Author: kendraske

Advent Day 5 – God Provides A Ram in Isaac’s Place (Genesis 22 + Luke 5)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Luke 5

The fifth advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with Luke 5. If you don’t have your own copy, you can order your own a Kindle version instantly, while you wait for the paper copy to arrive.

I tried to put myself in Abraham’s place, imagining how it would feel to lay my own son on an altar and prepare to give him up as an offering to God. This was particularly difficult for me to wrap my head around since God would never want a person to kill their own child. If I had such a thought in my mind, I would quickly and immediately dismiss it as clearly not from the Lord. Yet, here’s Abraham, obeying God even to the point of traveling for three days to sacrifice his own son.

It’s much easier for me to imagine my gratitude at God sparing my child. Suddenly, all of my confusion is taken away, the clouds part, and I see God’s glorious goodness in technicolor as a ram appears, caught in a nearby thicket. I understand, now, Father! You are so good! You are the great provider!

Then, we followed our advent reading with Luke 5. Again I tried to imagine myself in the events of the passage. I pictured myself a weary fisherman, having toiled all night without catching a single fish. When a man asks to get into my boat so he could teach the people, I oblige willingly enough, thinking, “Eh, what can it hurt?” But, then, when he tells me to go back out into the water, to keep fishing, to let down my nets again, it’s almost more than I can bear. Yet, I obey Him. And then it happens, I catch an unimaginable number of fish, to the point that my nets are breaking and my boat begins to sink. I’m blown away. How is this possible? Who is this man?

But, wait, what’s this? How does Simon Peter respond?

“But when Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying,
“Depart from me,
for I am a sinful man, O Lord.””

Luke 5:8 ESV

Heavenly Father, How good You are! Your mercies are so great and so glorious! And oh how sinful am I! Who am I, Lord, that You would spare my life and not strike me dead in an instant? Who am I, Lord, that You would invite me into your presence, to sit at Your feet, to read Your Word, to be taught by You? Father, You have done so much for me. You have blessed me so, so much. You have filled my nets to their breaking point. You have filled my boats to the point they would sink with Your mercies. My cup indeed overflows. You have brought me to sit an Your banqueting table. You have invited me to the eternal wedding supper of the Lamb. You have provided for Yourself the offering, the spotless Lamb to die in my own place. You have given Your own Son. For me, not a righteous woman, but a sinful one. You have so clearly demonstrated Your love for me in that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. Thank You, Lord. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior, I pray. Amen.

Jesus Paid It All – Shane and Shane

Advent Day 4 – Trust and Obey: Lessons from Abram and Jesus (Genesis 12 + Luke 4)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Luke 4

During the Advent season, I’ll be reading from both my daily Advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with our 2-year Bible Reading plan, so that I read Genesis 1 along with Luke 1.  Tomorrow is the last day that the Kindle e-book version is available on Amazon FREE. Merry Christmas! Hurry and get your copy today and share it with your friends!

“Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. … So Abram went, as the LORD had told him.”

– Genesis 12:1, 4a ESV

“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.”

– Luke 4:1-2 ESV

My husband and I are about to celebrate our thirty-first wedding anniversary. Many of those years have been hard, friends, and sometimes I’ve questioned what God is up to. Why did He put the two of us together?

In the first five years of homeschooling, I often second guessed whether God had really called me to this because it was an uphill battle day after day. Now, with my homeschooling days behind me, I can look back and see God’s hand with me every step of the way. I know that God carried me and walked with me, even though the path was often twisty and rocky.

Our culture has sold us the lie that if we obey God, then everything will be smooth sailing. Don’t believe it. It wasn’t smooth sailing for Noah or Abram. It wasn’t smooth sailing for John the Baptizer or Jesus Christ or His disciples. Don’t be surprised when it’s not smooth sailing for you.

My job isn’t to question and argue and second-guess, to help God figure out where I ought to turn. My job is to follow where God leads and stay on the path that He has set before me. My job is to trust and obey.

Heavenly Father, You know all the answers. You know what path is best. You are almighty. You are all-knowing. And You are good. Help me to trust You and to stay on that straight and narrow path. Help me to go where You lead me. Help me to follow You rather than trying to get out front. Help me to go where You send me. Help me to trust and obey. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my faithful Shepherd I pray. Amen.

Advent Day 3 – Heralds of Righteousness – Noah + John the Baptizer (Genesis 6-9; Luke 3)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Luke 3

During the Advent season, I’ll be reading from both my daily Advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with our 2-year Bible Reading plan, so that I read excerpts from Genesis 6-9 along with Luke 3.  The Kindle e-book version is FREE now through Thursday, December 4, 2025, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time. Merry Christmas! Hurry and get your copy today and share it with your friends!

