Devotions – Page 21

CATEGORY ARCHIVES: Devotions

Broken

Posted by Karah

Pause

Have you ever broken something really valuable or lost something that was really important to you? Recall the way you felt when you realized what you had done.

With that in mind, read Genesis 3:1-7 in your Bible.

“Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” —Genesis 3:6

In an instant, sin entered the world. God had set a boundary, and Adam and Eve had chosen to live in opposition to Him.

Consider these questions:

Look at Satan’s interaction with Eve in verses 1-4. How did he tempt Eve to further question God’s goodness and the truth of His word? Why do you think questioning these things leads to sin? Explain.

Prior to this, God had been the One who determined what was right and wrong, but Eve took on that role in verse 6. If God is the Author and Main Character of Scripture, why is it wrong to usurp that role? Explain.

Adam and Eve’s sin didn’t just affect them; it affected the entire human race. How do you know this to be true? Explain.

Read verse 7. Satan had said that disobeying God would cause Adam and Eve’s eyes to be opened to all wisdom, but instead of power, that knowledge brought fear and shame into their lives. How does choosing to sin against God still do that today?

The Point

In Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin entered the world. As a result, the intimate relationship God wanted to have with all humanity seemed irrecoverably damaged.

Respond

Think back to the way you felt when you lost or broke something that was important to you. Now, stop to really mourn for what was lost in the garden and the depth of your own sinfulness. Be honest with God and repent of any sin in your life.

For further study of the affect of Adam and Eve’s sin on us, read Romans 5:12-21.

Behind the Story

In Genesis 3:1-6, Satan played on Adam and Eve’s God-given desires. The need to eat, appreciate beauty, and gain knowledge and wisdom were all legitimate needs that God had already provided a way to be met—by trusting Him. But instead, Adam and Eve chose to go outside of God’s will and find their own way to meet those needs. We sin when we tell God that the way He has provided to meet our needs is not good enough.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

Freedom in Boundaries

Posted by Karah

Pause

Consider this quote from Ravi Zacharias to begin your quiet time:

“Pleasure without God, without the sacred boundaries, will actually leave you emptier than before.”

Think about your favorite sport. What are the boundaries or rules of that sport? What would it be like if there were no boundaries? Jot down a few ideas.

Life also has boundaries. Read Genesis 2:8-17. As you read, look for the boundary God laid out for Adam and Eve. Underline it when you find it.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” —Genesis 2:15-17

Everything God created had boundaries: night, day, land, sea. God’s good boundaries insured that each part of His creation would fulfill the purpose He intended. Humans were the only ones capable of crossing the boundaries God had set for them.

Why do we push against boundaries? When have you pushed against God’s boundaries?

Read Genesis 3:1 carefully. Compare Satan’s question to what God really said in Genesis 2. How did Satan twist God’s words and plant doubt about God’s goodness and provision in Eve’s mind?

How is Satan’s question meant to destroy the good God had created?

The Point

God created a world of boundaries meant to bring Him glory. But we chose to push against those boundaries.

Respond

To cross the boundaries God has set is sin. Think about clear boundaries God has set for His children in Scripture. Are you living in accordance? Confess any ways you are living outside of God’s plan and seek His forgiveness.

Eve became vulnerable to sin when she doubted God’s goodness and provision. What blessings of God do you see in your life today? How has He generously provided for you? Take the time to praise Him!

Behind the Story

The fact that God placed Adam and Eve in a garden is important. A gardener purposely plants and protects his garden. Without the gardener’s protection, the fruit or crops wouldn’t be free to grow to their maximum potential. God’s boundaries in the garden of Eden were intended by God to protect humanity and give us freedom to grow unhindered to our full potential.

Created for Community

Posted by Karah

Pause

Ponder this quote from John Piper:

“God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes Him look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that He really is. This is what it means to be created in the image of God.”

Skim over Genesis 1–2 one last time this week. Count how many times God said His creation was good.

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.” —Genesis 2:18

Now, look more closely at Genesis 2:18. God wasn’t saying that man was in some way bad, but rather that He had created humanity to exist in relationships with others. God created us to live in fellowship with Him, but also to build relationships with other humans. God created community—and He created us for community.

