Growing in FaithW

January 12, 2010

Genesis 11-12; Psalm 4:1-3; Proverbs 1:28-30

We accidentally read too much in Matthew yesterday.

Abraham was a real live human being just like you and me. He had to grow in faith just like the rest of us. Sometimes you see him move in great faith, and other times you see his frailty.

God told Abraham to move away from his family and all that he knew. This took great faith, but he obeyed. Then on his journey, God shows him land that he wants to give to his descendants. Abraham builds an altar to remind himself of God's promise.

Just a few verses later, Abraham moves to Egypt. Scripture doesn't mention whether or not it was under the direction of God. Abraham, then Abram, was so afraid that the Pharoah would kill him for Sarai, he asks her to lie! Perhaps he moved outside of the will of God when he went to Egypt and this is why he didn't have the confidence to trust God. Or, perhaps he was just growing in faith, like the rest of us.

Abraham is called the Father of Faith, yet it is easy to see that even he through the years had to grow and walk the walk of faith just like the rest of us. However, he kept on, and he finished the course. Let's continue our walk of faith, so that we can truly be called the sons and daughters of Abraham!

From the kids

We all wondered what it was about the building a tower that would keep them from scattering across the earth.

Also the very thing they were afraid of (being scattered) is the very thing that happened.

We also wondered if this was how God ensured that people were on every continent before Pangea broke apart.

Revealing the Nakedness of Others

January 11, 2010

Genesis 9-10; Psalm 3:5-8; Proverbs 1:23-27; Matthew 5

Today we read the account of Ham gossiping to his brothers about his father's nakedness. When Noah hears of this offense, he curses Ham and his descendants. His lineage becomes a thorn in the flesh of Israel even now. Again we have an instance where one son is ostracized for his sin.

It is interesting to note that it is Ham's descendants who continue in sin and build Sodom and Gomorrah. Noah was recognizing something in Ham which would produce more and more evil in the future. And it all started by revealing the nakedness of another.

Whose nakedness do we reveal in conversation, rather than being a servant and covering those who have embarrased themselves or fallen. Those seeds of gossip, talebearing and reveling in another's weakness and/or hardship have the seeds which produce problems not only in your own life, but in generations to come.

Make a decision to cover the sins of others. "Love covers a multitude of sins."

From the kids

Joy mentioned that it makes sense that Pangea was broken during the lifetime of Peleg. This is how the entire earth came to be inhabited by people.

We noted that it was after the flood that people were permitted to eat animals. Naturally, the animals now feared man. Man was chasing them for food!

We were all convicted about our words, because of Jesus speaking of not calling people a fool, etc.