Posts with the tag “patriarchs”

Today's reading: Matthew 22:1-46Once again we're only going to focus on a small part of this chapter, although I encourage you to read the entire passage.In verse 32, Jesus claims that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the patriarchs we have been reading about. But then Jesus adds these words:He is not God of the dead, but of the living.This is a very important statement because with t...  Read More

Today's reading: Hebrews 11:1-40One of the great benefits of preparing these devotionals is that I get to read and meditate on these passages twice - once when I'm preparing the devotional and again on the day that I read the passage as part of the reading plan.  Today the writer of Hebrews takes us through a long list of those who demonstrated their faith in God, including a lot of the patriarchs...  Read More

Today's reading: Galatians 4:1-31The entire chapter is great, but I'm going to focus on Paul's discussion of Hagar and Sarah in verses 21-31. Once again Paul points out that the promise God made to Abraham wasn't carried down through all of his sons, but only through Isaac. Paul uses the example of Hagar, Abraham's slave and Sarah, his wife, to demonstrate that our righteousness does not come from...  Read More

Today's reading: Romans 9:1-33Paul reminds us that not all descendants of Abraham are God's children. While Abraham had other sons, the promise that God made to Abraham to make him into a great nation who would bless the entire world was carried on only through Isaac, and  not Abraham's other sons. That was no because of anything that Isaac did, but instead completely a result of God's sovereignty...  Read More

Take some time to reflect on the reading you've been doing in this section. Think about how God was faithful to carry out the promises He had made to Abraham even when His people were disobedient. Be encouraged to know that God can still use you to carry out His purposes regardless of your past....  Read More

If you need to, use today and tomorrow to catch up on your reading. Even if you're several days, or even a week behind, don't let that discourage you. Don't give up!...  Read More

Today's reading: Acts 7:1-60When Stephen is arrested in the synagogue and accused of blasphemy for preaching the gospel, he makes his defense by explaining how Jesus is the fulfillment of the same Scriptures his accusers are attempting to use against him. As he is empowered by the Holy Spirit, Stephen gives an incredible testimony about Jesus in which he goes all the way back to the promise that G...  Read More

Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 2:1-551 and 2 Chronicles tell the story of Israel and Judah, starting with Adam and ending with the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon (538 BC). The account begins with a collection of genealogies (1 Chr 1–9) and then shifts to King David (in the remainder of 1 Chronicles) and his descendants (in 2 Chronicles).The genealogy in 1 Chronicles 2 traces the lineage f...  Read More

Today's reading: Psalm 105:1-45The Psalmist gives praise to God for His wondrous works. In particular, he is thankful for God's faithfulness in keeping the promise that He made to Abraham and which He later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob.Take some time  today to consider the promises that God has fulfilled in your life and to give Him thanks for that....  Read More

Today's reading: Genesis 49:1-33Jacob blesses his twelve sons before he dies. One interesting thing to note here is that the blessings for Judah and Joseph are much longer than the blessings for the other sons.Jesus comes from the line of Judah and in Jacob's blessing of Judah, there are obvious prophecies that indicate the Messiah is going to descend from him. The most obvious is that in Revelati...  Read More

Today's reading: Genesis 32:1-32These events take place over 20 years after Jacob fled from his home after obtaining the blessing that belonged to Esau. Since Esau had vowed to kill Jacob after Isaac died, it is not surprising that Jacob is afraid to meet Esau. The night before he is to come face to face with Esau, Jacob ends up by himself where he ends up in a wrestling match.It’s not completely ...  Read More

Today's reading: Genesis 27:1-46Jacob once again lives up to his name, which literally means "he grasps by the heal" or "supplanter". He had previously deceived his brother Esau and taken his birthright and now, with the help of his mother, he takes the blessing from his father. As the older son, both the birthright and the blessing should have gone to Esau. However, back in Genesis 25, God had re...  Read More

Today's reading: Genesis 26:1-35Today we begin a new section of our reading plan: The promise continued through the patriarchs. We'll be reading about how God fulfills his promise to Abraham by giving him twelve descendants from which the tribes of Israel emerge.In this chapter, God reaffirms the covenant He had made with Abraham and promises to bless Isaac. But just like Abraham had done earlier,...  Read More