Religion for Good

As a useful reference for Twitter, below is a list of abbreviations for books in the Bible, compiled from the index at the end of  ESV Bible, The UltraThin Edition . For the Old Testament: Genesis : Gn Exodus : Ex Leviticus : Lv Numbers : Nm Deuteronomy : Dn Joshua : Jos Judges : Jgs Ruth : Ru 1 Samuel : 1 Sm 2 Samuel : 2 Sm 1 Kings : 1 Kgs 2 Kings : 2 Kgs 1 Chronicles : 1 Chr 2 Chronicles : 2 Chr Ezra : Ezr Nehemiah : Neh Esther Job : Jb Psalms : Ps Proverbs : Prv Ecclesiastes : Eccl Song of Solomon : Sg Isaiah : Is Jeremiah : Jer Lamentations : Lam Ezekiel : Ezk Daniel : Dn Hosea : Hosea Joel : Jl Amos : Am Obadiah Jonah : Jon Micah : Mi Nahum : Na Habakkuk : Hab Zephaniah : Zep Haggai : Hg Zechariah : Zec Malachi : Mal For the New Testament: Matthew : Mt Mark : Mk Luke : Lk John : Jn Acts : Acts (no abbreviation) Romans : Rom 1 Corinthians : 1 Cor 2 Corinthians : 2 Cor Galatians : Gal Ephesians : Eph Philippians : Phil...

Teaching About Divorce. Let the Children Come to Me. Put divorce out of your mind Jesus's teaching on the subject of divorce very eloquently informs readers that divorce should be avoided. Period. He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” ( Matthew 19:4-6 ESV ) I think this teaching could be very reassuring for people who are insecure in their marriages but know the other party to be faithful followers of Christ. Why was permanent union a turn-off? When the disciples heard that divorce is not an option for God's followers, they basically retorted that it's better to remain a bachelor than to enter into marriage on God's terms (Mt 19:10). Why was permanent unio...

Consecration of the Firstborn. The Feast of Unleavened Bread. Pillars of Cloud and Fire. Crossing the Red Sea. The Song of Moses. Bitter Water Made Sweet. What is to consecrate? It may seem strange, but I didn't know the definition of the word "consecrate" when I read today's morning devotion. Merriam-Webster defines " consecrate " as to officially make (something, such as a place or building) holy through a special religious ceremony. By a strong hand A Google search revealed many interpretations of "a strong hand" to mean basically sovereign power or overwhelming might. Both make sense to me in the context of Exodus. The month of Abib One commentary  defined "Abib" to mean a green ear (of corn). So, it made sense that the month of green ears of corn would mark the first month in a year for the purposes of keeping a calendar. To redeem with a lamb Merriam-Webster defines the word " redeem " in a couple of wa...

A Final Plague Threatened. The Passover. The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn. The Exodus. Institution of the Passover. The Hebrew calendar I learned something new today: There's a Hebrew calendar that is very different from the Gregorian calendar that I use on a daily basis and from the lunar calendar used by countries in Asia. The discovery came from a seed of curiosity about the dates that God called out in his instruction to Moses. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ( Exodus 12:17-18 ESV ) Although I expected the Passover to be held from January 14-21 every year, it turns out that the Passover is actually held on different dates  every year, us...

Who Is the Greatest? Temptations to Sin. The Parable of the Lost Sheep. If Your Brother Sins Against You. To gouge my eyes and amputate my limbs I'm pretty sure that my eyes and limbs are sinning consistently on a daily basis. So, one verse that I've struggled to understand is Jesus's instructions to remove the parts of one's body that causes the person to sin. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. ( Matthew 18:8-9 ESV ) Could Jesus have actually meant for people to literally dismember themselves as a means of preventing sin? This interpretation seems a bit absurd to me, because if carried out, wouldn't every living person on this p...

The Transfiguration. Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon. Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection. The Temple Tax. How will Elijah restore all things? When asked about Elijah coming first, as the scribes have said, Jesus first reassures his disciples that the scribes were not wrong. He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. ( Matthew 17:11 ESV ) My question is, what did Jesus mean by saying that Elijah "will restore all things?" Especially if Elijah is actually John the Baptist, who was executed by Herod on Herodias' request (Mt 14:10)? But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. ( Matthew 17:12-13 ESV ) Dealing with worldly matters It seems that Jesus was making a point to Peter that sometimes it's necessary to fol...

