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Genesis 3:8-10

Then they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden that afternoon, and Adam and his wife hid themselves within the tree in the middle of the garden from the presence of the Lord God. So the Lord God called Adam and said to him, “Adam, where are you?” He replied, “I heard Your voice as You were walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

Personal challenge

Adam and Eve both knew, immediately, that their sin, their disobedience, was wrong and that they needed to hide from God. And yet, God came looking for them, lovingly, as He always did, God loves us so much more than our sin can interfere with. Our tendency is to hide from God when we sin, when what we need to do is run to Him and expose ourselves and our wrongdoing so that He can heal and restore us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Encouraging Words

Jesus was able to live His entire human life without sinning. He did this as a fully human being. So, why did He have John baptize Him. It was imperative for Him to cleanse the humanity of mankind of the sin that was present in it through our choices. Through His baptism, He made it possible for all of us to be baptized into God’s righteousness. Through His baptism He also revealed to us the trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Glory be to God!

Genesis 3:7

Then the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Personal Challenge

There is a very important lesson in this verse about sin. Adam and Eve have just eaten of the forbidden fruit. One of the consequences of this sin was that their eyes were opened to something that they had never seen before. Every sin that we commit does this to us. It opens our eyes to something that will continue to draw us away from our Lord if we choose to keep looking at it. This is why it is so important to never take that first bite. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Matthew 2:18

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”

Personal Challenge

Our God is a loving, caring, and merciful God. His desire is for His creation to walk with Him in His garden as life all started out. He grieves when we do things that are harmful to each other for we have all been created in His image. Our challenge, my challenge, is to be as loving as His Son was and give my life for those whom He brings into my life. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Genesis 1:5

God called the light Day; the darkness He called Night; and there was evening and morning, one day.

Encouraging Words

Throughout the account of the creation story, we are reminded that everything that happens here in our earthly life occurs in seasons. Some are longer and some are shorter, but they all have a beginning and an ending. For those who read the scriptures literally, this account is viewed as seven finite, 24-hour days. For those who read with a move open view, this account is viewed as seven periods of time that God performed His acts of creation. Either way, we are still reminded that our lives are filled with various seasons, all with a beginning, and all with an ending. Our goal, our responsibility, is to seek God throughout each of these seasons and observe His hand at work even in our small lives. Glory be to God!

Revelation 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Encouraging Words

Even at the end of the great apocalypse of time as called out in the book of Revelation, all are called upon to “Come!” to Jesus, to come and take of the water of life freely. Glory be to God!

Revelation 21:3-4

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Encouraging Words

This is the culmination of the faith the we, the followers of Christ, have in our lives. Faith that there will be a day when our Lord Jesus Christ will return and physically dwell amongst us. The fulfillment of this promise began when Jesus became God incarnate and set in motion the new covenant between us and God. He destroyed the bondage that death had on us and gave us the Holy Spirit, the Intercessor to dwell within us until His return. Our hope in Him and our faith is in the promise that He will return establishing a kingdom where there will be no more tears, death, sorrow, crying, or pain. Glory be to God!

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Encouraging Words

Regardless of what anyone believes or teaches about God being an angry and judgmental God, they are wrong. God is love. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has proclaimed that God so loved the world that He gave up His only son to save the world from eternal death. Jesus, himself, proclaims that He is standing at the door of hearts, knocking and waiting for us to answer and let Him in so that we can dine with Him at His eternal table of life. This is love, God’s love. Glory be to God!