Tag: God

Attitude Check

Genesis 15 & 16, Proverbs 9, Matthew 5

Devotion by Marcia Railton (IN)

As we read through the Sermon on the Mount, the first of 5 segments of Jesus’ teaching in the book of Matthew, we will spend three days not two on each of the chapters 5-7. Today’s devotion will focus on the first section of chapter 5 – the Beatitudes. Whether this is your first time reading them, or you can quote them all, sometimes it is helpful reading a variety of versions to get a better understanding of Jesus’ words and how to put them into practice. Take special note of some variations of “Blessed”.

Poor in Spirit – Verse 3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NASB), “Great blessings belong to those who know they are spiritually in need.” (ERV), “the humble, who rate themselves insignificant” (AMPC), “those devoid of spiritual arrogance” (AMP), “those people who depend only on him” (CEV), “Those people who know they have great spiritual needs are happy. (ICB), “’Humble men are very fortunate’ he told them, ‘for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.'” (TLB)

Those Who Mourn – Verse 4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (NASB), “God makes happy those who are sad. They will have comfort.” (WE), “They are blessed who grieve, for God will comfort them.” (NCV), “Those who mourn are fortunate! for they shall be comforted.” (TLB)

The Meek – Verse 5 – “Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!” (AMPC), “Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.” (AMP), “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” (NLT), “God makes happy those who quietly trust him and do not try to get their own way. The world will belong to them.” (WE), meek also replaced with “gentle” (NASB).

Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness – Verse 6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” (NASB), “God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want!” (CEV), “Great blessings belong to those who want to do right more than anything else. God will fully satisfy them.” (ERV), “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God’s approval. They will be satisfied.” (NOG)

The Merciful – Verse 7 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (ESV), “Great blessings belong to those who show mercy to others. Mercy will be given to them.” (ERV), “Those who show loving-kindness are happy, because they will have loving-kindness shown to them.” (NLV), “God makes happy those who are kind. He will be kind to them.” (WE)

Pure in Heart – Verse 8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (NKJV), “Those who are pure in their thinking are happy. They will be with God.” (ICB), “Happy are the utterly sincere, for they will see God!” (PHILLIPS), “They are blessed whose thoughts are pure, for they will see God.” (NCV)

Peacemakers – Verse 9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (NABRE), ““Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children!” (GNT), “Great blessings belong to those who work to bring peace. God will call them his sons and daughters.” (ERV), “Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God! (AMPC)

Persecuted for Righteousness – Verse 10 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (ESV), “Blessed are those who suffer for doing what is right. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” (NIRV), “Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing what God approves of. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” (NOG),

You may have noticed that this list of Beatitudes does not look like the Ten Commandments. It does not tell us what to avoid doing. It does not even specifically tell us what to do. It does not list for us the ten things to make sure we do so that we can check them off the list for each day. It does not say: Blessed are those who read their Bible every day. Blessed are those who spend at least 15 minutes in prayer each day. Blessed are those who tithe 10%, (but 11% is better). Blessed are those who have perfect attendance at every church function.

I am a natural born rule follower who wants to please God. So my first instinct is to want that daily checklist. Can you tell me God, exactly how many minutes of distraction is allowed when I should be focused on You and the job I said I would do for You? Where is the line where human nature crosses over into disobedience? If there was a big red line I might not cross it – too many times – maybe – until I saw how easy it was to cross over to please myself instead of God. Who am I kidding, I might like rules. But I don’t always like following them. Maybe it would be better if I had a checklist, a big red line to not cross and an electric zapper for when I do, which will obviously have to grow in intensity. Or, maybe just an easy 3 warning zaps and then immediate death. Guess what – I wouldn’t make a very good God at all! Thankfully, God is a very good God. And He has designed a very good way for His children – telling us what to do (and not do), and also, here His Son lays out the list of how we are to do what He wants us to do. What does our heart look like when we follow Him?

Having this list of attitudes in no way means that we no longer have to concern ourselves with doing what God wants as well as avoiding the things He doesn’t want. In fact we ought to be doing the things that please God so much that we are getting into trouble, persecuted by the world, for doing the things that God wants us to do. Jesus says, “whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19b-20 ESV). The Pharisees were the checklist experts! Even tithing on their herbs and not lifting a finger on the Sabbath. They had all God’s laws down pat! They were so diligent – making new laws to protect God’s law, watching others carefully to point out any time they slip, puffed up with pride over how well they checked the boxes, always focused on their checklist, instead of their heart. Jesus said – Do better. Watch your heart. Catch your motives. Strike your pride. Use wisdom.

Realize you are spiritually in need. Get rid of your spiritual arrogance. Be poor in spirit.

Grieve and mourn – not just for your losses, but for what grieves God.

Be meek, humble, gentle. It’s not weakness – it’s being like Jesus.

More than anything else, desire in your own life what God says is right.

Be full and overflowing with mercy and loving-kindness for others.

Make your heart clean with pure, God-honoring thoughts and decisions.

Strive for peace and help others do likewise.

WHILE also being willing to stand up and do right even when the world persecutes you for it.

Do what God wants, in the way that God wants.

Have a humble heart that truly wants to please God.

Watch your attitudes as much as your actions – and you will be blessed.

