The book of Genesis starts off as a beautiful story of God's creation. God spoke everything into existence, but He formed man and woman with His very hands! Then the Holy Spirit breathed His breath of life into them! The tenderness and love of our Creator continues to call out to us in His desire for a personal relationship with us, a relationship that was broken and disrupted because of the lies of Satan in the garden of Eden - lies that he continues to attack us with today.
God loved us so much and desired so much to restore our broken relationship with Him that He sent us Jesus - His only begotten Son, full of grace and truth - to live a perfect and sinless life in human flesh. He took upon Himself the sins of the entire world and died in our place because there had to be a perfect sacrifice as the payment for the penalty of our sins. Jesus was innocent of any wrong doing and was the spotless Lamb of God. He was buried in a borrowed tomb and was resurrected on the third day. He defeated sin, death, and the grave! Jesus offers everyone to believe in His saving work on the cross, to be forgiven for their sins, and to be restored into a right relationship with God.
The world needed a Savior and the very One Who created us also offered the Savior we would need. It's up to us to acknowledge our need of forgiveness of sins, to recognize our need of Jesus who takes away our sins, and to surrender our lives to Him so we can be restored to a right relationship with God.
If you haven't prayed and asked for forgiveness of your sins, you can do it now. Just tell God you are a sinner in need of His forgiveness, that you believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ, and that you surrender your heart and life to Him. It's that simple. If you've prayed that prayer from your heart, please let me know in the comments below. :)
My S.O.A.P.s for Genesis 1-4
Here are my S.O.A.P.s for Genesis chapters 1-4. There is truly so much contained for us in God's Word! As I sit each morning and look into His Word, it's hard to pick just one thing to talk about. But I trust that God is showing me exactly what He wants me to know at this moment in time. Here's another beautiful thing that I've discovered and that's each time we go to His Word the Holy Spirit can show us something entirely new. That's why it's so important to pray before we read the Word of God and ask Him to help us understand and open our eyes to the truth that He wants us to know.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Scripture: Genesis 1 (no
specific verse)
Observations: The phrase, "Then God said" is continually repeated in the story of creation. God is Creator and He spoke everything into existence.
Application: There are many promises contained in the Bible that are ours as children of God. I can trust that whatever God says, He will do.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You are in control and that whatever You have said will come to pass. Help me to continue to trust in You for all that I need and to stand on the truth of Your Word. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen!
Observations: The phrase, "Then God said" is continually repeated in the story of creation. God is Creator and He spoke everything into existence.
Application: There are many promises contained in the Bible that are ours as children of God. I can trust that whatever God says, He will do.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You that You are in control and that whatever You have said will come to pass. Help me to continue to trust in You for all that I need and to stand on the truth of Your Word. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen!
Monday, September 29, 2014
Scripture: Genesis 2:7 And
the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Observations:
“formed” – God shaped Adam out of the
dust of the ground
“breathed” – the Holy Spirit’s
creative activity
“living being” – not an animal; man
was created in the image of God
Application: The hand of God formed
me. The very breath of the Holy Spirit gives me life. What beautiful truths of
an intimate relationship between the Creator and His created!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I love You
and stand in awe of You as my Creator. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for Your
life-giving power living inside of me that enables me to be who You created me
to be and to do what You’ve called me to do. I praise Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Genesis 3
Scripture: I listed the verses next
to my observations.
Observations:
Satan causes doubt concerning what
God had said (v. 1)
Coveting enters (v. 6)
Adam was with Eve and didn’t stop her
(v. 6)
Through the lies of Satan, “their
eyes were opened” (v. 7)
Fear enters into the mind of man. (v.
10)
Blame enters: Adam blames Eve (and God
– “the woman You gave me”); Eve blames the serpent (v. 12-13)
Death enters for man and for the
Earth (v. 17-19)
First animal sacrifice and covering for
sin (v. 21)
Man has to leave the garden and God’s
presence (v. 24)
Application: If you give any place at
all to the devil, he will take more from you than you ever thought possible. I couldn’t
get this thought out of my mind concerning verse 7 and that we as Christians
pray for the eyes of the unsaved to be opened to the TRUTH of God AND ETERNAL
LIFE WITH HIM when it was through the LIES of Satan that all of our eyes were initially
opened TO OUR DEATH AND ETERNAL SEPERATION FROM GOD.
Through whose eyes are we looking as
we walk this temporary life here on Earth? Satan’s lies continue to steal,
kill, and destroy, but God has given Jesus Christ so that we can have life
abundantly with Him through His shed blood for the forgiveness of our sins.
Praise God we don’t have to live under the lies of Satan any longer and that we
can walk in the light and in the truth of God as His children!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, into Your
marvelous light I run – out of darkness and out of shame! Thank You for opening
my eyes to the truth of my sin and for setting me free from the power of sin
and death through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ that has been applied
to my life. Thank You, Father, for loving me and for having a plan of
redemption set in place for all of mankind. Thank You, Jesus, for willingly
coming into this world in the flesh so that You could fulfill all of the
requirements of the Law that man could not, for willingly taking on the sins of
this world, and for dying in our place because there had to be a perfect
sacrifice. The debt for sin has been paid because of You. I pray for those who
have yet to recognize their own sin and their need for a Savior. Open the eyes
of their heart and help them to see their need Father. Reveal to them the lies
of Satan and the truth of how much You love them. In the life-saving name of
Jesus I pray. Amen!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Genesis 4
Observations: God questioned Cain when He already knew the truth of what had happened. I think He was giving Cain the opportunity to repent of murdering his brother. Cain’s response is an outright lie mixed with a sarcastic question thrown back at God. This shows the hardness of Cain’s unbelieving heart toward God and his denial of the need of God’s forgiveness.
Application: God knows the truth of our hearts. There is nothing we can hide from Him because He sees everything. We need to keep our hearts tender toward God and what He desires of our lives.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray to have a tender heart always to the truth of Your Word. I pray that as You lay Your finger on areas on my life that need changing, that I would surrender to Your work within my heart. Help to me treat others with the same love that Jesus gives to me and to be a vessel through which You can minister and touch their lives for Your glory. In the life-changing name of Jesus I pray. Amen!
I hope your time has been just as fruitful in His Word. I'd love to hear your thoughts on these chapters. You can leave your comments below. :)
Walking in His Grace,
Laurie
Amen!
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