Author: David Short

FREE WILL

Genesis 24:8

“And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.”

Encouraging Words

God created all humans with the ability to choose. He gave us free will. Even though His unending desire is to be in fellowship with us, He will not force us to do anything. This verse is in the midst of the story of Abraham sending his servant to a neighboring land to find a wife for His son, Lot. The servant takes an oath to do this. Abraham gives him a way out of the oath. If he finds the potential bride but she refuses to return with him, the oath is cancelled. She, as well as the servant, has the ability to exercise their free will. This is an image of God’s love for us. Glory be to God!

Saint of the Week

St. John Chrysostom

FEARING GOD, NOT MAN

Genesis 22:10-12

Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham! Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” He then replied, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him, for now I know you fear God, since for My sake you have not spared your beloved son.”

Personal Challenge

It is our responsibility as followers of Christ to put Him above all else in our lives. This is what it means to fear God. This does not mean that we cower before Him because we are afraid of Him. God is love. He is merciful and graceful towards us. We love and respect Him and are willing to do anything for Him. We cannot, however, both follow Him and follow, almost to the point of worship, people of this world who contradict God’s love, mercy, and grace. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

HE BELIEVED GOD

Genesis 15:6

And Abram believed God, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Personal Challenge

A core component of a follower of Christ is belief. We must believe in our God even though we have not seen Him or heard His voice. Just as we recognize that the wind is blowing by the rustling of leaves and the movement of the trees, we believe in a living and loving God because of what we see happening in our lives that can only be from Him. This is faith. This is what God uses to account as righteousness in our lives. Glory be to God!

WHAT DOES GOD COMMAND?

Genesis 6:22

Thus Noah did according to all the Lord God commanded him, so he did.

Personal Challenge

We are living in an age where prominent people proclaim to be Christians and yet they do everything they can that opposes the commands of Jesus. Rounding up people because of their color or accent is not Christian. Killing innocent (until proven guilty) fishermen in the ocean is not Christian. Covering up for pedophiles and taking money as bribes is not Christian. Treating women as less than you is not Christian. Christian is loving our neighbor, taking in the foreigner amongst us, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving of our weath to the needy and the poor. Noah got it right. When God told him to do something that made no sense, he did it with no hesitation and no questions. This is what God wants from His followers. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Love, have mercy!

MALE AND FEMALE

Genesis 5:2-3

He made them male and female, and blessed them; and the day He made them He called his name Adam. Now Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son according to his form and image, and named him Seth.

Encouraging Words

We, male and female, were created in God’s image and immediately blessed by Him. We are equal in God’s sight. Dominionism, complimentarianism, and any other doctrine that elevates a male above a female is a heresy. God’s intention is that all people, regardless of sex or color or nationality are equal in His sight. This is why Christian nationality is also a heresy. If we are followers of Christ then our citizenship, our nationality, is not of any nation or kingdom of this earth. Glory be to God alone!

GOD HAS GIVEN

Genesis 4:25

Again Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Seth, saying, “God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.”

Encouraging Words

Life is full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and many surprises and challenges. God is always there with us, whether we see Him or not. Those times that we do not see Him are so often because our eyes and hearts are focused on the things of this world. The more that we strive to remain close to God, the more we can see His hand at work in our lives. In this continuing story of Adam, Eve, and their sons Cain and Abel, we see God blessing them with a new son to replace Abel who was killed by Cain. It is through this new line that Jesus is someday born. It is the birth of Seth that we see an image of the resurrection of Christ after His death. As we follow Christ and put our trust in Him, we find God’s plans for us. Glory be to God!

Saint of the Week

St. Paisios of Mount Athos

THE STATE OF OUR HEART

Genesis 4:7

“Did you not sin, even though you brought it rightly, but did not divide it rightly? Be still; his recourse shall be to you; and you shall rule over him.”

Personal Challenge

As I was growing up, I always thought Cain got the raw end of the deal with his offering to God. It was not until I converted to Eastern Orthodoxy that I got the rest of the story. The early church fathers showed in the Scriptures that the problem with Cain’s offering was not in the content but the intent. His heart was not no the spirit of giving a gift to God. It was given begrudgingly, and therefore not acceptable to God. God cares more about the state of our hearts than He does about the content of our offering. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

CHOICES

Genesis 3:11-13

Thus He said, “Who said you were naked? Have you eaten from the one tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” Then Adam said, “The woman You gave me, gave me of the tree, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Personal Challenge

Is it no wonder that our first instinct, when we are caught doing something that we shouldn’t be doing, is to blame our actions, our choices, on someone or something else? This is what both Adam and Eve did with the first sin of mankind. God knows, as well as we do, that we are solely responsible for our choices. We cannot blame another. This is the beginning of repentance. Admitting, and owning, our indiscretion leads to our forgiveness and healing. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercyl Lord have mercy!