Read through the Bible in 2 years: Psalm 20; Job 3
When I was a new Christian learning how to pray, I noticed that people would often pray for “a hedge of protection” around someone. I had never heard that phrase before, but I started using it myself, asking God to put a hedge of protection around my children, my husband, my house.
Yesterday we looked at Job 1:9-11, “Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.””
But what about the previous verse, Job 1:8?
“And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job…”
Job 1:8a
I simply love this verse. Job was a blameless, upright man who feared God and turned away from evil, and yet the Lord said, “Hey, Satan, have you considered my servant Job?”
The Lord removed that hedge of protection, allowing — inviting — the enemy’s attacks on His righteous servant, Job, and Satan stripped everything away from him – his possessions, his children, his health, even his wife’s encouragement, yet “in all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:10) Lord, may the same be true of me.
Today, though, my heart broke as I dove into Job 3, reading about when Job cursed the day he was born. 🥹 But if I’m honest with myself, I can relate all too well to Job’s pain.
I’ve gone through the pain of my husband losing his job and our family being forced to move to a new city for a job. I’ve gone through the painful loss of a one-year-old nephew and a preborn son. I’ve gone through the pains of an aging father and more health scares (click here or here or here or here) than I care to recall. Sometimes I have wished that heaven would hurry and get here.
And yet, I can say with full assurance, all of God’s ways have been right and good. He has grown my faith in Him during those times of pain. He has indeed sheltered me under His wings. He has taught me the wisdom and truth of Psalm 20:7.
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”
Psalm 20:7 ESV
So, today, whether you are feeling the glorious hedge of God’s protection (Job 1:10) or the painful hedge of thorny trials (Job 3:23), I pray that you will put your trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father,
Your grace is sufficient for me. Your strength is made perfect when I am weak. Whether I can feel Your presence or You feel a million miles away, help me to trust that You are always with me. Whether I’m on the mountain top or in the valley bottom, help me to see Your rod and staff guiding me.Let me not trust in any man-made rescue plan, but place my trust fully in You and You alone. You are trustworthy. Thank You for the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. The blood of Jesus is my faithful hedge of protection.
"Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” Job 1:9-12 ESV
Like I wrote yesterday, “We learn of God’s grace as we are humbled. Surely these afflictions are for our good. It is good to recognize that nothing on earth will ever be enough. Treasures on earth – whether monetary or relational – will never satisfy. Our lives are better because of the thorns that the Lord has in His mercy given us. Our faith grows as it is stretched.”
No one is a better example of this than Job!
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV
Friends, it’s a blessing to have your faith tested. When your faith is tested, it GROWS and it shows you and everyone around you that it’s REAL!
Let’s pray,
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gifts that You have given us – our health, our children, our home, our jobs, all of our possessions. They are gifts.
Draw our hearts to You, Lord. Forgive us for turning to these gifts instead of turning to You.
May we say with Job, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed by the name of the Lord.” None of us want to go through the sorrow of losing our children, our possessions, or our own health. But, Father, none of those things can ever truly satisfy.
You are our God, our refuge, our hope, our joy, our strength. Our faith is in You alone. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
In the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
"So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt." Genesis 45:4-8 ESV
I have a quick question for y’all – Have you ever been sold into slavery by your brothers? No? Me neither.
Have you ever been hurt by anyone in your life? Yes? Me, too.
When someone hurts you, it can be hard to forgive them. Sometimes it feels like you can’t “let them off” by forgiving them. You can take on the roll of punisher – wanting them to pay for what they’ve done to you.
But let’s think about Joseph’s words here — what if we saw God’s hand at work even in our pain? How would that change your desire to punish someone who hurt you? Wouldn’t that make true forgiveness a whole lot easier?
The truth is that God is always at work, accomplishing the best ends through the best means for the most people. Sometimes people get hurt during that … And sometimes those people are YOU …
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father,
I trust You. I trust Your heart. I trust Your mercy and kindness and grace and power. You have proven Yourself to be good and faithful – in Your Word and in my life. But, Father, sometimes things look really bad to me. In fact, sometimes those things really are bad. It’s wrong to sell your brother into slavery. That is wrong. Yet, Lord, you worked through that unthinkable tragedy to bring great good for a great number of people with fruit still being born even today.
