ISAAC AND REBEKAH

LIFE DECISIONS

Read Genesis 24

     “… (if) she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' – let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. Genesis 24:14-15 NIV

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     Abraham wanted to find just the right wife for his son Isaac – someone from his own people, not from the Canaanites among whom he lived. So he sent his most trusted servant on a journey to his home country. Both Abraham and his chief servant believed that God would lead him to the right young woman. Abraham said,

      "The LORD, the God of heaven…who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land–He will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there." (Genesis 24:7)

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     It is so important to pray for our children’s future spouses. What better time to start than now, while they are young, covering that child and his parents in prayer throughout their lives.

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     Lord, help us to teach our children to seek Your wisdom in every small or large decision. You know the future and You have a plan for each one of them. Help them as they step out into life to make choices according to Your perfect will.

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     Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, saying …“As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey”   Gen 24:26-27 NIV

ABRAHAM AND ISAAC

GOD WILL PROVIDE A LAMB

Read Genesis 22

     And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide Himself a Lamb” (Genesis 22:8 KJV)
"Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" John 1:29 NKJV

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     After waiting for so long for his promised son, Isaac, Abraham was asked to give him back as a sacrifice. This request had no basis in anything God had done with His people. False gods required human sacrifices, not Abraham's God.

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     The author of Hebrews gives us some insight into Abraham’s response: "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."  Hebrews 11:19  But still he was required to go through this test to show that God was first in his life–even before his beloved son.

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     Sometimes God brings us to a place in our lives when we must make a choice about something or someone He has blessed us with. Is there anything in my life that has become more important than my relationship with Him?

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     Lord, I pray that I will always put You first in my life. Not first as in being at the top of a priority list, but first in regard to everything on that list. I cannot have a right relationship with anyone else if I am not right with You. Thank You for providing Your Son, the Lamb of God, to make that relationship possible.

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     "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life "   John 3:16 NKJV

LOT

A COMPROMISED TESTIMONY

Read Genesis 18:16–19:38 

     So Lot went out and spoke to his sons‑in‑law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons‑in‑law thought he was joking.   Genesis 19:14 NIV

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     Lot’s story is a direct contrast to the story of Noah and the flood. Noah’s sons and their wives respected him and followed him in obedience to God. Lot’s sons‑in‑law thought he was joking. Lot’s testimony was so compromised that his daughters tricked him into fathering their children, resulting in two wicked nations called the Moabites and Ammonites. Yet, in spite of this, Peter later tells us that Lot was a believer:

     " a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.)" (2 Peter 2:7-8)

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     Lord, help us to carefully choose the environment in which we place our families. Help us to see beyond the beauty of the land or the monetary gain to make sure there is not a wicked “Sodom” nearby. Help us to train up our children by our own example and to teach them to pass down their faith to the next generation.

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     "For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just ..." Genesis 18:19a NIV

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

THOMAS BELIEVES

Read: Luke 24:36-43; John 20:24-31

     Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."    John 20:25 NIV

     Eight days before this, the disciples, except for Thomas, stood in amazed unbelief.  Jesus suddenly appeared, and they thought they were seeing a ghost. Then He asked for something to eat and said, "Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:39)

     Now Thomas is still  unconvinced, since he has not yet seen the Lord. When Jesus appeared again, and showed him his hands and side, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)

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     Jesus had been telling His disciples all along that he would arise from the dead, but this was something they couldn't comprehend. We have the advantage today of the complete Scriptures, explaining how all these things fit together with Old Testament prophesy; yet Lord, there are times I struggle to understand Your plan for us. Perhaps it is just enough to say, "My Lord and my God!"

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     Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  John 20:29 NKJV

I HAVE SEEN THE LORD

MARY MAGDALENE

Read: John 20:1-18
     They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." John 20:13

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     Mary Magdalene was one of the devout women who supplied the needs of Jesus and His disciples throughout His ministry. She was a woman whom Jesus had delivered from demon possession, as were many others who followed Him. Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

     Now Mary came to the tomb to grieve, but instead she found that the tomb was empty. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"   

     Later back at the empty tomb, she turned around and saw Jesus, so changed that she did not recognize Him - until He said her name. Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (John 20:16)

     Mary Magdalene had been forgiven much and she loved her Savior. Her life was dedicated to the ministry and to being a friend to other believers. God chose her to be the first one to see her risen Lord.

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     Thank You, Lord, that You sent your Son to set people like Mary free from their sin, and that You saved me too. I pray that my life will be spent serving you and other believers, in Jesus name, Amen.