Ask yourself:

God created Eve as a complement to Adam, someone with whom he could have spiritual, intellectual, and emotional intimacy. She was someone he could be real with. Are there people with whom you can be absolutely transparent about your life? Who? Why did you select those people?

If God created us for community, what does that teach you about the importance of the church?

Why is it important to realize that God created us to live in community—in our faith and the work He has called us to?

The Point

God, the Author of our story, has hard-wired us for relationship. From the beginning, God created us to live in relationship with Him and with others.

Respond

Who do you know who is trying to “go it alone” in the faith or live in isolation from the church? How can you reach out to that person this week, helping them to experience and see the need for true Christian community? Jot down three ideas.

Who in your life needs someone to come alongside them and help them to truly live out their faith in a dark world? How can you be someone who invites transparency and honesty, while also pointing others to God?

Behind the Story

The word translated as complement in Genesis 2:18 literally means that which is in front of him, implying a counterpart or equal. She is to be a helper (from the Hebrew word ezer), which stresses aid and support—and is even used of God Himself in Scripture (Ex. 18:4; Deut. 33:7, Ps. 46:1). The man and the woman have different roles, but those roles are designed to support and complement each other perfectly.

With Purpose

Posted by Karah

Pause

Read through Genesis 1–2 again. Ask God to guide you by His Spirit, helping you to see how this passage reveals God’s purpose for humanity.

“The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.” —Genesis 2:15

Read Genesis 1:26–2:25 in your Bible. Today, look for what this passage reveals about God’s purpose for humanity. Underline any words or phrases that give you insight.

Debrief by thinking through these questions:

God created humans in His image, which implies relationship and reflects His desire to know us. What does that teach you about His purpose for your life?

God placed Adam in the perfect garden, a place meant to bring Him glory. How does that help you to better understand God’s purpose for humanity?

God gave Adam a job to do before sin entered the world. This means that work is good. How Adam lived his life—what he did and how he spent his time—was meant to bring glory to God. How would living with that mind-set affect your daily life? Explain.

The Point

God created humanity with a purpose: to know Him and to live in a way that brings glory to Him.

Respond

God created Adam and gave him a purpose: to know God and to be a steward of all God had created. You are a steward, too. Think of all God has given you: salvation, resources, skills and talents, spiritual gifts, the gospel.

Evaluate your life. Are you using what God has given you to bring glory to Him? Why or why not?

Confess your desire to glorify God through what He has given you. Ask Him to help you have the courage and strength to do so, empowered by His Holy Spirit.

Jot down three things you know God has asked you to be a steward of. List the steps you’ll take to glorify Him, the Author of your story, with those things this week.

Behind the Story

The word translated work in Genesis 2:5 is the Hebrew word ābad. This word was commonly used for tilling the soil and other labor, but can also refer to service to another. Therefore, it’s often used to refer to worship (Ex. 3:12), and its noun form, ăbōdâ, is frequently used to describe the Levitical duties in the tabernacle and temple worship.

In His Image

Posted by Karah

Pause

Read through Genesis 1–2 again today. Praise God for the creativity you see in His creation and thank Him for creating you.

What are some things that people think set them apart from the crowd?

Circle all that apply.

Income Hard work/effort

Intelligence Passion for something

Skills Family

Popularity Appearance

Relationships Power

“Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” —Genesis 2:7

Now, read Genesis 1:26-27 again. As you read, think about who or what is being set apart from the rest of creation in these verses. Consider these questions:

Of all the things that God created, only humans are made in His image. How does that set us apart from other created things?

What does that fact teach you about the kind of relationship God wants to have with us—even from the very beginning?

Read Genesis 2:4-7,18-22 in your Bible.

What examples of the set-apart, intimate relationship God wants to have with His children do you see in these verses? Explain.

Why is it important that we recognize that from the very beginning we were made to know God personally and be in fellowship with Him?

The Point

God, the Author and Main Character of Scripture, created us to be in relationship with Him.

Respond

Meditate on this thought: God created humanity in His image even though He knew—even in the very act of creation—that He would have to redeem us.

God wants to have a personal relationship with you and provided the way through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Place your faith in Him.

As Christians, God is continuing to conform us to His image, the likeness He has shown us in Jesus (Rom. 8:29). How can you see God at work in your life? If you don’t see God conforming you into His likeness, ask the Holy Spirit to give you spiritual eyes to see God at work or reveal any sin that is disrupting your relationship with Him.

