dailyinsights

[dailyinsights]

Just Say “No”

Passage: Exodus 23:1-9  Verses: Exodus 23:2a "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v3) “Do not show favoritism to a poor man” really stood out to me. Usually we think of our religion to look out for the poor and give grace and mercy. But here we’re warned not to break the law and pervert justice for the sake of the poor. It’s a rare statement that really stood out to me.

2) (v9) “Do not oppress an alien”. Foreigners are more vulnerable than natives and are easily oppressed. The hard part as Christians is to balance protecting the vulnerable but also submitting to the rule of law, especially when some laws may be oppressive.

Verse Thoughts

It is so easy to go along with the crowd. I think of LGBT rights, and how when I was a kid, the crowd was denouncing LGBT lifestyle. Now, the crowd is celebrating it. During both times, there were people who spoke with conviction. But many people also denounced the lifestyle because that’s what the crows was doing back then, and now they celebrate or even defend it, just because that is what the crowd is doing now.

That doesn’t mean that if you go against the crowd then you’re wrong. I think it just means that we should scrutinize our words even more carefully when they agree with the crowd.

Devotion Summary

As fathers, it is our role to set an example for our family by standing up for what’s right even when the crowd is doing what is wrong. 

Devotion Thoughts

When I ask myself “what is something that I can stand up for by doing or not doing that is right, even though the crowd is doing what is wrong?”, I draw a blank. As I wrote that sentence though, once thing did come to mind which I have done recently. I recently committed to abstaining from alcohol, because even though I personally believe that drinking alcohol is permissible for Christians, my pastor has given the impression that he does not think so. So I decided that since I consider him my authority, and abstaining from alcohol does not go against any higher authority as far as I know, then I will play it safe and avoid consuming alcohol so as to avoid disobeying my authority.

So for me, I think these areas are opportunities, where it’s not 100% clear and a little gray, but I take a bold and selfless step of erring on the side of caution.In fact, I think most bold steps like this are of this nature - gray areas where you could rationalize that it’s ok, but you don’t, because you want to be 100% sure that you are in obedience to God.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please give me the courage to do what is right, and the strength to obey you. Following a list of laws is hard, but you gave us a way by giving us your son. Please help me to be an example of obedience for my family, and to also be to them as what Christ is to the church - a head that leads with sacrificial love which enables my family to be righteous. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

[dailyinsights]

No Lone Rangers here

Passage: Exodus 17:8-16 Verses: Exodus 17:12 "When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v8) Apparently archaeologists can’t find any record of a people called the Amalekites. God really did blot them out from our memory.

Verse Thoughts

Hur reminds me of Ben Hur. I wonder if they are related. Also, it’s interesting how Aaron was helping with the battle. Back then there really wasn’t much separation between military and religion, or religion and government.

Devotion Summary

Even the Lone Ranger wasn’t a lone ranger. We weren’t meant to be alone as fathers. Just as Moses had the help of Aaron and Hur to hold his hands up, we have our wives and community to help us with our responsibility of fatherhood.

Devotion Thoughts

My fatherhood goes back and forth between passive and active (hopefully not to unhealthy extremes). Intersecting with this axis is another axis called teamwork and going solo. Whenever I swing towards the active end, it’s easy to forget that I don’t have to be active alone - I have a team and support network. When I enlist the help of my wife, my church, and my kids’ school, it’s good to not just ask for them to do things, but to share my goals so that we can work together to achieve them.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for making me a father, and thank you for giving me people to help me with my job. Please help me to set goals that are in line with what you want. And please help me to openly share my goals with the people in my life who are there to help me. Please help me find the right balance between a director and a visionary.

In Jesus Name, Amen

[dailyinsights]

Are We There Yet?

Passage: Exodus 14:10-18  Verses: Exodus 14:13 "Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.’”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v11) “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?”—I remember the “you brought us to the desert to die” part, bu tI don’t remember the “was it because there were not graves in Egypt” part.

