January 9 Genesis 23 and 24, Luke 9

Title: Trusting a worthy person to run your affairs is something that will help you with your life.
(S) Gen. 24:2a "He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had....."
(O) We always think that we can manage all our affairs ourselves - Abraham had been blessed in every way and yet he did not manage his affairs - he trusted a worthy servant. This is a good idea.
(A) Our lives are so busy with work because we take on too much - the problem is that not enough is passed over to others. As this occurs there will be more time for living the life God wants for us.
(P) Lord help my husband and sons pass on certain tasks so that they can live more normally.

Title: No marriage with other faiths.
(S) Gen 24:3 "I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."
(O) There is a huge concern that Isaac not marry a person that was of the religion in the country they were living in.
(A) For a Christian - it is a disaster to marry a person that does not believe in Christ - even if you were saved and believed at a young age - you still belong to God and to choose a person who is set against God will only end in a terrible mess.
(P) I pray that my children will marry a Christian, even if they are away from God now - I know they will come back.

Title: A person that manages your business or affairs should be a praying Christian.
(S) Gen. 24:12 "Then he prayed, "O Lord God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham."
(O) This is not only a man who is Godly but also one that prays for the outcome of his endeavors to do his master good. He cares and loves his master and wants God to be kind to him.
(A) What would our lives be like if we had the assistance of a Godly managers for our affairs, or business - one that prayed - for good things to come to their boss.
(P) Lord I pray for a Godly person involved in our work lives.

Title: God to choose the right spouse for us and it is okay to look for some type of sign.
(S) "May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink, ' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too' --- let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac."
(O) He gave a very particular scenario regarding the how he would choose the right person -- nothing vague here.
(A) We must continue to pray for our children's future spouses. So far 3 of our children have wonderful Christian mates.
(P) I pray for the right person for each of my children that are still single.

Title: Women should be self confident with a good attitude and the ability to make decisions.
(S)Gen 24:20 "and ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels".
Gen 24:25 "and she added, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night."
(O) This girl is pleasant and a hard worker - no slouch - she happily does the extra - She is also able to make major decisions like telling the servant that his entourage is welcome to come and stay and arranging provisions for them - so she can handle things - she copes.
(A) In this passage it does not speak about looks however later Isaac likes her at first sight so God provided someone he was also attracted to. When God does the doing - it works - how interesting that God picks someone that has her act together.
(P) Lord - let me be more specific as I pray for my children.

Interesting to note that Rebekah happily left her family for her new husband. And that it says of Isaac "and he loved her" - this is not a marriage of convenience but of choice and love on both sides.

Luke 9 Jesus sends out the 12
Title: When God send out the disciples he gave them all power but He wanted them to trust God for their needs.
(S) Luke 9:3 "Take nothing for the journey -- no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter stay there until you leave that town."
(O) We are too worried that we will not have enough and so we do not go to the mission field - the way that the disciples were sent out would never be done today. My daughter tells me that I told her the opposite when she went away.
(A) I am too anxious - if we are about the Lord's business he will deffinately make sure that it all works out.
(P) I pray for my daughter who will go again in the spring to do God's work, may all her needs be provide for and may she know that God is with her helping her with the people she meets to share the gospel with.

Title: When Jesus says do it - just do it - He will pull it off even if it does not make sense.
(S) Luke 9:13 "He replied, "You give them (5000 men ) something to eat."
(O) They have seen Jesus do a lot of miracles and yet they must have doubted and wondered what to do with perhaps 10 or 15 thousand hungry people (counting women and children) - and yet they did as they were told and sat the people down.
(A) If we could just do that - just set the table - so to speak - and trust that - God has done it before and will do it again - he will provide.
(P) Lord let me have more faith to believe that you will provide.

Title: We are to deny ourselves - not popular thinking in this world.
(S) Luke 9: 23 "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny hemself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
(O) This denial of anything in life is not what we are taught live in this commercial world of - I need, I need, I want. I have not taught my kids much about denial but really it is about learning not to want more than is needed in life. Daily we are to take up the cross of Christ.
(A) Stop wanting so much. If I do not do it my kids will follow in my steps. Taking up His cross daily means that I am to lean into God and not forget to pray and read and meditate - not just once per week but daily.
(P) God change me to this type of person - willing to live more humbly and willing to take up your cross daily.

Title: Not everyone will worship in identical ways - but that is alright.
(S) Luke 9:50 "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
(O) The disciples were worried because this believer was serving God but he was not part of their little group - how often we think that we will be the only ones in heaven because we do this or that in our church - what a shock it will be to see that many that we thought were not Christians are indeed part of the redeemed.
(A) I will not be so quick to judge other faiths that are also Christian - they are often devout followers of Christ also.
(P) This spirit of working together in the churches was not common when I was a kid but I think it is right and I pray that true Christians will continue to work together for the cause of Christ.

Title: There is a cost to following Jesus
(S) Luke 9: 62 "Jesus replied "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of god."
(O) The work of God is not for the weak willed - you are to remain diligent and keep on keeping on - with God's help you can do it.
(A) There have been times when I have thought that marriage and parenting and all of what is required is just too hard as a Christian - holding to the values I know are right and true - but I must never turn back - this is the task and it must be continued and God is always there to help.
(P) Lord help me to be diligent as a Christian wife and mother and grandmother.