Behind the Story

The creation of humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creative work. This is shown in that it was His final creative act, along with the personal nature of the way He created man and woman. In addition, of all God’s creation, only humans are said to be made in His image.

Three-In-One

Posted by Karah

Pause

Focus your mind on God and who He is. Listen or sing your favorite worship song to Him as an act of worship. Try “The Earth is Yours” by Gungor (Beautiful Things, 2010).

Read through Genesis 1:1-27 in your Bible, then focus on verses 26-27.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.” —Genesis 1:26-27

Ask yourself:

What do these verses reveal to you about the main character of Scripture? Explain.

Focus on verses 2, 26, and 27. How do these verses suggest the Trinity? Why is that important?

Now, read Colossians 1:15-20 in your Bible.

What was Jesus’ role in creation? Explain.

Why is it important to recognize that the God who created the world and set redemption into motion is a three-in-one God?

The Point

The Author of the story is our threefold God. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all active in creation—and redemption.

Respond

It’s easy to think that Jesus and the Holy Spirit didn’t enter the story until much later, but it is our threefold God—Father, Son, and Spirit—who set the world into motion, beginning with creation.

Praise God in all three Persons for their involvement in creation and the story of redemption.

Think about your personal story of redemption. Thank each Person of the Trinity for their role in bringing you into a relationship with the Father through the Son, empowered by the Spirit.

For further study, read John 1:1-13.

Behind the Story

The original audience of Genesis 1-2 would not have recognized Genesis 1:26-27
as a reference to the Trinity, since that concept wasn’t fully revealed until later in redemptive history. While theologians caution that we cannot derive the entire doctrine of the Trinity from one use of a plural pronoun, we can derive that there is plurality within the Godhead. This passage is the first of four Old Testament passages where the plural is found in divine dialogue. Genesis 3:22, 11:7, and Isaiah 6:8 are the others.

GODHEAD (n.) =Word used to refer to the three Persons of the Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

All to Bring Him Glory

Posted by Karah

Pause

You will be living in Genesis 1 and 2 this week. Skim over it this morning, asking God to open your eyes to what He has to teach you.

“Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” —Genesis 1:24-25

Writers create a setting in which to tell the story. It provides the backdrop for the story, but also sets the mood. Read Genesis 1:1-25 in your Bible. What does this passage tell you about the setting God created for His story?

Dig deeper by thinking through these questions:

Think about what you learned last week. How do these verses further acknowledge God as the main character of Scripture? Explain.

Note all the times God said that His creation was good in these verses. What does that help you to understand about the world God had created? Why?

God had created a perfect world where all things proclaimed His glory and worked according to His intention. While the world we live in bears the scars of sin, how do you see glimpses of that perfect world’s beauty and harmony today?

The Point

God created a perfect setting in which His story would unfold, one where His creation could experience the joy of His presence and glorify Him.

Respond

Creation was meant to bring glory to the Creator. Think about the glimpses of beauty and harmony you see in the world today that you just listed. Praise God for the ways you see even creation giving glory to Him. Sketch or record your prayer in your journal.

For Further Study:

Read Psalms 19 and 148; Isaiah 55:12; and Romans 1:20.

Behind the Story

In the pagan cultures that surrounded God’s people, the moon and sun were worshiped as gods. That may be why the usual Hebrew words for moon and sun are avoided in the Genesis creation account. (See Gen. 1:16.) It is clear from this account that the sun and moon are not deities to be revered or worshiped, but rather made to serve God and humanity.

The Main Character

Posted by Karah

Pause

Consider this quote:

“There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves His children and comes to rescue them.”
—Sally Lloyd-Jones in The Jesus Storybook Bible

Think about your favorite book or movie. A writer often uses the first scene or line to give you insight into the main character. What does the first scene tell you about the main character? How? Journal your thoughts below.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” —Genesis 1:1

With that idea in mind, read Genesis 1:1 and Psalm 92 in your Bible.

Look at Genesis 1:1. A story begins with its author, creation with its Creator. How does this verse help to establish God as the main character of His story?

