Devotion
The Grass is always greener on the other side . . . or is it?
David Jacobs
As the title of this devotion suggests, people sometimes selfishly consider the short-term benefits rather than thinking for the long-term. A good friend of mine married a woman that he did not love. He came from a fairly poor family and his soon-to-be wife, who he had known for only a few months and had shown little loyalty to him, came from an extremely wealthy family. He was unable to think of her in any other way: a ticket out of poverty and towards a better life. Once he got it, however, he realized that was not the life he wanted at all. He had worked hard to get what he had, and his parents had done the same and treated him well. The opposite was true of his wife, and disagreements between her family eventually led to their divorce.
In Genesis 13, Lot defies the desires of Abram and God, choosing to settle in Jordan. The grass was literally greener in Jordan, with abundant sources of water and a path to a potentially easier life. However, he turned a blind eye to the wicked and sinful ways of the men of Sodom, deciding to settle there regardless. Eventually, Lot loses everything when Sodom is destroyed. If he had listened to the urges of God and Abram, his ancestors would turn to salt. Unfortunately, his family is turned into the dust of the earth in the end. Open your heart, go to the Lord, and follow God's path. He is a light at your feet and will not lead you astray. The pastures in Heaven are greener than any we can imagine.
Prayer
My God, my Shepherd, I will follow you to the ends of the earth. Heaven and earth are full of your glory, and I shout your praises from the highest mountains. Strengthen my heart so that I learn to trust and put my faith in you at all times. You have not led me astray, and I know you never will. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