Though we don’t know what exactly Noah said to those living around him, 2 Peter 2:5 calls Noah, “a herald of righteousness.”

Though we don’t know exactly how Noah was treated by those who saw him building an ark in a desert, Hebrews 11:7 says that, “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.”

We know more about John. We know that John “went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:3 ESV) We know that John had fiery words to say to his Jewish brothers who came to be baptized by him.

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Luke 3:7b-9 ESV

I was reminded this morning that John’s father, Zechariah, was a priest, but we see here in Luke 3 that John answered the crowds, even those detested tax collectors and soldiers, who asked, “What shall we do?” Again and again John pointed people to the One who is mightier than him, the one who was yet to come, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, who would gather the wheat into His barn and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

But Noah’s life and John’s life ended very differently. Noah’s life was spared, while John was locked up in prison (Luke 3:20) and eventually beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12).

So I’m asking myself, am I willing to be a herald of righteousness?

Am I willing to preach repentance or am I too afraid of what people will say?

Do I fear the disapproval of man … or of God?

Heavenly Father, make me like John and Noah. Make me a herald of good news. Help me to preach repentance and the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. I know how this story ends. I know that Jesus came, and I know that He is coming again. Help me to live for Your glory, rather than my own. Help me to love my neighbor more than I love my own comfort. Give me Your strength. Give me Your words. Guide me where You want me to go. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior, I pray. Amen.

O Come All Ye Faithful / We Adore You

Advent Day 2 – Eve + Mary (Genesis 3; Luke 2)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Luke 2

During the Advent season, I’ll be reading from both my daily Advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with our 2-year Bible Reading plan, so today I read Genesis 3 along with Luke 2.  The Kindle e-book version is FREE now through Thursday, December 4, 2025, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time. Merry Christmas! Hurry and get your copy today and share it with your friends!

Today I was struck by comparing Mary with Eve. Mary “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” while Eve listened to the temptations of the serpent and her flesh rather than listening to the truth and kindness of her Creator.

Heavenly Father, make me more like Mary. I want my soul to magnify You, Lord. I want my spirit to rejoice in You, God, my Savior. Thank You, Father for looking upon me in my humble state. You have indeed done great things for me. You lift up the humble, and You humble the mighty. You fill the hungry with good things, and You send the rich away empty.

I want to remember the days with my children, sitting side by side on the couch, reading Your Word together. I want to treasure the life-giving Word that I hold in my hands. Help me to ponder its truths, mully them over in my mind and treasuring them in my heart, that they will come out of my mouth in season and out of season.

I want my thoughts to be Your thoughts and my words to be Your words. May everything that has breath praise You, Lord, for You are worthy to be praised. I am joyful and I adore You. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord, I pray. Amen.

Joy to the World – Joyful, Joyful – Phil Wickham

Advent Day 1 – God Always Has a Plan (Genesis 1; Luke 1)

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 years: Luke 1

During the Advent season, I’ll be reading from both my daily Advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with our 2-year Bible Reading plan, so that I read Genesis 1 along with Luke 1.  The Kindle e-book version is FREE now through Thursday, December 4, 2025, 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time. Merry Christmas! Hurry and get your copy today and share it with your friends!

What jumped out at me this time was that God had a plan for everything He made in the six days of creation … and God had a plan in the birth of John and of Jesus. Though both of these firstborn sons were miraculous gifts from God, God sent John to be born to an elderly priest and his barren wife, while God sent Jesus to be born of a young woman not yet married. John was conceived by an earthly father, while Jesus was God’s own begotten Son, born of the Holy Spirit Himself.

As an atheist I struggled to find purpose in my life. I was taught again and again that everything I saw, including myself, had evolved through a series of random events over billions of years. What a lie! And a lie with major consequences.

God had purpose in John being named John (G2491 Ἰωάννης iōannēs) from the Hebrew name (H3110 יוֹחָנָן yôḥānān) which means “Jehovah is a gracious giver” or “Jehovah has graced,” and God had purpose in His Holy Son being named Jesus (G2424 Ἰησοῦς iēsous) from the Hebrew name (H3091 יְהוֹשׁוּעַ yᵊhôšûaʿ) which means “Jehovah is salvation.”

God has purpose for every thing He creates. He designed the water, air, earth, stars, plants, and animals to work together, and He designed John and Jesus, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph, to work together, too. What a privilege it is to be part of God’s kingdom and part of God’s family!