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     Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!"   John 20:18 NIV

A RICH MAN'S TOMB

SECRET DISCIPLES

Read John 19:38-42

     After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.   John 19:38 NKJV

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     Here are two Jewish men, one of them Nicodemus, a Pharisee and the other Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent wealthy council member - both of them secret disciples of Jesus. On one occasion Nicodemus tried to speak up at a council meeting by saying,

     "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?" They ridiculed him by saying, "Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee." (John 7:50-52)

     After the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea gathered up his courage and asked Pilot for Jesus' body. He and Nicodemus - no longer secret disciples - prepared the body for burial and laid it in Joseph's new tomb, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy that Messiah would be buried in a rich man's grave.(Isaiah 53:9)

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     Lord, forgive me when I have been reluctant to speak up for You among unbelievers. Give me courage and discernment to know when and where to share my faith.

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     And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.    John 19:39 NKJV

HEARTS REVEALED

BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER

Read John 19:17-37

     Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.    John 19:25-26 NKJV

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     Years before, Mary and Joseph stood before the priest to dedicate her newborn Son. The old man Simeon had prophesied, "This child is destined to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." (Luke 2:34-35)  

     Now Mary was experiencing the ultimate piercing of her soul, as Jesus hung from the cross in agonizing pain: 
     When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.   John 19:26-27 NKJV

     Jesus knew the emotional pain that this moment brought to His mother. God had chosen her of all women to give birth to His Son, but His plans for her were not over. After the resurrection and ascension, Mary's other sons became devout believers. In Acts we read,

   "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."   Acts 1:14 NKJV

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     Lord, so often Mary stood in the background watching God's plan unfold. She is an example I would like to follow when it seems better to be still and wait on You. What honor came to this humble woman as the Son of God saw to her needs in His last hour. I know that You are aware of my needs and the needs of my children. I pray that like Mary's sons they will follow You.

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     One of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water... These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled ..."They will look on the one they have pierced."    John 19:34-37;  Zechariah 12:10

PETER DENIES KNOWING JESUS

Read Mark 14: 66-72

     After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about."   Mark 14:70-71 NIV

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     Just a short time before this incident, Peter had declared to Jesus, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." (Luke 22:33) Peter had stood up valiantly in the garden by starting a sword fight. But then Jesus healed the soldier's ear, and submitted himself to arrest. Jesus said to them,

     "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."  (John 18:8b-9 quoting John 17:12)

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     Jesus knew all about what Peter would do. He knew that Satan wanted to "sift him like wheat", but Satan could not defeat Peter, because Jesus had said, "I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail." (Luke 22:32)

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     Lord, The moment the rooster crowed had to be the darkest day of Peter's life - but the story told through the years has brought comfort and encouragement to all of us who, like Peter, have experienced failure.

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     Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.   Mark 14:72 NIV

Easter Devotions

TAKE A SWORD

Read: Luke 22: 35-53

 

     He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.    Luke 22:36 NIV 

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     It has been obvious up to this point that everything the Lord did had a purpose and was part of His Father's plan. Just prior to entering the Garden of Gethsemane for prayer, He gave the apostles specific instruction to sell their cloaks and buy a sword. They must have thought they were preparing to fight for the Kingdom. But Jesus had a plan they never could have guessed. They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough." (22:38)

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     After a night of prayer in the garden; a contingency of soldiers and religious leaders came to arrest Jesus. When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" And one of them (Peter) struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. (22:49-50) What happened next would show everyone that Jesus laid down his life for us; it wasn't taken from Him.

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     Lord, I am unable to comprehend the love that motivated You to give Your only begotten Son to make such a sacrifice. Jesus said, "No more of this!" And He touched the man's ear and healed him. (22:51)

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     Jesus said to him ... "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"    Matthew 26:53-54 NIV

BEHOLD YOUR KING

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

Read: Luke 19:28-40

     …the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  Luke 19:37-38 NKJV

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     After leaving Zacchaeus' home in Jericho, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, where a colt was already prepared for Jesus to make His entry. Jesus knew the donkey would be there, because His Father had prophesied "Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zechariah 9:9b NKJV) The praise of the crowd echoed the words of the angels at His birth - all planned since the beginning of time.

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     Lord, I want to praise You for all Your mighty works. You are the King of Kings who will one day return to Jerusalem again. You have ordained that the mouths of babes would praise You. I pray for the "babes" in my family that their lives will be lived in praise of the King and that one day we will all stand together and see You face to face.

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     And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."    Luke 19:39-40 NKJV