2) (v15) Why did God say to Moses “Why are you crying out to me”? Was he scolding Moses, or the Israelites? It seems strange to scold Moses, because after they cried out he was reassuring him that God would rescue them. Right after God asks this, he instructs Moses to stretch his hand out to part the red sea. This instructions seems to be a response to the Israelites crying out. Did he expect Moses to know what to do without God’s instruction? What would have God done if the Israelites had not cried out? In fact, has God ever given people instructions when they did not cry out to him? If God prefers us to not cry out to him, it would be nice to have an example of what that looks like.

Verse Thoughts

Just as the previous devotion talked about how between God’s promise and his delivery on that promise, there is a waiting period during which we struggle and doubt, the Israelites here were facing adversity and doubting the promises of God. Our walk with Christ really is all about faith, hope, and love, the greatest of which is love.

Devotion Summary

As Dad’s we will have days that we are unpopular. It will either be because we are doing our job by setting boundaries and administering discipline, or because we are guilty of abandoning our post. Moses was in the former situation—he was not popular with the Israelites. He must have been frustrated by how much they were complaining, just as we get frustrated.

However, he was sure of God’s faithfulness and told the Israelites so. The reason was because he was in regular communion with God. Our success as fathers also depends on our communion and submission to God as well.

Devotion Thoughts

Today I have lots of work to do and was stressed, but I’m glad I put God first and spent time in his word. Without submission to him and communion with him, my chances of success as a Dad are unreliable at best. If I want to raise children of character that know to depend on God for any hope of righteousness, I’m going to have to put God first in my life and let him call the shots. And that’s what I will do today.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your word and today’s devotion that reminds me how important it is to be in communion and obedience to you. I offer you my will and my whole self to you today for your purpose and pleasure. Please use me to bring you glory in my life, the lives of my wife and kids, and the lives of anyone I interact with today. You love and power is amazing and I praise you.

I Jesus Name, Amen

[dailyinsights]

Reverend Dad

Passage: Exodus 13:1-10  Verses: Exodus 13:8-9 “On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v2) I wonder whether families with only female children were exempt from dedicating their firstborn to the LORD?

Verse Thoughts

I really like the Jewish tradition of placing physical reminders on their bodies to remember and live by scripture. It’s also important to use ceremony and ritual to remind ourselves

Devotion Summary

In the USA, Memorial Day is celebrated to remember what soldiers did to preserve the freedom enjoyed by all Americans. In the same way, the Jews celebrated passover to remember what God did for them. The important lesson we can learn from the Jews is that we as fathers are the priests of our home—we can’t pass off this responsibility to anyone else.

So we must teach our children about God’s grace and faithfulness, and live our lives as an example of his love and faithfulness.

Devotion Thoughts

This is a heavy responsibility that I think about from time to time but I feel like I haven’t really nailed down. Sometimes I worry about my doubt turning my teaching into empty words of hypocrisy. More so than that however, I worry that I am not vulnerable enough about my need for Christ.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please help me to be open about how much I need you. Please help me live my life in a way that is not based on pride in myself, but based on pride in you. Let my kids receive a faith from me that is based on how much we need you, and not on our knowledge, common sense or goodwill.

Thank you for saving depraved people like us. Please let us not stray from you and your love.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

A Little Light Goes a Long Way

Passage: Exodus 10:21-29 Verses: Exodus 10:23 “No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v20) This seems to be another pattern - every time God has Moses to a miracle, he has Moses stretch out his hand. This level of consistency in how a miracle is performed seems unique to the story of Exodus according to my memory.

Verse Thoughts

The Israelites having light and the Egyptians being in darkness could be a picture of the spiritual state of a people who live right with God versus those who do not.

Devotion Summary

The author tells a story of a father being woken up by a storm in the middle of the night, and not being able to go to sleep because of a beeping noise which turns out to be a smoke detector on low battery. He has to stumble about the house to find the source of the beeping noise so that he can stop it and go back to sleep. This is similar to how the Egyptians lived for three days.

This story is a reminder of what our homes must be in the midst of darkness. We should invite those who are lost to our homes so that they can see the light, and we should let our light chase the darkness from our neighbourhood.