Heavenly Father, Thank You for making me. Thank You for making the trees that stretch high up into the sky, towering over us, and thank You for making ants that crawl along the ground. I pray that You will encourage me to walk by faith and to accomplish the good works that You have created in advance for me to do. I am Your poema, Your workmanship. Thank You, Father, for creating each of my children and grandchildren for a unique purpose. Guide them by Your Word and Your Holy Spirit. In the Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, I pray. Amen.

All Creatures of our God and King – Prayers of the Saints Live

Worship – Thoughts from 2 Samuel – 2025 Day 325

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:160-176, 2 Samuel 24.

Today I’m thinking about what worship is.

What does it mean to worship God?

  • Can we worship the Lord in prison?
  • Can we worship while we’re stuck at home for a week because of snow and ice and temperatures that refuse to go above freezing?
  • Does worship only happen when we’re in the presence of other believers on Sunday morning?
  • Can we worship in dance?
  • Can we worship while we’re just sitting in church listening to a man preach? Do we?

The word “worship” first appears in the Bible in Genesis 22:5 when Abraham is preparing to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah to offer him there to the Lord. “Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.’” The Hebrew word used here for worship שָׁחָה (šāḥâ) literally means to bow down or prostrate oneself.

This same word is used in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:5a ESV “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God.”

I think a big part of worship in God’s eyes is coming with an attitude of humble service to God, living for His pleasure and glory rather than our own. I worship God when I bow before Him, serving Him, humbling myself before Him, laying down whatever I’m clinging to as an offering to Him. Whether that offering is a measure of grain or a firstborn lamb or a song of praise, it is a sacrifice given up for His pleasure.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Romans‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭ESV‬

Like Jimmy Needham says, “Worship is more than a song.”

Clear the Stage

Heavenly Father, I want to worship You in thought, word, and deed. I want my life to be a living offering to You. Forgive me for all the times that I have taken Your place, bowing down to my own desires rather than Yours, serving the creature rather than the Creator. You alone are worthy of  worship. For Your glory and praise and worship. Amen.

May these Christ focused songs lead us to worship Him all 365 days of the year, but especially during this special season. From Creation to Christ: A Family Advent Devotional music playlist.

Here I am to Worship
10,000 Reasons
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

An Everlasting Covenant – 2 Samuel 23 – 2025 Day 324

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 121-160, 2 Samuel 23.

After reading all the yuck of the previous 12 chapters of 2 Samuel, I held my breath reading David’s words in 2 Samuel 23:5.

For he has made with me
an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?

2 Samuel 23:5 ESV

Then I was reminded of 2 Samuel 7 when God made that everlasting covenant with David,

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

2 Samuel 7:12-16 ESV

And then I was reminded of 2 Samuel 12 when God swore to bring evil upon David because of his sin.

“Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’”

2 Samuel 12:9-12 ESV

And I was once again reminded that God is a promise keeping God, both in His promises of blessing and His promises of wrath. God did keep His everlasting covenant with the house of David, bringing Jesus, our eternal King of kings, but God also kept His oath that the sword would come upon David’s house and that his wives would be given to his neighbor, as we just read about in chapters 15-16.

So, then I wondered, why do so many professing Christians only talk about God’s steadfast love and refuse to talk about His just anger against our sin?

The reason God’s great mercy
is the BEST NEWS EVER
is because God’s great wrath
is the WORST NEWS EVER.

Friends, if you are not in Christ, then you are still under God’s judgment, and if you are judged by your own deeds, you will be found “guilty as charged” and justly endure God’s eternal condemnation.

Everyone loves John 3:16 ESV — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” But, let’s not forget about the other verses of John 3,

  • “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:18 ESV
  • “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36 ESV

And what about 1 John 5:11-12? “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.“

Heavenly Father, help us to believe and proclaim the full counsel of Your Word, the full gospel of truth, that You are holy and righteous, that You are the judge of even our secret sins, those hidden things that no one else knows about, the thoughts and intentions of the heart as well as our words and deeds. None of us can stand before You by our own merit. We need You, Lord. Cover us with the blood of Jesus and wash us clean. Redeem us and deliver us from sin. In the Holy, Almighty Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

O Holy Night – Stephen McWhirter

As we approach this season of advent, remembering with anticipation both Christ’s first coming and His return, I hope you’ll join me in reading through my Christmas daily devotional, “From Creation to Christ: A Family Advent Devotional Tracing the Story of the Savior Through Scriptures, Stories, Songs, and Pictures.”

