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Christian Devotional – January 16, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 32 VERSE: Genesis 32:26–Then the man said, “Let me go for it is daybreak.” Bu Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” TRUTH: Jacob had wrestled all night. He was tired, worn out, and exhausted both physically and mentally from worry and anxiety about his brother. Yet, he refused to give up or give in. Even when the man from God stated he had to leave, Jacob refused to let him go until the man blessed him. We go through plenty of our share of struggles and worries. We face lots of opportunities to give up and give in each and every…
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Christian Devotional – January 15, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 31 VERSE: Genesis 31:31–Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.” TRUTH: Jacob had been told by God to leave this area and return to the land where he was from. However, even though Jacob was doing what he was supposed to be doing, how he was doing it wasn’t the best. He tells Laban that he determined how to leave based on fear. Fear can be the reason behind a number of things that we do. Yes if God tells us something then we should obey it, but how we obey is just as important…
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Christian Devotional – January 14, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 30 VERSE: Genesis 30:27–But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. TRUTH: Even though Laban wasn’t a believer in God, he recognized when he had a good thing going. He realized that God was with Jacob and was working in what Jacob was doing and blessing it, and Laban wanted to stay part of that blessing. Laban, like so many people, wanted the benefits of a relationship with God, without having to actually submit his life to God himself. The question becomes, how do we help…
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Christian Devotional – January 13, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 29 VERSE: Genesis 29:31–When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. TRUTH: God sees us and knows us. He knows our deepest fears and our innermost longings. God is not some distant being, but instead is someone who knows us better than we even know ourselves. When that is put together with the fact that God sees and knows everything about the world and all that goes on, we see that God truly knows our best interest and is able to work in and through all things in order to bring about the very best for us.…
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Christian Devotional – January 12, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 28 VERSE: Genesis 28:15–I am with you and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised. TRUTH: As Jacob was leaving, reaping the consequences of his deceit against his brother, he lay down and had a dream. In that dream God appeared to him, which seems to be the first time that God had spoken to him. In this, God explains that He is Lord over all and that Jacob is destined to return to this land. God makes him a promise. When we are…
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Christian Devotional – January 11, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 27 VERSE: Genesis 27:13–His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.” TRUTH: As parents, we would often do anything for our children. However, in this case, Rebekah allowed herself to sin for her child. We must draw the line and not allow our love for our children to blind us to our need to keep God first in our lives. Our love for our children should never outweigh our love for God. As we are looking to help our children succeed and grow, we must be continually mindful that we are…
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Christian Devotional – January 10, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 26 VERSE: Genesis 26:22–He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in he land.” TRUTH: Isaac had been trying to find his place. God had shared with him to stay in this general area, but everywhere he tried to stop and set camp, he ran into people who argued with him. Isaac knew that there is peace in following God, so as that happened, he knew he must move on until he came to the place where there was peace. Do we seek for…
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Christian Devotional – January 9, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 25 VERSE: Genesis 25:32–“Look, I am about to die.” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” TRUTH: This story has long been used to illustrate the dangers of just thinking about the here and now at the expense of the long term. When we are in the midst of an issue or concern, it’s easy to see only what is right in front of us. We think we have to find a way to get through the immediate crisis before we can start to think about the long term. However, we must realize that we must always be thinking about the long term impact of…
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Christian Devotional – January 8, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 24 VERSE: Genesis 24:15–Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkal, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. TRUTH: We have so many requests that we bring to God. Sometimes it seems to take forever to see the results of those prayers. Sometimes the results come immediately. If we are following God moment by moment, we will bring our moment by moment needs to Him. God is concerned even with the little things in our lives. He is working out the very specifics of how we can be in line with…
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Christian Devotional – January 7, 2016
Read Genesis chapter 23 VERSE: Genesis 23:16–Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittities: four hundred shekels of silver to the weight current among the merchants. TRUTH: Abraham was mourning the loss of his wife and he was looking for a place to bury her. He went to purchase a burial plot, but the person selling the plot insisted that he buy, not only the cave, but also the entire field. Then, the price was a hugely inflated price for a field in that day and time. There will always be people who are trying to take…