The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Genesis 34-37
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 1: The People: God calls a covenant people
Background Information: Genesis 34-37
Jacob’s sons were foolish and violent. Their sister’s rape was a crime, but according to their law it didn’t deserve death, and certainly not the death of those who didn’t commit the crime. In chapter 36 we read of Esau’s family line, and what do we learn from it? We will learn, in time, that the generations that flow from his ungodly heritage will move even farther from God. What a mess, what is going to happen? God’s purposes in the midst of the mess are the larger storyline here, and what will happen shows that nothing that foolish humans do can thwart his plan. It seems to get even worse when arrogant Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt. But again, God is not surprised. In fact, he told Abraham that this would happen, though none would believe the twisted path that would lead to the unfolding of God’s plan. Read Genesis 15 again: “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” God told them ahead of time that they would be strangers in a foreign land and even gave them the length of time they would be there: 400 years. But what else do you see? We see that this long plan included the preparation of God’s people, but it also included time for the ungodly in the land to repent. God is patient, both in the outworking of his plan and with the people whose bad choices cannot stop his plan.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Ask God for women considering abortion to choose life for their babies. Pray for Embrace to be faithful to share the gospel with women in need.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.