I pray that I would trust You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Help me to remember Your steadfast faithfulness to Joseph and me now and forever.
Last fall I was interviewed for a podcast called Side B stories. What an amazing experience!
Premier Unbelievable just released an article about my life. Crazy! God is so amazing! If only I could learn to write as well as the author of this article. WOW! Praise You, Lord!
Here’s a brief excerpt from the article. Click the link to read the rest,
“Former atheist, Kim Endraske, seriously wrestled with this existential reality. Fear of death was her constant companion. But that fear wasn’t enough for her to change her mind about God just to soothe a personal discomfort. After all, atheists are the adults in the room, called to soberly and courageously live with realities, such as death and dying, that may be personally unsettling. They are not to succumb to the childish notions of happily ever after in the afterlife. What was it then that changed Kim’s mind about the reality of God, and through that, lose her fear of death?
O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
1 Corinthians 15:55 ESV
“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.
That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
Hebrews 2:10-15
Christ is Risen – Matt Maher
Christ is Risen – Matt Maher
Let no one caught in sin remain Inside the lie of inward shame We fix our eyes upon the cross And run to Him who showed great love
And bled for us Freely You’ve bled for us
Christ is risen from the dead Trampling over death by death Come awake, come awake Come and rise up from the grave Christ is risen from the dead We are one with Him again Come awake, Come awake, Come and rise up from the grave.
Beneath the weight of all our sin You bowed to none but heaven’s will No scheme of hell, no scoffer’s crown No burden great can hold You down
In strength You reign Forever let Your church proclaim
Christ is risen from the dead Trampling over death by death Come awake, come awake Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead We are one with Him again Come awake, come awake Come and rise up from the grave
O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory? O church, come stand in the light The glory of God has defeated the night
I found it especially interesting to read Genesis 38 and 39 together. Genesis 38 tells the story of Judah, who got his widowed daughter-in-law pregnant, while Genesis 39 tells the story of Judah’s younger brother, Joseph, who successfully resisted Potiphar’s wife in spite of her incredible persistence.
Genesis 38 – Sexual Sin and Human Pride
I mainly want to focus on Genesis 39 today, but before we get there I do want to point out two things in Genesis 38.
"About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” - Genesis 38:24 ESV
Judah is the father of this child. Judah is the reason that Tamar is pregnant. Yet Judah is who demands that she be burned. 🥺😭
How quickly we point out the sin in other people when we are guilty of that very same sin! How prone we are to hate lying and pride and sin in other people, while overlooking it in ourselves!
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Matthew 7:3 ESV
This is part of loving your neighbor as yourself. Somehow we all manage to forgive our own lying and deceit and sexual sin and pride. We make excuses for our own misbehavior, yet we are quick to point fingers at others. May it never be.
I pray that we desire repentance in ourselves as well as our neighbor to repent. May we be merciful as we have been shown mercy. May we not think that we are somehow better than the other person when we are both eating pig slop.
As a dear Christian sister often reminds me, “We are all just beggars looking for somewhere to buy bread.”
The second thing that jumps out at me from Genesis 38 is that Perez, one of the twin sons who was conceived in Tamar through this act of sexual immorality, is the child that God chose to be in the line of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:3)
God uses all things, sometimes even sinful things, to accomplish His purposes. Does that mean we should continue in sin? May it never be. But does it mean that none of us are beyond hope and that God is able to use even our sinful past to bring Him glory? Yes. Yes, it does.
I have deep regrets over many things I did in the first 25 years of my life – maybe you do, too – yet those things shaped who I am today. I pray that God would use my brokenness to be holes for His glory to shine out of.
Genesis 29 – Handsome Joseph and Potiphar’s Persistent Wife
Let’s look next at Genesis 29 – a completely different reaction to sexual temptation.
Potiphar’s wife, a woman of authority, the wife of his boss, aggressively pursued Joseph – a very different situation than the one Judah was in – and yet Joseph remained steadfast, refusing to even “listen to her.” (Genesis 39:10)
The scriptures are full of encouragement to FLEE from temptation and sin. We must actively train ourselves – and our children – to FLEE from temptation.