Examine Genesis 1:1 and Psalm 92:14-15. What do these verses tell you about the purpose of the creation account? Is it more about glorifying God or being in awe of what He has made? Explain.

The Point

The story of creation begins—and ends—in our eternal God. It is more about Him than us.

Respond

The Bible doesn’t start with this story so we can be in awe of what God has made; it’s there so we can be in awe of God. Take some time to do that today. Focus your mind on God—not what He has done for you or what He has made—but on Him and who He is. Record your praises as a prayer below.

For further study of God’s eternal nature, read John 1:1, Ephesians 1:4, and Colossians 1:15-17.

Behind the Story

God is the grammatical subject of the first sentence in the Bible—and He continues to be the thematic subject throughout the entire creation account (Gen. 1–2). The recurring phrase “then God said” in Genesis 1:1–2:3 serves to establish Him as the primary actor in creation.

A Message of Hope

Posted by Karah

Pause

Imagine what the world would look like if everything—including your life—were as it should be. Thank God that He is a God who redeems everything.

We all have a death sentence. Respond to that statement.

Not to be morbid, but that statement is true. Sin has infected our lives and everything in the world. Scripture tells us that creation even groans under the curse of sin. We know that one day all of this will end. Now, read Romans 8:18-25 in your Bible.

“And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.”

—Romans 8:23,25

In your Bible, underline all the references to hope in this passage. As a believer, that word should stand out to you. As a Christian, you have experienced just a taste of the fullness of God’s redemption, but you can live with hope because you know that you will one day experience all the benefits and blessings of salvation when Christ returns and establishes His Kingdom.

Now, read Romans 8:18-25 again, this time from the perspective of someone who is not a Christian. How would that person respond to this passage? Jot down any words or feelings he or she might think or experience.

The news that everything will one day end is terrifying to those who have no hope. As a Christian, you have been redeemed and can live in light of the future hope of eternity spent with God. But many in the world around you do not have that hope.

Respond

If you knew the world were ending tomorrow, how would you react? Who would you want to know about the hope of an eternal future with God? Write the first few names that come to mind.

List some ways you will share the hope you have in Christ with those people this week. Jot down two of those actions points below.

Pray for a heart that is tender toward the hopeless, so that God can use you to reach those who still walk in darkness.

Behind the Story

Firstfruits is a word that’s often used in Scripture. Generally used to describe the first part of the harvest, which was offered to God as a sacrifice, the word is used to denote a gift of God to His children in Romans 8:23. Christians have the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives as a foretaste of our full inheritance.

The Point

Because we know the future we have with God, we can live with hope in a hopeless world.

Shout it Out

Posted by Karah

Pause

Ask God for opportunities to share God’s grace with others this week.

Think about the things you post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media sites. What are some of the things you are most eager to share? List a few below.

Read and study Psalm 107:1-3. These verses point to something those who have been redeemed by God should be doing. Underline it in your Bible when you find it.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe and has gathered them from the lands— from the east and the west, from the north and the south.” —Psalm 107:1-3

Consider these questions:

What do these verses teach you about God’s character?
Why is that good news that the world needs to hear? Explain.
How has God been good to you? List some recent examples of ways you’ve experienced His goodness.

Respond

Those whom God has rescued from sin should always be talking about His goodness. Look over the list you created earlier. Who in your life needs to hear how God has been good to you? Jot down a couple of names below. Commit to share with them this week!
Read Psalm 107 in its entirety. This psalm details four different kinds of people who were in distress, yet God rescued them. Memorize the verses that speak to you.

Behind the Story

As a punishment for their disobedience, God allowed Israel to be taken captive in Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:15-23). But just as He predicted (Isaiah 45:1-7), God raised up a king, Cyrus to set his people free (Isaiah 45:1-17). This psalm specifically refers to God’s deliverance of Israel from the distress in Babylon. His purpose in their redemption was so they could proclaim His goodness. Why does today’s world need to hear about God’s goodness?

The Point

God redeems His people so they may speak of His goodness.

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I know you miss camp. Since you can't be with us, we want to bring a little Camp Ridgecrest to you each week. Here you will find weekly devotions to remind you of what you learned about God; news, pictures, and videos of camp as we make improvements or just do something ridiculous; and even some posts from the road as we travel to see you and your friends! We will update you a few times a week, so check back often!
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