Key Verse: "Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you..." (Genesis 26:3a)
In Genesis 26, a famine came upon the land of Gerar. Isaac and his family were living there, and Isaac planned to go to Egypt to escape. However, God spoke to him, and told him that if he would stay, God would bless him: “Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham” (verse 3). Though he was unsure, Isaac followed God’s command and stayed. The Philistines did not believe in God, and Isaac even created trouble for himself by lying to the king, but God protected him and was with him.
God continued to bless him and made him prosperous: so much so, that the Philistines became envious and even King Abimelech asked him to leave. Isaac complied and moved into the valley to avoid conflict, and reopened his father’s wells (which the Philistines had covered over after Abraham’s death). The Philistines, however, quarreled with them and took them back, claiming ownership of the wells. Isaac moved and his servants dug a new one, but his envious neighbors took it back. This happened twice before the Philistines finally left the well alone. His blessing brought hardships to him and his family. In the end, however, God blessed Isaac’s stay in Gerar. Abimelech the king recognized God’s work in Isaac’s life and made a treaty with him, also. Isaac forgave them and even held a feast for him and his officials. Isaac relied on God, and God blessed his obedience.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Genesis 25
Key Verse: “Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.” (Genesis 25:21)
Isaac and Rebekah encountered the same problem that Abraham and Sarah did: Rebekah was barren, and they could have no children. Instead of turning to his own means as his father had done, Isaac approached the Lord and prayed to him on his wife’s behalf. Isaac prayed diligently for twenty years—and for twenty years, they had no sons. During that time, God grew Isaac and Rebekah as a man and woman of prayer; it was training for them to be patient and wait for God’s timing. They learned to seek God in their struggles, to wait on Him, and also to talk to God in humility and closeness. Finally, God blessed Rebekah and she was pregnant, eventually giving birth to twins Esau and Jacob. When the babies were still in the womb, they struggled constantly, and Rebekah approached God with her practical problem. Her training during the last twenty years paid off, for even after her major problem was taken care of, she still was able to come to God in her need. Because of her faith, God blessed her and showed her a vision of her sons’ futures: that “'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
When Isaac and Rebekah prayed and were diligent in prayer, God blessed them not only with an answer to their prayers but also by showing them part of His plan for the future. They sought Him with their lack of children, and God blessed them with not one but two sons. When Rebekah suffered in her pregnancy and approached God with it, He explained her suffering and showed her a glimpse of her sons’ futures. At the same time, He even blessed them through their spiritual training, to be able to be close to God and able to talk with Him about all their deepest desires and their struggles.
Isaac and Rebekah encountered the same problem that Abraham and Sarah did: Rebekah was barren, and they could have no children. Instead of turning to his own means as his father had done, Isaac approached the Lord and prayed to him on his wife’s behalf. Isaac prayed diligently for twenty years—and for twenty years, they had no sons. During that time, God grew Isaac and Rebekah as a man and woman of prayer; it was training for them to be patient and wait for God’s timing. They learned to seek God in their struggles, to wait on Him, and also to talk to God in humility and closeness. Finally, God blessed Rebekah and she was pregnant, eventually giving birth to twins Esau and Jacob. When the babies were still in the womb, they struggled constantly, and Rebekah approached God with her practical problem. Her training during the last twenty years paid off, for even after her major problem was taken care of, she still was able to come to God in her need. Because of her faith, God blessed her and showed her a vision of her sons’ futures: that “'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”
When Isaac and Rebekah prayed and were diligent in prayer, God blessed them not only with an answer to their prayers but also by showing them part of His plan for the future. They sought Him with their lack of children, and God blessed them with not one but two sons. When Rebekah suffered in her pregnancy and approached God with it, He explained her suffering and showed her a glimpse of her sons’ futures. At the same time, He even blessed them through their spiritual training, to be able to be close to God and able to talk with Him about all their deepest desires and their struggles.
Monday, May 10, 2010
What's Going On?
