Scripture

This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Observation

The Lord places Adam in the garden, but warns him that he must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Then the Lord sets about making a suitable helper for Adam.

The serpent comes along with the intention of causing Adam and Eve to rebel against God. He plants a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind, and pretty soon after that they eat the fruit they were commanded not to.

Application

From the beginning God has created a man and a woman for unity, oneness, communion.

There is a complementary nature between husband and wife with each supplying much of what the other lacks.

God instituted man and woman marriage- one man and one woman committed to each other for life.

Because marriage is such a sacred thing, satan comes and tries to rip husbands and wives apart, or use one to lead the other from God. This started in the Garden of Eden, but has continued to the present day.

Politicians and judges redefine marriage and pass laws to undermine it. At the same time, every husband and every wife is engaged in a daily battle with the enemy of our souls.

Marriage was intended as a refuge from the battles in the world, but often it becomes another battleground.

But praise be to God. The author of marriage can restore broken and battered marriages. It takes courage on our part and a willingness to change our own attitudes and habits. It takes prayer and listening to God as well as repentance for our own sins.

God loves marriage and He designed us to thrive in it.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for my wife and the security that comes from knowing I am loved. Amen.

Scripture

“So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh- the manager of his entire palace and governor of all Egypt.”

Observation

Joseph finally reveals to his brothers who he is, after several rounds of subterfuge and machinations.

“I am Joseph!” he exclaims. “I am Joseph whom you sold into slavery. But it is God who brought me here to save you.”

It is two years into a famine that must endure for seven years. Joseph invites his brothers to bring their families and livestock to Egypt to wait out the famine.

Application

Joseph could have been biter and vengeful towards his brothers for what they had done to him. Perhaps in earlier years he may have harboured desires for revenge.

God has done a work in his life, so that, despite his exalted position, he is much more humble.

Joseph recognises that the whole saga was orchestrated by God. It was God who brought him to Egypt. It was God who gave him the grace to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams about the famine. It was God who gave him favour to rise to the highest position in the land.

If we can learn to see that while people may treat us harshly, it is God who turns evil to good. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who are called to His purpose.”

When we understand that God is turning the bad things in our lives into blessings, then we can rise above the hurt and suffering. Instead of becoming bitter we can learn to rejoice in every situation.

Prayer

Lord, you waste nothing in my life. You recycle the deep hurts and turn them into strength. Thank you. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+17.1-16

Scripture

“I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God.”

Observation

When Abram is 99 years old, the Lord again appears to him. He promises to give him many descendants. Abram will be the father of many nations and is now to be called Abraham.

The Lord promises to keep His promises to Abraham and his descendants. As a response to this , every male- man, boy and even slaves- is to be circumcised. Future baby boys are to be circumcised on their eighth day.

Sarai is be called Sarah. She will bear a child and will become the mother of nations.

Application

God always keeps His promises. This is a fact that can give us hope in the darkest times.

God is faithful even when we are not. He keeps His promises to us and to our children.

We need to be careful that we heed the conditions of the promises. We often overlook the “If” and jump straight to the “I will…”

We must also learn to be patient when we claim God’s promises. He does things at the right time, not at our time. There is a 13 year gap between Genesis 16 and Genesis 17. Abraham was 100 years old when the son of promise was born.

When we think it’s too late, taking too long, past its “use by” date or just simply impossible, that is when God steps in.

God always keeps His promises. When we go off track, He coaxes us back in. When we give up hope, He gives us a glimmer of revelation to restore hope.

The only thing needed on our part is to stay faithful. God is faithful to His promise. We must remain faithful to Him.

Prayer

Thank you Lord that you always keep your promises. Even when we think we have missed it, nothing is too hard for you. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+9.8-17

Scripture

“I promise every living creature that the earth and those living on it will never again be destroyed by a flood.”

Observation

After Noah and his family emerge from the ark to a literally new world, the Lord makes a covenant with Noah.

The promise is that the Lord will never again send a world-wide flood to destroy all life. The rainbow will be the sign of this promise- both to the Lord and to Noah.

Application

We are not told of the emotional impact of the flood on Noah and his family. Seeing the destruction of every person and every creature in the world, apart from those on the ark must have been extremely distressing.

Now the Lord makes that promise to never again destroy the world by flood. The rainbow would be the sign of this promise.

