Donna is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, and Biblical counselor. She has been blogging through the Bible each year since 2012. She loves God's Word and sharing how freeing and practical it is. She is certified through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
It used to be soap operas. Now it’s reality TV, sort of like soap operas lived out live before the camera. But sadly, when you meet today’s cast of characters in our Old Testament reading, you’ll realize soap operas and reality TV have nothing on our spiritual ancestors. The Bible is full of stories about love, sex, rejection, envy, jealousy, adultery, immorality, scheming, deceit, greed, thievery, contention, and even murder (and that’s the short list)! Why did God lay out humanity’s dirty laundry here and in other passages of Scripture?
Today we’ll see once again that sinful behavior has consequences. And when it comes to parenting, one of the most devastating sins is favoritism. Add selfishness and manipulation to the equation and you have a destructive combination that can tear families apart. Isaac and Rebekah had to learn that lesson the hard way.
The consequences of favoritism, selfishness, and other sins can be long-lasting and painful to our families, too. How can we recognize and prevent those things in our parenting?
We’ll also read about the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger, the chastening of the Lord, and the importance of defending the faith in love.
Isaac’s twins, Jacob and Esau, grew up to be two very different men. Esau was a hunter and a man’s man. Jacob, it seems, was a mama’s boy and a homebody. Each of their parents favored one son over the other. Their favoritism would lead to serious issues in the family. But Esau had bigger problems. With complete disregard for the blessings of God, he would give away his birthright for some instant gratification. How can we be sure we never do the same thing?
Are you usually open, honest, and transparent or do you tend to hide who you are? Before you answer, think about the different relationships, social situations, and environments in which you find yourself.
The truth is many of us rather than being transparent are overly concerned about what people think of us. We’re concerned about first impressions. We struggle with thoughts like, “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t want to be my friend (co-worker, employer, etc.)” This plays out in dating relationships, in families, in the workplace, with our friends, with strangers, inside the church, and even with God.
What is it that makes us want to hide or try to be what others expect us to be? And why is it so important that we learn to be appropriately open and transparent with God and with people?
Some passages in the Bible are easy to understand, including many basic truths about God and the gospel. Others are harder and must be understood in light of other Scripture and God’s character. Today’s Old Testament passage is one of those. And while it might be easier to avoid giving difficult passages like this one much thought, we could miss truths that are important to our own lives. In this case, whether there are things we need to place on the altar and not hold so closely.
While we’re not of this world, we are to live in it. But are there are times when we need to remove ourselves and our families from certain environments, whether that is a workplace, a school system, a circle of friends, or a city? If so, how do we stay strong enough in the Lord to be salt and light, yet discerning enough to know when it’s time to go?
Also, read about what Jesus said about respect for authority, His Mercy in our weakness, and the importance of allowing God’s Word to control our inner attitudes, as well as, our outward actions.
Jesus gave a pretty serious warning in Matthew 7 when He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven …” There are people, sitting in church every Sunday, who believe they are headed for heaven when they’re really in danger of hearing the words, “I never knew you, depart from me …” In today’s post, you’ll find out what does and doesn’t save you so you’ll never hear those words.
Also, read about the importance of making sure we see clearly before we can be of any help to others and what it really means to build your house on the Rock. Finally, from our Old Testament reading, we’ll talk about how some sins like homosexuality cry out for God’s judgment and what God expects of us in the meantime.
In our Old Testament reading, we’ll continue through the book of Genesis with Abram as the central character. Even through he is called the Father of Faith, we’ll see the struggle he had to take God at His Word when circumstances didn’t make sense. And in the New Testament, we’ll continue reading through “The Sermon on the Mount” and talk about what we treasure and what Jesus had to say about worry.
Do you ever feel inadequate or frustrated with your prayer life? If so, you’re not alone. It appears even the disciples wanted more when they said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” In our New Testament reading, we’ll talk about Jesus’ outline for prayer and how we can use it during our devotional time, along with another help that can lead to a more consistent, satisfying prayer life. We’ll also talk about our motives for praying and other things we do.
From our Old Testament reading check out “How Do You Evaluate Opportunities?” See how not to make decisions and some ways to evaluate opportunities.
Also, today, “The Joy of Spiritual Prosperity,” “The Fear of God,” and “The Importance of Forgiveness.”
Do you need to perform some radical surgery before something in your life causes you to sin? Do you need to take a scalpel to some habit or attitude or set some boundaries to protect your marriage or someone else’s? And on the subject of marriage, what does the Bible say about divorce? Is it ever allowable? What if you’re just not happy or you have fallen out of love? What does God say about these very real issues? Jesus addressed all these things in the “Sermon on the Mount” in today’s New Testament reading.
Are you struggling with any of these questions and concerns or do you know someone else who is? The Bible encourages us to seek help and godly counsel when necessary. So, is it possible a biblical counselor could help? Find out more about what biblical counselors do and how it could be just what you or someone else needs.