Devotion Thoughts

I wasn’t expecting Robert to go in the direction of hospitality with this one, but it makes sense when you think about it. He didn’t explicitly mention it, but this connects to the teachings of Jesus where he says we are to be a light to the world. It makes sense that this is not only on a personal level, but also in the way we open up our homes to the people in our lives.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please let me live in the light of your presence every day. Let my home be filled with your light. Let my wife and children reflect your light to others as I do. Please use this light to chase darkness from my neighbourhood, and to illuminate the lives of those whom we invite.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

Passage: Exodus 4:1-12  Verses: Exodus 4:11 “The LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v2) God asks him what is in his hand. Strange, since God knows everything. But still, just because you ask a question doesn’t mean you don’t know the answer to it. For example, you may be asking it rhetorically in order to make the listener think. I wonder why God asked Moses what what in his hand, instead of just directly telling him to hold it out.

2) (v9) God gives Moses a few extra miracles to have up his sleeve in case the Egyptians don’t believe. For an all-knowing God, it seems strange that he would be giving things “just in case”. In the end, Moses used all the miracles that God gives him here, so God gave his exactly what he needed. I still wonder though why God said to use those miracles “if they don’t believe” instead of “when they don’t believe”.

Verse Thoughts

We don’t often think of God as the one who makes man deaf, mute, or blind.

Devotion Summary

As a child, the author once had to give a dramatic soliloquy of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” at his father’s business’ Christmas Dinner Party. This recitation of a familiar carol does not compare to the task of giving a speech to the ruler of the most powerful nation on earth which ordered him to let the Israelites go. It is no wonder that Moses was arguing with God. 

But God’s asks Moses “who made your mouth?” We should also remember the truth in this question. There is nothing that God cannot do with our mouths, our hands, our intellect and our minds. He made them, so he knows how to use them.

Devotion Thoughts

It may be because I’m a bit distracted by the kids this morning, but I feel I wasn’t able to give much depth of thought to today’s devotion. That being said, I’ve never felt a real affinity to this story even though I think I understand it. I’ve always felt very capable and usable to God. People have even told me that God has used me. I feel like this story has always been taught as an encouragement to those who feel inadequate to do God’s work, so I felt like it’s not for me. Maybe that is a sign of some vanity on my part that needs fixing? I don’t know.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please show me in my heart if there is anything preventing me from serving you. I’m sure I have pride that I’m not aware of, let alone other things. Please reveal my heart to me so that I can surrender it to you and be used by you.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

The Bush is Still Burning

Passage: Exodus 3:1-10  Verses: Exodus 3:5 “’Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v3) I wonder how Moses could tell from a distance that the bush was not burning up. I supposed he may have been observing from the same area for quite a while while his sheep were grazing.

2) (v4) Interesting how the choice of words is “that God saw that he had gone over to look” instead of “come”, because right after that God calls him from within the bush. I feel like other religions would have considered their God to observe everything from the bush’s perspective. This may be an example of how Moses believed God to be omnipresent. I wonder how unique or common the concept of an omnipresent God was among the Mesopotamian and African cultures of that time.

3) (v8) What would I do if God came to me and told me to liberate a group of people from an earthly power? I would be afraid of mixing human politics with the purposes of the kingdom of heaven. Though I suppose if God told me from a burning bush that would in theory set at ease any concern of mortal motive.

Verse Thoughts

This is the beginning of a long theme of the holy presence of God being dangerous to mankind and needing reverence when approaching. We didn’t see this when Adam and Eve enjoyed God’s presence in the Garden of Eden. We didn’t even see this when Jacob wrestled with God, or when the other patriarchs spoke with him. But in those instances God’s holiness did not seem to be fully present as it was when he revealed himself to Moses and the Israelites.

This is an interesting shift when we think about how Moses was supposedly the author of the entire pentateuch, because this differenc ein how God reveals himself could have been attributed to different authorship, but here we are forced to attribute it to the unified narrative of the pentateuch which was authored by and based on God himself.

Devotion Summary

If a VIP was in the same restaurant you were dining in with your wife, you would be very excited. What happened to Moses was the same thing but much more extreme, since he was with the most important person in the universe. This is also happening to us, constantly every day. The universe’s top VIP is with us, aware of us, and knows our thoughts and intentions. This is something to be overwhelmed by. Let it light your path and purify your mind.