The promise, together with the “reminder” of the rainbow, was a source of hope for Noah’s family as they set about living as the only inhabitants on the planet. None of them would have to go through such an ordeal again.

God doesn’t guarantee us freedom from tribulation. He does give us reminders of His love and signs for hope. Even in the darkest times of our lives we can look at a rainbow and find hope, or remember the other promises that God has given us.

Prayer

You Lord are the Father of all hope. Help me to trust you in the dark times of my life. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+32.22-31

Scripture

Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and prevailed.”

Observation

Jacob sends his wives, children and possessions across the river. He spends the night alone. A man comes in the night and wrestles with him. It happens that the man is God.

Jacob demands that the man bless him. The man says that having struggled with God and men, his name will no longer be Jacob but Israel. Jacob’s hip is put out of joint and he walks with a limp from that day forward.

Application

There are two ways to wrestle with God. You can wrestle in rebellion or you can wrestle in faith.

When we wrestle with God in rebellion, our motivation is to get our own way, to defeat God and to show Him that we are in control of our life.

When we wrestle with God in faith, our motivation is to come to obedience, to defeat our own sinful nature and to show ourselves that God is in control.

The attitude of rebellion is “I shall not.” The attitude of faith is, “I shall, but only by your grace.”

When we wrestle with God, we are changed one way or the other. Jacob received a new name. He was changed from “Trickster” to “Prevails with God.” His walk was changed because God marked his hip.

No longer would Jacob struggle to overcome others by cunning. From now on he was to prevail with God,

Prayer

Father I ask you for the grace to prevail with you. May I always walk in humble dependence on you. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+28.10-19

Scripture

Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

Observation

Jacob comes to a certain place and lies down for the night. He dreams of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and angels ascending and descending on it.

The Lord appears to Jacob and repeats His promises to Abraham and Isaac. These are promises of land, offspring and blessing.

Jacob wakes from his sleep and says, “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place and I did not know it. This place is the house of God.” He anoints the stone he slept on and names the place Bethel, that is house of God.

Application

We christians have the Holy Spirit in us, and so every place we go is Bethel, for we are each one the house of God.

There are times when the Lord surprises us, perhaps speaking to us or acting for us in ways we did not expect.

The presence of God becomes obvious to us in these moments. Every day in all that we do, we should try to be aware of God. He is with us in all the moments of all our days.

Many years ago a monk known as Brother Lawrence wrote a book called “Practising the Presence of God.” The title itself is a clue- we need to practise listening and discerning God’s presence with us in the minutiae of daily life.

We can learn to take the opportunities to seek out the Lord in our daily routines. I know of one lady who assigns a prayer point to each household task. Others take a minute each hour to stop and ask “Lord what are you saying to me right now?”

It is so easy to miss appointments with God when we lose ourselves in the world. We need to seek out God in the unlikely places of our lives and declare with Jacob, “Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.”

Prayer

Father in heaven, help me to seek you in everything I do. Please reveal yourself to me in my daily life. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+25.19-34

Scripture

Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Observation

Isaac, Abraham’s son, marries Rebekah. He prays to the Lord for a child as she is barren. She then becomes pregnant with twins.

The children struggle within her womb, so Rebekah prays and the Lord tells her that she has two nations inside her, and the elder will serve the younger.

When the twins are born, the first-born is covered in red hair so she names him Esau. The younger is clutching Esau’s foot so they name him Jacob.

Many years later, Esau returns from hunting one day to find Jacob cooking up a red stew. He demands some from his brother, but Jacob requires Esau to give his birthright to him, which he does.

Application

Esau despised his birthright. He was so driven by his flesh that he was willing to trade off his inheritance and position in the family for a bowl of stew.

It can be dangerously easy for christians to trade off their spiritual inheritance for some potentially short-lived fleshly desire. It might be sexual sin, an addiction or greed that leads us into a place where we are willing to give up our relationship with God, eternal life even, for some worldly gain.

The problem is that we see with our physical eyes rather than the eyes of faith, physical vision not spiritual vision.

Unlike Esau, the birthright can be regained if only we will confess our sins and walk in fellowship with the Lord.

The Lord has a birthright for every one of His children. We must not despise it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, please protect me from every temptation to despise my birthright, the inheritance that I have in you. Let my eyes not be tempted by anything that leads me away from you. Amen.