Devotion
I know that you fear me
David Jacobs
This story is probably familiar to most Christians: Abraham takes his son, Isaac, up the mountain because God asks that he make a sacrifice. God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham builds an altar, ties up his son, raises the knife to kill Isaac, but is stopped at the last second by an angel. After this episode, God knows that he can trust Abraham completely, and their covenant is strengthened further.
As I previously stated, the actual events in these verses is hotly debated amongst Biblical scholars. In the oldest variations of the text, Abraham seemingly does kill Isaac. In those versions, Isaac is not mentioned again. In other versions, Abraham is stopped. This story fascinated me and sparked my interest in understanding who wrote the Bible.
Whether or not Abraham killed Isaac is something we will never know. However, without these verses, I never would have dove so deeply into Biblical literature. This verse changed my life and was the first time I learned about the "J, E, P, and D" texts (I suggest all Christians research this on their own time). It opened my eyes to a new understanding of the Bible: who actually wrote it, why it was written, and explains much of the political and cultural references that I was unaware of previously.
Prayer
Who were the authors of the Bible? If you are anything like I was, you assume that it was the actual word of God. The Old Testament was written by humans. Learning about the writers and translations of the Bible opened a door to a world previously unknown to me and only deepened my fascination and love of the Bible even more.
Night Prayer
Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
Inspiration
We humble ourselves before the Lord when we come to Him with earthly burdens. We understand we do not have the power to control or fix our problems alone, so we lay our egos down and align our lives with the will of God. We are proud to be His servants and accept His help throughout our struggles. His love is unconditional, and His wisdom parallels none other.
Prayer
Dear Lord, we humble ourselves before You, seeking Your wisdom and guidance all the days of our lives. Thank You for Your presence and unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Devotion
You are a Temple of The Holy Spirit
Frances Taylor
This is a hard saying in today's world. Sexual immorality is so rampant and public that few people believe it to be immoral! People no longer think of sexual behavior outside of marriage as wrong and, in fact, have no problem with going from one person to another quite publicly, broadcasting their behavior on social media and if you're famous enough, on twitter, on TV, in magazines, etc. What happened to "Thou shalt not commit adultery?" I guess I'm old fashioned. I'm not about to condemn anyone who truly loves another and is faithful to them regardless of marriage, but I don't understand and cannot condone random sexual encounters that are not based on love but lust, have no desire for permanency but are literally just to satisfy a sexual itch.
Sorry if I offend anyone, but if we believe that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be kept holy, how can we treat them as what – toys, prizes? I'm aware that women have often ...
Morning Prayer
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Inspiration
Think of a grudge that you held on for a long time. Did you feel better from holding this grudge? Now think about this deeper: what if God held a grudge against us? Wow, how blessed we are that he forgives our sins! He leads by example, forgiving those of us that do exactly what he asks us not to do. We all should all be more forgiving, like God is to us.
Prayer
You sent your only son to the world to die so that we may be forgiven, merciful God. Forgive me, once again, for being too selfish and proud to not forgive those that trespass against me. I wish that I can sin less and ask for forgiveness and guidance when I need it. I thank you for sending your son to us, Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