As you can see, I've updated the blog with my older testimonies. Most of them used to reside at my testimony-only LiveJournal, but since no one reads them now and I like Blogger/Wordpress so much better... I decided to move them all here. It was fairly simple to do, but all the little editing I had to do for some of the formating was a pain. Oh well-- it's done now, and I'll never have to do it again! :) So, if you feel so inclined, you are free to read any of my old testimonies (as well as a few new ones I forgot to post that are now here).
In other news, stuff on the job front is going pretty well. Target is a very friendly place to work, and the work is simple if monotonous. Thankfully the other cashiers make up for it (Jolene, Shaleca, Carolyn-- I love you!!). It's fun most of the time. My only complaint is the montony, really, and the fact that I don't get to move around much. Standing in one little cubicle-like area for 8 hours is not my (nor anyone's) idea of fun. ;)
Also... I GET PAID FRIDAY YAY!!
My sister graduated on Friday. :) I'm immensely proud of her. I know it hasn't been easy; she's had to juggle school, her job, her boyfriend, MSNA stuff, and everything else in her life and she still made it through. Autumn is a very hard worker and dedicated student with a heart for people, and I could not be happier for her. Preceptorship in June and then boards July/August (?)... so still a little ways to go but she's almost there!! Love you, sissy!
In other news, I'm feeling kind of creative lately. I don't know where that's going to find an outlet yet, but I'm hoping that however it chooses to manifest will keep me occupied for a while and hopefully spark something a little more. I just feel so... emotionally dead without being able to create something. I need more of that in my life right now...
Countdown to Travis' high school graduation: 27 days!
In other news, stuff on the job front is going pretty well. Target is a very friendly place to work, and the work is simple if monotonous. Thankfully the other cashiers make up for it (Jolene, Shaleca, Carolyn-- I love you!!). It's fun most of the time. My only complaint is the montony, really, and the fact that I don't get to move around much. Standing in one little cubicle-like area for 8 hours is not my (nor anyone's) idea of fun. ;)
Also... I GET PAID FRIDAY YAY!!
My sister graduated on Friday. :) I'm immensely proud of her. I know it hasn't been easy; she's had to juggle school, her job, her boyfriend, MSNA stuff, and everything else in her life and she still made it through. Autumn is a very hard worker and dedicated student with a heart for people, and I could not be happier for her. Preceptorship in June and then boards July/August (?)... so still a little ways to go but she's almost there!! Love you, sissy!
In other news, I'm feeling kind of creative lately. I don't know where that's going to find an outlet yet, but I'm hoping that however it chooses to manifest will keep me occupied for a while and hopefully spark something a little more. I just feel so... emotionally dead without being able to create something. I need more of that in my life right now...
Countdown to Travis' high school graduation: 27 days!
Genesis 24
Key Verse: "I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac." (Genesis 24:3-4)
This testimony was very hard for me to write. I grew up in a very well-grounded Christian home, and my parent’s marriage is one that I greatly respect and use as a model for my own. I have always considered my parents to be excellent models of a Christian relationship. Yes, they still struggle, and they do fight and have their own differences, but there are a lot of things that I draw from them. Their commitment to the Lord is the main aspect, and how they include God in their decision-making has always impressed me.
Reading Genesis 24, I took a lot of that from the Bible as well. Abraham and his servant both prayerfully approached the situation with their concerns, but ultimately it was God who brought Isaac and Rebekah together. Through Abraham’s faith, the servant’s obedience, and Rebekah’s family’s humility and servitude to God, Isaac and Rebekah were brought together. Seeking God in my own marriage must be of utmost importance.
This testimony was very hard for me to write. I grew up in a very well-grounded Christian home, and my parent’s marriage is one that I greatly respect and use as a model for my own. I have always considered my parents to be excellent models of a Christian relationship. Yes, they still struggle, and they do fight and have their own differences, but there are a lot of things that I draw from them. Their commitment to the Lord is the main aspect, and how they include God in their decision-making has always impressed me.
Reading Genesis 24, I took a lot of that from the Bible as well. Abraham and his servant both prayerfully approached the situation with their concerns, but ultimately it was God who brought Isaac and Rebekah together. Through Abraham’s faith, the servant’s obedience, and Rebekah’s family’s humility and servitude to God, Isaac and Rebekah were brought together. Seeking God in my own marriage must be of utmost importance.
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