Devotion Thoughts

It’s interesting how the devotion highlighted the same theme which I noticed—the holiness of God. I liked the analogy of sharing a restaurant with a VIP. Like chronic stress though, chronic awe can be dulling to our feeble minds. It’s easy to forget the amazing presence that we are in every day. I suppose this is why we return to God’s word and to intercession - to renew our amazement and focus on the presence of God, and what it means for us.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please let me more clearly and regularly appreciate your presence in my life, and how amazing it is that I can be in it. Please let my thoughts and prayers, my intentions and actions, and all of my words be impacted by the fact that you are here with me. I love you God. I want to serve you. Don’t let me fail you. Set me on fire for you.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

Go Climb a Tower

Passage: Genesis 50:15-21  Verses: Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v16) It seems like Joseph’s brothers were pretending that their father required Joseph to forgive them as his death wish, even though he had not. It seems like Jacob’s deceptiveness was passed on to his kids as well.

2) (v18) The sons of Jacob were ready to make themselves Joseph’s slaves, either as a gesture or in reality. Seems ironic since their descendants would indeed become slaves of the people of Egypt, just as they had offered themselves that day.

Verse Thoughts

Here he repeats the very same words he gave to his brothers when he initially forgave them. Joseph is showing himself to be consistent and a man of integrity.

Devotion Summary

Football coaches often have platforms they can stand on to get a better perspective of the plays that their teams are practicing or executing. In our walk with Christ, sometimes we can be focused on the worries and disappointments on the ground, and not see the big picture from God’s perspective. God gave this perspective to Joseph by “lifting him up” so that he could see from a higher vantage point. God can and will do the same for us if we ask.

Devotion Thoughts

Regardless of whether my goals are godly or not, I know that after I have embarked on achieving them, I begin to doubt myself when the going gets tough. We should always test our goals—not only whether they are sound from a human perspective, but also whether they are in line with God’s goals. However, pushback or disappointment is not one of the types of feedback that is a good reason to abandon your goals (or hope in God’s promises).

I hope that my goals are based on God’s promises, and that I always have his perspective while I do his work and wait for his deliverance.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for your promises. Thank you for the hope that we have in you. Please keep my eyes set on these things, and not the things of this world. And when times are difficult, please help me to always remember to keep things in perspective–your perspective.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

A Relationship Fixer-Upper

Passage: Genesis 45:1-15  Verses: Genesis 45:15 “And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v8) “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” This is a good example of how a terrible thing such as being sold into slavery can be attributed to God without compromising the character of God—his goodness and lovingkindness. Whether God is using the ill-intentioned agency of man, or is orchestrating the injustice himself, God is still a just God. The reason is still a mystery to me. I know it’s not because his ends justify his means. Perhaps it’s because he owes us nothing, we owe him our worship and our very lives.

That’s a scary thought to take to it’s extreme because it would mean that children who are abandoned in the forest by their parents and die by starvation or exposure, or those that have their parents killed before their eyes and are raped cannot claim that they don’t deserve such suffering because of their debt of sin to God. So it is easier for us to attribute the agency for inflicting such suffering on sin or the devil. That is a useful way of thinking about it for the impulses, desires, and situations that cause such suffering are consequences of sin entering the world. But in that sense it is not the child’s individual debt to God or sin that is solely to blame, but our collective debt to God and sin that is to blame. So we as the human race need to take responsibility for the suffering of children and other “innocents”. This of course we cannot do so we need to turn to Christ who has already paid the price and can restore us all.

Verse Thoughts

Brothers kissing—Very alien to our culture! Seriously though, this whole story is so moving. How Joesph cannot control himself any longer and loses is composure in front of his brothers, explaining all that happened. What a great reunion, all centered around the God’s plan of deliverance from famine, which was part of his greater plan for his people to be a blessing to the whole world.

Devotion Summary

Restring relationships is like restoring old trucks. This is what happened to Joesph’s relationship with his brothers. It’s noteworthy that after their relationship was restored, they talked. It is sheer delight to have a conversation with someone that you have just made amends with. Let’s think about whether there is someone we have a relationship with which could use restoration. Imagine what it would be like to confess what you did wrong, forgive them for their part, then share a wonderful conversation with them.