Reflection Questions

  1. How would you describe the term “blessed”? Is it more than “happy”?
  2. What do you notice about the consequences or rewards for those with these attitudes? Are some for now? Are some for the future? Are some for both? What do you know about God’s promises?
  3. Have you experienced any persecution from the world for doing what is right? If so, was it worth it? What did you learn? If not, why not?
  4. Which of these Beatitudes would you like to focus on increasing in your life this week? What changes will it require?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for being a good God who still loves and longs for relationship with your very human and imperfect creation. Thank you for your Son who shows us how to be pleasing to You. Help me to see Jesus’ heart and his desires, his attitudes and actions, so I can better seek to reflect that in myself. Help me to diligently work at cleaning out all impurity, pride, and wrong motives and attitudes to be what you want to see in me. Help me to do what you want, in the way that you want. Thank you for your promises for today and for the future. Help me be ready, and prepare others to be ready, for your Son’s Coming Return. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Standing or Falling

Genesis 13-14, Proverbs 8, Matthew 4

Devotion by Marcia Railton (IN)

Smooth, delicious chocolate, sometimes with crunchy nuts or gooey caramel (instead of the nutritious salad fixings abandoned in my fridge). Or really sugar in just about any form.

A “well-deserved” social media break, just for a few minutes, that turns into much longer.

On-line shopping to find just the right pair of shoes for a trip, or maybe I need pants, or what about that sweater, would that color look good on me?

Those were three temptations I caved in to just last night when I was supposed to be writing this devotion! Yikes! When my sleepy husband asked why I was so late in getting to bed, I said something like I had been busy falling into temptation. No, I hadn’t spent the late night hours murdering my neighbor, stealing from the bank on the corner, or bowing down to carved idols. But, I had said ‘Yes’ to my own selfish, meaningless, unhealthy pursuits instead of being and doing what God most desired for me – what was best for me.

Perhaps, I should not be the one writing the devotion today. I am obviously not a specialist in standing up to temptation. I need an example to follow, I need to learn from a master – Ah, yes, thank God, He DID indeed provide the perfect example who longs to be my master. He gave us His human Son Jesus. And right after the baptism of Jesus, and right before Jesus begins his years of ministry, God’s Holy Spirit led Jesus, God’s own beloved, pleasing Son, into the wilderness where he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.

As we are looking for clues on how Jesus faced temptation so successfully, there’s a couple great ones right there. Jesus was already open to and actively being led by the Spirit. What did God’s spirit want for him? That’s what He wanted too, even when it meant willingly going into a difficult, sometimes even dangerous space.

Compare Jesus’ location and circumstance with Adam and Eve’s when they were also confronted with choices to make. The first son of God was surrounded with God’s bounty and beauty and provision in the spectacular garden. Good, healthy, God-honoring fruit literally surrounded them when they instead listened to the deception of the serpent and chose to eat of the tree that God had already clearly said “No” to. Jesus didn’t use his harsh surroundings or difficult circumstances as an excuse to be weak. Instead, he found strength in using that time to fast and pray and draw closer to God which indeed made him even stronger and better prepared to face his adversary. Don’t get so comfortable in your pleasant surroundings that you become weak and don’t recognize temptation for what it is. Don’t fear the time spent in the harsh wilderness, but use the opportunity to cling closer and closer to what really matters – the God who is always there.

After the 40 days of fasting Jesus gives us the next big answer of how he faced each one of Satan’s three temptations in the wilderness – with the very words of God His Father, each and every time. In fact, the first Scripture Jesus quotes to Satan are strong words about the sustaining power from the words of God, and our need for God’s word, from the book of Deuteronomy: “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) If we try to face temptation without the power of God’s word we will be weak. Matthew 4:4 is a great verse for me to remember today when I sit down to work on tomorrow’s devotion! Here’s a few more:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:14-17

God’s word: read it, learn it, use it – and live (better and stronger today and also for eternity).

God’s word: neglect it, forget it, try to do life your own way – and die (but first, you will likely waste a lot of time, have a lot of self-made sorrow, and miss out on doing God’s will).

His Words are not just for gaining knowledge, they are for fighting temptation, finding truth, for making strong and giving life. Don’t miss out!

Let’s review what we have seen from Jesus about successfully facing temptation: Jesus was willing to be led by the Spirit. He used his time in the wilderness well. He fasted and drew closer to God. He recognized Satan for who he was. He discerned the lies and empty promises of the deceiver and actively chose what God said and promised instead. He wanted God’s will, not his own. He knew God’s Word. He used God’s Word as a sword to do battle against untruth, temptations and the tempter. He said, “Away with you Satan!” And he was victorious!

What about you? Do you know what temptations you face regularly? What do you crave? What do you covet? What are you jealous of? What leads you astray? What do you feel guilty about? Where do you lose self-control? What good do you neglect and why? How do you waste time? What do you say ‘Yes’ to that God wanted you to say ‘No” to? And, what do you say ‘No’ to that God wanted you to say ‘Yes’ to? What is Satan whispering in your ear or in your heart? What do you worship (with your time, money, devotion, or decisions)?