And let us not be like Lot’s wife who kept looking back as she was being forced to flee Sodom. Let us not be like the Israelites who thought fondly about their years in Egyptian bondage. Let’s be women who flee from temptation with our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”
Psalm 119:9 ESV
“For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol; she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!” Proverbs 5:3-12 ESV
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
2 Timothy 2:22 ESV
“The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:13b-20 ESV
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for Your mercy and grace and forgiveness. I don’t deserve it. I have been Tamar and I have been Potiphar’s wife. Like 1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Such was I, Lord! But, Lord, You have washed me clean through the blood of Jesus. You have given me new desires and new power by Your Spirit at work in me. Praise Your name!
I pray that You would protect our husbands and sons. Please, Father, help them to keep their hearts and minds pure. Help them to think about what they’re thinking about and to pay attention to what has their attention. Show them the way of escape when they are tempted and give them the wisdom, strength, and desire to flee.
Please protect my sisters and me – and our daughters – from the temptation to be temptresses. Make us honorable women. May we be found faithful – to You and to our husbands. Create in us clean hands and pure hearts, O LORD. Teach us to that true fulfillment and satisfaction is found only at the feet of Jesus, so that we would not seek it elsewhere.
You are worthy. You alone are worthy. Thank you, Jesus!
In the matchless name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
When I Think About the Lord
When I think about the Lord How He saved, how He raised me How He filled me with the Holy Ghost He healed me to the uttermost When I think about the Lord How He picked me up Turned me around How He set my feet On solid ground
That makes me want to shout Hallelujah, thank You, Jesus Lord, You’re worthy Of all the glory, and all the honor And all the praise Oh, makes me want to shout Hallelujah, thank You, Jesus Lord, You’re worthy Of all the glory, and all the honor And all the praise
"When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.
And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing."
- Genesis 29:31-35
So often as women we feel like we control our own wombs. I remember a time of great marital struggles and infertility for my husband and I. Reading this story about Leah is such an encouragement to me. God has purpose both in our fertility and in our barrenness. May we bring him glory in both.
Yet when God gives Leah sons, she views them as tools to try to get her husband to love her.
Son #1: Now my husband will love me.
Son #2: The Lord has heard that I am hated.
Son #3: Now my husband will be attached to me.
Finally, Son #4: THIS TIME I WILL PRAISE THE LORD!
Yet, it’s this fourth son, Judah, whom God chose to father the line of the Messiah, the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, God’s only Begotten Son. And it’s Leah, the unloved wife, whom God chose to bear Judah.
Are you feeling unloved today? I’ve been there. But so has Jesus. He knows how it feels to be rejected by those who were supposed to love Him. And He loves you. And He is worth more than a perfect husband or a thousand imperfect sons.
Let me pray over you.
Heavenly Father,
You are close to the broken-hearted. You are the God who remains faithful when man is faithless. You love the unloveable, the poor, the lonely, the rejected.
You are the good shepherd who pursues that lost sheep.
I pray that we would praise You when life is good and we would praise You when life is hard. No matter what, You are worthy of our praise.
We offer our hearts, minds, wombs, and lives to You. Father, fill them as You will in Your perfect timing and for Your purposes. Help us to trust You with our hearts and our hurts.
Genesis 26:22 ESV - And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
In reading Genesis 25 and 26, I was first struck thinking about the pain and confusion Isaac and Rebekah must have felt in their 20 year wait to bear a child. Then, I pondered the plethora of problems that partiality causes, especially when it’s in a family.
But then when I came to Genesis 26:22 and felt led to look up that word “Rehoboth” which I learned means “broad place,” which then reminded me of a verse in Psalm 18 that I read last week.
Psalm 18:36 ESV, "You gave a wide place for my steps under me and my feet did not slip."
And I wondered, was the first well, the Esek well, not in a broad place? How about the second well, the Sitnah well, was it not in a broad place? I don’t think so.
Rather, Isaac and his herdmen made a conscious decision to avoid a quarrel … to choose peace over strife. The Lord had given them all of this land, but Isaac and his men had to choose to avoid a quarrel. (You can read the story in Genesis 26:17-22)
Well, that then reminded me of what I’m studying in 1 Timothy 3:2-3 ESV, “An overseer must be above reproach … gentle, not quarrelsome …” The NASB95 translation says, “An overseer must be above reproach … gentle, peaceable.”