Devotion Thoughts

I neglected to note how Joesph and his brothers talked. It did stand out to me though as a very human moment in the story that didn’t seem necessary to the plot. It makes the story all the more relatable.

As for relationships in my life that need restoration, two come to mind. I feel like the hard part for me is forgiving them because I don’t know whether they would be offended that I think they need my forgiveness. But maybe I’m just fooling myself and I’m really afraid of truly forgiving them and confessing my own wrongdoing. I will pray about this.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please give me a heart of humility to confess my sins and forgiveness so that I can have restoration in my relationship with those I currently have a hard time drawing near to. I confess my prideful and insensitive nature. Please give me the courage to be vulnerable no matter how many times I’m hurt. Please give me the courage to confess my wrongdoing and forgive others for theirs even if they disagree with me on what is wrong.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

It’s Always Something

Passage: Genesis 44:1-16 Verses: Genesis 44:16 “'What can we say to my lord?’ Judah replied. ‘What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v5a) “Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination?” So Joseph practiced divination? Whenever I read this, I wonder whether Joseph was making this up to scare his brothers, or if he actually did it. If he did, that would be contrary to God’s law in Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ...which had not been written yet.

2) (v13) Whenever people tear their clothes in the Bible, I’m reminded how foreign my culture is to theirs. I wonder what other cultures had this practice, how long it lasted and when it died out.

Verse Thoughts

It’s common behavior for people to defend their innocence regardless of guilt. I wonder how common it is though for people to plead guilt even when they are guilty. I would wager that it’s more common when defendants are trying to protect someone else.

Devotion Summary

At the wedding of the author’s daughter, the sound technician turned the pastor’s mic on too early and a private joke was broadcast to the whole conversation. It was not as bad as it could have been, but was an example of how even when we plan everything perfectly, something can still go very wrong.

It was the same way for Joseph’s brothers—they had followed Joseph’s instructions to the letter, but they still had a silver chalice planted on them which ruined everything. Even though they were innocent of the accusation though, they still knew they were guilty of other sins, and were in need of forgiveness and mercy. This is true of all of us as well.

Devotion Thoughts

I am very quick to defend myself if I know that I am innocent of the accusation, even though I am guilty of a greater sin. If I knew my place as a Christian though, I would be quick to humble myself and ask for forgiveness even when technically innocent, knowing that I owe a great debt to all around me. This doesn’t require giving false confessions—it just requires an attitude of remorse and repentance, which can be done with honesty even when technically innocent of the small accusation. I want to be more like that.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please give me a humble and repentant heart. Let me be quick to seek forgiveness and slow to defend my innocence and pride of which there is and should be very little. The only innocence and pride I have is from you. Thank you for redeeming me—please help me to never forget that I need your forgiveness and the forgiveness of those around me.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

Sandwiches, Rocket Ships, and Money in the Bank

Passage: Genesis 41:33-41, 53-57 Verses: Genesis 41:41 “So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v38) “So Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?’ Every time I read this, I’m surprised to read a Pharaoh refer to the spirit of God with familiarity. I think this isn’t the only time that a foreigner has referred to God in such a way. Whenever I read this, I think how either it is a testament to the fame and reach of God - that those who have discernments know who God is even if they don’t worship him - or it shows how Israel-centric the authors were in assuming (or devising plot points which assume that) everyone knows who the God of Abraham is.

Verse Thoughts

That would be quite a moment - going from a slave to CEO of the whole country.

Devotion Summary

Strategic planning is used by NASA, businesses, and quarterbacks to prepare for the future instead of the present.For example, NASA aims rockets at where the moon will be, not where it is. We do this too in our daily lives - we prepare lunch in the morning before we have an inkling of an appetite for lunch food, anticipating our hunger later in the day.

Strategic planning is the key to good fatherhood as well - provide your children with discipline, tenderness and instruction not only for the present, but also for the future. It is thankless work, but an investment which your children will withdraw on in the future. When we get pushback or don’t know what to do, we should remember Joseph’s words “I cannot do it ... but God will”.