Realize you have choices, decisions to make. Big ones and little ones. It’s not just about not murdering your neighbor and not bowing down to carved idols. It’s also about how you treat the gift of the miraculous body God gave you. It’s about how you choose to spend the gift of the time God gives you. It’s about how you treat the people God surrounds you with. It’s about if you choose what you want, or what God wants.

And Satan (as well as the world and marketers today) can make the bad choice, or the selfish one, or the unhealthy one, look pretty good, that’s what makes it tempting. If it looked like the garbage it is, we would gladly turn from it. Don’t be fooled by the stone that looks like bread, the impressive view, and Satan’s promises.

God gives the perfect example of His Son. Follow that example – not mine.

God gives His Word, the Scriptures – the sword to do battle with the tempter. It worked for Jesus. I need to use it better!

God gives knowledge, wisdom and discernment – ask for it and use it.

God gives the spirit of self-control – that’s the one I want.

God gives forgiveness and new beginnings.

Prayer

Dear God – I am sorry. Please forgive me of the many times I fall to temptation. Help me do better, Lord God. Help me follow the example of your Son when I am in the wilderness and also when I am in the garden. Help me go where Your Spirit is leading. Help me forsake what I want and choose instead what You want, which is indeed the best for me. Help me see garbage for what it is, and turn from it to you and your gifts, again and again. I ask for wisdom and discernment to see what is from You and what are deceptions from the deceiver. Help me use your Word well to be strong against temptation. Thank you for your Word, your forgiveness, love and mercy and a new day to work at doing Your will better. Help me use all that you give me to stand strong against temptation. Thank you for the example and sacrifice of your Son Jesus. In his name we pray to You the Almighty. Amen.

Reflection Questions

  1. Compare and contrast when Satan came to the garden and when he came to the wilderness? What similarities do you see? What differences? Is Satan still making visits? What does it look like?
  2. Consider the paragraph of questions regarding what are temptations for you. What do you see about your own temptations? What temptations do you sometimes fall to?
  3. Eating chocolate isn’t always a sin or temptation is it? But is it sometimes? When? Why? What makes the difference?
  4. What scriptures can you find (and put in your home and in your heart) to help you face your temptations better armed with the Sword of the Spirit?
  5. Have you ever tried fasting when facing a particularly difficult time of temptation?
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Faith is an Action

Genesis 12, Proverbs 7, Matthew 4

I am pleased today to share words from Jeffrey Fletcher, a pastor, chaplain, husband, father and regular writer for SeekGrowLove and Church of God publications. We mourn the death of Pastor Jeff, we look forward to celebrating with him at the resurrection, and we are thankful that his Godly words of wisdom and his example of faith live on for us today. The following is part of an article titled True Abrahamic Faith which was published in the July-Sept 2025 edition of The Restitution Herald (Vol 114 No 3).

If we say we have the faith of Abraham, shouldn’t we understand what that really means? The fact of the matter is … when we study the life of Abraham, we find very little spoken about what he actually believed in a structured, systematic way. Abraham left behind no creed or statement of belief about God. So to understand what faith meant to Abraham, we have to look at what he did by way of response to God. 

First, we see in Genesis 12 that Abraham took his wife, his nephew, and his servants, left Haran, and went down to the land of Canaan, where he pitched his tent and built an altar to the LORD who had appeared to him. From this, we discover three things about the faith of Abraham: 

1. He had a personal relationship with God – Abraham believed that God was a personal God. 

Abraham was not an atheist, who doesn’t believe in God. 

He wasn’t an agnostic, who won’t say one way or another if there’s a God. 

He wasn’t a deist, who believes that God is a kind of higher power who simply wound up the universe at the beginning and then pretty much left us on our own to do as we please. 

He wasn’t an animist, who believes that an immaterial force called nature — Mother nature, Gaia, etc. — inhabits the universe and occupies all living things (had he believed that, he never would have killed an animal and offered up a sacrifice at the altar). If you want to know more about animism, just watch the Disney film Pocahontas, which reflects a prevalent 90s animistic belief that things like trees have spirits. 

He was not a pantheist, who believes in and worships all gods. This popular belief holds that all religious truth is equally valid. All gods are equally valid and can justly be worshipped – whether they be called Buddha, Lord Krishna, or YHWH. 

Abraham believed in God and God alone as the true God. Not a higher power, which is a kind of politically correct term for God among many 12-step groups. Yes, God is a higher power, but He is more than pure power, energy, or even impersonal spirit. God is a personal being with whom we can enter into a real, personal relationship. 

We know these things about Abraham not because of what he said to others about God, but because of the way he responded to God. 

2. He made worship a priority – notice that wherever Abraham settled, he built an altar. He came to Shechem; he built an altar to worship God. He went to Bethel; he built an altar to worship God. Later, he moved to Hebron; again he built an altar to God. Everywhere he settled, he built an altar to God. Worship was a priority to him. And remember too – this was not because of some religious law or empty ritual Abraham was following. The laws of Moses, which prescribed the type and frequency of offerings to God, were not given until over 400 years after the time of Abraham. Abraham selected animals from his flocks as a way of recognizing that everything he had was from God and really belonged to God. Abraham was willing to offer up his best as an act of worship to God. 