That word that the ESV translates “not quarrelsome” and NASB translates “peaceable” is amachos (G269). a + machos … not + fighting, not + contentious. Paul uses this same Greek word amachos in Titus 3:1-2 ESV, “Remind them (that’s everyone, not just overseers or elders … look back at Titus 2:15 for more context) to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling (NASB95: be peaceable), to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”
And I can’t talk about quarreling without looking at Proverbs. Proverbs has a little – I mean, a lot – to say about quarreling! Here’s a sampling of verses from Proverbs of quarreling:
Proverbs 17:14 ESV – The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
Proverbs 19:13 ESV – A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
Proverbs 20:3 ESV – It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.
Proverbs 21:9 – It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
Proverbs 21:19 ESV – It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
Proverbs 25:24 ESV – It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
Proverbs 26:20-21 ESV – For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
Proverbs 27:15 ESV – A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
And how about a few verses from Romans 12,
"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:16-21 ESV
Let’s pray,
Heavenly Father,
No matter how big or small my house, no matter how big or small my yard, no matter how many or few people I have to share my place with, You have indeed given me a wide place for my steps. The boundary lines You have given have fallen for me in pleasant places. I have a beautiful inheritance. Because You, Lord, are my chosen portion and You hold my lot.
Whom shall I fear? You are the stronghold of my life or whom shall I be afraid?
In God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. I can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
I pray that so far as it depends on me that I will live peaceably with all. Help me, Father, to avoid quarrels, to keep a careful watch over my mouth that I may not sin with my tongue. Help me to guard my mouth with a muzzle, especially when teh wicked are in my presence.
I pray that my mouth would be FILLED with Your PRAISE and with Your GLORY all the day.
I pray that I would not be a quarrelsome or contentious wife. Father, make me an excellent wife. Please help me to do my husband good and not harm all the days of my life. I pray that I would open my mouth with wisdom and that the teaching of kindness would be on my tongue.
I pray all this to the glory of Your name and for Your Son Jesus Christ who gave Himself up for me to redeem me and to purify me, to make me a woman for His own possession who is zealous for good works. Amen.
I love to pray scripture. This prayer is guided by Psalm 16:5-6; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 56:11; Psalm 118:6; Hebrews 13:6; Psalm 141:3; Psalm 39:1, Psalm 71:8; Proverbs 21:9, 19; Proverbs 31:12, 26; Titus 2:14
"Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, 'There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'" - Genesis 20:11 ESV
Did any of you find it ironic when Abraham said “there is no fear of God at all in this place” when he deceived Abimelech? Wasn’t Abraham himself failing to fear God when he chose to tell Abimelech that Sarah was only his sister, rather than confessing that she was his wife?
Fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Like Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”
Then, two chapters later, Abraham has proven that he trusts God, going so far as to obey the Lord’s command to offer Isaac, believing that “God was able even to raise him from the dead,” (Hebrews 11:19)
As Abraham is about to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac, the Lord’s messenger says, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (Genesis 22:12 ESV)
It reminds me of Jesus’s words in Luke 12:4-5 about the right fear of the Lord,
"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!"
But Jesus’s very next words are,
"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Luke 12:6-7)
So, let me get this right: Don’t fear man because they can only kill your body. Rather, fear God who has authority to cast you into hell, but then again …. FEAR NOT! You are way more valuable to God than many sparrows!”
Here’s how that makes sense to me: God’s children don’t need to fear because He will protect them from His wrath by the blood of His Son, but whoever continues to turn away from Him better be afraid because He is a just and righteous judge.
May we not “presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4)
Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your mercy. Thank You for sending Your Son, the God-Man Christ Jesus, to be the propitation for my sins.
Thank You for His One perfect sacrifice which tore the temple curtain in two that we can now come into the Holy of Holies and meet with You.
Let us not presume on the riches of You kindness and patience. Rather, let us humbly bow before You in reverence, seeing our need for our Savior.
We were all bound like Isaac, unable to escape from our sins, and Jesus was that perfect Lamb that was offered in our place.
We pray for a right fear of You, Holy God, that we will not be afraid of man nor of our daily circumstances that can indeed be scary. Let us not fear anything that is frightening because our trust is in You who judges justly.