Devotion Thoughts

This is a great example of the kind of father (and husband!) that I want to be. I want to encourage my kids to exemplify the character of Christ (e.g. being givers, not takers) not only now, but int the future as well. Thinking not only selflessly for my kids’ benefit but also thinking long-term instead of short-term is such a feat of maturity that I can only achieve with the help of the Holy Spirit. It’s encouraging to see that it was the same for Joseph as well - with God’s help he had the integrity and foresight to follow through on some great leadership.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please give me the foresight to prepare my kids (and my wife!) for the future. Help me make investments in their character today which they can withdraw on when they need to stand against the storms of the future. Holy Spirit, please use me to train my family to lean on you when times get tough. And train me so that I can be an example to them so that they will know that this is all real. Thank you for the example of Joesph in the Bible. And thank you for giving us access to the same wisdom he had through your word and your spirit

Amen

[dailyinsights]

Tell Bobbie “Hello” for Me

Passage: Genesis 39:1-12 Verses: Genesis 39:12 “She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v4) I wonder how similar or different slavery was in Egypt compared to the United States. Earning favor and being trusted with all household affairs seems likely in a racism based slavery system, but then again the Israelites were later all enslaved as a people and treated harshly. Perhaps that says that the when a group of people are treated as lesser, they are more likely to be mistreated, regardless of the system (slavery, employment etc.)

2) (v10) I wonder how I would fare being invited by a woman to have illicit relations with her on a daily basis. In fact, I don’t really need to wonder - I’m sure that I would be weak and it would be very hard for me. I’m impressed by how strong Joseph was, and think he left a great example for all men to follow.

Verse Thoughts

For some reason this verse reminded me of the woman catching the cloak of Jesus who was subsequently healed. I don’t know if there is supposed to be a connection between those two stories, but there is a mirror / redemptive comparison between the two if you think about it. In one the woman tries to tempt and incriminate by catching the man’s cloak. In the second the woman seeks healing with discretion, and receives it.

Devotion Summary

The author had an experience of sharing an engaging conversation with a beautiful and articulate woman while flying on an airplane. He had the opportunity to spend time alone with her after the flight, but decided to be forthright about his marriage and family. He was glad that he did.

Devotion Thoughts

This is the third time God has spoken to me about adultery from distinct sources. Two days ago I read a blog post about how enjoying pornography is a form of adultery, and yesterday my pastor’s sermon had the same message. And here we are today, about resisting temptation to commit adultery, this time of the physical variety. I think God is sending me a clear message that this is something he wants me to seriously commit to repenting of and surrendering to him

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

I’ve got the message loud and clear. Thank you for speaking to me and causing me to repent in this area. I again commit to avoiding pornography of all forms. But I will need your help. Thank you fro giving me your Holy Spirit, and for giving me a supporting, forgiving and loving wife on whom I can rely. 

Please let me put you first in this an all areas of my life. My only hope of loving my wife the best I can and being righteous the way you require is for me to love, submit, and obey you first and foremost. Thank you. I love you.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

He’s My Brother

Passage: Genesis 33:1-12 Verses: Genesis 33:4 “But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v2) You can see the order in which he valued his maidservants, wives and children by the order in which he had them approach his brother Esau whom he feared. 

Verse Thoughts

It must have been very emotional for Jacob to turn from fear to relief so quickly, when he realized that his brother was going to welcome him with favour instead of take vengeance on him.

Devotion Summary

Sometimes we can be quite cruel to our siblings, alienating them even into adulthood. Let’s reconcile with our siblings if we need to, and train our children to treat their siblings right.

Devotion Thoughts

I’m both glad and sad about the relationship I have with my siblings now. I’m not sure what I can or should do about it, other than expressing my appreciation for them.

I do want my kids to learn how to treat each other better. I often just scold them but let it slide because they seem too young to be considerate. But maybe I just don’t have the skills to treat them to be considerate.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please help me to train my kids to be considerate and kind with each other, despite their impulses in the moment. And please help me to be a good example in the way I treat my wife and others in the home, and my siblings, relatives, and others outside the home.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

Your Child’s Marriage Partner

Passage: Genesis 28:1,10-17 Verses: Genesis 28:15 “I am with you and 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 you.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v11) Jacob laying his head on a stone to sleep reminds me of the words of Jesus that the sone of man has no place to rest his head.