This priority of worship was demonstrated when Abraham, after being victorious in battle against the confederacy of kings from Sodom and Gomorrah, as an act of worship, brought to Melchizedek, a priest of God, a tenth of the spoils of war. The very first tithe in the Bible does not come as a result of an ecclesiastical law, but as an offering of worship and display of faith on the part of Abraham. Abrahamic faith makes worship a priority and demonstrates it through sacrificial giving and tithing. 

3. He believed God – he packed up his tents and moved based on a promise that God had given him. He believed God and demonstrated that belief by his actions. Had Abraham stayed in Haran, would he have had true faith? What if he had said to everyone in Haran, “Listen, I believe in God, I believe God keeps His promises, I believe that God will give me the land of Canaan and make a great nation out of me” and then never packed up his tents, never loaded up his camels and donkeys, never tightened his sandals, never pulled out his walking stick and never journeyed south to Canaan? Would that have been true faith? 

You see, so much of what passes for “faith” these days isn’t really faith at all. Part of the problem is that faith in the English language is a noun. 

Listen to the Dictionary – faith (fEth) n. 

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, an idea, or a thing. 

2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or ma-terial evidence. 

3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance. 

4. The theological virtue is defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God’s will. 

5. The body of dogma of a religion. 

6. A set of principles or beliefs. 

A noun is a person, place, or thing, whereas a verb is an action. English is one of the only languages that has the word “faith” as a noun. In other languages, it is a verb. Why is that significant? Because Abrahamic Faith is a verb. Abrahamic Faith requires action. There’s no room for couch potatoes in Abrahamic Faith. Abrahamic Faith is not a spectator sport. 

One of the problems with American religion today is illustrated by the weekly football game, where we have 22 exhausted men who desperately need some rest being observed by thousands of spectators sitting around eating junk food and drinking beer, who desperately need some exercise. 

Abraham set down his beer, put down the remote control, packed up his stuff, and began a journey that would last for the rest of his life. He didn’t know how many stops, how many detours, how many frustrations, how many dis-appointments, how many battles, how much pain there would be on the journey. But then again, none of us on this journey of faith knows what we will encounter along the way. We travel out on faith, trusting that the God who has called us to the promised land will never abandon us on that journey, and that the land that awaits us is truly a good land. 

The complete article can be found here, starting on page 7. THE RESTITUTION HERALD is owned and published by the Church of God General Conference, a nonprofit Christian corporation located at 2020 Avalon Parkway, Suite 400,
McDonough, GA 30253, which is also the site of Atlanta Bible College.

Reflection Questions:

  1. What is involved in having a personal relationship with God? How is that the same or different from what you have seen in religion today? Do you have a personal relationship with God? It is healthy to continually look for ways to improve relationships. How can you improve your relationship with God?
  2. How do you worship? How might God want to see you worship, in addition to what you typically do now? What happens when we don’t make worship a priority? Would God say that you make worship a priority?
  3. Do you generally think of faith as a noun or a verb? Who have you seen live out their faith? What have done or currently do to demonstrate your faith? What might God be asking you to do next?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you because you are a real, personal God who desires a relationship with your creation. We thank you for the examples of faithful fathers, for the men and women recorded in your Word, as well as the ones who have lived since then, who though not perfect, go beyond talking about faith to demonstrate a living, breathing, moving, active faith in you. Help me to have a faith that gets me off the couch and even beyond my comfort zone. Show me, Father, how you want me to live out my faith next. May my worship of you be pleasing to you and a priority in my life. I pray these things in Your Son’s name. Amen.

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Fruit in the Wilderness

Genesis 9-11, Proverbs 6, Matthew 3

Devotion by Marcia Railton (IN)

You might not expect a man who works in the wilderness and eats locusts and wild honey to talk much about fruit. But here in Matthew 3 we hear from just such a man, one who is often referred to as John the Baptist, speaking twice of fruit.

Perhaps his most famous line is, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Matthew 3:2 NASB). It is such an effective charge and accurate description of the ministry given by God, that Jesus will also say the exact same thing when he begins his preaching in the next chapter (Matthew 4:17). The kingdom of heaven is a term used only by Matthew, and he, a Jew who was very careful about his use of “God”, spoke often of the kingdom of heaven. The other gospel and New Testament writers did not use the term kingdom of heaven but rather called it the kingdom of God. In the Old Testament neither phrase was used, but the people of God were definitely looking for the promised Messiah, the Chosen and Anointed One of God who would save them, and they too were looking forward to a kingdom set up by the God of heaven, an everlasting kingdom (such as Daniel 2:44). As the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was now ready to begin his preaching ministry on earth the kingdom was closer than it had ever been before! The time to repent had certainly come!

As John addresses some of his audience, the Pharisees and Sadducees (who in their pride and self-righteousness will reject the Messiah), John calls them a “brood of vipers” (or offspring of vipers), referring to being poisonous, spiritually speaking. Perhaps this sounds familiar to us because on more than one occasion Jesus will use the same term for them as well (Matthew 12:34 and again in 23:33).

