January 1st

In the account of creation we see that when God speaks things happen. Later we see when God speaks promises those things happen. We can have assurance that God is faithful and just and will do all he has promised because that is his character. He speaks and those things happen.

“And that is what happened” Genesis 1:30 {NLT}. God spoke and water was formed. God used the Word and dry land appeared. God spoke the Word and living things were created. God said it so it happened. There is action in the Word of God. “And that is what happened.”

We know that Jesus was their at creation…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life,^[a and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:1-5

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son^[d from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

January 2nd

God created everything and it was ‘very good’. It always amazes me how quickly things went from ‘very good’ to being banished from a garden and a brother murdering his brother out of jealousy.

Cain murders his brother out of jealousy and God calls out to him. Again how quickly things escalated. Jealousy to murder in a few short verses. God calls out to Cain just as he called out to Adam and Eve. God gives Adam, Eve, Cain, and us all the same opportunity. He gives us an opportunity to confess. Many times we do not want to confess what we have done. We want to hide behind fig leaves. We want to pass the blame on someone else. Why do we do this when God already knows. He knows what we have done. He gives us the opportunity to give that sin to Him. We can not bear the weight of that sin but Jesus can and did. He was crushed under the weight of our sin, yet…HE ROSE again.

Psalm 32 communicates what the weight of sin does and what God does with those sins.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. I acknowledge my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and YOU FORGAVE THE INIQUITY OF MY SIN.

Psalm 32 vs. 1, 3, 5

January 3rd

Promises in the middle of destruction

The world was “consistently and totally evil” Gen 6:5 (NLT)

“So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them…It broke his heart” “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth.”

Genesis 6:6-7 (NLT)

“But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat”

Genesis 6:18 (NLT)

“After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth.”

Genesis 7:10 (NLT)

“Then the Lord closed the door behind them.”

Genesis 7:16 (NLT)

“So the flood waters gradually receded form the earth.”

Genesis 8:3 (NLT)

“Then God said to Noah, Leave the boat all of you.”

Genesis 8:16 (NLT)

“I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”

Genesis 8:21-22 (NLT)

“I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants.”

Genesis 9:9 (NLT)

January 4th

So many promises. And remember when God speaks these promises they happen.

God promises that Abram will be made into a great nation. God promises he will be a blessing to others. God promises that ALL families will be blessed through him. The genealogy before all of these promises we hear over and over again ‘so and so became the father of ‘so and so’ and had other sons and daughters. When we read about Abram and Sarai’s immediate family we hear about the other wives having children. The other wives are having children except for Abrams’s wife Sarai.

So Abraham departs just as God told him to.

God continues to promise Abraham that he will be a great nation. After rescuing his nephew Lot Abraham runs into a priest in the wilderness. This priest who finds Abram in the wilderness is the King of Salem. Salem is another word for peace. He is the King of Peace.

Jesus meets us in the wilderness of our lives just like Melchezadeck met Abram in the wilderness.

What are your notes from this week?