Verse Thoughts

When God says “I will bring you back to this land”, is he talking about Jacob personally, or about his offspring?

God goes on to say “I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you”. Does this imply that God will leave him or his offspring after that?

Devotion Summary

There are a spectrum of decision makers, off to one extreme are the ones who make all of their decisions in a split second without much thought, and off to the other extreme are those who are so indecisive because they are afraid to make mistakes.

We can help our children avoid these two extremes when it comes to choosing a marriage partner by doing what Jacob did. He blessed his son, and then gave him direction and advise. We want our kids to walk with God when they are alone. If they have our encouragement and advise, they will know we support them, and have faith that God is with them too.

Devotion Thoughts

It may be because I haven’t fully woken up yet, but I wasn’t able to connect the dots in this devotion very well. The sentiment makes sense to me though - if as a parent we give our kids assurance that we support them, and clear direction on the right path to go, then they are more likely to go the right path.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Let me be a father that always supports his children, and that gives them clear instructions on how to walk with you their whole lives, even after they leave this home.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

God’s Wake-Up Call

Passage: Genesis 22:1-18  Verses: Genesis 22:12 “'Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v1) I wonder if the reason why Eli advised Samuel as a boy to respond to God with “Here I am” is because Abraham did the same in this verse

2) (v2) I would be mortified if God asked me to sacrifice my son at Moriah. I wonder whether the word mortified comes from the word Moriah... More importantly though, I wonder whether I or anybody would take God seriously if he asked us this, or if we would dismiss God’s command as “inconsistent with scripture”.

3) (v3) Abraham obeyed God only after one night, taking Isaac early the next morning. He didn’t even sit on it for a week. Definitely by the world’s standards, that’s crazy for such a rash decision. Either Abraham was very loyal to God, or child sacrifice was not as abominable of a concept to him as it is to us today.

4 (v5) Abraham told the servant that he was going to worship with Isaac (deceptive, but not technically a lie) and then they would both return (blatant lie as far as Abraham knew, which turned out to be true). I wonder how God felt about that.

5 (v8) Abraham telling Isaac that God will provide the lamb seems to be a similar deception as when he told his servant that he was going to worship with Isaac. Another way of looking at it though is that Abraham had prophetic faith that God would provide an alternative sacrifice. A more nuanced interpretation would be that Abraham was coping with the situation by placing the decision of what would be sacrificed solely in God’s hands, whether it be Isaac or something else. So many questions... I wonder what the midrash says.

Verse Thoughts

So many thoughts about this verse. “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

6.a. “Now I know”. Did God now know before? Or the angel? In Genesis, angels seem to only speak the words of God to the point that we cannot distinguish God from the Angel (e.g. the angels who visited Abraham before they destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, or the Angel that wrested Isaac). So it’s unlikely that the angel is the one who did no know before, it was God. Why did God need to test Abraham? Was it for Abraham’s sake, or for God’s sake? If the former, how did it help Abraham? If the latter, how did it help God?

6.b. “you fear God”. If we’re not willing to give up our children for God just as Abraham did or just as God did for us, then God could consider us as not fearing him. Do we fear God enough to give up our children? In thought 2 and 3 above I touched on how by the world’s standards we would be thought as crazy to sacrifice our own child for God. But by God’s standards, we don’t fear God unless we’re willing to do that. That’s pretty intense.

6.c. “you have not withheld from me your son, your only son”. There is a great parallel here with what God later does with Jesus. Through this Abraham also achieved a redemption of sorts, being called righteous. I’ve heard some say that he achieved salvation when God credited it to him as righteousness. It was the same act of son sacrifice, but in the reverse direction. Very symbolic.

Devotion Summary

This passage is a reminder that our children are not our own. We often think of our possessions, our families, and our very lives as belonging to us. However, they are all God’s treasures on loan to us for us to take care of. So we must be ready to give them back to him at any time, and to do with and care for them as he sees fit. This should make us proud, bewildered, and thankful.

