The LORD will Provide

S - Genesis 21:14 "So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 

O - Abraham's faith is tested when God asks him to sacrifice his son, Isaac.  It is difficult for us to image God asking such.  Is this a cruel trick by God?  It seems inconsistent with the nature of the God of love we read of throughout scripture.  The practice of child sacrifice was quite common in the ancient world.  In an agrarian society, dependant upon crops and family, fertility was crucial.  Many of the other religions of Abraham's day believed that sacrifice of crops or even of their children was a way to obtain the gods' favor.  We know that one of Abraham's greatest trials in life was with fertility.  So, this test teaches us that... 

• God meets Abraham on his terms; but God clarifies His true nature when He interrupts Abraham before He follows through with the sacrifice.

• God's provision of the ram was a foreshadowing of Christ's offering for us on the cross.

• God tests Abraham's reliance on His provision.

• Abraham becomes the father of our faith because of his trust and reliance on God's provision.

A -  The big idea of this passage is that God will always provide for those who trust him.  God may ask us to do things that seem too difficult or that stretch us beyond what makes sense to us.  By trusting in God, we will find His faithfulness never fails.  Today, I choose to cling to God and His provision instead of the material things that only provide a false sense of security.

P - "Lord, let me be faithful to whatever you call me to do today.  Give me courage to trust you even when things don't make sense or I don't have all the answers.  Remind me that I can't ever make life good enough on my own, but I can trust you to provide and I can choose to be content in all situations because I know you are bigger than my circumstances."

Notes in Your Bible...a good thing!

I've often suggested that people mark up their Bibles as they read.   Some of you may need to overcome some aversion to writing in your Bible.  The root of this may be the admonitions of our school teachers against writing in our textbooks. However, I believe taking notes in the Bible is a helpful way to help us better understand the larger context of the scripture and easily remember the things God teaches as we read.  Our preschool director, Debbie Roper, shared another unexpected blessing with me recently:

Someone once asked me what the most special gift was I had ever received from my parents.  That answer was difficult because I felt fortunate as a child to feel like I received everything I really wanted – materialistically.  But, the more I've thought about it, that answer is now clear.  My parents’ faith was strong from my first memory, but it wasn't until my mom got sick and passed away that I realized what an incredible testimony, witness and gift their faith has been in my life.  When I received my mom’s bible it reiterated it even more.  There are only a few pages in the entire book that don’t contain notes in the margins, underlined or highlighted verses and even dated prayers.  You see, even though my mom isn't present on this earth, there is no doubt in my mind that on this day, she is present with the same Lord and Savior that she taught me to trust and love, and that book that I read from every day now confirms it and comforts me.  And, someday I plan to pass it on to my children with hopefully, even more margins written in. 

- Debbie Roper

What a powerful legacy and inspiration!  If you'd like some ideas for creative methods of note taking there are many available online.  Whatever the method you use, we encourage you to fill up the margins of your Bible as you read.  As Charles Spurgeon once said, “a Bible that’s falling apart probably belongs to someone who isn't."

Genesis ch 1-3 : Daily Journal

Daily Reading: Genesis 1-3

S- Genesis 3:9-13

O- When the Lord asks Adam "Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?", his response is "The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it."  Adam shifts the blame not only to Eve, but to God as well.  Instead of taking responsibility, Adam looks to blame others.

A- It is easy to find someone else to blame for my own choices and the circumstances that follow.  We will never be perfect, but God does ask me to admit my mistakes and my need for His grace.  Instead of blaming others, God wants me to seek reconciliation.  The faith God desires from me is not based on getting it"right" all the time.  It is about admitting my mistakes and not trying to pass the blame or make myself look better than others.  We all stand equally in need of God's grace.

P- Lord, thank you for your grace in my life.  Help me to be honest with myself and with you.  I invite you to change my heart to be more like yours.  Help me to focus on the change you want to make in me instead of the things I wish I could change about others or my circumstances.

Download 2015 Bible Reading Plan

You can download the Bible Reading Plan for 2015 here.

Foundry - 2015 Bible Reading Plan

This year at Foundry we invite you to join us in reading through much of the Bible. We will cover many of the stories and passages you know and love, along with some things you may not have read before. By the end of the year, our goal is that we will know a lot more about what the Bible is all about and how we can apply its message to our everyday lives.

We will utilize a reading and journaling method called S.O.A.P. to guide us on our journey. S.O.A.P. is an acronym for a simple system to help you study what you’ve read. You will have the opportunity to record your thoughts and feelings, consider practical application of the passage and write a prayer about what you read. The S.O.A.P. instructions are included with the reading plan.

For more information on how to participate, download a reading plan here and check out this video.

This week's reading plan:  Genesis 1-11