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh. The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood. The Second Plague: Frogs. The Third Plague: Gnats. The Fourth Plague: Flies. Pharaoh's magicians creating plagues, not remedies I think the role of Pharaoh's magicians was to reassure Pharaoh that Moses and Aaron were simply playing tricks on Pharaoh, and that God was not actually standing behind the people of Israel. I just thought that it was slightly absurd or comical that in the second plague of frogs, the magicians conjured frogs of their own instead of trying to do something about the plague at hand. Perhaps the magicians knew that any effort would be futile. To pray for your enemy One observation that struck me as noteworthy is how Moses actually needed to pray for Pharaoh in order to remove the plagues. So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. And the LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not ...

The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs. The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ. Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection. Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus. Bound and loosed on earth and in heaven What does it mean to bind or to loose something on earth? I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” ( Matthew 16:19 ESV ) Wikipedia tells me that in usage, to bind and to loose mean simply to forbid by an indisputable authority , and to permit by an indisputable authority  ("BINDING AND LOOSING." Encyclopedia Biblica . 1903.) The casual interpretation seems to say that Peter, a human susceptible to sin, was being given the power to judge and to determine the way of life in the kingdom of heaven. But this interpretation just doesn't seem right... Death should not be feared There's something s...

Moses Given Powerful Signs. Moses Returns to Egypt. Making Bricks Without Straw. God Promises Deliverance. The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron. Why Abraham (a.k.a. Abram) was chosen One of the most enlightening discoveries for me in today's morning devotion is the reason God chose Abram to be his people. And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” ( Exodus 4:21-23 ESV ) The selection of Abram was not at random, as I had previously thought. I feel now that Abram was the obvious candidate by virtue of being the firstborn in a line of firstborns, a preference indicated by God's justification for letting the people ...

Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt. Pharaoh Oppresses Israel. The Birth of Moses. Moses Flees to Midian. God Hears Israel's Groaning. The Burning Bush. Avoid the inevitable fall of oppressors The Bible teaches people to not be oppressors, lest they doom themselves and their posterity. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. ( Exodus 1:9-11 ESV ) The new king of Egypt oppressed Israel, and I know from having read this story before that the king and his people suffered many plagues, with some also ending in a violent death. The cautionary tale tells one person not to oppress another, and what does it mean to oppress? Merriam-Webster def...

Jacob Blesses His Sons. Jacob's Death and Burial. God's Good Purposes. The Death of Joseph. Cruel and evil but part of God's plan When cruel and evil things happen in a personal context, the Bible tells readers that those events may be part of God's plan for future good. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. ( Genesis 50:20 ESV ) Joseph's brothers selling Joseph into slavery actually brought about salvation for the house of Israel. Applied to daily life, the takeaway would be to not let bad happenings cripple you, but to continue living a God-fearing lifestyle and trust that good will come from the bad eventually .