By the Name of our Gracious Savior Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 3:11-12; Psalm 17; Genesis 13-14
"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’" - Genesis 14:18-23 ESV
“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.” – Psalm 17:6-7 ESV
Melchizedek, the King of Righteousness, the King of Salem (Peace) (Jerusalem), a priest of God Most High, blessed Abram, acknowledging God’s blessing and protection of Abram.
Abram himself also acknowledges God’s power and authority to give Abram success and stuff. He, too, calls the Lord “El Elyon” – God Most High.
What does it mean that God is the God Most High?
As we read today in Genesis 13, God Most High is who gives offspring, who gives land, and who brings victory or defeat. But it is so much more than that.
God is the supreme sovereign authority over all things in heaven and on earth. Every knee bows before Him. He is the creator, sustainer, and owner of everything. He is the ruler over all things. He gives and takes away according to His will.
And Jesus Christ, God’s only Begotten Son, fully God and fully man, God in flesh, God with us, is our Great High Priest and King, higher than any earthly priest or king. Read more about this in Hebrews 7. Here’s a taste of it:
"For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself." - Hebrews 7:26-27 ESV
Will you pray with me? Remember we have the highest high priest, Jesus Christ, interceding for us and we pray to the Lord God Most High.
Heavenly Father, Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, Ruler of all creation,
What a privilege it is to come before you and to lay our needs at Your feet. We know that You hear us. We know that You see us. Even though You are almighty and transcendent over all creation, You love us, Your creation and children.
We ask You, Lord, to provide our daily bread to us, to forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us, and to protect us from the temptations of the evil one. Give us eyes to see You, and ears to hear Your voice. Strengthen our weak knees to follow You and go where You send us, trusting that You are indeed God Most High.
We pray for our husbands and children, that they will recognize Your Almighty power and mercy and holiness. Give them the strength to be humble and honest, to walk with integrity and honor. Give them hearts like yours.
In the Most High Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and Priest, Amen.
Read Through the Bible in 2 Years: Proverbs 3:9-10; Genesis 12
"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." - Genesis 12:1 ESV
Abram, too, finds his way into the Hebrews Hall of Faith, like Abel and Noah that we read about recently.
"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going." - Hebrews 11:8 ESV
In reading Genesis 12, I wanted to either focus on Abram failing to protect his beautiful wife from the advances of the Pharaoh or on Abram choosing to trust God and go out to an unknown land.
But, instead, I’m going to choose Door #3, that in spite of Abram’s great shortcomings, he was God’s chosen man called for a specific purpose. Like Noah, a righteous man, chosen by God for a great purpose who became drunk with wine shortly after surviving the worldwide flood, Abram obeys God in going out to this new place, yet he gives way to fear.
Like we read in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
From Abel to Noah to Abram to Bill and Kim Endraske, each of us have been saved by our faith, not by our works. Yet our faith will lead us to do works of faith, whether in offering good sacrifices, or building big boats, or going out to foreign lands, or writing blogs one-day-at-a-time, may we walk faithfully with our God.
Let’s pray together.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the precious gift of faith. You did not choose me because of any deed that I had done. In fact, You cast Your eyes and Your love upon me while I was Your enemy. You called me and chose me and drew me and put faith into me … and all I can say is THANK YOU!
Lord, I pray for my husband to hear You loud and clear. Help him to be strong and courageous and not to be afraid. Help him to resist the temptation to take the easy way out. Father, I pray that You will be faithful to complete the good work that You have begun in him. Direct his steps and protect him from the schemes and lies of the evil one. Give him the strength and wisdom to follow You. Help him to know Your Word and hear Your voice as You lead him.
Father, help us as wives to submit to our husbands, not to fear anything that is frightening. Encourage us to sit daily at Your feet, that we might trust You when life is scary. Help us to keep a careful watch over our mouths and our minds, thinking and speaking the truth in love. Make us godly helpmeets, doing good to our husbands all the days of his life, so that his heart can trust us and he will have no lack of gain.
Lord, we submit to You and Your will for our lives. We will go where you send us, when you send us, trusting that Your ways and thoughts are always better than ours.
In the Good and Sovereign Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Teach What is Good 
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