Genesis 18; Matthew 17; Nehemiah 7; Acts 17
I love the times when I’m in the Word. Every moment a person spends in the Word can be a blessing to that person and those around them. The Word touches our hearts and is displayed in our actions leaving a imprint on us with a ripple effect on others. There are times when a single verse can change your perspective on a situation guiding our future thoughts and actions. Reading and reflecting in the Word each day provides me with a reminder of God’s grace. The Word shares an example of how Jesus lived His life and guides us on how to live ours.
In today’s readings I was impacted by a couple of versus in Genesis 18 that have helped me reflect on how I demonstrate hospitality in our home. Abraham and his wife, Sarah, showed genuine love in their hospitality to the Lord by immediately dedicating themselves to Him. This servant minded hospitality when shown immediately, not when it fit in their schedule. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”. Sometimes we worry about the presentation of our house or choice in meal. The real message though is to show dedicated, genuine love to others. Do I dedicate myself to the other person? Do I avoid thinking of my response to what they are saying or am I checking my phone? Do we serve them with all we have?
Later in Genesis Sarah was having a hard time believing she would conceive again at an older age. Genesis 18:14 said, “Is anything to hard for the Lord?” Not at all. Why do we have the tendency to limit God and what he can handle? Asking that same question in our own lives allows us to develop our prayer life and relationship with Him. Job 42:2 says, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
Our Father is in complete control and he reminds us many times in the Word when he says, “have no fear”. Why do we allow fears to slip in? What are the ways that you increase your faith to overcome this? In Matthew 17:20, “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you that if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you”. – Where’s our faith? Where do we turn our minds and heart in various trials? We can overcome any tribulations with our faith in God our father.
Finally, in Acts 17:6 Paul and Silas had, “turned the world upside down” when they told others about Jesus and the Word. We are so blessed by Scripture and through our testimonies we demonstrate how “our world turned upside down”. Our lives are changed. I was and can be so far from God. My pride leads me to losing God’s way for me. It can hurt my wife, children, brothers, sisters, parents, family, friends, and others. I hurt God. I receive God’s grace not because I deserve it, but because of who He is. God is good! God’s grace and Word can turn your world “upside down” from focusing on yourself to focusing on Him. The scary part is that at any moment when we do things without him our world can change right back.
God I’m always praying for a life where we focus more on you and less on ourselves. Provide us with courage to continue to share the wonderful Word about God because we never know when we can open a door to turn another persons world upside down.
A Changed Life