So with the “pleasantries” aside, John gets right to the meat, or perhaps in this case, the fruit of his preaching saying: “Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance; 9 and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:8-10 NASB). Having told his listeners to repent he now tells them to bear fruit consistent with repentance. In other words, don’t tell me that you repent – show me that you repent. To repent is much more than recognizing or even saying that you have been and done wrong. To truly repent requires a change, a movement, an actual TURN from sin. A visible, tangible, positive, nourishing, healthy “fruit” that is evidence of the inner heart change.

The Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees were relying on their genealogy, their fancy titles, their turned up noses, their faithful fathers, their long lists of human made rules, their strict checkmarks. God wasn’t impressed. John was sent to prepare the people for Jesus. He said, repent, it’s time to change. Jesus would also repeat John’s words: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19). It is important. Eternal life and death important. Are you bearing good fruit consistent with repentance?

Reflection Questions

  1. What have you repented of? What do you need to repent of? Beyond saying you are sorry, what will it look like to change and turn from sin? What will the fruit in keeping with repentance look like in your life?
  2. John the Baptizer was known for his message of repentance and the act of baptizing, and in fact Jesus’ baptism by John also happens in this chapter, when the voice from heaven (that would be God) acknowledges that Jesus is His beloved and pleasing Son (I love that part!). How does John’s message of repentance and the act of baptism go hand and hand? Why do you think the perfect Son of God was baptized?
  3. Jesus continues the fruit theme a few chapters later saying, “You will know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:19). What fruit are you known by: good fruit or bad? Give an example of each (good and bad) that you have grown in the past? What type of good fruit do you want to grow today and in the future? What is required to grow this good fruit?

Prayer

Dear God, we thank you for your beloved and pleasing Son, your chosen Messiah, and the example and teaching he brought and the kingdom that is closer today than it was yesterday. Thank you for John who prepared the way for Jesus. Help us also prepare others to meet Jesus. Thank you for the opportunity you give us to repent and turn from sin towards You and Your better way. Help me not be like a Pharisee who proudly thought they had it all together. Show me, Lord, where I need to change, what I need to repent of, and what good fruit you want me to bear. Help be honestly see and get rid of bad fruit in my life so I am prepared for Your Son’s return. In his name we pray, Amen.

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The Almighty Ark Architect

Genesis 6-8, Proverbs 5, Matthew 3

Devotion by Marcia Railton (IN)

I have always been fascinated by the account of the man who built the magnificent boat to save the animals and his family from the floodwaters that covered the earth. When it was time to choose a nursery theme for our first born – it didn’t take long to land upon the man with the full white beard surrounded by every animal imaginable as they made their way into the safety of the big gopher wood boat. What a great story to rock any infant to sleep.

Who is the main character in this classic Bible story found in Genesis 6-9? The boat builder extraordinaire, the floating zoo animal wrangler, the father of 3, a “preacher of righteousness” amongst unbelieving, corrupt and violent neighbors (2 Peter 2:5 and Genesis 6:11), the man who “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). Yes, Noah is the man. “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9) So, God chose Noah.

And because of the way Noah responded to God’s choosing and instruction, he earns himself a spot in the Faith Chapter of faithful witnesses. Hebrews 11:7 (ESV) says, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” You can find this verse in many English translations here – to see some potentially helpful variations on the wording such as: “motivated by godly fear” (CSB), and “By his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.” (ICB)

There is so much we can learn from this man of faith! As a wife and mom I am also very curious about his unnamed wife! What role did she play? What did she think of this all? How did she help, assuming she did? What might their conversations have sounded like as they lay in bed at the end of a hard work day, or on the 150th day of life on the rocking, animal-filled boat, or as they gazed at the very first rainbow in the sky (coming in chapter 9)?

And what about the wives of Noah’s 3 sons? Can you imagine marrying into the ONLY family that will be saved from the floodwaters? I am hoping for a chance to talk to Noah and his wife and their family during the Kingdom of God on the earth after it will be cleansed again – this time not by water but by fire.

As instrumental as Noah was in his role of man of faith and boat building, and as intrigued as I am by his family, there is actually one more character I will suggest as the MAIN character of the account of Noah and the Ark – and that is the One who saw, chose, directed, provided for and remembered Noah. While seeing the corruption, wickedness and violence of the world, God also saw the one faithful.

The Lord Almighty is the ark architect. God gave Noah all the details needed for him to successfully build a boat that would hold all the occupants (perhaps about 96,000 square feet of floor space). The boat would also weather the torrential flood and then the winds that would dry the earth while remaining water tight for over a year. Professional marine engineers today still marvel at the accurate dimensions and plans given so long ago by the ALL-Knowing God that would indeed be necessary to create such a floating vessel. Here’s one article written by one such engineer and architect. Can you imagine what sort of ark Noah might have tried creating if he hadn’t been given God’s accurate details? The joy of being God’s servant is that He provides what is needed to do the job He asks you to do, if you will listen and obey.

Once the ark was built and waterproofed (on the inside and out – what a task!) it was time to add the animals. I am sure God had a large hand in orchestrating or ordering this task as well, in one way or another. Even knowing all of the species to collect, and getting the correct number of each of the two genders, and tending to their needs and the food! No doubt Noah and his family had work to do, but Genesis 6:20 also indicates they would not be acting on their own: “two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive”.