Jesus Walks on the Water. Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret. Walking on water in today's world He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” ( Matthew 14:29-30 ESV ) The Bible seems to indicate that Peter, a human like any other (except for being one of Jesus's chosen disciples), was able to physically walk on water purely through faith in Jesus. As soon as that faith began to waver, Peter began to sink. Conceivably when Jesus was alive, it would be imaginable that someone who had seen the mighty works of Jesus could believe in Jesus unquestioningly. So that when Jesus asks you to walk on water deep enough to drown a man, you would do as requested without a single doubt about your own safety, since we all "know" today that stepping into a deep river means we're going to fall into the water, to swim or to die. Does ...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 13:1-32 , which documents three parables Jesus taught: the parable of the sower, the parable of the weeds, and the parable of the mustard seed. Can everyone be saved? Whether everyone in today's world can be saved is a question I've asked for a long time, and I've always wanted the answer to be "yes". However, I don't think this is the case. In the time of Jesus, even though Jesus works many miracles and teaches his followers directly, not every one of them will be saved. Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ( Matthew 13:10-12 ESV ) The struggle between those who can hear and those cannot hear the wo...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 41 , which tells the story of Joseph being freed from jail and promoted to governor of Egypt by correctly interpreting Pharaoh's dreams of cows and wheat. Dreams are messages from God Pharaoh's acceptance of Joseph's interpretation and attribution of the feat to God is consistent with what Joseph said about his interpretations of the cupbearer's dream and the baker's. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. ( Genesis 41:38-39 ESV ) Basically, a dream is a message from God, and only God can give its interpretation to a person. Egyptians fear the same God How come the Egyptians fear the same God of Joseph and Israel? I've always found this to be interesting, because I thought the Egyptians worshiped gods of their own. Significance of being...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 11 , which captures Jesus's teachings as he went from city to city after sending off his disciples. What may be important to note here is that at this point John the Baptist had already been imprisoned. Violence in the kingdom of heaven What exactly is the "kingdom of heaven"? And how did it suffer violence as Jesus described? From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. ( Matthew 11:12 ESV ) One explanation from the United Church of God is that the "kingdom of heaven" is synonymous with "kingdom of God", and the Good News , a publication by the same church goes on to explain that the kingdom of God is what will come following the events prophesied in the book of Revelation. But the question remains for me: If the kingdom of heaven is a future state, how did it suffer violence at the time when Jesus was preaching? "...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 33-35, which starts with Jacob's emotional reunion with Esau. Genesis 34 tells a rather tragic tale of love and death. Genesis 35 documents Jacob becoming Israel and taking his people to Bethel. A blessing is a gift I just wanted to remember an observation that, at least in the case of worldly interactions, the word "blessing" can simply be used to refer to a gift from one to another. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. ( Ge...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 10:24-42 , which concludes Jesus's instructions to his twelve disciples as he sent them out. Reminder that death is not the end Jesus reminds his disciples that death is not the end, using that as encouragement for the disciples to persevere in the face of prosecution. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ( Matthew 10:28 ESV ) Christianity makes it very easy to face death, I think, as long as one maintains faith and strives for righteousness. Faith is public I think Citylife's sermon  titled, "A Public Faith" this past Sunday expands on Jesus's instructions to the disciples. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. ( Matthew 10:27 ESV ) More importantly, Jesus the teacher must be acknowledged during such proclamations. So everyone who acknowledges me bef...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 31-32, which tells the tale of Jacob leaving Laban to return home. Along the way Jacob gets the attention of Esau in Edom, and Genesis 32 concludes with Jacob wrestling with God. Laban's household gods Just a question of curiosity: What exactly were Laban's household gods that Rachel stole? Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods. ( Genesis 31:19 ESV ) A search on Google yielded an essay interpreting Genesis 31 and the household gods (i.e., "teraphim" in Hebrew) along with a page from JewishEncyclopedia . Both suggest that the household gods were used in some form of pagan or idol worship. Jacob's demeanor changed after 20 years I remember yesterday reading Jacob's vow to declare God to be his (Jacob's) God, only if God provided for Jacob. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give ...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 10:1-23, which captures Jesus's instruction to his disciples that they should spread the gospel to "the lost sheep of Israel". The laborer deserves his food Jesus basically tells his followers to travel long and near, preaching the gospel in every town they encounter. But more importantly, Jesus asks that they trust in God to provide what is needed for them to complete the journey. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. ( Matthew 10:9-10 ESV ) I wanted to understand more precisely what Jesus meant by "the laborer deserves his food." A Google search for the phrase didn't yield anything definitive, although I did find one page that goes into a fairly deep exploration of the phrase. I think my personal takeaway from Jesus's words is that "deserves" means provided by God, and the labor...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 29-30 , which tells the story of Jacob's marriages to Leah and Rachel in Genesis 29. Genesis 30 begins the story of Jacob's departure from Laban in Haran. What goes around comes around Jacob gets a taste of his own medicine when Laban deceives Jacob. Laban succeeds in marrying off both of his daughters to Jacob in exchange for 14 years of service, instead of honoring the original agreement which was 7 years for just Rachel. While this feels satisfying as a reader, I think it's important to remember that Jesus tells us that " an eye for an eye " does not mean that evil should repaid with evil. I guess the satisfaction is a guilty one, and one that I should avoid seeking as I'm reading through the Bible. To complete the week What did it mean for Jacob to complete Leah's week? Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob ...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 9:18-38 , which basically documents Jesus performing many signs or miracles, including one instance of raising the dead. The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few Does it make sense to say that I'm at once impressed and unimpressed by the miracles Jesus performed? Impressed because no one but Jesus could have accomplished them; and unimpressed because with Jesus miracles are the norm and the expectation. So, for me the passage that stood out the most in today's evening devotion was Jesus's comment that there are not enough "laborers" for the "harvest". When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” ( Matthew 9:36-38 ESV ) Since the context is that ...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 27-28 , telling the story of Jacob and Rebekah's deception of Isaac in taking Esau's blessing. Genesis 28 ends with Jacob having seen the gate of heaven in his dream, on the way from Beersheba to Haran. Personally I find this story to be one of the most difficult to reconcile with what I think is the Christian way of life. What exactly does this story say about how Christians should behave to bring glory to God? Jacob, the con man Jacob and Rebekah both know that their deception is bad, evidenced by their discussion about the curse that may come from an unsuccessful con. But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.” ( Genesis 27:11-13 ESV ) Isn't de...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 9:1-17 , which captures the teachings of Jesus immediately upon his return to Capternaum from the country of the Gadarenes. Forgiving sin is more difficult than healing paralysis Even though the people couldn't seem to understand, Jesus explained pretty clearly through a rhetorical question that forgiving sins is infinitely more difficult than healing physical ailments. For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ( Matthew 9:5-6 ESV ) In today's context, I can think of an easy example where forgiving sin is much easier than physical repairs. Imagine a criminal shoots a hostage during a bank robbery. Is it easier to save the life of the hostage? Or to forgive the criminal for his sin? A doctor heals the sick, not the healthy One of my favo...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 25-26, chronicling the death of Abraham, the birth of Esau and Jacob, and the rise of Isaac. Isaac and Ishmael together in grief I just thought it was heartwarming to see Isaac and Ishmael reunited when they buried their father Abraham. I assume this was after years of separation since Sarah drove Hagar out of Abraham's household, which made this reunion that much more special. Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, ( Genesis 25:9 ESV ) Isaac's prayer granted Later in time, Jesus would teach what people now simplify as, "Ask, and you shall receive." “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ( Matthew 7:7-8 ESV ) With Isaac, we see the prayer and respo...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 8 , a chapter documenting many signs (can I call these "miracles"?) performed by Jesus, including one of my favorites titled, "The Faith of a Centurion" in ESV. A proof to them When Jesus healed a leper at the beginning of the chapter, it seemed odd to me why Jesus would command the individual to offer a gift as a "proof to them ". Who was "them"? And why did they need proof beyond the fact that the leprosy was gone? And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” ( Matthew 8:4 ESV ) After reading a few commentaries on Bible Hub , I think it makes sense that the gift is probably something defined in Leviticus, and "them" refers to the people in the leper's local community. The reason why the healed man should show himself to a priest is because, at that time, priests were ...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 23-24 , which documents Abraham's purchasing a tomb for Sarah, followed by the story of Isaac's union with Rebekah. Abraham, the humble prince Are princes haughty? Entitled? Should they be? I just wanted to take a second to marvel at how Abraham, called "the prince of God ", reacted when the Hittites basically said that he can do whatever he wants because of his standing with God. The Hittites answered Abraham, “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. ( Genesis 23:5-7 ESV ) Abraham bowed , after being called the "prince of God". I think that's a pretty clear demonstration of humility, a testament to how humble Abraham was, and how we should act today. The prince of God pays a fair price In line with h...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 7 , which concludes the Sermon on the Mount. The conclusion is very meaty, with Jesus using a range of analogies and warnings to teach the crowd about how to treat each other and about doing the will of God. The meaning of judgment "Don't judge." A very common phrase used by Christians and non-Christians alike, I think. And I think this is one of the teachings that I really, really want to reconcile between my interpretation and what seems to be the prevalent understanding. “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ( Matthew 7:1-2 ESV ) In common practice, a person usually says "don't judge" when he or she is about to do something that may elicit a negative reaction or disapproval from a companion. For example, throwing recyclable waste into a regular trash receptacle, instead of a recycling bin. Or...