Trust, Call, Praise – 2 Samuel 22 – 2025 Day 323

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:81-120, 2 Samuel 22

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 ESV

David trusts in God because he knows His Word. David trusts that God sees him and cares about him, so he puts his faith in Him. David trusts in God because he knows that God is good. I’m reminded of Psalm 9:10, “And those who know your name put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You,” written by David.

The better You know God’s Word, the better you will know God.

The more deeply you know God, the more deeply you will trust Him because you will know His immense and everlasting goodness and power.

This is why I love reading The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer so much, and why I wrote my latest book, Who is God? A Former Atheist Looks at the Attributes of God.

As your trust in God grows, then you will seek Him and call upon Him, which reminds me of another Psalm of David. Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

As you call upon Him, He will answer you, and then you will praise His Name.

For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

2 Samuel 22:50-51 ESV

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and mercy towards me. You are the almighty God, the steadfast rock, the refuge for those who seek You. Help me to trust in You, fully and daily. May I not trust in horses and chariots and human wisdom, but in Christ, the solid rock on whom I stand. He is the eternal God and King of kings. It is in His holy name that I pray. Amen.

My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

Psalm 34:2-3 ESV
Psalm 34, Taste and See, Shane and Shane

Where is My Treasure? – 2 Samuel 20-21 – 2025 Day 322

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:41-80, 2 Samuel 20-21

I love that David put away his concubines, going in to them no longer, yet continuing to provide for them.

I love that the wise woman was willing to rush her own life to save her city.

I love that David continued to spare Mephibosheth, keeping his oath to Jonathan and to the Lord.

I was thrilled when this song by CityAlight came up on my Pandora station. It’s one of my favorites.

Christ is Mine Forevermore – CityAlight

So today I’m thinking again, where is my treasure? On earth or in heaven?

If earth, why? What joy does earth hold? Good food? Fancy clothes? Fun times with friends? The love of grandbabies and children and a husband? The ecstasy of seeing someone receive the gift of faith and be welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom?

If heaven, why? Do I want to be in heaven so I can be reunited with loved ones who have already been called home, like my Grandma Norma and my babies gone too soon? Or do I want to be in heaven so I don’t have to deal with all the pain and sin that life on earth entails? Or do I want to be in heaven so my faith will finally be as sight and I can enjoy living in the presence of my Savior?

For to me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21 ESV

Heavenly Father, You are worthy of it all. What does earth have that compares to the joy of knowing You? Help me to cast off all that sin that clings so tightly. Give me strength to pursue You, to live on earth with eternity and heaven in view. Christ is mine now and forever. ✝️ ♾️ Amen

Worthy of it ALL – Stephen McWhirter

Shoveling Snow – 2 Samuel 19 – 2025 Day 321.

Published on by kendraskeLeave a comment

Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:1-40, 2 Samuel 19

We live in an area of the U.S. that fully experiences all four seasons of the year. We have hot summers and cold winters, with beautiful springs and falls in the transition times. It’s actually one of my favorite things about living here.

The problem is, though, that our area isn’t equipped to endure a week of below freezing temperatures or multiple inches of snow. When we get a heavy snow, there are no plows in sight, so we stay home and thank God for a pantry full of food and a furnace to keep us warm.

On one of these mornings, my son and I took advantage of a break in the snowfall to shovel our driveway. Trying to move 5-inch-deep snow is hard, back-breaking work, especially when your driveway is almost 100 yards long! The top few inches of snow may be light and fluffy, but that bottom inch gets packed down rock from repeated melting and freezing. I encouraged my son to do a quick once-over first, getting rid of that top layer, so the sun could get to that icy bottom layer. Then, ten minutes later, when he came back to the place where he’d started, that lower layer scraped off easily.

It got me thinking about how often we try to hide our hard hearts under layers of white fluff, or even under layers of “respectable” sins (the title of an excellent book by Jerry Bridges). It’s only when that top layer is scraped aside that the sunlight can do its work. As long as we keep hiding, refusing to do the hard work of bringing our sin into the open, that icy hard layer remains.

And yet, if we take that first step of sweeping away that fluffy top layer, but we refuse to deal with breaking up and shoveling away that thick, icy crust of hidden sin that we don’t want anyone to know about, all our work is for naught because that lower layer is where the serious danger lies. Those deep, hidden sins are what can really make us slip and fall, and fall hard.

A lesson from the life of David and from shoveling snow.

Heavenly Father, You are a good God and You want to free me from the hard, icy grasp of sin. Help me to bring into the light what I want to keep hidden in the dark. Help me to faithfully shovel away those “respectable sins” of covetousness and gossip so that I can bring into the light those pesky, hard to break, hidden sins of pride and deceit and fear and bitterness. In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

I Repent – Steve Green