Devotion Thoughts

It’s a crazy and unfathomable perspective to have, that you would be willing to kill your own child if God told you to. But it is also the radical devotion to God that I want to have in place of what I feel is my current complacent faith.

If I could have this perspective, then every decision I make and action I take as a husband and father would have such greater focus and passion that I have right now. Focus on God, and enthusiasm in execution.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for blessing me with a wife and many children. Let me have the attitude of Job and Abraham that they are gifts on loan from you, for you to give and take as you please. Give me a servants heart that delights in pleasing you with my stewardship of your gifts. Let me care for them as a gardener tends to his garden, nourishing the plants, and pruning them to be pleasing to his master.

Please let me never forget that you are my master, and that all I have comes from you, and that all I do is for your glory.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

The Day that Changed Your Life Forever

Passage: Genesis 21:1-7 Verses: Genesis 21:6 “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.’”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v5) Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born to him. I can’t imagine having a new child at the age of 100. It’s a lot of work being a father - at least a present one without any servants. I’m sure Abraham was glad to have servants, not to mention Sarah too! Speaking of Sarah, I always wonder how old she was. Isn’t it biologically impossible to have children past the age of 50? Was she a super young bride for Abraham? I’ve seen cartoons drawing her as an 80+ year old having a baby, but how does that even work? (looks it up). So apparently the Bible doesn’t say how old she was, but the midrash says that she was 90 years old, and that after she had Isaac she also was nursing other children in her community. Crazy! I guess that’s the point of the story—not something anybody would have believed would happen, but anything is possible with God.

Verse Thoughts

I think this verse shows a beautiful maturity in Sarah, since her laughter at first was mocking the words of promise from God, but now her laughter is delighting in his faithfulness.

Devotion Summary

The title of this devotion “The Day that Changed Your Life Forever” reminds me of the song “A Baby Changes Everything” by Faith Hill. This devotion talks about the ecstasy and transformation we experience the day we become fathers. Fatherhood is an exciting journey to embark on which lasts for our entire lives. It is a good thing to celebrate by remembering the day God brought your baby into your life.

Devotion Thoughts

I remember when my first baby was born - there is something really special about your first. Don’t get me wrong, I was ecstatic about all of them, but the first one moved me deeply. It wasn’t as poetic as other fathers made it sound, but neither were their stories as impactful to me as my own experience. Now and then I like to remind my child how big of an impact she had on me when she was born. In fact I think I’ll do that again today.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Let me never forget how much of a privilege it is to be a father, and let me not waste this privilege by squandering the time I have my children in my home, and let my children have the assurance by my words and actions that I am delighted to be their father.

Amen

[dailyinsights]

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and You

Passage: Genesis 17:1-8 Verses: Genesis 17:7 “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

Passage Thoughts

1) (v5) Abraham, along with Paul, is quote famous in the Bible for having his name changed. I knew that the name Abraham means father of many, but I had forgotten that the name Abram means exalted father.

2) (v6) It’s interesting here that God says that kings will come from Abraham. God said in 1 Samuel 8:7 “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” God clearly preferred for his people to not have a human king. So in verse 6 here, was God referring only to the kings of nations other than the Israelites, or was he also referring to the Israelites?

Verse Thoughts

As a Christian, it is easy to think of the covenants which preceded the New Covenant (e.g. the Edenic Covenant, the Nohaic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, the Priestly Covenant, and the Davidic Covenant”) to be concluded in some sense by their fulfillment. But the Abrahamic covenant here clearly stipulates that it is eternal. God is still the God of the Israelites, even today. They are his people, and he is their God.

Devotion Summary

Every patriarch creates a legacy by the impression they leave, which is often derived from their values. What legacy are you going to leave? What stories will your descendants tell about you? What traits of theirs will they attribute to you?

Devotion Thoughts

I want to live my values and of course have values to live in the first place. But I also find it more powerful to think of my family as having a covenant with God that is to be carried from generation to generation.

Devotion Prayer

Dear Lord,

Please let me find and never lose my purpose as your child and as a husband and father who you have entrusted a wife and children to. Give me a flame that will burn in my life that would be passed on to my children and my descendants after that. Let that flame burn for you always, and let it warm those around us with your love and a whet their appetite for you.

Amen