I took a short nap in the afternoon, before a phone call I had scheduled with my boss for 3:45 PM. Silly me, I didn't even think to set an alarm. But obviously being waken up by a call from your boss, and greeting him with a barely awake "hello" would be bad, right? So, there I lay sideways on the couch with my face toward the wall, napping (and dreaming, as the case was). Somehow I got an odd feeling that my cousin (who lives in China with her husband) was standing behind me, and then she jumped and landed gently with both feet right on my love handle. When I opened my eyes, I half-expected my cousin to be standing next to the couch. Obviously she wasn't there. Anyway, I took a quick swig of water to wet my dry throat, and immediately, behold, my phone rang. The call from my boss, which came 10 minutes earlier  than expected. The call went fine, and luckily for me I was pretty awake and my voice sounded normal, so I suffered no embarrassment. As soon as I'd...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 20-22 , which neatly captures the birth of Abraham's son Isaac and God's test of Abraham's faith. Along the way Abraham also makes a covenant with Abimelech, securing peace between Abraham's people and the Philistines. No undue punishment Abraham lives under a divine covenant with God, and so I assume that when Abraham went to Gerar and gave his usual "Sarah is my sister" spiel to Abimelech there's nothing to condemn about Abraham's actions. But regardless of whether Abimelech knew the full truth that Sarah was Abraham's wife, his laying with Sarah would have been an affront to God. Knowing this, and acknowledging that Abimelech was in general a morally upright individual, God saves Abimelech from committing an irreversible sin. Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my ...