God is also the one who shut the door of the ark, both saving those inside, and keeping the unrighteous out. He sent the rain to cleanse the earth of the corruption and then the wind to dry the land to prepare it once again for Noah, the animals and the generations to follow, including you and I and your favorite furry, scaly, or winged creatures that move along or over the earth.

Our God provides what we need to live righteous lives doing the jobs He has for us to do. Our God sees and saves. He alone is the creator of the master plan of salvation for the human race. In Genesis he saves through the work and faith of righteous Noah. He saves again many times throughout Scripture. As we read through the Bible this year watch for how He saves. In your own life, take note of how He sees and saves and provides over and over again. And, perhaps most importantly, keep watch, for He is saving again, through the promised return of His Son Jesus. Will you be ready? Don’t be one of the unbelievers when that door shuts!

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you admire about the characters of Genesis 6-8? What questions would you like to ask Noah, his family, and the Almighty Ark Architect (amongst His MANY other titles and jobs)?
  2. Reread Hebrews 11:7. What might God want to see you do, motivated by godly fear? Where do you see the world as being wrong? In what ways can you help show that the world is wrong? And how can you help show that there is a God who not only can save, but wants to save all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
  3. Consider the plans of God to save the world. Compare and contrast His plans to save through Noah and His plans to save through His Son Jesus. Thank Him!

Dear Almighty God, we thank You for your plan of salvation and how You save over and over again. Thank you for this account of Noah that shows Your love and provision for those who walk with You, even when surrounded by the wrong world who will face judgment and final death. We praise You for being All-knowing! There is nothing You don’t know – and You graciously let us know what we need to know to do Your will well. We marvel at Your knowledge, wisdom, goodness, faithfulness, love and just judgments. Help us walk with You all our days. Help us see the evil of the world for what it is and not be a part of it. Help us follow Your directions to complete the tasks You have for us. Help us with reverent fear be preachers of righteousness. Prepare us and our families, including those we can invite in, for Your perfect plan of salvation. In the precious name of Your Son Jesus we pray.

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O Brother!

Genesis 4-5, Proverbs 4, Matthew 2

Devotion by Marcia Railton (IN)

Do you have a brother? Did you ever fall short, at a time when your brother did not? Have you ever felt jealousy or anger? Have you ever acted on your feelings, severing a relationship? Even if you don’t have a brother, there is much to be learned from this short account of two brothers in Genesis 4, the first set of brothers born to Adam and Eve – Cain and Abel.

Both brothers brought an offering, or sacrifice, to God. Cain, a farmer, brought fruit of the ground. Abel, a shepherd, brought a firstborn sheep. It seems good and logical to us. Offerings to God are good. But, some are better than others. And some, God says, are not accepted/respected/pleasing to Him (depending on which translation you use). Throughout Scripture much more will be written about offerings (including many different types of offerings in Leviticus, the widow’s 2 mites, a cheerful giver, etc…). We do not have a written record of how God conveyed His expectations to Cain and Abel before this, but we do know that God desires relationship with His children and He sees into the heart and if He wasn’t pleased, there was a good reason for His displeasure.

We all have been in the position where God is not pleased with what we have brought, done, or said. But where do we go from there? Do we see jealousy, anger, sin of any kind for what it is and seek to make correction? Or do we dig in deeper into our self-righteousness as we inch (or sprint) further and further from God and who He wants us to be? God gave Cain a choice, just as He gives each one of us. He said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6,7 ESV)

Cain didn’t do well. He did not find a way to control his thoughts and actions and anger. He did not rule over/master the sin that desired to have him. He killed his brother. He was not accepted by God.

In Genesis 3, God had asked Adam “Where are you?” and one chapter and generation later God asked Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And I don’t think God was too impressed with Cain’s answer: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Yes, as we seek to have mastery over the sin in our own lives, we are also to be looking out for our brothers (and sisters – even those not through blood lines). How does my sin affect those around me? How am I bringing down others with my attitudes, actions, anger, lack of self-control, and sin?

We can be thankful for the examples of those who have gone before us – both the examples of what they did right and what they did wrong. How they handled it when they didn’t measure up? What they could have done better? What happens when jealousy is allowed to fester and take over? What is the problem with anger? Both Cain and Abel were used as very real examples in the New Testament by multiple writers –

1 John 3:12 – Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.


Jude 1:11 – Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error… (Perhaps a “Profitable” clue as to why Cain’s offering wasn’t pleasing to God.)

Both Matthew and Luke record Jesus speaking of Abel to the Pharisees (those with heart issues over sacrifices, perhaps similar to Cain’s). Matthew says: “from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah” (Matthew 23:35, see also Luke 11:51).

And Abel, although his life and example were cut short, he becomes the very first named example of faith and righteousness recorded in the great list of witnesses known as the Faith Chapter of Hebrews 11. After commending those who believe the universe was created by the word of God, the writer says: “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (Hebrews 11:4 ESV)

What is Abel’s faith and example saying to you, today?

