Jesus teaches us that Christianity comes down to how we treat people whom we should hate: our enemies. That is how to be like our God. After all, we deserve death. We should be the enemies of God but in his love and mercy he forgives us. So Christianity, then, is a faith practice where we find that, in the place of hatred, is love.
If anyone needed to believe in God’s plans for hope and a future, it was Noah. In my daily devotional, I was drawn to a verse in Genesis 8.
Faith concerns the ability to view our circumstances as temporary situations presented to prepare us for the future that we’ve hoped for.
In my soul, in my heart, in my daily life, I was in desperate need of an encounter with a God who could change my situation.
This book is about purpose, faith in God through Jesus Christ, and how God partners with Jesus’ disciples to bring about their purpose.
As with Peter, if ours is to be a Christian for-profit business, then we must be led by the plans and purposes of God.
In Genesis 7, God tells Noah to get in the ark because it’s about to flood. The only thing is: there’s no rain.
Jesus found 12 men to follow him. One of these men, however, has been regarded by Christians today as having fallen: Judas.
Noah received grace from God when God gave him a plan to escape the flood: the ark. If Noah hadn’t built the ark, he would’ve been destroyed.
While Cain brought God an offering “in the course of time,” Abel offered God the first and best of his flock; so, God accepted his offering.
Once Adam received the perfect life, he decided to remain silent about his relationship with God. He left out the good news.
God is our creator. Since he made us to reproduce we may believe that his creation work is done yet this would be a misunderstanding.
To create like God means to create in formless, empty dark places. We cannot fear misery, neglect sorrow or disregard worthless things.
The promise of Canaan begins with accepting God’s purpose for our lives. When we learn our purpose we must communicate with God, take action and persevere in confidence. Our discipline and commitment must be directed towards acting on God’s purpose with confidence in God’s ability.
Discipline is a seed. It must be watered every day. Hebrews 12:11 tells us that discipline produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained it. In the desert, the Israelites felt the pain of being made into a great nation but God disciplines those he loves.
Wilderness requires a commitment to God. When God is an option and when Canaan is one of the many things we have to choose from then we will find ourselves in idolatry as the Israelites did in Exodus 32 when they worshiped a golden calf. Let us learn to practice an ever-increasing commitment to God.
God’s love guides. Purpose requires communication with God, action and perseverance. We win by acting on God’s plan in disciplined commitment.
Ruth had a difficult life perhaps even caring for her husband until his death. Ruth was a woman who had experienced hardship. As a result she was not uncomfortable going into the unknown. Her past difficulty had equipped her to stay the course.