Today's evening devotion is Matthew 6 , which is the continuation of the Sermon on the Mount. Stay humble The biggest takeaway from the first part of the chapter is that Christians should avoid bragging or putting themselves on public display to satisfy their own vanity. Stay humble, as my employer would say, and let the good that you do be done "in secret". “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ( Matthew 6:1 ESV ) Trust God to provide The second big takeaway from the chapter is that man must learn to trust God with their lives, instead of doubting God. This doesn't mean that every person is going to live comfortably. After all, even Israel was subjected to slavery for 400 years. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not lif...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 18-19 , which documents the destruction of Sodom. God's astounding mercy The first thing that stood out to me was God's mercy, demonstrated toward Sarah when she not only scoffed at God's statements but then immediately denied her trespass. The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” ( Genesis 18:13-15 ESV ) God could have chosen to punish or curse Sarah for her impudence, but he did neither. God's infinite patience I'm about to quote a really long passage from the Bible to illustrate my point. It astonishes me that not only did God not rebuke Abraham for asking slight variations of the same question at least si...

The sixth day's evening devotion is Matthew 5:27-48 , which struck me as odd when I realized that I already read the verses yesterday. No unforgivable sins I think my biggest reaction to reading today's devotion is that there are no unforgivable sins. I'm not sure of the implications of this yet, but I extracted this meaning as I was reading the passage about divorce. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. ( Matthew 5:31-32 ESV ) Breaking a commandment seems like a serious sin. But yet I believe that divorce and adultery appear to be sins just like any other, one that occurs both in and out of the church . And if one recognizes the sin and repents, he or she may still live under God's grace. For some reason in my mind I felt th...

Today's morning devotion is Genesis 15-17 , which is a narrative of God entering into a covenant with Abram, who God renamed Abraham when Abraham was 99 years old. The iniquity of the Amorites What exactly were the Amorites wrongfully doing? And how would it be completed? As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” ( Genesis 15:15-16 ESV ) Luckily for me, someone named John Piper, who is much better versed in the Bible, explained that the timing was such that God would deliver judgment to the Amorites using Israel . According to John Piper, the Amorites were pagans and idolaters, rightful recipients of God's judgment after plenty of time to repent while living under God's grace. Power triangle: Abram-Sarai-Hagar The power triangle created when Sarai gave Hagar as a wife to Abram was interesting, in that i...