Reflection Questions

  1. In worship today, what makes a sacrifice acceptable, pleasing and respected by God? What sacrifices today are not acceptable, pleasing and respected by God? What sacrifices or offerings have you brought to God as part of your worship to Him? Are there some that are not too impressive? Are there some that are not given with the right heart, or are not much of a sacrifice at all?
  2. When might God ask you, as He asked Cain, “Why are you angry?” When have you been jealous of what others have brought to God or jealous of another’s ability to please God? When has comparing yourself to others, and God’s acceptance of them, left you bitter and angry? What do you do with your anger? What did God tell Cain that would be good for you to hear, too? (Take a closer look at Genesis 4:6&7.)
  3. In what ways can we use the examples of both Cain and Abel to “do well” today? What ought we to do? What ought we to not do? How can we rule over the sin that desires to have us? If God were to come asking YOU the whereabouts of your brother/sister (in blood or in faith), how would you answer? How can you take a positive step toward being a helpful “brother’s keeper” this week?

If you were hoping for a devotion and questions on Matthew 2, here’s a link to one for SGL posted on January 2, 2022.

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Hide and Seek

Genesis 3, Proverbs 3, Matthew 2

Devotion by Aaron Winner (SC)

Our two-year-old’s favorite game is probably hide and seek. She is actually pretty remarkable at staying still and quieting her breaths so she will not be found. The only problem with her strategy is that she always chooses the same hiding spot—the curtains in our master bedroom. For her, the game is not about actually remaining hidden. It would lose its appeal quickly if she stayed concealed too long. Her joy is ultimately to be found and to be reunited with family, “Daddy, you found me!”

In today’s reading, we see God playing the seeker as He looks for His favored creation in the garden. No matter how still Adam and Eve remain, God knows the hiding place. When He asks, “Where are you?”, it is a loaded question from the one who knows us most intimately, both our physical location and hearts. God is not met by the joyful giggles of a toddler, but by the shameful chagrin of sin (Prov. 3:7). Even though God knew where He would find them and did not withhold discipline (Prov. 3:12), by His infinite grace, He still searched for them.

That same grace carries forward into the arrival of the Son of Man. God hung a star in the east to announce the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the hope first spoken in Genesis, the One who would crush the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15). Though the distance was far, men who were seeking found a child, guided by both the heavens and the Word of God (Matt. 2:6). God makes His mercies known.

And so, when we are searching, we are always led to the same place. If we are looking for rest, we look to Jesus. If we are looking for meaning, we look to Jesus. If we are looking for hope, we look to Jesus. Throughout the Old Testament, again and again, God “hides” His promise of His Son in plain sight some 300 times, all pointing toward the life, death, resurrection, and return of Jesus Christ, who conquers sin once and for all.

So who are we fooling if we think we can remain hidden among the foliage and unseen by God? If we feel distant from him, the heavens and His word are still declaring we need only turn to the same place where our faith begins, Jesus Christ. Unchanged is the place where grace and hope begin.

Let us pray this together:

Abba Father, I have been desperately hoping you would find me. I will trust in You with all of my heart. I won’t lean on my understanding but Yours. Give me correction along with your grace that is greater still. In all Your ways, let me submit to You, for I know You will make my path straight. Lead me to the advent of Christ, to be found among the faithful who seek You. In your name of your Son, whose resurrection gives us hope. Amen

Reflection Questions

  1. It is good for us to remember we do not have the mind of God – but what tone of voice do you imagine God used when asking, “Where are you?” Why might He have started with a question, and this specific question? What tone of voice might He have used when giving correction and consequences?
  2. How are you like Adam? How are you like Eve? How did God show grace and correction with consequences to Adam and Eve? How have you experienced both grace and correction with consequences from God? What is the purpose of each?
  3. Adam and Eve obviously didn’t have Proverbs 3:5-7 on their refrigerator. How might it have helped them to know these verses of wisdom? How can you better live out Proverbs 3:5-7? When do you most need to hear these verses? How can you memorize them and/or plaster them in your life so they will be part of your first line of defense against temptation so you can spend less time hiding from God.
  4. From today’s readings, what are some beautiful things about God’s plan of salvation through His Son Jesus?
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Without Shame

Genesis 2, Proverbs 2, Matthew 1

Devotion by Aaron Winner (SC)

Visit any home with young children after bath time, and you’ll quickly understand that it is not uncommon to see a child streaking through the living room with nothing but a grin. Our children still live in a stage of innocence, and while their word “nakey” simply defines a lack of clothing, it carries none of the weight or connotations that often accompany the word naked. While comfort levels with wearing one’s birthday suit vary widely, physical exposure is usually reserved for environments of trust and intimacy.

Adam and Eve stood before one another in the Garden of Eden in such a state. Without shame, they walked fig-leafless as they tended to their calling as caretakers of creation. Their nakedness reinforced intimacy within marriage, but it also revealed something deeper. They stood before their heavenly Father “nakey” as well. As with childhood innocence, the absence of sin allowed exposure without fear. This openness demonstrated not only their relationship with one another, but also their unguarded connection with their Creator.

So, to have meaningful relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, should we band together to form a nudist colony? Please, no. But in a far more important spiritual sense, we are invited into this level of intimacy. God forms relationship with us through His presence as He moves alongside us while we tend His world—speaking truth, laboring together, and allowing Him to shape us through shared faith and testimony.

