Today's Scripture:

Genesis 16:1-16

Wow. It's been awhile since I've read Genesis straight through instead of just a story here or there. I'm struck by how up and down Abram's life was. He and Sarai really struggled, you know? And not just with the things that happened to them. They struggled often against themselves to do what was right in God's eyes ( Read more... )

Today's Scripture:

Genesis 15:1-21

What happens in this chapter, God creating a covenant with Abram, is a beautiful piece of foreshadowing. The ritual used for establishing covenants back then involved a sacrifice, split in two pieces. The parties involved would then walk between the pieces before they were offered up as a burnt offering. Walking ( Read more... )

Today's Scripture:

Genesis 14:1-24

I'm a bit tired today, so I'm going to keep it simple...

I love Abram's gumption (I think that's the word I'm looking for) in this chapter. He goes and saves Lot, defeating the kings holding him captive in the process. It was something that the power of five kings could not accomplish. Then when one of the kings ( Read more... )

Today's Scripture:

Genesis 13:1-18

In this passage, I am really struck by the first four verses. After Abram had his little interlude in Egypt, he moves around a bit more until he comes back to where he started- to the very place where he built an altar of praise to God! Does anyone else find this a bit ironic? He had to literally go back to the ( Read more... )

Today's Scripture:

Genesis 12:10-20

Oh, how the mighty will sometimes fall. In the previous section, we saw how Abram obediently followed God, even when God asked for something as drastic as pulling up all roots and moving to an unknown land. It was a test of faith, one that Abram passed beautifully.

Now here, in the very next section, we see him ( Read more... )

Today's Scripture:

Genesis 12:1-8

It's been a long time since I read this particular passage. I don't think it has ever before dawned on me just how important these 8 verses are. This is a major pivot point in the history of mankind. We screwed up. Yeah sure, technically it was Adam and Eve who got the destructive ball rolling, but can any of us say ( Read more... )

Umm, wow. I haven't been on here in ages! I wish I could blame it on the kids being home for the summer or being buried alive under a stack of to-do lists (both of which were true), but it mostly came down to laziness on my part. Honestly, I've just been in a funk the past couple months. I've been... I don't know the correct word for it... maybe ( Read more... )

Today's Scripture:

Genesis 11:1-9 (The Message)

At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language. It so happened that as they moved out of the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled down.

They said to one another, "Come, let's make bricks and fire them well." They used brick for stone and tar for mortar.

Then they said, " ( Read more... )

Today's Scripture:

Genesis 10:1-32 (NIV)

This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.

The sons of Japheth:
       Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras.

The sons of Gomer:
       Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

The sons of Javan:
       Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. ( ( Read more... )

 Today's Scripture:

Genesis 9:1-28 (NIV)

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into ( Read more... )