Freedom For Today

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 12 before reading the devotional below.

How does God talk to you? Perhaps it’s hard to describe, and it’s a question I wish I could go back and ask of Abram. Often the Bible says, “God told him _________,” with no clear explanation as to how that actually came about (other than perhaps with Moses and the burning bush. We don’t know how Abram heard or understood God, we simply know that he obeyed. Perhaps that is the only detail God wants us to pick up from the interaction.

The second half of today’s chapter is complicated. As a woman, it’s hard to sit with some of the ways that women were objectified in these stories. Sarai is beautiful, and ultimately Abram’s actions as her husband were an attempt to protect her. He was right that the Egyptians would objectify her, and unfortunately his lie backfired. Where was the voice of God when he came up with that plan?

Here’s your freedom for today:

You don’t need to tweak God’s plans.

We’ll see a few examples of this in Abram’s life throughout this Genesis series, but he tends to get a plan from God and then meddle with it when it takes too long. I can sadly relate. God told him where to go, and he promised that land to Abram’s descendants. There is no verse that says, “God told Abram to go to Egypt during the famine.” Does that mean that Abram got worried and did what he thought he had to do? Did he have a conversation with God to ask how to handle the famine? Too often, we forget that God brings us to places where he wants to show us that he can accomplish supernatural things. Earthly circumstances are not a good gauge for the voice of God.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 11 before reading the devotional below.

God has watched humanity since the beginning, and he is well aware of how much destruction we can bring to the world. In today’s chapter, it may seem that God is intimidated by all that humans might be able to accomplish. However, given what he has seen in Adam, Noah, and everyone in between, this chapter may be more like an inventor whose “Frankenstein” takes on an ugly life of its own.

God sees that a united humanity could become a strong force, and the presence of evil in the world means that destruction is likely to follow. He scrambles language and scatters various tribes and nations to prevent another downfall like the one that led to the flood.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God is looking for people he can use.

At the end of this chapter, we meet Abram. We’ll see God’s involvement with him in the coming chapters, but it’s clear that God is not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of God. Instead, he’s actively involved in his creation, keeping mankind from destroying itself and choosing individuals that can rise up as leaders. We’ll see throughout Genesis that God’s leadership choices are not always who you’d expect. So far, what we know is that God plans to birth his own nation from a woman who can’t have kids. We’ll see where that leads us…

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 10 before reading the devotional below.

I bet you didn’t know that being called “Nimrod” was a compliment! The Bible is always full of surprises, and today’s chapter includes that gem. Here we have more genealogy, but this passage gives us a sense of the development of global nations on a different level.

History is a significant thing to pay attention to, in part because we learn from those who have gone before us and in part because it connects the Bible with actual events. Through this type of information, archaeologists and historians have been able to verify the truth of the Bible based on its historical accuracy. This chapter gives us the start of major empires in Assyria, Babylon, Philistia, and other regions. These names will be a significant part of the history of the Jewish people later on in the Bible.

Here’s your freedom for today:

The world is bigger than you.

When I read words like “all the nations of the earth” in the Bible, it reminds me that I am not the center of the universe. God’s been setting things up since the beginning of time, and he’s established earthly nations and rulers since the moment the flood ended. His plan is so vast, and I only understand some of the parts that he has chosen to reveal to us. In God’s infinite nature, there is certainly far more he has chosen not to reveal. My life is important, and I am important, but I am not the central figure even in my own story. God is the hero and the one around whom all stories are based. When I align myself with this truth, I am able to step back from a lot of things that seem urgent and lean into what God is actually doing.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 9 before reading the devotional below.

Have you ever had a giant win followed by an epic fail in your life? Noah gets it. He made it over a year in a boat with wild animals, received new promises from God signified by a gorgeous rainbow, is given a chance to start the world over again, and… falls into an embarrassing drunken stupor. This was the ONE guy that God thought had a shot at starting humanity over again.

Perhaps you think you could do better. Given Adam, Eve, and Noah’s examples, I’m not sure any of us would make different choices. Connecting with the reality of human frailty is an important part of reading the Bible and understanding your self. You’re not special (compared to other humans), but you’re the most special (because God said you are).

Here’s your freedom for today:

God’s promises overwhelm your sin.

Noah ended up being a lousy representative of the human race. So did Adam and Eve. God was not unaware of who he was dealing with when he made his promises. And he has kept his end of the bargain even when his people have failed him time and time again. God is not surprised by your sin, nor does he call off his promises when we let him down. He’s committed to you, and that says far more about him than it does about you. Sin may overwhelm you, but it will never overwhelm God.

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 8 before reading the devotional below.

Today’s chapter opens with a powerful statement: “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat.” Five months has gone by, and I don’t know about you but I might have started wondering at some point if God had forgotten about me. Imagine having no contact with the outside world, being trapped in a boat you built yourself, and caring for animals of varying degrees of friendly. I can see myself wondering where this “plan” was going to lead.

Two and a half more months go by before even the tops of the mountains are visible. Noah celebrates his 601st birthday still looking for signs that this boat won’t be the end of him. Ultimately, over a year passes from the time Noah gets on the boat until the time he sets foot on dry land. Every cute song I ever learned as a child focused on 40 days of fun and rain!

Here’s your freedom for today:

God’s with you for the long haul.

God’s plans take time. He is deliberate and patient. Often that doesn’t line up with how we want the timeline to go. When God invites us into his plans, he gives us hard tasks. Our participation is not just cute or patronizing, it is sometimes essential to God’s will being carried out. He has entrusted us with important jobs, and he genuinely partners with us along the way. He doesn’t walk away after giving us an assignment. He’s with you, step-by-step. Lean in for the long haul, because God won’t fail you when you’re on his mission.