any thing too hard for the Lord”

When it comes to a question of God providing, we need to ask ourselves, Is anything too hard for God?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

 January 10, 2023 
 Daily Reading – Genesis 21 – 23 / Matthew 7

 GOD’S WORD:

Genesis 21:1-2 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    All of us have done it at one time or another. Broken a promise. Not because we wanted to or planned to. However, things come up, situations arise, and the next thing you know, the promise you made has been broken. Maybe you promised to be on time for an event. Then, a flat tire, a train, or an alarm clock that will never work again after you have thrown it across the room one to many times, and now you are late. Promise broken. If it happens too often, people begin to lose faith in you. Your promise means nothing.

    Man often measures God by our own earthly abilities. God says something and man wonders if He will keep His promise. Sarah and Abraham were promised a child in their old age. Not just a child, a male child. Not someday, but at a time pre-set by God. They both laughed. That was until the promises came true exactly as God had said. In our verses today it says, “…the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.” & “…at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” Now Sarah and Abraham realized, never doubt God’s promises. In the next chapter, the Lord tests Abraham to see if he believes Him or not. He has promised Abraham that his son Isaac will be a great nation. Now God asks Abraham to sacrifice him. Abraham prepares to do just that. Why? Well, God has promised his son would become a great nation. Abraham believes God will keep his promise so he would have to bring Isaac back to life. 

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  There is a difference between the promises of man and of God. With man, unknown variables may change the outcome. With God there are never any unknown variables. 

When reading God’s Word and you run across His promise, is there really any question if it will happen?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

 January 09, 2023
 Daily Reading – Genesis 18 – 20 / Matthew 6:16-34

 GOD’S WORD:

Genesis 18:14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    Isn’t it amazing what little children see in their parents. Little boys especially will argue that their daddy is able to do superhuman feats. This hero in their eyes can outrun, out jump, out fight, out climb, and just out-and-out do anything better that anyone else’s daddy. Even if their daddy is five foot nothing and weighs a total of one hundred pounds soaking wet, and the opponent’s daddy is ginormous, it did not matter. Little children want to believe their daddy is the best. As they grow older and the reality that their daddy may not be the best at everything, respect for who he is and what he does, should replace that childhood fantasy. Parents should always be special in the eyes of their children. Honor thy father and mother.

    However, if you are a child of God, then your Heavenly Father can do anything. Anything that He decides is worthy of doing. God told Abraham and Sarah that they were going to have a son in their old age. They both laughed at the idea. Abraham in Genesis 17:17 and Sarah laughed in Genesis 18:12. Yet God reminds them that He is God. In Genesis 18:14 He asks a rhetorical question; “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” It might be good for us to be reminded from time to time during our toughest trials or our greatest temptations in life, just who our heavenly Father is. When it comes to a question of Power, Your Heavenly Father has all that is necessary. 

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  Jesus reminded us of this same truth in Matthew 28:18 “…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Yup, if we as the children of God need help, we have a reliable source in our Heavenly Father. 

Is there anywhere else we could get better help?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12