Narrowing our focus further to our nuclear families and closest friends, we are called to be even more personal and exposed, not performative or guarded in appearance. Whether we look at the forming of the first family, the father-to-son instruction in Proverbs, or the genealogy in Matthew, each offers examples (and warnings) of how trust, proximity, and intentional teaching shape the spiritual life of a household. Today is as good a day as any to check in on someone within this circle, or to seek them out, so that we might better know one another and, together, better know our Heavenly Father.

“For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it.” Proverbs 2:21

With the propitiation of sin through Jesus Christ, we can now be presented before God without shame. The promise remains the same: the blameless will remain in the land – A perfect, promised one to come, which makes me scratch my head and wonder, “Will our resurrected bodies be ‘nakey’?” I know we will be wearing smiles—and we will have to see about the rest. But even now, we are invited to live and walk with one another in a spiritual closeness that reflects what was once lost and is now being restored. And in that place, we may once again find ourselves standing without shame.

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you imagine life was like for Adam and Eve before sin entered? What do you imagine it was like for God? What changes took place with the first sin?
  2. What do you feel shame about? Why? What does God want for us when we feel shame? How can shame be overcome?
  3. What are your thoughts when you read Proverbs 2:21?
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Unpacking the Beginning

Genesis 1, Proverbs 1, Matthew 1

Devotion by Aaron Winner (SC)

Twenty years ago, I moved 1,000 miles with all my possessions loaded into a Buick Skylark, including my goldfish riding shotgun, to share a two-bedroom apartment with my newlywed wife. Now, as we move out of our home of fourteen years, it has taken six trips with a U-Haul, countless carloads, and a dumpster to move just 10 miles away. Granted, our family has grown to five people and a dog, but the math still doesn’t justify an increase of roughly 100 times more stuff. I can’t help but wonder: When did we get all of this? And why? Does it make us better equipped? Not necessarily. Does it bring us joy? Not really—especially not over the last month. Does it move us closer to God? Rarely.

This is not the rant of a minimalist millennial, nor a critique of your cherished possessions. There is still quite a plank in my own eye here. Rather, it is simply an acknowledgment that while we stand at the beginning of a calendar year, the beginning of a new reading plan, and the beginning of both the Old and New Testaments, we are not at the beginning of our lives. We carry things with us as we move from one year to the next. Our trailers in tow may look different, but they are often filled with trophies and affirmations, expectations and disappointment, habits and vices, grief and trauma. There can be a quiet vanity, trending toward insanity, in everything we accumulate along the way. However, in all of this, we can still look to “In the beginning…”

In Genesis 1, we are reminded that beginnings matter because our sovereign God is a God of purpose. Creation is not a random display of infinite power, but an act that makes all things matter (excuse the science pun). God purposely names, separates, and shapes what was formless, repeatedly calling it “good.” From the very first verse, we learn that clarity and meaning do not come from compiling, but from God’s intentional and intelligent design.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” —Proverbs 1:7

Accumulation can be a trap —more plans, better systems, or tighter control—will somehow translate into the power and wisdom of our Creator. However, Proverbs’ opening provides a clear contrast. It is a pursuit in fear and reverence that makes God’s wisdom accessible. As we begin to examine what fills our moving truck from one year to the next, it is through God’s understanding that we prioritize what matters, process the hurt, and chunk into the bin the things that no longer serve His purpose for us. A good start might simply be to pause your reading long enough to tell your Heavenly Father you are ready to revere Him in the coming year.

Finally, our last beginning comes from the Gospel of Matthew, where Mary is foretold of the birth of Jesus. Gabriel says He will be called Emmanuel—“God with us”—the ultimate title given to God’s greatest gift of great joy to creation. He entered a crowded, cluttered world, as He still does today, not asking us to take on baggage on His behalf, but instead inviting us to bear only the burden of His cross.It is the one thing that should be clear and conspicuous as we wander, move, and rove; it is Christ who shoulders the majority of the burden, carrying it alongside us.

As I consider this moment —and the truckloads of stuff waiting in storage—perhaps the question is not what can I add to make this year memorable, but instead, where can I begin to let go in reverent surrender. As we begin to unpack what the next year might hold, let us first make room for God’s presence, preparing only to keep only what can be called good by our Heavenly Father in the beginning.

Reflection Questions

  1. What are you carrying with you into the New Year? What positive things? What has been put into your moving truck that is not beneficial to you? What might God like to see you surrender this year?
  2. What do you love about the creation account? What do you learn about God from His creation?
  3. How do you/could you prioritize the fear of the Lord? Pray for God to give you wisdom, insight and dedication to living this new start in a way that is pleasing to Him.
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A New Bible Reading Plan for the New Year!

Our SeekGrowLove Bible reading plan for 2026 will cover the entire Bible in a year with 3 readings each day: Old Testament, Psalm/Proverbs and New Testament. We will read two gospels at the start of the year and two at the end. Proverbs will be read both in January and again in December. Most of the Psalm and Gospel chapters will be read at least twice, on consecutive days. Re-reading is a great practice to help us soak in the truths of God’s word.

Visit SeekGrowLove.com to subscribe and receive daily emails with devotions following the Bible reading plan. We thank the 44 people we heard from in 2025 who shared the daily Scriptures with us in order to teach, rebuke, correct and train in righteousness. We look forward to more in the year ahead. God bless you all as together we Seek, Grow, and Love!

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